Bug fixed Duke Zone 2 Expansion "2.05" on DOS

[Avenger]

Hello,

I'm trying to play the bug fixed version "2.05" of the Duke Zone 2 Expansion in DOS but I'm receiving the following error:



I'm assuming that there's a minor adjustment that needs to be made to the CON file for it to be compatible as it currently only works with EDuke32.

I've attached the GRP/CON files to the bottom of this post.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[-=CHE@TER=-]

I'm trying o play the bug fixed version "2.05" of the Duke Zone 2 Expansion in DOS but am receiving the following error:

Add at least one empty line at the end of "DZONE2.CON" file and start the game with:
DUKE3D.EXE /xDZONE2.CON /gDZONE2.GRP
Original Duke3D parser for CON files very fragile and expects that each line ends with two controls characters: Carriage Return and Line Feed (CRLF) which represents end for current text line and start for another. Since last line in "DZONE2.CON" doesn't have CRLF at the end CON parser just cut off last two characters that's why "enda" parsed as "en".

[Avenger]

I'm trying o play the bug fixed version "2.05" of the Duke Zone 2 Expansion in DOS but am receiving the following error:

Add at least one empty line at the end of "DZONE2.CON" file and start the game with:
DUKE3D.EXE /xDZONE2.CON /gDZONE2.GRP
Original Duke3D parser for CON files very fragile and expects that each line ends with two controls characters: Carriage Return and Line Feed (CRLF) which represents end for current text line and start for another. Since last line in "DZONE2.CON" doesn't have CRLF at the end CON parser just cut off last two characters that's why "enda" parsed as "en".

Thank you for the quick reply.

The game now boots but none of the episode names are correct.

I checked inside the "USER.CON" file and they seem to be defined correctly so I'm not sure what the problem is.

[-=CHE@TER=-]

The game now boots but none of the episode names are correct.

Oh, I didn't know that .CON files never loaded from the .GRP in original Duke3D. You need to extract "DEFS.CON" and "USER.CON" from the "DZONE2.GRP" file to the game folder. After that add to the "USER.CON" file next lines or the game will instantly exit after title screens (it's all the same problem as with the last mod we're discussing on another forum topic):

Code: Select all

definevolumename 3 THE BIRTH

definelevelname 1 7 E2L8.map 11:30 04:59 DARK SIDE
definelevelname 1 8 E2L9.map 05:00 02:26 OVERLORD
definelevelname 1 9 E2L10.map 03:00 01:19 SPIN CYCLE
definelevelname 1 10 E2L11.map 03:00 00:52 LUNATIC FRINGE

definelevelname 2 7 E3L8.map 02:15 01:09 HOTEL HELL
definelevelname 2 8 E3L9.map 02:45 01:17 STADIUM
definelevelname 2 9 E3L10.map 00:45 00:10 TIER DROPS
definelevelname 2 10 E3L11.map 02:00 01:07 FREEWAY

definelevelname 3 0 E4L1.map 03:04 01:32 IT'S IMPOSSIBLE
definelevelname 3 1 E4L2.map 04:00 02:00 DUKE-BURGER
definelevelname 3 2 E4L3.map 03:30 01:45 SHOP-N-BAG
definelevelname 3 3 E4L4.map 06:32 03:16 BABE LAND
definelevelname 3 4 E4L5.map 02:02 01:01 PIGSTY
definelevelname 3 5 E4L6.map 03:04 01:52 GOING POSTAL
definelevelname 3 6 E4L7.map 01:24 00:42 XXX-STACY
definelevelname 3 7 E4L8.map 03:18 01:59 CRITICAL MASS
definelevelname 3 8 E4L9.map 05:02 02:51 DERELICT
definelevelname 3 9 E4L10.map 10:50 05:25 THE QUEEN
definelevelname 3 10 E4L11.map 04:20 02:10 AREA 51

[Avenger]

The game now boots but none of the episode names are correct.

Oh, I didn't know that .CON files never loaded from the .GRP in original Duke3D. You need to extract "DEFS.CON" and "USER.CON" from the "DZONE2.GRP" file to the game folder. After that add to the "USER.CON" file next lines or the game will instantly exit after title screens (it's all the same problem as with the last mod we're discussing on another forum topic):

Code: Select all

definevolumename 3 THE BIRTH

definelevelname 1 7 E2L8.map 11:30 04:59 DARK SIDE
definelevelname 1 8 E2L9.map 05:00 02:26 OVERLORD
definelevelname 1 9 E2L10.map 03:00 01:19 SPIN CYCLE
definelevelname 1 10 E2L11.map 03:00 00:52 LUNATIC FRINGE

definelevelname 2 7 E3L8.map 02:15 01:09 HOTEL HELL
definelevelname 2 8 E3L9.map 02:45 01:17 STADIUM
definelevelname 2 9 E3L10.map 00:45 00:10 TIER DROPS
definelevelname 2 10 E3L11.map 02:00 01:07 FREEWAY

definelevelname 3 0 E4L1.map 03:04 01:32 IT'S IMPOSSIBLE
definelevelname 3 1 E4L2.map 04:00 02:00 DUKE-BURGER
definelevelname 3 2 E4L3.map 03:30 01:45 SHOP-N-BAG
definelevelname 3 3 E4L4.map 06:32 03:16 BABE LAND
definelevelname 3 4 E4L5.map 02:02 01:01 PIGSTY
definelevelname 3 5 E4L6.map 03:04 01:52 GOING POSTAL
definelevelname 3 6 E4L7.map 01:24 00:42 XXX-STACY
definelevelname 3 7 E4L8.map 03:18 01:59 CRITICAL MASS
definelevelname 3 8 E4L9.map 05:02 02:51 DERELICT
definelevelname 3 9 E4L10.map 10:50 05:25 THE QUEEN
definelevelname 3 10 E4L11.map 04:20 02:10 AREA 51

No, what I meant to say is that the episodes are still named the regular Duke Nukem 3D names but they load the Duke Zone 2 Expansion levels. Episode 1 plays Arctic Assault but is named "LA Meltdown".

Even after making the changes you listed to the USER.CON file there is no change to the episode names but this only occurs in DOS. The episode names display correctly in EDuke32.

[-=CHE@TER=-]

No, what I meant to say is that the episodes are still named the regular Duke Nukem 3D names but they load the Duke Zone 2 Expansion levels. Episode 1 plays Arctic Assault but is named "LA Meltdown".

Please careful read again my last message post above:

You need to extract "DEFS.CON" and "USER.CON" from the "DZONE2.GRP" file to the game folder.

Thank you.

[Avenger]

No, what I meant to say is that the episodes are still named the regular Duke Nukem 3D names but they load the Duke Zone 2 Expansion levels. Episode 1 plays Arctic Assault but is named "LA Meltdown".

Please careful read again my last message post above:

You need to extract "DEFS.CON" and "USER.CON" from the "DZONE2.GRP" file to the game folder.

Thank you.

I did.

Here's the folder:


Here's the edited USER.CON file:



Here's the game menu episodes after the changes:



Sadly, they still aren't correct.

[Avenger]

I figurd out what the problem with the episode names was.

When the Duke Zone 2 Expansion was bug fixed the guy that did it for some reason renamed the USER.CON and DEFS.CON files inside the GRP from what they originally were (DZUSER.CON AND DZDEFS.CON).

Because DOS is far more strict then EDuke32 is, it was instead overwriting the episode names from the stock USER.CON contained in the DUKE3D.GRP.

Changing the names back to what they were originally and updating the GAME.CON to reflect this fixed the problem.


Thanks for your help with the double line issue at the bottom of the USER.CON that got the game to boot in the first place.

[-=CHE@TER=-]

When the Duke Zone 2 Expansion was bug fixed the guy that did it for some reason renamed the USER.CON and DEFS.CON files inside the GRP from what they originally were (DZUSER.CON AND DZDEFS.CON).
Because DOS is far more strict then EDuke32 is, it was instead overwriting the episode names from the stock USER.CON contained in the DUKE3D.GRP.
Changing the names back to what they were originally and updating the GAME.CON to reflect this fixed the problem.
Thanks for your help with the double line issue at the bottom of the USER.CON that got the game to boot in the first place.

I'm glad your problem solved but I'm missing something. I download archive "DUKE ZONE 2 2.05.rar" from your first post message. Inside was only two files "DZONE2.CON" and "DZONE2.GRP" and inside "DZONE2.GRP" only "DEFS.CON" and "USER.CON", but inside "DZONE2.CON" both of the file was mentioned as:

Code: Select all

include DEFS.CON
include USER.CON

Since DOS version can't load these files from the custom .GRP file you'll need them to extract to the game folder and overwrite original ones (I tested that and it works). Or rename as you did and change their names inside "DZONE2.CON".
I'm glad that the problem is solved, but I always test things before write a solution there and it's strange that it didn't work for you.
By the way, renaming included files (your solution) is far better than overwriting originals in the game folder - it's easier to rollback all changes in that case.

[Avenger]

When the Duke Zone 2 Expansion was bug fixed the guy that did it for some reason renamed the USER.CON and DEFS.CON files inside the GRP from what they originally were (DZUSER.CON AND DZDEFS.CON).
Because DOS is far more strict then EDuke32 is, it was instead overwriting the episode names from the stock USER.CON contained in the DUKE3D.GRP.
Changing the names back to what they were originally and updating the GAME.CON to reflect this fixed the problem.
Thanks for your help with the double line issue at the bottom of the USER.CON that got the game to boot in the first place.

I'm glad your problem solved but I'm missing something. I download archive "DUKE ZONE 2 2.05.rar" from your first post message. Inside was only two files "DZONE2.CON" and "DZONE2.GRP" and inside "DZONE2.GRP" only "DEFS.CON" and "USER.CON", but inside "DZONE2.CON" both of the file was mentioned as:

Code: Select all

include DEFS.CON
include USER.CON

Since DOS version can't load these files from the custom .GRP file you'll need them to extract to the game folder and overwrite original ones (I tested that and it works). Or rename as you did and change their names inside "DZONE2.CON".
I'm glad that the problem is solved, but I always test things before write a solution there and it's strange that it didn't work for you.
By the way, renaming included files (your solution) is far better than overwriting originals in the game folder - it's easier to rollback all changes in that case.

The DZONE2.CON file was just GAME.CON renamed.

Since DOS requires both a GRP and CON file in order to load expansions/addons this was the only solution that worked.

Users focusing only on EDuke32 is breaking DOS compatibility sadly.