User talk:Morgan525

Questions&Feedback

Any questions or feedback one may have.... (please be sure to leave a signature: "~" three times in a row, four to time-and-date stamp it.)

FYI: I've created a new UFO Extender page. If you are having a problem on this, please use the discussion page located there. If your message is about UFO Extender, you can leave it here but I may start copying it to the UFO page and leaving my reply there.

Decompiled accuracy algorithm?

Hi Morgan/Tycho

Is the algorithm you describe above, what you have decompiled from the standard game? Or is it a variant for UFOExtender? Great news if you have decompiled what the game actually uses - I will need to check some of my firepower calculations to make sure they are still in line with the algorithm.

cheers, Spike 09:37, 30 June 2012 (EDT)

It is an extender version of the original formula if one chooses to enable it. The original is the one that has been noted already: [1+(3/UFOsize)]/2 * Weapon Accuracy ... UFO sizes going from 5 for very small to 1 for very large. The calculation starts at offset 0x446DCD of the CE version. The original UFO accuracy algorithm is a flat 60% chance to hit despite the difficulty level (and no penalty for the Xcraft being in cautious mode.)

Tycho 19:23, 30 June 2012 (EDT)

Question on new Installation

Going through the same steps from the UFO Extended page.

However every time I try to launch through Steam or within the installation file I crash. I am wondering if it's because the newer versions of UFO extender here: http://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=File:UFOLoader.zip is just a patcher.dll file.Lowpro 21:22, 3 October 2012 (EDT)

You will need to download the full version and then download the latest patch file. Follow the link on my page to the download section. Download both files, extract the full version into your game folder, then extract the patch into the same folder and choose 'yes' to overwrite the current file.- Tycho 22:44, 3 October 2012 (EDT)

When I try to launch the game through Steam, I crash (screenshot of the error http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo324/chipkimble/XCOMerror_zps7c86e23e.png) . When I choose the the "Launch Windows 9x/XP Version", I crash. When I drag-and-drop the "UFO Defense.exe" over my "dosbox.exe" I crash. I do this because previously I used the UFO Extender steps found here http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1146530 and part of launching without crashing meant I had to drag and drop the UFO Defense.exe file. However with that particular 2010 version I'd crash as soon as I researched some live aliens (be it researching a Medic or a Soldier etc)I'm trying to play catch-up at the moment with troublefixes but can't find a golden one yet. Thanks again! -Lowpro 20:22, 4 October 2012 (EDT)

You should be using v1.28 and patch 1.28.3. Extender doesn't work in DOS and can't be run through DOSbox, but I don't think this is your problem. Using within the steam framework requires some modifications to the steam shortcut and may require other changes that I don't know about. Some people choose to copy the Windows' version to a folder and run it outside of steam. Don't forget that the new INI only has a basic configuration: You might check that it is set to run D3D for video. I can't offer much support integrating into the steam interface because I don't use it and don't know it. If you want to run the game in a stand-alone folder, I can definitely help. If you want to run through steam, you might be better going to the strategycore topic on UFO Extender [1]and posting your problem there. Several members say that have gotten it or TFTD Extender to work on their systems. I belive there are several discussions on getting the Extenders to work through Steam on the steam forums as well.- Tycho

Disable the 'skip intro' in the video section and see if the Extender will run.-Tycho The crash on researching a medic is a known bug for which no solution has been found as yet. - -Tycho 02:14, 9 October 2012 (EDT)

Source

Hi Tycho

Do you make the source code for TFTD Extender and UFO Extender available somewhere? I'm interested in seeing if I can help to hunt down bugs / develop new features. Cheers, Spike 08:23, 4 October 2012 (EDT)

I just uploaded a new version of the UFOExtender source files to Seb's list.- -Tycho 06:04, 6 October 2012 (EDT)

Source code for TFTDExtender is now available from my user page. -Tycho

How to start modifying the game code

I like some of the changes made in the UFO extender but dislike others. I'm also running X-Com through DOSbox so it's a moot point anyway. Essentially I'd like to be able to make modifications to the game - like fixing the dismantled structure bug - myself. Where should I start? I have some experience with object oriented programming through languages like C# (most familiar) and Java.

Juke 21:04, 16 October 2012 (EDT)

Your first step is going to be to become very familiar with Disassembly and Disassemblers. Most people use IDA. Then your going to have to be able to understand the language itself. Take a look at the few examples on my page and see what it looks like. That code comes from the CE version, the DOS version doesn't disassemble as well (at least with any free dissassembler that I've found). Tycho 23:24, 16 October 2012 (EDT)

I am running the game on steam with the DOSBox. Will I still be able to make changes to the source code? Thanks for the info btw. Juke 22:03, 28 October 2012 (EDT)

I started using the DOS version under DOSbox and making simple changes to the data points via a hex editor. However, it is really hard to do more than that.

The problem is knowing where to make changes since no free program is able to disassemble the DOS version well. For that reason, I switched to the Windows version.

Shifting 5 shot laser mod to other weapons

Is there any easy way to shift the 5 shot mod that's currently on the heavy laser on to other weapons? I plan on getting the source code and working on it a bit (it's been years since I've touched assembly, I mostly code in C# now), but it'd be helpful to have a clue of where to start looking. I'd love to contribute to the project as well. KingMob4313 09:27, 17 October 2012 (EDT)

I'm sure it can be done. I focus on providing content that will enhance the challenge of the game from a somewhat logical viewpoint without making changes just to make the game harder. The source code for Extender is available and mostly written in C++ so you shouldn't have much trouble understanding it. You will need a disassembler, such as IDA, for the actual game executable and be familiar with how to decipher the tangled mess of assembly code that IDA provides. For some features, I can write the code in C++ but, for a lot of fixes, I find writing in assembly much easier to insert into the proper subroutines. - Tycho 09:54, 17 October 2012 (EDT)

I should have just read some of the above responses, I am sorry. I will take your advice and pick up the disassembler and try to familiarize myself with the code a bit. Seems that everything works via a hook-system, where it waits for the calls to the subroutines and replaces it, correct? In any case, I appreciate the quick answer. KingMob4313 12:30, 17 October 2012 (EDT)

The hardest part of familiarizing youself with the code is that the subroutines and variables are just offsets with no identifiers. If you take the time to match offsets to labels given in the xcom.h file (in the Extender source) you can manually transfer the labels yourself. This will make analyzing the code much easier. - Tycho 20:07, 17 October 2012 (EDT)

We're all... feeling... so... sleepy

Hi Tycho

Well, I was not expecting that! Your TSL-firing Hallucinoids just kicked my *ss on a Superhuman Colony Assault. They kept firing their TSL-like built in weapons - in fact it looks like it's an auto burst TSL? - right into the transport door. And I kept popping another guy out of the door to grab the bodies outside and take out the Tasoth with a TSL I presumed was out there. I could never see the Tasoth, just some stupid Hallucinoid floating around - and they're never a threat, right? Wrong!

Brilliant, in one stroke you have breathed new life into a previously-ignored enemy, making it as frightening as it always should have been. I hope you don't mind me adding a slight spoiler to the Bug Fixes section - if you do, feel free to revert it so you can surprise others like you surprised me. :) Cheers, Spike 18:46, 21 October 2012 (EDT):

Hehehe. >;) No, its not autofiring but the Hallucinoid has a high reaction score and the cost to fire their weapon is 33%. However, they don't often move so they always have most of their TUs. Now that they have a valid range weapon, they are extemely deadly in outdoor settings. Indoors, they tend to stun themselves too often. I'm thinking they might need to have their immunity to stun increased or build in an exception into the alien spawn routine that turns off their TSL attack indoors.-Tycho 19:53, 21 October 2012 (EDT)

Ah, good explanation, thanks. Yes I think it would be a good idea to increase their Freeze resistance considerably. After all they are (now) the definitive freeze-using monster from the deep. As a four square unit they will take extra damage from their own attack, approaching 3-4x at point blank, so think it would be fine to give them a very high immunity, maybe take only 20% damage from Freeze. Or even 10% / completely immune. In fact it's probably simpler just to say they are immune (0%). Spike 20:50, 21 October 2012 (EDT)

Bugs and wishes :o)

Hi Tycho

I am using your extender and it is great thing! I am using it together with modiffied UFO Defense.exe that uses MP3play.dll to play MP3 files because the routine you have implemented in loader pause the game every time the music is changing. The MP3play.dll doesn´t do that and is able to play intro music in MP3 as well. So I have now the best version ever ;) because I moddified the music by Lorcan to synchronize it with the intro, so I have the intro with MP3s instead of MIDs :)

But I have found some little problems with the game. I have found that when I ended the tactical mission and when the returned to the geoscape the game shows me the first screen line garbled in some windows. When I open "Build new facilities" window there is some bug at the top of the screen and also in the window noticing me there is terror somewhere. The first line of this window is missing everytime (compared with the original DOS UFO) in the Windows (collectors edition) version. So it is the bug in the CE version, but can you repair it by the loader?

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The other thing it does to me that when I activate Animations Speed=1 in the ini file the arrow showing above my men slowdown the animation, but many other things like UFO Power device or the UFO navigation screens goes even that set on very fast. And there appears a bug that cause the smokes didn´t probbably stoped animation at all when the bullets go through it or a man is walking through - it looks like it goes surrounded by some box (it looks to me it is the other (not correct) frame of the smoke displayed behind the man or bullet). Can you correct these bugs, please?(corrected in version 1.29 using battlescape speed settings)

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And - sometimes - the game crashes to me after the second move (maybe because I have set on "First move crash bug" on, if I have it set off it sometimes crashes on the firts move :) I don´t know exactly the reason when it happenings but I have an idea :) What about to implement the AUTO save option to a folder named e.g. AUTO which will be automaticaly saved before you turn at the first time (before the battlescape appear after you equip your mens). This will temporarily evade that bug, but if you can find what is hapenning, surely the better way is to fix that bug :) I hope I did´t made some chaos in messages here, I am newbie here, and I haven´t found another way how to contact you. Thank you very much! Lukas Czech Republic Underline: I am new here and I don´t know if I could write here my qestion and feedback to UFOLoader that you made because I haven´t found any of your e-mail somewhere. If there is another way to contact you, can you please send me a message to here how can I contact you? Or put here please an email address or send me a message to lukop ("@") seznam.cz. Then you can delete my added message here.. Thank you!

I will write my reports to here..

--ElfKaa 19:30, 01 January 2013 (EDT)

ElfKaa

Incorrect Calculation of Remaining Stores Capacity

You seem to have removed my text from Talk:TFTDExtender, compare http://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=Talk%3ATFTDextender&action=historysubmit&diff=44262&oldid=44261. Was it anything wrong with that text? Or you just moved it to another article? Sherlock 17:24, 30 January 2013 (EST)

This is already reported under 'Base Storage Anomalies' in the 'Known Bugs' for Enemy Unknown. - Tycho

TFTDextender 1.61 p2

On my computer (Win XP Pro), this version of dll hangs the game at the beginning of the tactical part. p1 works all right.

Sherlock 20:40, 30 January 2013 (EST)

Since the only place to get the beta 1.61 p2 patch officially is from the Strategycore forums, the answer to this is already noted on the post with the download and as a reply to the first report of the error in the forum. - Tycho