Is updating needed?

topolinik · Post by **topolinik** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 11:20 am

Lucasarts released an update for GF, called 1.01, and this update is available for english and italian versions (at least).
About the italian version it contains, among other things, a different GRIM.TAB and a previously unreleased DATA005.LAB
Does residual need them?

ezekiel000 · Post by **ezekiel000** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 12:58 pm

It doesn't need them but I think it does support them, there is a residual tool for use with the patch. But I'm not sure what it does or how to use it as there isn't any documentation that I know of around.

Longcat · Post by **Longcat** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 12:39 am

I think that tool is for extracting the patch from the exe for use on platforms other than windows.

MusicallyInspired · Post by **MusicallyInspired** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 3:57 am

What does the patch do?

Longcat · Post by **Longcat** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 7:51 am

A patch for Grim Fandango was released shortly after the game's initial release, providing a remedy to a few problems which affect the game. It is highly recommended that you download and install the patch before playing the game, as it does the following:

* Solves a problem which can occur when copying the CD's .lab files across to the hard-drive.
* Prevents various lockups caused by certain events throughout the game.
* Slows down a certain puzzle during the game which goes too fast for completion on processors higher than 400mhz.
* Adds ability to display text during cutscenes.

MeddlingMonk · Post by **MeddlingMonk** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 8:27 pm

I've always assumed that all the patch modifies is the executable. I might be wrong, of course, but if I am then the patch is irrelevant to ResidualVM.

Except, there is Data05.lab. I don't ever remember looking into it but I'm pretty sure the patch didn't make any changes to the original .lab files (I played the game through before the patch was released and didn't notice any plot, graphics, or audio changes afterwards).

Graxer · Post by **Graxer** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 9:22 pm

MeddlingMonk wrote:I've always assumed that all the patch modifies is the executable. I might be wrong, of course, but if I am then the patch is irrelevant to ResidualVM.

Except, there is Data05.lab. I don't ever remember looking into it but I'm pretty sure the patch didn't make any changes to the original .lab files (I played the game through before the patch was released and didn't notice any plot, graphics, or audio changes afterwards).

I think it does replace the executable. After installing it I didn't just have a Grim.EXE (with a lucasarts icon), but also a GRIMFANDANGO.EXE (with an icon of Manny). I assume the new one allows for the updated files.

MeddlingMonk · Post by **MeddlingMonk** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:43 pm

Yes, but what about data05.lab? It's added by the patch (and grim.tab is modified) but how important is that?

For me it doesn't matter. Long ago I made CDs with all the game data of what I have that's supported by ScummVM/ResidualVM so I won't ever have to worry about patching them in the future no matter how many computers I go through.

I guess the answer to topolinik's question really boils down to whether data05.lab and the modified grim.tab are in any way important. Would ResidualVM not run without them? The patch only deals with technical issues (speed, lockups, etc.) which have no bearing on ResidualVM because it replaces both the original and the patched binaries, so I think the answer to the question is: No, it doesn't need them.

But I also think the only definitive answer can come from a dev.

Longcat · Post by **Longcat** » Sun Jun 14, 2009 11:42 am

grim.tab contains text and language localizations. The patch adds text to cutscenes here and probably some other fixes.
*.lab files probably have some scripts in them that are updated. And even though the executable is replaced, the original scripts are still triggered methinks. If not, why would there be support for the patch in residual:P

So yes, it will affect how the game behaves, but no, it is not strictly necessary to run the game through ResidualVM though it probably takes care of some minor bugs and add some things, like mentioned before.

I really can't see a reason NOT to have the latest version of the game, but to each his own.

MeddlingMonk · Post by **MeddlingMonk** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 1:12 am

But if a person doesn't have subtitles on, grim.tab would be kind of irrelevant. Good to know (I thought it contained text but wasn't sure).

Does the patch really modify data01-04 at all? The original installer didn't have an option to copy the .lab files to the hard drive. You had to do that manually. Makes me wonder if the original .lab files aren't modified by the patch and that's the reason that data05.lab is added--they couldn't assume that the other .lab files were on the hard drive to modify. That would mean, I suppose, that if anyone didn't have data05.lab then ResidualVM might be less stable than in the case of someone who does. Is that right?

Fixing stability is a lot of what the patch is about. Could those sort of fixes be incorporated into ResidualVM somehow, or would that be straying too far over the line by incorporating actual LucasArts code? If that's so, then maybe the documentation should advise patching for anyone with original version CDs.

Like I said, I archived the .lab files and grim.tab after patching some time ago so I'm covered no matter what.

ezekiel000 · Post by **ezekiel000** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 8:04 am

Any fixes in the patch for making the game more stable will be in the exe file and as residual is replacing that so no worries there.

And changes for bugs in looking for the data files on the hard drive will also be in the exe file.

data05.lab could just contain the scripts to call the new subtitles for the videos from the grim.tab file.

topolinik · Post by **topolinik** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 9:11 am

Some time ago I was wondering which files were modified during this update, so I applied the patch on a previous GF install and did a `diff' with a fresh new installation (this was done on a win32 box).
Well, here you have the list of modified files:

Code: Select all

-rw------- 1 topolinik topolinik  12K 2008-09-13 22:42 CMS16.DLL
-rw------- 1 topolinik topolinik  23K 2008-09-13 22:42 CMS32_95.DLL
-rw------- 1 topolinik topolinik  32K 2008-09-13 22:42 CMS32_NT.DLL
-rw------- 1 topolinik topolinik 428K 2008-09-13 22:42 Data005.lab
-rw------- 1 topolinik topolinik  606 2008-09-13 23:03 GFupd101.reg
-rw------- 1 topolinik topolinik 570K 2008-09-13 22:42 GrimFandango.exe
-rw------- 1 topolinik topolinik 361K 2008-09-13 22:42 GRIM.TAB
-rw------- 1 topolinik topolinik  53K 2008-09-13 22:42 Patch05.bin
-rw------- 1 topolinik topolinik  24K 2008-09-13 22:42 Update101.rtf

(I created the .reg file which contains the only modification the patch applies to the windows registry)
As you can see, the main executable is updated, so indeed it does call the new data005.lab.
There is also a new binary file patch05.bin (maybe executable code?).

Yak · Post by **Yak** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 10:37 am

GrimFandango patch is a cabinet self-extracting executable. It extracts these files:
Data005.lab, GrimFandango.exe, Patch05.bin, Grim.tab and Update101.rtf. The last two are localised (English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish). Italian version has Securom, so there are also cms16.dll, cms32_95.dll, cms32_nt.dll and Grimfandango.exe is different.
Language is detected through a registry key or grim.tab if key is missing.
Patch05.bin is a lua script, so residual may use it.
Only Data005.lab, Patch05.bin and Grim.tab can be used with residual.
I don't know why, but Lucasarts has ciphered the cabinet, so if you want to exctract update files you could use patchex tool.

MeddlingMonk · Post by **MeddlingMonk** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 8:45 pm

ResidualVM would pay attention to patch05.bin?

Longcat · Post by **Longcat** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 8:40 pm