[QUESTION] Modifying a patch to work on another vers.

[Grimm]

My apologies if this is the wrong place to post something like this, I've been a lurker forever but have never posted, and I'm hoping someone smarter than me can answer this. How would I go about modifying a content patch to work for an earlier version of the same xpac? I have a 406a client that I'd like to get WoD models working on, but my choices are to convert the 335 / 434 versions that already exist, or port them myself from scratch.

Regards

[PhilipTNG]

I have a 406a client that I'd like to get WoD models working on, but my choices are to convert the 335 / 434 versions that already exist.
Regards

If you're on 4.0.6 and you have a modified Wow.exe to read from custom MPQ files, you can use the 4.3.4 one from viewtopic.php?f=93&t=8881

I don't remember what dbc files came with it, but if there is a CreatureDisplayInfo and CreatureModelData file, delete those unless you want to rebuild the CreatureModelData.dbc file into the 4.0.6 equivalent, there's one more column in the 4.3.4 dbc that did not exist in the 4.0.6 version.

I can't give you anymore tips because I have no idea what exe you're using, if it's even modified and if it is, how is it modified and if you've ever loaded any custom data on there before.

Do be warned, the patch will screw up NPC's that use character models for the display since this patch doesn't include the bakedtextures nor the dbc file that makes use of those textures. only the character models.

[Grimm]

Thanks for the answer, man! You seem really knowledgeable on the subject, so I suppose you're the right person to ask - is there any way to get the WoD models working for players only without the buggy NPC stuff? Even if it means porting everything myself.

And yeah, my WoW.exe is set to read custom .mpq files. However, I deleted the .dbc files you mentioned and put it in the Data/Cache folder but it didn't work ingame. :/ Not sure what I've done wrong.

[PhilipTNG]

I deleted the .dbc files you mentioned and put it in the Data/Cache folder but it didn't work ingame. :/ Not sure what I've done wrong.

I have no idea what you have in your Data folder, but try to put the MPQ into your Data folder and rename it to wow-update-base-13624.MPQ

Given you have file extensions showing, otherwise adding a .MPQ won't do nothing besides give it a double extension(one false and one real but hidden) which would make wow ignore it.

using the number 13624 in the example because 13623 is 4.0.6a's highest patch number. so naturally it'd be best to shoot for a tick higher than your highest patch, if you have other patches, then make the number one tick higher than your highest patch.

is there any way to get the WoD models working for players only without the buggy NPC stuff?

You'd have to use the CreatureDisplayInfo.dbc and CreatureModelData.dbc file that came with the patch if you wanted that to work. but to do so, you'd have to fix the CreatureModelData.dbc because 4.3.4's version of that file has an extra column per row entry, so you would have to format it to 4.0.6a's specifications to avoid a crash or a freeze error.

As to how to do that, it's not a simple matter(not saying it's hard or difficult, just not very straight forward) so maybe someone else will come in here and explain it for you if anyone decides to help out.

But basically what's in those files are new entries that point to the LK character model data files and then switching out every npc DisplayID's( a few thousand i think ) that used the character models to the new custom id's in the CreatureModelData.dbc that point to the classic character models so the textures don't get screwed up.  This way players would have WoD characters and NPC's would have Classic characters.