Playing unpatched FC2

[PZ]

I just uninstalled FC2 and reinstalled a fresh copy to get back to plain vanilla in an attempt to do the Jackal tapes (I want to record them).  One thing I noticed from a cursory observation is that the main difference between the original game and the 1.03 version is the presence of the two patch files.  Now I wonder if you deleted the patch files, would the game revert back to the original pre-patched game - i.e., would the boots glitch be gone.

I'm now thinking that somewhere embedded in the patch.dat file are the lines that cause the "boots" problem - we just haven't found them yet.  Perhaps the solution is to search through the xml to find any reference to the tapes and delete them.  After all, a patch is exactly that, something that superceeds the original - if the reference in the patch is deleted, then the original takes precedence.

On an aside, I lost my original Fortunes DLC installer, and I thought I'd lost the content, however, I simply copied the downloadable content folder from my backup into the proper folder structure and I had the DLC back.

[fragger]

Enjoy your 'thru :)

It's a shame the patch wipes out the post-Boots tape messages as they are very interesting. I hope you record them - I was thinking about doing that but I don't have the means at present (I was thinking about transcribing them and posting them here for everyone to read at least).

I'll be interested to know how you find the escape from Port Selao sequence after warning the doctor. I'm sure it's tougher in the unpatched game, see what you think when you get there.

[PZ]

I just finished collecting all the tapes in the northern sector, but am only at 4%.  Interestingly, I had used a saved game in which I had the 6P9, dart, and AR-16 available in the armory, plus the large health kit.  even though I'm playing an un-patched game, all those items have survived through the entire time I'm in Leboa.

I also managed to record all the tapes to .avi, and will upload to YouTube - the visual is the Jackal tape screen with the list of tapes while the audio plays - it's kind of nice - I'd found and listened to tapes I'd never found before..

[fragger]

 :-X

[Art Blade]

cool  :-X :)

[nexor]

Looking forward to it, thanks PZ   :-X

[PZ]

Started a new topic that will house all of the Jackal tape recordings - see it here

It was fun going through the game on fast track - only did enough missions in Leboa to get south, and only main missions - no buddy missions at all.  It was quite fun because I'd never done some of these missions (like killing the Police Chief) without the side mission first.

[Knightmare]

I unpacked the common.dat file, and found a bunch of lua scripts under the "domino" folder.  One of them is named jackaltapes.lua:

Spoiler

-- DOMINO REFLECTION BOX START
--
-- <Display Category="Missions" Text="JackalTapes"/>
--
-- <ControlIn  Name="New"/>
-- <ControlIn  Name="Stop"/>
--
-- <ControlOut Name="Out"/>
--
-- <Stateless/>
--
-- DOMINO REFLECTION BOX END

JackalTapes = {
};

function JackalTapes:Create(cbox)
   -- left empty on purpose
end

function JackalTapes:Init(cbox)
   -- left empty on purpose
end

function JackalTapes:ShutDown()
   -- left empty on purpose
end

function JackalTapes:New()
   GetFCXMissionManager():NewJackalTapeFound();
   return self:Out();
end

function JackalTapes:Stop()
   CJackalTapeManager_GetInstance():StopTape();
   return self:Out();
end

export = JackalTapes;
JackalTapes = nil;

It doesn't look like a powerful scripting system, it mostly appears to call hooks back into the engine.
NewJackalTapeFound is a call to a function exported from Duna.dll (found w/ hex editor).  So, unfortunately, it looks like the bug is likely in the engine.  You could try swapping in the Dunia.dll from the unpatched version to see if that fixes the tapes.

However, there are a lot of scripts under domino/user that seem to control the game's quests.  It might be possible to alter them or add new ones through editing them.

[Art Blade]

that bit of code indeed isn't very useful when looking for a way of fixing the boot tape issue. It looks like a control function of something else (as you said, dunia.dll or whatever else is involved).

However, interesting find :)

[PZ]

I might try swapping the .dll to see what happens.

[fragger]

A couple of interesting turns of events:

I'm at the start of the endgame sequence having just saved Reuben's bacon at the airfield. Prior to that I did the two missions to bump off the leaders - Voorhees at the mine and Greaves at Sepoko.

When I went to do Voorhees I knocked off Carbonell instead and took Voorhees up on his offer to go back to town and stick it to Kankaras. So when I got to Port Selao I did what I usually do - climbed up onto the burnt-out truck outside the HQ building and jumped over onto the building's awning to clobber the target through the office window. But since Kankaras was standing with his back to me, I didn't shoot him but chucked a grenade in instead. I bolted as soon as I threw in the bomb and even though I could hear muffled pistol shots coming from inside the office, the 'nade took out Kankaras but didn't generate the "Escape the ceasefire zone" message. I was able to immediately jump down and hang out with the mercs like nothing had happened.

Later when I went to do the Greaves job I parked a GLAT in the pass north of Sepoko and after sniping the sniper on the platform, started launching grenades into the place. After about the sixth grenade I received the alternate mission message and even though I was a good distance away Greaves began giving me his spiel about going to town and knocking off Queippo (I play with subtitles on, so even though I couldn't hear him, I could read him saying his piece). I'd managed by sheer dumb luck to waste Purefoy with one of the GLAT bombs, apparently right through a wall. I didn't even have to go into Sepoko to get the alternate mission from Greaves.

When I got back to Port Selao and was allowed to take my weapons into the HQ, I saved the game outside Queippo's office and tried the grenade trick again. First I threw one in whilst staying out of Queippo's line of sight. It didn't kill him, but nor did it generate the "Escape" message (and as with Kankaras, he started firing his pistol even though he couldn't see me). I reloaded and tried throwing the grenade in full view of Queippo and this time it did generate the message (as well as fragging Queippo). So it seems that the alert is only raised if the target or presumably a merc actually sees you carrying out your attack, or if you make gun noise.

Then later while rescuing Reuben at the airfield I managed for the first time ever to see a merc get done in by a mortar round I'd fired. I "borrowed" the mortar from the dude on the path opposite the hangers and fired from there at the small house with the ammo store, knowing there were a couple of mercs hiding behind it. When the mortar round started whistling down one of the mercs broke for cover and the round landed right behind him, which really helped him along. Boy, did he ever fly - he nearly made it onto the roof of the nearby hanger >:D

[mandru]

A fun read fragger.  That trick of using the ledge and the result was pretty cool.  ^-^ :-X

I will warn everyone to not go in through the window (even though it is possible) as the faction office door is closed for the "a shot through the window" clean up scenario.  There's no way to get back out through the window and you'll have to reset to the most recent save point to get the game back on track.  ::) 

[Art Blade]

indeed an entertaining post, fragger  :-D :-X

[PZ]

Nice one, fragger!  :-X

[fragger]

 :)

[nexor]

The more we play this game the more interesting it becomes, and I thought we've found all the funnies by now. Excelent one fragger     :-D