SS2 Christine FM1: Ponterbee Station V5

[687c8b0472468voodoo47]

ok, new patch available, requires the latest SS2tool update (10april2025). if using RealSG, you will need 1.07 or newer.

- readded a few gamesys fixes that seemingly got lost after the last update
- replaced the convoluted and barely working vanilla proximity grenade scripts with NVscript, mines actually do damage now, and can be shot to explode so the player can't soft lock the game by trapping himself anymore
- edited the gamesys to move the shotgun hybrid scripts to a separate metaprop to not clutter the archetype (SCP style)
- few spawners were still missing the Raycast flag, some grenade hybrids not set to throw grenades with their hands
- all toilets flushed to the floor as the new model makes it very apparent they float in mid-air
- removed some superfluous punctuation from OBJSHORT.STR (both EN and DE)
- included the new Shodan voiceovers by Terri (submitted by NDS)

to install, extract the zip to your Ponterbee folder, and overwrite. as always, anyone is free to use/not use this extra patch, and Christine is free to integrate/not integrate it into her fan mission.

[687c8b04725a5voodoo47]

and Ponterbee finally breaks 2k downloads. SS2 fan missions really are a niche thing.

[687c8b047269dGore]

Did one of the fan mission mods get updated again? The remaster just released, and I'm not sure if it will work.

[687c8b04727dbvoodoo47]

um, yes, yes and yes?

at the moment, AE doesn't support fan missions officially, but you can still do the kpf archive conversion on the mission and load it as a mod with top priority. not everything will works as it should, but if you want to try it..

[687c8b047296bmihosh]

I tried installing it on AE edition. It seems to work, at least initially, except for the sound files are all wrong.
I got the "welcome to recruitment center" and one of the final Shodan speeches immediately on game start, and first note I have found had the voice of the final Delacroix message.

I tried it also with all the "standard" mods removed - same result.

[687c8b0472b0bvoodoo47]

I only did a very quick test (pretty much just to see whether the first level loads), I got incorrect subs but I think the audio was fine? this was a pre-release build though.

you sure the fm kpf has top priority in the mod manager? if so, they might be hard-overriding something in the sshock2ee.kpf, but didn't you just say you tried with that disabled too?

//ok, checked again, and there is indeed a problem with the UNN center entry message (my guess it's because it's the only audio file that is in the ogg format), but no issue with the game start speeches (not too sure what do you mean btw), and the first log also played normally.

//aha, yeah, once the first actual level loads then things start to get wonky. open sshock2ee.kpf with 7zip or similar, and rename the dbmods and strings folders to something else, that should make the fan mission playable.

[687c8b0472da6mihosh]

I have made sshock2ee version without those folders and used it in mod list instead of original.
Only difference was that some text in UI disappeared.

(Load order, sshock2eex.kpf is sshock2ee.kpf edited like you said)

The next happens regardless of which other mods I include, including none at all:
"Thank you for running my errands" plays when I walk to the second room. "welcome to ramsey recruitment" - when I exist to corridor and near to most doors in the starting city. Now I suspect that maybe it was intentional?

(to show when voiceovers are played and effect of sshock2eex.kpf on UI)

Each log has correct, campaign-related text, but sound which is played is from original, and, naturally, completely different. But vaguelly related to text. I realise that it was not realistic for modder to do all the voice overs, but could it be made so there is no voice at all?

I got to station and explored it and game seem to play adequately EXCEPT

I got this rectangle on the lower part of my screen and it persists through reloads. It seems that this rectangle does NOT appear with sshock2ee.kpf edited like you said though... I'm confused.

[687c8b0472ee3voodoo47]

can't check the pictures as the external site is not permitted on my limited connection, so this will have to wait until tomorrow, all I can say is that if you repack the fan mission correctly, and give it max priority, the proper custom audio clips will load, verified multiple times (with the exception of the UNN center clip).

seeing that rectangle means the dbmods folder is still being loaded, so something went wrong there as well.

[687c8b04731b4Gore]

mihosh
The mod is actually working for the remaster? If so, is everything working in the mod? Like no glitches?

[687c8b0473377voodoo47]

if you do the conversion properly, edit the AE kpf, and load Ponterbee with max priority, it works with minor glitches as mentioned a couple of posts above. I'm going to go make sure. yes, works, lets go trough it step by step;

-extract the Ponterbee 7z archive, apply the V5a patch
-select the files and folders inside, zip them into a zip archive, rename to kpf, move it to the AE mods folder
-in the AE mods folder, open sshock2ee.kpf with 7zip or similar, rename the dbmods folder to _dbmods, close the archive and let it update/apply the change (then open it again and check whether the folder really is _dbmods now)
-launch the game, go start a new game, go mods, activate Ponterbee with max priority, hit apply and start the game.

triple checked, this works (again, no proper cutscenes, UNN center audio clip wrong, minor visual glitches on explosions).

[687c8b04735b6Gore]

voodoo47
You should write this in the "Read before installing fan missions" folder as updated information relating to the remaster, so that when people play the remaster, they can know the careful instructions.

[687c8b04736cavoodoo47]

this is probably/hopefully going to change soon (the current state of things is a bit less than ideal), so I'm holding off for the time being.

once the AE mod/fm loader is in a workable state, full guide will be posted.

[687c8b04738ecmihosh]

voodoo47Thanks. Did exactly this, except I have named the  modified sshock2ee differently so I can use when and only when I play with fan missions.
Works great, except the issues you pointed. Got to fifth floor already.

I assume mismatching voicovers for notes and lack of the map are just because mod was made this way?

[687c8b0473a8bvoodoo47]

lack of map yes, the maps simply do not exist, and never did. voiceovers however should work properly as already mentioned. are you still getting vanilla audio when trying to play logs?

or do you just mean the text doesn't match the audio perfectly? because that is correct, it does not, and I probably should fix that.

[687c8b0473bbamihosh]

Vanilla game voice is played instead of the texts in emails. Is it not how it is supposed to work?

Can you explain what part of the mod(s) is "in charge" of the voiceovers, so I can understand what I'm doing wrong?

[687c8b0473cbcvoodoo47]

yes, I have correct email and log voiceovers (on the earth level, and the first medsci Shodan email). try to follow the steps to the letter.

I will check further into medsci to make sure (tomorrow).

[687c8b0473df1mihosh]

I did exactly as you said, step by step. Then started the game, and checked the first log (in the starting room).

Text is "You crack-brained idiot" etc (i.e. from the mod).
Voiceover  is "If you read it, I'm already dead" etc (i.e. vanilla, the final Delacroix email).

Similar results for on-base emails - mod text, vanilla voiceover.

[687c8b0473edfvoodoo47]

ok, try to start a new game and completely disable the sshock2ee.kpf package this time.

[687c8b0473fc9mihosh]

Texture quality gets worse, but issue with voiceovers stays.
Same if I remove all the mods excepts the Ponterberee.

[687c8b04740d0voodoo47]

ok, open the Ponterbee kpf archive, and check whether you have a snd2 folder there, inside you should see vCs, vemails, vlogs and vtriggers folders, and they should be full of wav files. anything obviously missing?

[687c8b04741eamihosh]

They are there. Wavs inside seems to be correct. But they are not playing in game:(

[687c8b04742edvoodoo47]

hmm. are you using an EN build of the game? any translations maybe?

starting to run out of ideas here.

[687c8b04743d8mihosh]

Thanks, you have already done a lot. At least it's not something gamebreaking.
It's GOG version.

[687c8b0474503voodoo47]

it kind of irks me, because there is no reason why this should be happening, the files are just there, they should play, the engine should not skip them. ah well.


would maybe be interesting to know whether you have the same issue when playing the fm with a SS2tool patched Classic version. maybe some kind of general sound issue? but then again, the vanilla clips do play.