nyx-core

zEngine extensions for PHOENIX ('Project Nyx') by PhoenixTales.

Authors

Plugins written for Phoenix

• Alpha Attributes: Oliver aka logx
• Nyx' HumBodyStyle System: Sasha aka jr
• Alpha Fire Decal Fix: Pierre aka ThielHater

Included Plugins that were not specifically written for Phoenix

• Climbing Angle Fix by Degenerated/BlackBat for the GRM
• ...

ReadMe ToDo

• compile nyx-core after verifying toolchain: C++ include path ${NYXCORE_ROOT}?
• plugin config in mod.ini?
• current caveats: empty parser error on start
• documentation of core classes: oCNPCEx.cpp (extended attributes), oCGameEx.cpp (HUD), ParserExtender_Externals.h (new externals)
• on first start GothicMod.exe after Union install: MSVCR100.dll missing
• GitHub build automation?

Installation

Below are the instructions to download and compile the nyx-core in a vanilla Gothic installation. In the following instructions, we will refer to the root path of the Gothic installation as GOTHIC_ROOT and to the local root of this repository as NYXCORE_ROOT.

Prerequisites

• Windows 10, x64 version
• a clean CD or GOG installation of Gothic
• (optional) a browser with an auto-translate plugin (e.g. Chrome), if you do not speak Russian since many resources related to the Union SDK are only available in Russian at the developers' forum

Install Union PlayerKit

• Download and install the .NET Framework 4.0

• Download and install the Windows SDK 7.1
• Download and install the Visual C++ 2010 toolchain.

• Download and install the Union Resource Manager. The installation directory will be referred to as UNION_ROOT.
  • Launch the Union Resource Manager (${UNION_ROOT}/GUI.exe) and click on the tab Union.
  • Click Player Kit + Patch for x64 systems to download and install the Player Kit which provides the mod launcher.
    • The following new files should be added to ${GOTHIC_ROOT}/system: GothicMod.exe, GothicStarter.exe, GothicStarter_mod.exe
  • Click on the latest Union version in the list (e.g. Union 1.0k) to download and install it.
    • The following new files should be added to ${GOTHIC_ROOT}/system: Union.patch
• Launch ${GOTHIC_ROOT}/system/GothicMod.exe. The splash screen as well as the main menu should now display your installed Union version.

Install Gothic MDK and nyx-core demo

• Download the latest release of the Gothic Development Kit and unpack into a new directory (refered to as DEVKIT_ROOT).
  • Copy the content of ${DEVKIT_ROOT}/gothic/ into ${GOTHIC_ROOT}/.
• Copy the content of ${NYXCORE_ROOT}/demo/ into ${GOTHIC_ROOT}/. Overwrite all file conflicts at the destination.

Set up Visual Studio toolchain

• Download and install the Visual Studio Community IDE, 2019 or later.
  • Install the defaults of the Visual C++ development environment.
• Go back into Union Resource Manager and switch to the tab Union SDK.
  • Click on the latest SDK which is compatible with the installed Union version. E.g., if Union 1.0k was installed earlier, please select version 1.0k for the SDK, too.
  • If successfully installed, the SDK should be found at ${UNION_ROOT}/sdk/UnionPlugin_1_0k.zip.
• Verify that the toolchain has been installed correctly by launching Visual Studio.
  • Select File -> New -> Project and select UnionPlugin_1_0k.
  • Set a project name, e.g. UnionTestPlugin.
  • After the project has been created, select Project -> Properties and change the following settings:
    • In Configuration Properties -> General -> General:
      • Set Platform Toolset to Visual Studio 2010 (v100) to use the correct C++ compiler.
      • Set Output Directory to your respective path of ${GOTHIC_ROOT}/system to ensure that the compiled plugin is saved into the game directory.
    • In Configuration Properties -> Debugging:
      • Set Command to $(TargetDir)/GothicMod.exe. This allows to launch the Gothic in debugging mode straight out of Visual Studio and provides the handling of breakpoints, heap profiles, stack traces etc.
      • Set Command Arguments to -game:nyx_playground.ini -zwindow -devmode -vdfs:physicalfirst -zreparse. This ensures that the demo level config of the nyx-core is loaded.
  • In the top menu, select the build configuration from the drop down list as G1 Debug.
  • Launch the debugging mode (F5). The solution should compile without errors and launch into a vanilla main menu. After starting a new game, the player should see the demo level.

Compile nyx-core

• Open ${NYXCORE_ROOT}/NyxCore/NyxCore.sln in Visual Studio.
• Adjust the project properties in the same way as it was done for the Union test plugin compiled earlier.
• Launch the debugging mode again to compile the NyxCore.dll. The game should now launch with the new functionality provided by the plugin.

Documentation

TODO

Current Features

• TODO

Current Caveats

• TODO

Current Roadmap

• TODO

Additional Resources

Download Links

• .NET Framework 4.0
• Windows SDK 7.1
• Visual C++ 2010 toolchain
• Visual Studio Community IDE
• Union Resource Manager
• Gothic Devkit
• Ikarus
• LeGo
• Ninja

Union Documentation

• SDK Manual
• SDK Forum
• Resource Manager
• Plugin Forum