Unofficial (for now) mission scripts fix

[Sneaksie]

First of all, i would like to apologize for lack of news and updates. The development studio went out of business after the game release so no kind of support is available from them.
We were forced to search for any solutions to game issues ourselves and we don't have a source code. This means that some errors (like ships sinking through ground at the end of football mission) are impossible to fix. However, i've managed to understand and correct most errors in mission scripts.

This patch fixes most scripting errors found in missions (crash in Mission 30, 31 should be okay as well). In addition, it adds text messages at the top of the screen during flight (a substitute for spoken flight chatter), which are also stored in pager log if you've missed something. A pilot head image appears briefly at the top left of the screen when someone says something. All text in the game should be translated now.

Patch installation is simple - unpack the archive into main game directory, overwriting existing files.

Please report any errors, i'll try to fix them if possible.

<File updated April 12, 2010>

[starlord]

thanks for the answer sneaksie: and we quite understand the complex situation you are in!

I've heard from peter king that support from factor K will be inexistant: as such, I would like to point out right away that a lot of us would be interested in acquiring factor K add ons from russia, and we would appreciate the different 1C offices to help us in those purchases...

Afterwards, no doubt that the translation of factor K will have to be handled by fans: a simple "subtitling" of the game no doubt... but the proper question now is acquiring the add-on...

EDIT: also, if this game is about to turn into anything decent, as is our wish, I recommend to do as sneaksie says and start bug chasing! I personnally would say: thank you for the flight chater workaround...
I suppose that creating a similar "subtitling" patch for factor K russian releases would be impossible in the future?

[homework]

Thank you. I started thinking no one will fix that. Finally! I hope we can now play it till the end.

[Hertston]

Wow... only popped back in a moment of boredom, having given up on this one months ago.

However, thanks for making the effort to do what you could, and I certainly be re-installing to look at the changes.

Just wondering though, I know you don't have the source code but wouldn't it be possible to insert the Russian voice chatter sound files? As I recall from poking around the files the problem seemed to be that they just weren't there. I always thought 'Russian with subtitles' would actually 'work' very well.

[Sneaksie]

Actually, pilots speak generic phrases in Russian (like 'i've got him!'), only now subtitles for this phrases appear too. Critical messages (like 'Form up on my wing' or 'Andrew, engage these torpedo bombers!') are subtitles only, but in some cases pilot's portrait appears too to get your attention.
Theoretically it's possible to add back Russian spoken dialogue during flight in addition to subtitles, but the patch will be big and i doubt it would improve experience significantly (and the difference between English voices between missions and Russian voices during missions would be glaring).
Everybody, please share what do you think about Hertston's idea.

[Hertston]

Originally Posted by Sneaksie

(and the difference between English voices between missions and Russian voices during missions would be glaring).

Maybe, but I always thought the game had a very 'Russian' feel anyway (which is hardly surprising I suppose), even in the cut-scenes. I can't quite recall, but wasn't a lot of the background chat in the first 'Stalker' game deliberately left in Russian to keep the atmosphere, even though all the 'plot' dialogue was voiced in English?

Anyway, as you say it will be interesting to hear what others think. There's certainly no point in doing it unless the demand is substantially more than just me!

[starlord]

as far as this is concerned, it's as you wish! The only thing I want is to understand the plot and story!

But again: Many thanks for the help!

[Sneaksie]

Originally Posted by Hertston

Maybe, but I always thought the game had a very 'Russian' feel anyway (which is hardly surprising I suppose), even in the cut-scenes.

Interesting, can you explain what gives you this feel?

[Hertston]

Originally Posted by Sneaksie

Interesting, can you explain what gives you this feel?

Don't know really, just a 'style' thing that's very hard to pin down. It think it's to do with both gameplay and (perhaps principally) artistic conventions you associate almost unconciously with most games developed in the US and UK (even 'indie' ones) being changed, subtly different or even thrown away altogether. I like many games from Eastern Europe for that reason, particularly the Stalker series and the Ice Pick Lodge games (The Void and Pathologic).. you would never see anything like those from a US or UK developer.

BTW, having just got Call of Pripyat (UK release was only last week) I note they've kept the Russian (or Ukranian?) chat in that as well, when English translation is not really needed.

[lazaros]

i applied the patch passed mission 30 and in mission 31 when i join gagarin'w formation is gets an java runtime error on file mission31.g3c line 479