True Patch Gold Edition -- DIRECT DOWNLOAD LINK

[Tessera]

As an alternative to what I posted, it might be possible to use the engine changes from the UP with the content fixes of TPG:

No offense -- but that is a very, very bad idea.

"The engine changes from the UP" are precisely what are causing many people to get crashes-to-desktop and out-of-memory errors. Stay away from Wesp's crap... it is BAD. Keep in mind that more than half of the stuff in Wesp's "patch" wasn't even produced by Wesp... it's a cobbled-together mess at this point.


The TPG contains fixes to the game engine which actually, truly work properly. Installing the TPG enables the game to remain stable on 64-bit operating systems (no more crashes and "out-of-memory" errors). It also allows the game to take advantage of more system memory than the default engine -- which practically eliminates any stuttering problems and other such issues. And lastly, the TPG contains code which enables VTMB to make better use of DirectX 9 and above... resulting in smoother shading of textures and more realistic lighting effects, in areas which were previously malfunctioning in the plain-vanilla version of the game.

Unlike anything that Wesp has produced, our patch has been thoroughly tested on a wide range of different computers and operating systems. It is completely stable on every platform upon which it has been tested. Meanwhile, if you scoot on over to the official thread for Wesp's "patch," you will find dozens and dozens and dozens of people reporting bugs and crashes and tons of other problems. Every single gaming board that you can find will contain numerous... and I mean NUMEROUS... posts from people complaining that Wesp's "patch" did something or other to mess up their game.

In stark contrast, you will find almost nothing like that over here. Essentially, everyone who has installed the True Patch correctly -- into the correct "plain-vanilla" version of Bloodlines -- has experienced ZERO problems with the game ever since. But don't take my word for it. Search the entire web if you want to... and you won't be able to find anyone complaining that the TPG somehow screwed up their game. That is simply a fact.

So if anyone is having trouble getting their copy of VTMB to work with the True Patch, then there can only be one reason for this: you are not installing the True Patch correctly, into the correct "plain-vanilla" version of VTMB for which it was developed.

[Christina_Romuald]

I can't get the game to work with the True Patch

It might help if you told of us what version of the game you're using sweetie.

I'm using the CD version of VTMB

[Christina_Romuald]

I can't get the game to work with the True Patch

Are you using the GOG version of Bloodlines? If so, did you try the steps I posted above? Which version of Windows are you using?

As an alternative to what I posted, it might be possible to use the engine changes from the UP with the content fixes of TPG:

https://www.gog.com/forum/general/release_vampirer_the_masquerade_bloodlines_1ab3d/post694

I haven't tested it, and you shouldn't expect Tessera or Wesp5 to support such a hybrid, but you might try it if nothing else works for you.

using CD version of VTMB

[Tessera]

using CD version of VTMB

Great. That's the best version to have... the original 3-CD release.

But how do you expect anyone to help you, when you post a single sentence that says "I can't get it to work,"
and then you provide absolutely no further information of any kind..?

Could you be a bit more... specific..?

[SeduceMePlz]

using CD version of VTMB

What's the problem? And which version of Windows are you using? Iirc, TPG might not be compatible with Windows 10 (in which case you'll have to settle for the UP).

Basic procedure for the CD version:

1. Install the game as normal but change the folder to "C:/Games/Vampire - Bloodlines" or another custom location outside of the default Program Files directory.

2. Extract the True Patch Gold archive to your desktop or another location using WinRAR or 7zip.

3. Inside the extracted folder, find and open the folder "TRUE_PATCH_MAIN". Copy the contents (the folders "Bin" and "Vampire" and the file "vampire.exe") to the game folder. When asked if you want to merge folders, check the box "Do this for all current items" and select "Yes". When asked about files, check the box "Do this for the next x conflicts" and select "Copy and Replace".

4. Right-click the desktop shortcut (or 'vampire.exe' in the game directory), click Properties, and select the Compatibility tab.  Check the box for "Disable desktop composition". Click "Apply", then click "OK".

[Forum_Pirate]

If you have windows 8 or 8.1 do this

1)Hit the windows key from your desktop
2)go you your apps (the down arrow at the bottom of the screen
3)scroll to the windows section (far right)
4) Rightclick command prompt to run as administrator
5) copy and paste this (without the quotes) EXACTLY and hit enter  "sc config secdrv start= demand"


Should work. It is, apparently, a security risk so I'd recommend you turn if off again whenever you stop playing, simply follow the above directions and copy/paste this instead "sc config secdrv start= disabled"

I have confirmed it works for windows 8.1 64bit myself. It might work for windows 10, I don't know. Worth a shot at least.

Sources: http://steamcommunity.com/app/2600/discussions/0/517142892070567695/
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3086255

EDIT: does not work with windows 10, windows 10 lacks the safedisk drm that both VTMB and Truepatch require to function (VTMB because drm, at a guess truepatch has problems because it fools the drm, but it can't fool something that isn't there so VTMBs check with windows drm comes back negative (there;s nothing to check with so it cann't recieve a confirmation) and the game refuses to run)

It is fixable, if someone decides to do so please let people know.

If you had any doubt that DRM needs to die, let this be a lesson to you. 10 years from now when windows stops supporting nuevo or something, you're going to lose access to all you're current games. Support GoG, and stop buying games with DRM. The way i see it, if using DRM is costing them millions of dollars then they'll stop using it.

[Christina_Romuald]

im using windows 10

@ Tessera VTMB crashes when i start a new game

[Tessera]

@Forum_Pirate
Safedisk can't be an issue, because the TPG removes Safedisk DRM from the main executable (vampire.exe). It's far more likely that Windows 10 simply doesn't properly support older versions of DirectX (VTMB is a DX8 game). Win 10 probably doesn't support shader model 2.0 or earlier, either. The problem isn't the game -- the problem is Windows 10.


@Christina_Romuald
VTMB and about 7,000 other wonderful games do not run properly on Windows 10. That's because Windows 10 is garbage. Sorry to be so blunt... but for gamers, it's pure garbage. I suggest switching to Windows XP, or Windows 7 as your operating system, if you wish to play any games which were produced prior to 2010.

I personally will not support Windows 10, I'm sorry. There are tons of people out there who can't get VTMB to stop crashing after the main menu loads. And do you know what all of them have in common..? Windows 10. It's a very, very bad operating system for gamers. So do yourself a big favor, and get rid of it.

[Forum_Pirate]

Why do you think turning on safedisk fix the problem for windows 8? Some interaction I'm not aware of?

Windows 10 is definitely a problem, I'm not using it for a reason, but there are a lot of reports of safedisck/securom games not working specifically because of those files being unsupported. Other old games (ie those without that DRM) still work, though as will all old games on a new OS, they can be a pain to get running.

[SeduceMePlz]

I'm no expert on the technical matters involved, but FP seems to be making a reasonable conclusion to me: If enabling the DRM allows Bloodlines and TPG to function on Windows 8, then some vestige of that DRM must remain despite the No-CD patch/crack. Unless that command is also enabling something else that is actually resolving the crash?

Also, I agree: Microsoft is irritating. To me, it seems like they finally struck gold with Windows 7, only to turn around and screw it up with Windows 8 and Windows 10.

[Tessera]

Why do you think turning on safedisk fix the problem for windows 8? Some interaction I'm not aware of?

I have never tested anything under Windows 8 or Windows 10, so I have absolutely no idea. All I can tell you is this: the current version of the True Patch Gold Edition removes SafeDisk copy protection from the main executable (vampire.exe), by using a typical "no-cd" hack (SafeDisk code is simply extracted and deleted from the executable file).

The TPG then goes one step further, by adding special code that allows the engine to recognize and utilize larger amounts of system RAM... as compared to the default executable, which tends to crash on newer 32 and 64-bit machines. Anyone who has gotten the infamous "less than 15 megabytes" error message should know what I am talking about. The TPG adds special code to the game engine, which eliminates that issue completely.

So then, why is VTMB still crashing on Windows 8 and Windows 10..? We could probably jump through a million hoops trying to nail down the exact cause... but the bottom line is that Windows 8 and Windows 10 are simply BAD OPERATING SYSTEMS.

Newer isn't always better... especially where Microsoft is concerned. Starting with Windows Vista, each successive OS released by Microsoft has been progressively worse and worse, so far as PC gaming is concerned. So the VERY BEST solution to this ongoing problem is to install Windows XP as a second operating system on your computer, and then boot into Win XP whenever you want to play your older games. After you are finished gaming, you can then reboot into Windows 10 (yuck), or Linux (an excellent choice), or whatever your main operating system of choice happens to be.

Dual-boot systems are quite common these days, and this discussion is exposing one of the major reasons why. As for how to set up a dual-boot system, just Google it. There are hundreds of articles all over the web which will explain the procedures. The main thing to remember is to install the older operating system first (ie: Windows XP), and the more modern operating system last (ie: Ubuntu Linux). Also, since MicroSlop no longer supports Windows XP, it is important to install a good third-party anti-virus/anti-malware package immediately when you are first setting up Win XP. Which, when you think about it, you should be doing no matter which version of Windows you happen to be using.

Yes, it's a bit of a hassle. But not an enormous one. You should be able to find a copy of Windows XP for pretty cheap on the internet... and you can even get it for free, if you know where to look (nudge nudge wink wink). And it will completely eliminate any further problems with VTMB and dozens of other classic games.


So that's my stance on this issue: stop trying to play VTMB on newer operating systems, and play it on the older Windows XP OS for which it was originally developed. Or if you prefer, it will also run on Windows 7... thanks to the True Patch. But I can not and will not support Windows 8 or Windows 10. Both versions of Windows are exceedingly BAD operating systems, and that goes double for PC gaming.

[Tessera]

Copied over from a reply to a private message. I felt that this information was important enough to share publicly. This is in reference to running VTMB on Windows Vista/7/8 and possibly Windows 10:



My responses...

(1) Simply running VTMB in Windows XP compatibility mode might allow the game to start and run, but it will be far from enjoying optimal performance on newer computers.

The VTMB executable was created back at a time when most home computers had less than 2 GB of total system RAM. Hell... there were still plenty of people who had even less than 1 GB of total RAM back in those days. Running VTMB in compatibility mode will allow the game to start, yes... but it will still only make use of approximately 240 megabytes of heap memory, simply because the original engine does not know how to use anything more than that.

VTMB can be forced, via the command line (using the -heapsize switch), to possibly grab as much as 800 megs or so... but on newer computers (especially 64-bit machines), this procedure often fails... and the engine crashes with an error message, about not being able to allocate such-and-such amount of RAM.

So what I did with the TPG was to patch (hack, really) the engine code, so that the old VTMB engine is now "aware" of up to 4 GB of total system memory. And it will, in fact, utilize that much RAM if it needs to. With the TPG installed, I have successfully been able to force VTMB to grab as much as 1.2 gigabytes of memory heap for its own use, in a 64-bit machine that has a total of 16 GB of RAM. That's nearly five times the amount of RAM that the plain-vanilla game would normally utilize on its own. The result is a game that runs very, very smoothly... and without any stuttering, CTD's on certain memory-intensive map loads, or other unpleasant issues.

I should mention that it has been alleged that not long after I released this new code within the TPG, it was stolen by Wesp and incorporated into his own crummy "patch." I have not bothered to verify whether or not this is true, simply because I have long since stopped caring about Wesp and his childish nonsense. But I felt that it was worth mentioning.


Regarding SafeDisk...

It is true that recently, MS patched Windows Vista on up to Windows 10 with an "anti-SafeDisk" patch. Basically, this particular update disables SafeDisk services, which effectively makes just about every old game produced prior to 2005 (which includes VTMB) stop functioning. MS claims that this was done "for security reasons." I feel that it was done simply because MS is run by a bunch of dictatorial corporate douchebags.

In any case, the batch commands that you mentioned will not work for many people, because the most recent updates from MS go even further -- and make system registry edits that effectively block any attempts to manually restart SafeDisk.

The actual fix for this situation is to go into your Windows system registry and reverse the damage done by the MS updates. The offending code is located here...

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\secdrv

Within that key, look for the "Start" entry and then modify it. It is most likely set to "4" for everyone who has been attacked by the MS updates. The code "4" means that the service has been completely blocked from being started. But by modifying that data and changing that number to "2," it will completely re-enable the old SafeDisk drivers and force them to automatically start at boot-up... once again allowing older games like VTMB to run perfectly fine. And without the need for any fancy batch file commands. This is a permanent fix.


So... your posted guide over at GoG was certainly well-intended, but unfortunately it is flawed and incomplete. Hopefully this new information will allow you to correct and/or amend it.

- Tessera -

[Tessera]

PREVIEW: TPG Hotfix #9


I would like to announce that in the very near future, I plan to update the True Patch with Hotfix #9, which will add forced anti-aliasing function to the game.

At present, the VTMB engine does not contain any sort of anti-aliasing settings... they need to be forced via the video card's control panel, prior to starting the game. Which is a less than ideal situation, due to the fact that different games benefit from different anti-aliasing settings and hence, it is always best to setup your video card to do AA on an application-controlled basis.

My next Hotfix (#9) will give the end-user the ability to permanently add native anti-aliasing capability to the Bloodlines engine, eliminating the need to make any changes within your video control panel.

This upcoming Hotfix will simply be a graphical improvement for Bloodlines, further bringing the game engine into line with modern video hardware.


What it is:

This will be an update to the DirectX code for VTMB, which will force the game to run in splendid DirectX 9 "4X" anti-aliasing mode... regardless of your video card's control panel settings. This AA functionality is included within pretty much every newer game on the market -- but the necessary code to enable it was not present in VTMB, due to the game being developed for the now-defunct DirectX 8.

Hence VTMB has no internal AA settings of its own... and if you wanted to play VTMB with AA enabled, you needed to force it -- by changing the settings in your video card's control panel. But forced AA is actually more of a drain on your video card than having the AA code native to the game itself. This is why I have decided to go ahead with this next Hotfix. It will provide superior video rendering in VTMB, without the need to force it via the video card's control panel. You can then leave your video card set to "Application Controlled" for its AA setting, which is in fact the optimal way to set your video card.


What it does:

Instead of giving you a long-winded description, let's just look at a side-by-side comparison. In the screenshot below, I have resized everything up in scale a bit, to make the aliasing around the edges of the model more apparent. My video card is set to "Application Controlled" for AA -- meaning that for VTMB, it would normally be turned off completely. Let's take a look...




Look carefully at the area inside the red boxes. On the left is the default VTMB engine, with no modifications of any kind. As you can see quite clearly in that screenshot, the edges of the model show very noticeable aliasing. It's pretty ugly, frankly. But now take a look at the screenshot on the right. It's practically a night-and-day difference. With the new code added by the upcoming Hotfix #9, superb anti-aliasing has been added straight into the game engine itself. And the results are excellent... there is hardly any visible aliasing at all along the edges of the model.

For the record, both screenshots were taken at a screen resolution of 1920x1080 HD widescreen, with anti-aliasing set to "Application Controlled" in my video card's control panel. Hotfix #9, once installed, will essentially force VTMB to run in anti-aliased mode at all times... significantly improving its overall appearance, without chewing up too much resources. It will actually use less resources than if you were forcing AA via your video card's control panel, simply because it will be running as native code, without the need for any "outside intervention" from your video card.

This next Hotfix will be released in the very near future... possibly within a week from this announcement. I just want to do a bit more fine-tuning and testing on it, before I make it available. So far, it looks fantastic.  

[Cylnar]

Looks good.

[Forum_Pirate]

Looks good. I wish more mods used True Patch as their base. Once I've played through a few times I like gameplay overhuals and such.


Why would MS block it all together? Either they have administrative access and have no need to turn it on in the first place, or they don't and couldn't if they wanted to. 

[Tessera]

Why would MS block it all together?

To induce people to purchase newer titles and/or console gaming systems. MS has a big stake in the latter, with their XBox console systems. Which probably explains why every single version of Windows... from Windows Vista on upwards... have been progressively shittier and shittier platforms for PC gaming in general.

Trivia: when was the original XBox 360 console gaming system released..? Answer: shortly before the introduction of Windows Vista. Now do the math.

MicroSlop has been guilty of unfairly bullying the market for about 30 years (and counting). They've even been dragged through the courts about a hundred times for various offenses. That behavior on their part has never stopped... just look at the insanely aggressive way that they've been trying to ram Windows 10 down everybody's throats.

So for me to allege that MS is deliberately crippling the gaming capabilities of Windows is not as far-fetched as it might seem. PC games are superior to console games... period. Better and more powerful hardware, more available resources, and better control mechanisms are all on the side of PC gaming. And today, most people have a PC of some sort in their homes. So then, why would anyone run out and spend an additional $500 or whatever on a console gaming system..?

Well, they probably would buy it... but only if it worked better than their PC does.

Once again -- do the math. PC's compete with console systems. So in order to boost the sales of console systems, the industry needs to make consoles appear more attractive -- whilst simultaneously making PC's look less attractive to gamers. The easiest way to accomplish this would be if MS deliberately started to selectively cripple the gaming capabilities of their Windows operating system.

Still in doubt..? Then ask yourselves why the OLDER versions of Windows... such as Windows 2000 and Windows XP... are MUCH better at running PC games than ANY of the later versions of Windows. The answer is because, prior to the time of Windows Vista, MicroSlop had no stake in the console gaming market. But now they do.

[gerda]

I have an old version stored away that takes up a whole cd  ,i think.
Pretty sure it was at least 700mb.
Is it just better compression that makes "hotfix 8" so small or have some big changes been made since my old version?

[Tessera]

Better compression, yes... and I also removed some older optional material that was obsolete.

Specifically, there were a few optional mods that were bundled into the original TPG package. Those mods were removed with Hotfix #8.

Also, the Adobe Reader application was removed with Hotfix #8, simply because I decided that it was no longer necessary (most people already have Adobe Reader installed these days).

Hence the significantly smaller overall size of the TPG with Hotfix #8. Better compression, and less fluff.