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Let's Play OC Mod Balanced
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| Ftoomsh | Date: Sunday, 14/July/2013, 1:09 AM | Message # 11 |
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| I will re-send you the links to both the files on my Skydrive. Just to be sure, download those files and put them in your OC Mod Cossacks directory. For this to work, you will have to have the Original OC Mod fully installed first. We are going to get synch errors unless we have exactly the same files.
To re-cap, the full process is;
1. Have Cossacks BTW 1.35 installed.
2. Install the Baddog Mod (file on the same disc as BTW 1.35)
3. Do the original OC Mod installs and patches by OC Davout
4. Make sure you then have Version 1.35+M135[Baddog]+OC1.6p3a on the game splash screen and that the version works.
5. Download the new files from my Skydrive via the links I send you.
6. Rename the existing mods01.gs1 and mods02.gs1 in the game folder to mods01.bak and mods02.bak just to keep them as backup copies.
7. Copy and paste in the new mods01.gs1 and mods02.gs1 files.
The new ones should have the time and date stamp I mentioned above.
This might seem a hassle at first but believe me when you get used to it is really easy to do this copy and paste or drag and drop for each new update. This involves only steps 5 to 7 each time. The advantange is that if any unit or nation is obviously unbalanced I can do a quick and easy correction before next "game day".
I am still rebalancing Davout's mod so there is no public release and no standard batch install file process yet.Added (14/July/2013, 1:09 AM)
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I will put this note here and hope that Ebel_Angel notices it here too.
Bill (Daddio) and I attempted an OC Mod Balanced game yesterday but had unresolvable desynchronisation issues. To put it in perspective, OC_Clausewitz and I have played scores of games and implemented many balancing updates. The process does work when everything is right. But it is a messy process to get to the point where one can just drop in the mod balancing files.
These problems do vindicate what Ebel_Angel said to me in an earlier thread. He basically said I need to implement a proper install process otherwise potential players are stuck with a messy multiple step process to get to the point where the mod works and balancing updates are easy to patch in.
Until I grapple with that, I want to look for an interim solution. If Baddog and Davout made no changes to dmcr.exe or other executables then would it not be possible to patch to 1.35 [BADDOG]+ OC Mod1.6p3a + Balanced (as I call it) by dropping into BTW 1.35 these following files from my working version?
ALL.GSC
mods.gs1
mods01.gs1
mods02.gs1
OCMOD.ICO (optional)
PATCH01.GS1
and possibly; the AI folder.
Do these files contain all that makes these cumulative mods work? That is my question. Have I missed anything?
If so, then copy and paste operations will do it. Further, a batch file that automated the copies and pastes could then be constructed with files attached to patch from 1.35 to OC Mod Balanced in one go (I assume).
Message edited by Ftoomsh - Friday, 12/July/2013, 6:54 AM |
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| Daddio | Date: Sunday, 14/July/2013, 4:14 AM | Message # 12 |
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Marquis
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| EBell Angel is a "she" not a "he" 
http://i1045.photobucket.com/albums/b455/Billy_Jo_Patrick/cossacks2_art_03_zpsel8tgwad.jpg
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| Ftoomsh | Date: Sunday, 14/July/2013, 8:13 AM | Message # 13 |
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| Quote (Daddio) EBell Angel is a "she" not a "he"
Was it a typo or an assumption? You will never know for certain unless I confess... I confess, it was an assumption. Apologies to Ebel_Angel. And Ebel_Angel please check out my question a couple of posts up (about what files Dav probably changed to make his Mod). I am guessing (hoping) he didn't change any .exe files.
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| EbelAngel | Date: Sunday, 14/July/2013, 11:36 AM | Message # 14 |
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| They did not change anything to the dmcr.exe. But a lot of other files have been touched. I'm fairly certain that those files listed above are not the entire list of necessary files.
First off all im going to assume that both your and Daddio' s versions are working , do not have errors on starting up the game ( right?) , they dont have errors when going in the editor (right?) and dont have issues on starting up a single player game against the AI ( wether its a random map or a battle / designed map)?
If this is working right it has to be one of your versions that is different. I'm worried that, since you mentionned you 'work' on your 'play' version that something is different.
You should take a clean copy of the vanilla back to war game and go trough the install process you have described yourself.Also, step 6 "6. Rename the existing mods01.gs1 and mods02.gs1 in the game folder to mods01.bak and mods02.bak just to keep them as backup copies. " is not necessary, just overwrite them in step 7. There's a lot of things that can go wrong in just those 7 little steps.
Then try again. If it still doesnt work then have daddio go trough the install steps again aswell on a clean copy of the game.
From what i remember the OC mod installer is a bit annoying to do this because it will auto force it to a a folder in your C: Program Files drive. This is why I highly urge you to pack up all the necessary files into one .rar file which can be dropped over the vanilla game. It doesnt even have to be a proper installer. Then once you do got a fully synced version, you can easily swop out mod files from your skydrive.
If it still desynchs ,let me know , and upload both your games in .rar format to dropbox, I will check whats wrong then.
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| Ftoomsh | Date: Monday, 15/July/2013, 2:30 AM | Message # 15 |
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| Yes, both our versions were working individually. My version also works when I play OC_Clausewitz and we copy in balancing changes regularly, via the mods02.gs1 file.
I wasn't sure if Daddio's version was fully patched to OC1.6p3a. Daddio said the full literal "went off screen". It's possible that it wasn't the OC1.6p3a fully patched version. Equally possible is the fact the Daddio or me or both of us got the update process scrambled somewhere along the way. It was a process fraught with pitfalls as you correctly predicted.
I agree, the OC Mod installer is annoying and if I remember correctly each patch was another installer stage. To run them sequentially gets a bit confusing. There was no consolidated installer for the final version if I recall correctly.
I have now sent Daddio a complete zipped file (.RAR file) of my entire folder of OC Mod Balanced. The title page of the game still calls itself OC1.6p3a. I havent changed that yet.
I wonder if Daddio unzipped that into a separate folder of its own and then simply copied and dropped his own dmcr.exe (or other files?) into my version would this give him his key and his password? Are both of these recorded in the dmcr.exe or in some other file(s)?
We are confident we will get it working soon. But I agree with your next idea too; "pack up all the necessary files into one .rar file which can be dropped over the vanilla game". All I need to know is what actually are the necessary files to pack. That's where your advice will be great thanks. Then I can pack a "Vanilla to OC Mod Balanced" .RAR starter pack.
I know my update and backup procedures sound a bit dodgy to you but I am actually quite structured in how I do it. It's just the Amateur Lite process at this stage not the Professional Heavy-Duty process, that's all.Added (15/July/2013, 2:30 AM)
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Update: Bill and I successfully managed several games of OC Mod Balanced after he used the zipped file I sent. So, it's all good.
Ebel_Angel, if you want a copy we can try a few 2v2 games sometime. If we split me and OC_Clausewitz up on to opposite teams we can have one experienced player and one new player (in this Mod) on each side.
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| EbelAngel | Date: Monday, 15/July/2013, 11:38 AM | Message # 16 |
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| Quote (Ftoomsh) Are both of these recorded in the dmcr.exe or in some other file(s)?
In the Internet folder.
Quote (Ftoomsh) Ebel_Angel, if you want a copy we can try a few 2v2 games sometime
I appreciate the offer but I dont think thats going to work out. I'm european, you'r austrialian , daddio is american...im sure you see where this is going...
Quote (Ftoomsh) I wonder if Daddio unzipped that into a separate folder of its own and then simply copied and dropped his own dmcr.exe (or other files?) into my version would this give him his key and his password? Are both of these recorded in the dmcr.exe or in some other file(s)?
Well the internet folder shouldnt be distributed. But assuming it was, he should just copy his own internet folder from his vanilla game over your mod after having applied your files.
Quote (Ftoomsh) All I need to know is what actually are the necessary files to pack.
This is sorta hard because i dont know what you have changed. Either case all files you have changed. I wouldn't mind having that .rar you sent Daddio. I'll have a look at it when i find some time.
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| Ftoomsh | Date: Monday, 15/July/2013, 3:11 PM | Message # 17 |
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| THE FILE
I have sent you the link to the .RAR file. I just want to state for the record that OC Mod is Davout's Mod not mine. OC Mod Balanced is a rebalancing mod mainly which changes unit parameters. Probably the most radical things I have done are add log cabins (no build process graphics yet) to three of the four Imperial nations and to add a cloned unit to Turkey to give it an 18th C Janissary.
TIMEZONES
I reckon the time zone problems are not insurmountable. On my Sunday mornings at 06:00 am it is also Sunday 06:00 am for OC_Clausewitz. It is Saturday afternoon 16:00 for Daddio in Baltimore USA and it is Saturday night 22:00 in Belgium. I am sure you can stay up late on the odd Saturday night... maybe?
Anyway, I can always game 1v1 at arranged times if you want to try OC Mod Balanced.
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| Daddio | Date: Thursday, 18/July/2013, 1:59 AM | Message # 18 |
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| I simply deleted Rowan's account information, and added my own. Fairly simple.
I do not recommend sharing, but in this situation where so many changed have been made and it is nearly impossible to determine what files have been changed. It is about the only way to sync up and play a game.
It is painfully apparent that I have not played in over 10 years though.
Good fun though.
http://i1045.photobucket.com/albums/b455/Billy_Jo_Patrick/cossacks2_art_03_zpsel8tgwad.jpg
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| Ftoomsh | Date: Thursday, 18/July/2013, 2:55 AM | Message # 19 |
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Group: Modders
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| Quote (Daddio) I do not recommend sharing, but
It's OK within a trusted community of course. Maybe what I could do when I get the Mod fully balanced is create a .zip of all the files EXCEPT the account information. Then people can unzip it and just drop their own account information in. Of course. a really clever installation utility would create a new OC Mod directory, unzip the .RAR into it and look in the standard Cossacks 1 directory to get the account info, copy it and drop it in the new OC Mod Balanced installation. All people would need is a bona fide Cossacks installation in the standard directory and a GSC account. I guess the OC Mod Installer could have a browse function to find the right account folder or file(s).
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