GrayFace MM8 Patch v2.5.7 [Mar 4, 2022]

[GrayFace]

Hi, I have played few hours around new Sorpigal and got mm8.exe crash when I'm hitting ESC key to popup Config/Save Menu.
Here below the crash log for ESC key
I got also a crash now when attempting to enter Abandoned Temple. Strange thing is that I did enter here before.
Seems my save file is corrupted ?

Thanks, fixed it for the next version. I'll send you WIP dll.

1) If you enter the Temple of the Snake in turn-base mode (doesn't matter which one of the entrances), and the recruitable knight Simon Templar is there and pops up to talk to you, and you select YES, to hire him, then then there is a bug crash. Anyways, I used to have similar bugs related to this pop up of Simon Templar in the Temple of the Sun in former versions as well.

2) This one bug I guess is a new one… it's really crazy: You can actually HIRE the Priest Deyson Leyland BEFORE the main quests are made!! It's something like this: you re-enter (that is, you enter it once, then exit, then enter again) his prison chamber and go directly to "Join". Normally, the player would not be allowed to hire him, until after completing some previous main quests and getting a main quest from at least one of his former masters (in Temple of the Sun or in Necromancer's Guild.

Good catches! Both are vanilla bugs. I can't reproduce the crash however. The NPC just goes to the inn. I need your ErrorLog.txt from game folder.

[Kinox]

1) If you enter the Temple of the Snake in turn-base mode (doesn't matter which one of the entrances), and the recruitable knight Simon Templar is there and pops up to talk to you, and you select YES, to hire him, then then there is a bug crash. Anyways, I used to have similar bugs related to this pop up of Simon Templar in the Temple of the Sun in former versions as well.

2) This one bug I guess is a new one… it's really crazy: You can actually HIRE the Priest Deyson Leyland BEFORE the main quests are made!! It's something like this: you re-enter (that is, you enter it once, then exit, then enter again) his prison chamber and go directly to "Join". Normally, the player would not be allowed to hire him, until after completing some previous main quests and getting a main quest from at least one of his former masters (in Temple of the Sun or in Necromancer's Guild.

Good catches! Both are vanilla bugs. I can't reproduce the crash however. The NPC just goes to the inn. I need your ErrorLog.txt from game folder.

Thanks! Glad to contribute; I've played these games so much.

Ok, so what you've described [Simon Templar just goes to the Inn] indeed has just happened to me this time (but I was testing in MMMerge).
But prior to that I was able to install MM8 only, using also MM8 Patch 2.3.1 on it, and catched the error message:

Invalid string passed ! in file F:\MM8src\MM8\Code\Font.cpp at line number: 458
Also, it seems that, prior to using Patch 2.3.1 on MM8, it also includes a second similar error message (!!), but: at line number: 872

Good Luck! Thanks

[GrayFace]

[edit] Don't bother with ErrorLog.txt, I see the problem. They didn't even make a "party is full" message for him, because they didn't expect the party to be full.

[GrayFace]

Version 2.4
<< MM6 - MM8 >>
[+] Chests are populated with compact non-random stacking if more items fit this way. This can be disabled by adding FixChestsByCompacting=0 line to INI.
[+] Items are stacked vertically when you place them into chests. This can be disabled by adding PlaceChestItemsVertically=0 line to INI.
[+] Sprites dimensions are tweaked based on vertical view angle. This makes them behave more realistically, especially when looking up at big monsters. Can be disabled by adding SpriteAngleCompensation=0 line to INI.
[+] If NoIntro=1 the intro is shown when you click the New Game button in MM6 or start a new game in MM8. In MM7 this was already the case. Add PostponeIntro=0 to INI to disable the intro entirely. In MM7 you can also set PostponeIntro=2 to have the first intro shown when you click the New Game button.
[+] Now in software rendering mode explosions and missiles are ignored during targeting. Before, party wasn't able to target monsters when whole screen is covered with explosions. You can disable this fix by adding ClickThroughEffects=0 line to the INI.
[+] Low level stuff you shouldn't need to use: DisableHooks option lets you disable hooks effecting certain addresses. It's a comma-separated list of hex addresses. Avoid the old way of disabling hooks by index, because hooks indexes change from version to version.
[+] Technical: Map entrance dialog can now be called from NPC topic anywhere.
[-] Sprite animations were played incorrectly - first frame was longer, last frame was shorter. This fix can be disabled by adding FixSFT=0 to INI.
[-] My bug: keyboard control of dialogs was breaking evt.Question command in houses (used for Escaton riddles in MM8).
<< MM7, MM8 >>
[+] HD textures support in Hardware 3D mode with bitmaps.lwd archives. I wrote a bit about them and custom LODs in general here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/iv9c2jc8abbrj ... s.txt?dl=0
[+] Technical: 32-bit color sprites and bitmaps in Hardware 3D mode. This can be disabled by adding TrueColorTextures=0 line to INI.
[+] Better quality water in Hardware 3D mode.
[+] UI.txt: ShrinkStatusbar option makes statusbar size depend on text size (enabled by default).
[+] UI.txt: HideStatusbar option controls whether or not statusbar should be hidden when there's no text in it (enabled by default).
[+] TreeHints option controls whether to show hints for non-interactable decorations in Hardware 3D mode (by default enabled in MM7 and disabled in MM8). Setting it to 2 would force it even in UI Layout mode with statusbar auto-hiding.
[+] Better D3D init errors reporting (now not just for Windowed mode).
[-] Decorations (trees etc.) with Id set were considered interactive even if they aren't. This fix can be disabled by adding SpriteInteractIgnoreId=0 line to INI.
[-] GrandMaster of Axe didn't halve armor class. Now the chance to halve armor class is 1.66 per point of skill, so the skill of 60 will make it 100%. This is to compensate for overall weakness of axe wielding. Hidden AxeGMFullProbabilityAt option controls this (60 by default).
[-] Disease2 and Disease3 bonus effects of monsters weren't working. Disease1 was working as Disease3. Poison2 and Poison3 bonus effects were swapped.
[-] My/DirectX bug: Game was failing to start in resolutions over 1080p, because Direct3D 7 doesn't support them.
[-] My bug: The game could crash when pressing Esc in UI Layout mode.
[-] My bugs: Some bugs with flexible UI layout definitions in particular circumstances.
<< MM8 >>
[-] Players hired in turn-based mode were going into Adventurers Inn instead of joining the party. Now turn-based mode is canceled when you hire somebody.
[-] My bug: PaperDollInChests option was causing a crash in Software rendering mode.
[*] StartupCopyrightDelay option made hidden and 0 by default.
<< Fixes in maps >>
[-] Necromancers' Guild (d19): You could hire Dyson Leland before you get any quest that requires him.

[SpectralDragon]

What. The actual. Hell?!?

That is supposed to be a base sprite for Crystal Dragon, which makes me worried on how would my edited ones look like in-game, as it seems like the game is using its own palette rendering in order to make them all crystally and beautiful. Thank the Ancients that I can use palettes in GIMP as well, thus making them all shiny before editing.

[GrayFace]

What. The actual. Hell?!?

See MMArchive help for an explanation of monster palettes.

[SpectralDragon]

See MMArchive help for an explanation of monster palettes.

Ok, thanks. I wonder if these can be edited though, seeing how I´ll send you ones that look like this back after I fully edit them:

They´ll be RGB color 8-bit gamma integer images (potentially .pngs) with "00ffff" backgrounds (as default ones use "00fcfc" ones).

[SpectralDragon]

This is how redone Crystal Dragons will look like:

Emerald:


Sapphire:


Ruby:


Diamond (optionally added miniboss of the Crystal):

[GrayFace]

Here's an archive of my recolored crystal dwellers: https://www.dropbox.com/s/p9naxoaeg0iys ... s.rar?dl=1
[edit] Fixed a problem, redownload
[edit2] Desaturated sapphires a bit

[SpectralDragon]

Here's an archive of my recolored crystal dwellers: https://www.dropbox.com/s/p9naxoaeg0iys ... s.rar?dl=1
[edit] Fixed a problem, redownload
[edit2] Desaturated sapphires a bit

Ok, thanks, but since I'll need that info for reproducing it onto other animation frames, should I then drop these into original (aka messed up) sprites in order to make them like this or do I have to tweak them a bit? Since I already transformed these images above into Indexed 8-bit gamma ones, or at least ones I've already did, which are just 2 attack animation frames and this side-view. ^^;

Some insight on details: I made Emerald, Sapphire and Ruby Dragon eyes more visible in order to pay homage to rose-colored Crystal Dragon itself, which has orange eyes compared to the rest of its body ... and the Diamond Dragon is a bit yellowish because I took inspiration from MM6's Diamond Gargoyles, which are a bit yellowish as well.
No offense. ^^;

[GrayFace]

I've updated the tool, just added description right inside it: https://www.dropbox.com/s/tie43q98lc0ui ... l.rar?dl=1

Ok, thanks, but since I'll need that info for reproducing it onto other animation frames, should I then drop these into original (aka messed up) sprites in order to make them like this or do I have to tweak them a bit? Since I already transformed these images above into Indexed 8-bit gamma ones, or at least ones I've already did, which are just 2 attack animation frames and this side-view. ^^;

I've no idea how you got the messed up sprites. Or maybe I do. You extracted them from the Merge instead of vanilla and used the default palette?
Since you are changing sprites themselves, you should keep them in full color. After you're done with all frames, use DefTool2 to generate a single palette for them. After one variation is done, you can use the PaletteTool to easily recolor it.

[SpectralDragon]

I've no idea how you got the messed up sprites. Or maybe I do. You extracted them from the Merge instead of vanilla and used the default palette?
Since you are changing sprites themselves, you should keep them in full color. After you're done with all frames, use DefTool2 to generate a single palette for them. After one variation is done, you can use the PaletteTool to easily recolor it.

No, actually. Templayer sent me them looking like that mess of colors. ^^;

[GrayFace]

No, actually. Templayer sent me them looking like that mess of colors. ^^;

Well, I was right, that's exactly what he did wrong when he extracted them. So, you had to essentially redraw the frame from scratch using only silhouette?
Do you need proper frames? If you do, https://www.dropbox.com/s/ykkaob93hg9ag ... n.rar?dl=1
I also found this guy:

But there's only 1 frame of him unfortunately. (I mean, 1 frame from each view direction, 5 in total)
P.S. Initially I thought the messed up sprite is what happens when you try to import your sprites into the game.

[Kinox]

Version 2.4
<< MM6 - MM8 >>
[+] Chests are populated with compact non-random stacking if more items fit this way. This can be disabled by adding FixChestsByCompacting=0 line to INI.
[+] Items are stacked vertically when you place them into chests. This can be disabled by adding PlaceChestItemsVertically=0 line to INI.
[+] Sprites dimensions are tweaked based on vertical view angle. This makes them behave more realistically, especially when looking up at big monsters. Can be disabled by adding SpriteAngleCompensation=0 line to INI.
[+] If NoIntro=1 the intro is shown when you click the New Game button in MM6 or start a new game in MM8. In MM7 this was already the case. Add PostponeIntro=0 to INI to disable the intro entirely. In MM7 you can also set PostponeIntro=2 to have the first intro shown when you click the New Game button.
[+] Now in software rendering mode explosions and missiles are ignored during targeting. Before, party wasn't able to target monsters when whole screen is covered with explosions. You can disable this fix by adding ClickThroughEffects=0 line to the INI.
[+] Low level stuff you shouldn't need to use: DisableHooks option lets you disable hooks effecting certain addresses. It's a comma-separated list of hex addresses. Avoid the old way of disabling hooks by index, because hooks indexes change from version to version.
[+] Technical: Map entrance dialog can now be called from NPC topic anywhere.
[-] Sprite animations were played incorrectly - first frame was longer, last frame was shorter. This fix can be disabled by adding FixSFT=0 to INI.
[-] My bug: keyboard control of dialogs was breaking evt.Question command in houses (used for Escaton riddles in MM8).
<< MM7, MM8 >>
[+] HD textures support in Hardware 3D mode with bitmaps.lwd archives. I wrote a bit about them and custom LODs in general here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/iv9c2jc8abbrj ... s.txt?dl=0
[+] Technical: 32-bit color sprites and bitmaps in Hardware 3D mode. This can be disabled by adding TrueColorTextures=0 line to INI.
[+] Better quality water in Hardware 3D mode.
[+] UI.txt: ShrinkStatusbar option makes statusbar size depend on text size (enabled by default).
[+] UI.txt: HideStatusbar option controls whether or not statusbar should be hidden when there's no text in it (enabled by default).
[+] TreeHints option controls whether to show hints for non-interactable decorations in Hardware 3D mode (by default enabled in MM7 and disabled in MM8). Setting it to 2 would force it even in UI Layout mode with statusbar auto-hiding.
[+] Better D3D init errors reporting (now not just for Windowed mode).
[-] Decorations (trees etc.) with Id set were considered interactive even if they aren't. This fix can be disabled by adding SpriteInteractIgnoreId=0 line to INI.
[-] GrandMaster of Axe didn't halve armor class. Now the chance to halve armor class is 1.66 per point of skill, so the skill of 60 will make it 100%. This is to compensate for overall weakness of axe wielding. Hidden AxeGMFullProbabilityAt option controls this (60 by default).
[-] Disease2 and Disease3 bonus effects of monsters weren't working. Disease1 was working as Disease3. Poison2 and Poison3 bonus effects were swapped.
[-] My/DirectX bug: Game was failing to start in resolutions over 1080p, because Direct3D 7 doesn't support them.
[-] My bug: The game could crash when pressing Esc in UI Layout mode.
[-] My bugs: Some bugs with flexible UI layout definitions in particular circumstances.
<< MM8 >>
[-] Players hired in turn-based mode were going into Adventurers Inn instead of joining the party. Now turn-based mode is canceled when you hire somebody.
[-] My bug: PaperDollInChests option was causing a crash in Software rendering mode.
[*] StartupCopyrightDelay option made hidden and 0 by default.
<< Fixes in maps >>
[-] Necromancers' Guild (d19): You could hire Dyson Leland before you get any quest that requires him.

Great job!

So, actually, that bug (concerning Turn-Base Mode + YES for Hiring) wasn't specific to Simon Templar, the Knight? The only other Hirelings I remember now which are to be found 'outside' in the Maps [that is, not inside houses, such as Fredrick Talimere], so that Turn-Base Mode might have affected them in previous versions, are Cauri Blackthorne and maybe Blazen Stormlance. I suppose that bug affected them (I didn't test)? I guess the 2 Dragons and the 2 Great Wyrms in the dragon caves are in their 'burrow houses', so they would be safe from the old bug. But now all are unbugged.

I cannot tell how much I appretiate your efforts to 'embetter' those retro CRPG games. You are a true Hero of Might and Magic!
Maybe one day there shall be some new MM11 following the steps of that older engine, in the world of Enroth, in the Gray Face continent, underground world, moon or something like that. (but damn copyrights lol)

[SpectralDragon]

Well, I was right, that's exactly what he did wrong when he extracted them. So, you had to essentially redraw the frame from scratch using only silhouette?
I also found this guy:

But there's only 1 frame of him unfortunately. (I mean, 1 frame from each view direction, 5 in total)
P.S. Initially I thought the messed up sprite is what happens when you try to import your sprites into the game.

Kinda, but thank the Ancients that I know where to get proper ones. From spriters-resource website, Cyrus Annihilator did giant "ref sheets" of every single vanilla MM7 and MM8 enemy sprites (not MM6 ones, unfortunately), but thank you for giving me proper ones as well. I'll still take them for safekeeping ... and yes, Diamond Dragon on my side literally depends on those messed up sprites because I managed to find a palette (Templayer sent me like 30-50 different game palettes together with messed up sprites, I think the one that fitted was called pal928. I know it's a palette file with a code number 900+ that shows what appears to be a gradient going to white to grayish blue, like a storm blue) that made said Crystal Dragon look blueish-white with very distinctive crystal-like features and I basically went from there. ^^;
Speaking of Diamond Dragon, which one should I continue with, your grayish one or my yellowish one? The yellowish one is mainly made due to this enemy from MM6:

Yes, I saw that one too. Should I add him into redone sprites as well, even if it's just one frame? That one does make me think that originally Crystal Dragons looked more like MM6's Wyrms ... and Megadragon assets are just MM6 Wyrm assets as well if I can believe Templayer.

Nope, got them like that. Crystal Sentry sprites I got are also just as messed up and same goes for gem sprites I got (planning to add some "custom decor" for Dragon Caves, so that they don't look so empty) like citrine, zircon and even Elemental Heartstones (only MM8 gem sprites seem to have this problem).

[GrayFace]

From spriters-resource website, Cyrus Annihilator did giant "ref sheets" of every single vanilla MM7 and MM8 enemy sprites (not MM6 ones, unfortunately), but thank you for giving me proper ones as well.

It's easier to extract than to download - just open an archive with MMArchive and use drag&drop to extract stuff.

Speaking of Diamond Dragon, which one should I continue with, your grayish one or my yellowish one?

Whichever you like. Here's a better version of mine: https://www.dropbox.com/s/st01cjseem6la ... g.rar?dl=0 (works better in the game)

Yes, I saw that one too. Should I add him into redone sprites as well, even if it's just one frame?

What for?

That one does make me think that originally Crystal Dragons looked more like MM6's Wyrms ... and Megadragon assets are just MM6 Wyrm assets as well if I can believe Templayer.

Nope. Megadragon (in MM7) is just the black dragon from MM8.

Crystal Sentry sprites I got are also just as messed up and same goes for gem sprites I got (planning to add some "custom decor" for Dragon Caves, so that they don't look so empty) like citrine, zircon and even Elemental Heartstones (only MM8 gem sprites seem to have this problem).

Rodril changed MM8 palette indexes, so palette indexes stored in sprites.lod became invalid. MM6 and MM7 sprites were added after all palettes were put in their places.

[SpectralDragon]

It's easier to extract than to download - just open an archive with MMArchive and use drag&drop to extract stuff.

Whichever you like. Here's a better version of mine: https://www.dropbox.com/s/st01cjseem6la ... g.rar?dl=0 (works better in the game)

What for?

Nope. Megadragon (in MM7) is just the black dragon from MM8.

Rodril changed MM8 palette indexes, so palette indexes stored in sprites.lod became invalid. MM6 and MM7 sprites were added after all palettes were put in their places.

Got it, I´ll use that once I get the game itself because currently I˙m not having MM games installed. ^^;

Okays, thanks. Will try to make it more yellowish then, since diamonds are generally pretty strange stones, with their color range going from colorless to faint yellow with some extremely rare exceptions. :,D

In case these serve their own hidden function we (or at least I) don˙t know about.

Okays, I see.

I see, that answers everything. Thanks for the info on what´s happening there!

[SpectralDragon]

Once you're done with the final versions of your creations aka ones you're absolutely certain you won't change anymore), just link them here. Until then, I'll wait for them, as that's the only good thing I can do now because when it comes to other stuff, as Ithilgore would say, "I CAN'T!"

At least not being able to make them be fully game-functional, that is. I'm so sorry. ... and speaking of shiny glows, maybe original rose Crystal Dragons should get the same treatment too, so that they don't look out of place? ^^;

[SpectralDragon]

Here are 4 RGB images of your redone Crystal Dragons with eyes. Do you think you can transfer these to the rest of their original sprites?
https://sta.sh/0u1vbe9uev6
Once these eyes are done, then you can implement these into your patch/link to Rodril in order to replace existing ones with their appropriate guise, with the default rose-colored ones being classified as their own brand of monsters (think Trees or Boulders) while the Diamond Dragon is, well, a miniboss and thus one of a kind (as I˙ve been thinking). ^^;

Was kind of thinking that the miniboss would act like Diamond Gargoyle of Crystal Dragons, only with more HP, damage, defense, resistances (except physical and poison, it would be immune to these) and with a special-tier (if not artifact/relic tier if we´re not talking random gem drops ^^; ) loot once killed.

Apologies for spamming. ^^; And I´ve discovered Ghost Dragon monster sprites share the same palette issue. I´ve linked them in MMMerge forum.

[GrayFace]

I've updated the crystal monsters archive: https://www.dropbox.com/s/p9naxoaeg0iys ... s.rar?dl=1
I though I'd make a preview of all monsters, but a simple grid collage program is much easier to write than to find on the Internet!