Master of Magic unofficial patch (latest version)

[kyrub]

9/03/2015
Latest stable version 1.4n here:
  insecticide140n.zip (Size: 783.61 KB / Downloads: 352)

DOWNLOAD v1.4n Insecticide patch

Version 1.4o patch is unstable, for testing only.

What the Insecticide patch is all about?
---------------------------
to make the MoM game as bug-free and as AI-challenging and as user-friendly as possible
without modifying the content. The patch now features more than 200 bug-fixes, AI improvements and interface changes. Enjoy!


1) Unzip into your MoM folder, overwrite existing files.
2) Before playing game, check Game/Settings screen, if the settings are correct!


Release notes:

Version 1.40o - ALPHA (small problems and display bugs)
------------------------
- [interface] cities now have a QUEUE with 2 extra objects. Use Q button or left-click on "Producing" area. Downside: you cannot put in the queue a building for which you haven't build prerequisite yet.
- [setup] a new landmass in between (previous) medium and large landmass is selectable. The landmasses are called "Tiny-Small-Medium*-Large-Huge", where medium is the new one.
- [AI] AI now tries to shoot arrows only when closer to the target.


Version 1.40n (latest)
------------------------

- [bug] Lucky and Prayer bonus was incorrectly making all incoming attacks less efficient (-1 to hit), on top of its correct effect
- [bug] arcane spells clutter the research options for player and AIs, due to incorrect choice mechanics.
- [bug] Runemaster 200% to_dispel bonus now works / does not work, only whent it should / should not work .
- [bug] instable data preventing early mercenary offers to the human player
- [bug] Myrror cities had normal roads passing through them

- [insecticide bug] "Revolting raiders" option is now connected with the right button on the Setting screen
- [insecticide bug] serious data instability issue on Cities screen

- [interface] you may cycle through all your cities with "X" key, when viewing the inner City screen
- [interface] Cities screen can be accessed with "T" key
- [interface] Cities screen can be paged through with up and down arrows
- [interface 1.31] right-clicking on cities opens the Change screen in the appropriate location, giving you an easy management tool



Version 1.40m
------------------------
- [bug] AI will now always attack aggressively
- [bug] AI units now always attack twice, if possible
- [bug] Extreme and Hard difficulties now have correct opponent's number of picks (13 for Hard, 15 for Extreme)

- AI: better summoning
- AI will not hesitate with settling nodes with Spirit
- AI heroes are preserved in AI-AI combat, and they will be resurrected
- AI creating items have been postponed to the later stages of the game


Version 1.40l
------------------------
- [bug] Armageddon does not destroy all pacifying effects, it just increases rebels by 2
- [bug] ditched all (?) the stupid dispel bugs I've put in the game (please report any further problems with dispels!)
- [bug] AI is now able to create all magical items from the whole power range
- [bug] new items, written by player with use of itemmake.exe, will now have correct book prerequisites

- [game option] new world size, "Huge", is 33% bigger than Large. It creates one big continent to fight on.
- [game option] new difficulty level "Extreme", same as Impossible, but with 25% lower AI bonuses
- [game option] new choices for magic strength, ranging from 0.5 - 2.5 x normal level. It influences the strength of lair monsters, the rewards and the mana you get from nodes

- AI now tries to protect his fortress with better defense
- AI mercenary hiring decision has notably improved
- AI will occasionally buy a magical item from the merchant

-it is now impossible to get better hero by reloading before a summon
-it is now impossible to get better reward from lair by reloading before the battle

- [interface] all hidden To hit and To defend bonuses are now displayed in the detailed unit infobox


Version 1.40k
------------------------
- combat dispel now should not make a spell permanent outside of combat [major Insecticide bug corrected]
- looping music fix reversed since the problem lies elsewhere (music for buildings is back)
- option "Strategic combat" was renamed to "Automatic combat"
- new game options should be by default off, after a fresh install [credit to Ickus]


Version 1.40j
------------------------
- major instability issue in combat corrected
- RNG is stable for overland (reloading should give you the same overland events) - a reverse of an old change


Version 1.40i
-----------------------
reversed ship speeds to the original

(Bugs in general)
Animate dead should now work (but casting when > 6 units are dead still crashes the game!)
monsters extra difficulty option - significantly harder
raiders extra difficulty option - easier
the human player cannot run into an enemy unit when using enchanted roads pathfinding
AI is not trying to dispel Haste from a hero with an item
AI stacks, after an attack, can move in the next turn (bug fixed)
Great wasting does not destroy any pacifying effects from city buildings anymore
AI priests are now capable to cast healing in the battle
the "250 production" bug allowing you to miraculously complete any production, gone
Conjurer trait now rounds 25% mana bonus on monster maintenance up (2 maintenance -> 1 saved, 5 -> 1 saved, 6 -> 2 saved)
Invulnerability and Possession on a unit now can be dispelled in the combat
Combat Dispel from all pre-combat spells now actually works!
Dispel evil is impossible against non-dead, non-chaos units
a hero will not disenchant the positive spells from his own peers (second attempt)
removed text "Endurance, as swiftness spell"
looping music for 'Building was completed' was removed from the game to avoid CPU consummation
you will see Demons and Werewolves in lairs, also Air elemental and Phantom Beasts had their values switched (corrected)

(World creation)
the fortress placement has been optimized and runs without any delays, in the same quality
all races now can be AI wizard's starting races on impossible
SOM research now costs 60% (36.000 RP, was only 3.000 RP, a bug) of its value for wizards with 11 books
Torin and Alorra won't have arcane power, useless to them
the small lairs monster cash has had its maximum increased; the big lairs have got bigger minimum to avoid becoming often small
fixed a bug where the game would sometime fail to give a lesser companion in the lair

(AI)
AI ships - earlier expansion based on world_size
AI pathfinding is not updated (unit blindly bumps into your army) - should be fixed
AI should care more about the closer units in combat (reversed)
AI mana leak dispelling obsession
AI aggressive mvt in cmbt (temporally reversed, before better solution can be found)
AI contra immunity factor is less important in combat casting
AI is not getting scared by Immolation



Version 1.40h

AI ships
- AI transporting inability fixed (no stopping of full boats) + boats have full decks (AI ships leaving with capacity at least 6 units on board)
- all transporting capacity had to be put to 8 units
- triremes mvt 2, floating islands mvt 4, galleys mvt 6
- Wind mastery +100 %, bonus
- no Wind mastery penalty for others (due to AI inability to deal with 1-mvt triremes
- forbidden AI ships creation in cities with lakes-with-river terrain

bugfixes
- max 3 vortex fix of previous bug
- wraithform correct MPs over water

other
- removed insane extra gold AI game diff bonuses - city building upkeep
- removed insane extra gold AI game diff bonuses - army upkeep

AI
- AI magic spirits bigger summon probability in later game
- reversed alternate setllers targetting (undecisiveness of AI settlers)
- reviewed the AI ships bulding decision
- more stress on AI objective in AI city building
- impass tower problem solved for AI settlers

Older changes

Game start fixes

- the fortresses of all players are now much better placed. Note: the fix makes the game almost "freeze" during the world creation, be patient (you have to wait 10-60 s, rarely even more)
- enemy wizards may start with any race and neutral cities on the same continent have a more diverse racial composition (EDIT by Catwalk, not sure which version these were introduced in)
- default Tauron now has the correct number of books [Lydon]
- lairs, keeps, dungeons now have 50% chance of having Nature and Chaotic creatures inside (was only Nature, a bug).

Combat bug fixes

- to save from items now works for Life Drain, Holy Word, Death Spell
- Life Drain cannot be used against Death immune units anymore
- the confusion surrounding the Confusion (premature combat ending, AI dispelling unit and controlling it...) should be hopefully fixed
- AI shadow deamons (and other illusion immune shooters) now can shoot "invisible"
- Word of Recall on regenerating unit now works (regenerated unit in your capital)
- Max 3 Vortexes can be summoned at once. You are now protected against data corruption by an error message.
- Animate Dead has received first partial correction. (Stability is unknown, use at your own risk.)
- AI settlers (or other units) are now unable to flee during your first turn
- data instability issue with Counter Magic was solved
- Raise dead hopefully fixed [Asfex's work]
- attackers won't suddenly lose movement [another one]
- Spell lock works in combat
- Call lightning "working" on magically immune units fixed
- all human player's and the AI's heroes now can use their spells (Morgana, Ravashack, Torin...)
- demon skin now should give only +3 defense in combat
- weapon immunity bonus (+10) will never override missile immunity (+50), see Demon creature as an example
- items give invisibility
- fear attacks fixed (and anything involved)
- AI will not cast possession on your heroes
- axes now actually give their to hit bonus
- AI is now always capable to cast spells in its own fortress (was frozen when having too much mana)
- City walls now give protection to all units stationed in
- heroes now should never Disenchant spells belonging to their master
- units with merging are now immune to Cracks call (AI believes they should be immune, therefore I made them so)

Overland bug fixes

- Windwalking should always work... like it should
- City defenders now receive help from City walls / Walls of fire, only when the city has built them up (strategic combat bug; this will make AI players much better at taking over neutral cities)
- famine bug & problems based on city food should be fixed [based on work of TRAC]
- Suppress magic now does not suppress Spell of Return
- Diplomacy should no more be broken (+ anything involved, Charismatic trait, Subversion, Aura of Majesty). Note: I tried to make the diplomatic activity as troublesome as possible to maintain the continuity with the original. Still, your diplomatic actions now matter!
- items received from lairs should now be weighed correctly (weak from weak, strong from strong) [Lydon]
- Chaos channels will now never "destroy" thrown attacks with fire breath
- more engineers at the same place trick (only one building, all counting) should not work (other engineer tricks probably will)
- you can't throw "normal units only" type of spells on chaos channeled units; you cannot even "black channel" them
- chaos channeled units now actually gain experience from combat
- Charismatic trait now allows you to get merchant offers when low on money
- Rampaging monsters now never appear later than should
- during the end of Next turn phase, your units will never start moving on other plane (when at a tower, this fixes several bugs, like engineers on water etc.)
- neutral cities now actually can sometimes build a building (was unfonctional)

AI combat fixes

- AI tries more to kill off units in combat
- AI tries to move cautiously, sometimes (restored the original version, removed a bug)
- AI does not cast Righteousness and other defensive spells when it is useless
- and lot more...

AI Overland fixes

- AI unit appraisal bug
- AI unit yoyo movement flaw removed
- slightly improved AI searching for better settlement
- added small chance for settlers to seek other continent after turn 60
- AI units stopped action by attack bug fixed [does not work]
- AI aggressivity against human player cities should now be corrected
- AI gets potentially very powerful items from lairs
- magic items are no more "lost" when AI defeats another AI's hero
- bug preventing AI's sneaky attacks (when two sides have no pact) lives no more
- rebuilt AI research choice is now in
- AI wizards will now summon Nagas... from time to time
- Most notably, AI should use bigger stacks.
- AI should be actually able to target your fortress (bug removed).
- AI declaring war on demand without any regards to its treaties - bug
- hopeless computer wizards will no longer spend half the game researching Hydras, only to never summon them afterwards...
- AIs create items for their heroes
- the Chosen can be summoned by AIs
- AI will not cast heroism & co. on summoned units
- AI strategy combat has been freed from several hidden bugs, as a result, AIs should be able to collect Fame and sometimes able to overcome their AI opponent

Interface fixes

- Archmage now shows 50% bonus on Magic screen.
- Alt+RVL now gives Detect Magic along with Nature Awarness (for testing purposes only)
- Up and Down arrows on Cities screen now working
- "Monsters Gone Wild" extra difficulty setting is fixed, no more bugs
- the settings help info is now adjusted
- incessant city growth messages are now limited by POP < 10,000
- you may now "Escape" from Item Creation screen without creating anything
- "SPACE" now works on most screens as a simple "proceed, go back, go to the next position, I have seen the message". It also works as "Wait" command for units overland. On Change production screen it pushes OK. In combat it has the function of "Done".
- you may now use Left and Right cursors to browse through Spellbook on the Spells and Research screens, Up and Down on Armies and Cities screens
- L should Patrol unit
- in the Game settings screen there are 2 new options in Extra difficulty departement: "Revolting raiders" and "Mosters gone wild". Be careful - the stability is unknown & it can be quite powerful, sometimes
- when scouting a lair, you can now estimate the number of opposition (either 1-3, normal text, or 4-9, text with "many")

:cake: Special thanks to
IDA, Asfex, b0rsuk, Catwalk, Flash, Ickus, I like Serena, Jtm, LordLydon, momfan, Psyringe, robinh3123, SDragon, sargon0, Whitemage et multi alii.
Without direct help or feedback from these entities, the patch would never see the light of our monitors.

.

[I like Serena]

Kyrub, I have trouble understanding what your bug fixes are.
Could you explain what the following fixes do?

- City walls now give protection to all units stationed in
- City defenders now receive help from City walls / Walls of fire, only when the city has built them up (strategic combat bug; this will make AI players much better at taking over neutral cities)

If the wall gives protection to all units stationed in, does that mean that all units are also protected if the walls are broken (from my understanding of the code)?

Should I understand that in strategic combat mode (that is no actual combat right?), that originally the defenders effectively always had City Walls and Walls of Fire, whether they had built them or not?

[Catwalk]

kyrub, you can put the list of changes in tags if you want it to be a scrollable list. I saw you mention elsewhere that you felt the list was too long.

[Ayu]

kyrub, you can put the list of changes in tags if you want it to be a scrollable list. I saw you mention elsewhere that you felt the list was too long.

How is this patch being created?
I found some IDA Pro databases on I like Serena's site: are these being used?

Also, is there any chance of decompiling MoM?
The only truly usable decompiler in existence appears to be the IDA Pro Hex Rays decompiler, but it only supports 32-bit x86 and ARM.
It might be possible to disassemble MoM, perform transformations to turn the assembly into 32-bit assembly, assemble, and then decompile, but I wouldn't bet on this actually giving decent results.

More long-term, wouldn't it be nice to have a free clone written in modern C++?
All attempts to do so seem to have been abandoned in half finished state.
Perhaps starting from the MoM executable and gradually replacing pieces with 32-bit C/C++ code (either by patching the executable to call an additional binary in protected mode, by patching DOSbox or by interfacing with DOSbox) would have a better chance of reaching the goal.

A mod for some existing game engine might also be an option: obvious candidates would be Elemental, Civ4, Civ5 and Freeciv.
Among these, using the UI and client/server model from Freeciv and changing the AI possibly with inspiration from Better BTS AI, the Wesnoth AI and any other that can be found might be the best option.
Alternatively, Elemental might work, but that would require 3D assets and probably waiting until (and if) they manage to write a decent AI, and ending up with a non-free dependency anyway.

[kyrub]

How is this patch being created?

Reverse-engineering, overwriting with new code.
Here is a very old post on the matter, explaining the most important about my projects:
http://realmsbeyond.net/forums/showpost....stcount=65

I found some IDA Pro databases on I like Serena's site: are these being used?

That is probably my old material which I shipped out when I left the project. That is the basic knowledge I gathered.

Also, is there any chance of decompiling MoM?

You may try it, I don't know.

More long-term, wouldn't it be nice to have a free clone written in modern C++?

You are Nth person to say this, where N is a growing variable belonging to the realm of natural numbers. I am doing my own, limited business, I'll not interfere into any other bigger thing. Seeing the nubmer of fails (so far N-1), I feel slightly sceptical.

If I could change just one side of the game, right now, it would be the grahic resolution. This is surprisingly limiting in MoM, much more than MoO, even if you are not graphically oriented. For instance, I gave up playing Draconians long ago for the simple fact I don't recognize the badly designed types of shimmering units well - infuriating! So I would happily try to help anybody who knows how to improve this within the limits of current game (ok, sci-fi, I know).


For the rest of your suggestions: I am not a programmer, but a logic & math amateur. You may use the info in IDA files in any way you wish, like ILSe did - just, please, try to respect the spirit of the original game.

[Ayu]

IMHO gradually replacing parts of MoM instead of starting from scratch and releasing source code could be the way to avoid project failure.

I'm not sure however whether it would be feasible to do so, since it might require significantly more reverse engineering.

For instance, I gave up playing Draconians long ago for the simple fact I don't recognize the badly designed types of shimmering units well - infuriating! So I would happily try to help anybody who knows how to improve this within the limits of current game (ok, sci-fi, I know).

Using hq2x/hq3x/hq4x in dosbox helps a bit.

Assuming someone draws high-resolution graphics for MoM, then the dosbox scaling code should be relatively easily changeable to recognize the original MoM images and replace them with the high-resolution ones (and for other parts of the screen, use the scaler as normal).

Can anyone draw some nice high-resolution graphics for MoM? (ideally in a vector format such as SVG or even as 3D models)

[kyrub]

IMHO gradually replacing parts of MoM instead of starting from scratch and releasing source code could be the way to avoid project failure.

You are right. I simply don't want to go that "long-term" way, but then, all my tools are already on the table (see IDA files). Anyone can continue.

Assuming someone draws high-resolution graphics for MoM, then the dosbox scaling code should be relatively easily changeable to recognize the original MoM images and replace them with the high-resolution ones (and for other parts of the screen, use the scaler as normal).

That is a lot of work, really. But, man, it'd be fantastic!

[Moxx]

Thanks for the new patch!

Out of curiosity - what races was the AI limited to on Impossible??

all races now can be AI wizard's starting races on impossible

[kyrub]

Welcome, Moxx.

On impossible difficulty, the AI would choose one of:

Code:

Halfling
High Elf
High Man
Klackons
Nomad

There were no restriction on Myrror. This means AI avoided Barbarians, Lizardmen, Gnolls, Orcs as their starting race.

[Dymlos]

Heh, just noticed in the 1.40i patch notes you used the word "consummation" where I can only assume you meant "consumption"... that is... unless your cpu is friskier than mine.