To Vladimir, Sendoh, and zipi

The role-playing games (I-X) that started it all and the various spin-offs (including Dark Messiah).
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motter28218
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To Vladimir, Sendoh, and zipi

Unread postby motter28218 » 17 Jul 2008, 03:05

Hey guys, I know I've already talked to you on other occassions but I was just noticing we all seem to be interested in modding the MM6-8 series and we all seem to have alot of good ideas and individual strengths at different areas of modding, so I suggest instead of the 4 of us all going off in different directions why don't we all "join forces" if you will between the 4 of us we could come up with a process that we can all use to complete our mods.

I am currently working on a MM6 mod as you may already know but I plan to also do a mod in the for 7 and 8, Currently I have completely translated the event language for MM6, I can add new quests, modify items, sprites, 2dlocations, and NPC characters. I mostly use hex editing and the MM8lvleditor but I know there other ways that may be easier. Although I haven't begun my mod for 7 yet I have done all of BDJ's tutorials so I can for the most part do all the same things in part 7 for those of you who are currently modding that game and need help.

If this sounds like something you want to do let me know, if not no harm done, but I think we could all get alot more done alot quicker if we were working together.

Otter

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vladimir-maestro
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Unread postby vladimir-maestro » 17 Jul 2008, 05:58

wise idea...especially for me - I'm bad codder :devil:

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Unread postby GrayFace » 17 Jul 2008, 14:41

I'm in. I'm currently studying MM8 code. I've found various event language related things, .blv and .odm loading code, spells casting, a function in which every action taken is handled and has its identifier (attacking with 'A' key is 23, opening spell book is 105 etc.).
Event language can be easily extended. E.g. support for passing variables as command parameters can be added. Now I hope to collect some unknown parts of map format from the executable. From what I see there's enough hard-coded things and limitations, but they can be avoided by exe patching and I think we'll be able to find them all.
My patches: MM6 MM7 MM8. MMExtension. Tools. Also, I love Knytt Stories and Knytt Underground. I'm also known as sergroj.

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Unread postby motter28218 » 17 Jul 2008, 16:56

GrayFace wrote:I'm in. I'm currently studying MM8 code. I've found various event language related things, .blv and .odm loading code, spells casting, a function in which every action taken is handled and has its identifier (attacking with 'A' key is 23, opening spell book is 105 etc.).
Event language can be easily extended. E.g. support for passing variables as command parameters can be added. Now I hope to collect some unknown parts of map format from the executable. From what I see there's enough hard-coded things and limitations, but they can be avoided by exe patching and I think we'll be able to find them all.
Great, sorry didn't mean to overlook you, my biggest stumbling block right now is as you said getting past the things that are hard coded in the game like classes and such.

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Unread postby Sendoh » 17 Jul 2008, 21:23

nice idea, i'm currently working in a MM7 mod called "MM7 Extended version", without going so far from the main storyline

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Unread postby motter28218 » 29 Jul 2008, 15:50

Hey guys, great to hear you're all on board, so I guess we have to come up with a plan on how we want to do this. My goal is to come up with a method of modding MM6-8, I choose those 3 because they are the most similar and once you figure out one of them it only takes a little adaptation to get the other's.

So I guess the place to start is to ask you guys what you need help on? Vladimir I know you have done wonderful graphics but you say you don't have any experience modding so if you want E-mail me I will tell you how to Create, edit quests, monsters, weapons, etc.

Zipi you seem to be good at hex editing, I don't know what you're background is but your compiler/decompiler is a great idea, I know most of the op codes for all 3 games, some I still have to figure out, but if we both work at it I'm sure we can figure it out through trial and error.

Grayface you sound like you know alot about programming and you mentioned that you know how to mod .exe files, if that is true please try to explain to me how to do it because for me that is the last stumbling block I have in completing my mod, I want to edit the stuff that's hard coded but I have no idea how.

Finally Sendoh, I saw your post about getting Java Heap error with Global.evt, if you want to know how to get around that just mail me and I will send you a program that will let you, compliment's of BDJ, I have to give him his credit cuz he's the one who found it and I'm glad he did it's saved me alot of work.

So, let me know what you guys think, I really think together we can come up with a way for everyone to mod the game the way they want to.

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Unread postby GrayFace » 31 Jul 2008, 16:08

I think we should exchange contact information like e-mail and ICQ numbers first. For example, send it to me via e-mail or ICQ message and I'll spread it amoung us.
I think the main nut to crack is maps format. And, of course, some modding tools are to be made.
MM10 project members may know much about importing creatures into the game.
motter28218 wrote:Grayface you sound like you know alot about programming and you mentioned that you know how to mod .exe files, if that is true please try to explain to me how to do it because for me that is the last stumbling block I have in completing my mod, I want to edit the stuff that's hard coded but I have no idea how.
The process consists of exploring executable and modding. Did you work with IDA?
As for modding, the best way is to make the exacutable load your dll when it starts. Dll would do all the work. Look at http://www.grayface.nm.ru/MM6patch.zip sources for an example of such a dll. I have an idea of a tool that would link a dll to exe automatically, but it would be easy without it too. If you'd like to do it in Delphi you can simply use my patch and extend it.
My patches: MM6 MM7 MM8. MMExtension. Tools. Also, I love Knytt Stories and Knytt Underground. I'm also known as sergroj.

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.

Unread postby zipi » 01 Aug 2008, 16:58

so let's get it clear.
we join our forces with team MMX?
we go the modding way not the new engine way?
which one should we mod MM7/MM8?
should we decompile the exe fully or make dll?

my answers: yes, modding, MM7, make dll i think cause decompiling it fully takes lot of time, and it is very hard to synchronize between two or more

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Unread postby GrayFace » 01 Aug 2008, 18:17

mine:
1) yes, but motter28218 mods MM6
2) deep modding (would also love to play and develop a completely new game with more RTS feeling, but it would take much time. Also, currently there aren't many creature models out there. When some new towns for WoG are out we may have many models, but the MM10 may be ready by that time.)
3) I like both, but MM10 uses MM7
4) Make a dll
My patches: MM6 MM7 MM8. MMExtension. Tools. Also, I love Knytt Stories and Knytt Underground. I'm also known as sergroj.

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Unread postby vladimir-maestro » 09 Aug 2008, 17:46

I've completed 45% of graphic part for MM7. Menu, loading screens included. :-D

Also found a way to edit movies and animation ;|

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Unread postby motter28218 » 03 Sep 2008, 16:51

GrayFace wrote:mine:
1) yes, but motter28218 mods MM6
2) deep modding (would also love to play and develop a completely new game with more RTS feeling, but it would take much time. Also, currently there aren't many creature models out there. When some new towns for WoG are out we may have many models, but the MM10 may be ready by that time.)
3) I like both, but MM10 uses MM7
4) Make a dll
I'm currently doing 6, but I can pretty much mod 6-8, and that is my goal, there are some differences between the 3 obviously, but the same basic system of modding works on all. The only thing I can't mod is the .exe file, which is why I was hoping one of you might have a few ideas on how to do this.

For now, yes, I'm strictly a modder, I don't have the ability to come up with a completely new game, and like I said my goal mostly is to come up with a modder's guide because I know we all have our own ideas about what we want to change about the games, I can go ahead and make up a beginner's guide right now on how to get started modding monster's, weapons, using hex to mod quests/events/dungeons, etc, so any of you who need that let me know, and also you may have found an easier way to do something than I have, which would be great. Let me know.

Otter

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Unread postby vladimir-maestro » 03 Sep 2008, 18:14

This gueide will be very usefull.

Is it posible to transform MM8 into a single-charecter game?
Is it posible to change skills of all classes? Can it be done - clerics lear and advance in dark magic, sword?
All other 4 empty slots can be hired but 4 party members cannot attack or been attacked, just an NPC with some rare abilities...maybe spells. They are almost useless but give some bonuses to main charecter?

When I complete MM7, i think to do MM8 and will start with graphics too.

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Unread postby motter28218 » 30 Sep 2008, 18:45

vladimir-maestro wrote:This gueide will be very usefull.

Is it posible to transform MM8 into a single-charecter game?
Is it posible to change skills of all classes? Can it be done - clerics lear and advance in dark magic, sword?
All other 4 empty slots can be hired but 4 party members cannot attack or been attacked, just an NPC with some rare abilities...maybe spells. They are almost useless but give some bonuses to main charecter?

When I complete MM7, i think to do MM8 and will start with graphics too.
For MM8 if you want a single player game just don't hire any adventurers, also you could use MM8lvleditor to delete the roster.txt file, you will ofcourse run into problems when you try to do quests that require NPC's like Overdune Snapfinger and that dorky Cleric, I forget his name, but you can just edit the quests to get around that.

As for changing skills, as far as I know that can only be modded in .exe file which I don't have a clue about, Grayface was talking about coming up with a way to mod .exe files but I haven't heard from him, feel free to ask me any other questions tho I will do my best to help.

Otter

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Unread postby vladimir-maestro » 01 Oct 2008, 05:43

Oh! Thanks!!

Something I understand. ;)

And about MM8 single player...How to add all charecters in the begining? How to do that player can choose all possible game charecters - dragons, trolls...all races? EXE-files too or there is another way to do such things? :baby:

Waiting for solutions to edit EXE's :hoo:

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Unread postby GrayFace » 01 Oct 2008, 20:56

vladimir-maestro wrote:And about MM8 single player...How to add all charecters in the begining? How to do that player can choose all possible game charecters - dragons, trolls...all races? EXE-files too or there is another way to do such things? :baby:
Adding some predefined characters to the party at the beginning can be done in events. If you want to edit these 4 characters as well on start, some .exe patching will be needed. Choosing dragon as race may be supported only by patching .exe as well.
My patches: MM6 MM7 MM8. MMExtension. Tools. Also, I love Knytt Stories and Knytt Underground. I'm also known as sergroj.

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Unread postby vladimir-maestro » 02 Oct 2008, 06:18

Adding some predefined characters to the party at the beginning can be done in events. If you want to edit these 4 characters as well on start, some .exe patching will be needed. Choosing dragon as race may be supported only by patching .exe as well.
It is not nesasary now - I'm completing Maestro MOD (got all faces now, working with armors). When I done this, will work a little with MMT intro and, maybe, will do graphic mod for MM6:

-add more girls! (there are too many male charecters and only 4 girls).
-all charecters use the same armor types and items (easy to pose).

For MM8 I'm thinking about full portraits, only 1 player allowed (but with more custom skills), new quests, new promotions, new races - such as golem, kriegan(have a story of this phenomen race), tigrans(half-humans half-cats)...


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