Freindly Arm Inn

[plainab]

Okay, first off let me say that I originally played the game with the original 5 disc version (without totsc) borrowed from my local library. Recently I purchased the 4 in 1 DVD set which includes BG and ToTSC, BG2 and TOB along with a DVD drive to play it in.

 

Here are some things that I've noticed.

1) It was my understanding that the hidden ring in the FAI area was available with ToTSC, but it for some reason is not available in my version. I did do complete full installs of BG and ToTSC. I've not added any patches because it is my understanding that this version comes fully patched already. I'll need to double check to make sure that is true.

 

2) After resting and then killing the attacking mage and entering the keep to pick up Jaheira and Kahlid, I went out to speak with Joyia and do her quest. Everything went fine, explored the entire map and returned the ring. Went into the FAI to sell all the other junk. I had to leave the game for a few minutes to clean up after one of my kids while the store interface was open. After returning to the game, I finished selling the stuff and then rested once more. Upon exiting FAI the entire map other than inside the walls was returned to an unexplored state. What causes that?

 

The only things added are one custom portrait, a copy of the SHS soundsets for BG2 and my current internal version of the BG Fixpack. There is nothing in the fixpack that affects ar2300.are in any way at this time. I know that I have the ToTSC version, because I had to put the ToTSC disc in for the computer to recognize disc 6 plus my ToTSC only components from the fixpack were installed.

 

Since I'm really just trying to make sure that the fixpack doesn't break the game, there are some things I can test locally and will probably do so (i.e. uninstall/reinstall, try without fixpack, etc...). But I wondered if anyone else has had some similar issues and/or had any idea what the heck is going on here...

[devSin]

#2 comes up from time to time. As far as I'm aware, there's nothing in the data files that would contribute to this.

[bgf]

I did do complete full installs of BG and ToTSC. I've not added any patches because it is my understanding that this version comes fully patched already. I'll need to double check to make sure that is true.

I have the 4-in-1 DVD version too, and IIRC it doesn't come fully patched so I had to do it myself. It might be prudent to double check on this.

[jon-eli]

1) It was my understanding that the hidden ring in the FAI area was available with ToTSC, but it for some reason is not available in my version.

I'm almost completely certain that the hidden ring is added by the TotSC patch. The 3-cd version of BG comes fully patched, but I really don't know if this is the case for the version you're working with. If it isn't patched, that might also explain why the FAI area was reverting to its unexplored state (although there's no mention of this in the patch readme).

[aVENGER_(RR)]

There's an easy way to check which version of the game you're currently running. After you load a save, go to the Options menu and look for the version box which should be located in the lower left corner for BG1 and near the top of the screen for BG2.

 

AFAIK, the latest BG1 version is v1.3.5512 and the latest (non-beta) BG2 version is v2.5.26498.

[plainab]

Since found out that even though the DVD version came out the latest it is still not patched. So I've taken care of that after a complete re-install. I've not gotten back into the game, but I did check with NI and there are no containers in AR2300.are. I know that Tutu/EasyTutu has the hidden container, but that is because they pull ar2300.are from the bif rather than from the original override directory.

 

It would be interesting to find out how each of the releases handle this. If things differ in this regard who knows what else might be different. It would be something that I need to check into for the fixpack. You know, hate to fix one version just for it to break in another....

[Jarno Mikkola]

I've not gotten back into the game, but I did check with NI and there are no containers in AR2300.are. I know that Tutu/EasyTutu has the hidden container, but that is because they pull ar2300.are from the bif rather than from the original override directory.

Well, that's besides the point... as the Friendly Arms Inn is the FW2300.are in Tutu games.

This just means that you can't replace the area by inserting another ar2300.are into the override folder, as it needs to be named as fw2300.are...

 

Also, might it be that another mod might have removed the ring? Or is the install clean from all the other mods but your own...

[jon-eli]

Well, that's besides the point... as the Friendly Arms Inn is the FW2300.are in Tutu games.

I'm actually pretty sure we're not dealing with a Tutu game here. There was mention of an internal fixpack in the OP, and I'm guessing this is a fixpack for vanilla BG1 games that is still in its alpha-testing phase. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part.

[plainab]

Well, that's besides the point... as the Friendly Arms Inn is the FW2300.are in Tutu games.

I'm actually pretty sure we're not dealing with a Tutu game here. There was mention of an internal fixpack in the OP, and I'm guessing this is a fixpack for vanilla BG1 games that is still in its alpha-testing phase. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part.

Okay lets break it down and remove all confusion on everyone's part

 

1) Yes I did have an internal fixpack for vanilla BG1 and ToTSC installed for testing purposes. This had nothing to do with the aforementioned graphic issues. Those were most likely due to the game not being patched because I thought it didn't need it.

See my website for links to the most recent publicly available version of the BG_Fixpack. The Game Text Update is not included, I was making sure that the game had no problems with the new GTU added. Feel free to test it out...

 

2) Yes Tutu/EasyTutu would use FW2300.are instead of AR2300.are. However it has to get the base file from somewhere in order to rename it from AR2300 to FW2300. In this case the base file comes from the BIF file instead of out of the override directory. It was easier for the conversion process to get all files from the bifs and apply a pre-approved override directory will all wanted fixes/tweaks already in place. Also, I should know because when I first tried EasyTutu it was with the 5 disc vanilla BG without ToTSC. The vanilla game had no hidden ring of wizardy, but the Tutu game did.

 

3) I was informed that the ToTSC version had the hidden ring container in the FAI area. However the DVD version of BG + ToTSC with latest patch installed does not appear to have the hidden ring container in a non-mod state.

 

4) I can get access to the original 5 disc + 1 ToTSC and will see if things are different there. It may very well be since Dudley put hints about it within the dialog file of one of the noblemen on the second floor of the FAI. The 5 disc + 1 was the version he used when creating his set of fixes and tweaks.

 

I can easily mod the container and ring into the area. In fact, I've already got the code to do that. What I need to determine is why my version of ToTSC does not have that hidden ring container when other people with ToTSC claim that they do.

[jon-eli]

I just took a quick look at the patch, and it doesn't even touch ar2300, let alone add a container to it. So the ring must come with the standard TotSC disc, but not, for some reason, with the super special 4-in-1 DVD edition. That's weird as heck.

[plainab]

I just took a quick look at the patch, and it doesn't even touch ar2300, let alone add a container to it. So the ring must come with the standard TotSC disc, but not, for some reason, with the super special 4-in-1 DVD edition. That's weird as heck.

Yes it is weird. I just installed the 5 disc + 1 on my kids computer and added the ToTSC patch. I opened up Infinity Explorer and saw that the container was there with the ring. What is interesting is that the file ar2300.are which is present in the override of the 5 disc install is no longer there once ToTSC is installed. However when ToTSC is installed from the DVD version that file ar2300.are is still present.

 

I wonder if the override folder gets emptied and reset during the installation of the ToTSC disc when using the 5 + 1. Who knows...

[Jarno Mikkola]

I just took a quick look at the patch, and it doesn't even touch ar2300, let alone add a container to it. So the ring must come with the standard TotSC disc, but not, for some reason, with the super special 4-in-1 DVD edition. That's weird as heck.

Well, according to this, the ring is there in the original Baldur's Gate (5 cd), as the wording implies this.

 

I also used the Original Saga BG(3cd version re-patched to v1.3.5512) with The Fields of the Dead -mod, and that game doesn't have the ring there either...

[plainab]

As a side note, the override directory on the DVD version has a lot more files than the override in the 5+1 version. This lends itself to the idea that the override directory actually gets erased and replaced during the installation in the 5 + 1 version. Also, it might explain why some things worked in the vanilla and became broken once totsc was installed. The Albert and Rufie reward is an example. I've got a fix for ToTSC because the action that creates and gives the item is missing, but my DVD version with ToTSC is not broken. It's not broken because the albert.dlg file is still present in the override folder of the DVD version where it is not present in the 5 + 1 cd version.

[bgf]

I have the DVD version of BG + TotSC, patched to 5512. I just opened NearInfinity to check, and in ar2300.are I can find a container with the ring in it.

 

That seems to contradict the behaviour of plainab's DVD version...??

[Guest Shokki]

I actually have myself a patch 1.3.5521. Don't remember where I got it, but it's official. It seems to be 5512, but with DirectX 8 fix.

There is a ring in my game when I use this patch.

 

Here is the changelog

X. Changes in Version 1.3.5521

 

This version is updated for DirectX 8 and addresses the problem of

not being able to play a TCP game if you have DirectX 7 installed.