Co8 Mod Pack 4.0.0

[Morpheus]

Here it is, thanks to the dedication and relentless work of our modders, and thanks to the help of countless contributors:

Co8 Mod Pack 4.0.0

Cerulean the Blue deserves a special mention since he prepared the files and documentation for this release. And thanks to Gaear for getting the ball rolling.

http://files.co8.org/mods/Circle_of_...Pack_4.0.0.exe

It contains all previous Co8 releases, moebius2778's temple.dll fixes, Livonya's 1.5.1, ShiningTed's 1.2.1 (including Playful NPCs and Desperate Housewives - the latter is optional), and Allyx's ShopMap V2 (also optional).

The list of things added/fixed since Co8 3.04 would be much too long to post here, so here's the gist of it:

- dozens (if not hundreds) of bugs fixed
- lots of craftable items added
- new armour & clothing
- new weapons
- new quests
- new encounters
- new dialog
- new stores
- new locations
- new spells
- new music/sounds
- improved enemy AI
- possibility to use more than 5 PCs
- level cap can be set to any number from 1-20
- customisable starting equipment
- now with Agetian's ToEE Front-End

Prerequisites for the mod pack:
Before installing the mod pack, you MUST install Atari's official ToEE patch 2, available here: ftp://ftp.infogrames.net/patches/toe...ANY-PATCH2.EXE

Atari's ToEE patch 2 includes all the fixes from patch 1; therefore installing patch 1 is usually not required. However, there have been reports from people who could not install patch 2 without installing patch 1 first. If you experience the same problem, install patch 1, then patch 2. Patch 1 is available here: ftp://ftp.infogrames.net/patches/toe...PATCH1_ENU.EXE

You SHOULD NOT install Atari's patch 3. If you have installed patch 3 already and want to get rid of it, just install patch 2 on top of it.

Microsoft .NET framework 1.1 is required if you install Agetian's ToEE Front-End. Get it here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en


Feedback is always welcome! Please use this thread to post about bugs, issues, feature requests.

[Cerulean the Blue]

THANK THE GODS IT'S FINALLY DONE!

Great work Morpheus. Without you we wouldn't have this niffty installer version. Thank you. Now on to the Portrait Pack project.

[Shiningted]

Wait wait wait there is one more thnig I wanna put in there...

Nah just kidding! 3 cheers to Morpheus and C-Blue - WOOT WOOT WOOT!!!

[Lord_Spike]

*Sniff*

I love you guys...

EDIT: 2 days later...Fresh clean install; upgraded drivers; rockin' right along. This is my first successful run through with almost all of this new material (thus far, anyway...) including the Liv stuff. I gave it a shot a while back, but had 'no joy' with the installation (what with me being a computer dumb-ass and all). But this time, it's working just fine thanks to the comprehensive instructions, ToEEFE, and other features provided by the work YOU guys have put into it. If I'm a little scarce for a while, it's due to being busy in virtual Verbobonc slaying the evil & all like that...

I stand by my earlier sentiments...and add further---> NICE WORK, Co8!!!

[Gaear]

Word . . . you guys are the bomb. It's good to know that Co8's still got the mettle to get this sort of thing done!

[Agetian]

Finally! Now I am really proud of our community - after such a long period of silence the Circle of Eight has managed to collect, refine, and combine all available patches, fixes, options, mods, and supplementary tools into a unified mod installation, thus creating a new major release of the famous Circle of Eight fan patch - 4.0.0. This version really deserves to be called 4.0.0, and not 3.0.5!

I'm really proud of you, guys! This is a great demonstration of teamwork and unity in the Co8! It means that whatever each single modder has done out there has not been done in vain.

- Agetian

[Cujo]

Hey some of his stuff is good and he should get credit for it, no matter how he's behaved.

[Morpheus]

krunch: Please. I don't want this thread to turn into another Orion-bashing-orgy. We should all move on.

So, back to the topic at hand. what should we add/change in 4.0.1?

[Cujo]

well here is some things I'm working on altho I might not do everything on the list...

pishella
cavanaugh
masterwork weapons
sheilds
helms/masks
blue cape
mountebank cape
ninja tattoos
slinky rogue
mystic garb
daemon
kobold
dragon

[Agetian]

Originally Posted by Morpheus

So, back to the topic at hand. what should we add/change in 4.0.1?

I'm wondering: what state are the Allyx's latest spell modifications in? I've heard there were some polishing issues with them, and that's why they didn't go into version 4.0.0, but I'm wondering if there is any work being done with them at the moment. I would definitely recommend to polish this mod and include it into v4.0.1 afterwards. As I said, I'm not really sure about all the issues of that mod and what state it's currently in, and even if any work is currently being done there.

EDIT: Uh... and seeing all the amazing stuff that Cujo's working on right now, I'd say that we should definitely include whatever he'll be able to pull out in the Co8 v4.0.1! (a really amazing list, Cujo!)

- Agetian

[Allyx]

Firstly: Great work Morpheus & Cerulean the Blue, you guy's ROCK!

Secondly: 4.0.1, Thanks to the poll I posted, I now have a fairly good idea about what changes from 0rions mod the community like, so I want to start work on implementing some of those changes. The poll closes on the last day of the year for a good reason - I'll start on those changes on the 1st day of 2006!

[Agetian]

@ Allyx: what about the spell pack you were making? Are you still polishing it, or did you abandon the idea? Sorry, I'm a little lost in your progress in that area, but I know that it's definitely something that we really need (higher level spells).

- Agetian

[Gawain]

Great work all of you.

A Request: Could you state the pre-requisites for the Mod Pack, something like, "You must have the game, official patches 1 and 2, Microsoft .NET Framework v1.1 (?),....".

Thanks

[Allyx]

I've done all I can with it, but they're not quite working like the rules say they should. I think Cerulean the blue said he'll take a look at them, and fix them.

[Morpheus]

Originally Posted by Gawain

Great work all of you.

A Request: Could you state the pre-requisites for the Mod Pack, something like, "You must have the game, official patches 1 and 2, Microsoft .NET Framework v1.1 (?),....".

Thanks

Well, it's pretty obvious that you need the GAME, isn't it? The installation instructions that come with the mod pack explain what else you need - official patch 2 (and, for some people, patch 1). Microsoft .NET is only required if you choose to install Agetian's ToEEFE.

[Heavydan85]

after next week i should be able to start working on things again...i hope so at least... I am gunna start finally figuring ouot everything to do with world builder...stupid school getting in the way!!!

[Orrin Oakenshield]

Hey!
First off, GREAT job all!
I have been home sick for a few days here, so I have been playing with this new mod pack.
I can't sing your praises loud enough! (I can't sing, period, but that is beside the point.)

A few issues that might or might not be of concern:

I had a lot of trouble with altering the voices & the portraits.
Gwenno's portrait was not changed in position or number, but came up blank in the game. All the other portraits are showing up fine.

The BG voices are not functioning, they show up in the generation screen as choices, but no voice.
the other new voices, like small town lass & cocky swashbuckler work fine.

NPC level up to a Cleric 1st level had an odd error.
When choosing domains I got this;
Error. Missing 18120 in mes\pc_creation.mes
with two buttons to choose eitther 'Positive' or 'Negative'.
Did not seem to affect spell choices or functions in game play.

Quite freguently, when starting the front end, it tells me to close all folders & such containing TOEE content Nothing else is openor running!
I just keep trying & eventually it will start.

I am in Nulb, been in the Temple but all I have done is camp on level 3 for XP & money. Waiting to craft a few more 'perks'. (Love the 'Keen edge' & 'Mighty Cleaving' upgrades.)

Everone invloved (Too many names to type, apologies freely given.) has done a tremendous job of making a special game to play. No BS here. You have turned a half-assed attempt to delivery a D&D based game to the public into a high quality product.

About time this Ol' Dwarf stuck his nose in again. ( Believe me, it is a 'well defined' one, too.)
{Okay, there is your opening, take yer shot.}
[your name _______]

[Daemonward]

Great job guys!

@Morpheus: Is it just me or are the links to Atari patches 1 and 2 not working?

[Morpheus]

Originally Posted by Orrin Oakenshield

Hey!
First off, GREAT job all!
I have been home sick for a few days here, so I have been playing with this new mod pack.
I can't sing your praises loud enough! (I can't sing, period, but that is beside the point.)

Thanks!

A few issues that might or might not be of concern:
I had a lot of trouble with altering the voices & the portraits.
Gwenno's portrait was not changed in position or number, but came up blank in the game. All the other portraits are showing up fine.

So you tried to add new portraits, and as a result Gwenno's portrait was blank? Hm. Can you post your portrait.mes?

The BG voices are not functioning, they show up in the generation screen as choices, but no voice.
the other new voices, like small town lass & cocky swashbuckler work fine.

The BG voices shouldn't show up in the character generation screen (they're not part of this mod pack). That's a bug.

NPC level up to a Cleric 1st level had an odd error.
When choosing domains I got this;
Error. Missing 18120 in mes\pc_creation.mes
with two buttons to choose eitther 'Positive' or 'Negative'.
Did not seem to affect spell choices or functions in game play.

Quite bizarre. We didn't even change pc_creation.mes.

Quite freguently, when starting the front end, it tells me to close all folders & such containing TOEE content Nothing else is openor running!
I just keep trying & eventually it will start.

That one's for Agetian!

Thanks for all the praise. Keep up the bug-, err, gnoll-hunting!

[Morpheus]

Originally Posted by Daemonward

Great job guys!

@Morpheus: Is it just me or are the links to Atari patches 1 and 2 not working?

Not working here either. They must have moved the files to another dir, or their ftp isn't working. I'll investigate.

EDIT: D'oh! No, the problem was with my links. Fixed!

[Agetian]

Originally Posted by Orrin Oakenshield

Quite freguently, when starting the front end, it tells me to close all folders & such containing TOEE content Nothing else is openor running!
I just keep trying & eventually it will start.

Hmm... weird. Seems to be specific to your installation. It never happened to me or my friends (that I know personally), and I haven't heard any reports like that before here on the boards. But it definitely needs further investigation. If you are sure that nothing (even Windows Explorer) is accessing any ToEE folder (even the root of ToEE installation), then it's really really weird. Please provide the error code (a four-digit number) and provide any extra details you can.

- Agetian

[Gaear]

Originally Posted by Morpheus

So, back to the topic at hand. what should we add/change in 4.0.1?

Something to chew on . . . the Co8 credit movie is basically in a completed state. BINKed up, it is about 30MB in size. I'm not sure how well BINK compresses; I sort of suspect that it's the video equivalent of MP3 as far as that goes. I'd have to have someplace to upload it, because my e-mail attachment size limit is 10MB I believe.

It won't hurt my feelings if no one wants it, but its a fairly cool tribute to the community. Might be a one-time screening type of thing for most people, realistically.

[Orrin Oakenshield]

Greetings & salutaions!

Updates & elaborations on my previous post.

Thank you for the avenues of investigations you have given me. ( I have the flu so my mind is not completely sharp. Feel free to Magic Missile my butt at anytime...)
My portrait.mes is incomplete. I apparently lost the lines after 8084. I was frazzled about my custom portraits not showing up & when they did, I never bothered to check the .mes to be sure I did not change that with my 'hack & slash' approach.

Clarification: The BG voices I have tried to add myself. The names appear in the character generation choice menu, but the sounds do nor function.

?????
Quote:
NPC level up to a Cleric 1st level had an odd error.
When choosing domains I got this;
Error. Missing 18120 in mes\pc_creation.mes
with two buttons to choose eitther 'Positive' or 'Negative'.
Did not seem to affect spell choices or functions in game play.

I have re-tested this oddity with Meleny twice since I posted last with exactly the same results.
?????

The front end closing problem was unique to my configuration.
I set up a quick-key access to start the game.
I was not waiting for the stat 'Yes/No' pop up from the cd.
I believe that was causing the front end to say I had something connected to TOEE open.
(Same excuse, later the same day...)

New bug...

I am playing the Chaotic Good scenario. I am trying to rescue the elven princess. In the dialogue, the choice to direct her safely out of the Temple is not showing up. I get the choice of getting them lost, or telling them I don't know the way to the exit.
I opted for the second choice.
I did not finish the quest. In addition, Black Jay will not allow me to tell him I found the prisoners. He still tries to send me to Nulb.
Her dlg file appears intact.
Another stumper for me.

I will try a few ideas that looking at he posts have given me & will get back to the game for bit.

This Ol' Dwarf doesn't need to tell you that if an ogre knocks on yer front door, better let him in or buy a new door. ( I wish someone told me THAT before I had to buy one...)

[Orrin Oakenshield]

Dum de dum dummy...

Agetian, my hypothesis for the cause of my Frontend error message was erroneous. (bangs head against monitor...)

I installed the no c/d crack, as a solution, & I am still getting the error message. ( bangs head against keyboard...)

Initially, when openning the Frontend.exe, I receive 0002:Error: one of the game folders can't be accessed. ( bangs head against desk...)

On repeated attempts it changes to 0004.
The game opens on the the third or fourth try.

Since I had soooo much "fun" getting my portraits to function I am reluctant to start with a clean install. (bangs aspirin bottle against wall...)

If no one else is experiencing this snafu, then I suppose I will have no choice.

Still this Ol' Dwarf will hold out for a possible fix from one of you expert tracking rangers out there. (meanwhile... Mr. child-proof cap is about to meet Mr. battleaxe...)

[AlanC9]

I'm having a CTD when running 4.0.0 with the frontend. The game gets through the Atari/WotC/Troika movies, the status bar gets up to"sector data" -- right up to the point where the intro movie should play. Then poof! I've reinstalled 4.0.0 with the same results

Vanilla ToEE runs fine through ToEEFE.

[Old Book]

You, the Co8 Mod Team, are Gods. We bow to you, and deliver unto you conceptual burnt offerings and pourings of wine. Or, beer. Really, any refreshing adult beverage, consider it to be conceptually yours.

[Nitrokitty]

I can't for the life of me get portraits to work. When using the frontend, do I put the portrait pack in the main data folder, in the Co8 mod folder, or the ToEE mod folder? Also, whats the deal with renaming the .mes file to .ppf? When I try to do this, all this does is make the file named portraits.ppf.mes. I tried putting the .tga and .mes files in the main folder, nothing. Co8 folder, nothing. ToEE mod folder crashed the frontend. Also, is it possible to get the BG voice packs by Shiningted to work with the mod? There's just not enough variety in the portraits and voices to satisfy me.

[Cerulean the Blue]

Originally Posted by Nitrokitty

I can't for the life of me get portraits to work. When using the frontend, do I put the portrait pack in the main data folder, in the Co8 mod folder, or the ToEE mod folder? Also, whats the deal with renaming the .mes file to .ppf? When I try to do this, all this does is make the file named portraits.ppf.mes. I tried putting the .tga and .mes files in the main folder, nothing. Co8 folder, nothing. ToEE mod folder crashed the frontend. Also, is it possible to get the BG voice packs by Shiningted to work with the mod? There's just not enough variety in the portraits and voices to satisfy me.

First let me say this:
The Portrait Pack is coming soon, and with it answers to all your custom portrait questions. The Portrait Pack will have all of the Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale and Royo portraits available at Sorcerer's Place, and have .mes and .ppf files compatable with Co8 4.0.0 and with Allyx's familiars.

To answer your questions, when using Toffee (ToEE Frontend), custom portraits go into the data folder of the mod you want to play, i.e. if you are playing Co8 4.0.0 the portraits go into data.Co8-4.0.0/art/interface/portraits. If you do not see the folder data.Co8-4.0.0, you must deactivate the module in Toffee before installing your custom portraits. However, unless you are using "Portrait mes by Allyx" or "Portrait70" the portrait.mes files will not be compatible with Co8 4.0.0. Yes, that means that all the portrait.mes files that come with the various portrait packs at Sorcerers Place are not compatable with Co8 4.0.0.

The reason you are having difficulties renameing .mes files to .ppf is because Windows assumes every user is an idiot by default, and thus wont let you rename file extensions. To fix this do the following:

1) Open your "My Documents" folder. (Actually, any folder will do, but almost everybody can find that one)

2) Click on Tools and select Folder Options.

3) Click on the View tab.

4) Look for a checkbox that says "Hide extensions for known file types" next to it. Uncheck that box.

5) Click on Apply, and then OK. You will now be able to rename .mes files to .ppf files.

A word of warning here. If you are going to use Toffee to switch between portrait packs, rename the stock portrait.mes of the mod portrait.ppf. If you don't, it will be overwritten when you switch portrait packs, and be gone for good.

Yes, all of ShiningTed's Custom Voice Packs are compatable with Co8 4.0.0 and Toffee. You install them into the data folder as you would normally. They will be available for any future mod you choose to play.

[Agetian]

Originally Posted by Orrin Oakenshield

Dum de dum dummy...
I installed the no c/d crack, as a solution, & I am still getting the error message. ( bangs head against keyboard...)
Initially, when openning the Frontend.exe, I receive 0002:Error: one of the game folders can't be accessed. ( bangs head against desk...)
On repeated attempts it changes to 0004.
The game opens on the the third or fourth try.
Since I had soooo much "fun" getting my portraits to function I am reluctant to start with a clean install. (bangs aspirin bottle against wall...)

Weird. It basically means that there is something in your installation (codes 0002 and 0004 pointing out that possibly with the sound cache, portrait cache, or the movie cache - that's when these codes could pop up) that is causing problems for ToEEFE to move things around seamlessly. I would recommend you to make a clean install, then follow all the steps in the Co8 4.0.0 prerequisites instruction (e.g. install patch1, patch2, etc.), then install Co8 4.0.0 and try again.

I tried reproducing your error, but to no avail. Co8 4.0.0 Toffee Build runs fine on my PC and three other PCs that I was able to test yesterday.

- Agetian

[Orrin Oakenshield]

Hello again,
I did a complete install about two hours ago.
the initial error message went the way of the orc...
( extinct as far as D&D games go...)
My custom portraits showed up fine, after I placed them into the correct folder.

I went back to a previous save & still got this weird thingie.

NPC level up to a Cleric 1st level had an odd error.
When choosing domains I got this;
Error. Missing 18120 in mes\pc_creation.mes
with two buttons to choose eitther 'Positive' or 'Negative'.

And the Elven Princess quest shows it is completed, but the choice for giving safe directions won't show up in the dialogue. Black Jays, dialogue won't advance either.

It is neat watching the random encounters with more that one monster type giving each other friendly fire. I just saw an ettin make mulch out of a brown bear, but the bear started it by being an ankle biter.

Not sure about Fragarath's new look. Appears more like a broadsword than a bastard blade, but if it still chops the spuds, you got potato soup.

The new armour & weapons are cool, but you kinda made the save games exclusive to the mod, now. Tried using a save to check on the elven princess bug in another mod. The quest worked fine, but the party leader looked funny carrying a vault door around. (that is what the main gauch appears like in the origional mod...at least I hope that was the problem...)

The creativity & imagination all around deserves a standing ovation!
Take your bows, bask in the limelight, & feel the sense of accomplishment that only comes from a job well done!

This Ol' Dwarf is gonn' go round two with that darn aspirin bottle...Mr. child-proof cap, yer now gonna meet...MR. CHAINSAW!