Need help with adding a location- One last Question

InTheOnlineAsbestosSuit

InTheOnlineAsbestosSuit

Look, Ma! Two Heads!
I'm trying to add a small map into Fallout 2, using the method outlined on the NMA main page tutorial:

http://www.nma-fallout.com/content.php?page=fo-modding-addmaps

I have the following questions...

1: this method, by comparison to the mods that I've used before and the work I've heard of others doing, seems a bit long and complex. Is this the only way to do it or is there an easyer method that I havn't found?

2: does anyone have any advice/recomendations/warnings about using the method mentioned above?

3: why is it that when I try to open the master.dat file with DatMan lite, all the txt docs in the data file are blank?

4: what is the "city maker" utility by teamX actually for, and how do I use it? I've had lots of trouble figuring this out because the read me is in russian.

any help from anyone will be much apriciated.
 
Also, why is it that you can't make a folder full of files into a .Dat with Datman lite? I'm trying to re-pack the master.dat and it's telling me to open each of the hundreds of files individually inorder to compress them into a .dat.

EDIT:
When I tried to add just the two editied files to the master.dat and then played the game, neither of the two maps I added showed up. I followed the instructions on the nma turorial exactly. Can anyone please help me here? I've been trying to do this for a while and I keep getting my ass kicked by this game.
 
1): That's the only method, but you can get FSE. This program has a built in Town/map editor which handle maps adding for you.
2): AFAIK it's the only method. See above.
3): Don't know. If you can read them after you unpack them, then it's not a problem ;).
4): The game supports 160 maps and 49 town. In the original game they put 150 maps and used 46 towns. If you need more get a "moremaps/town" patch. Please note that there are 3 unused towns: Abbey, EPA, Primitive tribe. You can edit a town name to have a brand new town without any patch.
5): Datman light has a few truoubles. Get the patch. Packing .Dats IS a pain. Hunt for info on this forum. You must put your folders and files in alphanumerical order, then pack them, among other things.

Have a nice sunday. :D
 
Thanks very much. I think I'll try cutting out the unused towns to add my new ones. I'm actually trying to add in the abbey anyway, plus one other one, so we'll see how it works.

Also, since the game only supports 160 maps, can't I possibly take out a couple random encounter maps to replace them with mine?

and I've tried the patch for Datmanlite but it keeps telling me that it's missing dlls, and Datman has a "runtime error: can't find file" message whenever I try to make a new .Dat. I'll post again when I've got more info.
 
All maps belong to cities, even those in random encounters. You have to edit all the cities to take out the maps you choose, or they are going to pop out as random encounters... You probably should also edit the R. E. tables, not sure thoug... Simply get a "more towns and maps" patch. They are usually compatible with Fo2 1.02.
There are a couple around and I think they are the most viable option. Anyway, there are a bunch of unused maps in the original game. One belongs to the Den and another one or two to St. Francisco. There might be others. You can "cut them off" the original towns and put them in your new one.
Bye.
 
Alright, I'll try it with the city patch. But what do I do about re-packing the master.dat ? The programs I've been using keep having errors and crashing. Are there any packers that will work on Windows XP other than Datman lite and DatExplorer?
 
My recommendation is that you not worry about unpacking/repacking the master.dat file. Only worry about any files in the data folder or in your patch000.dat. Those last 2 will override any information in the master.dat file.
 
Okay, so I tried to use just the Patch000.dat alone, with the maps in the data directory, and now the game just crashes when I try to run it. Any sugestions?

Please note: just incase I'm getting something wrong, here's what I've been doing to the patch...

I've edited all the files mentioned in that tutorial on the main page: the City.txt, Maps.txt, and the Worldmap.msg. Also, am I supposed to add the maps to the maps directory in the patch itself? I've tried it both ways with no luck but I don't know if it actually matters since they are also in the data folder in the program directory.
 
Usually the game and the mapper crash on start when the engine can't find some hardcoded data. For exemple: Arroyo can't be renamed, starting map must be artemple...
You must add in your patch .Dat all the maps you added/modded. Remeber that patch .Dat files override/ovrwrite all the data in the game folder. Rename your patch and see if the game can run. If it runs then backup your files in the game folders and run the game with only your patch on. Check if you made any mistake (City.txt, Maps.txt, Worldmap.msg), the three files are mighty sensitive. If I remember correctly there MIGHT be problems if the game is trying to read the same data from two sources (.Dat and game folder). Please let me know what comes out. Bye and have a nice Sunday.
 
Sorry for taking so long to get back to you, I had internet trouble for a couple weeks. Still no luck though.

It might have something to do with reading same file from two sources. I've been putting my maps in the hacked Patch000.dat, but the mapper also saves them in the game folder. Might that have something to do with it? If so should I delete them from the game folder or just stop putting them in the patch?

Also, when I am trying to mod only the patch000.dat, and let it over write the master.dat, there is no Maps.msg in the patch000. So do I unpack the master dat and copy it over to the patch so it will be rewritten with the other files?
 
Alright, one last question before I give up for now, since I'm still having no luck: from reading other posts on the subject, I've figured out that I'm supposed to do -something- to the worldmap.msg file in the text/english/game directory, but the tutorial doesn't seem to mention it. Can anyone explain this bit to me?

Later Edit: so I've successfully managed to get Fallout to crash every time I try to run the game. I get as far as the please stand by/loading/whichever screen it is before the game crashes back to the desktop. Please note: I am using the game with all the master.dat and patch000.dat files combind into the data folder since I gave up on repacking them, but the game didn't seem to mind before I edited the City.txt, maps.txt, and the maps.msg files to accomodate two small new maps (the Abbey and one I made). Aside from that, I'm running a regular game: Any ideas on what I did wrong or should I just re-install and start fresh?
 
Fallout loads on start city list from city.txt and maps list from maps.txt it crashes since something is wrong in this files.
If you added new city(number above 48) then you need city patch.

Post here this new entry that you added to city.txt and maps.txt
 
With regaurd to the City limit patch, I am using this one:

http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/dload.php?action=file&file_id=76

In the city.txt, I just altered the already existing entry for the abbey, figuring that two entries for the same map might fuck with the game's mind. The last entry I added for my map, called grayhome (it's based on something from a story of mine).

Edited abbey entry:

[Area 17] ; Abbey
area_name=ABBEY
world_pos=1332,31
start_state=On
size=Medium
townmap_art_idx=-1
townmap_label_art_idx=-1
entrance_0=On,130,150,ABBEY 2,-1,-1,0

and then at the last entry:

[Area 49]
area_name=Home
world_pos=220,173
start_state=on
;lock_state=on
size=Small
townmap_art_idx=-1
townmap_label_art_idx=-1
entrance_0=On,130,410,Home,-1,-1,0

Also, how much of this is case sensitive? I put the Abbey name in caps in a few relivent places because that's how the map file was named,and I try to stay consistant with it with the other map as well, but does it particularly matter? I remember reading somewhere on a relivant post that you have to pay attention to such things.


In the Maps.txt, I just added the entries at the end as is normal:

[Map 151]
lookup_name=Abbey
map_name=ABBEY
music=16follow
saved=yes

[Map 152]
lookup_name=Home
map_name=grayhome
music=18modoc
saved=yes

Later Edit (again): VICTORY! Or atleast, half of one. I reinstalled the game and tried a new stratagy, where I unpacked the patch to the data folders and then edited the files as close to exactly the way it's said in the tutorial. I added a new entry for the Abbey at the end of the City.txt instead of using the existing one, having renamed the map and using a different lookup name to avoid confusing the new entry with the existing one. As for the other two files (maps.txt in data/date and map.msg in text/english/game), I edited them normally.

The abbey still doesn't work, but it's a totally different situation than it was before: When I try to enter the world map circle at the Abbey's location, the game locks up on a black screen. But instead of continuing this thread, I'll explain this problem in my already existing thread on the trouble the Abbey has been giving me since it's still on the forum and the Abbey is something of a special case since it's already mentioned in several game documents. My other map, the one I made, works fine. So thanks a bunch to you all.
 
I searched the forums for the answer to this last question I've got, but I couldn't find an answer so:

I made a small vault, and I installed it in the game and all. But once I played it I realised that I forgot to full in the space "outside" the vault with the stone that appears outside the steel walls of the vault, just like you'd see making the walls in a cave or outside the walls of a basement.

EDIT: figured it out, realised I was a fool, end of story. Now, I gotta find a good and easy way to learn how to script well enough to make a map that actually has interactive characters. Fun fun.
 
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