Mod Release "Equalizer" mod for German version 1.40 that allows proper updates

[Mr.Zz]

Hi @Modder01 I don't know who to turn to, and I know you had a Repack of the Original Supermod on ModDB, is it still possible to download that Mod somewhere? I just realized that my Version of Ao-CT is a Version from a german computer-games magazine which is weirdly enough NOT UPDATEABLE?! It's of version 1.40 of the game but updates 1.42 and 1.5 won't work on it, because they need v 1.41. Although some of Cerez' mods seem to work I would like to play a fully updated original "supermod" version of the game and I read on a german forum that the CyberOps supermod works with my weird version of the game because it includes all patch/update files which are then dropped into th install folder.

Maybe someone has an idea or even a link to the Cyberops-Mod?

If this is unfitting for this thread i will gladly move my quation into a new one, but since I know you once had the original Supermod on ModDB i thought this might be a fittign spot.

Best.

 

[Modder01]

Hi @Modder01 I don't know who to turn to, and I know you had a Repack of the Original Supermod on ModDB, is it still possible to download that Mod somewhere? I just realized that my Version of Ao-CT is a Version from a german computer-games magazine which is weirdly enough NOT UPDATEABLE?! It's of version 1.40 of the game but updates 1.42 and 1.5 won't work on it, because they need v 1.41. Although some of Cerez' mods seem to work I would like to play a fully updated original "supermod" version of the game and I read on a german forum that the CyberOps supermod works with my weird version of the game because it includes all patch/update files which are then dropped into th install folder.

Maybe someone has an idea or even a link to the Cyberops-Mod?

If this is unfitting for this thread i will gladly move my quation into a new one, but since I know you once had the original Supermod on ModDB i thought this might be a fittign spot.

Best.

Both v5.0 and v4.0 are builds off of the cyberops mod. v4.0 works with a downloaded game, v5.0 is an improved standalone version of v4.0.

 

[Cerez]

Worth noting, @Mr.Zz, that if you have a lot of trouble with the old German release, GOG sells a DRM-free, downloadable, current copy of the game (German language included) for well under $10 that works fine with most mods -- not sure if it works with HIS 4.0, but I assume it would, as well (although I would highly recommend the 5.0 release over 4.0, as it has a lot of additional game fixes and improvements): Sea Dogs: Caribbean Tales

 

[Modder01]

Worth noting, @Mr.Zz, that if you have a lot of trouble with the old German release, GOG sells a DRM-free, downloadable, current copy of the game (German language included) for well under $10 that works fine with most mods -- not sure if it works with HIS 4.0, but I assume it would, as well (although I would highly recommend the 5.0 release over 4.0, as it has a lot of additional game fixes and improvements): Sea Dogs: Caribbean Tales

v4.0 does work with the GOG version, however all the enhancements for v4.0 are English based I'm afraid.

 

[Mr.Zz]

Thanks for the help and ideas you two @Cerez @Modder01 ! I don't necessarily care for the german localisation as i prefer to play it in english anyway and altough 5 bucks are not much i thought to myself there's gotta be a way to get this "1.40 magazine" version updated and patched to the latest one - and I actually got it working!

This is a long one:

I downloaded the official patch 1.50 and couldn't install it, as i described above, since all you get is a message "Age of Pirates - Caribbean Tales is not installed" which is utter bull**** of course, but it checks for version 1.41, and I suspect that the magazine version (Computerbild Spiele) is missing that version flag or something.

So i though to myself "what would this patch actually do to the install folder? Probably just replace some files in the install folder with newer ones". I tried unpacking the .exe with 7zip and some other unpackers, but no luck. I tried various method i found online, with unpacking in windows terminal, weird batch-file tricks and some messing around in the temps folder, all with no luck. I then found a program called "Universal Extractor 1.61". With this i was able to unpack the Patch 1.50 into its components. It had a folder called {app} which included a very similar file hierarchy as the install folder, with "engine.exe", "program" folder and "resource" and so on. Also "protect.dll" and "protect.exe" - yes, starforce. We'll come to that later though. First I copied over all content of the {app} folder into my AoP Install-folder and clicked replace, when prompted. I didn't want starforce to infest my system so i was very careful going on from here. Just starting the engine.exe started a starforce install which i could stop by clicking "no". OK. next i deleted "protect.dll and .exe from the folder and s´double clicked engine.exe - "starforce is missing from this system" was the rompt i was greeted with. OK. Here's where I downloaded a certain "no-DVD" including engine.exe, program/quests/quests_reaction.c, and some /modules/.dlls from a site I won't name here since i believe i'ts not allowed. I copied all of these into the Install-folder and at least the game did start now! But weird things kept happening, for example i had weird micro-stuttering the whole time while playing and these became worse. 5 crashes in 5 hours later, and i though i should investigate. I found out that immediately when starting the game, my cpu got loaded up to 98!!! %. I have a 12-core, 24 Thread system! Something was not right here! I replaced the engine.exe with the engine.exe from the Historical Immersion Supermod v.04 AAAAAAND everything worked perfectly now!

Afterwards I could install all of Cerez' Mods without any problems. I now run the updated version 1.5 vanilla, Supermod v5.0 Standalone, Supermod v4.0, and version 1.5 with Cerez' patches all in individual folders in my "Games" folder and can play each version when desired. phew.

So finally this is a working way to update the game-magazine-version (Computerbild Spiele) of AoP-CT to version 1.50, which was thought "un-updateable" on all german foums i searched on. I think i'd like to make an english/german tutorial thread for this so others don't need to figure this out but I have aquestion and I need your help here: When I, instead of using the no-DVD files, use the similar named modules/xxxxx.dlls (Location.dll, sea.dll, Soundservice.dll, Xinterface.dll) and the /program/quests/quest_reactions.c from the HI Supermod v.4, I get a "visual C++ runtime error" when starting the game. So i have to use the .exe from the HI-mod but the files from the no-dvd patch (modules/xxxxx.dlls (Location.dll, sea.dll, Soundservice.dll, Xinterface.dll) and the /program/quests/quest_reactions.c). I guess i will have to find another way for me to be able to provide a small v. 1.50 patch archive for the game magazine version, right? Or would you think it is ok to combine the unpacked 1.50 patch, these files from the no-dvd-archive and the HI-Supermod engine.exe into a special 1.4x to 1.5 patch?

It would be reat to provide this for all my fellow players from germany who can not use their game-magazine-version with a lot of the mods due to not being able to update.

Sorry for this huge post and all my questions.

Best.

 

[Cerez]

I think i'd like to make an english/german tutorial thread for this so others don't need to figure this out but I have aquestion and I need your help here: When I, instead of using the no-DVD files, use the similar named modules/xxxxx.dlls (Location.dll, sea.dll, Soundservice.dll, Xinterface.dll) and the /program/quests/quest_reactions.c from the HI Supermod v.4, I get a "visual C++ runtime error" when starting the game. So i have to use the .exe from the HI-mod but the files from the no-dvd patch (modules/xxxxx.dlls (Location.dll, sea.dll, Soundservice.dll, Xinterface.dll) and the /program/quests/quest_reactions.c). I guess i will have to find another way for me to be able to provide a small v. 1.50 patch archive for the game magazine version, right? Or would you think it is ok to combine the unpacked 1.50 patch, these files from the no-dvd-archive and the HI-Supermod engine.exe into a special 1.4x to 1.5 patch?

The fact that it's saying "visual C++ runtime error" suggests to me that it is referring either to missing an appropriate version of the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library installed, or to a mismatch in the DLL library files with the EXE file, as the game code is actually witten in C, not C++.

Beyond that, I say use that which works in this case? Just make sure you scan them for malicious code if they are modified files, and to playtest the game thoroughly before releasing the patch -- so that we know that the game is stable enough and of any new, strange bugs that may potentially show from this version of the game.

If I may, I really like your determination in getting this to work and your compassion shown for others here. I think sharing your knowledge/work and earned experience as a tutorial and/or patch for fellow gamers with a similar, previously purchased release of the game is a great idea. ^_^

 

[Mr.Zz]

Hey @Cerez Thanks so much, yes you may haha ^^

I playtested for several hours now, a very, very smooth experience, no crashes whatsoever and all works very well.

I've thrown together a patch archive which i've called the "Equalizer" patch.

Here's the Readme.

The Patch Archive is about 57 MB.

I am a bit confused with the FTP, can I upload the patch there? Sorry, still a total noob here on the forum.

Oh and sorry @Modder01 for somehow hijacking this thread, I'll make a dedicated one with a link once i found a way to upload it. Without you and everyones wotk here this patch would not have been possible though, thanks so much.

Best, Mr.Zz

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I am a bit confused with the FTP, can I upload the patch there?

How would you want to share it? We can probably figure something out.

 

[Cerez]

I am a bit confused with the FTP, can I upload the patch there? Sorry, still a total noob here on the forum.

I think the safest thing would be for you to open a dedicated Dropbox account for it, upload it there, and provide a share link to the file anywhere you wish to (here in a dedicated thread, on ModDB, on other sites, etc.) -- that way if there are any complaints (which I doubt there will be), it can be taken down without damage to the modding community.

Oh and sorry @Modder01 for somehow hijacking this thread, I'll make a dedicated one with a link once i found a way to upload it. Without you and everyones wotk here this patch would not have been possible though, thanks so much.

@Pieter, any chance you can split these last few, long, Equalizer development related posts into a new thread (perhaps starting with this one)? For @Modder01 and the HI mod's sake, to bring the thread back on topic. Thanks.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I think the safest thing would be for you to open a dedicated Dropbox account for it, upload it there, and provide a share link to the file anywhere you wish to (here in a dedicated thread, on ModDB, on other sites, etc.) -- that way if there are any complaints (which I doubt there will be), it can be taken down without damage to the modding community.

Why not put it here?
Downloads - AoP: Historical Immersion Mod v5.0 (Standalone) for Age of Pirates: Caribbean Tales

@Pieter, any chance you can split these last few, long, Equalizer development related posts into a new thread (perhaps starting with this one)? For @Modder01 and the HI mod's sake, to bring the thread back on topic. Thanks.

Done. I hope I came up with a good title, but if anyone has any better ideas, I'll be happy to change it.

P.S.: User @Pieter is someone else than me, so if you tag him, I won't get a notification.
Thanksfully I do generally have a look at all posts on the forum, regardless of that. That's my job as staff member, after all.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

OT: Is Dropbox a viable option? I had one for years but it was always locked due to too much traffic, and that was only for POTC stuff.

 

[Cerez]

Why not put it here?
Downloads - AoP: Historical Immersion Mod v5.0 (Standalone) for Age of Pirates: Caribbean Tales

Done. I hope I came up with a good title, but if anyone has any better ideas, I'll be happy to change it.

Well, it's not really related to the HI mod in specific, more to the 1.40 version of the game in general. I'm only worried about the use of the modified DLL files, and I don't know if this 1.40 version was intended as a demo/prototype or a full version to own of the game officially.

Thanks Pieter. ^_^ The title sounds excellent to me. @Mr.Zz?

OT: Is Dropbox a viable option? I had one for years but it was always locked due to too much traffic, and that was only for POTC stuff.

I still host all my mods on it. It's stable, fast, and very much viable as long as the traffic is not too large (at which point it requires a paid subscription to continue). I've never actually reached that bandwidth threshold. For a specific patch like this, I think it is well suited. Perhaps for a large and popular mod it may not be.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Well, it's not really related to the HI mod in specific, more to the 1.40 version of the game in general.

When posted there, it'll show up under the game and under the mod.
That seems fair enough, since people with this game version of want to use the mod may want to know it exists too.

I'd suggest posting it as an "add-on", rather than a "file" like we did here too:
Addons - Pirates of the Caribbean: New Horizons mod for Pirates of the Caribbean
The ENB and Intel Graphics fixes aren't mod-related either.

Thanks Pieter. ^_^ The title sounds excellent to me.

Thanks for confirming.

 

[Mr.Zz]

Thanks so much for the help and cleaning up/creating this thread! Sorry for disapperaing everyone!