Known Issues with LoH 3.0

1) If you download the .rar files, you will have to manually place the files in the correct folders.
This means you will have to create a /hyperborea folder inside c:/program files/microsoft games/dungeon siege
and then place the following files inside it:

hyperborea.dsmap
xaa_hyperborea.dsres
xaa_hyperborea_intro_movie.dsres

Once done, read the readme file for complete instructions on how to create a desktop shortcut for hyperborea.

PLEASE NOTE: RAR files can be opened with WinRAR, which you can get as a 45-day trial download from http://www.rarlab.com/

2) No matter which you choose to download, however, PLEASE READ THE README FILE BEFORE YOU INSTALL. It contains the EULA, installation instructions, game hints, tips, troubleshooting, the works.

3) MAC USERS: You may need the latest version of StuffIt Expander to be able to unpack the RAR archive. The latest version is available at http://www.aladdinsys.com/
(with a note of thanks to Whitewinds for pointing this out)

4) Some farmboy and farmgirl characters from LoH 2.0 will need to be upgraded manually to 3.0 settings. This will involve editing the character's savegame file.

*****WARNINGWARNINGWARNINGWARNINGWARNINGWARNING****
Editing your savegame can cause your character to become unplayable in LoH 3.0, be extremely careful!
This procedure is for updating Farmboy and Farmgirl to LoH 3.0 - it is not necessary for nearly every other character!
*****WARNINGWARNINGWARNINGWARNINGWARNINGWARNING****

A typical 2.0 dsparty save contains three files:
Info.gas
Party.gas
portrait.bmp

Info.gas can be ignored - it's only really useful for me when I'm trying to debug problems, and for most players, it's not important.
Party.gas contains the information that needs to be altered.
Portrait.bmp is generated when you create the character. This will need to be replaced with the portrait from the new character.

Converting a 2.0 Farmboy/Farmgirl into a 3.0 Farmboy/Farmgirl with an animated face:

1) Backup your old character file in case you botch.
2) Create a new MP character and select the new appearance you want your old character to have. Save it with a different name (like "testchar", or something).
3) Enter the game so the character is standing on the map, then exit. The character will be automagically saved.
4) Open the old character's savegame file with tankviewer, and extract party.gas.
5) Open the new character's file with tankviewer. Looking at the "testchar" file, you will see the following entries:

CODE
[skins]
{
0 = b_c_gah_fb_skin_55;
1 = b_c_pos_a1_pant_001xaa,b_c_pos_a1_pant_001xaa;
}


The 0 texture is your new character's base face. Copy this over to your old character's entry.

7) You will also see an entry for "Questbits". This is where I store the face so it can be recalled between game sessions. Having this questbit set does two things: A.) It determines whether or not you are a 3.0 character (who can blink) or a 2.0 character (who can't). B.) It allows me to know your actual texture when you enter the game wearing a hat.

On the new character's file, the questbit entry should look something like this:

CODE
[questbits]
{
[0]
{
_key = "hyperborea";
[_value]
{
[0]
{
_key = "skin";
_value = "b_c_gah_fb_skin_55";
}
}
}
}


Copy this over to the old character's file.

8) Replace the old character's portrait with the new character's portrait.

9) Tank it up, enter the game with your old character, and take off your hat. If you did it right, the character should blink.

*******Other Characters********
Elemental Witches, Shikari, Light Elves and Dark Elves do not need to be converted with this procedure. The 3.0 skrits will automagically alter them to 3.0 standards (and the elemental witches get new hairdos, to boot). Dwarves are, for the most part, also automatic, but there are two faces that are supported in 3.0 but not animated (because they sucked, I just used the default list from the original game in earlier versions of LoH, sorry). The easiest way to find out if you need to use the above process to convert a dwarf is to enter the game with your 2.0 dwarf, pull off your hat, and wait. If you don't start blinking after a few seconds, then you have a non-animated texture. Create a new dwarf with the face you would like your old one to have, and use the procedure above. Lastly, it should be noted that Hyperboreans and rat-people do not blink at all - the former for obvious reasons, and the latter because I did not consider this a priority, since the rat-people aren't really intended for MP play to begin with.