IR V2 release

[Demivrgvs]

A so long discussion, only about gauntlets lol...

Well, I'm glad of it. I welcome any discussion if it helps improving our mod.

 

FWIW, I'd much prefer -1 thac0, +2 damage. Actually, I'd prefer something else entirely, without any kind of negative. I dunno, I just don't fancy any item that worsens my character's ability to hit the enemy (apart from a tasty large shield!).

For something else entirely you'd have to propose it yourself or wait for an inspiration of mine, but for V3!

 

I should be able to get into contact with Mike on the weekend, and thus I'd like to finish all my work by tomorrow. If you have any suggestion about the following items or if you want to discuss anything else let me know.

 

To-do list:

- Amulet of Spell Warding (current version gives issues)

- Amulet of the Seldarine (not satisfied, it's not enough "unique")

- Rifthome Axe (not satisfied)

- Elven Court Bow +3 (not satisfied)

- Taralash (currently misses an upgraded version)

- Ring of Anti Venom (useless as of now)

- Shield of the Falling Star

- Arla's Dragon Bane (dex is giving issues)

- Impaler (not satisfied, and needs to be nerfed)

- Staff of Air

- Yamato (not satisfied)

- Usono's Blade (not satisfied)

- Xbow of Affliction (not satisfied, and needs to be nerfed)

[Mike1072]

FWIW, I'd much prefer -1 thac0, +2 damage. Actually, I'd prefer something else entirely, without any kind of negative. I dunno, I just don't fancy any item that worsens my character's ability to hit the enemy (apart from a tasty large shield!).

 

On an unrelated matter, I would be hugely appreciative if you would make a minor change to your 'Rebalanced Weapon Proficiencies' changes in the Weapon Changes component. As you may already know, on the proficiencies screen, the BG2 Tweak Pack component lists e.g. Katana on the left (that's just 'Katana' not 'Katana/Wakizashi') and Katana/Wakizashi in the text on the right. It does the same for all other proficiencies that cover more than one weapon.

 

Now, IR changes this so that it says 'Katana/Wakizashi' on the left instead of just 'Katana'. The problem here is that instead of 'Short Sword/Ninja-To' on the left, IR just has 'Short Sword', so it's not being consistent. Please, could you revert back to the BG2 Tweak Pack style instead?

I believe this was done because 'Short Sword/Ninja-To' would wrap to two lines on the left.

 

Here's what we're talking about:

 

IR currently has Katana/Wakizashi as shown and Short Sword without the Ninja-To. (Vanilla has just Scimitar and Flail listed on the left, with Scimitar/Wakizashi/Ninja-To and Flail/Morningstar on the right.) I wouldn't mind removing the additional items listed on the left if nobody objects.

[DrAzTiK]

About Rifthome Axe +3

 

I don't have item's description but do you think it could be possible to do it an only axe's melee with 1D8 ??

 

It could be nice to have an Axe+3 appealing unless you have plant to set StoneFire +3 later in game.(?)

 

You are aware about my opinon about trowing axes. It allow many kit (especially bersekers) to have only advantages and no penality. Nothing more.

 

And not only bersekers. Aven a single warrior with High mastery could be as powerfull in melee/ranged weapons. I know sorcerers are so much powerfull than fighters but please...

 

Axes are usualy play by pure fighters especially Korgan of course who is bersekers and the best warrior without penality for an evil party...

 

I don't want to be too much radical, but this sort of items should be very infrequent , no more that one for each category of weapons in SOA and not powerfull at all. +1 or +2 max like you have done for Halcyon +1. Why not make Hangard's Axe a +1 weapon like Halcyon +1? I always think 1d6 is a litlle too much sweet for this 2 weapons... A sort of less version of Short Bow of Gesen O_o

[DrAzTiK]

I would have some questions abouts bows :

 

Long Bows: No longer grant +1 THAC0. Now provide +1 damage.

 

In item's description, all long bows got + 1damage. Is it damage of this component or supplementary damages ?

 

Composite Long Bows: Damage bonuses are dependant on minimum strength required to wield.

What does it mean ? no more +2 damages and only damages of item description ?

[Salk]

Demivrgvs,

 

after pondering the thing a little longer I came to the conclusion that I would also prefer it to be:

 

-1 THAC0 (-2 Offhand), +2 Damage

 

So I agree with Dirty Uncle Bertie and DrAzTik about it.

[Demivrgvs]

Rifthome Axe

I don't have item's description but do you think it could be possible to do it an only axe's melee with 1D8 ??

 

It could be nice to have an Axe+3 appealing unless you have plant to set StoneFire +3 later in game.(?)

Yeah, I've thought about it, mostly because we have two +3 enchanted throwing axe in SoA while the first +3 Battleaxe is only available in Watcher's Keep. The Rifthome Axe is currently carried by Arkanis Gath, though only in the inventory, but I didn't modify it because a) the current description do mentions about it being an axe of hurling and b) it may be possible that RR makes the owner effectively use this awesome axe.

 

What currently doesn't work imo is the allocation of this type of weapon. All SoA axes are available very easily, very soon (except the Rifthome) and then you get nothing till Watcher's Keep!! This is something I surely want to change, and moving Stonefire and/or Azuredge seem the most obvious solution.

 

P.S I've recently discovered that Korgan's starting axe is actually a custom one! They made it a plain +1 axe, but I think I'll make it more on par with other's NPC's weapons...and the fastest way is a simple +2 axe with bleeding damage (Bloodaxe ).

 

Hangard's Axe & Halcyon

I don't want to be too much radical, but this sort of items should be very infrequent , no more that one for each category of weapons in SOA and not powerfull at all. +1 or +2 max like you have done for Halcyon +1. Why not make Hangard's Axe a +1 weapon like Halcyon +1? I always think 1d6 is a litlle too much sweet for this 2 weapons... A sort of less version of Short Bow of Gesen O_o

Gesen has bow's attack rate (+1apr), deals 2d6 (breath for half) electrical damage, and fires +4 enchanted missiles...I'd say it's much more powerful than these two. That being said I may think about reducing Hangard's Axe enchantment to +1, but if by "1D6 is a little too much" you are referring to the elemental damage I've already reduced Hangard's one to 1D4, but Halicyon will keep its 1D6.

 

Long Bow & Composite Long Bow

Long Bows: No longer grant +1 THAC0. Now provide +1 damage.

 

In item's description, all long bows got + 1damage. Is it damage of this component or supplementary damages ?

 

Composite Long Bows: Damage bonuses are dependant on minimum strength required to wield.

What does it mean ? no more +2 damages and only damages of item description ?

Damage and THAC0 displayed in the descriptions are exactly what you get in-game, we don't have "hidden" bonus to damage or THAC0.

 

Long Bows no longer grant +1 THAC0, but provide +1 damage.

 

Composite long bows now don't give an additional +1 to damage, they instead give +1 if minimum strength is 16, +2 if minimum strength is 18, and +6 if minimum strength is 19 (only one unique bow has such a powerful damage output though).

 

Gauntlets of...Power Attacks...Devastating Blows?

after pondering the thing a little longer I came to the conclusion that I would also prefer it to be:

 

-1 THAC0 (-2 Offhand), +2 Damage

 

So I agree with Dirty Uncle Bertie and DrAzTik about it.

Actually I thought DrAzTik prefers to have a higher penalty to thac0 being him one of those that correctly believes fighter don't have to worry about THAC0 and needs a good penalty to even start to care about it. Anyway I think V2 will probably use -2 thac0, +3 damage...than we'll see if it has to be changed.

[Demivrgvs]

Gauntlets of Weapon Expertise

Seeing that the main problem seems to be the THAc0 penalty, here's my latest suggestion:

* no penalty to main hand, but -2 thac0 to off-hand

* -1 penalty to backstab multiplier

* +2 damage

* 5% chance to knockback target unconscious for 1 round

 

Would you like it more this way?

 

Crossbow of Affliction +4

The current versions has two issues:

* vanilla's -2 STR while equipped is lame, as it doesn't penalize the wielder as it was supposed to do

* deafness but especially blindness are too powerful imo

 

What about the following:

* set wielder's STR to 9 for 4 rounds after a succesful hit, or -1 STR on hit for x rounds

* disease effects may be replaced by a simple but powerful "disease damage", I'd say 2 hit points per round for 4 rounds (no other ranged weapon has a similar type of effect)

[DrAzTiK]

I may think about reducing Hangard's Axe enchantment to +1

I think it's important. Hangard should be less powerfull than Halicyon ( two handed weapon)

 

I've already reduced Hangard's one to 1D4, but Halicyon will keep its 1D6

nice

 

I thought Rifthome Axe +3 was obtainable later in game but this weapon is obtainable when we work for bodhi...Ok it's not so early in the game but maybe too much to do Rifthome so powerfull.

 

What about allow a nice thac0 for Rifthome but less damage than Hangard , make same difference there is between long bow and composite bow (more thac0 or more damages). After all, many fighters can use axes , don't don't have high mastery and always a good dexterity..

 

And afer all, remove ranged ability can disturb ennemy'script who use this weapons no ?

[DrAzTiK]

Gauntlets of Weapon Expertise :

 

* 5% chance to knockback target unconscious for 1 round.

 

Without allowing saves ? I don't like very much... We could do so many damages in 1 round...

 

It seems you really want more than +2 damages for these gauntlet But If we don't allow a penaly for main hand, + 3 or +2 and a bonus is too much imo...

[J Beau]

Crossbow of Affliction +4

 

* set wielder's STR to 9 for 4 rounds after a succesful hit, or -1 STR on hit for x rounds

So you could commit suicide if you used it with whirlwind attack.

[Demivrgvs]

Gauntlets of Weapon Expertise

* 5% chance to knockback target unconscious for 1 round.

 

Without allowing saves ? I don't like very much... We could do so many damages in 1 round...

 

It seems you really want more than +2 damages for these gauntlet

Considering I've removed +1 to thac0, limited the damage to "melee-only", reduced its effectiveness for dual wielders, and prevented them from being used to backstab (+10/+14 damage)...I thought players may consider them really too nerfed and far from "special". Maybe I'm wrong.

 

I've considered the save...but it's hard to have a save which is balanced for both BG1 and BG2. The save would either make the ability too powerful in BG1 or too weak in BG2 imo, in that case I would surely opt for the latter.

 

P.S I suppose you don't care as much about the most powerful Heavy Crossbow of BG.

 

Edit:

Crossbow of Affliction +4

* set wielder's STR to 9 for 4 rounds after a succesful hit, or -1 STR on hit for x rounds

So you could commit suicide if you used it with whirlwind attack.

That is why I've proposed "set STR to 9" first, the only small issue about it would be characters with STR < 9, but I don't think they exist, and I suppose very few players would make charname with STR 8.

[Jarno Mikkola]

That is why I've proposed "set STR to 9" first, the only small issue about it would be characters with STR < 9, but I don't think they exist, and I suppose very few players would make charname with STR 8.

Yes, my mages might have Str 3.

Ok, so I cheat them to have 18/00, but that's only good for carrying stuff at levels 10+

[DrAzTiK]

"P.S I suppose you don't care as much about the most powerful Heavy Crossbow of BG"

 

Of course this crossbow is nothink more that a joke in BG1. Too easily obtainable on a weak/mad warrior like Gauntlets of Weapon Expertise...

I don't use this item and i don't sell it....

 

However i never play with crossbow, bow are so far appealing, especially in BG1.

I think I am not very enough aware to give good advices about crossbows balancing. The less one attack/round in comparaison to bow make them so weak. (Or maybe bow are too strong...) especially in BG1. So maybe a good croosbow is not so imbalenced... I don't know.

 

What is the fact who make crossbows appealing in BG2 ?? Munitions ? coz many arrow are appealing (especially arrow of dispelling in BG1)

[Salk]

Demivrgvs,

 

I don't like your latest suggestion about the Gauntlets of Weapon Expertise for different reasons: too many effects for one single item!

 

Also, I don't like the idea of THAC0 penalty only to offhand.

 

Overall I liked better your original plan although I think that it would be most balanced with a -1 THAC0 (-2 Offhand) and a +2 damage (it won't be difficult to switch to those value on .tp2 anyway... )

[Guest D. U. Bertie]

Mike, re Post #152, I think you need to be consistent whatever you do. So either all weapons on the left for each entry, or just the one weapon for each entry. And considering the issue with 'Short Sword/Ninja-To' appearing on two lines, I suggest you go for just the one weapon.