Unofficial Arcanum Patch (Original Thread)

[RGE]

DragonHawk's problems with Flow Specktrometers reminded me of my own problem with multiplayer and Charged Rings. My level 29 half-orc technologist gets his ring at the start of a multiplayer game, just like he's supposed to. But my level 30 half-ogre doesn't get his, even though they both have the second degree in the Electrical discipline. They also have the highest degree in Therapeutics, and the half-ogre has the highest in Gun Smithy, while the half-orc stayed at the fifth to start each game with a Looking-Glass Rifle.

Another bug is that female multiplayer characters lose their gender modification, thus lowering their Constitution and increasing their Strength.

 

[solaris32]

Wait, what's this "vanilla English version"? I just bought a European copy on Ebay because the original NA copies are over $40.

That is the copy I bought.

Are you saying the patch will only work with this copy:

I hope I'm wrong :\. I hate bugs...

 

[Fez]

It'll be fine, don't worry. By vanilla they just mean without any other mods or tweaks that may conflict.

 

[solaris32]

I hope so. Thanks for the quick response.

EDIT: Amazing work and commitment Drog.

 

[Soavra]

Hi,

first, I want to thank you a lot for all this work !

I just have a question : I use this patch with the french version and at this point, I didn't have any problem. But of course, some dialogs (and other elements) are in English. I still have the french file so I was wondering if I could use some of them to recover the french dialog (without losing bug fixes of course).

Thank for your great work !

 

[Icarian]

I dig up the Viktor Misk grave in Caladon and get the book (during night, no guards in graveyard). When I later return to the graveyard (day time), one of the guards attacks me on sight (reaction 0). Other guards don't do it.

This has happened to me every walkthrough. I have dug up the grave as stealthy as game allows (even with high prowling skil)l. It must be a bug with this one particular guard.

 

[RGE]

There are several inconsistencies in Sebastian's dialogue in the Boil. I dont have a save right now and it's been a while since I played it but when you initially speak to him there's a conversation loop you can repeatedly use to increase his disposition towards you.

Indeed there is, and there's pretty much nothing to do about it apart from rewriting things. Doesn't matter a whole lot though, since Sebastian isn't a merchant, but I guess that if the PC is an archer or shoots other missiles that might hit Sebastian, it might be beneficial to abuse the loop to boost his Reaction to ridiculously high levels.

After you've killed Damian Maug and return to him he doesn't recognize you've completed the quest, but he tries to give it to you again, and then you can say you've killed him, so he gives you a quest to kill Pollock instead now. But after Pollock is dead too, and when you say it to Sebastian, he congratulates you (I think), but the quest in the quest log doesn't get wiped over, it just stays open.

I've checked the 02834Sebastian.dlg file, and it looks like it's testing correctly for Maug's death. But it's quite possible to be offered the quest without taking it:

{190}{Hmmm.  Interesting.  I'll think about it and get back to you...}{}{5}{}{}{lf4 1, fl 191}

And the line that lets you report that you killed Maug is only availible if you accepted the quest (qu1162 2):

{45}{I've taken care of that "problem", Sebastian...}{}{5}{qu1162 2, gf2188 1, lf6 0}{209}{}

And the line that would let you get back (lf4 1) to Sebastian about killing Maug is only availible if Maug is alive (gf2188 0):

{43}{I might be able to take care of that "problem", Sebastian...}{}{5}{lf4 1, qu1162 1, gf2188 0, lf6 0}{187}{}

Don't ask me why they used both local flag 4 and quest state 1162 to test for getting back to Sebastian, when one should be enough.

According to the World Ed manual there are three tests for quest states:

qa   true if quest num1 is in a state >= num2
qb   true if quest num1 is in a state <= num2
qu   true if quest num1 is in state num2

And these are the quest states:

0 Unknown
1 Mentioned
2 Accepted
3 Achieved
4 Completed
5 Other
6 Botched

So if that qu2162 2 test is exchanged for a qa2162 1 and a qb2162 2 test, that should make it possible to report the quest if it's either Mentioned or Accepted, but not otherwise. And the same would apply for killing Pollock.

Thus I suggest the following changes to these two lines:

{42}{I've taken care of that "problem", Sebastian...}{}{5}{qa1161 1, qb1161 2, gf2187 1, lf6 0}{207}{}

{45}{I've taken care of that "problem", Sebastian...}{}{5}{qa1162 1, qb1162 2, gf2188 1, lf6 0}{209}{}

If you pick the "think about it and get back to you"-line and then kill Pollock like Sebastian wants you to, you won't be able to report it as a quest success, but with both gangleaders dead he'll still join the party since there's nothing left to do in the Boil:

{173}{What?  I'd heard about Pollock, but Maug as well?  [Sebastian looks duly impressed.]  Well, it seems you've already held up your end of the bargain, my friend...}{What?  I'd heard about Pollock, but Maug as well?  [Sebastian looks duly impressed.]  Well, it seems you've already held up your end of the bargain, my friend...}{}{}{}{}
{174}{It was nothing.  And what about YOUR end, Sebastian?}{}{5}{}{212}{}

My own problems with the "Kill Pollock" quest not being Completed stems from local flag 6 preventing me from reporting the success of the quest. It was set to 1 when Sebastian agreed to join after I killed Maug:

{212}{Yes...you seem a fairly competent fellow.  What exactly are you involved in?}{Yes...you seem a fairly competent woman.  What exactly are you involved in?}{}{}{}{lf6 1}

But it didn't prevent me from 'rewinding' Sebastian to give me the quest to kill Pollock, since this early line has no test for lf6 0:

{37}{I've spoken with Edward Willoughsby about you...}{}{5}{}{56}{}

I guess that adding the lf6 0 test would prevent people from getting the quest to kill Pollock when they don't need it, and Sebastian wouldn't acknowledge it anyway. Unless they get the quest to kill Maug, kill him, then go back to Sebastian, but instead of reporting their success, they pick line 37 and tell Sebastian how they 'already' killed Maug, making him give them the quest to kill Pollock instead. And then after that's done, the PC could pick and choose which success to report, but they'd only be able to report one. Unless they abort the dialog (with quickkslots or such) instead of saying line 208 or 210:

{207}{Yes...I'd heard about that.  Nicely done.}{Yes...I'd heard about that.  Nicely done.}{}{}{}{qu1161 4}
{208}{So...you said you might be interested in helping me?}{}{5}{}{212}{}
{209}{Yes...I'd heard about that.  Nicely done.}{Yes...I'd heard about that.  Nicely done.}{}{}{}{qu1162 4}
{210}{So...you said you might be interested in helping me?}{}{5}{}{212}{}
{212}{Yes...you seem a fairly competent fellow.  What exactly are you involved in?}{Yes...you seem a fairly competent woman.  What exactly are you involved in?}{}{}{}{lf6 1}

That would actually make it possible to complete both quests.

Line 37 could also use a test for lf4 0, since if lf4 1 is true, then the PC has already discussed the job with Sebastian, and therefore should probably not be able to 'rewind' him. It'd still be possible to rewind him if the PC accepted a job but didn't finish it though, so maybe a test for the strangely unused lf5 could be used for that?

I suggest the following to reduce the rewinding:

{37}{I've spoken with Edward Willoughsby about you...}{}{5}{lf4 0, lf5 0, lf6 0}{56}{}

{188}{Done.}{}{5}{}{192}{qu1162 2, lf5 1}

{198}{Done.}{}{5}{}{192}{qu1161 2, lf5 1}

Personally I think the quest design is flawed, since if either Maug or Pollock is already dead when the PC first speaks to Sebastian, he will claim that the one who's left will take over the Boil and spread into Tarant. But if both are alive, he's apparently quite satisfied with the PC killing only Maug, which results in the Boil being taken over by Pollock, who'll spread into Tarant. Which is what Willoughsby wanted to prevent when he sent Sebastian there.

There just happens to be space for a line 211 right after the PC asks Sebastian to join after killing Maug, so a line 211 could be added (with gf2187 0 test to make sure Pollock is still alive) and lead to line 182, thereby giving the player the option to do one more job for Sebastian before picking him up as a follower.

{182}{Well, with Maug dead, Pollock has consolidated his power here in the Boil.   What's to stop him from corrupting the rest of the city in the same manner?  Get my meaning, friend?}{Well, with Maug dead, Pollock has consolidated his power here in the Boil.   What's to stop him from corrupting the rest of the city in the same manner?  Get my meaning, friend?}{}{}{}{}

So this is my suggestion:

{211}{So...what about Pollock?}{}{5}{gf2187 0}{182}{}

 

[Burning Bridges]

Am I then only one who experiences random reboots under Windows XP SP3?

I have a really good PSU and my system never did that before, it only happens with arcanum, the demo did it too (so nothing to do with the patch).

Only happens from time to time so it's still playable but a bit annoying.

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

No need to resurrect dead projects.

 

[Fez]

I wonder if it is time to update the other thread?

 

[Dementia Praecox]

NO

So, what happened?

 

[Trash]

He's angry because we are brainwashed cunts that don't wholeheartedly support the Russians in their little war against Georgia. In short, he's throwing one of his tantrums.

 

[Burning Bridges]

He's angry because we are brainwashed cunts that don't wholeheartedly support the Russians in their little war against Georgia. In short, he's throwing one of his tantrums.

I see Drog's edited out the announcement that he's working on the patch again.

Time for a prima donna tag, eh?

 

[LCJr.]

Gee, I sure didn't see this coming. No sir. Not in a million years.

 

[Ander Vinz]

What a complete attentionwhore.

 

[Ismaul]

Just another day in kindergarten. Makes me feel young again.

 

[Kavax]

Damn it Drog, make up your damn mind already.

 

[thesheeep]

lol? wtf

 

[Jedi_Learner]

You're all brainwashed scum. I'm leaving this shithole. (Ref)

I really wish you would grow some balls. Anyway, see you next week.

 

[denizsi]

Obviously, he's not even a real Russian. A real patriot of the Mother Russia would never leave something unfinished and worse, pretend he never started it, NEVER!

I think he may be coming from a bloodline of Georgian descendants.

 

[Claw]

Wrong thread, denizsi. You wanted the *DRAMA* thread. Well done, anyway.

 

[zhab]

Why does everyone here knock Drog for being getting angry over politics? Doesn't anyone want the damn patch to get finished? Where is your sense of gratitude folks?

What bothers me here is that people want to get all lippy about his stance on the issue, since idiots like Trash forgot that Georgia started the war unprovoked by attacking Russian forces (that were on a UN peacekeeping mission) and shelling hospitals and apartment complexes. So good Drog *doesn't* have the right to be upset by an attempt at genocide? Do any of the fanboys here actually stay up on current events?

Let Drog be angry in peace, and instead of backtalk and BS, give credit to the guy for working hard to fix up such an unparalleled example of a game worthy of attention - something that I suspect not many else here have the time, skill, or energy to accomplish on the same scale.

Drog - you are a scholar and a workhorse, not a prima donna like these morons would make you out to be. Thanks for the good work, and thanks for being a patron of reality! We need more like you in this world.

 

[Trash]

What bothers me here is that people want to get all lippy about his stance on the issue, since idiots like Trash forgot that Georgia started the war unprovoked by attacking Russian forces (that were on a UN peacekeeping mission) and shelling hospitals and apartment complexes. So good Drog *doesn't* have the right to be upset by an attempt at genocide? Do any of the fanboys here actually stay up on current events?

You really swallowed all that propaganda? You call me an idiot? Tool.

 

[Drog Black Tooth]

You really swallowed all that propaganda? You call me an idiot? Tool.

Oh, shuddup already. It's because of ignorant yanks like you, I'm not posting here anymore. Oh, wait.

Stop fagging up my thread already.

 

[Trash]

Look, I'm not saying Russia is being the bad guy here. It's all part of some geopolitical chess game in which different parties are determining their position. What I do say is that people blindly trusting the propaganda from a particular side are fucking idiots.

I also think you did a great job on the patch, and I'm gratefull for all the effort and trouble you took. This does not mean that you have to act like a prima donna all the time though and start having a hissy fit when something doesn't go your way. Man up a little, you drama queen.