NEWSA+SIMBION_tweaked Support and Gameplay

[Nightwatch]

Grump642

OK, I don't think this is a random blowout. The timer is showing in the upper corner, and the voice says "the reactor is off schedule". I never jumped any fences!!( did not know you could) But I do remember the timer counting down when I first did NPP. Seems like the counter stopped when I used the underground level changer.

Now, things got a different perspective, this blowout is not one of those based on organic randomness, if I may put it this way; this one is a pre-set one (as it is in vanilla, because it is still vanilla action) that hits you upon entry to stancia1 and forces you to reach the level changer and get inside the building just in time. You know the stuff. OK, but it doesn't repeat, normally, except that it is happening in your case, which is not seen before.

A question though: When you finished the whole level (I mean shooting the blue lights, going out, then killing all those popping out in front of you all the way) and before returning back to Pripyat, have you jumped into the last level changer and transported back to Pripyat this way, following the end cut scene? Or, have walked back to the NPP/Pripyat level changer, without entering the last level changer on the last roof?

As it appears to be, the game seems to think that the level (NPP) has not been finished and then upon your each entry it starts it from step 1, at least as far as throwing the blowout to you.

Yeah, busetibi, I can try to send Grump642 a combination files to boosts his resistance against "that" blowout, however there are codes that makes the actor die if certain conds met or not met in that blowout, not just the effects of the blowout, it'll take more than a few moments to prepare those. (And by the way, very good analysis of the resource management in battle conditions, you think like a military teacher in war academy )

Grump642, as it may also interest everybody, my PC parts have arrived and I'm about to start to see how I can score in this challenge, lol, challenge of rebuilding another PC as the one that I'm working on now, is hooked on a domestic ad-dc adaptor with pins attached various parts of mobo and onto the CPU fan. The whole operation can take several hours as I'd except, not quite something that I'm looking looking forward, to be honest, but what needs to be done, needs to be done at the end. So, After I've tried to put the new parts together in the right order, hopefully, I can get on back to working and then I'll try to send you another file. The file that I sent you yesterday, will quite probably not work on this problem as it was geared towards the organic random blowouts.

Hey Kaidonni nice to seeing you back posting again. The mod was almost a couple days away from getting into release stage (you know, set-up, read me file, website update, upload... come to think of it, a lot of work there, too ) before this PC problem hit me. But a few days lost is not a big deal after all, things getting to the final stage.

Balious
I'm happy to see that you find this mod encourages brain activity, not a bad thing at all.

---

Guys, yesterday, I changed the helicopter logics in Freedom Base Heli-Freedom APCs battle/Heli-actor+Freedomers battle again, noew the choppers (3 in EXTREME mode) attack in independent self-control and engage with targets at different levels (as if each one has a slightly different "priority orders" which may mimic them better to be -as if- being flown by dofferent pilots anyways ) they'll hit after you've spoke with Max, and you will need to save Max and the others, too, as well yours.

And, PS: Max gives Nite14SP auto shotgun instead of Desert Eagle (you already have a better one by then, Nite1SP) upon the completion of whack the crazy sniper mission.
very few Nite14SPs around in the game. On eis hidden somewhere in Agroghom, that if you can get the stash info and find the stash, otherwise Max gives it. Not on sale until you've completed AW missions, after then traders will start to sell.

OK, Guys, I'm rolling my sleeves and jumping on the new PC parts. See you later.

[Kaidonni]

Hmmm, been thinking about trying Clear Sky again while waiting for 3.0...might try 2.4 to keep myself occupied this weekend. A restart isn't that big of a deal anyway, and after listening to the music on the main menu of Clear Sky (the original SHOC music), I want to play SHOC again...so 2.4 for a short while it will be.

Also, it is strange to find that I've been missed. It really is. Don't think it's happened often to me in any forums. I must say, thank you, you're all very kind.

EDIT: Just a little something - how do I re-enable the beginning movie where you see the Death Truck and all that? I like watching that. It just isn't Stalker without it . Thanks in advance.

[EggChen]

Hey kaidonni,

I don't know about NEWSA, but it may be you don't see that video anymore because of something else.... if you use the -nointro command line switch to disable the startup logos (as I do) it also disables this cutscene. Not sure why it disables the opening one and not the others, but it does

[Kaidonni]

Okay...well...I don't know where I got the idea I couldn't see that intro movie, because I just tested, and I can. I've only played this mod once before, right back in November, and I might have read something about using the -nointro command, used it, and got the idea from there. Basically, I hadn't tested it before I asked about it today, I was just 'remembering' something from the last time. Oh well, that possibly solves that mystery. Unless I'm thinking of another mod, such as ABC Inferno, which I tried at Christmas (wasn't my cup of tea, though).

Heh, sorry about that. Should have tried first, but, meh, better safe than sorry. I just seem to remember there not being the Death Truck movie, and decided to ask before I tried. I can sit back and really enjoy the game now. Plus, I wouldn't mind asking how, when 3.0 is released, to get the vanilla main menu music back, just in case (I love that music too...sometimes it doesn't feel like I'm loading up Stalker if it isn't there).

Well, convenient that it is now getting dark - I just love Stalker in the dark, with all the lights off. You are at liberty to question whether those lights are the ones in the house, or in my head.

Oh, and I did opt for full horror time...

[Kaidonni]

Edit: I was submitting an error log in this post, but seeing as how that 1.0005 compatibility patch folder slipped my attention, I think I know what was causing a CTD. You can delete this post if you want. I am commencing banging my head on the desk for such a simple thing, anyway...

Edit 2: Wait a mo...I had another CTD. In battle, in Cordon, at night, versus a load of bandits. The chief point of interest is that I was accessing the Contacts on my PDA. I have an inkling this feature can result in CTDs (Bugtrap also appeared, but I, er, didn't save the info...). Am I right? Should I avoid the Contacts option if I can, especially in battle or close to possible spawnings?

Plus, nice mod. I really love it at night, especially the moonlight.

[Balious]

Sure I could play normal NEWSA when 3.0 comes out but wheres the fun in that when the best be playing extreme mode. I want to prove that I can be as good as everyone else and try and overcome any challenge. NEWSA will keep me on my toes for sure and I have to watch my ammo wisely that be challenging.

@Kaidonni I really open the contacts page when theres only a few stalkers close by. About to 1-10 when its peacefully or when someone comes in range. I sometimes open it up in combat after killing a certain number of stalkers just incase theres any more or if the rest are other stalkers. My contacts page sometimes crashes once or twice this way but quite rarely. It mainly crashes when there are alot of stalkers around (like bar for example). Everytime I open it up theres a very rare chance it won't crash. So I try and open it when its quite peaceful and very few stalkers are around this way it should not exactly crash. Thats all I know that can help if you need to open that page up. Im sure the others can give more info on this as they have helped me with it before.

[Grump642]

Nightwatch, don't worry about the file. I saved my saves, but started a new game. While I'm waiting on 3.0. Also, I think I used the level changer on the roof, but I may have walked back.

[DARK TEMPLAR]

The patient hunter always gets it's prey


So hows it?

[NatVac]

Kaidonni, Balious, et al.: There's a bug in the Contacts page in vanilla:

If an NPC switches offline while you are viewing the contact data for that individual, you will CTD with a "CTheoraSurface::`vftable'()" error.

If more than one individual switches offline at the same time in range of your PDA, you might see "[error][ 183] : Cannot create a file when that file already exists." But that's because the original error occurred again before the first was fully processed.

See "Crashes Still in the Game" for some additional details, like how to find the error in your log file. Forget the BugTrap info -- it's not Scottish. </bekilted Mike Myers>

[Grump642]

NatVac, is that the same Mike Myers from Houston who writes A+ books and gives seminars? I know he is a gamer.

[Nightwatch]

I quote from my post on Building a new PC? Look here first./Hardware and Software section:

"On Saturday, at lunch time, I posted on NEWSA thread and said that I had got the parts and I was starting the re-built. And I said I'll be on it for a few hours... For a few hours!! What was I thinking? When I went to sleep yesterday after midnight first time after I had woken up on that Saturday morning, it had passed 41 hours sleepless non-stop work... and stress. No...not the hardware got me, it sure took a good couple of hours, dismantling and refitting things, etc, but it was that GOD DAMN VISTA that got me.."

You can read the rest of the Horror Story:

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=315

Guys, I've had a very bad weekend, despite I regularly back-up , I lost a lot of stuff, but not much from NEWSA work. I lost my saves from Garbage (after DV and Sid) to the AW, where I was last. That wsa the last time I had backed up. I need to replay those two level, not a big problem, jus some inconvenience, that's all. But all the folder structure on my PC has been turned into a turmoil. Because now I'm bringing all the back up stuff and they are in mixed files, I have to re-sort them while working. Vista... Vista... damn.!
Fortunately, I hadn't forgotten to back up just before starting the rebuilding PC, and I had copied the most up to date config and scripts folders from XTR and non-XTR modes onto my flash drive, they are now back and safe, all the rest of the stuff had already been several time backed up anyway. So, except some inconvenience to me for sorting out al those back up files, we've not lost any stuff. (I lost some stuff, sad, but not from NEWSA anyway)

I'm getting back on the PC to sort it out more, software-wise, so I can work on it the same way as it was before; will be back again in a few hours after I've got enough stress on reinstalling endless stuff.

[rockingmtranch]

Don't stress. Take a break. Walk away from it. Take deep breaths. Um, dang, wish I could help ya buddy.

[Nightwatch]

You sure understand how I feel, as you've quite recently had a major PC problem as well.

[fiznerpin1962]

Banging your head on the desk helps....

[Grump642]

How about a dartboard with Bill Gates face??

[audioave10]

or a horses ass...they look the same.

[NatVac]

Note to self: No consumption of beverages while reading this forum!

Nightwatch, I think you can swap drives with the "Disk Management" tool, but it is very strange that it swapped the volumes on you. Man, this is a horror story, indeed! I hope you get well, soon.

NatVac, is that the same Mike Myers from Houston who writes A+ books and gives seminars? I know he is a gamer.

No, it's the SNL/Austin Powers/I Married an Axe-Murderer Mike Myers. He may be from Houston and write books/give seminars, but that's not how I know of him. My reference was to a Scottish character he portrayed on Saturday Night Live, once, saying something to the effect that "It's not Scottish! And if it's not Scottish, it's cr-r-r-r-raaaap!"

[Nightwatch]

Thanks guys, very much indeed for all your support and very good work of putting some humor into this weird and also very irritating event.

This Vista is indeed a very weird and not trustable OS, and I think MS knows it too well, as well, and so that they are trying to rush a (hopefully) more efficient and stable version of it, calling it Windows 7. And charging you again! Welcome to the new age of shrewd business affairs. Some people will sip a lot of champagne after the release, but I have a feeling that it won't be us the consumers.

I had backed up all the crucial stuff before entering the rebuild, but not absolutely everything. As they were on the D drive, so they were safe, I thought. This never happened to me before, I've installed windows many times, too many to remember up to now.

I'm now about to finish installing important software and sorting out my folders in the way I've got used to see, so that I can restart working.
Then I'll install Stalker and hopefully I can re-start working on the Mod tomorrow. So we've lost only 4 days.
I've lost a lot of video, mostly taken from that heli-to-APC / heli-to- actor+Freedomers battles. I may need a few hours there for good clips. After the last check: I see that I've lost the saves from Bar to Yantar and AW, two levels. But they were smooth and had passed the test; I can rush through those two levels now.

I've lost some DDS work, but they were pre-dated v3.0 stuff and can be reworked if needed again, just matter of time.
I don't know now that SDK will start working on VISTA again, just as it had done so during the last weeks. But not a big problem, because 1) I've completed the OGF (APC explosion and damaged remains) stuff, so I don't need to work on any MAYA-to-OGF by SDK conversion, 2) even if I need it in the future and that the SDK refuses to work, then, as I've now learned the "know-how" I can even ask one of you guys to install SDK on your XP PC and convert the MAYA saved file to OGF on SDK, of course after I send the file and tell which buttons you need to press. As always, once you've learned the trick, then the rest is a matter of (literally) a minute or two. So no worries there, either.

OK, we are on track again.
Thank you guys.

[busetibi]

fkn Vista, no way am I going to install that POS
lol, it took me three years (kicking and screaming) to go from Windows 98 to XP.
no way am I literate in PC's or OS, but if you need:
I can even ask one of you guys to install SDK on your XP PC and convert the MAYA saved file to OGF on SDK, of course after I send the file and tell which buttons you need to press.
then I'd be more than willing to try and help, but I warn you, I would need step by step instructions and even then I wouldn't guarantee I would get it right, but I'm more than willing to help if need be.