Unofficial Arcanum Patch (Original Thread)

[Axel Blaze]

Markings

Yup, I knew about the game adding those signs to the map, and it's really helpful but not exactly perfect. While it's easy to find any shop or inn this way, many homes look completely the same and they have no signs to distinguish them. I've been running around in Dernholm for several minutes since there was no clue where people that I had visited before lived.

 

[Kz3r0]

@Kz3r0: I'll give you a hint: If I remeber correctly, the bridge isn't the only way out of Shrouded Hills.

Thanks I'll check it out.

 

[theorel]

The wood chest in 40 polton cross notifies generic NPC.
Also 4 barrels in Willoughsby's basement(the locked off area in the sewers with mech. spiders in it) are called wood chests, not a big deal, but I figured I'd mention it.

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

Here's the lost conversation of Virgil and Maug that I was talking about earlier. Put the file into your Arcanum folder and it will work on any save.

The conversation triggers once you accept the quest to kill Pollock and try to exit the dialogue. I don't know where it was supposed to trigger originally, but I figured this was the most appropriate place. The dialogue seems to be unfinished, since some lines are duplicated. Take a look, anyway.

 

[cronodevir]

I have a problem when i try to install the patch.

I have Arcanum patched to the latest EN patch, but when i run the drog patch installer, it pops up a dosbox and says:

C:\Sierra\Arcanum>echo y | del data\proto\*.*
The System cannot find the file specified.
C:\Sierra\Arcanum>echo y | del modules\arcanum\maps\*.*
The System cannot find the file specified.

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

I have a problem when i try to install the patch.

I have Arcanum patched to the latest EN patch, but when i run the drog patch installer, it pops up a dosbox and says:

C:\Sierra\Arcanum>echo y | del data\proto\*.*
The System cannot find the file specified.
C:\Sierra\Arcanum>echo y | del modules\arcanum\maps\*.*
The System cannot find the file specified.

What OS do you use?

The script definitely works on XP or older OSes, but I'm not sure about Vista. I'll probably include a better cache cleaner in the next version if this one doesn't work on Vista. You may delete the files manually as well, of course.

EDIT: Done. The installer in the next version will be deleting the files with out using any scripts, so it should be compatible with any OS.

 

[Chefe]

I have a problem when i try to install the patch.

I have Arcanum patched to the latest EN patch, but when i run the drog patch installer, it pops up a dosbox and says:

C:\Sierra\Arcanum>echo y | del data\proto\*.*
The System cannot find the file specified.
C:\Sierra\Arcanum>echo y | del modules\arcanum\maps\*.*
The System cannot find the file specified.

Is Arcanum installed on a different drive?

This threw me off the first time. My main drive is F, so I received this error when I installed based on the default location, which of course is C.

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

Or yes, you've just installed the game to a different folder. The installer installs to "C:\Sierra\Arcanum" by default.

 

[Faceless]

Your patch already works perfectly well with 32b Vista.

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

I've found this line in guard class' generated greetings: "Yes? Anything asir?". Any suggestions on what to change it to?

 

[garren]

How about, "Yes? Anything you want sir?"
or "Yes? Anything you need sir?"

The 'anything' could be replaced by 'something' too

EDIT: I like maskedmans the best. Closest to the original (typoed) line.

 

[MaskedMan]

Maybe, "Yes? Anything else sir?" ?

 

[Chefe]

"Please get the hell out of my way, sir."

 

[Shota Shernokavich]

Yes? Anything I can do for you, Sir?

 

[Sentenza]

Minor bug:

In Dernholm in front of the castle entrance, there are 2 fire pits and a walking guard; during the day the guard tend to walk INTO the extinguished fire pits receiving damage from it

It's the only bug/glitch I've encountered so far, but I must say that I didn't restart at each patch update

Thanks for the good work done so far

 

[picollo]

Bow Expert problem in turnbased

Hi there everyone.

I have a bit of a problem....

I play mainly turnbased combat, and I have noticed that
even though I'm a Bow expert and thus should be able to
fire 2 arrows at once, I only fire one. This makes for a
real downer for my little bow-wielder, not to mention me.
Is this a known problem or is it something I do Wrong?

Best Regards
Picollo

 

[Kz3r0]

Re: Bow Expert problem in turnbased

Hi there everyone.

I have a bit of a problem....

I play mainly turnbased combat, and I have noticed that
even though I'm a Bow expert and thus should be able to
fire 2 arrows at once, I only fire one. This makes for a
real downer for my little bow-wielder, not to mention me.
Is this a known problem or is it something I do Wrong?

Best Regards
Picollo

Take a look at your speed and encumbrance, it depends even by level and speed of your opponent, if it's an undead or monsterlike you get encumbered by mental shock, in this case level up your will power.

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

Maybe, "Yes? Anything else sir?" ?

How can it be "anything else" if it's a greeting, the first thing he tells you? I think "Yes? Anything you need sir?" is more appropriate.

 

[Shota Shernokavich]

Maybe, "Yes? Anything else sir?" ?

How can it be "anything else" if it's a greeting, the first thing he tells you? I think "Yes? Anything you need sir?" is more appropriate.

isn't "Sir" capitalized?

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

BTW, it seems the Tgt_Obj_No_T_PC flag in the Disintegrate spell doesn't work. I was disintegrated around 10 times in a row by K'an Hua. There's no way to fix it (other than removing the spell from all NPCs), it seems. Oh, well.

Actually, now that I think about it, it's possible to add OCF2_NO_DISINTEGRATE flag to PC prototypes (standard "template" files, to which all your characters are linked to), thus PCs will be immune to the spell. Is this a good idea or is it just too controversial?

And any thoughts on the dialogue of Virgil and Maug yet?

 

[Woreczko]

Re: Bow Expert problem in turnbased

Hi there everyone.

I have a bit of a problem....

I play mainly turnbased combat, and I have noticed that
even though I'm a Bow expert and thus should be able to
fire 2 arrows at once, I only fire one. This makes for a
real downer for my little bow-wielder, not to mention me.
Is this a known problem or is it something I do Wrong?

Best Regards
Picollo

Expert bowmanship worked all right for me. Notice that, while only 1 arrow disappears from your inventory, you actually deal damage twice per succesful hit. Turn on verbose floats in the game options - you will see what I mean.

Take a look at your speed and encumbrance, it depends even by level and speed of your opponent, if it's an undead or monsterlike you get encumbered by mental shock, in this case level up your will power.

Speed has no impact on the ability to fire 2 arrows simultaneusly, AFAIK

 

[OSK]

Maybe, "Yes? Anything else sir?" ?

How can it be "anything else" if it's a greeting, the first thing he tells you? I think "Yes? Anything you need sir?" is more appropriate.

isn't "Sir" capitalized?

No, you only capitalize sir if it's a title (Sir Paul McCartney) or used in the salutation of a letter.

There should be a comma after the word need.

 

[Koshachiy Barin]

When you encounter Molochean Hand members, if you run from them far enough so they stop chasing you, then quit battle mode, their dialogue will appear over and over again. The same happens if you turn any of them into zombie with necromizer.

For some reason, the table at the Gilbert Bates' factory may be highlited and has a description "Big Wooden Object".

In dialogue with Bates, right after you accept to search the Black Mountain Mines for him (line #1281 for example), if you choose the line #472, you won't be able to give him back the ring anymore (he asks for it if you choose the line #471).

One of the passages in the Black Mountain Mines is destroyable (the one that appears right behind you when you enter the second level).

Madam Toussaude won't take her crystall ball back after you complete her quest. You may put it back on her table, but she won't restrict you from taking it again. Also, if you kill her at this point, you discover the second crystal ball on her body.

 

[puppyonastik]

Actually, now that I think about it, it's possible to add OCF2_NO_DISINTEGRATE flag to PC prototypes (standard "template" files, to which all your characters are linked to), thus PCs will be immune to the spell. Is this a good idea or is it just too controversial?

I say that if you have to question whether it would be "controversial", add it as a completely separate patch as you did with the Decoys. This allows for people to have an option to use it. I of course would use it if no other work around concerning the issue can be managed. However there will always be others who would disagree. Having the option is the key, Drog.

BTW thanks again for your hard work, Drog, and thanks to everyone else that have been bug hunting as well. I wish I could find the time to contribute more to the project. You all are heroes.

 

[Axel Blaze]

Sir or sir?

OldSkoolKamikaze is right.... ¨sir¨ is only capitalized in a title (or when addressing at the beginning of a letter). And I agree that the line ¨Yes? Anything you need, sir?¨ is better than ¨Yes? Anything else, sir?¨. However, it's not exactly a bug if he says the latter one, since he has already done something by acknowledging you with the ¨yes?¨. I've actually heard native Brits saying the exact line when addressing them.

Also, it's only nitpicking, but you cannot address a woman as a ¨sir¨. The correct title for addressing a woman politely is ¨madam¨. And it's also important that it's neither capitalized.

Are there any real bugs left in the game? I mean, I've seen no glitches so far with this patch, except some stuff that can't be fixed without the source code. What's everyone's opinion on this?

This is not a bug per se, but one thing in Shrouded Hills was strange. I released Bettie Toone's ghost by returning the mine to the family (to the daughter Sarah). I couldn't go to the son to complete the task of releasing the ghost, since I only could admit that I returned the mine to the family - making him angry. I just think it's strange I couldn't ignore the fact that I assisted his estranged sister to simply collect the fee from him, THEN tell him about it. Oh well.