How to FAQ

Answers to frequently asked questions and notes about Serious Sam Classics Patch.

Which games are supported?

The patch supports all latest versions of Serious Sam games on Serious Engine 1:

• Serious Sam: The First Encounter v1.05 (including Steam and GOG versions)
  • Build archives starting with TFE1.05.
• Serious Sam: The Second Encounter v1.05
  • Build archives starting with TSE1.05.
• Serious Sam: The Second Encounter v1.07 (including Steam and GOG versions)
  • Build archives starting with TSE1.07.

How to launch the game with the patch?

Classics Patch can be launched by either using executables that ship with it (filenames ending with _Custom.exe, e.g. SeriousSam_Custom.exe) or by starting the "Serious Sam [Classics Patch]" mod from the Mods menu in-game.

Alternatively, you can make the game start with the patch automatically by choosing one of the following ways.

Launch argument

The easiest way is to force the game to start the Classics Patch mod.

Steam:

1. Right click on the game -> Properties -> General.
2. Enter +game ClassicsPatchMod in the "Launch options" field.

Windows:

1. Locate a shortcut to the game (or create a new one).
2. Right click on the shortcut -> Properties -> Shortcut.
3. Add +game ClassicsPatchMod at the end of the "Target" field (after the path to the executable).

Replacing the executable

The most reliable way is to replace the game executable with the patch one.

1. Navigate to the game's installation directory (in Steam: right click on a game -> Manage -> Browse local files; or inside steamapps/common within the Steam library folder).
2. Go to the Bin folder and backup original SeriousSam.exe file somewhere.
3. Rename SeriousSam_Custom.exe into SeriousSam.exe.

After that Steam or any shortcut to the game will start the patch instead of the vanilla game. The same can be done to SeriousEditor.exe.

How to uninstall the patch?

You don't really have to uninstall anything because all vanilla executable files still work as intended.

To know whether or not you're still playing with the patch, type PatchInfo() into console to verify it. You can also type ListPlugins() to see which plugins are loaded. Such commands don't exist in vanilla games.

The patch still replaces a couple of files, which need to be removed in order to truly uninstall the patch. These files are:

• Bin/EngineGUI.dll - This primarily implements the patch into the tools, i.e. Serious Editor, Serious Modeler and Serious SKA Studio.
  • The original library is bundled with the patch as EngineGUI_OG.dll. Rename it to EngineGUI.dll to restore it.
• Bin/Shaders.dll - This fixes issues related to rendering of SKA models and its shaders for The Second Encounter v1.07. If you start the vanilla game, this library will still take effect as soon as at least one SKA model is loaded in any way. It won't actually add any patch-related features, only fix rendering of SKA models.
  • The original library is bundled with the patch as Shaders_OG.dll. Rename it to Shaders.dll to restore it.

Other files that you may also want to remove are:

• Within the Bin directory:
  • Base modules: ClassicsCore.dll, ClassicsPatches.dll, steam_api.dll.
  • Custom mod: ClassicsExtras_Custom.dll, Entities_Custom.dll, GameGUI_Custom.dll, Game_Custom.dll.
  • Executable files: DedicatedServer_Custom.exe, SeriousEditor_Custom.exe, SeriousSam_Custom.exe.
  • Plugins: Any .dll file in the Plugins folder (or the folder in its entirety).
  • Third party libraries: SDL2.dll, steam_api.dll.
• Within the game directory:
  • Patch resources: SE1_ClassicsPatch.gro.
  • User files and configs: Data/ClassicsPatch folder (optional, vanilla game ignores them).

I'm getting "Wrong CRC", "Invalid DIFF stream" and similar errors when connecting to any server!

These can happen quite frequenty because of many different reasons.

Let's look at the things that may cause these errors upon connection and how they can be solved.

1. Mismatching game resources

Even without Classics Patch, most of the time these errors happen when some game resources have been modified in a way that makes them conflict with vanilla resources. This includes model replacements (e.g. new weapon models) and modifications of standard world files (e.g. Levels/LevelsMP/1_1_Palenque.wld).

To solve this:

• Remove all of the conflicting resources (and GRO archives containing them).
• Restore original game files either from backups, your installation disc or by verifying integrity of game files in Steam.
• Unsubscribe from content in Serious Sam: Revolution workshop that may create resource conflicts, in case all clients intend to play new levels from there.

2. Mounting Revolution content

If you're certain that it's not an issue with mismatching game resources and you're also able to connect to servers normally without using Classics Patch, then it must be because of mounted game installations.

To solve this:

• Unmount Revolution and restart the game.
• Unmount Revolution workshop and restart the game.

3. Custom mod inconsistency

If you plan on playing levels from Serious Sam: Revolution with someone else, you may not be able to connect because client's "Custom mod libraries" setting mismatches the server one. It is recommended to enable CustomMod in config properties in order to experience Revolution levels to their fullest.

To solve this:

• All clients need to make sure that their "Custom mod libraries" setting matches the server host. If not, they must toggle it, restart the game, and then try connecting to the server again.

Does it fix issues with VSync, refresh rate and other graphical wackiness?

Unforunately, no. These issues arise from something deep inside the engine itself. And even if it's somehow possible to fix them from the outside, it will require too much effort. Plus, I'm no expert in this field.

I've installed one of the patch localizations but most text is still in English!

That's because included localization files only translate text of Classics Patch. If you need official localization files for the game itself, you can find them in this archive: DreamyCecil/SE1-Localization

The patch supposedly fixed the "slowdown bug" but I'm still experiencing it. Why?

The slowdown bug is fixed by using new gameplay extension called "Fix Timers". It is enabled by default for all new games started with the patch.
The only bug it doesn't fix is the firerate of the Minor Bio-mechanoid (blue Walker enemy) because its internal timer logic there differs from the rest of the entities.

If you join a vanilla multiplayer server or load an old save file that was created without the patch, the gameplay extensions will be disabled on that run for compatibility reasons.

If you wish to fix the slowdown bug on your old pre-patch save, run these console commands to enable the gameplay extension:

pck_GameplayExtNumber("Enable", 1.0);
pck_GameplayExtNumber("FixTimers", 1.0);

Why is The First Encounter campaign from Revolution and not from the original game?

Because Serious Sam: Revolution takes priority over The First Encounter when both games are mounted.

To solve this, unmount Revolution in config properties and restart the game. Workshop can remain mounted.

Currently I don't know how to prioritize The First Encounter campaign over the Revolution one.

What is the "custom mod"?

"Custom mod" is a term used for a set of libraries that come with the patch:

• Entities_Custom.dll
• Game_Custom.dll
• GameGUI_Custom.dll
• ClassicsExtras_Custom.dll (entity pack with extra entities)

This custom mod implements new features for vanilla gameplay, including (but not limited to): Game themes, Revolution enemies, TFE keys, player movement customization using gameplay extensions, big fonts in console & computer.

When custom mod is active, it means that these libraries take effect over vanilla ones (e.g. EntitiesMP.dll and GameMP.dll), just like when you're playing a mod with custom libraries in its Bin folder.

• You can optionally disable usage of the custom mod in favor of vanilla entity & game logic. Though it's only recommended in case something is causing issues in multiplayer games.
• When you're playing a mod with its own libraries, the custom mod is always disabled because its logic isn't compatible with the mod.

What are "Gameplay extensions"?

It's right there in the name. A set of new options for customizing gameplay experience in exchange for compatibility with vanilla.

When gameplay extensions are enabled ("Enable extensions" setting or gex_bEnable command), it makes launched servers, saved games and recorded demos unplayable without the patch. All clients have to install the same version of the patch as the server in order to play together.

How to change player's field of view in multiplayer?

If you wish to change player's FOV in any gamemode, you can use new sam_fCustomFOV and sam_fThirdPersonFOV commands instead of plr_fFOV.

These commands have a smaller FOV range than the vanilla command, so if you still want to have a closer zoom in Cooperative gamemode, set the commands above to -1 and keep using the plr_fFOV command instead.

Heads-up display is too big!

If HUD elements seem too big and overlap with other elements, consider scaling the HUD down using the hud_fScaling command. The value of 0.75 is usually good enough, even for 21:9 resolutions.

Why are there so many settings and commands? It's confusing!

I want to give players as much freedom to customize their game and experience as possible. You don't have to use every single command. If you don't need extended customization of the patch, you can use quick setup scripts under Options -> Execute Addon in-game.

This is what happens when a programmer does UI/UX design.

The game displays an error instead of starting!

If you get an error that says something along the lines of "Cannot set function patch..." upon game start, first make sure that you've installed the patch for the right game version. You can see the engine version of the game in the top right corner in the main menu (typically v1.05 or v1.07).

There are a couple of things you can try to solve it:

1. Restart your machine.
2. Locate SeriousSam_Custom.exe, right click on it and go to "Properties" -> "Compatibility" tab. Change the state of the "Disable fullscreen optimizations" checkbox and press OK.

If the error persists, you might want to report it. Set DebugPatcher property to 1 in the patch config file and run the game again. This will display patcher actions in the log file (e.g. SeriousSam_Custom.log) in the root game directory. You can upload the log file when you submit a new issue.