NWN2 Packer

[Teric neDhalir]

Anyone else use this to "strip" mods? And if so have you had any problems since the 1.13 update? I've downloaded the update to NWN2Packer, but still get crash city when trying to run the mod. I really don't want to have to send the whole directory to the host machine every time I have a minor update.

[White Warlock]

i've used this plenty of times. no problems here.

[AcadiusLost]

I use NWN2packer regularly to manipulate hak and erf files, I've never used it to pare down a module before.

One thing you can do for minor updates/fixes is try toolsetting right across the VNC connection. Prepare small erfs with your changes (can even trim out the TRN/TRX files if you've not made any walkmesh changes, for even less needless transfer time), and import those to the "working" host copy via VNC. You likely won't be able to see the areas, preview, etc- but it's easy enough to make minor bug corrections this way, and to swap in nice, well-trimmed erf files. I do this routinely.

[indio]

If you don't need to modify an area, VNC toolsetting is the way to go, for sure.

My routine to my server is as follows:

- Finish modification
- Right-click on module directory
- Select Add to Archive (must have WinRAR installed)
- Choose Fastest Compression (this makes all the difference)
- When its finished zipping, transfer to host
- Delete hosted directory
- Unzip and begin nwn2server.exe

It's a little clunky, and toolsetting on the host itself is far superior, but if you need an area update, the above method works fine and quickly. Better yet, if all you're modifying is a specific area, just zip and transfer the area files. This isn't always relaible however.

[Teric neDhalir]

Excuse my ignorance but what is VNC, please?

The Packer "strip" thing worked fine the first time, and gets the mod down to about 20MB zipped, which is a bearable size to transfer to the host machine. Tanita's stopped working on it but has updated a .dll that supposedly maintains compatibility with 1.13. Everything's fine when you log on until the very last moment when you would expect to appear at the start point, at which point NWN crashes to Windows. The same mod transferred to the host machine as a directory runs fine. *shrug*

[AcadiusLost]

VNC is a remote desktop technology, opens a window that works like a virtual monitor to the remote machine, allowing you to work almost as if you were physically sitting at the hosting computer. I assume you're using Xerxes' hosting connection? If so, I would have expected you'd be using VNC to check on the module, switch versions, etc.

[Teric neDhalir]

Oh, I see. Well, I do look at Xerxes' machine remotely, but I'm not about to try toolsetting on it (*shudders*). One thing I've discovered today is that as I've copied the mod over as a directory I can just copy individual conversation/script/blueprints files over to make little fixes when necessary, which will do for the moment.
Thanks for tips.

[indio]

One thing I've discovered today is that as I've copied the mod over as a directory I can just copy individual conversation/script/blueprints files over to make little fixes when necessary, which will do for the moment.
Thanks for tips.

Just be on the lookout for when this doesn't work...areas seem to work ok, conversation files too, but some don't, and those that do, don't always do so reliably. So when in doubt, try the zip and transfer. Good luck.