Forcing game to load from DefaultGameCore.ini

[Amineri]

Looks good!

 

I just added a link to the download in the Long War discussion page, so you might see a few hits from people wanting to mod the mod.

 

Now that there is an install file it should hopefully be possible for johnnylump to update the Long War installer so that we aren't limited by the Resource Cache size issue, which would allow for some additional configuration options.

[MrMoe777]

For those who are too reluctant to directly modify the game EXE in order to apply the "Disabling Hash checks" and "Enabling INI loading" mods, I have uploaded a CMD (batch) script EXEPatcher to Nexus to do it for you. It requires you to separately download and install the 'bsdiff' open source package from an external site which is linked there.

 

While the script tries it's best to figure out where everything is located, it also contains some clearly identified variable at the beginning which can be modified to point to the necessary location. Just run it first and it will tell you what it can't locate. You will definitely have to point it to where you install the 'bsdiff' package as that doesn't update the registry.

 

The patch file included was created with another script EXEDiff which can be used to make your own patches. This can be useful to someone who may wish to apply patches in sequence rather than all at once.

 

Both scripts are easily customized to work with any game or other executable, and can be installed to any location. Only the patch file needs to be located with the game executable, and even that can be altered if you can find your way through heavily commented code.

 

Additional 'bsdiff' patch files can be included as required. If anyone has one they would like me to add to the page, feel free to contact me.

 

-Dubious-

 

not working. installed successfully (confusing install instruction, next time write "adjust batch file settings") but it doesnt load settings from the .INI file

[dubiousintent]

As I understand you, the script worked after you adjusted the batch file settings, but you did not get the intended result because it did not appear to load from one of the 'loose' INI files? Which INI file did you adjust, and what settings adjustment were you looking to see in the game? Did you test with a saved game or a new game?

 

Always looking for feedback on how to improve the documentation. What was so confusing that "adjust batch file settings" alone would have improved? (Please remember that we have all levels of understanding in the audience, including those who have never opened a script file before and don't realize that a CMD and BAT are basically the same thing for different versions of Windows.)

 

-Dubious-

[MrMoe777]

I tried something simple. pistol needs ammo/reloading on a save game and new game (loaded the same Ini with modpatcher for testing, and that worked)

 

altered the entry in/ XcomGame/config/.

 

I like long and detailed manuals, but while reading yours I missed the important thing about the path changes in the batch file :blush:

Also why do I need to add the XComGame_Patch_... file as parameter when it also has to be in win32. that seems a bit redundant

[dubiousintent]

Hmm. I'll see about identifying a simple standardized test to determine if the DGC.INI is loading after this patch. (Arcthrower in the pistol slot, probably. Edit: That's no good because you need to have researched it to check.) I just checked that the proper hex changes were present. There are many seemingly simple changes that actually require multiple settings to take effect. I haven't tried that one myself, so I can't tell if just the one setting is all that is needed. I'll get back to you and put it in the docs.

 

The patch file name parameter is so you can tell it which of several patches you want to install. But I can certainly have it look for just a single one and use that if it's the only one present. Probably provide a list of patch files so you can choose from within the script while it is running. Next version.

 

As to the manual, I'll see about re-organizing it a bit to make the batch tweaks stand out more. Thanks for the feedback.

 

Edit: Try this to test that the DGC.INI is loading from the 'XCom-Enemy-Unknown\XComGame\Config' folder.

 

Edit the DGC.INI as follows:

Replace the Original 'eItem_Shotgun' line 'Properties[1]=eWPAssault' entry with '=eWP_Anyclass' as shown below. You can just copy and paste this line with any text editor. (Save your '.BAK' file to restore the original DGC.INI.)

Weapons=(iType=eItem_Shotgun,ABILITIES[0]=eAbility_ShotStandard,ABILITIES[1]=eAbility_Overwatch,ABILITIES[2]=eAbility_NONE,ABILITIES[3]=eAbility_NONE,ABILITIES[4]=eAbility_NONE,ABILITIES[5]=eAbility_NONE,Properties[0]=eWP_AnyClass,Properties[1]=eWP_AnyClass,Properties[2]=eWP_None,Properties[3]=eWP_None,Properties[4]=eWP_None,Properties[5]=eWP_None,iDamage=6,iEnvironmentDamage=30,iRange=22,iReactionRange=8,iReactionAngle=360,iRadius=0,iCritical=40,iOffenseBonus=10,iSuppression=10,iSize=eItemSize_Large,iHPBonus=0,iWillBonus=5)

Load any previous save where you are in the XCOM base (the Strategy game phase) or play a new game to that point, go into the Barracks, View Soldiers, and change the Loadout of some class other than an Assault to equip a Shotgun. (I used a Support, which couldn't without this change and doesn't have any other class restrictions that might prevent it, as is the case with a Heavy). The 'vanilla' DGC.INI that's in the embedded 'Resource cache' only permits an Assault can equip a Shotgun. With this change, any class can that doesn't have other built-in restrictions.

 

Anyone other than an Assault class equipping a Shotgun proves you are loading the DGC from the '\config' folder.

 

Subsequent changes to the DGC.INI that do not appear to work are most likely due to needing additional settings altered, or incompatibilities of specific abilities or properties with specific items, or something similar. Check out the Wiki article 'DefaultGameCore.ini settings - XCOM:EU 2012' for known DGC alteration issues (and please update any new discoveries for others benefit.)

 

Edit 2: Added an optional updated patch file to the Nexus page, that now enables loading all 3 INIs. The original patch included in the archive does not enable loading the DefaultMPGame.INI (DMP). This new patch will be needed by mods like 'Long War' that need to steal space from the other INIs to increase another such as gutting the DMP for adding new items to the DGC.INI in order to overcome the Total INI Size Limit (same Wiki article as above).

 

-Dubious-

Edited August 15, 2013 by dubiousintent

[Drakous79]

Are insane load times officially fixed? There are no redundant DLC entries in my XComEngine.ini and I've started the game numerous times lately.

Edited September 30, 2013 by Drakous79

[Bertilsson]

Did you check the XComEngine.ini in My Documents?

I just tested and I still get one extra set every time I start the game... But I have turned off automatic update since about a month back so I may be slightly out of date :)

[Amineri]

As Bertilsson says, it's only the merged XComEngine.ini file in the My Documents folder that has redundant lines. It's apparently in error in some code that runs at game startup and merges the various XComEngine.ini files from the base game together with any DLC. It only appears once at least one DLC has been installed.

[dubiousintent]

Something that is I feel needs clarification for any attempting to modify the DGC.INI (or any others) in order to tweak a mod to suit their personal tastes, once you enable INI loading (as described here).

Loose INI files get read, and thus override, after the game EXE starts.

Which means if a mod makes changes to the 'resource cache' (which is essentially all the default INI file settings, and is internal to the EXE itself), any changes to the loose INI file will override the mod changes.

What hopefully a mod developer is in a position to confirm is if the loose INI file only overrides only certain things or everything in it's entirety. We know that un-hacked vanilla reads the 'BALANCE_MOD' entries, but not everything else. With the INI loading enabled, will the default (un-tweaked) GDC.INI values get restored over the mod's changes?

 

Edit: Amineri indirectly answered my request for clarification in this post. The short answer:

 

 

The primary issue is that some items are read once when a new campaign is started and the values are then stored in the save-game file. Most items, however, are read "on the fly" from the ini file as needed.

 

I have updated the Wiki 'DefaultGameCore.ini settings' article accordingly.

 

-Dubious-

Edited October 10, 2013 by dubiousintent

[deus0ww]

The offset for 1.0.1 for Mac (Mac App Store version) has moved to 0x1D86B50. If you edited version 1.0, the App Store will not update the game and you will need to delete it and redownload. After editing, the app will need to be code-signed, again (as usual...).

 

If searching in a hexeditor, look for "44 00 00 00 65 00 00 00 66 00 00 00 61 00 00 00 75 00 00 00 6C 00 00 00 74 00 00 00 47 00 00 00 61 00 00 00 6D 00 00 00 65 00 00 00 43 00 00 00 6F 00 00 00 72 00 00 00 65 00 00 00 2E 00 00 00 69 00 00 00 6E 00 00 00 69 00 00 00". This is "DefaultGameCore.ini" in UTF32LE. I used "Hex Fiend" hexeditor, which is free.