Topic: Descent 3 BSide CTF level missing textures

[TechPro]

Playing around with a new Win8.1 64bit system and we couldn't get the Descent 3 installer to run (Descent 3 "Double Jewel" set, with Merc CD as well) and ended up copying the entire Descent 3 files to Win 8.1 system and it appears to be working great ... except some levels appear to be missing the textures.

From what I recall, the levels missing the textures are items included with the Mercenary set.  Example:  BSide CTF level 1

Any ideas on a quick fix?

[-<WillyP>-]

Maybe not quick but you could use Atan's info tool to get the texture names and then add those textures. You'd have to extract them from your original installation, then load them into Bside on your new box.

Have you tried Thomas' installer? Dateiliste

[Foil]

Yeah, I'd definitely try Thomas' installer, because it makes sure that the registry settings and other Windows quirks are correctly set.

[TechPro]

I've registered on Dateilliste and went through the steps ... but haven't been sent the needed link to download it yet.

I've gone through all the stuff I've found about Mercenary installation issues (found that is at the heart of the trouble), but no luck.

I would try reinstalling Descent 3 followed by reinstalling Mercenary, but the Descent 3 installer won't run (the troubleshooting steps on that doesn't help, sadly) and the Mercenary installer won't install because it's convinced Descent 3 isn't installed.  If I could convince the Mercenary installer that Descent 3 really was installed, I'm pretty sure I could work around the problem step by step.

Here's hoping for either a Descent 3 install "fix" or for Thomas' installer.

[Foil]

Do you have another machine with a working D3/Merc install?  You could search the registry for the entry/entries that Mercenary is looking for, and then duplicate them on the new machine.

[TechPro]

Scyphi is visiting, maybe I can search the registry of his Win7 64 bit...

[TechPro]

UPDATE....

Successfully corrected the system using two different methods (at least, so it appears).

Method 1:
Obtained Thomas' Descent 3 installer (many thanks to a good friend) which fixes the install issues and greatly enhances the overall installation.

Method 2: (this we accomplished just before getting Thomas' Descent 3 installer)
Managed to correct the inability to run the Mercenary install by applying certain registry changes (registry data exported from another 64bit system) and also deleting the merc.hog and merc.mn3 files.  At that point, the Mercenary installed then believed Descent 3 had actually be previously installed (even though it had only been copied) and would successfully install the Mercenary pack during which the installer unpack and "assembles" the merc.hog and merc.mn3 files.  This successfully corrected the Mercenary related issues.

Because the system is a 64bit system, many of the 32bit programs registry items are under registry subsections often named "Wow6432Node" and the online available "fixes" for the missing registry info isn't for 64bit systems.  Here is the 64bit ready registry info that we needed in order to be able to run the Mercenary installer without having previously ran the Descent 3 installer.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\Descent 3.exe]
"Path"="C:\\Games\\Descent3"
@="C:\\Games\\Descent3\\Descent 3.exe"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Descent3]
"UninstallString"="C:\\WINDOWS\\ISUNINST.EXE  -fC:\\Games\\Descent3\\Uninst.isu -cC:\\Games\\Descent3\\d3uninst.dll"
"DisplayName"="Descent 3"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Outrage]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Outrage\Descent3]
"StraightToSetup"=dword:00000000
"LanguageType"=dword:00000000
"ProfanityPrevention"=dword:00000001
"VideoDetectSettings"=dword:00000007
"PreferredRenderer"=dword:00000002
"RenderingDeviceName"="NVS 300/PCI/SSE2"
"SoundcardName"="Speakers (High Definition Audio Device)"
"SoundMixer"=dword:00000001
"LauncherSoundEnabled"=dword:00000001
"EnableJoystickFF"=dword:00000000
"EnableCHFlight"=dword:00000000
"EnableMouseman"=dword:00000000
"PredefDetailSetting"=dword:00000003
"NetworkConnection"="LAN"
"ConnectionSpeed"="Fast"
"KeyboardType"="United States"
"FindFastDisable"=dword:00000001
"CmdLineOptions"="United States"
"DetailLevelConfigured"=dword:00000001
"RS_vsync"=dword:00000000
"OpenGLWarningShown"=dword:00000001
"net directory"=""
"RS_gamma"="1.500000"
"SND_mastervol"="1.000000"
"MUS_mastervol"="0.200000"
"RS_pixelerror"="10.000000"
"RS_terraindist"="120.000000"
"Dynamic_Lighting"=dword:00000001
"TerrLeveling"=dword:00000000
"RoomLeveling"=dword:00000000
"Specmapping"=dword:00000001
"FastHeadlight"=dword:00000001
"MirrorSurfaces"=dword:00000001
"MissileView"=dword:00000000
"DetailScorchMarks"=dword:00000001
"DetailWeaponCoronas"=dword:00000001
"DetailFog"=dword:00000001
"DetailCoronas"=dword:00000001
"DetailProcedurals"=dword:00000001
"DetailObjectComp"=dword:00000000
"DetailPowerupHalos"=dword:00000001
"RS_resolution"=dword:00000004
"RS_bitdepth"=dword:00000020
"RS_bilear"=dword:00000001
"RS_mipping"=dword:00000001
"RS_color_model"=dword:00000000
"RS_light"=dword:00000000
"RS_texture_quality"=dword:00000000
"VoicePowerup"=dword:00000001
"VoiceAll"=dword:00000001
"ForceFeedbackAutoCenter"=dword:00000001
"ForceFeedbackGain"=dword:00000000
"SoundQuality"=dword:00000000
"SoundQuantity"=dword:0000001e
"Default_pilot"=""
"DefaultNetConn"="Direct TCP/IP"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Outrage\Descent3\Version]
"Minor"=dword:00000005
"Major"=dword:00000001
"Build"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Outrage Entertainment, Inc.]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Outrage Entertainment, Inc.\Descent 3]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Outrage Entertainment, Inc.\Descent 3\1.0.0]

So far, performing very well.   

[Foil]

Excellent!