Chronicle not working

[GreenDragon]

I've been through the Big o' Mapping Tutorial two times and have tried to make a simple test-chronicle. I have one outside area and one inside area and a door that links them together. So, the chronicle appears in the multiplayer chronicles-list, but when I try to start it the game just freezes.

Also, it seems that putting any custom nob-file in the Vampire directory resets the graphical settings in the game, which is a little annoying.

Any tips would be helpful.

[Javokis]

After setting your graphics up go to

-Main VTMR directory
-Find the masquerade.ini
-Right-click it go to properties
-Set it to read-only.

That will keep graphics from resetting again.

As for crashing on the chronicle. Make sure

-That your map has a playerstart0
-Make sure that nil and nsd files are located correctly in the nob file (don't forget the nsd file)
-Don't forget the nsd file (that's where the playerstart data is located)
-Test the map in embrace first (just to be sure there isn't a problem with the map)
-Make sure you didn't typo the nil file name in your chronicle file (that will crash it too)

So, double check your chronicle file for typos or errors, test your map in embrace through single player option, and be sure your nob file structure has all the needed files (nil in the levels folder, nsd in the scenes folder, and nsc in the chronicles folder).

[GreenDragon]

For what I can see, all the files are in the right locations.

The content of the nob-file(MyMaps.nob):

Chronicles
mymultiplayermap.nsc

Levels
inside.log
inside.nil
outside.log
outside.nil
outside.~ni

Scenes
inside.nsd
outside.nsd

And the content of "mymultiplayermap.nsc":

#location    name      nil                 nsd   mapinterface maplocator  flags   

location     Outside   outside.nil            null     null            null              0x0060
location     Inside     inside.nil              null      null             null               0x0060

exit Outside, 1   Inside, 0

metafile MP_Salon.nmf
flags    0x6

I've checked for typos but I can't find any.
I can test the map in Embrace(Run Level), but "Run Chronicle" doesn't work. The playerstart0's are all there.

EDIT: I made a new project with new maps and "insidemap.~ni" seems to be missing in the Levels-folder above. However it didn't work with this new one. At least the graphics now stays the same.  

[Javokis]

.~ni files are not important. Neither are the log files. Only the nil file must be present. Have you tried editing the location names... deleting a location to test one location at a time?

From what you've shown, it should be working.

[GreenDragon]

I think it finally is working. I don?t know if the outside map was too small, so that the playerstart0's and playerstart01's were too close to eachother or something. I moved them a bit and changed their formations(had them in a line before) and it seems to have done it. 

Thanks for your help.

[GreenDragon]

So I?ve been fiddling with Embrace again and I?m having the same problems as above. I was just wondering, since I can test the map in Embrace, I suppose that it is not the thing causing the problems? Can you have a chronicle with just one location? I only have an outside map this time.

[Javokis]

Yes. You can have a chronicle with only one location. Just be sure to input the following:

#location    name      nil                 nsd   mapinterface maplocator  flags   

Example:

Code: [Select]

location MyOutSideMap  myoutsidemap.nil null null null 0x0060
Set nsd to null if you're working only with the static layer.

Make sure you nsc file is in the Chronicles folder, your .nil file is in the Levels folder, and your .nsd file is in the Scenes folder. Be sure to use a project directory and check the tutorial on making nob files - that will be much cleaner than having to work out of the main VTMR folder.

[mgust35]

I had an issue like this before with the chronicle not showing up.  Ended up being a brain fart on my part, forgetting to make the NOB file uncompressed.  Double check that and also make sure your folder paths are set correctly.

[GreenDragon]

Alright, I think it finally is working, at least I can start the chronicle in VtM:R. The problem now is that the map is pitch black(the sky is there though) and I cannot walk on the ground. I have one lightsource, ambient light and moonlight in the settings. As before, when I run the map in Embrace everything is fine.

From what I see, everything seems to be in the right folder: nsc-file in Chronicles, nil-file in Levels and nsd-file in Scenes.

Is

Code: [Select]

metafile MP_Salon.nmf
flags    0x6

the only thing needed in the end of the nsc-file? I noticed some of the original nsc-files also had

Code: [Select]

script   LondonChronicle and

Code: [Select]

portal   Bridge 15 for example.

Thanks for your quick replies 

Edit: I started over from scratch with a new project, and the chronicle seems to be working alright in VtM:R now.

Edit 2: Well, only partly..the sky does not appear anymore. Checked the surfaces and all of them have "sky" marked in the Surface Inspector. The default sky is loaded in the Scene Editor as well.

[Javokis]

Yes. The first code snippet you inputted was the last minimum lines needed to have a properly functioning chronicle. Chronicle flags 0x6 and 0x7 I think both should work to make the chronicle appear in the multiplayer list.

About the missing sky; two things come to mind:

-Is your sky scene set to the static layer and are you working in the static layer?
-Check you sector geometry. Are your sky brushes within the sectors?

[GreenDragon]

Yup, the sectors were the problem..I forgot them

So, I?ve updated the map adding the house, shed and an interior map..the thing is that when I recompress all this into a new nob-file and open it in VtMR none of these changes are there. It?s the same skyless map. I must be doing something wrong in the creation of the chronicle because the map works just fine running it through Embrace.

[Javokis]

Double check that you are nobbing out of the project directory embrace is working in. Also do not forget the nsd file of the Scene folder for your nob because that's where the sky data is stored.

[GreenDragon]

Hmm..I noticed that a lot of project files had ended up in the folders in the main directory, so I did an uninstall and reinstalled the game and NodSDK. I discovered that if I put the nil-, nsc- and nsd files in the Chronicles, Levels and Scenes folders in the main Vampire directory the nob-file runs without errors in VtMR. Apparantly I must do something wrong when creating a new project. What exactly needs to be checked in the "Project Settings" window in Embrace?

[mgust35]

Sounds to me like its a problem on how you are creating your NOB file.  A nob is just used to combign all the file materials in the map into 1 NOB for easy distrubuting.  Any specific game file VTMR reads can be played just by putting it in its proper folder, which is what you are doing by placing the appropriate files in the chronicles/scenes/levels folder.

What program are you using to combign your file materials? 7zip? winzip? winrar?  I specifically use winzip and it allows me to check and set the path each file is going to in the NOB folder.



Last I remembered, these paths must be set correctly or the game will not read the files within the NOB.

[GreenDragon]

I have been using 7-zip. I created a nob in Winzip but it did not solve the problems. If anyone wants to take a look at the files, go ahead.