FAQ

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szapp edited this page Mar 8, 2018 · 19 revisions

General Information
What exactly is GFA?
How can I try this script package?
Which of the Gothic games does GFA support?
Can I use free aiming with an existing mod?
Do balancing issues arise from GFA?
Is GFA stable?

Installation Problems
How do I install GFA into my Gothic installation?
I get a parsing error "Unknown Var LEGO_DRAW3D". What's wrong?
I get the error "Insufficient LeGo flags for Gothic Free Aim". What's wrong?
Why do I have a rock-like texture instead of a reticle on my screen?
Moving while aiming does not work. What's wrong?
It doesn't work, what now?
Why does my game crash?

Miscellaneous Questions
What is the deal with the license? May I use GFA in my modification?
Will GFA ever be available as a stand-alone patch that can be used with any mod?
I have a great idea for a feature! Could you implement it, please?
I have found a bug. How can I report it?

What exactly is GFA?

GFA stands for Gothic Free Aim. It is a script package (source code) for Gothic 1 and Gothic 2 developers to incorporate into their modifications. Aside free aiming for ranged combat and spells, GFA offers some further features listed here. A big strength of GFA is its high configurability.

How can I try this script package?

Anyone can try the free aiming by downloading the demo modifications. These extend the normal games of Gothic 1 and Gothic 2. These modifications are available in German, English, Polish and Russian language.
You can easily download and try out GFA in the modifications by following the links provided.

Which of the Gothic games does GFA support?

GFA is made for Gothic 1 and Gothic 2 - NotR.

Can I use free aiming with an existing mod?

Unfortunately not. It is up to the mod creators to include GFA in their mod. However, GFA is designed to be extremely easy to incorporate with extensive documentation, balancing and high stability (thanks to a lot of beta testing). The last remaining obstacle is for the mod developers to know about GFA. Consider it your job to bring GFA to their attention. Thank you!

UPDATE: Yes, you can! As of March 2018, I have managed to release GFA as a "stand-alone" patch, that should work with any Gothic 2 mod. You can find the download here. (The website is in German, but you should find the download link "Ninja_GFA.vdf" easily.) This patch was made possible with Ninja.

Do balancing issues arise from GFA?

It is difficult to answer this question with a clear "no". GFA with all its features has been carefully tested by a group of dedicated testers that contributed a lot to adjusting any aspect of it to match the Gothic games' defaults. Eventually, the hit chance by scattering was brought very close to what is found in Gothic. Difference is noticeable at larger distances (more difficult with free aiming), however this well compensated by the ability to walk backwards while aiming.

The re-usable projectile feature (GFA_REUSE_PROJECTILES) is the remaining sub-feature that really has impact on balance. Since projectiles can be collected and re-used, the number of arrows and bolts in the world has to be adjusted. Read on here for more details and recommendations.

Is GFA stable?

It is always difficult if not dangerous to guaranty stability. However, there are no known issues with the current version: GFA has been tested thoroughly for a period of more than two months by a group of independent and dedicated testers. Gothic 1 and Gothic 2 have both been played through completely with GFA without any problems or crashes.
Consequently, it should be fair to claim that, in itself, GFA is stable; in conjunction with complex mods, however, full compatibility can of course not be guarantied.

How do I install GFA into my Gothic installation?

You can find the latest release here. Follow the installation instructions here.

I get a parsing error "Unknown Var LEGO_DRAW3D". What's wrong?

Your LeGo version is older than 2.5.0. Check the installation requirements.

I get the error "Insufficient LeGo flags for Gothic Free Aim". What's wrong?

Your LeGo initialization is insufficient. Add the necessary package, as explained here.

Why do I have a rock-like texture instead of a reticle on my screen?

You seem to have missed the textures. You can download them here.

Moving while aiming does not work. What's wrong?

You might have missed the necessary animations, the additions to the MDS-files or deleting the compiled animation files. Please follow the installation instructions carefully (Gothic 1, Gothic 2).

It does not work, what now?

Should the installation of GFA fail, please make sure you followed the installation instructions correctly. With the zSpy enabled check for any error messages or warnings related to GFA and its initialization. If this does not help, share your problem with the following information:

What exactly is not working: Is the game not launching (list possible parser errors)? Is nothing happening in the game (as if GFA was not installed)? Does the game crash (when and how)?
Attach possible error messages/codes.
Attach the zSpy log.
If possible, please post the output when entering GFA info into the F2-ingame-console.

Why does my game crash?

See "It does not work, what now?". Additionally, it will be essential to describe your configuration, ideally by attaching your files in GFA\config\.

What is the deal with the license? May I use GFA in my modification?

There is a section in on the installation requirements wiki page with a description what the license implies. Please read it, keep it in mind and respect it. If you see a modification not mentioning their use of GFA anywhere, feel free to remind the creator of that mod of the license conditions or report them to me.

Will GFA ever be available as a stand-alone patch that can be used with any mod?

No. GFA is scripted and thus will always require being part of a compiled Gothic.dat. A stand-alone patch would require programming GFA from scratch.

I have a great idea for a feature! Could you implement it, please?

Your idea might already be possible with the extensive configuration of GFA. If not please share your thoughts and ideas!

I have found a bug. How can I report it?

You can report bugs via any of the listed contact information or create a ticket directly here in the Github Issue Tracker. A good bug report should include the following information:

Detailed description of what happened.
Detailed description of how it happened.
Output when entering GFA info into the F2-ingame-console.
zSpy Log.
The Access Violation message (if applicable).
Your configuration (attach the files in GFA\config\).
Used versions of Ikarus/LeGo.
If possible: Your own attempts to isolate and reproduce the bug.

If your question is not listed here, please do not hesitate to ask for help!

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