True Patch Gold Edition -- OFFICIAL THREAD

[Tessera]

The next TPG Hotfix, which will be designated as Hotfix #6, should be released a lot sooner than I originally expected.

For one thing, I am planning to incorporate several model repairs which were performed awhile back by DDLulu. We have already been given written permission by DDLulu to include his various model repairs within the TPG, so I am going to take him up on that offer and add some of his "fang repairs" to the next TPG Hotfix.

Okay... so what the hell am I talking about..? Well, I am referring to several NPC vampires whose original models appear to have been incomplete. The NPC's lacked visible fangs, unlike all of the other NPC vampires. So DDLulu took it upon himself to make some much needed repairs to the NPC models in question.

The NPC's who will be affected by these repairs are:

Skelter
Lily
LaCroix
Isaac
Copper
The "Serial Killer"
Sweeper

It will be nice for TPG users to see those characters properly sporting their sharp pointy teeth at last.

The next Hotfix will also include some some other, miscellaneous repairs. I will go into more detail about them after I have had a chance to finish compiling everything. So stay tuned.  

[Tessera]

There has been a breakthrough on the issue of the female "crazies" (stalkers) in Grout's mansion. I am referring to the way that they fail to display their proper behaviors until after a save/reload of those maps.

I won't say what the exact nature of that breakthrough is... because I don't feel like telegraphing anything to certain parties who shall remain nameless.  

But I think we're finally on the right track... and there may very well be a permanent fix for the missing sound effects issue soon. The answer was staring me in the face for a year... but I didn't think of using it, until I had a brainstorm of sorts this afternoon.

I will tell you that if I am right, then this repair is going to involve a complete re-compiling of all four of the interior maps for Grout's mansion. But it's not as bad as it sounds... my computer is going to do most of the work. I just need to do a bit of rather unorthodox map debugging first. And I'm hoping that Acrimonious can lend some of his expertise as well... hopefully in the form of some clever Python scripting. If we're going to tackle this issue, then I want it to be a definitive repair... not just some cheap-jack work-around. Just like what I did when I fixed the Milligan bug in a prior Hotfix: I fixed it in such a way that it will never, ever happen again to anybody... no matter what. Well, I'm going to try to accomplish the same thing here, with the mansion "crazies."

More later...

[Tessera]

*** TPG HOTFIX #6 RELEASED ***


Yup, there is yet another new Hotfix available for the True Patch Gold Edition and it has been designated as Hotfix #6.


You can find complete information, as well as a download link, in the following location:

http://www.tessmage.com/forum/index.php/topic,58041.msg81562.html#msg81562


Please let me know if there are any questions or concerns about this latest Hotfix.

[spidey360]

There has been a breakthrough on the issue of the female "crazies" (stalkers) in Grout's mansion. I am referring to the way that they fail to display their proper behaviors until after a save/reload of those maps.

I won't say what the exact nature of that breakthrough is... because I don't feel like telegraphing anything to certain parties who shall remain nameless.   

But I think we're finally on the right track... and there may very well be a permanent fix for the missing sound effects issue soon. The answer was staring me in the face for a year... but I didn't think of using it, until I had a brainstorm of sorts this afternoon.

I will tell you that if I am right, then this repair is going to involve a complete re-compiling of all four of the interior maps for Grout's mansion. But it's not as bad as it sounds... my computer is going to do most of the work. I just need to do a bit of rather unorthodox map debugging first. And I'm hoping that Acrimonious can lend some of his expertise as well... hopefully in the form of some clever Python scripting. If we're going to tackle this issue, then I want it to be a definitive repair... not just some cheap-jack work-around. Just like what I did when I fixed the Milligan bug in a prior Hotfix: I fixed it in such a way that it will never, ever happen again to anybody... no matter what. Well, I'm going to try to accomplish the same thing here, with the mansion "crazies."

More later...

Hi Tess,

Was this issue fixed in the current hotfix ?

I just did a playthrough to Grout's mansion... But, I still gotta save & reload before the crazies start laughing maniacally/cry...

[Tessera]

Nope, it hasn't been fixed yet. I'm still working on it.

[Killersheep]

I just want to make sure because i could not find any explicit statement: You don't have to install the official patch 1.2 before you install the true patch, right?


Also: I installed the patch once today but noticed afterwards that i had a wrong version of Bloodlines installed (wrong language). I'm currently downloading the right version (which will take a while). The only thing i noticed is that there weren't any background stories at character creation, is it supposed to be like that? It doesn't bother me, on the contrary, i just want to know.

[Tessera]

I just want to make sure because i could not find any explicit statement: You don't have to install the official patch 1.2 before you install the true patch, right?

As stated within the TPG patch notes:

The official version 1.2 patch from ActiVision has been fully integrated into the Gold Edition. You will no longer need
to apply the official version 1.2 patch from ActiVision if your version of Bloodlines requires it. Simply install the
game from its original CD's and then, install the True Patch Gold Edition. Everything will be patched accordingly.
Note that this does not apply to those of you who play the Steam version of Bloodlines. The Steam version of VTMB
is already updated with the version 1.2 patch. It will not matter either way, in other words. No matter which version
of Bloodlines you own, the True Patch Gold Edition will make sure that all of the critical game files have been patched
and updated to their correct versions.

The only thing i noticed is that there weren't any background stories at character creation, is it supposed to be like that? It doesn't bother me, on the contrary, i just want to know.

You are referring to the clan Histories. They were disabled by Troika in the original, default version of the game, due to the fact that most of them are unfinished and/or imbalanced. So likewise, they are left disabled in the True Patch by default.

A more complete discussion regarding the clan Histories and how to enable them can be found within the following thread:

http://www.tessmage.com/forum/index.php/topic,57734.msg77337.html#msg77337

[Killersheep]

Ok, thanks. I'll leave them disabled, i always had enough trouble creating a satisfying character as it is, a little less complication won't hurt xD

[Tessera]

Personally, I prefer to play with the Histories enabled.

I suggest trying it both ways and then see which you prefer.

[Zenoseiya]

How did you integrate the 1.2 patch into the Gold Patch? Didn't you criticize Wesp for integrating the 1.2 patch into his Unofficial "Patch" a while ago?

[Tessera]

More than "a while ago," Zeno. It was more like five years ago.  

But a few years later, I changed my mind about it, when I saw how poorly
the game was being supported by ActiVision and Steam.

Simple as that.

As for -how- the 1.2 patch was integrated, I extracted all of the files from
the executable and then added them into the TPG folders. Very easy to do.

[Zenoseiya]

But doesn't applying the 1.2 patch to the Steam version cause problems?

[Tessera]

No. I took care to ensure that the TPG is compatible with -all- current versions of VTMB.
Just install it according to the instructions and you're ready to... vamp. Guaranteed.

[Tessera]

*** IMPORTANT NOTE ***


The True Patch Gold Edition, including Hotfix #6, is once again being offered for direct download from our own private server.


Please refer to the following thread for further details:

http://www.tessmage.com/forum/index.php/topic,58452.msg86035.html#msg86035


Those of you who elect to download the TPG directly from tessmage.com will not require any of the TPG Hotfixes.
They have already been fully incorporated into the tessmage.com TPG package.  

Those of you who have downloaded the TPG from some other source will still require Hotfix #6, however.


- Tessera -

[Uliomg]

Hi

I have been enjoying the game with the true patch for a few weeks but I seem to have run into a problem which I hope you might be able to help me with.

I had no problem until I decided to try enabling clan histories. I followed your instructions and enabled the clan histories and then started a new game (with blunt fangs).  Unfortunately I found I couldn't progress in the tutorial because I was unable to select fists when required in  the tutorial.

I realise this is not covered in your patch so I decided that I don't want to play with clan histories after all, so I tried to disable it. I put the two // back in place but the clan histories seem to be permantly enabled. I even tried changing the "1" to "0" but it doesn't work. I can't get rid of the clan histories as there doesn't seem to be any way of reversing the process.

I hope you can help.

[Tessera]

Once you enable the Histories for a given character, I believe it is permanent. Even if you go back and disable the Histories later, that character will still be affected.

Troika never balanced the clan Histories prior to the release of Bloodlines. That's why they decided not to enable them in the default version of the game. In our case, we have only attempted to balance -some- of the clan Histories. Some of them work great... but most of them are essentially untouched, and it is entirely possible that one or two of them might cause a malfunction of some kind. I simply didn't have the time to test every single clan History individually... there are dozens of them.

It is for these reasons that the True Patch documentation states that the choice to enable the clan Histories is entirely at the discretion of the end user.

My suggestion would be to leave the Histories enabled and then, create a new character. You'll need to create a new character anyway, because your current character is already "history enabled" and is pretty much stuck that way. And when you do create a new character, you can simply avoid selecting any History at all for that character. Even when they have been enabled, the Histories are optional in Bloodlines.

So anyway, that's what you need to do to straighten everything out. Regardless of whether or not you enable the Histories, you will still need to dump your existing character and create a new one. Sorry about that... but as I said, this is why we caution people about enabling the Histories. And it is also why the True Patch does not enable them by default.

[Uliomg]

Thanks for your help.

And thanks for all your efforts in improving the game - it is much appreciated.

[Tessera]

You are very welcome. Happy vamping.