GrayFace MM8 Patch v2.5.7 [Mar 4, 2022]

[cthscr]

When in 2 games in a row Sorcs had one damage dealing spell that could break magic immunes ...

You were bug abuser, admit it like a man. Possibility to get self magic for sorcs wasn't fixed in MM6 through countless patches - that doesn't turned it into design feature.
Best thing with spell damage types would be to respect spells.txt values, but MM code is a total mess there.

[GrayFace]

That said, making this optional could be a good idea: I had to manually overwrite the fix in my mod, because my acid burst already does poison damage, and the patch was changing it to water/cold unconditionally. Not a big deal, but the fix could at least check if e.g. spells.txt is unmodified (at least that specific line) or if the replaced element is really physical.

Indeed. Now you may need to disable it through patch options struct (or through DisableHook function) in next version. It indeed currently overwrites the element if it's set to "phys", but shouldn't override any other element.

[GrayFace]

For now it can be disabled with DisableHooks=453A31 for MM7 and DisableHooks=45119B for MM8.

You were bug abuser, admit it like a man.

Wrong.

Best thing with spell damage types would be to respect spells.txt values, but MM code is a total mess there.

That's exactly what original code did. Since fixing localization-dependent spells.txt wasn't a good prospect, I fixed it in code.

[Tomsod]

It indeed currently overwrites the element if it's set to "phys", but shouldn't override any other element.

Oh wait, you're right! Upon further examination, I didn't actually need to disable it at all. Oops! Well, it doesn't matter either way.

[cthscr]

You were bug abuser, admit it like a man.

Wrong.

*shrug* In my vocabulary it is definitely bug abuse. Not a bad thing, abusing bugs (together with other exploits) is kinda half of the fun with MM. I just admit that I'm bug abuser.

Best thing with spell damage types would be to respect spells.txt values, but MM code is a total mess there.

That's exactly what original code did.

IIRC I've traced at least one specific spell that was ignorant back then. Might have mix it with something else hardcoded though, my memory fails me quite often now.

Since fixing localization-dependent spells.txt wasn't a good prospect, I fixed it in code.

Well, disputable idea to me (because of hardcoding). But the choice is yours.

[Tomsod]

IIRC I've traced at least one specific spell that was ignorant back then. Might have mix it with something else hardcoded though, my memory fails me quite often now.

At least in MM7, when I changed the spell elements, I had to manually patch the code for Armageddon and many debuffs (stun, slow, mass distortion, paralyze, shrinking ray, control undead). Most damage spells respect spells.txt, though.

[uhm]

Hey Grayface! I have found two features, that possibly don't work correctly in original game. First off, Oracle has unused indoor cinematic!
https://tcrf.net/Might_and_Magic_VIII:_ ... ematics.29
Second thing is, when you start a new game, your caravan party member, a Lizardman peasant, doesn't start a conversation with you automatically. However, the dialogue with him do appear automatically, when you die on an island and you are reborn on the same place.

[Tomsod]

The lizardman should talk to you after one in-game hour. Since a week passes when you die, that works too.

[uhm]

Ah, okay, now everything's clear But I've got another questions and suggestions. Does the patch fix a weak pirates in the pirate outpost? Or is it intended to leave it this way?

And second: it looks like in Ravage Roaming there should be a Troll called Dartin Dunewalker, connected with troll promo quest. When we visit the questgiver, Volog Sandwind, he is sending us to look for Dartin and his second dialogue sounds like he is Dartin, who just came back from Zog's fortress Cthscr notices, that there is even unused troll portrait, so would it be a good idea to add Dartin back to Ravage Roaming or is it too big intervention into the game's world?
https://www.celestialheavens.com/forum/ ... 91#p384991

Edit: And the third question came to my mind: do monsters that were intended to cast distance paralyze spells has this feature blocked definitely? Because if I recall correctly, ghouls in M&M7 where casting paralyze in melee combat, so maybe that's the solution?

[cthscr]

Cthscr notices, that there is even unused troll portrait

To make it clear: there are unused npc portraits in Merge from merged resources of all three games. Though for trolls I guess there are several unused [should be double-checked] portraits in MM8 resources alone. (For any MM8 race actually, not just trolls.)
BUT! Adding an NPC will break savegame compatibility. I've added them because I don't care about backward compatibility. GrayFace made savegames compatible both ways.

[uhm]

That would be pity, but does it apply to NPCs outside of their homes? Maybe freely-roaming Dartin would not break saves? Anyway, I will check later today how many unused troll portraits are there.

Edit: There are 17 Troll portraits and two remain unused: 0980 and 0982, altough portrait 0978 is used 5 times! Also War Trolls that guard the village use Ogre's portrait instead of Troll's.

Edit2: Now I see why oracle animation was left unused... It looks like the Oracle was from some tiger-like race! Just look at his portrait:


Look at the stripes on his body in original animation:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/zkupmbvq4x9cs ... e.smk?dl=0
Here is Grayface's RSBink player to open:
https://sites.google.com/site/sergroj/w ... edirects=0

It's pretty unexpected, but it opens the new way to speculations, what would Jadame look like, if NWC would have more time

Edit3: For some reason, mission for finding a treasure of Dread Pirate Stanley is inactive for me (The Old One-Eye doesn't have a dialog "Quest"). And if I recall corectly it never worked for all my walkthroughs for two decades. However, it looks like it should work, as might and magic wikia is talking about it and I have found all necessary texts in game files.

https://mightandmagic.fandom.com/wiki/F ... te_Stanley

[GrayFace]

Edit: And the third question came to my mind: do monsters that were intended to cast distance paralyze spells has this feature blocked definitely? Because if I recall correctly, ghouls in M&M7 where casting paralyze in melee combat, so maybe that's the solution?

Yes, that's an option, but I simply disabled it for now. I'd rather add proper paralyze/mass distortion/implosion projectiles one day.

Edit3: For some reason, mission for finding a treasure of Dread Pirate Stanley is inactive for me (The Old One-Eye doesn't have a dialog "Quest").

Send me the save game.

[GrayFace]

*shrug* In my vocabulary it is definitely bug abuse. Not a bad thing, abusing bugs (together with other exploits) is kinda half of the fun with MM. I just admit that I'm bug abuser.

It's only a clear bug in the eyes of someone who's seen the spells.txt file. For players it's more of a quirk.

Since fixing localization-dependent spells.txt wasn't a good prospect, I fixed it in code.

Well, disputable idea to me (because of hardcoding). But the choice is yours.

It should only change spell element if there's no valid element specified. Didn't quite act that way though.

[uhm]

Edit: And the third question came to my mind: do monsters that were intended to cast distance paralyze spells has this feature blocked definitely? Because if I recall correctly, ghouls in M&M7 where casting paralyze in melee combat, so maybe that's the solution?

Yes, that's an option, but I simply disabled it for now. I'd rather add proper paralyze/mass distortion/implosion projectiles one day.

All right then, I'll be on my toes

Edit3: For some reason, mission for finding a treasure of Dread Pirate Stanley is inactive for me (The Old One-Eye doesn't have a dialog "Quest").

Send me the save game.

You don't have to bother about this issue anymore, my silly brother admitted that he was playing the entire game without your patch and probably that was a reason.
Many thanks for fixing the Pirate Outpost!

[lightbringer23]

Hi Grayface.
I'm using Echo's Modling with the MM8 Merge. I have the current Merge pack, which includes patch 2.5.6. The Modling includes a custom version of mm8.games.lod.

I experience consistent CTDs when attempting to load Ravage Roaming. ErrorLog.txt reports MM8Patch.dll as the culprit. When I restore the original Merge version of mm8.games.lod, the CTDs are resolved.

Echo reports that her Modling worked as of 06/21, and I had previously played through the entire Merge with her files, without any crashes. This was back in ... 2020 or 2019, I think? I also have a custom MM7.games.lod that I made. I'd like to avoid future crashes with that, as well.

Can you think of anything that might have changed in the MM8 patch since then that could cause consistent crashes on map load with custom maps (edited in MMEditor), and what I can do as a workaround?

Here are what appear to be the relevant lines from the crash log:

Exception EAccessViolation in module MM8patch.dll at 00042C70.
Access violation at address 03482C70 in module 'MM8patch.dll'. Read of address 21EE9B1C.

Function Calls:

03482C70 | C:\GOG Games\Might and Magic 6 7 8 Merge TEST\MM8patch.dll + 42C70
03482CAE ? C:\GOG Games\Might and Magic 6 7 8 Merge TEST\MM8patch.dll + 42CAE
03482CC4 ? C:\GOG Games\Might and Magic 6 7 8 Merge TEST\MM8patch.dll + 42CC4
0047DAA8 ? C:\GOG Games\Might and Magic 6 7 8 Merge TEST\mm8.exe + 7DAA8

[GrayFace]

Can you think of anything that might have changed in the MM8 patch since then that could cause consistent crashes on map load with custom maps (edited in MMEditor), and what I can do as a workaround?

It's a newgame autosave corruption bug that's been present in my patch since the beginning of custom LODs support, but was completely inconsequential until version 2.5.4. It's fixed in the latest version, but you'll need to enter the problematic maps with old patch and save the game.
Right now I've gotten a good idea of how to fix loading of such saves in the patch. So, stay tuned for an update.

[lightbringer23]

It's a newgame autosave corruption bug that's been present in my patch since the beginning of custom LODs support, but was completely inconsequential until version 2.5.4. It's fixed in the latest version, but you'll need to enter the problematic maps with old patch and save the game.
Right now I've gotten a good idea of how to fix loading of such saves in the patch. So, stay tuned for an update.

Good to know a solution is incoming!

If it makes any difference, this save was started using the 2.5.6 version of the patch that came pre-installed with the Merge file package. It never touched old patch versions. I suppose it might be that those map files were made in MMEditor using an older version of the patch. That would make some sense.

[GrayFace]

If it makes any difference, this save was started using the 2.5.6 version of the patch that came pre-installed with the Merge file package. It never touched old patch versions. I suppose it might be that those map files were made in MMEditor using an older version of the patch. That would make some sense.

No, it may be new.lod persisting from old version. If you delete Data\new.lod and start a new game, it should be fine.
Do it like this: keep (and send me) the save that causes the crash, delete new.lod, start a new game, then send me the autosave and all *.games.lod archives from Data.

[lightbringer23]

No, it may be new.lod persisting from old version. If you delete Data\new.lod and start a new game, it should be fine.
Do it like this: keep (and send me) the save that causes the crash, delete new.lod, start a new game, then send me the autosave and all *.games.lod archives from Data.

I deleted new.lod, started a new game, saved it, then loaded the save that caused the crashes. CTDs still occurred. I sent you a PM with the requested files. Thanks for your help!

[GrayFace]

I deleted new.lod, started a new game, saved it, then loaded the save that caused the crashes. CTDs still occurred. I sent you a PM with the requested files. Thanks for your help!

Of course it did, because it has bad data. However, what's strange is that the autosave also contains wrong data. Are you sure you didn't load any game between deleting new.lod and starting new game and that you have the latest patch installed? Check version in mm8patch.dll properties.
Anyway, the fix I've made to ignore the issue works, as well as when I start a new game with these LODs, it starts with correct data. So, time for release.