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Quite a time ago i found a very weird bug after I combined Clouds of Xeen (which I finished at that time) with Darkside, and I thought it was because of non-patched version or something. When I bought it from GOG, it looks like all versions have this bug.

World of Xeen doubles amount of experience you get from mobs on Clouds of Xeen (Darkside of Xeen remains unchanged). You can test it on very first Slime, which should give 50 EXP, but gives 100 EXP (16 per char if you have 6 people in party) instead. Original Clouds of Xeen doesn't have this bug, it only appears when you combine it with Darkside.

Also it doesn't look like it was intended at all, game resources still show non-bugged experience value. Thus somethings makes game calculate experience awards twice on Clouds of Xeen.

Did anyone else find this bug and/or maybe knows if there is some fix for it?
Post edited November 18, 2013 by Sarisio
Clouds is "different" is a few ways (e.g. the map names are not stored in the CC file, etc.). I would venture a guess that Clouds is referencing the .DAT, not the .CC file for monster info. Swords does this -- despite a XEEN.MON and DARK.MON packed inside SWRD.CC, it only uses the .DAT file for monster info.
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CedricBusch: Clouds is "different" is a few ways (e.g. the map names are not stored in the CC file, etc.). I would venture a guess that Clouds is referencing the .DAT, not the .CC file for monster info.
I was using memory snapshot, from playing the game, and it had databases unpacked (I used it to make list of passwords from manual). That's when I also decided to check if mobs' EXP was truly doubled for Clouds, but it wasn't. And I just saw your tools for WoX, truly great, maybe you will find way to properly extract those datatables from WoX one day too, though I am afraid they aren't source of bug.

My guess is that it is somehow connected with double saving process. Game keeps writing in two .CUR files (DARK and XEEN: one is Darkside state, other is Clouds state) at once (which are basically savestates) while the game is launched. Character data is present in both files.

it is also possibly the reason for "Weak Condition Bug", I can't remember such bug in original Clouds, didn't check on Darkside yet, but in WoX' Clouds, debuff "Weak" (characters get it if they travel too long without resting) is purely cosmetic, stats get reduced just for 1 step and then they are back to normal (character portraits and health bars don't get updated). Perhaps because condition is being written only for one instance of .CUR. Perhaps it is also the reason for Vertigo and Nightshadow getting occasional respawns in WoX.

P.S.: This factor doesn't go well with my reason to replay WoX: 10 years ago I didn't know difference between "Adventurer" (Easy/with characters having insanely buffed damage) and "Warrior" (Normal), so completed it on Easy and now I want to replay on Normal (how it should be played), and double experience completely doesn't fit my definition of "Normal" mode :)
Post edited November 19, 2013 by Sarisio
Double savestates makes sense as these save files contain world and quest data as well (monsters killed, items grabbed, quests completed, etc) - there will one file for each side. According to the Xeen Wiki, WoX will default to look at the Dark savestate for everything except Clouds specific *map/quest* data; character information is always grabbed from Dark.

"When combined into World of Xeen, only the Darkside save file is used; the Darkside specific file format contains all Clouds specific data as well as the Darkside and additional content. "
http://xeen.wikia.com/wiki/MAZE.PTY_File_Format
Actually, I must correct myself. Looks like in WoX, Darkside mobs give double exp too. Just saw it with Goblin in Castleview who should award 1000 EXP (166 per char), but he awards 2000 EXP (332 per char) instead. I didn't put much attention to Darkside bug last time I played (I simply merged it with Clouds), but Clouds bug was very evident after merge.

Also I see that Xeen Wiki has pages with extracted data for monsters. Still it only proves point, that something makes experience calculation to go wrong, same Goblin for example - http://xeen.wikia.com/wiki/Goblin_%28Darkside%29

Probably one of solutions would be to edit those data files and decrease all exp awards from mobs by 50%, so bug would return exp to their original values. But there are no available modification tools for that, and it wouldn't solve the bug itself though, as also those other 2 minor bugs (Vertigo/bats' town respawn + weak) which are probably result of 4+5 merge.
Post edited November 19, 2013 by Sarisio
I can only marvel over how difficult the Megadragon battle would be WITHOUT this bug.
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gammaleak: I can only marvel over how difficult the Megadragon battle would be WITHOUT this bug.
If I'm not mistaken the bug only doubles experience. So it wouldn't make the fight more difficult, just less rewarding.
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ZFR: If I'm not mistaken the bug only doubles experience. So it wouldn't make the fight more difficult, just less rewarding.
Well, what I meant is that the double XP bug benefits you in gaining higher levels than perhaps intended. Since your party will have a higher average level when you face the Megadragon, you'll have a better chance of defeating him. But with the intended experience, you'd be a lower level and have a harder time.

That said, people often get to the end of the game and don't have enough money to pay for level ups anymore, so maybe it's a wash. :^)
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Sarisio: Probably one of solutions would be to edit those data files and decrease all exp awards from mobs by 50%, so bug would return exp to their original values.
See if this works-- just unzip and throw XEEN.MON and DARK.MON into your Xeen folder (where the CC files are).

http://games.playazlounge.net/xeen/XeenMonsters-XPHalfed.zip

Note: I haven't tested this, just verified the XP is cut in half. Try on both sides of the world.
Post edited November 19, 2013 by CedricBusch
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CedricBusch: See if this works-- just unzip and throw XEEN.MON and DARK.MON into your Xeen folder (where the CC files are).

http://games.playazlounge.net/xeen/XeenMonsters-XPHalfed.zip

Note: I haven't tested this, just verified the XP is cut in half. Try on both sides of the world.
Yes, it makes monsters to award intended amount of XP (tested it on Slime (Clouds) and Goblin (Darkside). Even though it is more like workaround, it still does the job (even not being packed back into game archives). Thank you a lot. Perhaps these replacement files should also be posted somewhere like in sticky here or on your site.
Post edited November 19, 2013 by Sarisio

Even though it is more like workaround, it still does the job (even not being packed back into game archives). Thank you a lot.
An actual patch is posted @ http://games.playazlounge.net/#UserUtilities

It seems to correctly rebuild the DARK.CC file. You should test it for me (backup DARK.CC first)
:-)
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CedricBusch: It seems to correctly rebuild the DARK.CC file. You should test it for me (backup DARK.CC first)
Yes, it work. There is some small rounding error happening (like, e.g. Breeder Slimes giving 32 exp to 6 chars instead of 33), but I remember original Clouds had it as well. I have good memory on numbers, so even after so much time passed after my last playthrough I remember I had exactly same EXP (5596) when leaving Vertigo in stand-alone Clouds. Yes, don't laugh at me, Might and Magic series are among my most favorite games of all times, and I, being perfectionist, put attention to all such details!

The only very minor bug with it is that Doom Bug now grants 76 EXP (should be 75) if killed solo. But he is the only mob in WoX who gives odd number of EXP, and people don't usually play WoX solo (unless for a challenge, but those few bonus XP points would change nothing).

Only thing I'd change in description of patch I would add, that it actually makes mobs to award original amount of XP (according to original data-tables and cluebooks).
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Sarisio: The only very minor bug with it is that Doom Bug now grants 76 EXP (should be 75) if killed solo. But he is the only mob in WoX who gives odd number of EXP, and people don't usually play WoX solo (unless for a challenge, but those few bonus XP points would change nothing).
This isn't a "fixable" bug. The monster definition tables only hold integers. 75/2=37.5 it can only be stored as 37 or 38, so 74 or 76 when Xeen doubles it.
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CedricBusch: This isn't a "fixable" bug. The monster definition tables only hold integers. 75/2=37.5 it can only be stored as 37 or 38, so 74 or 76 when Xeen doubles it.
Yeah I know, and its occurence is extremely situational, thus it isn't much important.

I see quite an activity on MM IV-V modding scene. I wonder if there was also some kind of open research on more intricate game mechanics? Like what GrayFace did for Might and Magic VI-VIII (https://sites.google.com/site/sergroj/mm/mechanics). MM III-V game systems differ greatly from MM VI+ (mobs don't have levels, there is such a thing as "Attacks per round"), so chance to hit/be hitten, resistances, etc. had to be calculated with those factors in mind.

i see Xeen Wiki has "figure out the exact algorithm used for calculating damage" on their TODO list but Wiki doesn't look like had much updates for over a year.
Ok, so just what monsters are affected by this? I have a game where I am farming gems using Sandro, and the game seems to be giving the correct amount of experience. For reference, I am using the old Dos version (patched to remove the town portal bug).