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| --- KOH PAKMAN ---
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| v 1.01
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| created 2004 by Tempest
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| for comments/questions please mail to: Tempest-Software@gmx.de
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--- PLEASE ALWAYS INCLUDE THIS FILE WHEN REDISTRIBUTING! ---

CONTENTS
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1. Introduction: What is the KoH PakMan?
2. Disclaimer
3. How does it work?
4. Tips from the author
5. Bug reports
6. Thanks to...
7. Version history
8. Some technical stuff

1. Introduction: What is the KoH PakMan?

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PakMan is a program to handle the packages (extension pak and pk1) that come wit
h the game
"Knights of Honor (KoH) by Black Sea Studios (published by Sunflowers/EA).
The KoH Pak format is an uncompressed file container and has nothing in common (
apart
from the file extension) with other Pak formats you might know (for example thos
e coming
with some games from id Software).
Hence, don't try to open other files but KoH Paks, you'll get an error message.
Also, PakMan will only get you the files out of the Paks - how the modding works
is up to
you to find out. :)

2. Disclaimer
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This program is a fan product. Tempest Software is not associated in any way wit
h BSS,
Sunfowers, or EA. Use the KoH PakMan at your own risk, and remember to make back
ups of
your game files.
Flawless operation of the KoH PakMan on your system can't be guaranteed.
However, if you find flaws or bugs in this software, or if you just have comment
s, feel
free to contact me via the above-given e-mail-address (see also section 5, bug r
eports).
Knights of Honor 2003 by SUNFLOWERS Interactive Entertainment Software GmbH.

3. How does it work?

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If you have ever used a Windows program before, you shouldn't have any problems
opening a
file, since it's pretty obvious. Once opened, all further options are accessible
through
a context menu in the file list box.
It will be brought up by a right click on one or more selected entry or entries.
"info on selected file" should be pretty obvious.
---
"extract selected files to original directories":
The original directories are the directories were the files were originally stor
ed, and
where KoH looks for them before looking into the Pak. You can see the original p
ath for each
file (minus the KoH base dir) in the first column of the file list box.
Non-existing directories are created.
"extract selected files to specified directory":
The files are written to a given directory, ignoring the original paths. You sho
uldn't do
this with large selection of files, because obviously, if two files have the sam
e name,
only one of them can be extracted. You will get an overwrite prompt in such case
s.
"extract all files to original directories" and
"extract all files to specified directory":
are the same as the former two functions, except that the current selection is i
gnored and
all files are extracted from the Pak.
---
"replace content of selected file by specified file":
Pick a file to replace the selected one. Note that neither original path nor fil
ename of
the replaced file will change, just its content. This restriction is built into
PakMan on
purpose, to ensure that KoH finds the files where expected. It would be technica
lly no
problem to change names and directories, but that would lead to Pak files KoH ca
n't read.
Also note that the changes are not written before you press the "Save changes" b
utton.
Until then, only a * in front of the list entry signalizes that it's marked for
exchange.
"replace content of selected files by corresponding files in the original direct
ories":
Looks for each selected list entry if a file of the same name exists in the orig
inal
directory. If yes, it's marked for replacement by that file (only content, see p
revious
paragraph). Changes are not written before you press the "Save changes" button.
"replace content of selected files by corresponding files in a specified directo
ry":
Same as previous, but not the original directories are searched in, but a given
directory.
Please note: If two or more selected files have the same name but different orig
inal
paths, they nevertheless will be marked for replacement by the same file.
As always, only content will be replaced, and changes will not be saved before "
Save
changes" is pressed.
"replace content of all files by corresponding files in the original directories
":
Should be clear by now... looks for a replacement for each list entry in the ori
ginal
directories. As always, only content will be replaced, and changes will not be s
aved before
"Save changes" is pressed.
---
"remove marker(s)" clears all markers (*) from entries that have been marked for
exchange.
As a result, these will stay untouched when "Save changes" is pressed.

4. Tips from the author

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-First tip for you would be to read the readme.txt. Well, looks you're already d
oing
 that. :P
-Save your original Pak files to a secure directory. PakMan is designed to make
Backups
itself, but as you know, all automated systems may fail.
-PakMan writes its backups to <KoH base dir>\packs\PakMan Backups\.
In case you alter Pak Files often, some heap of data might accumulate there. Ma
ke sure
you check that directory from time to time. File dates will give you a hint of
what are
important backups for you and what aren't.
-Generally, you should avoid writing to Paks often. This tip is not because I mi
strust the
safety of my own program (*g*), but another very good reason.
If you extract files from a Pak to the original directories and alter them ther
e, their
changes will take effect in KoH. You don't have to place them back into the Pak
.
This is because KoH checks the original directories FIRST.
Three major benefits result from this:
a) It's much easier for you to make quick changes to a file
b) Risk is lower that you damage your game installation. If you have made a mis
take, you
can restore your original KoH by removing the offending file from its positi
on - the
one in the pak will be used again.
c) If you want to share your modifications with others, you don't have to send
huge paks
around. Sending the files you actually altered will be enough.
There is also a minor setback to this system. KoH is very "elastic" when it com
es to
corrupt files. If it detects a broken file in an original directory, it will si
lently
switch to the one in the Pak. As you don't notice this, you might think that yo
ur
altered file is working while it isn't.
However, to make sure that it's really your file that KoH uses, you should rath
er
temporarily remove the pak from its original dir than change it.
(Of course in this case KoH will crash if the files in the original directories
are
corrupt or incomplete).
With all these arguments, why does PakMan offer you to write to Paks at all?
Primarily, just to offer that option.
Secondarily, altering the Pak files can make sense for larger mods. If all or v
ery many
files of a Pak have been altered, it would be more comfortable for the modder t
o pass a
new Pak around rather than a whole collection of files. The filesize will be lo
wer then,
too, especially when stored on FAT32 disks.
-If, despite all care, your KoH does not start anymore, delete all directories f
rom the
KoH directory but "packs" and "system". Then check if the paks in your "packs"
directory
 are the original and no corrupt ones. You may see this from the file date and t
he fact
that Pak files written by PakMan have a signature at the end ("created by KoH P
akMan").
So try to find the original packs from your own backup archives or the PakMan B
ackups
directory and use them to replace the not working ones.
If all that won't help, reinstall KoH to get the original files back. Probably
not very
convenient, but the safest and also easiest way.

5. Bug reports
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"Things take longer than expected.
Things cost more than expected.
Things are more complex than they seem to be.
If something can go wrong, it will."
Murphy's law
PakMan was tested thoroughly, but only on one computer and by one tester. :)
So it is possible that you find bugs or other problems with running this softwar
e. If you
want to send a bug report (for address see top of the file), I appreciate that,
but I
don't guarantee to do anything about it... this will largely depend on how much
anyone
still cares about KoH modding at the time your report arrives. :P
If you send your error description, screenshots of error messages (if any) might
be
helpful. In most cases I won't need your system configuration, but including it
can't harm
either.

6. Thanks to...
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Frujin, Frank Fay and all the guys at Black Sea Studios for our favorite game,
Knights of Honor.
Also thanks to Thoron and Nowrap for some good tips and general support.
Last but not least thanks and greetings to all the rest of the KoH community at
the
KoH forums (http://www.knights-of-honor.net/).

7. Version history
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- 1.01 : + "Read me"-button works while Pak is opened.
8. Some technical stuff
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The KoH PakMan was created by Tempest in autumn 2004, using Borland's C++ Builde
r 6.
The original size of PakMan.exe, version 1.01, is 1,901,056 bytes (1.81 MB).
Written under Windows XP, this Software was tested under WinXP and Win98, which
means it
should work for Win2k, too, and *perhaps* even ME can do it *g*.

And now enough of the reading... happy modding.

Tempest, December 3rd 2004