In the "Executive Actions" mission, at some point you get to infilitrate a terminal in the CEO office, leading to a matrix made of several rooms with nodes to hack, one of the rooms is guarded by a Telestrian Decker and a couple of programs.
Violet cleared every of the matrix rooms, and in the end defeated the Telestrian Decker, then she hacked the 2 cameras nodes that were present in that room. Going back to the real world, i noticed that the exit that should be open in the old Shadowrun Returns was in fact still locked, you can see the enemies security guys waiting in the next room, but nothing happens, you can't progress anymore.
I noticed it was reported in page 5 by user Cenerae back in 2017 and thought to be fixed but unfortunately it looks like the problem is still existing.
Hello! I'm researching because I want to make a campaign. Shadowrun Cebu City. But I want to try my hand at modding first. Something simple. So I want to inject a Filipino bar in Heoi in the lower left corner of the map. Accessible when you meet Cherry Pink or have read the emails from the Filipino deckers. The comments in the vanilla game are not cross comments between the characters, only the NPC to the PC. So I figure I can add the Filipino bar and a Filipina character. Add one loyalty quest before you head out to Prosperity. And just a handful of comments on other quests. So the only new maps would be the bar and the loyalty quest.
But why is it no one has tried to add a new NPC before? Is this too difficult? Writing wise, its very easy. But coding wise, its not?
When PC asks Cherry Pink about her name, then Cherry Pink exclaims "You haven't met Magha!" 'Noypi Pub' opens in the building below CyberDoc, where you can meet Magha.
Or when reading the emails, I will add a verse or two about the Filipino dive bar in Heoi.
If the PC chooses to go there, they can meet Magha. And choose to do her quest.
I would write the quest so that it is like the Isabella's quest. Outside, not necessary, but very fun.
It's not too much coding or mapmaking.
And it would offer a new decker. Or two. Isabella is basically not an optional character. It would be nice to have a rigger/decker (in case players don't like the masculine psychopath) or a flusher/decker (in case players don't want a ghoul). They would live mid ship, in the living room.
Welcome. In order to create additional content for Hong Kong, you'd have to modify and redistribute the core HK files. This *is* possible, but not natively supported. This very UGC campaign (Dead Man Switch: Vox Populi) is the original Shadowrun Returns campaign imported into the latest HK engine, modified, and redistributed with HBS' permission.
While it is possible to edit the core files, the editor is actually designed to create new stories using the assets available in the engine. To distribute a core modification, every single user would have to manually edit your changes into the core files. That's not a tech support role I'd envy. The editor is actually designed to create your own SR story. The set/scene pieces can be stacked like Legos by those with a hint of artistic talent... The scripting comes from a series of drop-down menus... The dialogue editor will allow you to write some pretty robust conversation options and send scripts into the "world to have reactive elements"... Creating and/or altering NPCs is totally doable as well. Music importing isn't natively supported, neither is model swapping or icon importing.
The problem will come from trying to insert your modifications into someone else's scene(s) or story. Those types of modifications are next to impossible to distribute. They'll also require (as mentioned before) every end user to manually install them. You cant upload your changes to someone elses campaign, it simply becomes a new copy of the campaign but without their followers/subscribers... Or typically permission. That means one word from them and your modification could easily get nuked.
If I'm allowed a tiny nitpick, it might be holdover from OG campaign, but a background talking noise loop in Seamstress Union is a bit too short and it drives me absoltely nuts. Aaaaaaaah. There are other sounds that appear from time to time (chair, glasses, etc.), but the core loop is just a few seconds long so I hear two sinusoids constantly every time I go to the Union "uuh-eeh uuh eeh Wah Wah Wah uuh-eeh uuh eeh...". I'd fix it myself if I knew how background sound is assembled. Finding all public domain sound bites might take a while.
And yes, I do love it. I played Returns exactly 10 years ago, when it came out, so don't remember much in terms of details, but all the new content fits in like a glove. Love it, like it, appreciate your work. Dev comments are MVP.
Just wanna rant, I FUCKING HATE River's mission. I go in the door, everybody shoots my team immediately and since they don't have cover, everybody is half health instantly. That was horrendously designed.
Also, wtf are those side missions? I only drained my supplies and didn't get anything, no upgrade to the teammates.
As I recall, you can sneak through the majority of Rivers run without soaking rounds or firing a shot. The guns blazing approach on a prepared target isn't always the easiest course of action.
Far as rewards go, the way I see it is your "friends" are assisting you for free on all of your assignment whenever you select them to go with you... Why should they pay you for returning the favor?
They can "reward" a player by getting themselves an upgrade, either in abilities or in equipment, because they just resolved a situation, that bothered them and now they can focus more on the task at hand. And character development is always good.
I'm back at the Songstress' Union after Paco/Coyote's first mission. I got the call from Aguirre about a new murder and can travel to a new area, but how do I take new companions with me? Paco and the 2 guys standing by Sam's bunk all proposed to help me and call on them when I need them. But if I travel, I'm all alone.
Yeah, I realize that now, thanks. Only certain missions/travels allow you to choose companions to bring, and it just so happened that the mission after those companions said "call on me any time", wasn't one of those missions.
Bug? If I take Violet on the Decking run "The Digital World" two copies of Violet's persona appear, and I can fight with both of them during combat (though I can only control one outside combat). Then, if when I finish the run, and prepare for the second run, I say "Give me a minute to collect my thoughts" I'm returned to the first Matrix run, this time only the second Violet is there, moves incredibly slowly, and cannot jack out. The game enters a stuck state, and you have to reload. And then if I go straight into the second section, it also breaks, because once we've completed the second run and we jack out, the quest does not advance.
I was really enjoying this but I cant seem to get passed the initial run in the aircraft hanger. When I try to leave to meet Coyote in the apartment, the game CTDs at the end of the loading screen. Looks like I cant continue. Really disappointing, as the story up to then was really well done.
I should add that I am also running the SRHK Gameplay Overhaul - Swalzi Edit. Not sure if that could be the problem, though I did use it through both the Caledcott Caper and CalFree in Chains without issue.
If you have any suggestions on how I might get past this, I would be most appreciative. In any case thanks for your efforts on this!
I can't imagine what would be stalling the scene from the overhaul. I never used the overhaul but I can't imagine what in it could stall out this campaign.
If you open the debugger (Ctrl + F1) it should give you an idea of what went wrong. And may help you get past it.
Come to think of it, I vaguely recall hearing someone saying it's missing a prop defination file for a (core) Seattle asset. If you could screenshot the error message from the debugger, that may let me manually re-add the file.
Hey Dave, Thanks for the reply. I opened the debugger, but I'm not really sure what I should be looking for. I have a save for the end of the Warehouse level just before clicking the transition to go help Coyote. With debug on and Verbose clicked, there is a yellow warning that reads: 'W SND [WARN] Clip not found: Seattle-SetB-legwork' https://www.dropbox.com/s/y28dv1dmgla9wyl/DMS_VP.jpg?dl=0
Does that ring any bells? or am I not looking at the right stuff?
Open the debugger, then open the scene that crashes. You *should* get a string of red text in the upper left corner that tells you what went horribly wrong.
Ok, clicked on the transition, promised Coyote I would hop right over to to help out, and then grabbed this screenshot when the next level was loading. https://www.dropbox.com/s/ylfugzwlyl3eo5s/DMS_VP2.jpg?dl=0 Another sound issue, I think, though this time related to audio_HongKong:props
Then when the loading bar got to around the end, bang - back to the desktop. I didn't seen any change in this message and no red text before the CtD.
That's really odd... Firing up my copy, see if it does it too. I haven't seen a crash to the desktop on it.
The one I had heard about was a missing prop definition file from a lamp or something from one of the core packs. That one would stall the progress bar, but not crash the engine.
Well, I removed the mod stuff and gave it another try, fingers crossed. No dice. Same CTD. Here is the crash notice it pops up. https://www.dropbox.com/s/f9or3gtgxm4rmqr/DMS_VPCrash.jpg?dl=0
I couldn't imagine it was something related to those modded abilities that was causing it. There isn't anything we put in that required core game modifications. (No customized soundtrack, no modified models, etc...) But it looks like the problem may be with the core pack. (Typically, a UGC error will cause the load screen to hang, but not crash the editor/engine. A CTD is something deeper than we went with creating this UGC)
My local copy downloads and runs fine... So I can't duplicate the error either.
You could try a fresh install of the base game, but that's an awful lot of effort, and no guarantee it would help or change anything.
Well, I've enjoyed what I've seen so far, and I'd like to play it through to the end, especially since you have been so supportive in your efforts to help me get this issue sorted.
I also just realized that I have been running a slightly older (3.1.0) build. So, I reckon I will wipe my current version (which admittedly has a few mods installed), do a reinstall and patch to the latest (3.1.2 I believe), and give it another shot. Fingers crossed, I will let you know if I can get it all sorted.
Regardless, thanks for your sterling efforts in putting this together, and your continued support, sir!
Well, I'm happy to say, that did the trick. Full reinstall, patched up to 3.1.2, and she loads up Coyote's mission just fine. Also reinstalled Swalzi's Overhaul to see if that was the issue, but that loads fine as well. So I guess something in one of the last patches solved the issue.
Anyway, thanks again. I'm off to help Coyote get her cousin out to the BTL den. (though I dont understand why...Bacon, Tomato, and lettuce sannies are amazing!)
Well Dave, I managed to get through the rest with nary a hitch. And I must say it was a stonking great ride! Its been years since I did the original version, and I must say the new companion missions fit in well, featured tight writing and interesting stores, and add to the whole package. Outstanding work.
One jarring question though... <VEILED SPOILERS AHEAD> What happened to my diminutive friend in the epilogue? I made sure his ritual sample was deleted. I was looking forward to a cigar and a bottle of single malt with the wee fella back at the Uniion, so his splattery finish came as a shock. What did I miss?
Other than that, many thanks for your efforts on this!
Do you mean did I purge his sample, or all employees? Well, I considered doing the whole lot, but one of my companions reminded me something to the effect that ditching all of them would mightily piss off a major corp, while doing only one might just slip under the radar entirely. Being a 'shadowrunner', the latter course seemed more prudent.
Besides If any other wageslaves feel a need to ditch their contracts, they can pony up the advance and hire me!
Just to chime in, audio files can really be a source of difficulty with gaming. I don't recall exactly what the details are of these issues but it's something like having your audio input set to something besides 44000 Hz or maybe 48000 Hz, may have been a Win7 issue. But when your system tries to tap the audio file, a CTD happens. I think I recall this being an issue with certain games such as Wasteland 2, Baldur's Gate 1 or 2, and so on, some of the older games that may have not been optimized to newer operating systems or such. Just something to consider.
This UGC does not use any "hacked in" sounds... All of the sound files are from the official native HK era engine... That's why I didn't think they were a likely candidate for the CTD.
TL;DR:Installation: Copy the contents of the zip file into C:\Games\ShadowrunHongKong\SRHK_Data\StreamingAssets\ContentPacks or you respective SR:HK installation directory.
There are no installation instructions. I did research in all comment pages if the word "install" was mentioned. Looks like there was at least one user who spoke up with that. Who knows how many did not and were not able to play with the mod because of it. Looks like there is an "ContentPacks" folder both in "Documents" aswell as in the game directory (Epic Games Store installation) and i read somewhere in the internet that i need to drop mods for this game in the documents directory - how misleading! :'( The mod content must be copied into ContentPacks folder inside the game directory. My recommendation: Dont play fancy and just add the correct installation steps so ppl (like me) dont get confused and abandon the mod without ever experincing it.
These games (and their UGC installation procedures) had been pretty well established before epic games did their give away... So at the time, they were not necessary to include.
It would appear that the situation has now changed, and you are correct... The content pack downloaded here goes (unmodified, decompressing it is not needed) into the contentpacks directory of the install path, not the "my documents" or the "users" folders. Also worth mentioning, that the games do not behave well if a cross-generation gap is attempted. Returns era games dont work well in DragonFall, and DragonFall games don't play nice with HK... returns era into HK is a nightmare as well. They are also not backwards compatible at all.
The "documents" version is where the editor puts files on any UGC you are trying to create yourself.
Give Feedback
198 comments
Violet cleared every of the matrix rooms, and in the end defeated the Telestrian Decker, then she hacked the 2 cameras nodes that were present in that room.
Going back to the real world, i noticed that the exit that should be open in the old Shadowrun Returns was in fact still locked, you can see the enemies security guys waiting in the next room, but nothing happens, you can't progress anymore.
I noticed it was reported in page 5 by user Cenerae back in 2017 and thought to be fixed but unfortunately it looks like the problem is still existing.
But why is it no one has tried to add a new NPC before? Is this too difficult? Writing wise, its very easy. But coding wise, its not?
When PC asks Cherry Pink about her name, then Cherry Pink exclaims "You haven't met Magha!"
'Noypi Pub' opens in the building below CyberDoc, where you can meet Magha.
Or when reading the emails, I will add a verse or two about the Filipino dive bar in Heoi.
If the PC chooses to go there, they can meet Magha. And choose to do her quest.
I would write the quest so that it is like the Isabella's quest. Outside, not necessary, but very fun.
It's not too much coding or mapmaking.
And it would offer a new decker. Or two. Isabella is basically not an optional character. It would be nice to have a rigger/decker (in case players don't like the masculine psychopath) or a flusher/decker (in case players don't want a ghoul). They would live mid ship, in the living room.
While it is possible to edit the core files, the editor is actually designed to create new stories using the assets available in the engine. To distribute a core modification, every single user would have to manually edit your changes into the core files. That's not a tech support role I'd envy. The editor is actually designed to create your own SR story. The set/scene pieces can be stacked like Legos by those with a hint of artistic talent... The scripting comes from a series of drop-down menus... The dialogue editor will allow you to write some pretty robust conversation options and send scripts into the "world to have reactive elements"... Creating and/or altering NPCs is totally doable as well. Music importing isn't natively supported, neither is model swapping or icon importing.
The problem will come from trying to insert your modifications into someone else's scene(s) or story. Those types of modifications are next to impossible to distribute. They'll also require (as mentioned before) every end user to manually install them. You cant upload your changes to someone elses campaign, it simply becomes a new copy of the campaign but without their followers/subscribers... Or typically permission. That means one word from them and your modification could easily get nuked.
And yes, I do love it. I played Returns exactly 10 years ago, when it came out, so don't remember much in terms of details, but all the new content fits in like a glove. Love it, like it, appreciate your work. Dev comments are MVP.
The sound themes are cooked assets, that you select by theme. Not much flexibility in them, and there are only a handful of options.
P.S. Poor S., that was fucking brutal..
Also, wtf are those side missions? I only drained my supplies and didn't get anything, no upgrade to the teammates.
Far as rewards go, the way I see it is your "friends" are assisting you for free on all of your assignment whenever you select them to go with you... Why should they pay you for returning the favor?
Then, if when I finish the run, and prepare for the second run, I say "Give me a minute to collect my thoughts" I'm returned to the first Matrix run, this time only the second Violet is there, moves incredibly slowly, and cannot jack out. The game enters a stuck state, and you have to reload.
And then if I go straight into the second section, it also breaks, because once we've completed the second run and we jack out, the quest does not advance.
Looks like I cant continue.
Really disappointing, as the story up to then was really well done.
I should add that I am also running the SRHK Gameplay Overhaul - Swalzi Edit. Not sure if that could be the problem, though I did use it through both the Caledcott Caper and CalFree in Chains without issue.
If you have any suggestions on how I might get past this, I would be most appreciative.
In any case thanks for your efforts on this!
If you open the debugger (Ctrl + F1) it should give you an idea of what went wrong. And may help you get past it.
Come to think of it, I vaguely recall hearing someone saying it's missing a prop defination file for a (core) Seattle asset. If you could screenshot the error message from the debugger, that may let me manually re-add the file.
Thanks for the reply.
I opened the debugger, but I'm not really sure what I should be looking for.
I have a save for the end of the Warehouse level just before clicking the transition to go help Coyote.
With debug on and Verbose clicked, there is a yellow warning that reads:
'W SND [WARN] Clip not found: Seattle-SetB-legwork'
https://www.dropbox.com/s/y28dv1dmgla9wyl/DMS_VP.jpg?dl=0
Does that ring any bells? or am I not looking at the right stuff?
Open the debugger, then open the scene that crashes. You *should* get a string of red text in the upper left corner that tells you what went horribly wrong.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ylfugzwlyl3eo5s/DMS_VP2.jpg?dl=0
Another sound issue, I think, though this time related to audio_HongKong:props
Then when the loading bar got to around the end, bang - back to the desktop.
I didn't seen any change in this message and no red text before the CtD.
The one I had heard about was a missing prop definition file from a lamp or something from one of the core packs. That one would stall the progress bar, but not crash the engine.
No dice.
Same CTD.
Here is the crash notice it pops up.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/f9or3gtgxm4rmqr/DMS_VPCrash.jpg?dl=0
My local copy downloads and runs fine... So I can't duplicate the error either.
You could try a fresh install of the base game, but that's an awful lot of effort, and no guarantee it would help or change anything.
I also just realized that I have been running a slightly older (3.1.0) build.
So, I reckon I will wipe my current version (which admittedly has a few mods installed), do a reinstall and patch to the latest (3.1.2 I believe), and give it another shot.
Fingers crossed, I will let you know if I can get it all sorted.
Regardless, thanks for your sterling efforts in putting this together, and your continued support, sir!
Hope fortune smiles on you, and you're able to continue... And that you enjoy it.
Full reinstall, patched up to 3.1.2, and she loads up Coyote's mission just fine.
Also reinstalled Swalzi's Overhaul to see if that was the issue, but that loads fine as well.
So I guess something in one of the last patches solved the issue.
Anyway, thanks again. I'm off to help Coyote get her cousin out to the BTL den.
(though I dont understand why...Bacon, Tomato, and lettuce sannies are amazing!)
Glad it worked!
You also get to meet our decker party member there... And install the signal boosters so she can remote in!
Good times!
And I must say it was a stonking great ride! Its been years since I did the original version, and I must say the new companion missions fit in well, featured tight writing and interesting stores, and add to the whole package.
Outstanding work.
One jarring question though...
<VEILED SPOILERS AHEAD>
What happened to my diminutive friend in the epilogue?
I made sure his ritual sample was deleted.
I was looking forward to a cigar and a bottle of single malt with the wee fella back at the Uniion, so his splattery finish came as a shock.
What did I miss?
Other than that, many thanks for your efforts on this!
Which method did you use to purge his sample?
Well, I considered doing the whole lot, but one of my companions reminded me something to the effect that ditching all of them would mightily piss off a major corp, while doing only one might just slip under the radar entirely.
Being a 'shadowrunner', the latter course seemed more prudent.
Besides If any other wageslaves feel a need to ditch their contracts, they can pony up the advance and hire me!
Did I miss something else?
This UGC does not use any "hacked in" sounds... All of the sound files are from the official native HK era engine... That's why I didn't think they were a likely candidate for the CTD.
There are no installation instructions. I did research in all comment pages if the word "install" was mentioned.
Looks like there was at least one user who spoke up with that. Who knows how many did not and were not able to play with the mod because of it.
Looks like there is an "ContentPacks" folder both in "Documents" aswell as in the game directory (Epic Games Store installation) and i read somewhere in the internet that i need to drop mods for this game in the documents directory - how misleading! :'(
The mod content must be copied into ContentPacks folder inside the game directory.
My recommendation: Dont play fancy and just add the correct installation steps so ppl (like me) dont get confused and abandon the mod without ever experincing it.
It would appear that the situation has now changed, and you are correct... The content pack downloaded here goes (unmodified, decompressing it is not needed) into the contentpacks directory of the install path, not the "my documents" or the "users" folders. Also worth mentioning, that the games do not behave well if a cross-generation gap is attempted. Returns era games dont work well in DragonFall, and DragonFall games don't play nice with HK... returns era into HK is a nightmare as well. They are also not backwards compatible at all.
The "documents" version is where the editor puts files on any UGC you are trying to create yourself.
Hope you're able to apply this newfound knowledge and enjoy any of the UGCs that are available and that interest you.