New feature: Make new creature framework (NCF) native

[dredknight]

Game is having issues with NCF on multiple levels:

• [x] Generating RMG maps while NCF is present crashes Mapeditor/H5_game.exe
• [x] ARMG does not rotate NCF units

The core of the issue seems to be that the game engine rotates through all creatures without checking if they have visuals or not. Defining such condition and making the game skip such units will fix both challenges above.

[dredknight]

here is the exact technical NCF explanation based on evidence why it works the way explained

• When game.exe is started it loads all heroes and units in order from ID 1 -> MAX while also checks for existing visuals pointers, if entity has no such the game crashes during runtime time this explains why Simonak NCF solution have default units from 181 to 1000 pointed at peasant visuals XDB.
• When Map editor is launched it tries to add all existing units by default This is explained by Simonak choice to add <HideInEditor>true</HideInEditor> in "MapObjects\_(AdvMapObjectLink)\Creature_X.xdb" so all dummy peasants stay hidden
• When ARMG generates a map it tries to rotate all unit ids from 1 to MAX.
• After a random unit is chosen game gets adv map visual and places it on the map. If it This is where game crashes - it seems some XDB visual pointers are fake and thus game crashes.

[dredknight]

Introducing the "NCF Converged" patch

This is an effort to embed NCF functionality in ToE minus all the issues that players face. Its purpose is to make NCF usage more wide spread (including multiplayer hopefully)!

Changes:

• RMG/ARMG generation does not crash while NCF is installed
• RMG/ARMG generation include NCF units on demand (if there are NCF units in DATA folder they will be used, otherwise they wont).

Supported EXEs:

• ToE - H5_game, H5_MapEditor

• MMH55 - MMH55, MMH55_64, MMH55_Utility, MMH55_Utility_64, MMH55_Editor, MMH55_Editor_64

  Installation instructions:

  1. Patch game EXEs with these offsets.
• Original is for H5_game, MMH55_Utility, MMH55_Utility_64
• Qunatomas is for MMH55, MMH55_64
• MapEditor is for MMH55_Editor

Do it manually or use Deflator's patching tool.

2. Install NCF core manually or use NCF Utility. Just ignore exe files that come with Utility.
3. Install NCF units.
4. Generate map with the patched Game exe or Mapeditor.

I still do not have data on how it will affect LAN multiplayer. If anyone is willing to try please let me know of results. Note: As all units that come with NCF Utility Chaos pack are neutral the ARMG/RMG will use them only when stacks with single unit are placed on the map.

[dredknight]

NCF converged is now available here. https://github.com/Might-Magic-Heroes-5-5/MMH55/tree/master/Frameworks/NewCreatureFramework