Need Help Black Pearl no smoke and no skeletons?

[Lonious]

Hi all,

I'm trying out the Black Pearl now, it seems that it is in its cursed form (with torn sails) however, I notice that it's not having fog around it. Also, at night, the crew appear as normal humans and not as skeletons.

Is there a fix for this? I remember fighting it before in the final quest with the smoke working.

Also, is there a way to cause the crew to change their outfits if you're pirate to pirate clothes (with the black garments)? Or to soldier clothes if you're a navy officer?

Also - how do I disable the Flying Dutchman re-loading after resurfacing from underwater? In the film she managed to fire immediately after going up.

Thanks.

 

[Grey Roger]

How did you get the cursed Black Pearl? It seems as though you have the cursed ship model but not the actual curse.

If you are cursed (for example, by starting a FreePlay as Barbossa), then the curse takes some time to have its full effect. Torn sails are the first stage. The fog screen is the second stage.

The cursed Black Pearl ship model should automatically have torn sails and fog screen, though unless you yourself are also cursed, nobody will appear as skeletons. A non-player cursed Pearl, such as the one which you fight at the end of "Tales of a Sea Hawk", will certainly show torn sails, fog screen, and probably be set to use skeletons as crew.

If you start the game as a naval officer, your crew should automatically have soldier outfits for your chosen nation. Otherwise, edit "PROGRAM\InternalSettings.h" and find this part:

#define BOARDERMODEL                 "standard"    // Outfit for your boarders, insert one of these groups (Don't change spelling or the "" !): 
                                                   // "marine", "corsair", "masked", "skeleton", "girl", "soldier" (soldiers of current flag),
                                                   // "boarder" (Nathaniel's soldiers); default: "standard"

You may need to start a new game for this to take effect if you change the boarding model.

What is your "Cannons" skill? We can reasonably assume that Davy Jones' crew in the film, being immortal and therefore having many years' experience, can load the guns in double-quick time. You, starting a game as captain of the Flying Dutchman, have not been sailing the seas for many years and are not yet capable of loading guns that quickly.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Also, at night, the crew appear as normal humans and not as skeletons.

Are we talking 3D Sailing Mode crew; or Boarding crew?

In 3D Sailing Mode, the skeletons at night are exclusive to ship ID "SHIP_CURSED".
It should be basically impossible for the effect to not be applied to that ship then.
So I wonder if perhaps somehow you got a different ID altogether?

@Grey Roger: Is there a "CursedPearl" ID at all?
If so, that could explain it.

Also - how do I disable the Flying Dutchman re-loading after resurfacing from underwater? In the film she managed to fire immediately after going up.

Can't remember if it was NK.c or AIShip.c where I inserted the immediate-reload code.
One of the two in any case.

Reason I added it is simple:
If the cannons are already loaded right upon emerging, then they were loaded while underwater.
With WET POWDER?!?
Good luck shooting with that.

Of course the films player very high and loose with the concept of realism.
But in the mod, we tried to be a bit less overly fantasy-inspired...

 

[Lonious]

How did you get the cursed Black Pearl? It seems as though you have the cursed ship model but not the actual curse.

I chose Free Play and set my character model to Barbossa, automatically giving me the Cursed Pirate Galleon.

I waited a few weeks and the normal sails became torn, however, for some reason the fog wouldn't come out and the crew (from the sea mode not the boarding/deck mode) aren't skeletons at night.

Do I have to wait for some more time?

If you start the game as a naval officer, your crew should automatically have soldier outfits for your chosen nation. Otherwise, edit "PROGRAM\InternalSettings.h" and find this part:

#define BOARDERMODEL                 "standard"    // Outfit for your boarders, insert one of these groups (Don't change spelling or the "" !):
                                                   // "marine", "corsair", "masked", "skeleton", "girl", "soldier" (soldiers of current flag),
                                                   // "boarder" (Nathaniel's soldiers); default: "standard"

You may need to start a new game for this to take effect if you change the boarding model.

Will try this out.

By the way - what about animists as the boarder models? Like for the Mefisto? Also, for some reason I can't pick the animists as my starting model. How come?

What is your "Cannons" skill? We can reasonably assume that Davy Jones' crew in the film, being immortal and therefore having many years' experience, can load the guns in double-quick time. You, starting a game as captain of the Flying Dutchman, have not been sailing the seas for many years and are not yet capable of loading guns that quickly.

I think even if my skill is 10 it still reloads. The thing is whenever the Dutchman submerges, the cannons are disabled, and then when it re-emerges they have to re-load (kind of like when the ship has to remove fire). I want a way to disable this need to re-load cannons while going back up so that I can fire them instantly while the ship is resurfacing.

Are we talking 3D Sailing Mode crew; or Boarding crew?

3D Sailing mode.

In 3D Sailing Mode, the skeletons at night are exclusive to ship ID "SHIP_CURSED".
It should be basically impossible for the effect to not be applied to that ship then.
So I wonder if perhaps somehow you got a different ID altogether?

I used the Barbossa character on Free Play, so yeah I guess it's set to cursed.

Reason I added it is simple:
If the cannons are already loaded right upon emerging, then they were loaded while underwater.
With WET POWDER?!?
Good luck shooting with that.

Of course the films player very high and loose with the concept of realism.
But in the mod, we tried to be a bit less overly fantasy-inspired...

Lol I know it's unrealistic, but well, this is a ship that can go underwater crewed by unkillable fishmen.

 

[Grey Roger]

@Grey Roger: Is there a "CursedPearl" ID at all?
If so, that could explain it.

Not that I can see. In "Ships_init.c" there are:
Post_curse version, given to player in "Tales of a Sea Hawk" after capturing the ship, and at the end of "Hoist the Colours":

    refShip.Name                = "BlackPearl";
    refShip.id                    = refShip.Name;

Wicked Wench:

    refShip.Name                = "WickedWench";
    refShip.All                    = "BlackPearl";
    refShip.SName                = "GaleonEngF";
    refShip.id                    = refShip.Name;

Pre-curse version, given to player by Davy Jones:

    refShip.Name                = "UncursedPearl";
    refShip.id                    = refShip.Name;

Cursed version:

    refShip.Name                = "CursedPearl";
    refShip.SName                = "CursedPearl";
    refShip.id                    = SHIP_CURSED; // Fudge Dragon: Re-enable skeletons

Can't remember if it was NK.c or AIShip.c where I inserted the immediate-reload code.
One of the two in any case.

Reason I added it is simple:
If the cannons are already loaded right upon emerging, then they were loaded while underwater.
With WET POWDER?!?
Good luck shooting with that.

Besides, as I said, the crew in the film have been doing this for ages. You have not. When you've been playing for 10 years in game time, you should have both the skill and the perks to load the cannons extremely quickly. (And then you're going to find another problem which has nothing to do with cannons and everything to do with the terms and conditions of the curse...)

 

[Grey Roger]

I chose Free Play and set my character model to Barbossa, automatically giving me the Cursed Pirate Galleon.

I waited a few weeks and the normal sails became torn, however, for some reason the fog wouldn't come out and the crew (from the sea mode not the boarding/deck mode) aren't skeletons at night.

Do I have to wait for some more time?

Yes - as I said, torn sails are stage 1, fog screen is stage 2.

Barbossa shows the cursed ship in the storyline selection screen but it's replaced by the post-curse ship immediately when you start the game. The reason is simple. You might manage to find enough coins to lift the curse. The cursed ship always has the torn sails and fog screen so you'd continue seeing them even after you lift the curse. The uncursed ship will only show torn sails and fog screen while you're cursed, like any other ship, and will stop showing them if you lift the curse.

Will try this out.

By the way - what about animists as the boarder models? Like for the Mefisto? Also, for some reason I can't pick the animists as my starting model. How come?

Because the code which detects the "BOARDERMODEL" setting doesn't recognise "Animists". It only recognises the options listed in the comment by the setting.

I think even if my skill is 10 it still reloads. The thing is whenever the Dutchman submerges, the cannons are disabled, and then when it re-emerges they have to re-load (kind of like when the ship has to remove fire). I want a way to disable this need to re-load cannons while going back up so that I can fire them instantly while the ship is resurfacing.

At what? You still need to line up on your target. As well as skill 10, make sure you have both the "Fast Reload" and "Pre-reloading" perks. Activate "Pre-reloading" as soon as you surface. By the time you're lined up to fire, the cannons will probably be ready.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I waited a few weeks and the normal sails became torn, however, for some reason the fog wouldn't come out and the crew (from the sea mode not the boarding/deck mode) aren't skeletons at night.

Do I have to wait for some more time?

Can't remember if the fog starts later than the torn sails.
I think so, yes.

But the 3D Sailing Mode crew should absolutely be immediate.
For the simple reason we have no control over that.
It's hardcoded in the game engine.

By the way - what about animists as the boarder models? Like for the Mefisto? Also, for some reason I can't pick the animists as my starting model. How come?

Perhaps the animists are set to nation BROKEN in initModels.c?

Lol I know it's unrealistic, but well, this is a ship that can go underwater crewed by unkillable fishmen.

Exactly.
It's already unrealistic.
Didn't want it to be even more realistic.

Plus, I always liked the idea of there being disadvantages to the magic in addition to the obvious pluses.
So that's why I deliberately added some reasons for players to not use them; even when they do have access to them.
In a way, there's "always a price to pay" in the hopes of making the use more strategic rather than just spamming the superpowers as often as possible.
Without this, you could use it as a cheat.
Fire your cannons, submerge so you can reload your cannons underwater while you can't be hit, then pop back up, fire, and then hide right away again.
It just seemed really cowardly and silly to me like that.

Cursed version:

refShip.Name = "CursedPearl";
refShip.SName = "CursedPearl";
refShip.id = SHIP_CURSED; // Fudge Dragon: Re-enable skeletons

Ah; that confirms it.
That final line is exactly what puts the skeletons there.

I think it could be though, also because @Lonious reports the sails didn't become torn until later,
that perhaps I gave the Barbossa Free Play character NOT the "SHIP_CURSED" at all;
but actually one of the more regular Pearls and then let the "Cursed Coin" effect run its course after.
Idea being that a player would start to notice the curse gradually after a New Game then.
With "SHIP_CURSED", it would be already immediately there right from the start, which seemed a bit more boring to me...

And then you're going to find another problem which has nothing to do with cannons and everything to do with the terms and conditions of the curse...

Or the lack of those terms and conditions...

 

[Lonious]

Because the code which detects the "BOARDERMODEL" setting doesn't recognise "Animists". It only recognises the options listed in the comment by the setting.'

I meant there is no way to choose your player character (for example, Nathaniel Hawk)'s model as an animist. I could find seemingly all else there, even the skeleton models, but couldn't find the animists for New Game.

Also, is there no way I can set the boarder models / deck crewmen models as animists? I was thinking of roleplaying as the Mefisto captain.

At what? You still need to line up on your target. As well as skill 10, make sure you have both the "Fast Reload" and "Pre-reloading" perks. Activate "Pre-reloading" as soon as you surface. By the time you're lined up to fire, the cannons will probably be ready.

Hmm, pre-loading ability doesn't seem to be one of the perks. I remember it in the stock game, but I can't find it now in New Horizons.

Is there a way to edit the code itself instead to disable this reset of the cannons while the Dutchman resurfaces?

Can't remember if the fog starts later than the torn sails.
I think so, yes.

But the 3D Sailing Mode crew should absolutely be immediate.
For the simple reason we have no control over that.
It's hardcoded in the game engine.

Ok, now the fog is working. However, the crew are still normal people...

 

[Grey Roger]

I meant there is no way to choose your player character (for example, Nathaniel Hawk)'s model as an animist. I could find seemingly all else there, even the skeleton models, but couldn't find the animists for New Game.

Edit "PROGRAM\Models\initModels.c". Find the section for "Animists1". Change this line:

model.nation      =  BROKEN;

to:

model.nation      =  PIRATE;

Now the outfit should be available for sale from the tailor standing by the gate of Nevis Pirate Settlement, and should also be playable. You will need to start a new game for this to take effect.

Also, is there no way I can set the boarder models / deck crewmen models as animists? I was thinking of roleplaying as the Mefisto captain.

See above. The code to set boarder models does not recognise "Animists".

Hmm, pre-loading ability doesn't seem to be one of the perks. I remember it in the stock game, but I can't find it now in New Horizons.

Edit "PROGRAM\InternalSettings.h". Find this line:

#define REALISTIC_ABILITIES                1

Change the 1 to 0. You should then be able to get "Pre-reloading", as well as a couple of other perks deemed "unrealistic".

Ok, now the fog is working. However, the crew are still normal people...

As @Pieter Boelen said, the crew are fixed by the game engine and can not be changed. This is also probably why they're noseless - they're not using normal character models.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Is there a way to edit the code itself instead to disable this reset of the cannons while the Dutchman resurfaces?

Yes.
It's either NK.c or AIShip.c ; search for "Dutchman".

@Grey Roger: Can you check what ship Barbossa gets assigned in initModels.c?
My suspicion is that it's not "SHIP_CURSED".

 

[Grey Roger]

@Grey Roger: Can you check what ship Barbossa gets assigned in initModels.c?
My suspicion is that it's not "SHIP_CURSED".

It is "SHIP_CURSED", which is why you see the cursed Pearl in the storyline selection screen. Then it's replaced by the post-curse Pearl in "StartStoryline.c". That's so Barbossa can lift the curse, losing the torn sails and fog screen, by finding enough cursed coins. This is the line which does it:

if (PChar.ship.type == SHIP_CURSED) GiveShip2Character(PChar,"BlackPearl",PreprocessText("#scursed_ship#"),-1,PIRATE,true,true); // So you can actually lift the curse

 

[Pieter Boelen]

AH!
That makes even more sense.

SUCH a sneaky thing to sneak in there that it snuck right by my memory.
Even if I did it myself some day...

But yep, that does confirm the behaviour I suspected.
You don't actually have the one true Cursed Pearl that way and so indeed the lack of skeletons at night is fully explained by that.

Unfortunately the way that feature was coded into the original game ensures it can apply to only one single ship type.
(Though @konradk did write in a sneaky workaround which is applied to the Crimson Blood alternative in Hoist the Colours).

 

[Mad Jack Wolfe]

If the cannons are already loaded right upon emerging, then they were loaded while underwater.
With WET POWDER?!?
Good luck shooting with that.

Pirate pixie dust. It's a Disney movie, after all.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Pirate pixie dust. It's a Disney movie, after all.

Well, what kind of random reasoning is THAT??
It's not bloody Peter Pan!

Of course it's true that clearly our community has taken the PotC fandom much more seriously than official Disney ever did.
As proven by movie 5 retconning how Jack got his compass compared to movie 2.
Which is really shamefully negligent on their part, if ye be askin' me...

But on the whole, I do like Disney.
Their recent Jungle Cruise movie was MUCH more better!

 

[Mad Jack Wolfe]

Well, what kind of random reasoning is THAT??
It's not bloody Peter Pan!

Of course it's true that clearly our community has taken the PotC fandom much more seriously than official Disney ever did.
As proven by movie 5 retconning how Jack got his compass compared to movie 2.
Which is really shamefully negligent on their part, if ye be askin' me...

But on the whole, I do like Disney.
Their recent Jungle Cruise movie was MUCH more better!

I hate retconning in general, but that particular retcon takes the cake. Wouldn't command have fallen to Teague, Jack's dad? Though Teague didn't look all that much older than Jack in the flashback scene.

One thing I've always appreciated is the community picking up and properly fleshing out Jack's running afoul of the East India company. Beautifully done and tastefully handled.

And Jungle Cruise is a super fun film! I was happy to see its sequel get the green light to proceed.

 

[Lonious]

Yes.
It's either NK.c or AIShip.c ; search for "Dutchman".

It looks like it's in NK.c. Here's what I found:

if(stf(rCharacter.ship.SubmergeDutchman) <= stf(rCharacter.ship.CorrectImmersion))
{
rCharacter.ship.immersion = rCharacter.ship.CorrectImmersion;
//Ship_ChangeCharge(rCharacter, sti(rCharacter.Ship.Cannons.Charge.Type)); // Reload cannons
gX = 0; gY = 15 - stf(rCharacter.ship.SubmergeDutchman); gZ = 16;
CreateParticleSystemX("dutchman_emerge",fX - gX*cos(fAY) + gZ*sin(fAY), fY + gY, fZ + gX*sin(fAY) + gZ*cos(fAY), 0.0, 3.0, 0.0, 2);
gX = 0; gY = 0; gZ = 30;
CreateParticleSystemX("dutchman_emerge",fX - gX*cos(fAY) + gZ*sin(fAY), fY + gY, fZ + gX*sin(fAY) + gZ*cos(fAY), 0.0, 3.0, 0.0, 2);
gX = 0; gY = 0; gZ = 20;
CreateParticleSystemX("dutchman_emerge",fX - gX*cos(fAY) + gZ*sin(fAY), fY + gY, fZ + gX*sin(fAY) + gZ*cos(fAY), 0.0, 3.0, 0.0, 2);
gX = 0; gY = 0; gZ = 10;
CreateParticleSystemX("dutchman_emerge",fX - gX*cos(fAY) + gZ*sin(fAY), fY + gY, fZ + gX*sin(fAY) + gZ*cos(fAY), 0.0, 3.0, 0.0, 2);
gX = 0; gY = 0; gZ = -10;
CreateParticleSystemX("dutchman_emerge",fX - gX*cos(fAY) + gZ*sin(fAY), fY + gY, fZ + gX*sin(fAY) + gZ*cos(fAY), 0.0, 3.0, 0.0, 2);
gX = 0; gY = 0; gZ = -20;
CreateParticleSystemX("dutchman_emerge",fX - gX*cos(fAY) + gZ*sin(fAY), fY + gY, fZ + gX*sin(fAY) + gZ*cos(fAY), 0.0, 3.0, 0.0, 2);
gX = 0; gY = 0; gZ = -30;
CreateParticleSystemX("dutchman_emerge",fX - gX*cos(fAY) + gZ*sin(fAY), fY + gY, fZ + gX*sin(fAY) + gZ*cos(fAY), 0.0, 3.0, 0.0, 2);
DeleteAttribute(rCharacter, "ship.SubmergeDutchman");
DeleteAttribute(rCharacter, "ship.EmergeDutchman");
DeleteAttribute(rCharacter, "ship.PlayedSplash");
}
else
rCharacter.ship.immersion = rCharacter.ship.SubmergeDutchman;
}
}
}

What must be done here?

I also find the Dutchman to be kind of slow. I couldn't even catch up with some of the smaller ships like the lugger/schooner. The Dutchman is supposed to be the second fastest ship in the franchise, and IIRC isn't even affected by the wind.

 

[Grey Roger]

According to "Ships_init.c", the base speed for the Flying Dutchman is 15.5 for the cursed version, 15.0 for the uncursed version. The lugger's speed is 11.5 (some variants are a bit slower), while the schooner's is 14.5. Actual speed will depend on the wind and on the captain's sailing skill and perks. So, with a skilled captain, the Dutchman should indeed be able to outrun those ships.

But you're starting out with low skills, while that lugger which outran you probably had a well-skilled captain. Additionally, if you start the game with a large ship such as the Dutchman, your "Leadership" and "Sailing" skills won't be high enough for a tier 3 ship so you'll be penalised and be even less capable of sailing the ship efficiently. And, of course, while the Dutchman can sail into the wind, so can a lugger or schooner because of their sail layouts.

Basically, you may look like Davy Jones and have his ship, but unlike the film character, you haven't been sailing it for years on end.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I hate retconning in general, but that particular retcon takes the cake. Wouldn't command have fallen to Teague, Jack's dad? Though Teague didn't look all that much older than Jack in the flashback scene.

Don't remember what happened there at all.
Was Teague there at all??

One thing I've always appreciated is the community picking up and properly fleshing out Jack's running afoul of the East India company. Beautifully done and tastefully handled.

Admittedly inspired on the official backstory.
There's something seen in an excellent why-was-it-deleted scene from At World's End.
And a vaguely similar story happens in the "Price of Freedom" prequel novel, written by the same author as the Star Wars Han Solo prequel trilogy.
Maybe one day I should re-read it; now knowing it was written by someone who did care about delivering quality.

And Jungle Cruise is a super fun film! I was happy to see its sequel get the green light to proceed.

Yes indeed!
Here's to hoping they can keep it up for part 2.
My bet is on something more Vernian, this time 'round.
A volcano was mentioned after all; and to me, in a setting like that, it makes me think of Snæfells in Iceland.

What must be done here?

Ah; it's these lines from PROGRAM\NK.c:

            if(stf(rCharacter.ship.SubmergeDutchman)-48 <= stf(rCharacter.ship.CorrectImmersion) && sti(GetAttribute(rCharacter, "ship.PlayedSplash")) == 1)
            {
                Ship_ChangeCharge(rCharacter, sti(rCharacter.Ship.Cannons.Charge.Type));

Put '\\' in front of that Ship_ChangeCharge line to make the game ignore it.

I also find the Dutchman to be kind of slow. I couldn't even catch up with some of the smaller ships like the lugger/schooner. The Dutchman is supposed to be the second fastest ship in the franchise, and IIRC isn't even affected by the wind.

She actually DOES have some code to help her really sail into the wind in PROGRAM\SEA_AI\AIShip.c:

    if(HasSubStr(GetAttribute(rCharacter, "ship.type"), "Dutchman"))        // Sailing Against the Wind
    {
        switch(sti(rCharacter.LastSailState))
        {
            case 0:
                rCharacter.Ship.Impulse.Rotate.z = 0.0;
            break;
            case 1:
                rCharacter.Ship.Impulse.Rotate.z = 1/10 * 0.2;
            break;
            case 2:
                rCharacter.Ship.Impulse.Rotate.z = 2/10 * 0.2;
            break;
        }
    }

But of course that still doesn't mean she's a motorboat and her speed is independent from the wind altogether.
If you want that, we've got Steam Frigates for that purpose.

And, of course, while the Dutchman can sail into the wind, so can a lugger or schooner because of their sail layouts.

Though the luggers and schooners not quite to the same extent.
They don't have a literally magical boost.

 

[Mad Jack Wolfe]

Don't remember what happened there at all.
Was Teague there at all??

The costume is the dead giveaway.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

The costume is the dead giveaway.

You're 100% correct!
That can only be one man.
And wow does his face NOT look like his older self!!

Kind-of begs the question why the guy would still be wearing the same clothes a dozen years later.
But thats a mystery for another day...

I wonder...
Was there ever much if any decent tie-in material with the later PotC films?
Novels, comics, that sort of stuff?

In theory, I'd say if done well, a piratey universe with fantasy elements COULD have the potential of a Star Wars or Marvel level of connectedness.
Would be pretty darn cool too, if you'd be askin' me!
Especially if done with some level of seriousness and respect (plus good-natured fun).

Though of course not even Indiana Jones really got that.
Which is a cryin' shame, because that world (minus the sci-fi) is COOOL!!!