[02-09] September, 2002

[02-09] September, 2002

Description: Archived Keep updates.

Categories: Keep Updates


September 30, 2002

by JBouley (Jeff)



Owing to a huge lack of time and too many things to do, this update will be light on
'personality' and will be brief and to the point. I'm sure many people will be happy to
hear that.

;-)

Gem Tutorial


We kind of 'lost' the gem tutorial by Shadow Talon when we set up this new .php version of the site a couple months ago.
Now it's back, in our Tutorials area. To read it now,
click here
.



More Gem Stuff

Also from Shadow Talon, two other goodies:



Gem Inventory Graphics item pack


(click here to grab it)



Gem Reference Guide

(click here to grab it)



Inside Joke

New to our Humor area is 'Carina's Mallet.' If you don't hang aroung the off-topic forums much, you
won't get the jokes...but if you know Carina, it's worth a chuckle or two. To see it,

click here
.



Mods, Mods, Mods...

I promised last week to provide a few more details on the three mods I mentioned last time, once they were in their
official slots in the File Center's Mods area. So, here we go:



Trips Mod v1.00 by Trip

(click here for download)


Features: Monster Exp x 2 and Monster HP x 3; lower amount of stamina for starting character; more unique monsters; town
portal scrolls/tomes unbuyable; all runes can be upgraded in Cube; character start with no items; Cube drops earlier in
game; Soul Blade, Soul Cleaver and Soul Reaver weapons added to game; and more.



NorX Mod v1.10 by SHACHO-SOFT

(click here for download)

Features: You can go to Cow Level from a waypoint; new Cube recipes added; mercenary skills altered; faster enemies; better
drop rates for items and high-level runes; jewels and charms can be gambled; and more.



Zy-El Mod by Kato


(click here for download)

Features: More gold and better item drops,; more than 1,800 new Cube recipes and more than 600 new uniques items; the
ability to reach level 4,500 with your characters; magic arrows and more socketable items; elixirs; and more.



Also, my own mod, version 2.10 of Sanctuary in Chaos, has been added to the
Staff Mods
area. No changes. It's the same version that I uploaded to my Sanctuary Corrupted/Sanctuary in Chaos site
several weeks ago. To get it, click here.



New Modding Tools

A couple new addition to the Tools area in the File Center:



Evil Peer's TBL Editor, version 3.0

(click here to get it)



Myhrginoc's Updated Launching VB Scripts

click here




New Stormriders

Incandescent One updated his Stormriders monster animation plug-in. Features include better offsets, removal of the
Diablo 1 shadows, a Diablo 1 lightning missile, a modified palshift to recreate the original color variations,
further modifications to AI and other attributes for gameplay, and the re-introduction to the D1 Stormrider bosses. To
get the goods, go to our hosted site, Incandescence.






September 22, 2002


by Phrozen Heart



Fileplanet Strikes Again

It's just been brought to my attention that due to problems with the ASP scripts
which power numerous areas of the Gamespy Network, Fileplanet is currently
experiencing some major problems resulting in people receiving database errors
when they try to download material from their servers. We apologize for any
inconvenience caused by the temporary unavailability of these files but I can
assure you that Gamespy's tech support is working hard to try and correct the
issue.






September 21, 2002

by JBouley (Jeff)


Still a bit behind schedule, but at least we're back to a weekend update, eh? I think that's progress.


;-)



Hey, I've Been Reviewed Again!

Just to show you how busy and out of it I've been the past week or two, I didn't even realize Maxx Power had finished
his review of my mod, Sanctuary in Chaos, in multiplayer mode. I'm sitting here looking at the stuff Phrozen Heart PMed
me, and now I realize I need to go read the sucker. So, not knowing at the moment I write this whether I was raked over
the coals or praised...or somewhere in between...I invite you to join me in reading the review, which is in the
Mod Review area, or you can just click here.



Other Mods Out There...

I've uploaded several new mods (some of which were sent to me weeks ago...my face is red with shame at the delay), but
they aren't yet in the File Center as I write this. I'll go into more detail about them next week when they are in their
final home (or a little later if their placement is delayed). For this update, though, I'll just list the three mods by
name and give you links to the temporary folder so you can get them if you just want to try out some new mods.


Trip's Mod (click here)

NorX Mod (click here)

Zy-El Mod (click here)



A Little Oversight: DLL Plugins

I uploaded some nifty .dll plugins from deathfile, and completely missed the fact that Phrozen Heart had added them to
the File Center. You can check out the documentation link for the downloads for more details about them. But what's nice
is that each plugin is progressively more advanced. The first one in the file fixes a couple really annoying bugs, the
second one fixes those bugs and adds another feature, the next one makes those three changes and adds a new one, etc.
They are in the Plugins Section of the File Center, under the 'DLL
Plugins' subsection. One .zip file contains plugins for patch 1.09b and the other for 1.09d.
Or, just use the links below:

.dll plugins for 1.09b (click here)


.dll plugins for 1.09d (click here)

Sorry for being a week or so late mentioning this, deathfile.



Two More Incarnations of the Idiot's Guide

Also known as the 'Newbie's Bible,' the 'Idiot's Guide to Modmaking' is an indispensible resource. Unfortunately, it's
also been inaccessible to some people due to them not having a copy of Microsoft Word on their computers. Well, folks,
Acrobat Reader is available free from Adobe's site, and now we have a .pdf file version which you can read using Acrobat
Reader. We have a Web-based version you can look at online, and a downloadable version. They're both located in the same
spot you find the Word version, over in the Resources area of the
File Center, or you can just click here. Just click on the 'view'
link or one of the download links, depending on what you want.



A Pair of Tutorials, Too

We have two new lessons for you in the Tutorials area of our site. They are:

Updated Butcher spawning tutorial for v1.09 by H3LLRIDER(click here)

Joel's Guide to manipulating and making image files (click here)



English-language Mods Made Usable for Other Nations

OK, there is a very simple little way to make an English-language mod use the English-language files even when played
on a non-English version of D2. This is important for those players in countries like France, Germany, and many others
who have had to put up with so many 'not xlated call Ken' messages all over their game screens. I've uploaded this
'Forced English' plugin, which will only add 1 byte to your mod. What a deal, eh? Get it in the
Plugins Section of the File Center, or just
click here. You may have heard of this trick before, being
referred to as the 'Use' file (which is in face it's real name). You could make your own Use file, but now you
don't have to.



Shiny New Items to Play With

Over in the 'Images' subsection of our File Center's Plugins Section,
we have yet another new pack of item inventory graphics, drawn from the game Icewind Dale 2. They are graciously provided
through the efforts of Joel Falcou. For instant service, just

click here



So Rare...I mean, RAR

Every once in a while, you'll find a mod or other download here that is compressed in .rar format instead of .zip. For
your convenience, we now provide a link to a trial version of WinRAR, which will also allow you to uncompress some
other formats besides .rar, including .zip files. It's a nice little program, and you'll probably want to pay for it so
that you can keep using it after the trial period expires. It's in our
Tools area, in the subsection for 'miscellaneous files,' or you can just
click here.



A Slew of GIF Conversions

We're still waiting on final tweaking of a long-awaited Quill Rat-to-Red Dragon plugin. But until then, we have a bunch
more .gif file conversions of D1 animations for you from Phrozen Heart. Go to our
Plugins area and enter the 'Animations Plugins' subsection, or just use the links below.



GIF FILE CONVERSIONS (by Phrozen Heart)

Rogue with Light Armor & Staff (click here)

Rogue with Light Armor & Sword (click here)

Unarmed Rogue with Light Armor (click here)

Sorcerer with Heavy Armor & Axe (click here)


Sorcerer with Heavy Armor & Mace (click here)

Sorcerer with Heavy Armor & Mace & Shield (click here)

Warrior with Heavy Armor & Mace (click here)

Unarmed Warrior with Heavy Armor (click here)






September 11, 2002

by JBouley (Jeff)


Well, obviously I didn't get to the home page update over the weekend. As if you couldn't already figure that out.
Well, given how big it was this week, and the fact that I just started a new job and still do freelance work on the side,
I figured I'd be late. Just not quite this late. Sorry.



And lest anyone think I am shallow or have forgotten, I do recognize that Sept. 11 marks the attacks on the Pentagon
and World Trade Center. My prayers and sympathies go out to the families of the survivors. As it has since the attacks, the
American flag continues to wave on this homepage in remembrance. There's nothing particularly noteworthy I can add to
anything that anyone has said about that fateful day, except that we should all be appreciative of every day that we and
those we love wake up healthy and go to bed the same way.



So, now that apologies, excuses and remembrances have been handled, let's get to the massive number of things that I
need to announce, on this the first evening in a week that I've had a chance to do serious Phrozen Keep work.

:-)



For the Mod Players Out There

Yup, got some important news about mods. First, the Seven Lances mod, which arrived in late August at our hosted
site 'The Forge' (but which I didn't get a chance to announce right away), is now in version 1.02. You can visit
the site to download it by heading over to our nav bar at left, or just
click here. The mod rebalances base items and things like affixes
and runewords, as well as changing the themes of various sets, uniques, runewords and crafted items. Drops have also
been adjusted so that you don't always have to do boss runs to get good items, skills have been overhauled, and monsters
are smarter, faster and more varied.



We also have a new version of The Fury Within mod, now also in version 1.02. Deathscythe and SiLenTx would be
most pleased if you would visit their site (also one of our hosted sites at left). Or you can use the extra special
waypoint to their lair by clicking here. Changes include a slower
rate of stat and skill point leveling, higher level requirements for some skills, new 'fury runewords' that can be
created with the fury gems, and more.



In addition, there is Brother Laz's Demon Trip 2 mod, which I announced last time around. But now, it is in its
permanent home in our File Center, in the Mods area. Or just
click here.

Finally, for fans of Phrozen Heart's Cubaholics mod, my apologies if you downloaded the latest version and got an
invalid .zip file. For some reason, the .zip could only be opened with WinRAR. Go figure. Anyway, the .zip has been
fixed (been fixed for nearly a week, actually), so it's good to go again if you want all the cool new stuff he added.
You can hit the 'Staff Mods' link in the File Center portion of our nav bar, or just
click here to get it.



Oddness With A Mod

Got a strange report regarding Klay's D2 Game Enhancer mod version 2.0 for the expansion. Apparently, there is
a mIRC invite engine script in the mod that is being perceived as a trojan by some IRC networks. As far as I know (and I
could be wrong, of course), there isn't actually a trojan in the mod. But still, some IRC networks will auto-kill you
if you have what they think is a trojan, and your privileges on the IRC network could get revoked in some cases. So, just
be cautious with that mod and IRC networks. They may not mix well. If Klay is still around, I invite him to fix the problem
if it's something that can be fixed. If there is a trojan in the mod that I'm just not seeing, someone please tell
me so that I can pull down the mod. Same goes if you find out ANY file on the Keep is infected with anything. I want to
know right away.



DLL Offset Update...Diablo Story Update

The Web version of the 'DLL Offset Sheet' has been updated. You can find it in our
Mod Making Resources section
, where it always was before. Now it just happens to be better.


;-)



On the lighter side, a new addition in our Humor section, from staff mod reviewer
Maxx Power, tells a different tale of 'adventure' in Diablo 2, an alternate story line of sorts. You can
click here to read it right away.



A Double Dose of Tutorials

We have two new tutorials in...where else?...the Tutorials section. First is a tutorial on
How to Change Dungeon Types by Alkalund, and second is a lesson on

Switching the Bone Spear for the Lightning Javelin by }-DGNR8-{. (Hmmmm...DGNR8...now
that would be a good vanity license plate, though my favorite vanity plate on a car has always been my uncle's:
which was RU18QT?). If time allows, I'll be writing up a tutorial on how to create clue scrolls/clue books for the next
update (or the one thereafter).



Another Double Shot...Resources This Time

We've got two new downloadable resources in the Resources area of the
File Center. One is the Excel version of DLL Offset Sheet,
which, like its Web version counterpart mentioned earlier, has been updated. The other downloadable resource is new, a
Set Item Quick Reference file by Mordini.



Tools for Mod Builders

Four new tools to share with you this update. All of them can be found in the
Mod Making Tools area
of the File Center. They are:


BigMPQSpecificExtractor. Little is known about this tool. We don't even know who the author is. But it seems
to be a good, fast mpq extractor (from what we've seen and heard so far) that doesn't need a listfile to work. To get it,
click here.



Peer TBL Editor v2.02. As useful as Baron Darkstorm's Table Editor is, we all knew someone would
try to unseat that time-tested champion, right? Well, is Evil Peer the one to do it? Download this new tool and find out.
There seem to be some nice features in the Peer TBL Editor that Baron Darkstorm's doesn't offer, though I haven't had any
time for modding lately, so I haven't tried it out Evil Peer's work yet. What I've heard sounds good, though. To get it,

click here.



Gamble Enabler. From the hand of iowan, who is one the Keep's original architects (along with Phrozen Heart),
we have a tool that will alter the game2.dll file to give better gambling odds. The change occurs with all vendors.
To get it, click here.



Phrozen File Splitter. Also from iowan, we have a tool that will allow you to break up large files into
smaller chunks. Yes, those poor souls who need to transfer a 15 megabyte mod to diskettes now have real hope of
doing so. To get it, click here.



New Inventory Graphics


The Plugins section of the File Center has four new item inventory
image packs from two fine, upstanding contributors to our great modding community. From Shadow Talon, we have three
offerings, an Armor Pack, a
Miscellaneous Items Pack, and a
Weapons Pack. And from Joel Falcou, we have
Joel's D2 Item Package #2.



Feeling Animated?

Yup. It's our usual roundup: Animations. First, I want to remind you of the Incandescence site, one of our many
hosted sites (Click here to visit if you don't want to use the
nav bar), where you can find all sorts of converted animations and plug-ins related to Diablo 1 and the Hellfire
expansion. New there recently is Incandescent One's Acidbeasts Version2 plugin. He redid the offsets and colors,
removed the shadows, added multiple shots to some of them, and included some of the Acidbeast bosses from Diablo 1. All
around a much more thorough plugin than the original (though I still have the original plugin in my mod, personally).



In more minor news, the Sand Raider-to-Bone Golem plugin here at the Keep now has documentation, thanks to Phrozen
Heart, who noticed we had forgotten to post it in the first place.



For the other new animation tidbits, those that are stored here at Phrozen Keep anyway, Go to our
Plugins area and enter the 'Animations Plugins' subsection, or just use the links below (this
week, it's all .gif conversions by Phrozen Heart. We don't have any plugins...except for the one noted above...and no
.dcc conversions. This coming weekend update may see some more of those other goodies, though.



GIF FILE CONVERSIONS

D1 Unarmed Rogue with Heavy Armor (click here)

D1 Rogue with Light Armor, Sword & Shield (click here)


D1 Sorcerer with Heavy Armor & Bow (click here)

D1 Warrior with Heavy Armor & Axe (click here)

D1 Rogue with Light Armor & Axe (click here)

D1 Rogue with Light Armor & Bow (click here)

D1 Rogue with Light Armor & Mace (click here)


D1 Rogue with Light Armor, Mace & Shield (click here)

D1 Warrior with Heavy Armor, Mace & Shield (click here)

D1 Warrior with Heavy Armor, Sword & Shield (click here)

D1 Warrior with Heavy Armor & Staff (click here)

D1 Warrior with Heavy Armor & Sword (click here)




Oh, And a Little Cleaning Up, Too...

Phrozen Heart was once again kind enough to archive the really old news for me. Maybe next time around, I'll actually do
it for once (actually, I think I archived the mail one other time, something like five or six months ago.
Great track record, eh? Honest, my house remains clean, it's just the home page I can never remamber to straighten up).

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[url=https://www.d2mods.info/forum/kb/viewarticle?a=140&sid=41123e8f4b7ba32e1dd50fafa225d53e]Knowledge Base - [02-09] September, 2002[/url]
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