use of Find Familiar by a character in MP mode

[Lemernis]

Oops, I should have been clearer that the other 28 NPCs in the game would still be joinable! (I proposed a fun little no reload speed game challenge at the BGEE forums using only the Candlkeep characters. But for a mod like this all the NPCs that we know and love would still be joinable.)

 

So I would assume it is on principle that some would find removing original content unpalatable. But the original content the characters provide... is it really that important to the experience of the game?

 

Am I being a heretic here, lol?

[Lemernis]

I don't see how there would be any gameplay difference. Any mod that touches the same part as yours could be problematic, be it a fixpack or something more content or rule oriented.

 

I wonder what might be touched with these characters, though. Maybe Bendalis (I think it's him) since he tells you about Koveras. And Piato directs you to Gorion's chamber. But otherwise I'm having a hard time imagining what other mods might do that would affect the scripts or other files associated with the characters...

[Lemernis]

 

I mean, compatibility issues aside, just from the gameplay aspect which version of the mod do you think you would be more enjoyable? I know it's subjective, but just curious.

The one that build with skill, as in; proper INTERJECT_COPY_TRANS'es to the already existing dialogs, that doesn't cut out original content and make it <MOD CONTENT inserted here !!!!> *flashing neo lights*...

It takes a little bit more skill, and effort.

 

I don't see how there would be any gameplay difference.

You must not have noticed the: Remove those characters from the game and replace them with my versions as (only) joinable NPCs (without their original content).

 

 

Okay, I do get where you're coming from. What I'm envisioning might still be done while yet preserving original content, just with more work.

 

It does seem very complicated this way, though...

 

For example if you depart Candlekeep at the end of the Prologue with any of the monks that also later appear inside the library in Chapter 6, what then? I guess if preserving original content is paramount then you don't... You'd only be able to add them in Chapter 6, at which point the game is quickly winding down... plus you'll already have your party by then; and imho they are some of the funnest characters...

 

Karan reappears in Chapter 6. So if he joins in the Prologue, then he can't appear later inside the library in Chapter 6.

 

Similarly, Karan's and Parda's dialogues with CHARNAME in the Prologue no longer make sense if Shank and Carbos are rescripted to become joinable. CHARNAME's dialogues in response to them have to be revised at least.

 

And what does one do about the appearance of many of these characters in the catacombs as doppelgangers? None of that would make any sense then.

 

I mean, I think for this you'd have to go "all-in" with replacing the characters wouldn't you? I don't see how original content can be coherently preserved if they are joinable.

[lynx]

Wrong alignment, race, specifics, soundset etc. Fixpackers are pedantic. Typos. Equipment revisions, randomizers.

 

When you return to Candlekeep, the areas are new, so the original characters don't matter. It's just about how you explain it in the story — you'll have to handle the new areas separately either way. But from a technical point of view, enhancing (patching) those chars instead of replacing them is the right way to do it.

[Jarno Mikkola]

For example if you depart Candlekeep at the end of the Prologue with any of the monks that also later appear inside the library in Chapter 6, what then? I guess if preserving original content is paramount then you don't...

Well, then you include a dialog from that particular NPC that confirms the players already existing inner suspicion, that the 'monk' is a doppelganger... doh, and it can attack. Or if the player really got had, the NPC they have had dragged around the game is the doppelganger and they both attack the player, yey !

 

Oops, I should have been clearer that the other 28 NPCs in the game would still be joinable!

That was never under suspicion, and that would really be heresy... burn in the name of the Emperor.

[Lemernis]

 

The change to the spell name required modification of the StringRef 25903, and I "updated value" as such (as well as for the change to the spell icon). But I now see that the spell name for SPIN115 in NI's Spells directory is changed to "Summon Fairy Dragon" as well. I'm not sure why that would be. (?)

Because you didn't change the string reference, but the text in the string. The two sentences are related, so I quoted them purposely as the same narrative.

Usually if you want to add strings to the game, you do it with a renamed Weidu.exe and a .tp2 function when you copy the spell, like so:

BACKUP ~mymod/backup~
AUTHOR ~Lemernis~

//README ~<filepath>.txt~
VERSION ~beta 1~

BEGIN ~Summon Fairy Dragon spell~  
COPY_EXISTING ~spin115.spl~ ~override/spinsfd.spl~
SAY NAME1 ~Summon Fairy Dragon~
SAY NAME2 ~Summon Fairy Dragon~

The reason why you need to rename the weidu.exe as setup-mymod.exe, is that it takes orders from the setup-mymod.tp2 file.

Welcome to the weidu moding.

 

 

Thanks. So that code above is a placed in a .tp2 file? And I rename a weidu.exe as something like setup-pardasfd.exe, How do I make a .tp2 file? Create it with ConTEXT and add the extension .tp2? (That's what I'll try.)

[Jarno Mikkola]

Thanks. So that code above is a placed in a .tp2 file? And I rename a weidu.exe as something like setup-pardasfd.exe, How do I make a .tp2 file? Create it with ConTEXT and add the extension .tp2? (That's what I'll try.)

Yes.

On PC, you just make a new .txt file from right clicking in any folder, and then opening it with Notepad, you then use the "Save As"... that allows you to rewrite the file extension as you like it to be, so you just set the whole name as "setup-pardasfd.tp2", without the quotes.

Or if you have set the file browser to view the file extensions, you can just change the .txt to be .tp2 ...

[Lemernis]

Thanks. Well, I first changed the text back from "Summon Fairy Dragon" to "Summon Ghast" for the string of the spell name in SPINSFD, as well as changing back the spell icon from the one for Find Familiar to Summon Ghast, and then I tried it to see if it would work again; but the PARDAFAM.BS script still does not work in-game.

 

To create the .tp2 I just copied the one from Keeping Yoshimo, edited it, and renamed it "setup-pardasfd."

 

And now I have tried the above, and setup doesn't install (<queried ,pid = -1>):

 

WeiDU v 23600 Log

C:\Program Files (x86)\Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition\Data\00766\setup-pardasfd.exe.exe

 

I have a .tp2 file named "setup-pardasfd" with

 

BACKUP ~pardasfd/backup~
AUTHOR ~Lemernis~

//README ~<filepath>.txt~
VERSION ~beta 1~

BEGIN ~Summon Fairy Dragon spell~
COPY_EXISTING ~spin115.spl~ ~override/spinsfd.spl~
SAY NAME1 ~Summon Fairy Dragon~
SAY NAME2 ~Summon Fairy Dragon~

 

 

The .tp2 file simply has to be at the same file level as setup-pardasfd.exe, right? Both the weidu.exe and .tp2 are at C:\Program Files (x86)\Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition\Data\00766 where the chitin.key is.

[Jarno Mikkola]

 

WeiDU v 23600 Log

 

C:\Program Files (x86)\Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition\Data\00766\setup-pardasfd.exe.exe

This at least gives you the clue that you need to remove the other .exe from the files name...

Could be that if you try to rename the file in the folder, you can not do it because the C:\Program Files (x86)\ -folder protection given to it by the Windows. Or you just don't have the file extensions up correctly as shown in my post above yours link...how to enable them.

[Lemernis]

Okay thanks. I did not have the .tp2 file extension added to the name of the .tp2 file. And I did do some renaming within the folder. So I deleted the files and recreated them in another folder and tried again. But now I get this:

 

 

and the 00766 folder looks like this:

 

[Jarno Mikkola]

and the 00766 folder looks like this:

I suspect that the setup-pardasfd.tp2 is actually setup-pardasfd.tp2.tp2 -file, so go and enable the file extensions to be viewable in the folder options. Then you can manually edit the extensions too.

[Lemernis]

Thanks. By the way, I now realize that I stupidly forgot to turn on party AI before when testing after changing SPINSFD's name and icon back to what they were with Summon Ghast. But oh well.

 

I changed Windows to show hidden folders and files, but I did not set it to show unknown files extensions.

 

 

So I unchecked that box and everything installed fine.

 

So it now works! But because of the changes I made to try to correct things it summoned a ghast. I went back in to SPINSFD to edit and changed the spell effect resource to fairy dragon again. And sure enough, it now summons a fairy dragon.

 

Should I now be able to edit the spell icon for SPINSFD to use the .BAM for Find Familiar instead of Summon Ghast without any worries?

[Lemernis]

One thing, though. The summoned fairy dragon has the Mirror Image spell memorized. But when you create a familiar using the Find Familiar spell for a NG character, the fairy dragon has Blur memorized. I mean, it probably doesn't make that much of a difference. They're similar spells. But which do you think is the spell you would prefer for such a creature: which, remember, (at least conceptually) is a familiar that has an unusual regenerating property (i.e., it can be killed without negative consequences to owner once per rest cycle) due to a wild magic surge when attempting to transform an iguana into a magical creature? Bear in mind also that all the characters in this collection are underpowered, compared to the standard NPCs and the sorts of main characters that we typically roll up. So I think between Blur and Mirror Image, I'd like to use the stronger of the two. Any opinions as to which might provide more of an edge to the critter, which will be meleeing?

[Jarno Mikkola]

Should I now be able to edit the spell icon for SPINSFD to use the .BAM for Find Familiar instead of Summon Ghast without any worries?

Yes, and you should then (after you have done the tweak in the NI)copy paste the .spl file to the mod folder, so in case you reinstall the mod at some point the change won't get lost... or you could just do it with a weidu .tp2 function, but this is a bit harder to show as an example without the .spl in my hands.

 

between Blur and Mirror Image, ...Any opinions as to which might provide more of an edge to the critter, which will be meleeing?

Fun thing, this depends on the players difficulty setting, the easier it is, the more likely the mirror image will be able to protect the caster from damage. So long as the images exist.

[Lemernis]

Oh also--finally (?), how would I now modify the .tp2 to load all the files for the collection of characters to either the Override folder (or any other specific locations if preferable)? That is, I have portraits and chr, and bio files for all 18 characters for players to try out in a MP game. Since I had to create the weidu.exe for Parda's special ability anyway, I might as well have it unpack all the files where they belong. With a readme of course.

 

Adding the custom soundsets I'll worry about later. It'll take some time to sift through my collection and adapt the old BG1 and BG2 soundsets I have for the original saga to BGEE. I will eventually want to add them, though.