Questions About Modding Missions

[JAB HacksouL]

I am not new to modding GTA and other games. I am not new to machine code such as Hex. But I have never made a mission mod and would like to pick your brains and ask the following questions:

1. I have version 2 (yes I suck) and downloaded the downgrade patch. I placed it in the same directory as GTA SA and it cannot seem to find the files to patch given the path, so which files are patched? I assume the main executable is one of those.
   
2. I am running Sanny 3.04 and when I ask it to decompile, it returns an error message that might be related to question 1. "Enter Game Path" then "Wrong Path!". I should mention I am running on a network drive so today I plan to reinstall the game to C: default path and try again.
   
3. Could someone give a short example of how to place a mission or two prior to the opening cutscene?
   
4. Can the cutscenes be accessed for time index? Example: Can I show an original cut scene that runs a total of 4 minutes and start it at time index 0:32 and stop it at 2:45?
   

I have work today and I will pop my head in at lunch and then again tonight.

Thanks for your support!

JAB

[JAB HacksouL]

This is not a bump but to update anyone reading this thread.

I reinstalled my GTA SA to local drive C: default and successfully ran the downgrade. Then I ran Sanny Builder and decompiled the Main.SCM I then moved the fresh downgraded version back to my LAN and I am satisfied with the current setup.

Looking through the code I see that missions are number 0 - whatever and I assume I cannot insert a mission prior to the first cutscene of CJ getting off his plane. Unless someone tells me I am wrong.

I am disappointed at the lack of a good machine code interpreter for any of the GTA series. It would make it so much easier for noobs and pros alike to make and compile missions. I am not knocking the tools available, just saying they are made for people like my Dad's generation who eat, breath, and dream in binary code.

[Butters!]

This is not a bump but to update anyone reading this thread.

I reinstalled my GTA SA to local drive C: default and successfully ran the downgrade. Then I ran Sanny Builder and decompiled the Main.SCM I then moved the fresh downgraded version back to my LAN and I am satisfied with the current setup.

Looking through the code I see that missions are number 0 - whatever and I assume I cannot insert a mission prior to the first cutscene of CJ getting off his plane. Unless someone tells me I am wrong.

I am disappointed at the lack of a good machine code interpreter for any of the GTA series. It would make it so much easier for noobs and pros alike to make and compile missions. I am not knocking the tools available, just saying they are made for people like my Dad's generation who eat, breath, and dream in binary code.

Not sure if you can put a mission before CJ gets off his plane, as the game automaticlly starts thier. I would like to ask a question though - when you make a mission, can you have CJ talk, even though it has not been recorded, like in those programs where you type a Sentence and the Computer reads it out

[Urbanoutlaw]

I'm not good enough at script coding to do it but this occurs.

Edit mission "0". Put the parts you want added at the beginning & place the call for the opening cut-scene between that &

the original part.

[JAB HacksouL]

I would like to ask a question though - when you make a mission, can you have CJ talk, even though it has not been recorded, like in those programs where you type a Sentence and the Computer reads it out

No all the audio files are prerecorded by the actors, they are not TTS engines. My brother and I are currently scripting a new set of missions. Where you play as Officer Tenpenny and the very first mission is killing the IA informant Officer Pendleberry that they later accuse CJ of in the squad car. I will add some characters of my own to the remix and hope to show what Tenpenny was doing while CJ was running all over town. My brother wants to record and juggle the audio clips to make Tennpenny say new lines. Our working title for our mission mod is "The Tenpenny Stories". This mod will have roughly 3 missions before the opening cutscene.

Here is a link to the actors who play the characters in GTA SA.

I'm not good enough at script coding to do it but this occurs.

Edit mission "0". Put the parts you want added at the beginning & place the call for the opening cut-scene between that &

the original part.

I was looking into trying that my brother is still working out the missions and V/O talent. We are working the stories into parallel lines until the last mission "End of the Line" where you kill CJ and his brother.

JAB

Edited August 24, 2008 by JAB HacksouL

[Blacklisted]

Sounds like an undertaking.

[JAB HacksouL]

Sounds like an undertaking.

Yes it is but well worth the effort. Here is the status of my WIP:

I managed to make the following changes in the MAIN.SCM using Sanny Builder. The game no longer starts at the Airport Movie it now jumps into "Running Dog" mission. This mission is close to the parameters of what I need. I replaced Smoke's car with a Cop Car and have it parked in front of the Police Station. However my player is at Big Smoke's house and should be either inside the station or standing just outside. Big Smoke is sitting in the Cop Car and I need to edit the script for Pulaski model. The destination is now set to meet CJ's Taxi at the Airport. So far none of the subtitles or audio has been changed those are kept in other files. This has turned out to be a lot more easier to edit than I first thought. There has been some rough spots where the game crashed but I just made some edits and got it working again. Not too bad for a few hours work.

I will post some still pictures of this mod later.

JAB

[Blacklisted]

Been waiting on my laptop so I haven't been on. Love to see what you have so far. You should do a video and post it on youtube.