On upgrading a building

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Mr Sol
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On upgrading a building

Post by Mr Sol »

Hellows peeps.

Its been a long while since I messed with boft and yesterday I felt the urge to do it again and came back to my original project of using the spacedock rules from the startrek rpg to try it and see how the game behave.

I was trying to mess a bit with the buildings just to see if I could emulate the no upgrading mod. I deleted the upgrades and now Im trying to rebuild some. I know I could have used a backup but then I would lose the knowledge I need to fix this. I made a databank Mk I and a databank Mk II and set the Mk II to be an upgrade from Mk I but it dont list at the building list at all for me to make an upgrade. It list at the tech lists but in game it doesnt exist. As a side effect I noticed that when I get to make a small race to join my empire it dont have any information or research structures at all, mainly databanks and universities, since Im usinf fed as the playtest. Ive seen a post saying I should use the auto-set all options. Done that but nothing changed. Started a new game to see if that was a savegame issue but still nothing.

Any ideas?

Thanks and hugs!
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Re: On upgrading a building

Post by thunderchero »

It sounds like you are using less than 9 upgrades in your testing. I recently found UE will corrupt the upgrade list when this is done.

you can manually set upgrade list but after any editing by UE and it would be corrupt again.

here is my topic on UE error
viewtopic.php?f=125&p=49031#p49031
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Re: On upgrading a building

Post by Mr Sol »

So no matter how many times I fix it UE will mess it... How cool...
At this time it seems it will be easier not to mess with it or mess with it LAST, after I did everything else, but if I have to fix anything UE will mess with it again... Ouch.

Thanks, thunder!
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Re: On upgrading a building

Post by thunderchero »

what ended up doing was creating a quick bof_patcher patch file that edits the table to correct upgrades, so when ever editing is done with UE and it corrupts upgrade list I just run patch.
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Re: On upgrading a building

Post by Mr Sol »

Interesting. Where do we get such a patch? Is there a patch databank page for downloading? That would be a lot of help for everyone. :)
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Re: On upgrading a building

Post by thunderchero »

The "tools\QD" folder in your install path has basic patches and bof_patcher.exe, but this would be a custom patch that would need to be created just for your needs. the patch file is a simple text format that reads current trek.exe code and will replace code with what is written in patch file.

only you at this point would know needed code for patch.
here is link to info on bof_patcher
viewtopic.php?f=126&t=2515

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Re: On upgrading a building

Post by Mr Sol »

Thunderchero, thanks a lot for your guidance!

I have tried the patcher program and begun to look around and tried the ECM mod .exe and found that there are two patches, the very firsts, listed as red. Could this be the result of hex editing or just a conflict?

And I noticed that ECM last update was in 2016. Was it discontinued? Who's the author?

I've been trying most of the mods and found that some still have the bug of the minor races not displaying after they being conquered or becoming members of another empire. I wonder why the authors didnt update it with such a tool at theyr disposal.

And do the patcher program that comes along the all in one package have more patches than the stand alone you linked up there?

Is there any hex editing I should do alongside or after I use this patcher program from QD?

Hugs.
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Re: On upgrading a building

Post by thunderchero »

the patch folder in that topic was based on ECM 3.0 and the All in One patch folder is based on ECM 4.0 and should have no conflicts if mod is un-edited.

I have an un-release update for ECM 4.1, but it is very minor. and if and when All in One is updated it will be added.

Spocks-cuddly-tribble is author of ECM

most other/older mods once released the author never updated there work. And when the "All in One" was created I made no changes to other members work that would change game play. The only exception was adding the hob crash fix when possible and multiple resolutions options.

yes the All in One has patches for a few other mods, UDM, BOP, UCW and UM5, but other patch folders are not as complete as ECM 4.0
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Re: On upgrading a building

Post by Mr Sol »

Ok so I should be using the folder from the tools and these mods for up to date patches, if I got it right.

How exactly QD patcher do its magic? It hex edit the trek.exe file using the marked options?

What about the red flagged options in the patcher? Its a do it on your own risk thing? :D
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Re: On upgrading a building

Post by thunderchero »

Mr Sol wrote: Thu Jun 07, 2018 9:01 pm Ok so I should be using the folder from the tools and these mods for up to date patches, if I got it right.
correct
Mr Sol wrote: Thu Jun 07, 2018 9:01 pm How exactly QD patcher do its magic? It hex edit the trek.exe file using the marked options?
bof_patcher will use command line function to open trek.exe selected and make changes per patch file selected (selection can be to install changes or remove changes).
Mr Sol wrote: Thu Jun 07, 2018 9:01 pm What about the red flagged options in the patcher? Its a do it on your own risk thing? :D
If patch displays red it has a conflict. conflict could be with original code or change code. so yes it does have risks when it is red. but some time it is only value used by patch. example experience patch may have value of 500 while trek.exe may use 1000 but all other code might be same.
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Re: On upgrading a building

Post by Mr Sol »

Wow. This QD patcher is a genious thing! And I have to compliment you all coders here! You people know your game and do the real magic! Please feel deeply complimented! Wish I was so good lol! :D

I have other questions but I feel I have to search the database or open a new thread else Ill change the subject.

Thunderchero, thanks a lot again! You're the man!

Hugs!
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Re: On upgrading a building

Post by Mr Sol »

Now just occurred me to ask this: Are there any hex editting that should be done alongside the patching? If yes, where I can find them? Is there a list of that info? It would be nice to have them all listed in one place.

And thunderchero, what is this hex editting for? You cite it at your post at the top of this forum. And thanks for all the support!
stop 4
open the trek.exe with a hex editor
at 0x174357 change 42 4F 54 46 -> 4D 50 4D 00
and
at 0x17b09f change 42 4F 54 46 -> 4D 50 4D 00
close and save trek.exe
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Re: On upgrading a building

Post by thunderchero »

Mr Sol wrote: Fri Jun 08, 2018 7:13 am And thunderchero, what is this hex editting for? You cite it at your post at the top of this forum. And thanks for all the support!
stop 4
open the trek.exe with a hex editor
at 0x174357 change 42 4F 54 46 -> 4D 50 4D 00
and
at 0x17b09f change 42 4F 54 46 -> 4D 50 4D 00
close and save trek.exe
without an exact post link I have no idea

as for bof_patcher when a patch is selected; see image below
bottom right will give you link to code changes
also in description you may see a warning that other files or other changes are required.
patcher.jpg
patcher.jpg (214.28 KiB) Viewed 6649 times
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Re: On upgrading a building

Post by Mr Sol »

without an exact post link I have no idea
Im not sure if Im posting this link right but here it goes:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=3544

You said that the patcher creates a list of command lines that are sent to trek.exe, thats interesting, because the exe have to be able to receive these values and handle them in its main(blabla) function but that is not hex editing the code, thats passing data to the exe to be processed. Hence I have to ask if is there any need to hex edit anything besides the patches, since these are different processes and Im not exactly sure if one can do everything the other can. I suppose not.
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Re: On upgrading a building

Post by thunderchero »

Mr Sol wrote: Fri Jun 08, 2018 9:52 am You said that the patcher creates a list of command lines that are sent to trek.exe, thats interesting, because the exe have to be able to receive these values and handle them in its main(blabla) function but that is not hex editing the code.
it changes the trek.exe selected as soon as you click apply button.

The post you linked if for setting up a mod for release in a separate install path with registries. the code you asked about is to change prefix of mod (the install path folder name) UDM, UDML, BOP, UM5.....
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