Spells: Differences in Spell Cast time and Mana Cost

[enr4ged]

I recently wrote a simple application to load and compare eff files. I used it to compare the current p1999 spell file with the spell file I pulled off of the EQ Trilogy CD. I output the differences to a file and created a spreadsheet with the differences. I currently only looked at the Mana Cost and Cast Time of each spell.

Here is the link to the spreadsheet:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...4Rnlad3c#gid=0

Cast time is measured in thousandths of a second, ie 1500 is 1.5 seconds, just like it is listed on the spell file.

Obviously some items should be ignored (like cast time of bard songs) but some differences show that p1999 is probably wrong on the value.

For example:
Effect Difference trilogy spdat p1999 spdat
Shock of Steel Mana Cost 275 300
Scintillation Cast Time 3000 3500


Now obviously these would be the values at sometime during Velious as that is when the Trilogy was released. But if I can get a copy of the eff file during Kunark or at the end and or/beginning of Velious I could do another comparison of the two files, to get even more timeframe accurate of data. Although I hardly see some of these spells as being changed much during that time period.

UPDATED file includes only the first matches of the spells as ones further down the file are not relevant:
version 2

[xcyberpeenixx]

That is very interesting actually. It would suck if the cast times and mana costs are truly that far off when they shouldn't be

+1 for looking into this

[Pudge]

Nice. I do have the install CDs for velious and luclin, so I could give you the spell file for luclin (will contain final version of velious spells).

I noticed according to your spell file sow should cost 0 mana? (At the bottom)

[khanable]

Very interesting. Have you done this with the spell data file from the Kunark disc?

[p-niner]

Bamzal can u upload the spell files for each of the cds individually?

[enr4ged]

Thanks for the interest!

Please upload a copy of the spell files off of each cd and I'll run a comparison of those.

As for some of the goofy differences (like Spirit of Wolf costing 0 mana) I did some looking into the spell file and most of the goofy things are happening due to duplicate spell effects further on down the file... my program was checking each line no matter what. I redid it to ignore effects further on down the file that it already checked once. This helped clear up a lot of the strange things. Those lines were probably just remnants or NPC spells or who knows, they may have not even been used in the game but here is an updated list, which makes more sense.

version 2

[enr4ged]

This is the wrong file there should be another in the same directory called "spdat.eff" or similar. It should have an .eff extension but be larger than the spells.eff file.

This may be why you couldn't find one on the other cds?

Thanks.

[enr4ged]

Anyone have the spell files from Kunark and/or Velious CD?

[Furinex]

I have every expansion on disc. If its not posted here by the time I get home, I will get them for you. Actually, might I direct you to the tech discussion thread, classic spell effects. This could very well help that discussion.

[enr4ged]

Originally Posted by Bamzal Sherbet [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

sorry, try this

direct link

alternate

What era was this file from?
It looks like it has a different format (although still in hex like the trilogy one) that will require me to do some additional work in figuring out the fields.

edit: Looks like it's a classic file (no 51+ spells) so not really that useful at this point. One of the kunark cd, or even velious cd would be most useful.

Thanks though, good for my stash.