Home » MODDING HQ 1.13 » v1.13 Modding, Customising, Editing » v1.13 XML Customization » MercStartingGear editor
| Re: MercStartingGear editor[message #349436 is a reply to message #347984]
|
Sat, 08 April 2017 16:53  
|
|
 AndyPanthro |
 |
Messages:8
Registered:April 2017
Location: UK |
|
|
I can't seem to get the editor to work, even after installing the Access 2010 runtime.
When running the program, after getting a security notice, I get a message as follows:
The database cannot be opened because the VBA project contained in it cannot be read. The database can be opened only if the VBA project is first deleted. Deleting the VBA project removes all code from modules, forms and reports. You should back up your database before attempting to open the database and delete the VBA project.
To create a backup copy, click Cancel and then make a backup copy of your database. To open the database and delete the VBA project without creating a backup copy, click OK.
Click "OK" and the editor doesn't work properly, click "Cancel" and it shuts down.
Not sure what I should do here, and the previous version (v1.5) gives the same error. I'm assuming there's something else I'm missing.
I'm running JA2 1.13 (8396 unstable), on Windows 8.1
Report message to a moderator
|
Private
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: MercStartingGear editor[message #358172 is a reply to message #349662]
|
Thu, 03 October 2019 05:03
|
|
| ZedJA2 |
 |
Messages:202
Registered:January 2018 |
|
|
Does anyone know if this still works properly?
It seems to me that the only issues caused would be those of a change in format to the various files. Since it reads from all the key files, for mercs, items, gear, weapons, etc., it should be okay there. If the current M.E.R.C. implementation is understood, it probably would work with the multiple M.E.R.C. gear sets of today as well.
My very rudimentary understanding is that basically it might get items by item number and then find their name in another file, and fill in everything and then display what something is and so on. Then it stuffs it in the right field of the right file for it to show up on the right merc and the right gear choice, and then in the given merc's inventory when selected. Given that it reads all the files you have at the time, it should be as compatible as the game.
So, if it still works with the current files' formats then I should be able to use this with some success, provided it still runs if I have the right Access dll, etc.
Has anybody used it recently?
Report message to a moderator
|
Sergeant 1st Class
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: MercStartingGear editor[message #358203 is a reply to message #358197]
|
Sat, 05 October 2019 19:07
|
|
| ZedJA2 |
|
Messages:202
Registered:January 2018 |
|
|
@ Dansken
Well, I just tried it and it did create a New Gearkit for Flo from M.E.R.C. in a new game, so seems like it works. It also seems to show just about everything. You can even type in the name of the item in the area just to the left of the slot or pocket's dropbox list of items, which can be handy.
Like some others, I had to use the not compiled version MercStartingGear Version 1.6r (instead of just 1.6), then it worked fine with the downloaded Microsoft Access Runtime.
The only thing that I found a bit difficult to figure out, since it caused me to fail to save the created gearkit, was that you have to hit that Close Folder Button at the top right of the Gearkit creation page in order for the editor to save the created Gearkit information inside itself. Then you can go to the Main Menu and Export the MercStartingGear.xml . But if you don't use that Close Folder Icon Button at the top right of the Gearkit, it doesn't actually save the Gearkit, though you will think you have since the Gearkit page remains remembered in the Editor, and once you try to Export the XML it will write and create a backup. But unless you actually close that Gearkit with that button at the upper Right, you won't have actually changed the Gearkit, so you fail to export anything new.
That's not too intuitive, might be good to add a prompt to do that before leaving the Gearkit page, or name it, or something. Otherwise, pretty dang good. Some of the Descriptions of items in the DropBox List for each pocket of course exceeds the display and you can't scroll that to the right, like with right arrow, to read the rest of the item's description, but that's not that big a deal. It must be something like the Bobby Ray description, which is helpful, but often they are quite long. Nonetheless, if there were someway to see that whole description if desired or to expand the view of that description to see all of the description that would make the whole thing perfect.
I'm going to try and create an IMP Gearkit next, and then maybe edit quite a few of the M.E.R.C. Gearkits. This is really going to help me to enjoy modding the game.
QUESTIONS:
What does the Absolute Price do? From what I can tell, when it is set to -1 it just adds the total as the price of all the Gear, which is fine.
But what do you put if you don't want to have Absolute Price and what would then be the price? It seems that probably you then add a Mod price, which then creates a new price total. But what is needed in the Absolute Price Box as a value?
Lastly, another thing I noted that was a bit odd. My price on my Gearkit as I created it did not total the value until I hit that Close Gearkit Button in the Upper Right of the Gearkit Creation Screen. Then when I went back to look at the single Gearkit, it had my created Gearkit up there and the total for the Value was updated correctly. Prior to that only the lower value was updated, not the upper one which was the Set Cost, I guess, of the Gearkit from prior to modification, the imported value. It updates the added value, but not the total. This is connected to the Close Gearkit Button in the Upper Right not being intuitive to use. Otherwise, if it said it needed to create the batch of the new Gearkit, so it will exit and then re-enter the Gearkit Screen to see the updated cost -- then it would be great for new users.
At any rate, thanks very much for making this and providing the non-compiled version r which provides a solution for many. I'll give you more feedback after I have tried it more over the next week. When I went to Flo and finally saw that the Gearkit change had held the change in a new game, I actually did a fist bump. This means I can now get rid of some of the truly useless crap and provide some more flexible options, without necessarily increasing power, plus occasionally see some of the other items and what they are, by just creating a gearkit and looking at it in a new game. That alone is very interesting and much adds to my enjoyment. Thank you very much.
[Updated on: Sat, 05 October 2019 19:11] Report message to a moderator
|
Sergeant 1st Class
|
|
|
|
| Re: MercStartingGear editor[message #358205 is a reply to message #358203]
|
Sun, 06 October 2019 02:31
|
|
| ZedJA2 |
|
Messages:202
Registered:January 2018 |
|
|
One other possible issue, very minor, seems to be on the left hand side of any mercenary you load up. The Traits shown seem to be only or in part the Old Style Traits, not the New Style Traits. Either that or it is reading from an older file than current.
For Example, my Flo is customized to have Throwing and Radio Operator, but no longer has any teaching. The MercStartingGear Editor shows Flo as having Teaching and Throwing, I think. I'll be right back with an update, as I double-check exactly what it says -- but I know it is incorrect every time, and not only Flo but some other characters like Flugente's Additional Mercs such as Shepard or Sara.
Might be worth looking into that. The correct info is in the New Traits fields of the MercProfiles.xml, so I don't know why it isn't reading it. My guess is that it is only looking at the Old Traits fields, or doesn't know which you are using, and needs to check that variable in some file to know it.
Ok, so in MercProfiles.xml my customized Flo has these Traits in these fields:
<bOldSkillTrait>6</bOldSkillTrait>
<bOldSkillTrait2>0</bOldSkillTrait2>
<bNewSkillTrait1>21</bNewSkillTrait1>
<bNewSkillTrait2>12</bNewSkillTrait2>
<bNewSkillTrait3>0</bNewSkillTrait3>
So Teaching only in Old Trait system. But Radio Operator and Throwing in New Trait (called STOMP system). But the Editor shows only Throwing and Teaching, it does not show Radio Operator.
[Updated on: Sun, 06 October 2019 02:53] Report message to a moderator
|
Sergeant 1st Class
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: MercStartingGear editor[message #358798 is a reply to message #358216]
|
Thu, 16 January 2020 03:25
|
|
| ZedJA2 |
|
Messages:202
Registered:January 2018 |
|
|
@ Dansken
Oh, great, an update. I'll download it and check it out, seems like a good improvements. Pre the new 1.7, like Scheinworld, I think the only key weakness remaining is the sorting of the long lists. Although clicking on the various pockets does help, and using some keywords does help which you provide to limit the lists, I would say one of the main problems is with the Ammo lists. You'll find that the different types of ammo and their different types of magazine size, don't seem to follow any reasonable sense in the list (that is pre 1.7, as I have yet to try it). For example, not all the 20 round magazines for say .45 are together, nor are all of the .45 HP together. Neither category of listing ammo, calibre and type, or calibre and magazine size, is the default. Sometimes it seems to be, but then you will find the cold loaded and so on later on. Some of that is an understandable leftover from how the ammo list must have been created and added to over time, so it makes it hard to parse. You'd probably have to search the whole list for all the .45 ammos, then resort it and so on. Which might be overcomplicated to actually do, in terms of drudgery. It is still something one can easily do in a couple of hours and then not have to change for a whole campaign, so it isn't that big a complaint to fix.
The naming of the various inventories did work, and it worked fine with M.E.R.C. as well, which was great. I did not try it on IMP Mercs, which might be a nice addition down the road.
Anyway, I'll try 1.7 when I get the chance in the next few days I think.
EDIT IN: Seems the New Skills are mostly correct, for some reason the Training Skill remains for Flo even though she does not have Teaching anymore, I'll doublecheck more later
[Updated on: Thu, 16 January 2020 08:03] Report message to a moderator
|
Sergeant 1st Class
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Goto Forum:
Current Time: Thu Apr 18 13:37:06 GMT+3 2024
Total time taken to generate the page: 0.01479 seconds
|
Blog
Search
Help
Members
Register
Login
Home
