Build 14 Beta 1

[Black Bart]

I've noticed a few grammer/language issues in Malcolms tutorial text so have been editing his file, and i've got about 10 points/issues so far in the short play i've had time to undertake. I haven't had time to browse all the forum to see where we are in realtion to know issues, or worked out how to log into the bug tracker thing(is that working like before?), but will get around to all that as i find the time.

I really like the new map and it's use in game, that is an awesome addition. In general stuff seems much harder, even on the lowest difficulty level. I've had to fight off three mutiny attempts, been killed three times, and lost all my money due to poor trading choices! This pirate lark is not for the faint hearted! Overall i'm loving what has been achieved and where it all seems to be heading, and time permitting will enjoy getting back into giving a hand where i can. Now i'm off to play some more, so give me time to get a hang of things again :

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Be sure to post your grammar-fixed files once you're done! That always bothers me.

And also let us know the issues you ran into.

 

[Armada]

Ah, this reminds me, we'll probably need to go through some of the text in the game for the clean-up process soon.
I seem to recall seeing a great many grammatical/spelling errors when I last played through some of the storylines. :mm

 

[Black Bart]

Ok the 'Malcolm Hatcher_dialog.h' file goes in:

Program Files\Bethesda Softworks\Pirates of the Caribbean\PROGRAM\Storyline\standard\DIALOGS\ENGLISH

---------------------------------------

I've noticed some uses of odd menu commands in the tutorial that do not equate exactly to the keyboard commands given in the Default Key Assignments.txt, so i've made sure all(i hope) references now tie in with the .txt file(tell me if there any errors here, as i'm still getting my feet wet, again!).

I've also added the 'Z' key for dodge! and at the beggining of the txt file have added a quick summary of how to use the keyboard to select dialogue options, as this is a common question, and caught me out at first also!

I've used word to check spelling and grammer, and i guess it is a bit neater now, although the english used is actual english for some key words(i figure american english was still being formed during this time?).

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Brilliant; thanks very much!

 

[Black Bart]

Malcolm's an odd character, he speaks like an officer often, even though he looks like he rose through the ranks, so he uses a few more "Cap'n" phrases instead of mostly "Captain" now, a better mix of both to fit with his look and (fabricated) background. I've also tried to change the out of character stuff, which i'm sure was just for fun, but some of it really didn't fit, and as a new player to the game you want the character to be believable. Also some of the players responses didn't always work, so i've tried to make them more natural for the character and game background. If i could i'd only use authentic 17th centuary english, but well i'm not expert enough on that, and we need to understand what's going on!

Glad to help as always, and time permitting will go through as many text files as i can, alongside playing the build, so i may be some time!

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I had a quick look through your changes; looks good, mate!
The only thing I wondered about is the capitalization of Captain/Cap'n, but that doesn't really matter too much either way. I suppose it suggests some extra repect towards his superior officer.

As for remaining in-character, I always wondered how you can make a tutorial in our type of games somewhat believable?
Here we have any character teaching the player how to do his job, while he's already a captain.
The only REAL way I can think of is to suggest the passing of a lot of time between the tutorial parts and the rest of the game and have the player promoted to captain AFTER that.
Not that I'm suggesting we do that for our game; it's not quite important enough, is it?

 

[Armada]

Concerning American English, I think odd use here and there might be forgiveable in the last two game periods, but British English should prevail throughout.
Some US ship names do use US spellings, but I'm not sure how accurate that is for the time.

While authentic 17th century English would be more accurate, you're right that most people wouldn't understand it nowadays. :
I guess as long as we don't use any modern words or colloquialisms, there shouldn't be any problems.

As for capitalising 'Captain/Cap'n', that IS grammatically correct, when addressing someone by this title. Same for any title, really. (e.g. "Yes, Sir!", "Aye, aye, Cap'n!")
The only time it isn't capitalised is when referring to 'captain' as a general noun. (e.g. A captain of a ship.)

In response to Pieter's point about Nathaniel already being a captain, perhaps we could say that he's only just been promoted, and still 'learning the ropes' of his new position.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

In the American Army a new officer is paired with an experienced sergeant. The kid gives the orders, but the Old Dawg can countermand him at any time. That is how I see the relationship between Malcolm and Nathaniel. The old Bosun and his still wet behind the ears Captain.


Speaking of 17th century English, a book of phrases were given to me last Christmas. Here be a small sampling of it.

Now there was a true word as ever was heard spoke.
[narr/nowoo tharr/theyarr/theyerr warss\warr/were a troo ward as ebber/e'er warss\warr/were 'arrd/'eard/harrd spooke/spo'ooke]
that's the truth; you speak the truth

<"Your name wouldn't be Henry Morgan, would it?" "Now there was a true word as ever was heard spoke."> (David Noble & Henry Morgan, Dead Man's Chest 128)

 

[Black Bart]

I started using capitalization for Captain when it was used as a form of address, but thinking on it there are a few uses where it should be a small 'c' as in simply describing the function of the title. I'll check over and see how many times that occours and maybe post that re-edit(should be good for the next beta patch though as is?). Still as is, it reads a little more fluidly than previous. For the main first part a new player comes too, this is important - leave the in-jokes/contemporary humour and phrases for other places etc?

As for starting as a Captain, this was the 17th centurary - the class structure in the societies of europe were all alive and well. If you came from the right background(as in the upper class), you were automatically an 'Officer' and along those lines it was possible to be a Captain young and inexperienced. I suspect before Nathanial Hawk(in this case) came to the Caribbean he would have had some training back home(where ever that was), so he won't be completely useless(but history is full of actual useless upper class officers and their failings!). It was different times, with different rules to a large extent. We developed our meritocracies out of these structures.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I wouldn't worry too much about the capitalization; seems fine to me.

 

[Black Bart]

Well here is the same file with all refrences to captain/cap'n in capitals only when addressed to the player, instances like in the skill descriptions, e.g. 'useful for a captain to know in these waters' etc are all lower case. Captains Cabin has been capitalized and put in brackets when Malcolm is instructing the player on the location as part of the tutorial etc. Small changes, but the file should be good to go now and a little clearer.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Cool, mate; thanks very much!

 

[Black Bart]

Ok here are the dialogue 'fixes', all files here overwrite any i gave above.

To go in, '\Program Files\Bethesda Softworks\Pirates of the Caribbean\PROGRAM\Storyline'

'standard.c'

Changes: Starting player flag now the 'Pirates Ahoy!' flag(5), rather than the current Polish flag(0). You have a few flags from 0 to 6, just change the value in 'sl.(sn).start.Flags.Personal = x;' - where 'x' is the required number.

Opening quest introduction for New Horizons has been adjusted to improve the english and feel.

Starting ships name changed to 'Pegasus', just to be a better fit with the 'Lugger1' model used at game start(it has a Pegasus figurehead after all!). I'm sure we all change it anyway, but 'Victory' was not quite fitting for this ship!

-------------------------------------------------
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To go in, '...\Program Files\Bethesda Softworks\Pirates of the Caribbean\PROGRAM\Storyline\standard\DIALOGS\ENGLISH'

Malcolm Hatcher_dialog.h

Oweyn McDorey_dialog.h

Alan Milds_dialog.h

Robert Christopher Silehard_dialog.h

Martinho Guterres_dialog.h

Thomas O'Reily_dialog.h

Changes have been to improve english, correct mistakes and in the case of the shop keepers(Shipwright and Store owners), to try to ensure specific terms like 'sell' are not used as frequently, especially in cases where the player may only have stuff to 'buy' etc. So terms like 'trade', 'deal' with neutral refrences to actual selling or buying have been used. Your only available dialogue is not 'I have some goods i wish to sell'(even when you dont!) to get into the trade screens now. See what you think.

In the case of Malcolm Hatcher i've attempted to make him less an old friend, and more of your instructor(as he is a senior figure on the ship, now First Mate.), but he will speak to you with a little more respect for his new young captain. So the relationship has changed a little to better fit your arrival in the game world as a new captain. Most of the dialogue is the same, just a few key aspects have been changed, but overall it feels a little tighter, and mistakes of english have been removed.

Robert Christopher Silehard has had some small tweaks to his dialogue, just to make him seem a bit more of a pompous twit, but also to improve the detail of the early conversation with him and remove the odd 'modernism' that had crept in, there was also one small error in part of his conversation after you give him details of the french fleet.

------------------------------------------------
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To go in, '...\Program Files\Bethesda Softworks\Pirates of the Caribbean\PROGRAM\DIALOGS\ENGLISH'

Duarte Correja_dialog.h

And it's associated file:

Duarte Correja_dialog.c

Which goes in '\Program Files\Bethesda Softworks\Pirates of the Caribbean\PROGRAM\DIALOGS

This was a bit screwed up, it looks like the code format had been changed in the ..dialog.c file, which meant you got a weird conversation when first talking to this guy, i had to change a name reference in that code to make sense of it, and now it's finally fixed(i think this was one i spotted way back in build 12!!). Horray!

And that is it for now. Just simple stuff, but quite a bit that covers the players early start in the game and hopefully improves the english of the game. I'll start on the rest as i come across it.

EDIT: just check the Thomas O'Reily_dialog.h download - looking at it as it appears on here it seems to have a '\' inserted in the name of the file, which is odd as the file i uploaded it from does not? So it may need to be editted before going in game.

EDIT2: If you want, in 'Martinho Guterres_dialog.h', in his line(line 19), "I'm looking for a deal on some personal items." you can make it, "I'm looking for a good deal on some personal items." - just noticed that, sorry!

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Brilliant; thanks very much!

The Standard storyline starting ship is being changed to "LuggerVML"; not sure if that messes up your changed ship name.
Indeed I do agree that "Victory" wasn't the best name; that suggests a huge ship and not a tiny lugger.
(I like where it says on the PotC Wiki that SIlehard's ship was sunk by the Victory. Wha? Nathaniel sinks a manowar with his old LUGGER???
It was somewhere on here, but I can't find it anymore in a hurry: http://pirates.wikia.com/wiki/Pirates_of_the_Caribbean_(game))

I don't know why you weren't added to the "Modders" group before now, but I've rectified that mistake.
Welcome to the club, mate!

 

[Black Bart]

........

The Standard storyline starting ship is being changed to "LuggerVML"; not sure if that messes up your changed ship name.
Indeed I do agree that "Victory" wasn't the best name; that suggests a huge ship and not a tiny lugger.
(I like where it says on the PotC Wiki that SIlehard's ship was sunk by the Victory. Wha? Nathaniel sinks a manowar with his old LUGGER???
It was somewhere on here, but I can't find it anymore in a hurry: http://pirates.wikia.com/wiki/Pirates_of_the_Caribbean_(game))

Well the model for the LuggerVML has a golden horses head as it's figure head, maybe 'Sea Horse' might fit better for that model? Of course people will want to change the name, but we might as well ty to give a default name that fits with the ships look.

The most important change in that 'standard.c' file was the New Horizon quest setting intro, as the previous one had quite messy english all over. So not a great first impression!

Still Pirate KK(i'm assuming it was he that wrote it?) was amazing at the stuff he could do with the code, so we can't all be perfect (Where are you Pirate KK?)

If i have the stats right, the LuggerVML is faster(14.5) but with a slightly smaller cargo hold(904) than the old Lugger1 that was used? I was going to suggest a smaller cargo hold for the starting ship, so that seems to be a good choice. Also the model of the VML is much more detailed and realistic looking, so another plus point :b:

I don't know why you weren't added to the "Modders" group before now, but I've rectified that mistake.
Welcome to the club, mate!

Well i've always been an 'ideas' guy first and foremost, and compared to some of the amazing people we've had on board and have on board the good ship 'Build Mod', i'd not class myself as a 'modder'. I know very little about coding, but i'm always happy to stick my oar in and try to polish things up a bit. Maybe i'd make a good deck-hand rather than modder

But thanks very much and i'll try to help contribute to the project where i can, as i feel we have come so far since build mod 12, that it would be a shame to not cross the finish line with this amazing effort. Even with AoP and that source code release, i still feel PotC(+Build Mod) is the most 'complete' pirate-sim available.

Next i'll post up my 53 point(so far) 'impressions and stuff i noticed so far' list, probably start a new thread for it. But also maybe i'll go play some more :

p.s. I've added a couple of EDITS: to my post above with the download files, you may want to read them?

 

[Pieter Boelen]

You've modded the dialog files. And we've been known to add people to the group also who are just serious about testing and reporting issues and never modded anything.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

I've been renaming the starting Lugger to "Sea Horse" for a long time. It just goes with the horse theme.

The Lugger VML! It has a working compass you know, but it doesn't point North. Methinks it's about 30-40 degrees off. I found that out when I used it for navigation and ran into the wrong island completely. Be prepared for many comments.

Welcome to the Modders Black Bart! You have already done more than I ever have.

 

[Black Bart]

Grrrr....ok one error in Robet Christopher Silehard_dialog.h still exists. a "\nTry to understand that I have no alternative."[line 54]

Anyway here is the file without that error(an easy one to spot - it's been around for a while i think?) hmm maybe check it with winmerge Pieter, just to be sure!

My main effort today has been to try to adjust the exp given out in the 'MAXIMUS_Functions.c' file. I've made some hacky progress, but i think the main issue is that in 3D sailing mode it gives out exp every 30 game mins!! And the top end of that tends to be +1000 exp for your char and each officer in your active officers slots. I haven't been able to reduce that particular bonus, but i've some success with general non-sailing in 3D direct sail mode exp, and this time i got to Jamaica to speak to the governor at level 2!!(via La Granada for a trade stop).

@Hylie Pistoff, yeah 'Sea Horse' is a good small ships name and it fits the Lugger VML perfectly

 

[Pieter Boelen]

"\n" is supposed to mean "start the next line" or so.