Various ToB hacks

[Mike1072]

@Demi: It doesn't matter to us what the default is, since we patch all spells, items, effects that use the Dispel effect anyway. We use option 2 for normal dispels.

 

// 0: Item is not dispelled.

// 1: Item is always dispelled.

// 2: Item is dispelled based on roughly the same probability that gets

// used for dispelling the effects.

 

Items that shouldn't be dispelled (shapeshifter paws, etc.) get the special flag that makes them immune to being dispelled.

 

I think the 'bypass mirror images' flag is best set within the Damage feature block, since it only applies to the saving throw function of the Damage opcode, perhaps in the saving throw type field. Also that field is a dword and only 5 bits are being used.

Hm, I don't really like it (it's sort of hacky ), but you can just ignore me.

Open to comment. SR already uses the hack, and its component would need changing if we do decide to change.

The only glitch is the check for SAVE_NONE, which expects that the entire DWORD == 0, but that is easily hacked to check for BYTE instead.

So, if you had 3 damage effects, you'd have to check the flag in all 3 effects? You could have part of the damage penetrate MI and part of it not? Sounds kind of silly - I'd prefer that it stayed attached to the ability (= projectile) and only changed if you really started running out of flags.

[Wisp]

I'll keep it as is. I guess the Remove Item effects still take effect in vanilla, so the original behaviour is preserved.

The list of remove item effects is by no means comprehensive. They just remove some items.

 

Still awaiting comment on the placement of the 'AoE' flag.

I also think putting the flag somewhere in the extended header sounds like a better idea than putting it in the effect itself.

[Ascension64]

// 0: Item is not dispelled.

// 1: Item is always dispelled.

// 2: Item is dispelled based on roughly the same probability that gets

// used for dispelling the effects.

Nevertheless, if I switch the bits, you would still have to change the SR code. I personally prefer to preserve vanilla behaviour (and I think this is the same with GemRB) unless it is a blatant bug that needs fixing (such as the dispel formula).

However, unless we all coordinate the changes together, I might as well keep it the same as tob_hacks to save confusion.

 

So, if you had 3 damage effects, you'd have to check the flag in all 3 effects? You could have part of the damage penetrate MI and part of it not? Sounds kind of silly - I'd prefer that it stayed attached to the ability (= projectile) and only changed if you really started running out of flags.

Yeah, for the real picky modder - but don't say I didn't consider all possibilities.

Will keep as tob_hacks then.

By the way, there is also the possibility of bypassing stone skins. Would this come into use?

[Taimon]

Nevertheless, if I switch the bits, you would still have to change the SR code. I personally prefer to preserve vanilla behaviour (and I think this is the same with GemRB) unless it is a blatant bug that needs fixing (such as the dispel formula).

However, unless we all coordinate the changes together, I might as well keep it the same as tob_hacks to save confusion.

I agree on preserving vanilla behaviour and I think you overestimate how widespread this hack is. (I guess SR is the only one using it, right?) So you only need to convince Demi.

If you decide to switch the bit, I'll keep that in mind for the next (and probably last) update of ToB Hacks.

(Besides, I don't think ToB Hacks has much future, so I it doesn't really matter what is implemented here.)

[Galactygon]

I'll keep it as is. I guess the Remove Item effects still take effect in vanilla, so the original behaviour is preserved.

The list of remove item effects is by no means comprehensive. They just remove some items.

 

Still awaiting comment on the placement of the 'AoE' flag.

I also think putting the flag somewhere in the extended header sounds like a better idea than putting it in the effect itself.

The only problem I see with this is junk left over in the unknowns from vanilla .spl files, which can have unintended consequences. I'd go with a flag in the main header flags to "enable extended header flags", and then extended header flags somewhere in the extended header.

 

I foresee that some of the offsets used by .itm extended headers could also be used in .spl extended headers, for example, if we want to calculate the THAC0 of the caster (ie. we want Imprisonment to act like a touch spell), or we want a spell to not be expended when cast (charge depletion behaviour, etc.).

 

By the way, there is also the possibility of bypassing stone skins. Would this come into use?

 

Sounds pretty good.

 

-Galactygon

[Demivrgvs]

Nevertheless, if I switch the bits, you would still have to change the SR code. I personally prefer to preserve vanilla behaviour (and I think this is the same with GemRB) unless it is a blatant bug that needs fixing (such as the dispel formula).

However, unless we all coordinate the changes together, I might as well keep it the same as tob_hacks to save confusion.

I agree on preserving vanilla behaviour and I think you overestimate how widespread this hack is. (I guess SR is the only one using it, right?) So you only need to convince Demi.

On second thought, I'm fine with the change, but I still have some doubts in terms of compatibility. I think SR players should really use SR version of this tweak and not Tobex one, because else there may be unexpected results (e.g. something that shouldn't be dispellable can be dispelled).

 

@ Taimon, SR is not the only mod using your Dispel Magic Fix, SCS does it too, but to a lesser extent. Afaik SCS simply use it to fix the caster lvl issue, but it doesn't fix the shapeshifting issues (It uses a completely different/outdated way to fix them, by equipping druids with actual items).

 

 

By the way, there is also the possibility of bypassing stone skins. Would this come into use?

Sounds pretty good.

For what? I'm curious.

[DavidW]

@ Taimon, SR is not the only mod using your Dispel Magic Fix, SCS does it too, but to a lesser extent. Afaik SCS simply use it to fix the caster lvl issue, but it doesn't fix the shapeshifting issues (It uses a completely different/outdated way to fix them, by equipping druids with actual items).

 

With apologies for OT-ness, I didn't really write that patch to fix the shapeshifting issues (to this day I'm not 100% sure what they are). My focus was on getting an ability to shapeshift that didn't require aura cleansing. (I thought that was a nice feature of the Tactics version, but that it went too far in permitting spellcasting while shapeshifted.)

[Demivrgvs]

@ Taimon, SR is not the only mod using your Dispel Magic Fix, SCS does it too, but to a lesser extent. Afaik SCS simply use it to fix the caster lvl issue, but it doesn't fix the shapeshifting issues (It uses a completely different/outdated way to fix them, by equipping druids with actual items).

With apologies for OT-ness, I didn't really write that patch to fix the shapeshifting issues (to this day I'm not 100% sure what they are). My focus was on getting an ability to shapeshift that didn't require aura cleansing. (I thought that was a nice feature of the Tactics version, but that it went too far in permitting spellcasting while shapeshifted.)

I didn't wanted to say you did a bad thing, actually it was probably the best one to do back then, but your solution is not usable for players without serious 4th wall breaking (moving paws in the inventory, and instantly shapechange by equipping them). Taimon's patch allow us to fix the shapeshifting issues flawlessly.

 

Afaik shapeshifting issues are more or less two, a technical one and a gamplay-related one. The former is that vanilla's Dispel opcode worked 100% of times against magically created items, but used a caster lvl check for everything else. A shapeshifted creature affected by Dispel could end up losing the "paws" but retaining some of the shapeshifted form effects (all those not applied by the paw itm file). The gameplay "issue" is that a Dispel effect shouldn't work against a shapeshifted creature in the first place (e.g. a Lycanthrope doesn't turn human via dispel).

 

On a side note, I didn't knew you wanted the shapeshifting ability to not count as an action (as under aura cleansing). It's clearly not as per PnP, but you probably have a good reason for doing it.

[Guest Guest_Yarpen_*]

If there's a possibility of implementing percentage chance of deflecting blow? I know it maybe sounds stupid, especially when you've got AC/THAC0 but still ...

[Ascension64]

I'm in favour of mods being standalone as much as possible, so would agree with users using the packaged versions of the exe hacks in SR.

 

On another note, I have preserved the vanilla magical item dispel behaviour in TobEx, swapping behaviours of high WORD 0 and 1. So 0 is always dispellable, 1 is not dispellable.

[DavidW]

On a side note, I didn't knew you wanted the shapeshifting ability to not count as an action (as under aura cleansing). It's clearly not as per PnP, but you probably have a good reason for doing it.

 

My experience is that shapeshifting is very fiddly to use in combat (both for players and for the AI) when it commits you to using up a round of spellcasting or potion-using, and that as a consequence (and also due to some issues in its quantitative powers), shapeshifting isn't much used above about tenth level. That seems to me to be a shame, since it's such a distinctive feature of druids.The virtue of the "paw" approach is that it's very quick and flexible, and also that it's useable at will. By stopping spellcasting while shapeshifted, though, it manages (I hope) to avoid the opposite situation where you stay shapeshifted the whole time, which I dislike for flavour as well as balance reasons. I don't know how well all this works in practice: I know people have it installed, but I've had limited feedback.

 

As for 4th wall issues, your mileage may vary. I've never particularly had a problem with the idea that a druid's shapeshift is tied to some token which they equip, but if others do, that's fine. But fixing the dispellable-paws bug never had anything to do with this component. I'm pleased you've done it, but I don't think it particularly overlaps with SCS shapeshifting.

[Ardanis]

By the way, there is also the possibility of bypassing stone skins. Would this come into use?

Sounds pretty good.

For what? I'm curious.

For spells dealing physical damage, I think, Comet coming the closest. But that probably is better handled from the effect, not header... maybe.

[Acleacius]

Tried to search first, but does (could) this help EasyTutu installs or has it been implemented in another mod?

 

 

Thanks for your work on this.

[Taimon]

Tried to search first, but does (could) this help EasyTutu installs or has it been implemented in another mod?

Some of this is in other mods, but I lost track of what is where.

If EasyTutu uses the ToB executable, then you can use these hacks.

Just try it out -- it should fail if something is wrong.

Also have a look at Ascension64s ToBEx.

[Taimon]

A little late, but here is a new update:

 

The racetext component had an issue on the char generation screen because Bioware decided not follow race.ids there. (swapped gnome and dwarf)

And the profsmax component did not work because I provided debug instead file offsets when creating the patch.

I also changed the default behavior of the dispel effect to dispel items, as previously discussed.

 

Two new components:

The first tries to fix the repeating effects and the other corrects the asounds.2da bug, where only the first and the last sound will play. (animation sounds)

 

As always, please do some testing before you integrate it in your mod.