Might and Magic 6, 7, 8 merge based on mm8 engine. [upd. 05.11.2023]

[Xfing]

Damn, I got so fixated on the alternative inventory grid colors independent of complete interfaces that I probably won't be happy unless we have them

Rodril's tracker note on your new potion system states that explosions needs to be reviewed in POTIONS.txt and that autonotes needs correcting.

As in, am I supposed to do that? I mean I probably could, but no idea where to start and all

[Vinevi]

Another little update:
— more custom buttons
— a couple of changes to the sidebar, mostly regarding the layout
— a prototype of the auto-notes screen
and a couple of little fixes as usual


more screenshots here
Download v0.61
This release is a bit different.
Installation:
1. Extract the archive into the game's folder replacing the existing files
2. In-game activate the console (ctrl+f1), type in Game.LoadUI(3) and press ctrl+enter

upd:
0.61 forgot to include the hourglass graphics

[Templayer]

Damn, I got so fixated on the alternative inventory grid colors independent of complete interfaces that I probably won't be happy unless we have them

Honestly, i don't want to add this feature. It feels excess, though easy to implement. If it will make you happy, you can use it personally: https://www.dropbox.com/s/la38cb4ua5jym ... s.zip?dl=0 - unpack files into game folder, grids will be switchable at adventurer's inn.

Can MM8 engine use better textures? I can work on that. Just need to know where to look at old and where to put new.(some MM8\DataFiles\Textures) as example, for quick testing.

I made a new section on the Tracker called Optional modifications to the Merge, which now houses the Character Creation Unlocker (no race / class limits per continent, you can create whatever you wish without limitations!) and the switchable inventory grid colour at the Inn.

You got to ask Rodril about the localization, but he said that a non-automatic one is currently almost impossible.

Non-automatic impossible? Pity...I wouldnt mind translating it sentence after sentence if I had some text sources that need to be translated. Tho there probably arent that many people who would need a slovak translation anyway, since that is my native language

To je pravda, ti co tento projekt najdou už beztak umí dostatečně anglicky na to, aby pro ně takový překlad byl zbytečný!

Damn, I got so fixated on the alternative inventory grid colors independent of complete interfaces that I probably won't be happy unless we have them

Rodril's tracker note on your new potion system states that explosions needs to be reviewed in POTIONS.txt and that autonotes needs correcting.

As in, am I supposed to do that? I mean I probably could, but no idea where to start and all

You could start at POTIONS.txt

@Vinevi
Cool, great work at the new UI!

[Templayer]

Another little update:
— more custom buttons
— a couple of changes to the sidebar, mostly regarding the layout
— a prototype of the auto-notes screen
and a couple of little fixes as usual
more screenshots here
Download v0.61
This release is a bit different.
Installation:
1. Extract the archive into the game's folder replacing the existing files
2. In-game activate the console (ctrl+f1), type in Game.LoadUI(3) and press ctrl+enter

upd:
0.61 forgot to include the hourglass graphics

Will it work with Rodril's optional switchable inventory grid modification? It's at the very end of the tracker.

[Mozaki]

Control Room: This might be just me being unlucky, but I scoured the whole place up for storage chests (didnt kill whole place up, termination drones are hard to kill even with protection from eradication), invisibility is really a big help here...he thing is I managed to find only 2 blaster pistols and 1 blaster rifle...In vanilla MM6 I always found enough Blaster Rifles for the whole team of 4, in merge I didnt find enough of any blasters for the team of 4 and we are having extra member...so very unsure whether just plain unlucky or a bug...

You were unlucky, I found 8 blasters pistols and 3 blasters rifles.

[Piottor]

Control Room: This might be just me being unlucky, but I scoured the whole place up for storage chests (didnt kill whole place up, termination drones are hard to kill even with protection from eradication), invisibility is really a big help here...he thing is I managed to find only 2 blaster pistols and 1 blaster rifle...In vanilla MM6 I always found enough Blaster Rifles for the whole team of 4, in merge I didnt find enough of any blasters for the team of 4 and we are having extra member...so very unsure whether just plain unlucky or a bug...

You were unlucky, I found 8 blasters pistols and 3 blasters rifles.

I figured Not like it matters that much...I will use them only on reactor anyway Game will tell you devils are immune to cold steel but dont believe that crap, they very much feel it when it slices down their throat...but reactor...that thing is made from some space stuff, swords are not enough for that

Right after I clear the Dragonsands from all those pesky little lizards that gave me trouble when I made a visit here at level 1 for free buffs, three trucks of food and some random gear...devils can wait, revenge can not

[Echo]

Do you guys want a very short and basic tutorial on how to create graphics/textures for MM in Photoshop? How to save with transparency or prepare texture sets with single palette. I still kind of remember how to do that, I could whip out some short explanation for other bravehearts out there but I dont know what resources ya'll have available. Maybe it's not needed

Let me know if that would help, preferably via private message so I don't miss it. Cheers.

[Echo]

Sheit train internet trolling me, posted twice. Pardon.

[Vinevi]

Do you guys want a very short and basic tutorial on how to create graphics/textures for MM in Photoshop? How to save with transparency or prepare texture sets with single palette. I still kind of remember how to do that, I could whip out some short explanation for other bravehearts out there but I dont know what resources ya'll have available. Maybe it's not needed

Let me know if that would help, preferably via private message so I don't miss it. Cheers.

To be honest the main issue with that is we've got no convenient place to pile the articles at.
If there was someone who could host something like that:
https://zdoom.org/wiki/Main_Page
but for M&M engine that would be really nice.

[Xfing]

Damn, I got so fixated on the alternative inventory grid colors independent of complete interfaces that I probably won't be happy unless we have them

Honestly, i don't want to add this feature. It feels excess, though easy to implement. If it will make you happy, you can use it personally: https://www.dropbox.com/s/la38cb4ua5jym ... s.zip?dl=0 - unpack files into game folder, grids will be switchable at adventurer's inn.

Well, thanks for making this even though you don't want to make it official. It's nothing more than eye candy and doesn't affect the gameplay or mechanics anyway, but it's still great to at least have an option. Maybe more people would actually fancy such a modification, what do you think about adding it to the OP as a separate download? You could even give it an "optional and not endorsed" label if you want

Anyway, I just tested it and it really looks amazing and reinforces the connection of the three games. It's one of these little things that could make you forget this is all based on MM8.

One little thing though - the MM6 inventory grid looks like it's framed from the bottom and right by a thin wireframe that settles nicely into the MM8 interface, but this wireframe is missing from the top and left, creating something that feels like empty blanks there. Think a rim around the entire inventory could be made to make it feel complete? Example in the screenshot:



Then again, looking at the thing in MMArchive, it doesn't have that sort of rim at all when viewed, nor does it have it in the game. Could it be some error when exporting?

PS: Tried looking at the potion file to set up proper explosions, but I found nothing that would govern these in neither the txt file, nor the lua file.

I saw though that a Protection from Magic potion is now coded, even though it didn't work due to the spell only being able to affect the entire party at once. My suggestion was tweaking the spell to Pain Reflection. Would that work?

Oh, I also noticed taht since the latest update the bolster appears to tremendously overpower all monsters. Peasants wind up with 323 HP and angel lords in celeste have 4200. Not sure if that was intended

[Vinevi]

Will it work with Rodril's optional switchable inventory grid modification? It's at the very end of the tracker.

Not really I think. Not until there is a way to use transparency with buttons. By the way that UI preset from 7 (Game.LoadUI(2)) has altered positions for UI elements while there's no explanation on how it works, would really like to know more about that.

[Templayer]

Control Room: This might be just me being unlucky, but I scoured the whole place up for storage chests (didnt kill whole place up, termination drones are hard to kill even with protection from eradication), invisibility is really a big help here...he thing is I managed to find only 2 blaster pistols and 1 blaster rifle...In vanilla MM6 I always found enough Blaster Rifles for the whole team of 4, in merge I didnt find enough of any blasters for the team of 4 and we are having extra member...so very unsure whether just plain unlucky or a bug...

You were unlucky, I found 8 blasters pistols and 3 blasters rifles.

Still, there should be some "guaranteed" weapons. At least 4 pistols. And the rest be giveth unto thee by the gods of RNG!
Added additional information to the Bug Tracker.

Do you guys want a very short and basic tutorial on how to create graphics/textures for MM in Photoshop? How to save with transparency or prepare texture sets with single palette. I still kind of remember how to do that, I could whip out some short explanation for other bravehearts out there but I dont know what resources ya'll have available. Maybe it's not needed

Let me know if that would help, preferably via private message so I don't miss it. Cheers.

Please do. I'll put it on the Tracker under Tutorials.

Do you guys want a very short and basic tutorial on how to create graphics/textures for MM in Photoshop? How to save with transparency or prepare texture sets with single palette. I still kind of remember how to do that, I could whip out some short explanation for other bravehearts out there but I dont know what resources ya'll have available. Maybe it's not needed

Let me know if that would help, preferably via private message so I don't miss it. Cheers.

To be honest the main issue with that is we've got no convenient place to pile the articles at.
If there was someone who could host something like that:
https://zdoom.org/wiki/Main_Page
but for M&M engine that would be really nice.

But we do have the Tracker, Tutorials are at the end!

But I agree that something more "out there" and in common for MMExtension and MMEditor should be available, and not just on some tracker on a specific mod.

[Templayer]

Will it work with Rodril's optional switchable inventory grid modification? It's at the very end of the tracker.

*picture*
Not really I think. Not until there is a way to use transparency with buttons. By the way that UI preset from 7 (Game.LoadUI(2)) has altered positions for UI elements while there's no explanation on how it works, would really like to know more about that.

We just have to get the transparency flag working on everything then per artist's wishes!
@Rodril! Potentially GrayFace!

Please, notice us, GrayFace-senpai!

[majaczek]

how to properly use telelocator?

PS: Those Grands for ArchDruid are very nice

[Xfing]

It's not really about the transparency, it's more about the fact that these inventory grid files also take the green frame portion around them.

So yeah, basically transparency

Tried editing the one from MM6 to have that nice frame all around the grid, but when saving it always got corrupted. It's probably some specific kind of bitmap that a more advanced graphics program would be needed to open and edit.

[Templayer]

It's not really about the transparency, it's more about the fact that these inventory grid files also take the green frame portion around them.

So yeah, basically transparency

Please, do not become a programmer!

Tried editing the one from MM6 to have that nice frame all around the grid, but when saving it always got corrupted. It's probably some specific kind of bitmap that a more advanced graphics program would be needed to open and edit.

Have you tried GIMP? It's free, and it handles indexed bitmaps just fine. In fact I used it several days ago to import Wizardry 8 portraits into Wizardry 7 Gold (which uses indexed bitmaps!).
Here's the video about it, if someone is interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fPbYY0M6E8

[Mozaki]

I found a bug with the Gorgon, normaly they can stone us but we only ear when the "stone spell" worked and see on witch character but he isen't stoned. Did the spell was removed or something?

Also, what is the utility of the "Horn of Ros" since we can identify creature? The Horn of Ros allow us to see how much hp is left on an enemy in mm6 but now... ;-)

And for the mob called "Q", since when he's our allie? He also almost never hit us, but when it does, it's only a very low damage. I remember passing several minutes just trying to kill that boss and hiting him from the corner to be sure to not be touched by his "finger of death" loll

To finish my "report", there's also a texture bug at the elevator in the temple of the snake

[qtish]

Protection From Magic spell successfully blocked stone effect.
Horn of Ros is a thing, that shows monster HP. Since MM6 didnt have ID monster skill, that was relevant, but in this mod its not, and you can throw it away. Q has reflect damage and very high HP pool, so its actually a bit of challenge to kill it

[Templayer]

Also, what is the utility of the "Horn of Ros" since we can identify creature? The Horn of Ros allow us to see how much hp is left on an enemy in mm6 but now... ;-)

And for the mob called "Q", since when he's our allie? He also almost never hit us, but when it does, it's only a very low damage. I remember passing several minutes just trying to kill that boss and hiting him from the corner to be sure to not be touched by his "finger of death" loll

To finish my "report", there's also a texture bug at the elevator in the temple of the snake

Q shouldn't be friendly and should be casting some spells, but the Finger of Death has been unfortunately not added to the game, as it doesn't exist in MM8 and spells from the previous games were labelled as "redundant" (I was strongly against that, mind you - I even have a full list of spells that are not in the Merge on the Tracker. Quite a shame. ).
He is supposed to be an extremely tough opponent. Maybe he should learn the Soul Drink spell instead!

Horn of Ros new behavior suggestion - make it act as master or GM Monster Identification, so that it is relevant for parties that cannot have that skill that high!

Added to the Bug Tracker, Horn of Ros included. Since the Merge kinda "broke" (for not knowing a better term) its functionality by a principle, rendering it somewhat useless.

[Templayer]

Double post. Goddamnit.