[MoO] Master of Orion 2 unofficial patch

[Rocco.40]

Some quick initial feedbacks:

[...]
4. mod_order is not used, I simply didn't need it. I kept it for compatibility but users can sort the mods visually as they please right in the launcher, and the order is preserved in the ORION2.CFG.
5. the tool has been fairly tested, but there may be unexpected scenarios, let me know if you find any issues, the code is pretty clean and I can fix them right away.

4. I don't like that orion2.cfg is used by the tool, since that way it breaks MOO2 Launcher compatibility. Why not use an own orion2.cfg, for example 'O2M.CFG' and load that instead. That way, both launchers can be used.
(do: ORION150.EXE /c=O2M.CFG)
5. If you create a new mod with 'From a Predefined Template' "Core", such mod will create error and not run because it creates following line:
"format mod_name = 1 r 546 419;"
that line by default is written as:
"format mod_name = "Mod: $MOD$" 1 r 546 419;"
can also be written for example as:
"format mod_name = - 1 r 546 419;"

and question: are 'user settings' not editable from the tool?

edit: small thing: food and money are shown doubled in races editor, eg -1, 2, 4 food instead of -1/2, 1, 2

 

[Ponkyo]

I've uploaded a saved game with a problem. Attack Mecklon V. The planet does not have a radiation shield, so why aren't the interceptors doing any damage to the planet?

 

[Rocco.40]

I've uploaded a saved game with a problem. Attack Mecklon V. The planet does not have a radiation shield, so why aren't the interceptors doing any damage to the planet?

planet has Class III ship shield as can be observed when scanning the planet, the fighters only have mass drivers, so can't harm planet.

 

[Rocco.40]

Version 1.2 with minor improvements:
- added an option in settings whether to overwrite ORION2.CFG or not. For example, your launcher never worked for me so I have no reason to be compatible with it.
- added a Find All feature in Free Edit, very useful for finding all similar terms when you're not sure what you're looking for.
You should put this on your site so all MOO2 fans can use it, not many people will find it here and I don't have a site where to put it either. Unless you find some bugs or make changes to the JSON, most likely there won't be any other releases for a while since I have other stuff to do at the moment.

1. don't really see why such option is needed, but by enabling overwrite by default you are basically reintroducing the problem of incompatibility for the average user.
2. ok, nice addition

I like the race (and race variant) and tech tree editing that your tool can do. The interface for the tech tree makes that tech tree can be sucessfully modded without the need of a supporting excel sheet.
Hopefully in future the tool can handle 150i and ice mods properly. So I might add your tool to the website at some point when I am reasonably sure there are no significant bugs, but not when its breaking MOO2 Launcher compatibility by default.

 

[Ponkyo]

The option is needed so the game can be started directly through orion150.exe without parameters. Not sure what compatibility it breaks anyway, the files are literally the same.

I would have expected more enthusiasm from your side, yet I only sense indifference and hostility. I've put lots of effort into making this and the value should be somewhere around $5000 which I pretty much donated to your project, but I suppose you simply don't need it. I guess our collaboration is over then, have a nice day.

 

[Rocco.40]

The option is needed so the game can be started directly through orion150.exe without parameters. Not sure what compatibility it breaks anyway, the files are literally the same.

Files are not literally the same since O2M removes the following lines:
include ?150\lbx\$LANG$\$LANG$.CFG; # language specific lbxs. (< this loads the help files plus the important file estrings.lbx)
include ?150\ENABLE.CFG; # marks enabled mods.

Also O2M writes mod lines in that file, for example if you played GM3 map via O2M, ORION2.CFG is adjusted with:
enable MAP5_GM3; # load mod "GoodMap3"
Thus, next time a new game is started with MOO2 Launcher, no matter the map you choose there it will be overridden with that GM3.

I would have expected more enthusiasm from your side, yet I only sense indifference and hostility. I've put lots of effort into making this and the value should be somewhere around $5000 which I pretty much donated to your project, but I suppose you simply don't need it. I guess our collaboration is over then, have a nice day.

This is very unexpected. First of all, can you point me to the text that you find 'hostile' here, since I really don't know what you mean?

About 'indifference', Alex has made quite a few substantial code changes to accomodate / enable your tool. I have answered all your tech tree questions and have taken a look at all 3 of your releases 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2 and happily provided some feedback for it. We have taken you very seriously so far!

Your tool has cool features and it shows many hours of work went into it. I do consider O2M to be in beta still, wanted to do more testings with it, and I don't want O2M and MOO2 Launcher to get in each others way, that's why I carefully wrote that I might add it to the website at some point. I don't understand the upset honestly and really do not see why our collaboration should so hastily come to an end.

 

[plasmacannon]

Hey Rocco.40 Great work as always!
I just downloaded the .14 version.
It's been a while since I've downloaded this. I've completely forgotten where to extract them to, or move them once they've been extracted.
I checked post #1, but I didn't see a set of instructions.
Can you reenlighten me?
Do we copy some of the files to the 1.50 folder, and some to the launcher folder,
or is there an installer that does this for us that I missed?
It wants to create a new MOO2-1.50.14 folder

 

[Rocco.40]

[...]
I checked post #1, but I didn't see a set of instructions.
Can you reenlighten me? [...]

Hey!. Great you're about to play latest MOO2 1.50 again!
Can you try following instructions as set out in the readme file section "HOW TO UPDATE TO 1.50":
http://moo2mod.com/patch/README_150.TXT

 

[Rocco.40]

For the just released patch version 1.50.15, the changelog and installation instructions have been separated.

Here are the new links:
http://moo2mod.com/patch/CHANGELOG_150.TXT
http://moo2mod.com/patch/install.txt

 

[kwahraps]

Hi Rocoo,

You previously helped me load the game onto an old MacBook back in 2018.
I was previously playing version 1.50.9 with both ICEX mods.

I just downloaded 1.50.15 and the game is working.
However, in the Launch screen, my 'Core' options are :
Version 1.2
Standard
1.50 improved
1.50 improved + picks
Melee (beta 0.3)
VDC X6-V64-B1-GM3
VDC X6-V64-B1-REG
Vanilla-MP

Is one of those the ICE mod?
Or am I missing something.
I can see the ICE folder in the patch/mods pathway.

Would appreciate any and all help.

Thank you.

 

[Rocco.40]

nice, so you have all mods in the list except the one you wanna play, eh.
well, some things that might help us work this out..:
1. if you click in Launcher Tools > Debug GUI, is anything mentioned there related to ICE? or some other errors perhaps?
2. you wrote you can see the ICE folder. Inside the folder can you open both .cfg files ICE-M and ICE-X, and confirm they are version 23?
3. are subfolders ice/cfg and ice/lbx present?

 

[kwahraps]

1. if you click in Launcher Tools > Debug GUI, is anything mentioned there related to ICE? or some other errors perhaps?
get_mods warning:Unable to load mod from /Users/user/Library/Application Support/Steam/steamapps/common/Master of Orion 2/Master Of Orion 2.app/Contents/Resources/Master of Orion2.boxer/C.harddisk/cfg/ICEMO and then it cuts off theres another line for another ICEMO....

2. you wrote you can see the ICE folder. Inside the folder can you open both .cfg files ICE-M and ICE-X, and confirm they are version 23? Yup, both are version 23
3. are subfolders ice/cfg and ice/lbx present? yup

Appreciate your help, but looks I've got a pathway issue?

 

[kwahraps]

Apologies for the length, but here is the full text when I start the Launcher :

Last login: Thu Jul 25 15:58:13 on ttys000
users-MacBook-Pro:~ user$ /Users/user/Desktop/MOO2-1.50.9-1.2m/moo2-launcher ; exit;
debug: get_mods warning: Unable to load mod from /Users/user/Library/Application Support/Steam/steamapps/common/Master of Orion 2/Master Of Orion 2.app/Contents/Resources/Master Of Orion 2.boxer/C.harddisk/150/mods/ice/ICE-M.CFG: included from /Users/user/Library/Application Support/Steam/steamapps/common/Master of Orion 2/Master Of Orion 2.app/Contents/Resources/Master Of Orion 2.boxer/C.harddisk/150/mods/ice/ICE-M.CFG:
Unable to open file '/Users/user/Library/Application Support/Steam/steamapps/common/Master of Orion 2/Master Of Orion 2.app/Contents/Resources/Master Of Orion 2.boxer/C.harddisk/cfg/ICEMOD.CFG'
debug: get_mods warning: Unable to load mod from /Users/user/Library/Application Support/Steam/steamapps/common/Master of Orion 2/Master Of Orion 2.app/Contents/Resources/Master Of Orion 2.boxer/C.harddisk/150/mods/ice/ICE-X.CFG: included from /Users/user/Library/Application Support/Steam/steamapps/common/Master of Orion 2/Master Of Orion 2.app/Contents/Resources/Master Of Orion 2.boxer/C.harddisk/150/mods/ice/ICE-X.CFG:
Unable to open file '/Users/user/Library/Application Support/Steam/steamapps/common/Master of Orion 2/Master Of Orion 2.app/Contents/Resources/Master Of Orion 2.boxer/C.harddisk/cfg/ICEMOD.CFG'
debug: checking enables: 150ip MAP6_OR2 1_NOSURR

Also of note : I have both folders for 1.50.9 and 1.50.15; I didn't want to delete 1.50.9, just in case something happened; if you want me to delete it, I can certainly do that

 

[Rocco.40]

here's my question: if you have both folders 1.50.9 and 1.50.15, how does that work exactly: are they both subfolders in your moo2 folder or are they two separate moo2 installations?
if it's the former then have you (manually) renamed the /150 folder?

in case this could be causing a conflict. why not instead of deleting your 1.50.9 just move it somewhere else outside the moo2 directory.
note that the launcher does make a backup of the existing /150 folder during installation, so check that you have this backup already (and if 1.50.9 is in there): /150-backups.

 

[kwahraps]

They were both subfolders within the Launcher folder.

However, they are set up differently.
The 1.50.9 folder has the /150 folder and the ORION.CFG, ORION150.EXE, and ORION2.EXE files on the same page.

When I open up 1.50.15, first page is the install files and a /patch and /src subfolders. Inside /patch is the /150 subfolder and the ORION150.EXE file. Inside /150 subfolder is /build, /docs, /lbx, /mods, /scripts, dosbox.conf, ENABLE.CFG, USER.CFG

It's unusual because the other mods are loading.

 

[Rocco.40]

not really unusual:
compare 1.50.9 and 1.50.15 mod folders and you will notice only /ice folder remained the same.
the other mods (= the ones that do work) were either not present in 1.50.9 or named differently.
I'd bet that your current mixed set-up causes 1.50.15 to look at 1.50.9 ice folder and game then decides it cant run it (and therefore is not shown in Launcher)
remedy: do a clean install with only 1.50.15, or get them versions out of each others way manually, I'd advise to go with first option.

 

[kwahraps]

I deleted the /150 folder from C:/harddisk and re-installed the 1.50.15 mod.
Everything works fine now....

Thanks Rocco.
Your help was very much appreciated.

 

[Rocco.40]

np,, and great you got it working!!

 

[kwahraps]

One last question : if I wanted no black holes (/nobh) or other random map parameters, which file would I edit?
Would it be the ICE-X.cfg file or something else?

Thank you.

 

[Rocco.40]

i'd advise to play the ICE MP map instead of the regular one.
it got the /nobh and couple other things you might appreciate.
choose ICE MP in moo2 launcher 'Map'

otherwise you can either create a new own custom map (use an existing map from /150/mods/maps as a template) or edit the config of an existing map.