Customizing the NH installation?

[SonataFanatica]

Hi there!

Been playing the original PotC since it was released back in the day. I've tried Build 13 when it was fairly new, too. Now I've installed the NH mod for the first time and there are some features I don't really like all that much, to be honest.

Please don't let this offend you, guys, it's just my personal taste, I guess, but there are quite some gripes I have:

– I'd really prefer to ONLY have the music of vanilla PotC
– really don't like the new loading screens (mostly because of that hideously stretched scroll with the text on it)
– why can't I fully look around when I'm walking around on my ship anymore? (Can't look up to the sky; the camera is limited to me looking down on the ship's deck, basically.)
– why am I stuck to the rudder when switching to first-person mode while sailing all of a sudden?
– the new ship interior in which the game starts looks really ugly compared to the cabin in vanilla PotC, I think
– don't like all the shouts (when raising sails, the "oye, oye" ones and all that)

Is there any way to tweak these things at all? Or is it "all or nothing" when installing NH, so to speak?

I'd also like to just play vanilla PotC, but with the bugfixes. Is there any way to do that?
While I do like NH in general, I'd really like to install both and play whichever one I'm in the mood for.
However, a clean install of PotC often results in occasional freezes (with the music stuck on a loop) on my Windows 7 64 bit system...

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I'd really prefer to ONLY have the music of vanilla PotC

You'd have to remove the added tracks from the music alias file.

really don't like the new loading screens (mostly because of that hideously stretched scroll with the text on it)

You'd have to rescue the stock game ones and replace the new ones with the old ones.

Warning though: the old ones had written text with the location names on them.
However, those names are no longer accurate.

why can't I fully look around when I'm walking around on my ship anymore? (Can't look up to the sky; the camera is limited to me looking down on the ship's deck, basically.)

That depends on the location and applied to some stock game locations too.
I think the reason is that some masts don't go all the way up.
That means it'd look weird when you would be able to look up.

It's one line though in each location init entry.
I can't look it up now, but you could get rid of that and you'll be free to move the camera as you wish.

why am I stuck to the rudder when switching to first-person mode while sailing all of a sudden

Huh, that sounds weird.
You should still able to move around your ship deck using the left and right mouse buttons.

the new ship interior in which the game starts looks really ugly compared to the cabin in vanilla PotC, I think

The old cabin still exists and is used for some ships.
You could edit ships_init.c so it's used for all ships instead.

don't like all the shouts (when raising sails, the "oye, oye" ones and all that)

If I recall, there is a toggle on "EXTRA_SOUNDS"; probably in PROGRAM\InternalSettings.h .

I'd also like to just play vanilla PotC, but with the bugfixes. Is there any way to do that?

Closest you could get is to install the oldest modpack version available:
PotC Build 12.1 Full file

I should really re-upload Build 11 one day.
I think I've still got the installer for that lying around somewhere.

While I do like NH in general, I'd really like to install both and play whichever one I'm in the mood for.

Make a copy of your stock game folder, then install NH on that copy.
You can have as many different versions as you want installed side-by-side that way.

However, a clean install of PotC often results in occasional freezes (with the music stuck on a loop) on my Windows 7 64 bit system...

Have a look here: Solved - Windows 10: Low Frame Rates Despite (BECAUSE OF!) Good Hardware

 

[The Nameless Pirate]

About the music, i made this mod: Original game soundtrack mod.

 

[SonataFanatica]

Thank you so much for all the info, Pieter!! I've never messed with the game's file system so far, but I'll see what I can do.
I'll definitely try Build 12.1, too, thank you!

Thanks for the soundtrack mod, too, Nameless Pirate!

 

[Pieter Boelen]

really don't like the new loading screens (mostly because of that hideously stretched scroll with the text on it)

By the way, you're very much correct that it is hideously stretched.
I made those ages ago and I needed a different background, so I found a scroll thing somewhere in the game textures.
But it was vastly the wrong shape and since I am no texture expert, I just reshaped it and called it a day.
I certainly have no loyalty to it, so anyone wanting to improve on it is more than welcome to do so!

TX Converter required: http://www.piratesahoy.net/cloud/?cd=Tools/Modeling+Texturing

why can't I fully look around when I'm walking around on my ship anymore? (Can't look up to the sky; the camera is limited to me looking down on the ship's deck, basically.)

PROGRAM\Locations\init files boarding.c and Ship.c, search for "lockCamAngle".
You could try changing the number (see what it does) to make it "feel" a bit better. Alternatively, remove the line altogether.

New game required to make this change take effect, but you could experiment in an existing savegame using the console.
You can use these lines for that:

ref lcn = &Locations[FindLocation(pchar.location)];
lcn.lockCamAngle = 1.0;
DeleteAttribute(lcn,"lockCamAngle")

See here for some details on how the console works: Tutorial - Modding Tips & Tricks

You should then only need to reload the location, according to this code in PROGRAM\Locations\locations_loader.c:

    if(CheckAttribute(loc, "lockCamAngle") == true) // KK && LAi_boarding_process)
    {
        float lockCamAngle = stf(loc.lockCamAngle);
        if(lockCamAngle < -1.5) lockCamAngle = -1.5;
        if(lockCamAngle > 1.5) lockCamAngle = 1.5;
        SendMessage(&locCamera, "lf", MSG_CAMERA_MOVE, lockCamAngle);
    }

the new ship interior in which the game starts looks really ugly compared to the cabin in vanilla PotC, I think

Change the 'refShip.Cabin' lines in ships_init.c; options are:
"Cabin_none"
"Cabin_small": "locations\decks\cabin\capsm"
"Cabin_medium": "locations\decks\cabin\capmd"
"Cabin1": "locations\decks\cabin\cap"
"Cabin2": "locations\decks\cabin\cabin01"
"Cabin3": "locations\decks\cabin\cabin02"
"Cabin4": "locations\decks\cabin\cabin03"
"Cabin5": "locations\decks\cabin\cabin01"

Files are in RESOURCE\MODELS\Locations\decks\cabin, view with GM Viewer:
http://www.piratesahoy.net/cloud/?cd=Tools/Modeling+Texturing

There is also "tut_deck", which is the actual stock game cabin. I think one of those other ones is a copy though.
Can't remember why there are two versions of it, but I think it was a good reason of some sorts.

don't like all the shouts (when raising sails, the "oye, oye" ones and all that)

PROGRAM\InternalSettings.h, set this value to 0:

#define ENABLE_EXTRA_SOUNDS             1         // BOOL - Enable/Disable added sound effects.

I hope that helps.