Rakshasas and Breach

[cipher]

What you would get is a Breach that doesn't get stopped by Spell Shield, while the one SCS uses does. (not the end of the world, but it's fairly inconsistent).

 

So it's SCS that does this? I thought it was SR. I find this very strange, DW doesn't make changes to the default behaviour easily.

[toxin]

Copy the weidu.log file from the game folder to someplace else so you can read it, run the setup-scs.exe again and uninstall everything, then repalce the spell file with the arvicve above, and reinstall SCS. Simple, easy.

 

Instead of uninstalling and reinstalling all of SCS, can't I just select the "fine-tune" option in stratagems.bat and then uninstall only the "consistent breach" breach tweak, after which I can use Galactygon's SPWI513 override normally?

 

Also, Galactygon said "Here is an attachment for the modified breach spell that works for BG2 vanilla" - does that mean I might have issues with BG2:EE?

 

Thanks again!

[subtledoctor]

Wait wait wait. No need to re-install SCS, I don't think. Why do that - because SCS makes clones of the Breach spell, and by replacing the Breach spell alone with Galactygon's modded one you'll miss others?

 

No problem. A simple little Weidu mod with COPY_REGEXP all spells, CLONE_EFFECT, match_opcode = the breach effect, then set the new effect as a 0-point AC bonus for 0 seconds, and add it as the 1st extended header... that should be simple to whip up and run at the end of your install order as a little hotfix. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but that seems like it would be far, far, far easier and better than what Jarno suggested. (No offense, Jarno.)

 

(I'd whip it up myself and provide it, but I'm not at my computer. But surely somebody can make it.)

[Jarno Mikkola]

(No offense, Jarno.)

Well, there's a small reason, but if you don't want the same rules to all parties (player chars and enemies), then you are free to dotch your game as freely as you wish...

And it was clear that there was no offence, so I can't really take it, even if I wanted... ... ok, that was bad humor, but I trust that you know what I mean, it's better than all right to make those notions.

 

does that mean I might have issues with BG2:EE?

No, not in this case.

 

Jarno as usual I can't understand what your objection is.

It's the usual, if you just change one spell(by overwriting it), you can't do the others after they have been installed already. But I believe there's no objetions to the last, if you do as you have said in your post...

[subtledoctor]

Alright, try this hotfix:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/86011511/breachier.zip

 

This will convert any spell that includes the "remove combat protections" effect to follow Galactygon's example (a first effect of AC+0 for 0 seconds at power=5, then power=9 for all of the other effects). It does not change the power of any effects for any innate spells (like bpdispel.spl) because that would be bad.

 

Jarno as usual I can't understand what your objection is. This will equally change every spell in the game that has the "breach" effect, so everyone should be playing by the same rules.

 

EDIT - I haven't tested this aside from making sure it installs on BG2EE, but it should work with existing saves - no mod reinstallations or new games needed. So if anyone has a save outside Ihtafeer's house (whether SCS is installed on not) and can let me know if this in fact makes him vulnerable to Breach, that would be grand. Thx.

[toxin]

Thank you subtledoctor, and I believe I do have a save outside that house, but before I give it a try could you please clarify something?

 

This will convert any spell that includes the "remove combat protections" effect to follow Galactygon's example

 

Does this mean spells other than breach will be modified as well (for example Dispel)? I'm not really sure if I object to that, just saying it may require some thought as this was not the intention of the original "modified breach" component (for example, I wonder if it's going to make Dispel overpowered).

[toxin]

At any rate here's my save if anyone wants to play around with it, I'll give it a shot when I get back from work: http://www.filedropper.com/000000094-ihtafeer

[kreso]

 

 

This will convert any spell that includes the "remove combat protections" effect to follow Galactygon's example

 

Does this mean spells other than breach will be modified as well (for example Dispel)? I'm not really sure if I object to that, just saying it may require some thought as this was not the intention of the original "modified breach" component (for example, I wonder if it's going to make Dispel overpowered).

No, in vanilla system it should affect Breach alone.

[toxin]

 

 

 

This will convert any spell that includes the "remove combat protections" effect to follow Galactygon's example

 

Does this mean spells other than breach will be modified as well (for example Dispel)? I'm not really sure if I object to that, just saying it may require some thought as this was not the intention of the original "modified breach" component (for example, I wonder if it's going to make Dispel overpowered).

No, in vanilla system it should affect Breach alone.

 

 

Just to be sure, by "vanilla" you mean BG2:EE + SCS V30?

[subtledoctor]

It only affects spells that have effects using opcode 221 with parameter2 set to 7. In the unmodded BG2EE game that only includes 4 spells: Breach, two versions of Breach that can result from Wish spells (spwish25.spl and spwish38.spl), and something called bpdispel.spl which I presume is related to the Black Pits.

 

That last one is coded as an innate ability, and innate abilities should not have their 'power' changed, so I set it to only change .spl files whose 'type' is 'wizard' or 'priest' or 'psionic'.

 

Finally, this being Weidu, it should uninstall cleanly.

 

As a last note, if this works, anyone should feel free to use this code and/or improve upon it (my code can almost always be improved upon) in any mod that aims to make Breach behave this way (SR/SCS/whatever).

[subtledoctor]

 

Jarno as usual I can't understand what your objection is.

It's the usual, if you just change one spell(by overwriting it), you can't do the others after they have been installed already.

Just to clarify: yes, you can. This isn't changing spwi513.spl, it is searching every spell in your game or override folder that uses opcode=221/param2=7. Meaning Breach, SCS clones of Breach, mod-created Breach spells, SRv4 Pierce Shield which has Breach added to its effects, etc. This is the magic of the CLONE_EFFECT patch function. It's quite wonderful. (Note, it doesn't overwrite anything, it patches.)

 

And, to further clarify: this does NOT change Breach to bounce off Spell Turning/Deflection/Shield. It is only doing half the job that the SCS component does. So you still need to install that component if you want your game to work the SCS way. ...And if you install that component, the rest of the problem described by Galactygon will still happen: liches will be vulnerable to any 5th-level spells added by mods. That's not good.

 

So, if people can test this for me, and it works, I can extend it to cover the full behavior of the SCS component. Then I'll publish it somewhere for people to use *instead* of the SCS component. (And/or give it to DavidW for SCSv31.)

[subtledoctor]

Sorry for the multiple posts, but I want to get this right.

Simply set all of the effects' power levels in SPWI513.spl to 9. Then, place a dummy effect right at the front of the effects list of the extended header with a power level of 5. That dummy effect can be something that bestows an AC bonus of 0 for a duration of 0. Make sure to set the sectype from MAGICALATTACK (4) to NONE (0) because any spell with sectype MAGICATTACK (4) is hardcoded to burn through any/all protections/deflections/turnings/traps (including opcode 102).

@Galactygon, where is this sectype value? I am using NI. In the vanilla spwi513.spl there are two effects using opcode 221: one has parameter2 set to "specific protections (2)" and one has parameter2 set to "combat protections (7)". One of the possible values for parameter2 is "magic attack (4)"... so I'm guessing that is the sectype field you mentioned...?

 

If so, that's fine, Breach, by default, does not have any effects using the "magic attack (4)" value. And for the added AC bonus effect, the parameter2 field covers different behavior (bonus vs. slashing weapons, bonus vs. piercing weapons, etc.) and in any event my little hotfix mod sets that value to 0 so it should work fine. But, if you get a chance, please confirm that my understanding is correct. Thanks!

 

EDIT - found the sectype value, at offset 0x27. I'm modified the uploaded hotfix to set that to zero, per Galatygon's suggestion. Anyone who wants to use this, please re-download it.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/86011511/breachier.zip

 

But, (@Galactygon @kreso) will changing Breach's sectype from 4 to 0 affect anything else? Will scripts work differently?

[toxin]

Forgive me but I lost track at some point - how exactly should I install the latest breachier.zip, assuming I currently have vanilla BG2:EE + SCS V30 (with the "consistent breach" component installed)?

[subtledoctor]

It's a Weidu mod. Unzip it and put the contents (a folder called 'breachier' and a file called 'setup-breachier.exe') into your game folder and run setup-breachier.exe.

 

(If it's not called breachier.exe then rename to that name.)

 

I only included the Windows version of Weidu... if you're on a Mac, download my Scales of Balance mod from my signature, unzip it, and put the file called 'weidu' and the Mac Weidu Lancher into your game folder along with the 'breachier' files, and run the Mac Weidu Launcher.

 

You do NOT have to change your SCS install in any way. This hotfix installs over it, like a blanket. It will say "installed with warnings" but don't worry about it, that's okay.

 

(On the other hand, do not install Scales of Balance after SCS.)

[toxin]

Thank you for the detailed explanation

I will try it and report back.