npc.dat

[Clark Wells]

I installed exult-1.1.9rc1-1 on my fedora linux box. Exult runs and everything
seems to be working correctly until I actually try and start a game, where the
program crashes saying it cannot find npc.dat. I have all the Ultima files
installed from my CD and the introduction and character generation works
fine. Can anyone help me with this?

[wjp]

What is the exact error message it gives?

[Clark Wells]

All output after running exult . . .

Exult version 1.1.9rc1
Built at: Jan 27 2004 21:24:25
Compile-time options: HAVE_TIMIDITY_BIN, USE_EXULTSTUDIO, HAVE_ZIP_SUPPORT
Compiler: gcc, version: 3.3.2 20031022 (Red Hat Linux 3.3.2-1)

Platform: Linux version 2.4.22-1.2149.nptl
Exult path settings:
Data : /usr/share/exult
Digital music : /usr/share/exult/music

Internal SDL_mixer timidity synthesiser
Black Gate : found
exult_bg.flx : found
Serpent Isle : found
exult_si.flx : found
Starting a BLACK GATE game
Game path settings:
Static : /usr/share/exult/data/ultima7/static
Gamedat : /usr/share/exult/data/ultima7/STATIC
Savegame: /home/clark/.exult/blackgate
Patch : /usr/share/exult/data/ultima7/patch

Serpent Isle : found
exult_si.flx : found
Creating 'gamedat' files.
============================
An exception occured:
Error opening file /usr/share/exult/data/ultima7/STATIC/npc.dat
errno: 2
Error Description: No such file or directory
============================

[Dominus]

ouch!
you are pointing gamedat and static to the same dir.
That is not healthy.

See: http://exult.info/docs.php#dir_config

[SB-X]

Maybe there should be something built into Exult preventing that?

[Dominus]

some simple check would probably be useful. Pointing static, gamedat and savegames to the same dir should stop exult running and print a warning to stdout.
Also pointing BG/SI specific paths to the same ones shouldn't be allowed either (well savegames could go in one).

[drcode]

Given a 'gamedat', we could do a couple checks to see if it looks valid. For example, finding 'static' data files there would be an error.