optionsCustom.txt file

[fleet]

Howdy.
I read on the official forums that members are permitted to make an optionsCustom.txt where they can change some game settings. I tried it with the demo version (opened the options.txt file in Wordpad, made a change for camera zooming then saved the file as optionsCustom.txt). The game apparently doesn't see the changes I made in the optionsCustom.txt file.
The only way I could get the demo to consistently recognize the revised setting was to remove the "Read Only" attribute from the options.txt file, make the changes, save the file as options.txt, and then reset the file for "Read Only." I really don't want to do it this way. Has anybody successfully created an optionsCustom.txt file for the demo or full version?

The line I chaged was cam1_trackdist_min = 220
I changed it to cam1_trackdist_min = 100

Regards,
fleet

[AREA666]

I have not tried it myself, but are you supposed to put the edited file with the other options one? When I read the file it says save it and all, but not the location. For the edit you did, is that going to have the camera be closer or further from your character? I figure I can try it here sometime.

[kcwong]

Oh, that. You're using Windows Vista, correct?

First I'll tell you how to make changes to options.txt, then I'll tell you why it is so.

The "How":

A) To change options.txt for your own user account only:
1. Make sure your Windows Explorer is set to display hidden files and folders:
- Open a Windows Explorer window.
- Select menu Tools | Folder Options
- Click on View tab
- Look at the bottom portion of the dialog. Look for a yellow folder icon that says "Hidden files and folders"
- Select "Show hidden files and folders". Press OK to close the dialog.
2. Use the "Documents" shortcut on your desktop, or in Windows Explorer, open this folder:
- C:\Users\[your username]\AppData\Local\Ascaron Entertainment\Sacred 2
- The AppData folder is hidden, so if you haven't performed step 1 you won't see it.
3. Edit options.txt.

B) To change options.txt for all users:
1. Click Start Menu, and locate Notepad. Don't click on it yet.
2. Right-click on Notepad inside Start Menu.
3. Select "Run as Administrator".
4. If your Windows user account is an administrator, it will prompt you to approve the action. Say yes. If your user account is not an administrator, it will prompt for an administrator account login. Do so.
5. Now Notepad will be opened. Open Sacred2's options.txt (inside Sacred2's installation folder) and edit it.

And that's it. If you're curious why so a simple edit is so complicated, read on.

The "Why:
Windows Vista has a tighter security control. Files inside "Program Files" folder are protected against non-administrator accounts, so that hackers cannot modify your installed programs and wait for you to execute it. I guess you are using the default installation folder for Sacred 2, which is inside Program Files.

But what if programs need to write files? They can't write inside Program Files folder anymore, because that's protected.

That, is an idea Microsoft has been trying to push into everyone's mind since the days of Windows95.

The idea is:
Programs - they go into Program Files. During installation you're prompted for administrator access, and thereafter the program files are protected.
Data - they go inside the "My Documents" folder hierarchy. My Documents is not protected, and it is separated for each Windows user account.

But so many programmers ignored Mircrosoft's recommendation - and that's why saves and settings are inside each game's installation folder. End users got used to it as well.

Then with Vista, the old practice is no longer possible, and some programmers have cleaned up their acts starting from Windows XP. That's why you start to see save games, screenshots and such inside your Documents folder.

Unfortunately they again have greatly different standards of what folders to use inside Documents... for example...

KOEI, SimCity4, The Witcher started their own folders directly inside Documents.
Oblivion, Heroes of Might and Magic and Civilization started a folder inside Documents\My Games.
Sacred is went outside Documents to use the "Saved Games" folder...

Microsoft really needs to make up their minds and present the standard clearly to developers...

[AREA666]

I think he already made the edit, but the game itself is not seeing that he did. I am simply wondering if the edited file needs to be with the normal options one or not though so I can try and see if something happens on mine. It is probably a good idea to know what version of Windows he is on though. I am on Vista 64 Ultimate, so things can be somewhat different if he is using XP.

[fleet]

The change I made was so I could zoom the camera closer to my playable character. I'm using Windows XP, SP3, and I already successfully edited options.txt. My question was, "Has anybody successfully created an optionsCustom.txt file?" Apparently not.
Thanks for the replies.
regards,
fleet

[AREA666]

yeah, I have not tried to create one, but I can give it a go and see what happens.

[fleet]

AREA666,
I'm very interested in seeing if you can get it to work, and how you did it.
regards,
fleet

[AREA666]

ok, got it to work. The file goes in the same directory as the options one. I put the following in to test...

camera =
{
cam1_trackdist_max = 100,
cam1_trackdist_min = 25,

}


I used values that I would easily be able to tell if it was changing, and it did.

One thing though is that the custom file simply over writes what is in the options file. If you delete the custom one out the settings still remain, so you should either keep a copy of your unedited options, or apparantly you can delete the options file and the game will make a new one, but I did not test that to know for sure. It seems to me that you mine as well just make a copy and put old in the title of it, then just edit the other one for the values you want and then switch to the unedited old one when you want to play.

[fleet]

Thanks. I noticed if I set cam1_trackdist_min = 15, it really screws up the scenes where I converse with NPCs.
regards,
fleet