14 replies to this topic

[Roberciiik]

Hello,

 

I can't see an active bug thread, so I'm starting this one. I've played a round with Shadows over Soubar modification on vanilla BG2 engine. I want to share some issues that I've found. I hope it can be fixed somehow.

 

1) The most important issue is a CTD in Soubar (AR4230) near mouse position 2550,3152. Game exits without any message in tobex console. It works on pre-1.14 (commit hash: 3911bbe), and it looks like issue with the fountain. On pre-1.14 fountain has broken tile (it is green, transparent probably? screenshot included) but on 1.15 I can see blue water in the TIS file (using NI). I've verified that there is no crash on BG2EE and the fountain has an animation.

EDIT: Proposed fix by restoring Beregost AR4230 TIS file.

Spoiler

 

2) Also CTD happened when entering to house AR4258 with console message: ASSERTION FAILED! Return Address: 0x6C41D3 File: Infinity.cpp Line: 1889 Expression: FALSE Message: Tile set BG2602 not found. Other two location with CTD are houses: AR4260 and AR4261. The AR4258 crashed on EE too.

EDIT: Proposed fix on GitHub PR19.

 

3) Spy quest is really broken when you talk with warriors in the warehouse. It is so easy to end up with NO VALID LINKS OR REPLAYS that are coming from the engine as dialogs are incorrectly programmed I assume. What should be done to fix it? From the walkthrough there is a workaround, an exact: "Ask each suspect one question about another suspect, never ask them about themselves and never ask two suspects about the same suspect or the quest becomes broken and you will might get NO VALID LINKS OR REPLIES."

 

4) Soubar's town minimap is too big, and goes out of the screen. Looks like it was working on old version 1.14 from github (commit hash: 3911bbe). Screen included.

EDIT: Corrected MOS file.

Spoiler

 

5) There is an old bug causes that game will not recognize end of main quest if Rolf Surblade is killed on main or second floor of his keep. It looks like he moves to the next location after he is nearly dead AND ends his script. Maybe he should have an unkillabe flag to prevent him to be killed too early. Or even better, he could flee as soon as he is nearly dead instead of waiting for script end. Here and here is another reference (http://www.shsforums...im-supposed-to/) (http://www.shsforums...nkillable-rolf/)

 

6) Visual appearance of area AR4201 is completely broken/messed up. Screen attached.

EDIT: Rootcaused to biffing. Optional biffing should help.

Spoiler

 

7) Selence proficiency is from BG1 (i.e. Long Swords, Bows, etc) instead of BG2 proficiency. Screen (in Polish unfortunately) included.

Spoiler

 

8 ) Small one: Why "Chionthar River" location on worldmap is on the west side of Soubar but PC goes to the west to arrive to Soubar. I think it would be better to move icon to the east side of Soubar. Screenshot included.

EDIT: Proposed fix: PR21

Spoiler

 

 

9) Following the map, it looks like Soubar and Lyrar Keep are not added to worldmap at all. Besides, I've visited these places, I can travel only to River Chionthar via Worldmap. However worldmap.tra files contain translations for Lyrar Keep and Soubar locations like it can be used on worldmap.

EDIT: Proposed fix: PR21

 

10)  On AR4287 there is incorrect automap note from the original ToB area (this area was copied from ToB). I tried to remove it from AR4287.ARE file, but it seems that there is not such entry. I thought it will be easy to remove mapnote. How to achieve this? Where is the mapnote definition? Well, Soubar area also has a one redundant mapnote with no text assigned to it. I want to remove them both.

EDIT: Fixed by PR18 and PR17.

 

11) Another old problem with travelling back by River Chionthar. Game crashes with message:

ASSERTION FAILED! Return Address: 0x4BB3BF File: CGameArea.cpp Line 1180 Expression: pObject->GetVertListType() == CGameObject::LIST_FRONT Message: (null)

 

There is a workaround from the walkthrough:

If your game crashes this works on my machine: restart your computer, start BG2, load the autosave and click the exit point in the north-east to exit the map -> Charlotte's river map! Immediate Quicksave!

 

12) The last one is a question about rebalancing. I know that all of hard fight and powerful items are state of the art for Mega-Modifications. However all of them ruin the rest of the game. Will you integrate an optional component that could fix some of these issues, if implemented by someone?

List of the potential issues to be rebalanced:

 

- Permanent kills by Bane's Lish explosions

- Hellblades that are teleporting to your inventory (http://www.shsforums...ing-practrices/)

- Overpowered and duplicated items from ToB and SoA endgame

- So many grimuars

 

 

I'm willing to help with some of these issues, especially with area related crashes. Unfortunately I don't have experience with dialog or area editing. If someone could help me figure out the rootcauses I could try to implement, test and upstream fixes to github.

 

I've also fixed some other small issues, here is a list of changes to approve:

 

- Use always correct WED file for visual bug in AR1004 for oBG2 (https://github.com/S..._Soubar/pull/11)

- Moved Beregost movie to lang directory (https://github.com/S..._Soubar/pull/12)

- Optional biffing (https://github.com/S..._Soubar/pull/13)

- Fix missing identified description for letters (https://github.com/S..._Soubar/pull/14)

- Moved language-specific sounds to english language directory (https://github.com/S..._Soubar/pull/15)

- Fixed old bug related to missing condition in militia quest (https://github.com/S..._Soubar/pull/16)

 

Thanks

Edited by Roberciiik, 15 January 2022 - 09:28 AM.

[Greenhorn]

Thank you for this useful compilation. I hope someone will pick up the torch and address numerous problems which are still present in this mod in foreseeable future. 

[Endarire]

Where do we download the latest version of Robertciik's updated Shadows Over Soubar?

Thankee!

[Roberciiik]

My proposed changes/fixes have not been integrated into main repository yet. Also, I'm trying to incorporate two more features/fixes.

[jastey]

Sorry, RL is taking it's poll for me currently. I'll be back eventually.

[The Imp]

My first advice here would be to enable sprite mirroring. ... without mods, then archive the game, and save it to a thumb stick and never loose the setting, by extracting the game from there, as you need only to start the game from the BGMain.exe... and then start moding.

[Roberciiik]

I was able to resolve some issues with the modification. My fixes are on GitHub, as stated by links in the first post.

 

Also, I integrated an optional component with the new Soubar location, based on Cuttooth's and Dradiel's works from WoBG modification (big thanks!!!).

I have made some adjustment to scripts and enabled EE, and it looks like working solution

Changes depend on previous commits, so I will publish it after merging on GH.

 

Comparison before and after:

[jastey]

Thank you for your constant work on this, and sorry it takes so long for one of us to review and merge the proposed fixes and changes.

[Isewein]

I love the new area design rather than the same old Beregost map! Maybe I should finally give SoS a try. Did you make it yourself? Makes me wish I knew polish to see what other gems are hidden by the Children of Bhaal.

[Roberciiik]

The new Soubar area was designed and modelled by Cuttooth. With their permission, I added and adjusted the area to include into the modification.

[Endarire]

Does this new Roberciik version include fixes to text corruption on EET?  (Source - last message by Graion)

Edited by Endarire, 15 October 2022 - 02:40 PM.

[jastey]

I will check when releasing a new version. Thanks for bringing it to my attention (again), I missed Graion's post.

[medhbh]

Having some issues:

1) The Major tells me to put all my stuff in a chest, but there are no chests anywhere in AR4286.

2) The Sergeant doesn't come when called by the Major; I had to spawn him with the console.
3) The Sergeant doesn't provide uniforms/weapons/papers. Reviewing "CBSOUSGT.DLG:
State 8 is "You won't be using any of your equipment while under my command!"

Response 11 includes ActionOverrides that DestroyAllEquipment for Players 1 through 6.  (if you have "7th slot" characters like Brandock, Solaufein from Jastey's "Rescue," Grey or Afaaq, they are unaffected)
State 9 is "Right then. Let's get you all in uniform."
Response 12 has no flags set.
State 14 is "I also have your papers and identification which I will give to you.  Do not lose them or your uniforms."

Response 18 has no flags set.
State 15 is "When I am finished with you, you should speak with the major to get your orders."
Response 19 starts a cutscene, if none of the party members are monks; Response 20 starts a different cutscene.

The Major assigns me a task, the Sergeant leads me off, and I have no weapons or armor.

 

[Endarire]

Are you using the latest master version, the latest release version, or other?  What's your WeiDU.log?  What game version are you using (EET 2.6, EE 2.5, etc.)?

Thankee!

[medhbh]

EET 2.6.
SoS 1.16

Edit #1: And, after the Major tells me to go downstairs to recruit the prisoners, there's no one in the gaol cells.
 

 

Edit #2: Spawned the prisoners, trained them, got the spy mission (Ceeb!), got promoted.

Supposed to be a troop assembled, to be given orders.  Nobody there!
 
 
Edit #3: Went back to the Major to get the next quest.

To get the option to tell the Major, "Sir, I have ordered the company you assigned to various posts within the town.  They are doing their duties quite well.  Will that be all, Sir?"

Global CBOrderCompanyOfGuard has to be set to 2
 
However, if Global CBOrderCompanyOfGuard is NOT set to 0, the only dialogue option you get is "Sir!  Nothing to report at this time!"

Using NI, I removed the ! in front of Global ("CbOrderCompanyOfGuard","GLOBAL",0), at which point I got the necessary option to proceed.
 

 

Edit #4: Selence was a problem on level-up; I could not allocate her thief points.  And, once you hit that level up button, there's no way back, so I had to reboot.

Also, for her to have only 75K XP in Chapter 6 - after completing Soubar, plus whatever other content you've done - leaves her awfully low-level, both in comparison to the rest of the party, and relative to the challenges you'll face setting up her guild for her.

Attached Files

•  WeiDU.log   116.5K   81 downloads

Edited by skellytz, 16 December 2022 - 09:23 PM.
Double posting. Please use the edit button instead of posting twice in a row.