pasting this from mapsforheroes

"Installing HOMM III for TEW III 2.3 - The Empire of the World III v2.3
I took HOMM III Complete from GOG.com and installed it.
Then I installed in the game folder:
- ERA 2.7.4;
- WoG Scripts;
- HD mod (HoMM3 HD Latest).
The game does not start. An error appears when the game starts:
"failed to load and compile lua script cannot open data scripts core sys lua";
"game crashed all debug information is inside debug era subfolder".

Era 2.9.13 does not produce such an error, but the map does not play correctly with it - heroes with special ability to upgrade units turn those units into pikemen.

Tell me how you installed the game if you play this map?"


I have no idea what to answer to this guy. And this is the 50th time people message me for similar things.

Berserker, I‘ve recently become the admin of the Chinese WoG Forum, working with yunings to build up a better community. We also have the issue Valery's saying that new ERA has poor compatibility with old assets. The latest report was WoG campaigns not playable since all maps are now forced WoGified upon starting. My best suggestion was "Go back to good old ERA 2.46". But is there a better solution to this, like another version I should be looking at? Thanks

The problem mods and scripts is that "poor compatibility" concept does not exist. Either it works 100% or not. A simple error means 0% compatibility, mod will not work and map can't be completed..

Well, some mods work pretty well on new ERA, some are not. As an erm dummy I have huge difficulties in fixing compatibility of old mods (the original authors are gone for long). Even just testing the compatibility is unimaginable time-consuming. I guess the best option would be announcing a stable ERA 2 version for playing with most of the ERA 2 mods.

Valery, why Era 2.7.4?
Let him delete Mods\WoG\Data\Scripts directory, because Win 10 compatibility was reached only in 2.8.X branch, when the whole virtual file system was rewritten. And it took quite a lot time to catch all its issues. Particularly this question was answered dozens of times on HC

Archer30, glad to see you and yunings here.

Quote:The latest report was WoG campaigns not playable since all maps are now forced WoGified upon starting.

!#UN:P5/0 in WoG campaign fixes it. No global scripts loading. In my WoG Campaigns release I extracted all scripts, fixed bugs in few of them and added !#UN:P905/0 in each scenario.

ERM/Lua is scripting engine. If you run something in it, scripts must be loaded. If map author wants to disable all global ERM scripts by any reason (because of old-style variables clashing), why not to do it using !#UN:P5/0?

Quote:The problem mods and scripts is that "poor compatibility" concept does not exist. Either it works 100% or not. A simple error means 0% compatibility, mod will not work and map can't be completed..

So WoG 3.51 scripts are fully compatible with WoG 3.59 TE? Even written with hacks, even relying on not documented features and bugs like preserving garbage x-vars,y- values between triggers?
I've already recommended to use the version you developped mods on. Era 2.8.4 would probably fit community needs. Yep, it has many not fixed and ignored old ERM issues and 10x times slower, but still, is playable, like WoG 3.58.

Old WoG !?MP/!!MP implementation, for instance, leaded to constant crashes in multi-core execution mode. It was not thread-safe. Updated implementation, on which I tested a bit Atlantis, has 1 small issue, but game does not crash anymore.

Era 2.46 had not ERM tracking support. On 2.6+ (iirc) you can press F11 or get a crash and open Debug\Era\erm tracking.erm to see 10000 of latest executed receivers and triggers in valid order and with all information about files, lines and positions.

Quote:Even just testing the compatibility is unimaginable time-consuming.

Perhaps, some issues can be fixed automatically via script in php/python/what so ever. But it's easy to use Era 2.46 for really old and poorly written mods.

Many scripts are just easier to rewrite in Lua or at least ERM 2, because tons of code in WoG 3.58 scripts. for instance, are functions callings functions for loop implementation and duplicates conditions like &v1=7/y5=-1/y65=3, &v1=7/y5=-1/y65=3, &v1=7/y5=-1/y65=3...

I could write

Era 3 was written to maintain 99% compatibility with modern mods or mods without dirty hacks. Any bugs, which are really new bugs, will be fixed if reported.
!!HE:X short syntax will be fixed in the next release and probably backported to 2.9.14.

Normal code should almost have no issues. Using y- variables was almost a bad idea, using UN:C hacks everywhere + TL timers like Jim Vogan liked was always a hardly porbable solution.
After upgrading Era many ERM errors, that were silently ignored in WoG 3.58f scripts, became reported by engine.
!!IF&v1000000=7:M^Possible crash, but did you know that old ERM engine never checked indexes in conditions?^;

-------------------------------

I suggest 2.46 for really old mods, 2.8.4 for most of Valeries mods, 2.9.13/Era 3 for modern mods.
Will try to fix reported bugs, introduced by Era.

Berserker, thank you so much for the answer. I understand the advantage of erm 2.0 fully and I am very excited to write my first scripts for ERA 3.

An embarrassing fact is that the majority of the Chinese community are still in the dark age of ERA 2.46. In the Chinese forum, less than 5% of the scripts required the latest ERA to work (And they only come from XEricSin). I think I will keep maintaining an ERA 2.46 assembly for our players so that they could stop complaining...

Archer30, it would be very nice if you share most common issues like "wog campaigns are always wogified" or "cannot load _core_.sys.lua", so I could probably give an advice how to handle a few of them or ask you to upload a mod to look at.

2.46 assembly is nice idea for old scripted maps.
2.8.4 should also be fine, but needs checking.

Era 2.8+ versions support translation in json-files. So Chinese community can start making really translatable mods and provide all texts in json files with keys like (gtm = greetings mod):

Era 2.46 had no such possibility, so nobody can use Chinese mods.
---------------------------------------------------------------
I think, 95% of Valery's mods are portable or fixable, like I did with Atlantis. I even wrote online service for automatical fixing and tested Atlantis a bit.
https://tools.hmm35.ru/erm-enhancer/
https://tools.hmm35.ru/scripts-extractor/

Thanks Berserker, those online tools look great!

I will be looking for help once I get more bug report from players.

One last question - can you upload 2.8.4 please? I can find it nowhere...

Archer30, https://yadi.sk/d/Bhg4CGTf3PXi3k/Releases

Many thanks!

I started testing my mods on 2.8.3

I have an issue with HD mod 5.0 beta 31, I have no idea which tweak in column splits army in hero screen. Got it on map adventure but in hero screen?

<Version> = 5000205
<Language> = "#en.ini"

<Fix.Crit.ArtMerchantDlg.Backpack> = 0
<Fix.Crit.DoubleDeleteNetMsg> = 1
<Fix.Crit.FirstStart> = 0
<Fix.Crit.MapsOver5000> = 0
<Fix.Crit.MpNotMeTownQV> = 1
<Fix.Crit.RandHeroRandCreatures> = 0
<Fix.Crit.ReplayTurn.AI7DaysExpireLose> = 1
<Fix.Crit.ScenarioMgr.MapTime> = 1
<Fix.Crit.Tavern.Rumors> = 1
<Fix.Crit.TextFilesBugs> = 1
<Fix.Font.HighlightedText> = 0
<Fix.RMG.StartingHeroInPrison> = 0
<Graphics.Resolution> = 800x600
<Graphics.Mode> = 2
<Graphics.ComplexFilter> = 0
<Graphics.Threads> = 8
<Graphics.SimpleFilter> = 2
<Graphics.SystemCursors> = 1
<HD+.Settings>
<Misc.TournamentSaver> = 0
<Misc.Misc> = 1
<Misc.RenameRandMap> = 0
<Packs>
<Sound.Async> = 1
<Sound.Stereo44Music> = 1
<Sound.NewerLibraries> = 1
<Sys.MultiInstance> = 1
<Sys.NoCD> = 1
<UI.AdvMgr.SkipMapMsgs> = 0
<UI.ClipCursor> = 1
<UI.Ext.AdvMgr> = 1 , 1 , 0
<UI.Ext.ArtMerchantDlg> = 1 , 1
<UI.Ext.CombatMgr> = 1 , 1
<UI.Ext.CombatOptionsDlg> = 1
<UI.Ext.HeroDlg> = 0
<UI.Ext.ScenarioMgr> = 1
<UI.Ext.ScenarioMgr.Settings> = 4, 72, 2, 2, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1
<UI.Ext.SpellBook> = 1
<UI.Ext.SpellScroll> = 1
<UI.Ext.SwapMgr> {0,1,2} = 0
<UI.Ext.TextEditBox> = 1 , 1
<UI.Ext.TownMgr> = 0 , 1
<UI.Ext.TownMgr.AvailableInsteadGrowth> = 0
<UI.Ext.TownPortalDlg> = 1
<UI.HiRezCore> = 1
<UI.HiRezCore.DlgExtraFlags> = 1
<UI.QuickArmyManagementMode> {0, 1} = 0
<UI.Tavern.InviteHero> = 0
<Update.CheckAtStart> = 0
<Misc.BattleSaver> = 1

Testing. Will write here issues.

!!CM:R0; not working.

Valery, is that <UI.Ext.HeroDlg> you are looking for?

Why beta 31 though, the OpenGL mode from the latest HD works like a charm. I can't play my game without it now

latest HD compatible with Era? I didn't know, thanks