Request for content feedback

[aVENGER_(RR)]

Would you be happy if I cut the animation or is it their presence at all that's a problem? (Stoneskin is a particular nuisance because of the colour, I grant.)

 

Actually, doing that would probably create more problems i.e. people would start asking silly questions like "Why is this guy not taking any damage when I hit him?" due to the lack of a visual indicator of the stoneskin/ironskin spell. Also, it wouldn't solve the aforementioned problem of casters who end up wasting their prebuffs.

 

IMO, it would be the easiest and the cleanest solution to include a simple NoAction() block which would prevent prebuff sequences from running on neutral (blue circle) characters. And, if you place it near the very beginning of the script, it will also have an additional bonus of saving CPU cycles.

[Salk]

I find aVenger's suggestion very sensible.

 

To take away animations from a prebuffing instead is a big no-no.

[Garza]

But then you can kill, for example, Mekrat with single backstab?

[aVENGER_(RR)]

But then you can kill, for example, Mekrat with single backstab?

 

If you sneak into his lair and stab him before he goes hostile, sure. Though, that would count as catching someone off guard in my book.

 

OTOH, if you anger him and make him go hostile by picking the (in)appropriate dialogue option, he would prebuff as usual. Anyway, I'd like to have that at least as an option, as such examples are few and far in between while currently, a large number of Atkhathla's NPCs (who never go hostile unless attacked) tend to walk around wearing stoneskins and/or glowing eerily.

[Demivrgvs]

I like the detect-invisible idea. There's no realistic chance I'll get around to doing it for v6, but I'll bear it in mind for the summer. (Incidentally, it's not automatic at the moment - it's about a 25% chance per round, from memory).

I like it too, especially because it would make significantly different scouting with a thief rather than with an improved invisible fighter/mage.

Regarding the 25% chance I think it may have not been implemented. At least in my games enemies tend to cast detect invisibility/true seeing as soon as my scout enter within their "line of sight". Furthmore even if they're engaging someone, detecting invisible foes seems enemy's first priority.

... but ultimately, while I can easily change aspects of the mod that don't meet its goals, changing its goals is a different matter.

DavidW is absolutely right, and he's already offering players so many options to customize the installation. To please everyone at 100% is quite impossible, but I think he's achieving this goal at least at 90%!

[DavidW]

Would you be happy if I cut the animation or is it their presence at all that's a problem? (Stoneskin is a particular nuisance because of the colour, I grant.)

 

Actually, doing that would probably create more problems i.e. people would start asking silly questions like "Why is this guy not taking any damage when I hit him?" due to the lack of a visual indicator of the stoneskin/ironskin spell. Also, it wouldn't solve the aforementioned problem of casters who end up wasting their prebuffs.

I meant the big-block-of-stone animation, actually - I don't think I can cut the colour change without hacking the .exe.

 

If you sneak into his lair and stab him before he goes hostile, sure. Though, that would count as catching someone off guard in my book.

But the whole point of Stoneskin is that it stops you being caught off-guard. If Mekrath has a Stoneskin memorised, why on Earth wouldn't he cast it first thing in the morning?

OTOH, if you anger him and make him go hostile by picking the (in)appropriate dialogue option, he would prebuff as usual. Anyway, I'd like to have that at least as an option, as such examples are few and far in between while currently, a large number of Atkhathla's NPCs (who never go hostile unless attacked) tend to walk around wearing stoneskins and/or glowing eerily.

 

I'm still in two minds about this. I hear what you're saying but I actually think it's more realistic!

[DavidW]

Sorry, missed this bit:

 

Furthermore, some characters which start out as neutral and turn hostile at a later point (most notably Mae'Var, The Mercenaries of Riatvin and Mencar Pebblecrusher's gang) will completely waste their precast sequence as even long duration spells expire after a period of 24 hours.

 

Is that happening in your game? If so, it's a bug: they should be renewing their precasts more often than that.

[Guest The Potty 1]

I think for me the toughest fight so far has been Torgal. I finally did that by luring the mages forward with some spell, and soloing them with backstabs from Fade. The trolls were then fairly simple. The Samia ambush in windspear got similar treatment. The ambushes were also tough, but not unreasonable. The rakasha ambush is brutal, but as long as you target them while the shadow door graphic is showing, you can kill one before it even appears. I learned that gem against tactics pit fiends. I think Fade stunned the second with Fury so it never buffed.

 

I've done everything there is to do before spellhold, except for the planar prison, the planar sphere, the unseeing eye, Firky, the shadow dragon, or the shadow lord. SCS2 v5, Spell50, & the XP mod installed.

 

Group is O_o (Monk 11), Nalia (4>12), Mazzy (11), Valygar (Ranger 8>Cleric 10), Kitanya (Wizard Slayer 10), & Fade (Bounty Hunter 13).

 

I tried the planar sphere, thinking it would be easier than the unseeing eye beholders, but got completely slaughtered by the halfling mage & cleric along with the bearer of the gauntlets of ogre stench. I'd try leaving Fade in there with them, and retreat everyone else, except the mage gates in those blasted Glabrezus, which would hack her to bits. So I'll reload and try the eye first. No shield of balduran due to personal rules.

[aVENGER_(RR)]

I'm still in two minds about this. I hear what you're saying but I actually think it's more realistic!

 

Heh, I guess our views are different here. Anyway, if the change was made, it should definitively be optional i.e. you could introduce a new component called "Restrict precasting to hostile characters" or something to that effect.

 

Is that happening in your game? If so, it's a bug: they should be renewing their precasts more often than that.

 

Yup, it happened with both Mae'Var and Captain Dennis' gang, though as noted earlier, this was with SCSII v4.

[Guest Guest]

Note above there were 3 rakashas, the third was a fair fight

 

Also I excluded Kangaax, his 3 protectors, and the twisted rune, which I have no intention of trying before spellhold.

[Littiz]

- but I want the existing BG2, just with people behaving intelligently.

 

except that you tweaked existing spells

ok, don't get angry at me, the fact that I installed the mod and the component despite having issues against it only proves that I trusted the quality of your AIs, by the comments I gathered and what I have read myself in the docs

 

Anyway, I passed the random encounters exhausting Jaheira's capabilities, lots of potions and my own patience with micromanaging the battle (flee there, throw a bullet *just now*, run back, get a lucky backstab with Yoshi etc...)

Didn't know/remember you could cast mage spells in those areas...

No matter, now my fighter/mage has reactivated the fighter class and this means I'm basically unstoppable, again.

Ah the old, comfortable feeling, after so many years! Should I be worried?

I wonder how Ascension will play this time with your mod installed. Can't wait

[Guest Loz]

But the whole point of Stoneskin is that it stops you being caught off-guard. If Mekrath has a Stoneskin memorised, why on Earth wouldn't he cast it first thing in the morning?

 

I think your hands being made of stone might make it difficult to, for example, cook dinner. Don't get me wrong i'm sure every mage would use it if anticipating a battle, but i think realistically it would have adverse side effects in everyday life. I mean, if you could turn your skin into stone for the duration of the day, just incase you got mugged, would you do it? I doubt i would. Many of the other long term buffs are only 20 minutes or so, it seems unlikely enemy mages could keep these up all the time. Also it can get quite annoying experiencing pre-buff lag when just moving around athkatla.

[DavidW]

- but I want the existing BG2, just with people behaving intelligently.

 

except that you tweaked existing spells

ok, don't get angry at me, the fact that I installed the mod and the component despite having issues against it only proves that I trusted the quality of your AIs, by the comments I gathered and what I have read myself in the docs

 

Entirely fair point. All rules have exceptions.

 

(Actually, usually what's motivating the spell tweaks is a desire to block what would otherwise be such a good strategy that I'd use it all the time and make things boring.)

[DavidW]

But the whole point of Stoneskin is that it stops you being caught off-guard. If Mekrath has a Stoneskin memorised, why on Earth wouldn't he cast it first thing in the morning?

 

I think your hands being made of stone might make it difficult to, for example, cook dinner. Don't get me wrong i'm sure every mage would use it if anticipating a battle, but i think realistically it would have adverse side effects in everyday life.

Well, possibly, but it's rather outside the scope of the mod to guess that kind of thing!

I mean, if you could turn your skin into stone for the duration of the day, just incase you got mugged, would you do it? I doubt i would.

I probably would if I lived in Athkatla...

 

Many of the other long term buffs are only 20 minutes or so, it seems unlikely enemy mages could keep these up all the time.

 

I don't think anyone uses a long-term buff of less than c. 2 hours duration.

 

Also it can get quite annoying experiencing pre-buff lag when just moving around athkatla.

 

That's a stronger argument. I don't notice anything on my computer, but then it's quite fast. However, are you sure that's pre-buff lag? The half-second lag when a mage or priest is spawned isn't prebuffing, it's just the engine loading his/her script.

[SirLancelot]

I think your hands being made of stone might make it difficult to, for example, cook dinner.

 

I agree, although the party does not have such necessities at all and is always flying on steroids unless the player policy himself. (and i guess every player who install prebuffs is going to buff his/her party as well)

 

Don't get me wrong i'm sure every mage would use it if anticipating a battle, but i think realistically it would have adverse side effects in everyday life.

 

Yes, you are right, but... see above, and besides, most of them are not doing housework.

 

So i think this optional component, if introduced, should be restricted to affect a limited certain characters, and David would have to figure and decide which ones.