FT Improver - a way to improve Fallout Tactics

[jarekfall]

Over two years have passed since I last updated "Sprite Creator". The reason is that I had a lot of duties and problems. This summer I have found a little time and decided to spend it not on improving Sprite Creator but on Fallout Tactics hacking. I have just uploaded to NMA the result of my work, I've created a program which I named "FT Improver". The description of the program is included in the program files so I will not describe it here and please read the readme file carefully, it contains important information. FT Improver 1.1.0.1 gives modders a lot of advantage:
- possibility of adding new action points cost types definitions stored in structure format,
- possibility of adding new animation names,
- possibility of adding new ammunition types,
- possibility of adding new weapon types,
- possibility of adding new weapon sound types,
- possibility of adding new armour types and armour sounds,
all this available directly in FT Tools and in BOS.exe executable file. The program modifies the executable code and data only in memory, so it won't harm your files. I've tested the program and it works correctly.

I'm interested in your opinions and comments, especially from modders, because this program is mainly for them.

 

[gunner of shi]

Really awesome!

 

[VFSniper]

Sweet going to have to give this a try and see how well it works

 

[requiem_for_a_starfury]

Interesting, good work.

 

[VFSniper]

Hmm doesn't seem to like my 64 bit windows pc, I'll have to try it in a VM

 

[jarekfall]

Hmm doesn't seem to like my 64 bit windows pc, I'll have to try it in a VM

It's strange because Microsoft claims that 32 bit applications can be run under 64 bit system, because it has an WOW64 emulator. Did you get any message from your system or from FT Improver or the program just caused an exception?

Thank you for your recognition of my work. It's nice to be appreciated.

I have for you super news. I work currently on a armour types patch. This patch is much more difficult to create than previous patches. But I succeeded in forcing the entity editor, map editor and even the game to accept new armour types for BOS race, change the appearance of a character. I still have a lot to do. I must test sounds and make patch for armour sounds. I'm again busy so I will have to slow down my work on this patch, but this patch will be a sensation!

 

[VFSniper]

FTImprover gives the error 13

 

[jarekfall]

FTImprover gives the error 13

This error says that you have already run FT Improver and you try to run the second instance of the program. This actually is not an error but limitation. But this error may also indicate a completely different problem. For example, you run FT Imprower which runs BOS and loads Improver_shmem.dll library. If you will quit from BOS.exe process, for example by terminating this process, the dll library may not be unloaded and will stay in the memory. When you will run FT Improver the second time, Windows system will return the handle to the existing dll library, which is already initialised, FT Improver checks whether the library is already initialised, if dll is initialised it will display the error code: 13 and will quit.

Please try this:
1. Restart your system
2. Start FT Improver
3. If this works, then quit from the game and try to start FT Improver the second time
4. If you will get the error code 13 this may indicate that dll library hasn't been previously unloaded
Please inform me whether you have started for the first time FT Imrover successfully and whether you have quit from BOS process in normal way (not by terminating the program) and whether you are able to start the program the second time.

 

[destromet]

I have been modding the FOT campaign for about a year now. I decided that I wanted to do this for my own amusement (I may post it when I'm satisfied with it), and I just keep on adding stuff and changing stuff, and by now, the game feels very different from the original. Regardless, this tool (especially the ammo creator) is a great help. I just want to request a tool for future versions that can create new ammo variants. I have no idea how you made FT Improver, so I have no idea if that's possible, or if that is already possible, but It would help me greatly.
Keep on doing stuff with FOT. its cool.

 

[jarekfall]

I have been modding the FOT campaign...

Everything is possible and the patch you request is already possible to create. Creation of this patch will be probably a bit more difficult than creation of Action Points Cost Types patch.

My work has sense only if its needed, thank you for the interest in my program. Feel free to make more requests. First I would like to finish the patch on which I work currently and the next patch will be the patch you have requested.

By the way, I'm able to add new armour types which change character's appearance depending on its gender. For example, leather and metal armours change the character's appearance depending on its gender.

Now I'm able to connect new armour type with existing prefix used in sound files. For example, armour type "Power" uses prefix "Pow" in the sound files. I'm also able to add new prefixes for sound files which will be connected with armour types.

 

[Abbadon101]

I have to say this is a VERY good tool. I have tried, over the last couple of years, to make a couple of weapons mods for FOT but ended up getting fed up with the way I had to edit things and leaving it half way finished.

 

[requiem_for_a_starfury]

Jarekfall is that new armour permissions, i.e allowing the BOS race to wear all the human armours as the tribals can? Or new armour types entirely?

Will we be able to give the BOS race it's own default appearance without armour, so they don't look like tribals?

 

[jarekfall]

Jarekfall is that new armour permissions, i.e allowing the BOS race to wear all the human armours as the tribals can? Or new armour types entirely?

This patch doesn't change any permissions, it adds possibility to add entirely new armour types for BOS race. The game has some internal rules for new armour types, which I don't change, for example, super mutants can wear new armour types, but don't change the appearance, because I connected a new executable code to the cases for metal armour and power armour of BOS race. Some races won't be able to wear new armours. All default permissions are preserved, for example you still won't be able to wear raider armours, to bypass this you will have to copy raider sprites to different directory, rename them and copy back to sprites/characters/ directory.

Will we be able to give the BOS race it's own default appearance without armour, so they don't look like tribals?

I can try to create another patch, which will allow to change default appearance of BOS race, of course the appearance won't be set in the game, but externally, in a text file.

The patch is ready. Soon, I will upload it to NMA.

 

[gunner of shi]

Before this tool, I changed tribal race into unique type with trible spr in other name, and renew the former tribal spr to other spr.

 

[jarekfall]

FT Improver v1.1.0.1

FT Improver 1.1.0.1 contains an armour types patch and armour sounds patch.

Every patch is described in details in the "Readme.htm" file.

 

[Prosper]

How about a new form of dialog ?

Imagine a DirectX hook that uses the ID3DXFont (font interface) to simply write a couple sentences so they stack like in fallout 1 and 2.

If you have to, just use GetCursor or DirectInput to get the mouse position and with some simple math you can see if the mouse clicks while within the boundary of one of the sentences.

If it is within the bounds, then they clicked, and you can display a new response from the tree to the user from a string buffer.

The hard part is using triggers to trigger the new dialog window. One way may be scanning a variables value in memory to see if it changes.

Memory isn't the same on most computers as most of us know, so you may need to find the function that can access map variables. (reversing required obviously)

It would be a nasty hack at first, but I think it would be possible to accomplish a stable version.

The reason I suggest speech trees, is, Ausir even believes that if FOT had speech trees it would be cool and would possibly make Fallout 1 and 2 modding obsolete.

If you need an example of a good direct x 8 (or 9 if you want) hook checkout unknown cheats.

 

[jarekfall]

Thanks for the speech tree suggestion and tips. I imagined myself the same, many times. I'm extremely busy with life, so that's why my FT modding takes so long and I have a free time only in summer holidays. I like discovering game secrets and I would like to greatly improve it.

Memory isn't the same on most computers as most of us know, so you may need to find the function that can access map variables. (reversing required obviously)

I'm not sure if I understand. Do you want to tell me that I should find Win32 API function to grant oneself access rights to a memory page containing variables?

I have similar opinion as Ausir, but FT also needs new triggers, conditions and actions.

Do you mean a website which address starts like www.uc**********.

 

[Prosper]

Thanks for the speech tree suggestion and tips. I imagined myself the same, many times. I'm extremely busy with life, so that's why my FT modding takes so long and I have a free time only in summer holidays. I like discovering game secrets and I would like to greatly improve it.

Memory isn't the same on most computers as most of us know, so you may need to find the function that can access map variables. (reversing required obviously)

I'm not sure if I understand. Do you want to tell me that I should find Win32 API function to grant oneself access rights to a memory page containing variables?

I have similar opinion as Ausir, but FT also needs new triggers, conditions and actions.

Do you mean a website which address starts like www.uc**********.

uc forums is the forums that has D3D Hacking in addition to many other game hacking topics. For memory, don't bother, I mean use a function call on the game as it would be most reliable yes?

sorry my english isn't so well because I have not taken my medicine on time today.

 

[requiem_for_a_starfury]

Graphically, in terms of 2d isometric games the FOT engine is king. I'm not talking about the quality of the tiles but I can't think of any other 2d isometric game that allows such large multilevel environments.

But other wise the engine sucks balls, the amount of hacks and work a rounds needed to just give the game the versatility of... just about any other game must be truly daunting.

 

[jarekfall]

Yes, FOT graphicall engine is a king in comparison to other games.

We cannot expect miracles, but I will try to improve the game at least partly. My knowledge isn't endless so I won't be able to add everything to the game what I want to add, but still I am learning new things. Also, it would be great if some FT enthusiasts would like to join to my project. If someone would like to create its own patch for FT by using FT Improver source code, please write in this thread.