Updating to Warcraft 3 Frozen Throne 1.26a
The biggest difference between versions 1.26a and 1.24e as far as DotS is concerned is that there is less fps and engine lag, most noticeable when using Utsuho's and Hina's ultimates.
There are two methods to perform the update - 1. Use the Version Switcher, and 2. Use the official Battle.net patch. Regardless of which method you use, you'll need to also update the PVPGN Loader and (if you use it) GProxy++. If your copy of Frozen Throne is not an installed one, i.e. you do not have registry settings for Frozen Throne, you will not be able to use method 2. However, a modified version of method 1 may still work as indicated below.
Method 1 - Using the Version Switcher
- Download the Warcraft 3 Version Switcher from http://www.mediafire.com/?mzbyhe2u2flqju9. Extract it (with subdirectories enabled) into a directory of your choice, e.g. "D:\Warcraft 3 Version Switcher"
- Download the archived version 1.26a files from http://www.mediafire.com/?ad59iibo6uk0blr. These files are already pre-patched with Fontcraft. Place the archive (do NOT extract anything) in the "wvs" subdirectory of your Version Switcher's directory, e.g. copy it into "D:\Warcraft 3 Version Switcher\wvs".
- Start the Version Switcher by executing wvs.exe. Ignore the error that pops up*. Click on the first icon from the left and double click on the TFT Version 1.26a option. Once the progress bar is done, your copy of Frozen Throne is now updated to 1.26a. We're not done yet!
- If you need to switch back to 1.24e for some reason, e.g. watching older replays, download the archived version 1.24e files from http://www.mediafire.com/?ud6h09l6aubpouv and place the archive in the "wvs" subdirectory. Follow the previous step, except double click on the TFT Version 1.24e option, to switch back to version 1.24e.
* If your copy of Frozen Throne is not an installed one, you will need to edit the config.ini file in your Version Switcher's directory and change the first line "WC3Dir=xxxxx" to point to the location of your Frozen Throne files by changing xxxxx to where they are, e.g. "WC3Dir=D:\Warcraft 3". If that still fails to work, you can manually extract the files from the TFT Version 1.26a.zip file (from step 2) to their correct places in your Frozen Throne directory - extract game.dll, storm.dll and war3.exe into your Frozen Throne directory and the maps into your Warcraft III\Maps directory.
Method 2 - Using the Official Battle.net Patch and FontCraft
- Download the official patch from http://ftp.blizzard.com/pub/war3x/patches/pc/War3TFT_126a_English.exe and run it.
- Download (if you've lost the original files) FontCraft and the chinese font from http://www.mediafire.com/?84i8b1n15bxwnn7 and reapply it.
Whichever method you used, now...
- Download the PVPGN Loader for version 1.26a from http://www.mediafire.com/?rv1tbv9gunsplwg. Extract all files into your Warcraft 3 Frozen Throne directory. If you are not using GProxy++, you'll have to run Frozen Throne by executing w3l.exe.
- If you are using GProxy++, now redownload it from http://www.mediafire.com/?la13vsbod9zt4zd and replace your current GProxy++ with it. This is needed because the configuration file and dllhook of GProxy++ has to be altered between versions 1.24e and 1.26a to cater to the new PVPGN Loader.
And now, for something different...
Feeling bored of the Frozen Throne default interface? Wanna change your main menu to something more Touhou-ish like..
(http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/7713/wc3mainmenu.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/84/wc3mainmenu.jpg/) (http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/5879/wc3mainmenu2.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/64/wc3mainmenu2.jpg/) (http://img848.imageshack.us/img848/9181/ss3p.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/848/ss3p.jpg/) (http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/491/ss1lz.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/687/ss1lz.jpg/) (http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/8036/wc3menuyoumu.th.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/441/wc3menuyoumu.jpg/)
- Get WC3Styler from http://www.mediafire.com/?kyqpzf153qpnti1 and extract it into the directory of your choice.
- Make sure the background image of your choice is in 1024x768 resolution. The Sanae vs Reimu image above can be found at http://www.mediafire.com/i/?hrn7l4prhu4ut3l (honestly, I've forgotten which Touhou wallpaper site I downloaded it off of.) The second image is at http://www.mediafire.com/?r7vwfm8x5cdexid. The third image is at http://www.mediafire.com/?atx2o1fbqhp6x6v (it's a mirror image of the one on the front page of touhou.cc) and the fourth is at http://www.mediafire.com/?2afhixl9ywlzsch. The last one (from Youyou Kengeki Musou) is made from this image here - http://i40.tinypic.com/ifa58j.jpg (sorry, my PS skills aren't really good.) If you want the pre-cropped one for use with wc3styler, it's over here - http://i40.tinypic.com/11kw712.jpg.
- Run wc3styler.exe. Under the 3D Background tab, click on "custom image" and choose the background image of your choice.
In the other tabs, you can change how the interface looks so you can get more than just the default NE/Human/Orc/Undead ones, and even use your Touhou music playlist to replace the in-game BGM. :D
Adding Maps to the Bot
Note: This is enabled only for Sakuya and only for designated admins. Maps added this way cannot be loaded with the !load command and must be loaded with the !map command unless the cfg file is created and uploaded (usually unnecessary).
Find the url for the direct download of the map, i.e. when you left-click on the url, your browser ought to download the map directly and not be redirected elsewhere. Hence, mediafire.com urls will not normally work, but there is a workaround - right-click on the download link from the mediafire download page and copy the link's location. Use that link instead of the normal mediafire.com link.
The command to be used is
/w Sakuya !dlmap <url>
E.g. /w Sakuya !dlmap http://download89.mediafire.com/l7rvs5h8fntg/45b34anihl5ahpp/THD_v0965e.w3x (this is an example of a downloadable mediafire link.)
Completion and/or error messages will be relayed to you via a whisper from Sakuya. Once done, anyone can load the map with
!map <full mapname>
E.g. !map JurassicParkEEv6.3_BETA.w3x
Sakuya will try to load the map with the filename closest to what you've typed, so in the above example, since there are no other maps with "jur" as part of their name, !map jur would have worked just as well.
If there is more than 1 map with the string that you've typed as part of its name, Sakuya will reply with a list of possible maps for you to specify, e.g. typing !map TH will result in Sakuya whispering to you a list of maps with "TH" in their names such as THD_i952j_X5.w3x, THD_v0965g.w3x, ...
After loading the map, a game may be hosted normally with the !pub command. Maps loaded this way will not be hosted with observers by default. Additionally, not all maps can be loaded this way - the bot attempts to read and calculate information off the map for hosting, but some maps are protected in such a way as to make this impossible. The bot does not run a full version of WC3 in the usual sense after all. For almost all situations, we're done and Sakuya can host games with the downloaded map as long as the !map command is used to load the map. What follows is an extra step if we want Sakuya to host maps with observer slots.
Want to add observers and use the !load command instead? Read on.
Create a normal text file with the .cfg extension and copy and paste the following text into it. Be sure to edit it with the name of the map! You can use the attached one as a template.
map_path = Maps\Download\<name of the map including the .w3x extension>
map_localpath = <name of the map including the .w3x extension>
map_observers = 4
map_loadingame = 1
Note: map_loadingame = 1 enables the "quickload" feature, where everyone is put into the game to wait for the rest as soon as they finish loading. Some maps interact badly with this and kick everyone at the start of the game, e.g. Nightsong Mercenaries, because of scripted introductions. Set this to map_loadingame = 0 if this is the case.
Upload this .cfg file somewhere and copy the url. Get Sakuya to download the .cfg file with the command
/w Sakuya !dlmapcfg <url>
After Sakuya is done with the download, you may now load the map with !load <name of cfg file without the .cfg extension>.
※ How to charismatically stream ※
All right, I am not the biggest expert on streaming or such technology. This is just my personal streaming method which I managed to setup thanks to TSO. Anybody can stream if you have a decent PC and at least a 1mbit upload connection for low quality streaming. You can check your upload at sites like http://www.speedtest.net (http://www.speedtest.net). For streaming HD you obviously need a better/high-end PC and at least 3mbit upload to be on the safe side.
The reason I am using this method is the friendly usage and light weight software. Procaster plain sucks because it abuses CPU for no reason. Not to mention you cannot stream high quality unless you pay $$$.
[ Step 1 - Installation and stuff ]
Requirements (I myself am using livestream, but the setup for Xsplit and SCFH is the same):
Xsplit | Xsplit broadcaster tool (http://www.xsplit.com/download/) |
SCFH DSF 0.41 | Download it here (http://mosax.sakura.ne.jp/yp4g/fswiki.cgi?action=ATTACH&page=SCFH+DSF&file=SCFHDSF041%2Ezip) |
Streaming account | Livestream (http://www.livestream.com) |
(one of the 3) | just in TV (http://www.justin.tv) |
| Own 3D (http://www.own3d.tv/) |
- Install Xsplit
- Unzip SCFHDSF zip file in a desired folder/location. You need it in the future.
- Register an account at Xsplit. You need one to login into Xsplit client.
- Register an account on one of the livestream providers so you got an account.
[ Step 2 - Configuring Xsplit ]
Run Xsplit and go to "Tools > General settings". You can fill out profile if you wish but not necessary. General tab is our concern. Make sure all boxes are ticket out.
Audio --> Your microphone (if you have one)
My recording --> Location to store the recordings (local)
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[ Step 3 - Configuring channel + bitrate/quality in Xsplit ]
Go to next tab 'Channels' and press the 'Add' button. Select the livestream you have an account. Fill out the required fields. Xsplit automatically detects the channel name once you typed in your username/password.
Here comes the quality settings.
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Upload vs bitrate
If you got 1mbit -> 512 bitrate (low quality)
If you got 1~2mbit -> 1024~1536 (good quality)
If you got 3+ -> 2048 bitrate (probably HDish(?))
Make sure the rest is the same. You can set bitrate/quality lower for Audio if you don't care. But this is pretty much enough to transmit your voice normally. (Unless you intend to sing).
[ Step 4 - Add SCFH DSF as source ]
Easy step. Press 'Add' -> 'Add Camera' --> select 'SCFH DSF'
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[ Step 5 - Configuring SCFH DSF ]
Go to the folder you extracted the files. First select install.bat (32bit) or install64.bat (64bit) depending on your OS. It should say 'successful' or something once done. Run the program (SCFH.exe).
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- Xsplit should show up in the list. If not, reboot your PC. Launch the programs
- Select core.xsplit.exe, press ok.
- Your screen will blink for a moment and hopefully in Xsplit you will now see the corner of your screen being recorded.
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Now you can select the area of recording (manually or with the coordinates). Keep in mind that you would size to set to stream in 4:3 (regular) or 16:10 dimensions for widescreen games. i.e:
- 640x480 / 1024x768 (4:3)
- 1280x720 (16:10)
Higher than 1280x720 isn't really necessary as it is waste of bandwith tbh.
[ Step 6 - Launch stream and check ]
If done correctly, you should see your region in Xsplit as well. If all is set, go to 'Broadcast' -> and select your livestream. A tick should appear before it and the top should report framerate/bitrate.
Check manually your own stream by simply browsing your channel.
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If all is well, minimize Xsplit / SCFH and game on. You can adjust the volume of your voice in Xsplit with the microphone settings.
[ FAQ ]
Q: Cannot see core.xsplit.exe in the SCFH list, even after rebooting.
A: This is a common problem which cannot be explained. Try to restart the programs or launch Xsplit first. Make sure you also added SCFH as source beforehand.
Q: I see multiple core.xsplit.exe in the list.
A: Happens often when you close down xsplit and restart it. Somehow the list doesn't clear. Not an issue, press the 'refresh' button and select the newest one appearing. (Or reboot PC to clear)
Q: Stream is freezing or stuttering.
A: Stream at lower quality / resolution. Remember that you need decent upload speed to stream even low quality.
Q: Do I have to stream in windowed mode for my games?
A: Not necessary. If you desire full screen make sure the resolution is set correctly in SCFH. Double check the streaming result on a 2nd pc / laptop or show it to someone.
Q: Can I stream other sources such as PS3/Xbox etc?
A: Unfortunately, this guide only shows how to stream your desktop / PC games.