Pine Valley - Fixed Up Version

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Re: Pine Valley - Fixed Up Version

Post by LCountach »

What do you guys think of adding other dinos in some of the levels? I can think of one great place for compys. A second if I were to expand Cathy’s Beach into well... an actual beach. Not really sure where to put a dilo though.
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Re: Pine Valley - Fixed Up Version

Post by Rebel »

Well, Cathy's Beach should have had compys, at least if they were attempting to recreate the movie scene
to a degree. I'm not certain as to whether or not they were ever planned, or cut. I don't remember -
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Re: Pine Valley - Fixed Up Version

Post by tatu »

LCountach wrote:What do you guys think of adding other dinos in some of the levels? I can think of one great place for compys. A second if I were to expand Cathy’s Beach into well... an actual beach. Not really sure where to put a dilo though.
It could work. :)

However, personally I would suggest spending some time and add PH into the level selection where the original Cathy's Beach is located. The beach in JR is really only where you were supposed to find the first airplane parts of your airplane in the earlier versions (check out JR from Build 55 and PH from Build 32). Thanks to Rebel and machf it is easy to convert the file formats (they are older) into retail ones to work with as well: viewtopic.php?f=120&t=11435
Well, Cathy's Beach should have had compys, at least if they were attempting to recreate the movie scene
to a degree. I'm not certain as to whether or not they were ever planned, or cut. I don't remember -
I would guess they were only implemented on some testing level as machf found their PVA information in one of the exe.
Active project: Trespasser: Isla Sorna
Status:
BE-PH1: Released
PH2-IT: Pre-released
PL-SUM: In production

"...there used to be more benches, but InGen's workers removed them during the evacuation in the name of framerate."
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Re: Pine Valley - Fixed Up Version

Post by LCountach »

tatu wrote:Instructions for CE:

First rename the TPA files (Stream, Ambient and Effects) from Build 96 to something like B96Strean, B96Ambient, B96Effects.
Put an fm.ini file (found in the doc folder in the CE download) in the folder where the levels are along with the "new" TPA ones (renaming them helps avoiding replacing the retail if using the data folder).
Open the fm.ini file and modify these lines:

Code: Select all

;EffectsTPA+=Effects.tpa
;StreamTPA+=Stream.tpa
;AmbientTPA+=Ambient.tpa
To

Code: Select all

;EffectsTPA+=B96Effects.tpa
;StreamTPA+=B96Stream.tpa
;AmbientTPA+=B96Ambient.tpa
(Be aware to change the lines containing the "+" and not the ones above it). This way the Build 96 TPA's should get loaded ontop of the retail ones and only take sounds not found in the retail TPAs :)
I just ran into a strange bug. I did this step back when you suggested it. It worked great. I was mostly finished with Pine Valley and moved on to other levels. Today I came back because I figured out why the Steam Turbine puzzle is auto completing and bugging out. Unfortunately when playing through PV again today. I found the sound effects from that TPA fix are no longer playing. I have tried multiple backups of the level and none work. For some reason I cant figure out. That fix to add in the older TPA files is no longer working. I never even touched those files. I even tried reinstalling the game. I have no idea why they stopped working.

EDIT: From what I can tell. ATX and CE are ignoring the "fm.ini" file. I just tried:
; Disable playback of new game movie ("menu\newgame.smk") for the FM
;NewGameMovie=1
That didn't work either. I am stumped.
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Re: Pine Valley - Fixed Up Version

Post by tatu »

Are you sure you ran the correct exe? In any case "fm.ini" is CE only and ATX will of course ignore it :P
Active project: Trespasser: Isla Sorna
Status:
BE-PH1: Released
PH2-IT: Pre-released
PL-SUM: In production

"...there used to be more benches, but InGen's workers removed them during the evacuation in the name of framerate."
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Re: Pine Valley - Fixed Up Version

Post by LCountach »

tatu wrote:Are you sure you ran the correct exe? In any case "fm.ini" is CE only and ATX will of course ignore it :P
Very interesting. I have tried CE and ATX. Neither works with the renamed TPA and "fm.ini" files I edited. Now that you told me that the "fm.ini" doesn't work for ATX. I think I know my mistake. I dont think I ever used the "fm.ini" properly. I'll bet I had the build 96 TPAs in my install directory the whole time. My mistake.

Thank you for helping me clear that up.
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Re: Pine Valley - Fixed Up Version

Post by machf »

LCountach wrote:
tatu wrote:Instructions for CE:

First rename the TPA files (Stream, Ambient and Effects) from Build 96 to something like B96Strean, B96Ambient, B96Effects.
Put an fm.ini file (found in the doc folder in the CE download) in the folder where the levels are along with the "new" TPA ones (renaming them helps avoiding replacing the retail if using the data folder).
Open the fm.ini file and modify these lines:

Code: Select all

;EffectsTPA+=Effects.tpa
;StreamTPA+=Stream.tpa
;AmbientTPA+=Ambient.tpa
To

Code: Select all

;EffectsTPA+=B96Effects.tpa
;StreamTPA+=B96Stream.tpa
;AmbientTPA+=B96Ambient.tpa
(Be aware to change the lines containing the "+" and not the ones above it). This way the Build 96 TPA's should get loaded ontop of the retail ones and only take sounds not found in the retail TPAs :)
I just ran into a strange bug. I did this step back when you suggested it. It worked great. I was mostly finished with Pine Valley and moved on to other levels. Today I came back because I figured out why the Steam Turbine puzzle is auto completing and bugging out. Unfortunately when playing through PV again today. I found the sound effects from that TPA fix are no longer playing. I have tried multiple backups of the level and none work. For some reason I cant figure out. That fix to add in the older TPA files is no longer working. I never even touched those files. I even tried reinstalling the game. I have no idea why they stopped working.

EDIT: From what I can tell. ATX and CE are ignoring the "fm.ini" file. I just tried:
; Disable playback of new game movie ("menu\newgame.smk") for the FM
;NewGameMovie=1
That didn't work either. I am stumped.
The ";"s at the beginning of each line make them "comments only". In order for those lines to be processed, you have to remove the leading ";"s, like this:

Code: Select all

EffectsTPA+=B96Effects.tpa
StreamTPA+=B96Stream.tpa
AmbientTPA+=B96Ambient.tpa
Visit The Carnivores Saga - a forum devoted to modding Action Forms' Carnivores, Carnivores 2 and Carnivores: Ice Age games
Tres WIP: updated T-Script Reference and File Formats documents
Sound name listings for the Demo (build 117), Retail (build 116), Beta 103, Beta 99, Beta 97, Beta 96, Build 55, PC Gamer Alpha (build 32) and E3 1998 Alpha (build 22) TPA files
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Re: Pine Valley - Fixed Up Version

Post by LCountach »

machf wrote: The ";"s at the beginning of each line make them "comments only". In order for those lines to be processed, you have to remove the leading ";"s, like this:

Code: Select all

EffectsTPA+=B96Effects.tpa
StreamTPA+=B96Stream.tpa
AmbientTPA+=B96Ambient.tpa
Thanks for the tip. I did already try that unfortunately. I must be doing something else wrong. Also for the moment, we have to play PV in ATX or Original. For some reason the main puzzle doesn't work in CE. CE is also the only EXE that "fm.ini" works with. Bummer again.
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Re: Pine Valley - Fixed Up Version

Post by machf »

LCountach wrote:CE is also the only EXE that "fm.ini" works with. Bummer again.
Duh. That's something that was introduced by CE, not a standard Trespasser feature... and ATX has a different way of handling mods.
Visit The Carnivores Saga - a forum devoted to modding Action Forms' Carnivores, Carnivores 2 and Carnivores: Ice Age games
Tres WIP: updated T-Script Reference and File Formats documents
Sound name listings for the Demo (build 117), Retail (build 116), Beta 103, Beta 99, Beta 97, Beta 96, Build 55, PC Gamer Alpha (build 32) and E3 1998 Alpha (build 22) TPA files
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Re: Pine Valley - Fixed Up Version

Post by LCountach »

Good news! I was able to fix the Steam Turbine puzzle's auto completing problem. It turns out it was a physics engine problem. I am sure you have all tried dropping an item on a table in Trespasser and witnessed it float high above the surface of the table. The actual physics bounding boxes extend a fair distance beyond what the sub objects/bones show visually. That was the problem. The Devs placed the tiny trigger cubes visually right where they needed to be. However, as I watched the gauges behavior in Trespasser itself. I could tell the triggers on all three gauges were firing without the needle even coming close to contacting them visually.

The way the puzzle works is. First the player enters the room. That hits a trigger that frees up the right side gauge. The player brings up the pressure on the right side gauge by manipulating the lever. When the pressure is high enough. That triggers the release of the middle gauge. Bring up the pressure on the middle gauge. That triggers the release of the left gauge. Bring up the pressure on the left until its in the green. That hits a trigger for the "win" condition of that portion of the puzzle. Go to high and into the red. That resets the gauges. What I was observing was all the gauges were being freed when I entered the room. They were also resetting over and over with out the needles moving more than a centimeter. I was also achieving the "Win" condition without even touching the levers. Activating the bones cheat showed the needles were hitting something and flashing red when they barely moved. Moving the triggers away from the gauges just enough solved that problem. But... there was one last problem. Even after fixing the gauges. The "win" trigger for the steam turbine puzzle was still firing early. This was because it was assigned to the trigger on the first gauge instead of the "win" trigger on the last gauge. That was also a simple fix once identified.

One last note. As far as I can tell. Going into the red and resetting the gauges does not have any scripting to undo the win condition. Maybe the Devs didn't get to that part. Or... maybe they couldn't figure out how to do it. Or... maybe I missed seeing that part. I dont know.

Long story short. The steam turbine puzzle is working now. I think I can consider the Pine Valley map done for now.
Last edited by LCountach on Tue Apr 02, 2019 3:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Pine Valley - Fixed Up Version

Post by LCountach »

More good news. I learned I made another mistake. How is that good you ask? Well... I was not aware that flying in ATX and flying in CE have a very important difference. Your body stays where it is when flying around in CE and you dont activate triggers. There is a trigger around the control room for the Geo Thermal Plant that I wasn't hitting when testing. It crucially activates the first 3 green light in the control room. This means I was mistaken about CE not playing Pine Valley correctly. It was me who was not testing correctly.

Hooray! Pine Valley works with CE. Booo... I failed to test properly.
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Re: Pine Valley - Fixed Up Version

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Now that I know we can play Pine Valley with CE. That whole "fm.ini" and adding the TPAs thing is back on the table. I just dont know what I did wrong with that. Perhaps I should go over how I implemented it? I dont really know how to use it. I am sure one of you will probably be able to point out what I am doing wrong.

First I install Trespasser with a Hard Drive install. That is, I make a folder called "TrespasserCD" and copy my CD's contents into that. I run the installer and put the game in a folder called just "Trespasser". I chose the maximum install option. I then put the pine valley map into the "Data" sub-folder inside the "TrespasserCD" folder where all the other maps are. I install TresCE into "Trespasser" folder alongside the original EXE. Then I copy the "fm.ini" from the "Docs" folder into the "Data" sub-folder in "TrespasserCD" alongside the Pine Valley files. I edit the "fm.ini" to have:

EffectsTPA+=B96Effects.tpa
StreamTPA+=B96Stream.tpa
AmbientTPA+=B96Ambient.tpa

I then make copies of the Build 96 TPAs and rename them to the same names called out in the "fm.ini". I place them in the "Data" folder along with the "fm.ini". That having failed. I put copies of the ini and TPA files in the "Trespasser" install folder along with the EXE. Neither approach worked. Hopefully someone can point out what I am doing wrong.
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Re: Pine Valley - Fixed Up Version

Post by machf »

Have you edited tp_mod.ini first? So that there is a location for Fan Mods (FMs) defined in the first place?

Code: Select all

;------
[Paths]
;------

; Fan map/campaign root path, a directory where all FMs are located as sub-directories
;FMPath=FMs
FMPath=FMs

; "+"-separated path list that has lower search priority than any active FM
;ModPaths=MyMods\MyEnhancedMenuGfx+MyMods\MySounds
;ModPaths=FMs

; "+"-separated path list that has higher search priority than any active FM
;UberModPaths=
;UberModPaths=FMs\Winter

; The path search order when loading a file is such that it first searches in UberModPaths,
; if nothing was found it then looks in the active FM path (if an FM is active), if nothing
; was found there either it then searches in ModPaths, and finally if still nothing was found
; it looks in the standard game directories.

;---
[FM]
;---

; Name of active fan map/campaign (the name is the name of a sub-directory located in FMPath)
;ActiveFM=IslaNublar
;ActiveFM=Winter

; If there's an "fm.ini" that includes recommended quality settings then those are used if this
; option is enabled. 
;UseRecommendedQuality=True

Visit The Carnivores Saga - a forum devoted to modding Action Forms' Carnivores, Carnivores 2 and Carnivores: Ice Age games
Tres WIP: updated T-Script Reference and File Formats documents
Sound name listings for the Demo (build 117), Retail (build 116), Beta 103, Beta 99, Beta 97, Beta 96, Build 55, PC Gamer Alpha (build 32) and E3 1998 Alpha (build 22) TPA files
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Re: Pine Valley - Fixed Up Version

Post by tatu »

Oh I forgot to say what machf just said.
However, I believe you could just put the "ModPaths" to "ModPaths=Data" if you still want to use the Data folder :)
Active project: Trespasser: Isla Sorna
Status:
BE-PH1: Released
PH2-IT: Pre-released
PL-SUM: In production

"...there used to be more benches, but InGen's workers removed them during the evacuation in the name of framerate."
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Re: Pine Valley - Fixed Up Version

Post by LCountach »

tatu wrote:Oh I forgot to say what machf just said.
However, I believe you could just put the "ModPaths" to "ModPaths=Data" if you still want to use the Data folder :)
I tried what you suggested. Unfortunately... it still didn't work. Thanks for the tip though.

I tried a slightly different approach. I was successful in setting up Pine Valley as a "FM". I created a folder named "FMs "inside the "Trespasser" folder. I created a sub-folder named "PV" inside that. I cut the five Pine Valley files out of "Data" and placed them inside the new "PV" folder. Then I placed a "tp_mod.ini" in the games root folder along with the EXE. I edited the "tp_mod.ini" to specify "FMPath=FMs" and "ActiveFM=PV". That worked. PV showed up at the top of the levels list.

Moving on to the next step. I placed a "fm.ini" into the "PV" folder with the other files. I edited it to say:

EffectsTPA+=B96Effects.tpa
StreamTPA+=B96Stream.tpa
AmbientTPA+=B96Ambient.tpa

I then placed those TPAs into "PV" with all the other files. This did not work. The map plays fine but without the exclusive sounds for PV. I decided to see if other options in the "fm.ini" had any effect. I tried "StartLevel=PV.scn". It still loaded the beach with the new game button. I tried "NewGameMovie=1" to disable the start movie. That didn't work either. Lastly I saw down at the bottom "Each level may have some level specific settings associated with it, this done by adding a group with the level filename, below is an example for a level file named "be.scn" I tired making a group [PV.scn] and calling out the TPAs again.

EffectsTPA+=B96Effects.tpa
StreamTPA+=B96Stream.tpa
AmbientTPA+=B96Ambient.tpa

This failed too. It seems like it is not reading the "fm.ini" at all. I am sure this works some how but... To be honest, this more sophisticated method of INIs and Sub-Folders is proving to be more complicated and troublesome than its worth. It has made me quite frustrated. My method of swapping the TPAs when playing Pine Valley. That may be akin to a caveman whacking it with a club but... It works. I feel my patience will be better spent finishing the rest of the levels. And I must say. It takes a lot of patience to edit hundreds of plants.

Perhaps when I share the pre-release/playtest pack. Someone here can set up the CE additive TPA files then. For now, I will get back to finishing the other levels.
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