Wishing for a mod changing the portrait-size in IWD

[Krikk]

Can anyone make a simple mod that allows for bigger portraits in Icewind Dale 1 ? Like the 210x330 pixel-portraits in IWD2 perhaps for the large ones and... well, the small ones (38x60) don't need changing really coz they are better and bigger than the ones from IWD2 (42x42)

This means no need for changing the 6 small portraits that is on the right side of the screen while playing, but the "record" pages where you have all the info about your characters would need a some changing and rearranging to make room for a bigger portrait. (Hopefully without changing the the look and the colors, the whole brown wooden look that is so.. IWD'ish)

 

to sum it up, a mod allowing these portrait-sizes:

 

LARGE : 210x330

SMALL: 38x60

 

This is a humble request from my part to any skilled modders out there, as I have no clue whatsoever with these things. I'm just a simple player really really enjoying Icewind Dale, and after a few years away it's time to return to the cold North I think, but the portraits are so small :S

[berelinde]

IWD-in-BG2 gives you 110 x 170, but it's still beta and still has some bugs to iron out.

 

What you're asking is a fairly major graphical endeavor that involves replacing the GUI. It isn't a task for the faint-hearted. I would call it anything *but* a simple mod.

[Krikk]

IWD-in-BG2 gives you 110 x 170, but it's still beta and still has some bugs to iron out.

 

What you're asking is a fairly major graphical endeavor that involves replacing the GUI. It isn't a task for the faint-hearted. I would call it anything *but* a simple mod.

 

 

110x170 are already in Icewind Dale without mods, remember? So that wouldn't change anything. Would be the same thing.

 

Honestly, I don't know about how much a project it would be, for me it didn't seem like a major project compared to some of the other huge, impressive mods people are making, but then again I've never modded anything and know not about these things, and I'm sure you know what you speak of... and I appreciate the reply even though I had hoped someone would give a more optimistic response

 

I'll just keep looking in here to see if there are any more replies in the future. If it's too big a project, then that's just the way of it and I will have to do with the 110x170 portraits...

[berelinde]

I didn't get too far into IWD or IWD2 without mods because I can't play without NPC interaction.

 

But yeah, it basically involves replacing every screen in the game where the old image appeared, and making sure that everything else still fit. Since many of the screens are composed of multiple images (e.g. left border with corner A, right border with corner B, top border with space for header C, bottom border with space for buttons), you'd have to check to make sure that you aren't messing up anything else that uses the same components. This could go on for a while. Imagine that it's back in the days when books were produced with woodcuts. You've just finished carving the last page when the foreman comes in and says "Great work, but I need you to make just one little change. I want you to make the illustration at the top of page 1 twice the size it currently is." After they've fished him out of the river, you'd be in an excellent position to explain to him why it wasn't such a little change.

 

You might get lucky and find out that it's only one BMP that needs to be replaced, but it might be many.

[Krikk]

I didn't get too far into IWD or IWD2 without mods because I can't play without NPC interaction.

 

But yeah, it basically involves replacing every screen in the game where the old image appeared, and making sure that everything else still fit. Since many of the screens are composed of multiple images (e.g. left border with corner A, right border with corner B, top border with space for header C, bottom border with space for buttons), you'd have to check to make sure that you aren't messing up anything else that uses the same components. This could go on for a while. Imagine that it's back in the days when books were produced with woodcuts. You've just finished carving the last page when the foreman comes in and says "Great work, but I need you to make just one little change. I want you to make the illustration at the top of page 1 twice the size it currently is." After they've fished him out of the river, you'd be in an excellent position to explain to him why it wasn't such a little change.

 

You might get lucky and find out that it's only one BMP that needs to be replaced, but it might be many.

 

 

Well, I can think of only two screens, the "Records"-screen and the character creation screen. maybe three; the portrait selection. What you say though, sounds sensible, so I guess I'll just have to forget the idea unless I get lucky and someone decides it's possible and worthwhile to make.

 

As for your IWD experiences, I can understand you missed the NPC-interactions, but Icewind Dale 1 have other strengths that to some extent makes up for the lack of thus. I hold it up there with Shadows of Amn as the two stand-out games I've played.

 

But since you're seemingly a little knowledgeable about modding, knowing a bit about the mechanics and the work that lies in making a mod, would it be worthwhile for me to post another topic, asking if someone could make a shapeshifting mod? There are some shapeshifting forms I miss in IWD 1 that we saw in other infinity games. This should be a little easier than the one I originally asked for in this topic, or am I wrong?

[Jarno Mikkola]

Well, I can think of only two screens, the "Records"-screen and the character creation screen. maybe three; the portrait selection. What you say though, sounds sensible, so I guess I'll just have to forget the idea unless I get lucky and someone decides it's possible and worthwhile to make.

But what you might have missed is that the game data is a sortment of different things. So it has build blogs, and those build blogs have been aranged so the developer can do his job with them, this includes the user interface and all the images and texts etc. in it. The trouble is that as you only see the finished screens, you do not see the different building blogs used in producing it. So if we alter one, or say 30 that could be the minimum the character screen is build up from, we need to look everywhere else to see if the alteration we make on one of the sceens alters anything else in another.

 

But since you're seemingly a little knowledgeable about modding, knowing a bit about the mechanics and the work that lies in making a mod, would it be worthwhile for me to post another topic, asking if someone could make a shapeshifting mod? There are some shapeshifting forms I miss in IWD 1 that we saw in other infinity games. This should be a little easier than the one I originally asked for in this topic, or am I wrong?

Depending on what you are asking, it can or can't be done... and should it be done.

Polymorph in to a dragon on 1st level might be on the no side, Polymorphing into a Yeti for a druid might be fun to make.

And let's not forget that the druids can already Shapeshift/Polymorph into: Boring Beetle, Polar Bear, Winter Wolf, Fire Elemental, Earth Elemental, Water Elemental on high levels, the last being on level 15.

[Krikk]

Yeah, a Yeti, that would be cool. What I first and foremost had in mind though was a Panther and maybe a Treant. Both of these are possible to shapechange into in IWD 2. I suppose that doesn't necessarily mean it's so simple to bring them into IWD1 even though it's the same game engine, but if possible it would be great!

 

I always wanted to be able to shapechange into a panther and while in the panther form gain the stealth ability. Not necessarily getting a backstab bonus but just being able to sneak in the shadows with the panther, just like the rogue. As for shapechanging into a Treant, it would be nice to gain the same benefits as in IWD2.

 

I might make a new topic, asking for the shapechanging there, as this topic was originally about the portrait sizes, which from what I understand don't seem all that realistic to hope for.

[Jarno Mikkola]

What I first and foremost had in mind though was a Panther and maybe a Treant. Both of these are possible to shapechange into in IWD 2. I suppose that doesn't necessarily mean it's so simple to bring them into IWD1 even though it's the same game engine, but if possible it would be great!

It's not the same game engine, in the way you might look at the things, as for example there isn't even an animation files of a Treant in IwD1. The IwD2 might have all of IwD 1's, but not the other way around.

And there is a limited amount of them available in the game, so you might have to overwrite one or do hacks, that's not easy!

[berelinde]

If the animation is available, it should be possible. I never got that far into IWD due to the lack of NPCs, so I can't say if they exist.

 

The number of animation slots is generally hardcoded and it's usually full, so you probably won't be able to add new animations.