[PROGRAM] X Plugin Manager : V1.87 : 2024-01-06

[All-a-Mort]

Background Blurb:
I recently (last weekend) converted from X3:TC to the latest version of Albion Prelude via Steam. In accordance with XRM instructions I copied that installation to a separate directory to install that mod and use Egosoft's no steam .exe. Attempting to install some of the mods I used in X3:TC with Plugin Manager 1.47 I can't get it to work.

The problem:
Firstly Windows reports the TC & AP installation is in an admin protected directory (I am the admin of course), but I think it did install according the plugin manager. Not sure how I can tell though. Plugin manager does record the packages as having been added.

-EDIT-
Ah, I see that appears in the FAQ. Perhaps it hasn't in fact installed anything.

--------------

Secondly, if I launch the game via Egosoft's no steam .exe then no evidence of the mods except XRM appear. If I use the Plugin link to launch, it tries to run steam, opens the game without the XRM notice and crashes out when I load a (newly created and made) save.

I'm not sure what the heck is going on here. Do I need to launch via the Plugin manager for the plugins to feature? If so, how I can tell it to ONLY use the no steam executable? I suspect the plugin manager is either using the wrong exe and crashing when Steam fails.

One further question I may...where should the plugins installed by the Plugin Manager appear in the directory? I note that in the EGOSOFT directory, I have an entry for Plugin Manager separate to that of X3:TC etc, with the plugins featuring in an Addon directory, but that refers to an older installation of TC from 2011. I don't see anything similar for the the use of the plugins I just tried to install.

[Cycrow]

The first problem about the protected directory is jsut a warning. The plugin manager cant actually detect if the install worked or not as Windows hides it. It may work, it may not, but unfortatully theres no way of telling.

For the 2nd problem, it sounds like the linked directory is the original steam one, at the top of the plugin manager, it shows the directory thats currently in use with a drop down menu to select the different installs.

its very unlikely for the plugin manager to find a game that you have copied elsewhere, so you will need to add it manually and make sure its the selected one before installing any plugins.

The files will appear in thier proper locations inside the game directory, so places like scripts, t, etc. Depending on the file types. There will also be a pluginmanager directory in the root as well. If thats not there, then its unlikely any other files will be there

[All-a-Mort]

I think it has actually worked, despite the messages. One of the plugins I tried to install was the NPC Bail addon and I found bailed ships last night in-game after traversing a few more action-packed sectors. I had expected some sort of message upon loading X3:AP, but didn't get one.
Truth be told, it's been so long since I last played or installed any mods for X3:TC, I've pretty much forgotten the process. Do I need to enable scripts with the "Thereshallbewings" trick? I was sure I read somewhere that I wouldn't with XRM active or something. I certainly don't see the cheat menu anywhere despite it being installed.

Part of the problem was that I was daft enough to uninstall my previous instance of X3:TC, but copy the Steam version into the still extant Egosoft program directory, making a bit of a mess. Plus, I had issues uninstalling an older version of the Plugin Manager, so I was seeing the same plugins elsewhere, but earlier versions.

[Lord Dakier]

Hey Cycrow, I left you a pm about the ship creator. Still having the same problem.

Sorry to to ask via pm, I had looked in the thread and couldn't find the solution.

[Monkeyfister]

This won't find my Steam X3AP.exe, even when I point it DIRECTLY AT the .exe in the Steamapps folder.

Is this compatible at all with Steam?

Is there a way that doesn't include re-writing code to MAKE it work?

I was really hoping this thing would work, as I simply will not risk borking my game trying to re-write code. I simply won't do that. Was hoping this would make adding stuff as simple as installing the vanilla Bonus Pack, but it doesn't work at all. I just uninstalled it, hoping there was something new.

[Cycrow]

I think it has actually worked, despite the messages. One of the plugins I tried to install was the NPC Bail addon and I found bailed ships last night in-game after traversing a few more action-packed sectors. I had expected some sort of message upon loading X3:AP, but didn't get one.
Truth be told, it's been so long since I last played or installed any mods for X3:TC, I've pretty much forgotten the process. Do I need to enable scripts with the "Thereshallbewings" trick? I was sure I read somewhere that I wouldn't with XRM active or something. I certainly don't see the cheat menu anywhere despite it being installed.

Part of the problem was that I was daft enough to uninstall my previous instance of X3:TC, but copy the Steam version into the still extant Egosoft program directory, making a bit of a mess. Plus, I had issues uninstalling an older version of the Plugin Manager, so I was seeing the same plugins elsewhere, but earlier versions.

You dont need to use Thereshallbewings as modified mode is enable automatically when you use mods, and the plugin manager also enables it automatically.

To check if the scripts have installed correctly, just look at the game directories scripts directory, if its for AP, then its in addon/scripts. And you should see the files for the scripts that you have installed.

[Cycrow]

This won't find my Steam X3AP.exe, even when I point it DIRECTLY AT the .exe in the Steamapps folder.

Is this compatible at all with Steam?

Is there a way that doesn't include re-writing code to MAKE it work?

I was really hoping this thing would work, as I simply will not risk borking my game trying to re-write code. I simply won't do that. Was hoping this would make adding stuff as simple as installing the vanilla Bonus Pack, but it doesn't work at all. I just uninstalled it, hoping there was something new.

Yes it is compatable with steam, is it recognising TC ?
if its just AP thats a problem, then you could try removing the pluginmanager dat file and reloading it, this will force it to find the games again
its in My Documents/Egosoft/pluginmanager.dat

[Ovni]

Cycrow, first of all thanks for your fantastic plugin manager!

Any advice on how to use it together with the XTC mod/total conversion? There have been vague reports that pointing the mod manager at an XTC install will break it, probably because of the wares manager that's installed by default... perhaps also because of certain other assumptions that you make about what the vanilla files should be.

Would there be a way to install XTC through the mod manager, perhaps, so it's aware of the files it modifies? (I guess one could get the files from the install program, pack the as a zip or spk and then install them as a fake patch. No idea if all the changes in XTC can be installed that way though, which is why I'm asking the expert.)

Otherwise, is there a way to prevent the mod manager from modifying anything in the target directory, except the specific mods you want to add? Basically, the same as extracting the files directly into the game directory, but with the extra safety of being able to uninstall.

Of course, the most amazing thing would be if you included direct support for XTC, i.e. adapting the wares manager and what not. Of course I haven't the faintest idea of the technical difficulty, but one can always dream.

[Cycrow]

I've not actually heard of any problems with XTC, have you tried it, and if so, what actually happens ?

im not sure how the ware manager would cause problems, afterall, its only a library script. So if no other scripts are installed that use it, then it doesn't actually do anything. You should also be able to disable it if nothing else relies on it.

The only thing the plugin manager really modifies on its own, is the wares file to add in EMP. But it does this by extracting the current file (ie from the installed mod) and then adds the wares at the correct place, it cen detect if EMP is already added into the mod, and if so, then it doesn't add it again.

The other files are only modified when you install things like ships. It will always add the data into the existing game, wether thats vanilla or a mod, the plugin manager doesn't really care

[Ovni]

I haven't tried it myself due to the rumors, but they might just be that, rumors. I'll make a backup of my XTC-modded folder and try it then.

And thanks for the info on the inner workings, I really needed the guarantee that merely starting to manage a game directory couldn't cause issues.

I guess I have two more questions:
- How does the mod manager switch between vanilla and modified modes? Any conflict with pre-existing mod files, for instance if I install XTC then start managing the folder? And which mode does the manager default to for a newly added game folder?
- Does the mod manager store state for each game in a self-contained way? i.e. if I uninstall/reinstall the mod manager, or make a copy of an already modded game folder and add the new folder to the mod manager, is there gonna be any loss of data? I ask in particular because after reinstalling Windows, I reinstalled the mod manager and pointed it at my modded install of X3. I recognized the installed mods, but when I uninstalled them all through the interface to prepare the way for an XTC install the game was still modded. Unless I got confused between mods in the X3TC and X3AP (addon) folder, of course.

[Cycrow]

It will always default to Vanilla mode for a new folder.

Basically what happens when you switch between mods is that any installed scripts that are not detected as vanilla will be enabled/disabled.

and it wont let you install a non vanilla script when in vanilla mode.

any installed ships, and the created files from those will not be created in vanilla mode.

All the game data used by the plugin manager is keep within the game folder, its in the PluginManager directly, so if you copy the game directly, you will end up with the same state for the plugin manager.

the only thing that is held outside the game directories is the global settings, ie the list of game folders that have been added. These are easily enough to add on for a new install.

Also, if the plugin manager is set to modified mode, the game will always be modified, as it puts a script that forces the game into modified mode

[swatti]

My skills using the search keep failing me so im sorry to ask a question do doubt asked a few times.

NO-STEAM.exe and plugin manager, how?

I tried deleting the original exe and renaming the no-steam version but the manager has TC3.2 in the launch-button and wont work.

EDIT: Solved!

Delete both AP and TC exe, rename No-steam to AP's name, manager says "run TC3.2" but it will run AP. May wanna put that into the first page...

EDIT 2: Not so solved...

I have Litcubes Universe installed, B-package installed and running only TWO mods both neighter seems to be present.

[Cycrow]

i assume you are using AP ?
if so, if its showing it as TC, then its either in the wrong directory (make sure the directory in the drop down menu is for AP) or its detected it wrong.

if it is selected as AP, delete the pluginmanager.dat file from My Documents/Egosoft.
then reload the plugin manager so it can add the directories again.

if it doesn't find the correct directory, just add them manually

[swatti]

Worked, deleting the dat-file did the job

[wizaerd]

What does the save game manager in the plugin manager do? How is it used?

I have two versions of X3AP, one modded (non-Steam version) with XRM, the other Vanilla (steam version) and I'd like to keep my save games separate... Will the save game manager in this plugin manager help with that? How so?

[Lord Dakier]

Hey Cycrow did you ever get chance to investigate as to why weapon loadouts on xsp's don't save when you modify them?

[Ar986zi]

i try to install by my computer says that there isn't an x3tc installed in the directory. please help

[Cycrow]

What does the save game manager in the plugin manager do? How is it used?

I have two versions of X3AP, one modded (non-Steam version) with XRM, the other Vanilla (steam version) and I'd like to keep my save games separate... Will the save game manager in this plugin manager help with that? How so?

Its currently got a bug in it that can lose save games, which i havn't managed to fix yet. So its best to leave is disabled for now.

but when its working, it should keep seperate saves for modified and vanilla games, as well as seperate ones for each major mod you use via the mod selector

[Cycrow]

Hey Cycrow did you ever get chance to investigate as to why weapon loadouts on xsp's don't save when you modify them?

I haven't had chance to test this yet

[Probe1]

Cycrow, thank you so much for all your years of dedicated and hard work. I'm returning to AP after getting the itch for space games and Rebirth letting me down again.

It's people like you who have made X3 such a lasting and incredible game. Thank you.