[bug] Issues in PSTEE

[argent77]

This is a list of issues I have noticed so far while working with NI:

1. Invalid script name: %resource%

Affected resources: APPRENT2.CRE, APPRENT3.CRE, APPRENT4.CRE, APPRENT5.CRE

These are the mages in the Alley of Dangerous Angles who're attempting to summon a "special" Lim-Lim. I'd suggest to clear their script names since they aren't really needed. SPECIFIC values are used to target these actors in scripts.

2. Bogus BCS file with empty resref: .BCS

This file may cause WeiDU installations to fail on WeiDU 247 and older versions, e.g. when performing COPY_EXISTING_REGEXP ".*\.BCS" "override"

Suggested fix: Remove reference from CHITIN.KEY (via DISABLE_FROM_KEY)

3. Invalid store item trigger at FELL.STO > Item for sale 7 > Sale trigger: Global("Trias_Dead", "KAPUTZ", 1)

The above trigger controls availability of the "Tattoo of the Betrayer" (TTBETRYR.ITM).

Afaik, "KAPUTZ" is not a valid variable scope in PSTEE. I'd suggest to turn it into Global("Trias_Dead_KAPUTZ", "GLOBAL", 1) .

4. Several ARE and WED files with incorrect header data (offsets, # substructures)

AR0501.ARE: update offsets by animations count (1 -> 0x4c bytes)
  - affected offsets: songs

AR1001.ARE: update offsets by animations count (2 -> 0x98 bytes)
  - affected offsets: songs, rest encounters, automap notes, projectile traps

AR3017.ARE: update offsets by animations count (2 -> 0x98 bytes)
  - affected offsets: songs, rest encounters, automap notes, projectile traps

AR13WZ.ARE: incorrect animations count  remove duplicate animation entries
  - animations count (0xac): 6 -> 12
  - add 0x1C8 to affected offsets: songs, rest encounters, automap notes, projectile traps

Edit:
It's actually a duplicate set of animation entries. The last 6 entries should be deleted for best results. They appear to be carbon copies from original PST.
For the remaining animation entries, the flags should be fixed by clearing bits 13 and 16. Or otherwise, there appear to be slight "hiccups" in some of the animations.

AR0609.WED and AR0612.WED: regions of unmapped data (???)

Could also be just an issue of incorrect header data, but I can't say where these regions belong to.

The suggested fixes are mainly helpful for modders. The game seems to resolve these inconsistencies internally.

5. Shadow animation of the Pillar of Skulls (AR1001.ARE / POSSHAD.BAM) isn't visible

Seems to be caused by animation flags bit 8 (Draw as Background) which interprets the shadow color as being fully transparent. Clearing the bit works around the issue (although it might have side effects). For best results the shadow color of the animation could be made semi-transparent by modifying the alpha channel of the respective palette entry.

The real cause is probably an engine bug (or PST-specific exception) which seems to override animation flags bit 1 (No shadow).

Edited April 1, 2022 by argent77
Updated: store item trigger fix, AR13WZ.ARE fixes, PoS shadow fix.

[lynx]

KAPUTZ is fine and in fact only usable in pst. I doubt that was removed in pstee, as there are at least 10 other users.

pst has partly different flag bits for area animations and that's definitely true for bit 1 (blend, when counting from 0) — 0x0100 should be set instead.

[argent77]

38 minutes ago, lynx said:

KAPUTZ is fine and in fact only usable in pst. I doubt that was removed in pstee, as there are at least 10 other users.

PSTEE works a bit differently, since it's a fork of the modern EE engine. It looks like global scope "KAPUTZ" has been turned into a variable name suffix.

For example: Global("Sandoz_Dead", "KAPUTZ", 1) turned into Global("Sandoz_Dead_KAPUTZ", "GLOBAL", 1)

I have amended the suggested fix in the first post.

 

49 minutes ago, lynx said:

pst has partly different flag bits for area animations and that's definitely true for bit 1 (blend, when counting from 0) — 0x0100 should be set instead.

So clearing bit 8 would be the right course of action after all to fix the issue?

[CamDawg]

Yay, our first PsTEE bugs! (Or should it be 'boo'?)

Huge props to the brave Adonis, the Cadillac of men, that maintains all of the Tools functionality in NI.

[lynx]

Ah, interesting, I thought it was a separate engine, a light lift-up. It's odd that they didn't just use the extra death var scopes from iwd.

As for the bit, I then can't say if that helps. It's what we need to do for the original pst in gemrb when compared to other games, but this mess was tested with something else — I think the Ignus pedestal.

[argent77]

More issues:

6. It is not possible to use the "Reform party" button in map AR0402 (Smoldering Corpse Bar).

It turns out that bit 1 of area type flags (offset 0x14) can be used to disable the "Reform Party" button. It's only set in AR0402 for some reason, but I can't see why. In original PST you can reform your party just fine in that location.

Unless there is evidence that this flag is really needed I'd suggest to clear it. Many people will free Ignus just to get his bonuses and ditch him soon afterwards.