Author Topic: TBP 3.5 Work in Progress (Split from Star Fury Pilot Unofficial Patch 2.0 released!)  (Read 115208 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline karajorma

  • King Louie - Jungle VIP
  • Administrator
  • 214
    • Karajorma's Freespace FAQ
TBP 3.5 Work in Progress (Split from Star Fury Pilot Unofficial Patch 2.0 released!)
If there is enough interest in getting a team together to do it, I'd definitely be willing to make a release with everything bundled together and working. I think the difficulty of getting a working TBP set up is one of the reasons why it doesn't get the attention it deserves. I'd like to see it bundled up in the same way I did with Diaspora. One download, as an executable, that sticks everything in the right places.
Karajorma's Freespace FAQ. It's almost like asking me yourself.

[ Diaspora ] - [ Seeds Of Rebellion ] - [ Mind Games ]

 

Offline wesp5

  • 29
Re: TBP 3.5 Work in Progress (Split from Star Fury Pilot Unofficial Patch 2.0 released!)
If there is enough interest in getting a team together to do it, I'd definitely be willing to make a release with everything bundled together and working.

I don't think there is a team needed, if you could do a Battlestar installer you could probably do one for The Babylon Project too :)! I would suggest at least two new releases, maybe three:

1. The Babylon Project Installer 3.5 which should include 3.4b as installer inside an installer because I think there was a deal that the latter mustn't be modified and then Zathras 2.8 and FSO 2.7 and wxlauncher should be installed on top in one go. I even considered doing this myself, but I am still busy with the Bloodlines patch and I don't know how to do the installer inside the installer bit that would be needed.

2. The Babylon Project Campaign Pack 2.5 which should include all the stuff in the 2.0 pack, plus my fixes for the Star Fury Missions and the First Ones missions and all the updated and finished campaigns, like Drums of War and Operations 2.0 and the MP improvements. Some of these are on the ModDB, but a lot would have been found here buried somewhere in the forum, in the hope that all the links are still alive.

3. Optional: A DVD 2.0 version including the two installers above in one big iso file.

 

Offline karajorma

  • King Louie - Jungle VIP
  • Administrator
  • 214
    • Karajorma's Freespace FAQ
Re: TBP 3.5 Work in Progress (Split from Star Fury Pilot Unofficial Patch 2.0 released!)
If I were to do this, I have no intention of keeping to the insane rule of not changing the 3.4 VPs, or using ISO files, or maintaining more than one download per platform. It's exactly this sort of thing that has been slowly strangling the life out of this project. We need a single download that sets up all the mods and files so that users aren't messing about with confusing multiple downloads.

Before I'd be willing to bundle everything together, I'd need help fixing any errors that debug flags. I believe there are still some. Things would need testing to ensure they work with newer FSO builds. I also have a very slow internet connection so actually uploading after bundling would be difficult. So if it proves impossible, I'd have to work out the process to make the installer work and then give instructions to someone with a faster connection. I'd also need someone to handle the Linux and Mac side of things. I see no reason to leave those platforms out.

So yeah, it's not a simple thing to do. I certainly am willing to do it, but I don't think I can do it alone.
Karajorma's Freespace FAQ. It's almost like asking me yourself.

[ Diaspora ] - [ Seeds Of Rebellion ] - [ Mind Games ]

 

Offline wesp5

  • 29
Re: TBP 3.5 Work in Progress (Split from Star Fury Pilot Unofficial Patch 2.0 released!)
If I were to do this, I have no intention of keeping to the insane rule of not changing the 3.4 VPs, or using ISO files, or maintaining more than one download per platform. It's exactly this sort of thing that has been slowly strangling the life out of this project. We need a single download that sets up all the mods and files so that users aren't messing about with confusing multiple downloads.

I actually agree with you on this and never understood myself the seperation into TBP and Zathras. If you are willing to take the wrath of any old developers, I'm fine with that ;)! So should the name of the whole thing be TBP 3.5 or were there enough changes made to merit 4.0? I arrived a little bit late to the party when 3.4b was already out, but I always hated the "b" bit which sounds like "beta".

Quote
Things would need testing to ensure they work with newer FSO builds.

I could help you out with some of that. I think just recently someone fixed a FSO 2.7.2 issue in Zathras, but I didn't get what needs to be changed as I am not a great FSO specialist! If the mod does not actually benefit from new FSO features we could also include 2.7.0 with the whole thing, because this works with Zathras 2.8 for sure. Also how about features that are not yet included in 2.8, but mentioned here?

Quote
I also have a very slow internet connection so actually uploading after bundling would be difficult.

I could handle that because I have very fast upload at the university.

Quote
I'd also need someone to handle the Linux and Mac side of things.

I can't help you there...

 

Offline Col. Fishguts

  • voodoo doll
  • 211
Re: TBP 3.5 Work in Progress (Split from Star Fury Pilot Unofficial Patch 2.0 released!)
If I were to do this, I have no intention of keeping to the insane rule of not changing the 3.4 VPs, or using ISO files, or maintaining more than one download per platform. It's exactly this sort of thing that has been slowly strangling the life out of this project. We need a single download that sets up all the mods and files so that users aren't messing about with confusing multiple downloads.

I actually agree with you on this and never understood myself the seperation into TBP and Zathras. If you are willing to take the wrath of any old developers, I'm fine with that ;)! So should the name of the whole thing be TBP 3.5 or were there enough changes made to merit 4.0? I arrived a little bit late to the party when 3.4b was already out, but I always hated the "b" bit which sounds like "beta".


Go for it, this 3.4b is holy and should not be touched anymore was never a good idea.
"I don't think that people accept the fact that life doesn't make sense. I think it makes people terribly uncomfortable. It seems like religion and myth were invented against that, trying to make sense out of it." - D. Lynch

Visit The Babylon Project, now also with HTL flavour  ¦ GTB Rhea

 
Re: TBP 3.5 Work in Progress (Split from Star Fury Pilot Unofficial Patch 2.0 released!)
A bit whine :P
After installing patch I see duplicated DarkChildren.vp and GOLdemo3.vp in data\missions.
Other duplicated files are in extras\effects\effects and extras\effects\tables.

 

Offline wesp5

  • 29
Re: TBP 3.5 Work in Progress (Split from Star Fury Pilot Unofficial Patch 2.0 released!)
After installing patch I see duplicated DarkChildren.vp and GOLdemo3.vp in data\missions.
Other duplicated files are in extras\effects\effects and extras\effects\tables.

Ah, a problem with the installer. I'll fix it and upload an updated version...

 
Re: TBP 3.5 Work in Progress (Split from Star Fury Pilot Unofficial Patch 2.0 released!)
I have posted about this game on the Babylon 5 Project Facebook page and it has gotten quite a few interested in it. As many of these people are not computer guys I would love to see a TBP installer to make it easier to get into the game. It is quite the ordeal to find all the latest updates and patches and get it all up to date at the moment.

Any updates on your efforts?

 

Offline wesp5

  • 29
Re: TBP 3.5 Work in Progress (Split from Star Fury Pilot Unofficial Patch 2.0 released!)
It is quite the ordeal to find all the latest updates and patches and get it all up to date at the moment.

My sentiments exactly and I was hoping karajorma was doing something like this! But then he disappeared...

 

Offline karajorma

  • King Louie - Jungle VIP
  • Administrator
  • 214
    • Karajorma's Freespace FAQ
Re: TBP 3.5 Work in Progress (Split from Star Fury Pilot Unofficial Patch 2.0 released!)
I'm still here. I'm happy to pull things together. I'm going to be rather busy this weekend but we can make a start pulling things together next week. If people want to get started on telling me what errors pop up when running with 3.7.4 that would be a good start.
Karajorma's Freespace FAQ. It's almost like asking me yourself.

[ Diaspora ] - [ Seeds Of Rebellion ] - [ Mind Games ]

 

Offline wesp5

  • 29
Re: TBP 3.5 Work in Progress (Split from Star Fury Pilot Unofficial Patch 2.0 released!)
I'm happy to pull things together.

Great to hear that :)!

Quote
If people want to get started on telling me what errors pop up when running with 3.7.4 that would be a good start.

Do we really need to include 3.7.4? I think the last version that worked fine with TBP and Zathras was 3.7.0! What new does 3.7.4 bring to the table? Because I can't even start the mod with it as I get the following error message:

weapons.tbl (line 7545): Error: Missing required token: [+Bitmap:]. Found [$Icon: icon Tempest] instead.

 
Re: TBP 3.5 Work in Progress (Split from Star Fury Pilot Unofficial Patch 2.0 released!)
I agree unless there is some graphics improvements that can be gained from 3.7.4 there is no reason to spend the time getting it to work. I was looking more of a new installer with all the latest patches and missions so a newbie can install and play. A lot of people on the Babylon 5 Facebook page showed interest but many are not IT people up to the task of gathering and figuring out what and how to install it.


 
Re: TBP 3.5 Work in Progress (Split from Star Fury Pilot Unofficial Patch 2.0 released!)
I'm happy to pull things together.

Great to hear that :)!

Quote
If people want to get started on telling me what errors pop up when running with 3.7.4 that would be a good start.

Do we really need to include 3.7.4? I think the last version that worked fine with TBP and Zathras was 3.7.0! What new does 3.7.4 bring to the table? Because I can't even start the mod with it as I get the following error message:

weapons.tbl (line 7545): Error: Missing required token: [+Bitmap:]. Found [$Icon: icon Tempest] instead.
Here is fix for this error:
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=91499.msg1813973#msg1813973

 

Offline AdmiralRalwood

  • 211
  • The Cthulhu programmer himself!
    • Skype
    • Steam
    • Twitter
Re: TBP 3.5 Work in Progress (Split from Star Fury Pilot Unofficial Patch 2.0 released!)
3.7.4 has not only a new renderer (with deferred lighting and soft shadows), but also fixes a lot of errors. There are also plenty of new features for modders, though obviously that's less important unless people would be interested in making new content for TBP. However, the bugfixes alone are worth the update; if there are any other errors with a recent build, they should be fixable. Just post about 'em and let's see if we can't fix them all.
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Codethulhu GitHub wgah'nagl fhtagn.

schrödinbug (noun) - a bug that manifests itself in running software after a programmer notices that the code should never have worked in the first place.

When you gaze long into BMPMAN, BMPMAN also gazes into you.

"I am one of the best FREDders on Earth" -General Battuta

<Aesaar> literary criticism is vladimir putin

<MageKing17> "There's probably a reason the code is the way it is" is a very dangerous line of thought. :P
<MageKing17> Because the "reason" often turns out to be "nobody noticed it was wrong".
(the very next day)
<MageKing17> this ****ing code did it to me again
<MageKing17> "That doesn't really make sense to me, but I'll assume it was being done for a reason."
<MageKing17> **** ME
<MageKing17> THE REASON IS PEOPLE ARE STUPID
<MageKing17> ESPECIALLY ME

<MageKing17> God damn, I do not understand how this is breaking.
<MageKing17> Everything points to "this should work fine", and yet it's clearly not working.
<MjnMixael> 2 hours later... "God damn, how did this ever work at all?!"
(...)
<MageKing17> so
<MageKing17> more than two hours
<MageKing17> but once again we have reached the inevitable conclusion
<MageKing17> How did this code ever work in the first place!?

<@The_E> Welcome to OpenGL, where standards compliance is optional, and error reporting inconsistent

<MageKing17> It was all working perfectly until I actually tried it on an actual mission.

<IronWorks> I am useful for FSO stuff again. This is a red-letter day!
* z64555 erases "Thursday" and rewrites it in red ink

<MageKing17> TIL the entire homing code is held up by shoestrings and duct tape, basically.

 

Offline wesp5

  • 29
Re: TBP 3.5 Work in Progress (Split from Star Fury Pilot Unofficial Patch 2.0 released!)
Here is fix for this error:
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=91499.msg1813973#msg1813973

Okay, I have done this but I still get the same error. Where do I need to put the fixed tbl?

 
Re: TBP 3.5 Work in Progress (Split from Star Fury Pilot Unofficial Patch 2.0 released!)
Zathras\data\tables

 

Offline wesp5

  • 29
Re: TBP 3.5 Work in Progress (Split from Star Fury Pilot Unofficial Patch 2.0 released!)
Ah, didn't know I needed to create an extra folder. The game is starting now, but as soon as I launch some of the Starfury Pilot missions I get another error:

Assertion Failed!
Assert: n_points > 0
File: modelcollid.cpp
Line 64

 
Re: TBP 3.5 Work in Progress (Split from Star Fury Pilot Unofficial Patch 2.0 released!)
fs2_open.log ?

 

Offline AdmiralRalwood

  • 211
  • The Cthulhu programmer himself!
    • Skype
    • Steam
    • Twitter
Re: TBP 3.5 Work in Progress (Split from Star Fury Pilot Unofficial Patch 2.0 released!)
As I understand it (from what little of that section of the code I'm able to understand), that assertion means there's a submodel with no vertices somewhere. Since that's an asset issue rather than a code issue, that should really generate an Error() (if a serious problem) or a Warning() (if otherwise), rather than being an Assert().

(In this case, the Assert() appears to be guarding against calling malloc with a negative size, which leads to allocating massive quantities of memory due to malloc having an unsigned size argument; a value of 0 shouldn't have the same problem, but regardless, the code would need changing in some way.)
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Codethulhu GitHub wgah'nagl fhtagn.

schrödinbug (noun) - a bug that manifests itself in running software after a programmer notices that the code should never have worked in the first place.

When you gaze long into BMPMAN, BMPMAN also gazes into you.

"I am one of the best FREDders on Earth" -General Battuta

<Aesaar> literary criticism is vladimir putin

<MageKing17> "There's probably a reason the code is the way it is" is a very dangerous line of thought. :P
<MageKing17> Because the "reason" often turns out to be "nobody noticed it was wrong".
(the very next day)
<MageKing17> this ****ing code did it to me again
<MageKing17> "That doesn't really make sense to me, but I'll assume it was being done for a reason."
<MageKing17> **** ME
<MageKing17> THE REASON IS PEOPLE ARE STUPID
<MageKing17> ESPECIALLY ME

<MageKing17> God damn, I do not understand how this is breaking.
<MageKing17> Everything points to "this should work fine", and yet it's clearly not working.
<MjnMixael> 2 hours later... "God damn, how did this ever work at all?!"
(...)
<MageKing17> so
<MageKing17> more than two hours
<MageKing17> but once again we have reached the inevitable conclusion
<MageKing17> How did this code ever work in the first place!?

<@The_E> Welcome to OpenGL, where standards compliance is optional, and error reporting inconsistent

<MageKing17> It was all working perfectly until I actually tried it on an actual mission.

<IronWorks> I am useful for FSO stuff again. This is a red-letter day!
* z64555 erases "Thursday" and rewrites it in red ink

<MageKing17> TIL the entire homing code is held up by shoestrings and duct tape, basically.

 

Offline wesp5

  • 29
Re: TBP 3.5 Work in Progress (Split from Star Fury Pilot Unofficial Patch 2.0 released!)
fs2_open.log ?

Attached!

[attachment DELETED!! by Strong Bad]