Installer File for Build 14

[Pieter Boelen]

I made a little addition to the text; how's this?

=====================================================
CRUCIAL INSTALLATION TIPS:
=====================================================

- DON'T install the game to Program Files;
security measures tend to prevent the modpack from installing correctly
Install to, for example, C:\Games\Pirates of the Caribbean instead

- Check out the controls in Documentation\Default Key Assignments.txt

- Set the game's settings to your liking in the Options>Advanced Options menu

- !!!SAVE OFTEN!!!


=====================================================
KNOWN GAME ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS:
=====================================================

- Intel Onboard Graphics Card incompatibility:
Workaround with Swiftshader Software Rendering
http://www.moddb.com/mods/new-horizons

- Windows 7:
If necessary, use "Compatability Administrator (32-bit)"
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=7352

- Using ffdshow:
Add the game to your "exception list"

- Disable "Safe mode" for Sounds in Config.exe to avoid crashes and graphic freezes


=====================================================
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
=====================================================

- Modpack Feature Overview in:
Ingame "About Build" Menu

- PDF Manuals in:
Documentation folder

- Changelog in:
Build Info.txt


=====================================================
GAME AND MODPACK SUPPORT:
=====================================================

- Storyline walkthroughs:
http://www.piratewiki.net/index.php?title=New_Horizon_Quests

- Frequently Asked Questions:
http://forum.piratesahoy.net/index.php/topic/14915-build-mod-and-forum-faq/

- Full support available at the PiratesAhoy! Community forums:
http://forum.piratesahoy.net

I added the "Additional Information" section so people are pointed to the spots where they can find other answers.

 

[Thagarr]

Looks good to me Pieter.

At least the information is there now, to bad we can't actually make people read it before they install!!

 

[Pieter Boelen]

DAMN! We did run into the 2 GB installer file limit when I got to "Le Reve Capture.wmv".
There was only a very few files left to go!

  File "H:\Hobbies\Pirates of the Caribbean\b14_beta2_full\RESOURCE\VIDEOS\Hornblower\Le Reve Capture.wmv"
File "H:\Hobbies\Pirates of the Caribbean\b14_beta2_full\RESOURCE\VIDEOS\Hornblower\SHIPWRECK_0001.wmv"
SetOutPath "$INSTDIR\RESOURCE\VIDEOS\LegendJackSparrow"
File "H:\Hobbies\Pirates of the Caribbean\b14_beta2_full\RESOURCE\VIDEOS\LegendJackSparrow\barbossa_speach.wmv"
File "H:\Hobbies\Pirates of the Caribbean\b14_beta2_full\RESOURCE\VIDEOS\LegendJackSparrow\elizabeth_falls.wmv"
File "H:\Hobbies\Pirates of the Caribbean\b14_beta2_full\RESOURCE\VIDEOS\LegendJackSparrow\jack_entrance.wmv"
File "H:\Hobbies\Pirates of the Caribbean\b14_beta2_full\RESOURCE\VIDEOS\LegendJackSparrow\jack_exit_DMC.wmv"
SetOutPath "$INSTDIR"
File "H:\Hobbies\Pirates of the Caribbean\b14_beta2_full\RunMe.bat"
SectionEnd

Section /o "ENB Improved Graphics" SEC02
File "C:\Users\PDM Boelen\Desktop\PotC\ENB\d3d8.dll"
SetOutPath "$INSTDIR\Documentation"
File "C:\Users\PDM Boelen\Desktop\PotC\ENB\Documentation\ENB Key Codes.txt"
File "C:\Users\PDM Boelen\Desktop\PotC\ENB\Documentation\ENB License.txt"
File "C:\Users\PDM Boelen\Desktop\PotC\ENB\Documentation\ENB ReadMe.txt"
SetOutPath "$INSTDIR"
File "C:\Users\PDM Boelen\Desktop\PotC\ENB\enbconvertor.ini"
File "C:\Users\PDM Boelen\Desktop\PotC\ENB\enbpalette.bmp"
File "C:\Users\PDM Boelen\Desktop\PotC\ENB\enbseries.ini"
File "C:\Users\PDM Boelen\Desktop\PotC\ENB\Uninstall ENB.bat"
SectionEnd

NOW what are we supposed to do to decrease the size further???

At the moment I'm seeing if I can decrease the size of the music files.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I did some more texture compression, mainly of interface files (they were 32 bit and could easily be 16 bit without quality loss)
and loading screens (changed ALL to 1024x512 and added compression to all but the most often-used ones).
Then I decreased the bitrate of all music files to 95 kB/s, which should help as well.
And I'm not including the stock game "Trailer.wmv" anymore. So let's see what happens this time... :?

 

[Jack Rackham]

DAMN! We did run into the 2 GB installer file limit

Does this means we can't expand this game anymore in the future?

 

[Pieter Boelen]

It does mean a larger Beta 3 release would become a ROYAL pain to create. It couldn't be done with a single installer like the one I'm making.
We might have to find another method of making installers, which is too bad, because on the whole this does work quite well.
Alternatively, we'd have to split it into different files, which will make the installation process more difficult.

My preferred method would be to separate the different storylines and their resources into additional downloads, which technically could work quite well.
The actual separating would be quite difficult though. I'm NOT looking forward to that whatsoever.

One thing's for certain; we really do have to consider the current modpack size and not add anything that we don't really have to.
It's better to improve on what we've got and try to avoid adding too much more, I suppose.

There are always possibilities for expansion though; they're just going to be sooo annoying.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

SUCCESS! The installer file has been created. It is 1.95 GB in size, so riiiight on the size limit for the method I'm using.
Next on the to-do list will be testing that it really does work correctly.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Yep, the installer seems to work pretty well now and results in the exact same game version that I've got myself.
I'll upload the huge file tomorrow; it'll take a while, of course.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah! :warr



Compressing the sound files is a good idea considering that when cd's first came out they were at 128kbs. So many won't notice the difference. That also makes the mod sound packs even more desirable. Those should be moved front and center.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Well, it's uploading now and I'll just leave it running overnight. It'll take about half a bloody day to complete if all goes right.

There aren't actually that many added music files by the mod itself, so it shouldn't make too much of a difference.
And with so much stuff going on during the music, I'd expect people to not really notice any decrease in sound quality.
Personally, to my ears 128 kB/s MP3 sounds quite fine, so 95 kB/s OGG can't be that bad.

 

[Baste]

Compressing the sound files is a good idea considering that when cd's first came out they were at 128kbs. So many won't notice the difference.

That seems strange. As far as I know, the bit rate on audio CD:s has always been 1411,2 kbit/s.

There aren't actually that many added music files by the mod itself, so it shouldn't make too much of a difference.
And with so much stuff going on during the music, I'd expect people to not really notice any decrease in sound quality.
Personally, to my ears 128 kB/s MP3 sounds quite fine, so 95 kB/s OGG can't be that bad.

It's kilobits, not kilobytes. It's quite a difference.

Wouldn't it be possible, as you mentioned, to split the installer into different files? That way the quality of the graphics and the audio won't have to be reduced. It shouldn't be preferable for them to be, and some of us might notice the differences. :?

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Well, as far as I can tell, it's all quite reasonable in the release version I've got now.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

When cds first came out I got a player and installed it in my puter and got some classical music cds. I still have them and they are set to 128kbs. I can't remember exactly how many floppies it took to install Win 95. 24?

 

[Baste]

Pieter: I hope so, but still, no reasonable way of splitting it instead? :?

Hylie Pistoff: Do you mean that when you play a track from one of those CD:s, the media player actually says that it's played at 128 kbit/s? :wacko:

 

[Pieter Boelen]

I'll look at splitting for the next release; now, I've got the Beta 2 installer ready as-is.
Let me know though if you detect any substandard quality on anything and we can rectify that in the next Patch.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

Pieter: I hope so, but still, no reasonable way of splitting it instead? :?

Hylie Pistoff: Do you mean that when you play a track from one of those CD:s, the media player actually says that it's played at 128 kbit/s? :wacko:

I can't find those old cds right now, but they are installed as mp3s at 128kbs.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Hum; seems like two of my bladedamage test lines are still in there. So during swordfights, you'll keep getting "This happens" lines appearing on the screen.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

Currently uploading a v2 version of the installer; will replace once completed.

 

[Baste]

I'll look at splitting for the next release; now, I've got the Beta 2 installer ready as-is.
Let me know though if you detect any substandard quality on anything and we can rectify that in the next Patch.

That sounds good.

I can't find those old cds right now, but they are installed as mp3s at 128kbs.

Ah, then it's a "burned" CD. "Real" albums use the "Red Book" CD standard and have tracks with bit rates of 1411,2 kbit/s.

 

[Pieter Boelen]

For reference if anybody wants to make a Build 14 Beta 2 style installer:
1. You need these programs:
.....a) NSIS - http://nsis.sourceforge.net/Main_Page
.....b) HM NIS Edit - http://hmne.sourceforge.net/
2. Use "New script from wizard" in HM NIS Edit to load whatever files you want to have included in your installer
3. Use the file in "b14_beta2_installer.zip" as a template for what to put at the top and the bottom of the code file, but replace the part in the middle with what you made in step #2 above
4. Get the TXT file as well if you want to use the "license agreement" I wrote for Beta 2
5. "PotC_Icons.zip" contains the set of icons I've bee using for the installers
6. Compile the installer and it should work, as long as the final size remains below 2 GB