Modded VGame client (8/3/2017 - v1.1.3)

by **Seifens** » Tue Jan 19, 2010 6:00 am

So long story short, after Krishna3ca uploaded the source for VGame I felt compelled to put on my white hat and start hacking. First off I'd like to thank Krishna3ca for making the original ever-epic VGame, then topping that by making the source available, and finally for proofing my first few versions/concepts and giving me permission to make this generally available. Second, I'd like to thank everyone who's contributed directly or indirectly to this project by providing feedback or pointing out bugs. My test time was pretty limited, so some nasty issues would undoubtedly have slipped by were it not for their help.

Project:
I've made a wide range of cosmetic changes to the interface, but the engine underneath is still the same, which means this client can just be dropped in to replace the existing one. To use the client, just grab the attached .zip file, unzip it and drop vgame.jar and vgame.dat into your Production directory, then double-click it to start the game.

Screenshot! :-D

Update 1.1.0:
Is it possible to necro your own posts? I guess I won't worry about it... So as many (several? some? a few?) of you know, this game has always had problems with 64 bit java, and on top of that java 1.8 seems to have broken things completely for users of the 1.04 and earlier versions. This was due to bad support for mdb databases in newer operating systems. To this end, I've made some tweaks (read: sweeping changes) to the game's data saving and loading, and everything should now work without any of those pesky odbc errors (or actually any of the old mdb files). I've tested it under 64 bit and java 1.8, even. Theoretically the game should even work on mac and linux now, as it was the mdb stuff that was making it windows only, though I don't have any way to test that locally.

Disclaimer:
This mod is not compatible with old saved games, and will require you to start a new game in order to use it. Additionally if you go back to the original client, the saved games you create with this one will not be visible.

Installation:
This has come up a lot over the years, so here are some detailed installation instructions for VGame and this mod.
1) Go to the downloads area here on Eka's Portal.
2) Download the four vgame chapter packages (1-4, 5, 6, and 7), as well as the latest version of my mod either from there or down below.
3) Unzip the chapters in order (1-4, then 5, then 6, finally 7) into the same directory, overwriting files with the same name.

At this point you should have a directory called 'production' with a bunch of subdirectories in it. If there is a subdirectory named final2, take its contents and move them into the directory named final.

4) Unzip my mod into the production directory. This will add files named vgame.jar and vgame.dat. You may need to overwrite an existing vgame.jar, as an older version of my mod was included with the game at one point.
5) Double click vgame.jar to start the game.

Troubleshooting:
Some of the common issues that come up when people try using VGame or this mod.

Game won't start - Java must be installed and configured to run executable jar files. Ensure you have correctly installed java 1.8 or later and that the default action for jar files in your operating system is to run them as executables. You'll have to figure this out on your own, as instructions will vary depending on your system and configuration. But in general the default installation options for the current version of java should get you what you need.

Missing graphics/sounds - This is a mod, and requires the assets from the original VGame to run. Follow the installation instructions above to ensure you have the game and all of its parts.

MDB/ODBC errors - The original game doesn't support newer versions of java or newer operating systems. My mod fixes these and other problems. Be sure you're running the mod and not the original game. e.g., make sure you're double clicking on vgame.jar to start the game, not run.bat, test2.jar, or any of the other files that are in the production directory.

Other mods aren't working - As of v1.1.0, the game data's format has been changed. This means that mods to VData.mdb won't work until they are re-exported. This can be done by the maintainer of the mod or by individual users by renaming or deleting vgame.dat and running vgame.jar. This will cause the engine to attempt to re-export the existing VData.mdb. However in order for this to work you have to be set up to read the mdb files, which means running with 32 bit jportable7 or some other java backwards compatibility.

I found a bug in the game - This game is no longer being updated. I did not write the original game, haven't touched this mod in the last several years, and Krishna3ca has not made any updates since chapter 7 came out. It's best to assume that new bugs will not be fixed at this point.

Files:
The current version is 1.1.3 (Uploaded 8/3/2017) and can be obtained here, or in the Vore Downloads section:

seifens_vgame_v1.1.3.zip: (949.1 KiB) Downloaded 3429 times

In the spirit of Krishna3ca's original release, I'm also releasing the source code. This includes all of the icons, and the scripts I used to pack the .jar file, which may or may not work out of the box on your machine. The source is officially unsupported - you're on your own as far as getting it to work - but if there are any simple questions let me know, and I'll probably try and answer them.

seifens_vgame_v1.1.3_source.zip: (160.62 KiB) Downloaded 604 times

So enjoy, and let me know what you think!

The most up to date version that still uses the old data format is 1.04, and I'm leaving it up for legacy support purposes. Though it's no longer the active version, differences between it and the newer stuff should be minimal with the exception of the odbc dependencies in 1.04:

seifens_vgame_1.04.zip: (233.29 KiB) Downloaded 1046 times

seifens_vgame_1.04_source.zip: (154.14 KiB) Downloaded 583 times

Change History:

Spoiler: show

by **Throku** » Tue Jan 19, 2010 6:13 am

Wow!
Looks friggin' awesome!
These changes are great, I guess the saves with the newest one first is the most useful, but the others really improve things too

Haven't had time to play areond much yet seeing as you just posted this and all

but it sure looks great!

Thanks!

by **justaname333** » Tue Jan 19, 2010 6:45 am

I've only played a little with it, and it seems that quite a few items won't work when used, bottled snack was one example. The game window sometimes has the annoying habit of staying in focus over all the other programs. And things that happen in events (such as things getting eaten.) don't occur until the entire event is over, for example if the player is eaten in the middle of the conversation, it only happens at the very end. Also, adjusting it so the conversation window doesn't cover the main game window would be appreciated.

Everything seems to be good for what I've checked so far though, hope all the issues can be ironed out.

by **Seifens** » Tue Jan 19, 2010 10:08 pm

@throku
From the king of vrpg mods, this is high praise. :-D

@justaname333
Good finds. Yah, it seems some items when used require that there is a currently selected target, even though the script doesn't ever reference the target. The combo boxes in the original engine guaranteed that there was always one target selected... I guess making the same assurance on my end wouldn't be a bad idea. Actually, I had come across a strange loop case in the jail scene that could be the result of this as well... I"ll have to take another look at that, too.

The focus thing is a bit annoying... I've seen it myself too on occasion. I made all the sub-windows into modal dialogs, which means they should pop to the front of the app at all times, but on occasion it seems they don't. What I was trying to prevent was situations where you could open like six or seven copies of an inventory window or the player stat dialog and press buttons in any one of them. Delays in the event execution is also a result of the modality. I had been under the impression that a modal dialog stole focus from the parent window, but nothing else. Apparently it also keeps it from updating visually. I didn't think it was a big deal, but you're right - there are some events where the player is eaten then spit out before they end, and those wouldn't play as well. I'll have to find a more elegant way to enforce the interaction restrictions.

by **Throku** » Tue Jan 19, 2010 11:14 pm

Thanks ^^ I hope there's be some sort of Isharan revival...I can't even get the VRPG to run anymore but I really liked the freedom of that game, strangley it wasn't just first it was the most free optioned game, perfect for modding. Krishna3ca said something about having plans for a game with similar freedom of movement and even more freedom when it comes to moding...so I'm really hoping he's able to get to that.

Yeah the window thing is a tad annoying, I like to open several subwindows too, particularly when I'm comparing stuff, like weapons or characters. I don't seem to be able to do that now,

by **Hiccup** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 9:51 am

This is great! I haven't had the chance to play through the entire game to test everything yet, but so far this seems compatible with the mod I made. I wanted to change the interface with my mod, but I had no idea how to do it, so I had to abandon that idea. Nice job : )

I have a few suggestions for other changes to the interface.

I always thought that it was annoying to have to click the "info" button every time I wanted to find out how much HP an enemy had left. To fix it, I suggest adding a place on the interface that automatically shows your target's HP.

Another change would be adding a place on the interface that tells you whether it is currently day or night. That way you don't have to target your character and click "info" to find out.

Other than that, the only problem that I've seen so far is window focus issue and that if you get swallowed in the middle of a conversation it won't show until the conversation is over.

by **Seifens** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 9:28 pm

@throku
I don't want to get too far off topic, but yeah... I did a mod for vrpg too, adding Diablo-style waypoints to all the towns. Duamutef later told me it was the inspiration for the hearthstone things, but that was pretty trivial to do at the time. It'd be nice to see something new built like that come down the pike.

Anyway, I'd honestly never considered using the windows to compare things, so that's a great point. I'll see what I can do about allowing multiple info windows to open simultaneously. It should be less error prone now that they're not interactive. Previous issues stemmed from being able to open an info window, sell the item/kill the target/change maps, and have the window persist, but I think I have a nice solution to this.

@hiccup
Thanks! Those are good ideas, and actually I think I have something like them on my to-do list already. Particularly target data is something I'm trying to improve on - I'm already displaying allegiance and level, and HP is the next logical 'must have' stat.

by **Liz** » Thu Jan 21, 2010 9:28 am

I like the new set up it does make it easier to use.

Well done

by **Seifens** » Fri Jan 22, 2010 3:15 am

Just put up a new version (check the first post) - v0.2

Most dialogs are no longer modal, meaning you can open multiple windows for comparison. Also events continue to play behind the main dialog window (though it is still in the way... working on that).

But the most noticeable change will be the load/save speed. I made some tweaks to the database access code and it now runs much faster. Save is almost instantaneous, load takes a fraction of the time it used to, and changing from map to map as you move around is significantly faster as well.

Hopefully my next update will have more toys in it, but I really should start going to bed before 3am.

by **wsensor** » Fri Jan 22, 2010 3:25 am

Oh could you add in a clock XD (I would love to see the time of day lol)
Also could you make the message area bigger for exp/items/cash recieved.

by **justaname333** » Fri Jan 22, 2010 7:02 am

It seems that trying to save from a new game wipes out the save file instead, rendering it unusable until you start up the original test2.jar and make a new save from that.

Other than that, the only issues I have is that the sprites blink whenever turns are taken, the background is a different color than the normal client, the conversation window covers up the game screen, and the main window's focus issues.

If work continues on this, I can see it replacing the old client entirely. (Hopefully it will remain compatible with whatever engine changes may come with chapter 6.) Keep up the good work!

Edit: Big issue, instead of choosing which stat to put an extra point to when leveling up, this client decides on it's own, very annoying for people who want to build a character a certain way.

by **Seifens** » Fri Jan 22, 2010 12:16 pm

@wsensor
That's two requests for a clock. Luckily it's already on my list. :-D

As for the message area, it's tricky striking a balance between that and the target list (some targets have long names). Do you mean taller, or wider? If you need it wider, you can increase the size of the window (monitor permitting), and it will scale, though at the default size I don't recall any messages running over. If taller, then remember that you can scroll the list back to look at older entries.

@justaname333
Thanks, man, but woah... How'd I miss both of those?

Awesome finds. I've already got the new game save issue fixed, but I have no idea where the level up one is coming from - I haven't even touched that code yet. I'll need some time to look into it, but now I have to get to work. Look for another version this weekend with the fixes.

Also re: compatibility with chapter 6, when I told Krishna3ca about this, he gave me some updates to the chapter 5 code which I've integrated already. He's serious about not wanting to update the engine any more, but if he does, he knows about this project so hopefully he'll share. As long as that's the case, you should be able to use either client for chapter 6 as well. :-D

by **wsensor** » Fri Jan 22, 2010 8:24 pm

Oh for the target list could you make it select the next one above the target if the target dies? (Like how it originally selected it.)
I love how it looks though.
Too bad you can't seperate the inventory into types (or if you could could you put a tab section in that shows weapons - armors - foods - scrolls - and permanent non sell-able items lol.
than it would be nice and easy lol.

Could you modify how the stat system looks? [plus] and [minus] signs? (and then a ok button.) If you level up more than once (through cheating is the only way of course) it should put all that information in and let you put out the stats and then press ok to Finalize the stat output. (maybe allow it to leave stats empty - but able to click a level up button that lets you finish stat placing later)

This engine mod is nice and your fixes really did make it run faster/save a ton faster/load a ton faster.

by **GoddessViolet** » Fri Jan 22, 2010 9:08 pm

D:

I downloaded the new version and I can't seem to run it, since when I start it up it gives me an assload of ERROR: messages in dialogue boxes. WTFZORS?

by **Seifens** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 12:44 am

I found level-up issue and the new save issue, so both should be in my next update either tomorrow or Sunday. Hopefully people won't gain too many levels by then. :oops:

@wsensor
Actually, you'd be surprised what you can do with the source code. :-D

I haven't gotten to windows other than the main window and the chat dialog yet, but I have plans for just about everything.

@GoddessViolet
Could you relay at least the first few lines of one of them? The first three or four lines should tell me what went wrong and where. Unfortunately there's no way to copy/paste it, but I shouldn't need much.

For starters, though, make sure vgame.jar is in the Production directory with the two .mdb files (vsave and vdata). Also, make sure you're fully up to date with the chapter 5 databases, and that double-clicking test2.jar works as you'd expect. All I can think of is that you might have a database with an invalid format that the client can't read, or you could be running it from the wrong place. I'll need the specific error to narrow it down any further.

by **Throku** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 1:00 am

Seifens wrote:@GoddessViolet
Could you relay at least the first few lines of one of them? The first three or four lines should tell me what went wrong and where. Unfortunately there's no way to copy/paste it, but I shouldn't need much.

I just had to adress this, you can press "Alt" plus the "Print Screen" buttons at the same time, that'll save whats visible on your screen as a picture that yuo can save in any image editor, just press paste in paint or something and you'll get a picture you can send to Seifens.

(Haven't played much lately...so no real input, though I did wonder if it's possible to display stuff inside the scroll windows, like having the health of characters displayed next to their name in the target list? Example: "Tara (875/900)" )

by **Seifens** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 2:09 am

I didn't want to say paste an image. I'm not sure how hosting works, if she'd need to host it elsewhere... though I suppose it did let me upload my 200k zipped jar file. :lol:

But yeah, if it's easy, paste the image, that'd be awesome. :-D

Adding an HP display to the target list is possible, though not exactly what I wanted to do. There are some creatures with very long names and I don't know if even 9 characters like that would reliably fit at the default window size. But depending on how long it looks like it's going to take to get to some other things, I may put that in as a stop-gap measure just to have the feature around earlier than later.

by **nanakra** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 2:49 am

Seifens wrote:Adding an HP display to the target list is possible, though not exactly what I wanted to do. There are some creatures with very long names and I don't know if even 9 characters like that would reliably fit at the default window size. But depending on how long it looks like it's going to take to get to some other things, I may put that in as a stop-gap measure just to have the feature around earlier than later.

I was thinking about this myself. It would be great to have that info handy.
It might be possible to add a second panel, or some such that displays the vital info of your target.
Also few oddities I've noticed.
When you die, most of the buttons stop functioning and just move the npcs on the screen.
For example, the info buttons and the quick load buttons. I'm sure that I'm not the only one that likes to step through the aftermath of being digested with the info button.
On that note, it would be cool inf once an info window was opened, it would update it's contents if the character moves.
Also, I noticed that there is a keyboard short cut to open and info window, but not one to close it.
Would be useful to have it so that the short cut key acted as an on/off toggle.
Other feature requests? Well, probably nothing to do with coding, but it would rock if there were two little picture windows, one for the player and one for the target, kind of like Duams vrpg, and that it showed the stages of digestion. Probably not something that can be done completely on a coding level, but would be real hot.
Anyways, Keep up the great work! I love the improvements you've made!

by **Seifens** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 4:05 pm

New version is up - v0.3. Just three fixes, the new character issue, the level up issue, and fixing quickload, etc when the player is dead. And I think the HP stuff might have snuck in there, too, what with all of you clamoring about it.

by **wsensor** » Sat Jan 23, 2010 5:28 pm

the screen is flickering when moving now.

not too bad but you can see it happen.

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