Posted June 28, 2014
I've seen a lot of suggestions to play the original version with some files [url=http://pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Realms_of_Arkania:_Star_Trail#Use_CD_music_in_English_version]replaced by English files[/url] because of the advantages like CD music, no copy protection, etc. Switching the language files and .DAT files caused a few strange problems though. I know a lot of people want to play the "better" version of the game but can't read German, so here are solutions to some problems you might come across (I played RoA1 with the English version, so I can't help you there).
This is not a complete list. I have not completed the game and I don't know if this can cause any game-breaking bugs.
1. Garbled message that says "T????" and the only option says "Go on" and loops continuously (screenshot)
This is the CD change message to switch to disk #2. The English version wasn't released on CD so it doesn't have any text to display here like the German version.
Solution:
GOG has dosbox preconfigured so you can switch discs by pressing Ctrl+F4. The game should continue after this.
Solution (Steam / non GOG version):
Ctrl+F4 works the same in other versions, but the DOSBOX config is probably a bit different. If it doesn't work and you want to try basing the config off of the GOG version, I copied this from the .conf. The important part is the line with "imgmount" has both disc images:
=====
[autoexec]
@ECHO OFF
mount C "..\Realms of Arkania 2"
imgmount D "..\Realms of Arkania 2\gamea.inst" "..\Realms of Arkania 2\gameb.inst" -t iso
c:
cls
schweif
exit
=====
2. NPC party members start with too much EXP (50x as much)
This is the same problem as when you try importing a party or characters from English to German (because all EXP is multiplied by 50 in the English version), and it can be solved by hex editing. The tricky part here is you have to edit the values BEFORE you recruit NPC's or you might not get a chance to save before they level up. If you DO get a chance to save beforehand, you can just edit the save file.
Solution A: Hex editing STAR.DAT to replace the default NPC hex values. You can find the correct values in the German version's STAR.DAT by searching for the NPC's name.
Example:
01 01 01 00 54 68 75 72 61 7A 7A 00 00 00 00 00 ....Thurazz.....
00 00 00 00 54 68 75 72 61 7A 7A 00 00 00 00 00 ....Thurazz.....
00 00 00 00 04 03 00 B1 40 10 01 09 5E 0E 00 00 .......±@...^...
The corresponding hex numbers are the four pairs starting from the ^ symbol (5E 0E 00 00). Much more detail in this thread if you need it.
Solution B: automatic patcher
The hex editor I use has a utility for making an automatic patcher file, so I used it to make one that replaces the XP vales in the English STAR.DAT file to the values in the German file. It's probably an easier fix but I am still not sure if this is perfect, so use at your own risk, I guess: https://www.dropbox.com/s/mkiykzl0oq6zu5v/star_dat_patch.zip (32 bit and 64 bit versions, use the one that works for your PC).
This doesn't contain any copies of game files, it just changes the numbers.
I will try to update this thread if I come across any other big issues. These are the two I've encountered so far without obvious solutions. I hope this helps someone new enjoy this game.
This is not a complete list. I have not completed the game and I don't know if this can cause any game-breaking bugs.
1. Garbled message that says "T????" and the only option says "Go on" and loops continuously (screenshot)
This is the CD change message to switch to disk #2. The English version wasn't released on CD so it doesn't have any text to display here like the German version.
Solution:
GOG has dosbox preconfigured so you can switch discs by pressing Ctrl+F4. The game should continue after this.
Solution (Steam / non GOG version):
Ctrl+F4 works the same in other versions, but the DOSBOX config is probably a bit different. If it doesn't work and you want to try basing the config off of the GOG version, I copied this from the .conf. The important part is the line with "imgmount" has both disc images:
=====
[autoexec]
@ECHO OFF
mount C "..\Realms of Arkania 2"
imgmount D "..\Realms of Arkania 2\gamea.inst" "..\Realms of Arkania 2\gameb.inst" -t iso
c:
cls
schweif
exit
=====
2. NPC party members start with too much EXP (50x as much)
This is the same problem as when you try importing a party or characters from English to German (because all EXP is multiplied by 50 in the English version), and it can be solved by hex editing. The tricky part here is you have to edit the values BEFORE you recruit NPC's or you might not get a chance to save before they level up. If you DO get a chance to save beforehand, you can just edit the save file.
Solution A: Hex editing STAR.DAT to replace the default NPC hex values. You can find the correct values in the German version's STAR.DAT by searching for the NPC's name.
Example:
01 01 01 00 54 68 75 72 61 7A 7A 00 00 00 00 00 ....Thurazz.....
00 00 00 00 54 68 75 72 61 7A 7A 00 00 00 00 00 ....Thurazz.....
00 00 00 00 04 03 00 B1 40 10 01 09 5E 0E 00 00 .......±@...^...
The corresponding hex numbers are the four pairs starting from the ^ symbol (5E 0E 00 00). Much more detail in this thread if you need it.
Solution B: automatic patcher
The hex editor I use has a utility for making an automatic patcher file, so I used it to make one that replaces the XP vales in the English STAR.DAT file to the values in the German file. It's probably an easier fix but I am still not sure if this is perfect, so use at your own risk, I guess: https://www.dropbox.com/s/mkiykzl0oq6zu5v/star_dat_patch.zip (32 bit and 64 bit versions, use the one that works for your PC).
This doesn't contain any copies of game files, it just changes the numbers.
I will try to update this thread if I come across any other big issues. These are the two I've encountered so far without obvious solutions. I hope this helps someone new enjoy this game.
Post edited September 24, 2014 by Dude902