Calvinthesneak is correct. All the files go into a new set of Bifs. No haks or anything for the basic user to worry about. As far as the end user is concerned they use the same shortcut's and launcher to start the game as they always have done. It's totally transparent, but they'll have a stack of new classes to pick from at the set go, and lots of new spells. Well, everything thats in the PRC.
The installed client is left untouched so you can still launch the game as a virgin 1.69 by simply starting the (renamed) original exe. I'll probably increase the client/server version number at a later date. Once everything is tested and stable, to prevent non prc clients connecting to prc worlds by mistake. I've already tested the version part to be sure it's possible.
With this expansion we use our own Bifs, our own tlk, but all transparent with no configuring needed by the users.
Start the game with my launcher and it uses the original Bifs + new Bifs, plus defaults to our own base tlk file instead of the dialog.tlk (no need to associate it with mods anymore). This also leaves the tlk slot free for other mods. No more conflicting/merging tlk's with the PRC.
It will be a single install which will put everything you need in the right place (zip/rar will be provided for those who like to do it manually).
If you need to customize anything you have three options.
1. Modify the Bifs directly. I'll be providing the tool to build and extract files from the Bifs/Keys.
2. Modify the files and place in your override.
3. Place modified files in haks as we always have done.
So to cover a few of the questions.
Is this going to cause any backwards compatibility issues with the current client?No, the original client will still be there to use if you need a virgin client, but characters created without the patch will work in the patched client too. It's mainly the limitations in the client which prevented a lot of people doing the magic they wanted to perform that have been recoded.
Do you plan on increasing the engine level cap at some point in the future?Others have asked this too
'>. I have been considering it and I'm still considering it. It is however a sizable task. The hard cap of 40 is placed in such a way as to make it extremely difficult to remove. Data tables entered into class templates only go upto 40, with hard coded indexing on template offsets. This means if I alter the loading code to read past 40, it alters the placement of other parts and changes the whole shape of the data tables. This would also break most other programs who look for and access those tables, like NWNX.
If I do remove the cap I'll likely do as I did with the spell tables and totally rebuild the table, releasing the information to whomever wants/needs it on where and how to find it.
just who exactly are you?Well, I've been about on these, and the other forums for quite a few years, but generally only as a scripter. I'd not found anything to really dig my teeth into until I began working with the PRC.
Thank you all for your amazing interest. I was hoping this would revitalize NWN and it seems it might just do it.
Now I'm off to learn the Linux client
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