GameBanshee Forums

Jaesun wrote:I was finishing the B-Rated Writer quest and noticed you now lock the beach house fence? I wanted to try hacking the computer now that I have a high hacking skill. Why would you lock this?

Also, I failed to read in your read-me that you lowered the hacking requirement on the beach house computer, and well should have tried hacking it earlier.

I am a bit baffled why you would lock this?

It's a crime scene. Maybe the police locked it?

Jaesun wrote:I was finishing the B-Rated Writer quest and noticed you now lock the beach house fence? I wanted to try hacking the computer now that I have a high hacking skill. Why would you lock this?

I didn't do it, Troika did. There are a lot of levels you can't return to later...

Wesp5 wrote:I didn't do it, Troika did. There are a lot of levels you can't return to later...

Ahh ok I *thought* you were able to return here, but if you didn't change it then ok.

Thanks!

The poster quest seems to be broken.

Even though I have finished the other poster quests, the only poster that shows up is the VV one.

Also the poster quest where Gary wants the Vacuum Tubes, I put them in the mail box, but nothing happens. They always stay in the mailbox, and the quest never updates. No matter how many times I exit the Skyline Apartments.

Jaesun wrote: Even though I have finished the other poster quests, the only poster that shows up is the VV one.

Strange. I already fixed that the emails did not fit to the quest log but the posters themselfes should all appear.

Wesp5 wrote:Strange. I already fixed that the emails did not fit to the quest log but the posters themselfes should all appear.

I take that back I DO have the Jeanette poster, I just forgot where it was placed.

I just still cannot mail the vacuum tubes. I place them in the mailbox. Exit the Skyline Hotel, and re-enter and they are still in the mail box. I do have the quest in my quest log, stating Gary is looking for the vacuum tubes. Or am I doing something wrong?

I do have a savegame if that is at all helpful to you?

Jaesun wrote:I do have the quest in my quest log, stating Gary is looking for the vacuum tubes. Or am I doing something wrong?

No, but you probably fell victim to the wrong quest log. Look into the email to see what Gary is actually looking for. I messed the log order up .

Wesp5 wrote:No, but you probably fell victim to the wrong quest log. Look into the email to see what Gary is actually looking for. I messed the log order up .

doh! No worries, I'm at the final 2 battles now and so far I must say other than the Poster quest, I did not have any other problems. I really enjoyed a lot of the restored content.

The only thing I DID have happen was the sudden "attacking" when entering a city via a cab. And if a NPC was near by, well I get a criminal violation. Though re-loading seems to fix this. I believe this is an engine bug, would be nice if you possible could fix it. heh

Hope you don't mind me reporting this here, but I found a few trivial typos in .dlg files again:

• main characters/heather.dlg: missing newline at the end of the last line. No idea if this matters, but all other files have this.
• main characters/jack.dlg: line 1206 has "{ # npc.SetDisposition("Neutral", 1) }", the npc.SetDisposition bit should be one field to the right. Again not sure how much this matters.
• main characters/johansen.dlg: line 162 does not have the right number of fields (needs an extra empty "{ }" in the middle). This probably affects the Nosferatu and/or Malkavian text.

There may be more later, I'm reworking the script a bit.

(edited to add linenumber for johansen.dlg)

Jaesun wrote:Though re-loading seems to fix this. I believe this is an engine bug, would be nice if you possible could fix it. heh

I can't fix anything that appears only randomly like this bug, sorry.

mzz wrote:Hope you don't mind me reporting this here, but I found a few trivial typos in .dlg files again:

I fixed these regardless of whether they did something or not, better safe than sorry . If you find anything else, please report!

More stuff, even less harmful. This is also a request for help: I cannot conveniently run the game to check things while I work on this code (I do not develop it in windows), so if someone knows the answers to the questions below off the top of their head it would help me

• santa monica/knox.dlg 422: This is an Auto-Link for "normal" clans but has text for Malkavians. This is one of two places where that happens (per-clan text is either unset or set to the same special (Auto-Link, Auto-End, etc) text everywhere else. Does this work? If it does I will fix my parser.
• main characters/jack.dlg 793 and 794: what does "G.Jack_Outbound = 0" do? These have three columns of script instead of the usual two. When does that script run, or is it a typo?
• main characters/jack.dlg 874: an "(Auto-End)" for "normal" vampires but an "(Auto-Link)" for Malkavians. This is probably a typo?
• main characters/beckett.dlg 270: typo/mispaste in the first column: 237 should be 270.
• chinatown/mandarin.dlg 272: text is "(Auto-Link)" but with next (4th column) set to 0. Should probably be "(Auto-End)" or have a valid next, since that's what all other files do.
• chinatown/zygaena.dlg 255: mispaste in the first column: 253 should be 255.

There will probably be more, still working on the code. If you can think of other interesting stuff to check in .dlg or other files please let me know (writing more specific syntax checks for mostly-plaintext files is not that hard if you tell me what kind of thing caused problems in the past). I can also partially unpack .bsp (map) files, so if you know of simple checks to run on those tell me too.

mzz wrote: [*]santa monica/knox.dlg 422: This is an Auto-Link for "normal" clans but has text for Malkavians. This is one of two places where that happens (per-clan text is either unset or set to the same special (Auto-Link, Auto-End, etc) text everywhere else. Does this work? If it does I will fix my parser.

I would assume that this works but I added a "Continue." for the other clans anyway. Where is the other place where this happens?

[*]main characters/jack.dlg 793 and 794: what does "G.Jack_Outbound = 0" do? These have three columns of script instead of the usual two. When does that script run, or is it a typo?

[*]main characters/jack.dlg 874: an "(Auto-End)" for "normal" vampires but an "(Auto-Link)" for Malkavians. This is probably a typo?

Looking at the other lines I guess these are typos and I will fix them.

[*]main characters/beckett.dlg 270: typo/mispaste in the first column: 237 should be 270.

[*]chinatown/mandarin.dlg 272: text is "(Auto-Link)" but with next (4th column) set to 0. Should probably be "(Auto-End)" or have a valid next, since that's what all other files do.

[*]chinatown/zygaena.dlg 255: mispaste in the first column: 253 should be 255.

Fixed. Thanks! I don't know about other things to check unless you can somehow detect unused stuff in the bsp files !

Wesp5 wrote:I would assume that this works but I added a "Continue." for the other clans anyway. Where is the other place where this happens?

The Auto-Link/Auto-End mixup in jack.dlg was the other one.

Fixed. Thanks! I don't know about other things to check unless you can somehow detect unused stuff in the bsp files !

Hmm, if "unused" means "unreachable" (but present in the map) I doubt I can help, but I might be able to pick up various other kinds of unused, like unused textures or models. Would probably require some research to find out where those references are supposed to live. I have code that takes a .bsp file and turns it into a directory with its pieces, most of which are binary files I do not know how to parse. I would probably have to (partially) understand the format of a handful of those to do this.

And even more, hoping replying to myself is ok, someone hit me over the head otherwise please (I do not use forums that much). Again this is mostly just oddities, not necessarily bugs! I have some other plans for my parser so I need to figure out how this stuff works, it's not necessarily a good idea to "fix" the things I list here blindly!

A couple of these are from me re-enabling the check for unused dialog lines. Some notes about that (hope you can decipher this, I have an annoying habit of making up words when dealing with these files):

• Line 1 and everything reachable through it is always considered reachable, because if I understand correctly if none of the starting conditions apply line 1 is used. The checker cannot figure out if a dialog file always has a working start condition (making line 1 unreachable unless referenced explicitly). So it may miss things.
• Similarly if a line has multiple Auto-Links the checker assumes you can hit all of them, causing it to possibly miss things.
• It currently assumes that npc lines (ones without a "next" line number to go to) without any pc lines or Auto-Link lines are barks or triggered through script somehow. It currently complains if a line like that (with no choices) is the target of a pc line. I think that is an actual problem.
• It also complains if it cannot find a path (through dialog choices) to an npc line that does have choices. This may not be an actual problem: I do not know enough about how dialog that is not triggered through the normal starting conditions at the bottom works. Fixing these by removing the choices could actually cause problems, so please test them before you do! It would make my checker recognize them as dialog accessed through script or the like, but the game might actually need those choices for some reason!

And now for the actual oddities found:

• hollywood/andrei.dlg: line 6 confuses my parser. It thinks it is a new npc line, with line 7 a pc line for line 6 and zero choices for line 5. Does this work properly in the game (is line 6 ignored)?
• santa monica/chunk.dlg: line 221 is flagged as unused, but it reads:

  [RM: Audio file is broken and cuts off after first sentence]Uh, yeah, sure, ah... whatever you say, ah? Just right down the block there, ya can't miss it. S'big sign on the door that says "Crazies 'R' Us". [To himself]Heh... sometimes I crack myself up.

  so that one is probably intentional?
• santa monica/killer.dlg: some of the choices below line 111 have a tab character where there should be a space between the "5" and the "&" in "Humanity -5 & ...". This happens three times.
• main characters/jack_tutorial.dlg: line 251 and 941 are accessed through script (I think) but have an Auto-End set. Do not "fix" blindly!
• main characters/regent.dlg: line 1001 (and 1011 and 1021 reachable only from it) is unreachable (looking at just the .dlg files). Is this triggered through script somehow or is this more content to restore? Part of one of the endings, but I really do not remember if I saw it in the game.
• downtown la/hannah.dlg: lines 141 and 146 are unreachable. Accidentally unused or are these intentionally unused duplicates?
• generic/doll2.dlg, doll3.dlg, doll4.dlg: lines 31 and 61 are unreachable. This is very minor (everything reachable from 31 and 61 is apparently also reachable some other way).
• downtown la/dema.dlg: line 11 is unreachable (or only reachable through script but has an Auto-End). If it is only reachable through script you might want to check if the script on the Auto-End actually runs.
• chinatown/yukie.dlg: line 381 has an Auto-End but is unreachable or only reachable through script. Again: if this is reachable through script do not blindly remove the Auto-End!
• santa monica/therese.dlg: line 562 confuses my parser, I think. Line 561 is reachable through script (played through a telephone at some point), I think? It flags it as unreachable because it does not ignore 562, which I think the game does.
• downtown la/chunk2.dlg:511: choices but unreachable: [511, 521, 531, 541] and chunk3.dlg:511: choices but unreachable: [481, 491, 501]. Probably just reachable through script and the Auto-End confusing my checker?
• main characters/jack.dlg: the final starting condition has an invalid (empty) target (line 11). Probably not a problem because one of the starting conditions above it always matches? Line 1327 and 1329 are marked as unreachable, but those may be scripted ones again.
• main characters/mingxiao.dlg: line 435 tries to jump to line 591, which is empty. Is that a bug or am I misreading something?
• santa monica/clinic_guard.dlg: line 51 has an Auto-End but is unreachable. Scripted line again?
• main characters/beckett.dlg: line 1001 is unreachable but has an Auto-Link. This is the "Wait!" where Beckett warns you about the sarcophagus near the end of the game, which if I recall correctly occasionally breaks. I wonder if it is a coincidence that that line is sometimes buggy and also picked up as weird by my script...
• main characters/nines.dlg: line 691 unreachable. Another scripted one with an (unnecessary) Auto-End, most likely.
• downtown la/damsel.dlg: 231 and 241 are unreachable. These might be intentional, looks like they're duplicated elsewhere in the file.
• chinatown/mandarin.dlg: lots of unreachable (scripted) lines with an Auto-End. You probably do not want to mess with this, but just in case, the list is [11, 21, 31, 41, 151, 161, 171, 181, 191, 201, 211, 221, 231, 241, 251, 261, 271, 281, 291, 331, 341, 351, 371, 381, 391, 401, 411, 421, 431, 441, 451, 461, 471, 491].
• downtown la/prince2.dlg: invalid (empty) target 1181 in the starting conditions. Bug or a .dlg feature I do not understand?
• downtown la/prince2.dlg: line 1151 is weird. Target of a reply to 1141, but 1151 itself has no choices (Auto-Link or Auto-End). Does that work in the game?
• downtown la/prince2.dlg: choices but unreachable: [271, 961, 971, 981, 1071, 1091, 1111, 1131, 1221]. These are probably all accessible through script, but I have not checked that.
• santa monica/mercurio.dlg: choices but unreachable: [381, 401]. Not sure if these are intentional, some very similar lines are used.
• santa monica/stan_gimble.dlg: choices but unreachable: [221, 231, 241], but those seem to be part of a (scripted) intercom conversation.
• giovanni/nadia.dlg: choices but unreachable: [221, 411, 421, 431, 441, 451, 461, 481, 491, 601, 611, 621]. Most of these are probably scripted again, and the last three should definitely be unreachable:

  Code: Select all

  JDA im pissed JDA

  
• downtown la/boris.dlg: 271 is unreachable. This might be another line of unused content.

Ok, that was a bit longer than I thought it would be, but that's everything the script currently flags. So either I have some bugs left to fix in the checker or almost all of the dialog is actually used (unless it's hidden behind impossible requirements, checking for that is a bit tricky).

Oh, and one last thing I forgot: I skip 5 files because they have the wrong number of columns (12 instead of 13):

• asianvampiretest.dlg: amusing but unused:

  You have found the "Asian Vampire" that Knox wants you to kill. Press 1 to kill it.
  1: Alright! Die, you quest target, DIE!!!!!!
  2: A MurderDeathKill? Unheard of in this age!

• tutorial_security_guard.dlg: interesting but I have no idea how much of the rest of it is present. I guess you already found this one yourself?
• danecopconvo1.dlg (and 2 and 3). Are these used? If they are you may want to add the missing column.

mzz wrote: [*]hollywood/andrei.dlg: line 6 confuses my parser. It thinks it is a new npc line, with line 7 a pc line for line 6 and zero choices for line 5. Does this work properly in the game (is line 6 ignored)?

Yes, everthing in [] is ignored.

[*]santa monica/chunk.dlg: line 221 is flagged as unused, but it reads:so that one is probably intentional?

Yes. The sound file is broken, the comment is from Robert Morley who checked similar issues once.

[*]santa monica/killer.dlg: some of the choices below line 111 have a tab character where there should be a space between the "5" and the "&" in "Humanity -5 & ...". This happens three times.

Fixed, although I don't think these matter.

[*]main characters/regent.dlg: line 1001 (and 1011 and 1021 reachable only from it) is unreachable (looking at just the .dlg files). Is this triggered through script somehow or is this more content to restore? Part of one of the endings, but I really do not remember if I saw it in the game.

[*]downtown la/prince2.dlg: line 1151 is weird. Target of a reply to 1141, but 1151 itself has no choices (Auto-Link or Auto-End). Does that work in the game?

[*]downtown la/prince2.dlg: choices but unreachable: [271, 961, 971, 981, 1071, 1091, 1111, 1131, 1221]. These are probably all accessible through script, but I have not checked that.

[*]giovanni/nadia.dlg: choices but unreachable: [221, 411, 421, 431, 441, 451, 461, 481, 491, 601, 611, 621]. Most of these are probably scripted again, and the last three should definitely be unreachable

Those are part of scripted scenes.

[*]downtown la/hannah.dlg: lines 141 and 146 are unreachable. Accidentally unused or are these intentionally unused duplicates?

[*]santa monica/therese.dlg: line 562 confuses my parser, I think. Line 561 is reachable through script (played through a telephone at some point), I think? It flags it as unreachable because it does not ignore 562, which I think the game does.

[*]downtown la/damsel.dlg: 231 and 241 are unreachable. These might be intentional, looks like they're duplicated elsewhere in the file.

[*]santa monica/mercurio.dlg: choices but unreachable: [381, 401]. Not sure if these are intentional, some very similar lines are used.

[*]santa monica/stan_gimble.dlg: choices but unreachable: [221, 231, 241], but those seem to be part of a (scripted) intercom conversation.

[*]downtown la/boris.dlg: 271 is unreachable. This might be another line of unused content.

Unused duplicates, I'll fix as appropriate.

[*]generic/doll2.dlg, doll3.dlg, doll4.dlg: lines 31 and 61 are unreachable. This is very minor (everything reachable from 31 and 61 is apparently also reachable some other way).

[*]downtown la/chunk2.dlg:511: choices but unreachable: [511, 521, 531, 541] and chunk3.dlg:511: choices but unreachable: [481, 491, 501]. Probably just reachable through script and the Auto-End confusing my checker?

These are probably triggered by random dialogues.

[*]downtown la/dema.dlg: line 11 is unreachable (or only reachable through script but has an Auto-End). If it is only reachable through script you might want to check if the script on the Auto-End actually runs.

[*]santa monica/clinic_guard.dlg: line 51 has an Auto-End but is unreachable. Scripted line again?

Hmmm, those seem to be unused. I restored them for 6.0!

[*]main characters/jack.dlg: the final starting condition has an invalid (empty) target (line 11). Probably not a problem because one of the starting conditions above it always matches?

I think so.

[*]main characters/mingxiao.dlg: line 435 tries to jump to line 591, which is empty. Is that a bug or am I misreading something?

No, this should be 491 of course. Fixed.

[*]main characters/beckett.dlg: line 1001 is unreachable but has an Auto-Link. This is the "Wait!" where Beckett warns you about the sarcophagus near the end of the game, which if I recall correctly occasionally breaks. I wonder if it is a coincidence that that line is sometimes buggy and also picked up as weird by my script...

I don't think this is connected as Beckett normally doesn't even appear.

[*]downtown la/prince2.dlg: invalid (empty) target 1181 in the starting conditions. Bug or a .dlg feature I do not understand?

Strange indeed. It's probably triggered by the Prince ending script but I nevertheless linked it to 961.

[*]asianvampiretest.dlg: amusing but unused:
[*]tutorial_security_guard.dlg: interesting but I have no idea how much of the rest of it is present. I guess you already found this one yourself?
[*]danecopconvo1.dlg (and 2 and 3). Are these used? If they are you may want to add the missing column.

All of these are not used with no sound files to restore them, but the last two are done as wav conversations.

Hi mzz, now that you are done with the dialogues, how about writing a script that checks the object parts of the levels (which can be saved as text files via VPKTool) for unused stuff, like e.g. targetnames that are never referred to and similar? I can't do anything with unused textures, but I already restored several hidden characters and sequences just by accidentally tripping over them .

Wesp5 wrote:Hi mzz, now that you are done with the dialogues, how about writing a script that checks the object parts of the levels (which can be saved as text files via VPKTool) for unused stuff, like e.g. targetnames that are never referred to and similar? I can't do anything with unused textures, but I already restored several hidden characters and sequences just by accidentally tripping over them .

Examples of the kind of thing you're after would help me a lot (things like names of things restored in the patch, preferably with a pointer to where you added the reference(s) so I do not have to scan the entire tree for it). I can see the "targetname" stuff in what my script calls the entities file, but where are those normally referred to? Just in the map itself or elsewhere too?

mzz wrote:Examples of the kind of thing you're after would help me a lot (things like names of things restored in the patch, preferably with a pointer to where you added the reference(s) so I do not have to scan the entire tree for it). I can see the "targetname" stuff in what my script calls the entities file, but where are those normally referred to? Just in the map itself or elsewhere too?

These are only referred from the entities part of the maps itself and the python codes. So crosschecking those two should give us some hints of unused stuff.

First, I'd like to thank you Wesp5 for still making patches, Thank You Very Much.
But unfortunately I have some problems and need help.
I'm doing the poster quests for Gary, getting the LA library card is what I'm trying to do right now. However, as I read in the patch readme, it's in the museum - a place to where I can not go back for obvious reasons. Anyway, could you either make it possible to return to the museum, or placing the library card somewhere else? (Suggestion: above Trip's, the apartment number 505, on a desk, maybe near the pc; when inspecting it, text: 'The university student who had been this card's owner hopefully won't miss it.' or something like this.)


Else: Could you tell me where is the data CD for Bertram's Missing Data quest exactly is? I've run through the Nosferatu (lvl5) Warrens few times, but I could not figure out where it is..