Revised SCS

[Daxtreme]

 

Since I have SR installed but I play solo, should I install this version or the default SCS? I want to play solo though, and I just hope I can actually complete the game with a solo mage! Is it still possible?

With latest SR you won't solo a mage through ToB, sorry.

 

 

 

With or without SCS? I'm guessing with SCS because without it it's a walk in the park, the default AI is really subject to cheese strategies, even with SR on.

[Wyrd]

 

With latest SR you won't solo a mage through ToB, sorry.

 

Can I ask you exactly why? Or, more in general, what gameplay changes should I expect from the new SR version?

 

It seems to me that with the new Dispelling Screen caster level becomes very important to keep buffs up, and that most of the danger of being dispelled will come from 'dispel magic'. This will especially make suffer multi character, since they will never have high CL. In ToB It's still easy to get dispelled if you have, say, a lv 35-40 cleric or a lv 31 mage with +2 CL from one of the IR items?

[kreso]

ToB will be so difficult since Demons have unlimited spells; and a solo mage can't really kill them quickly.

[Wyrd]

Thanks

[Daxtreme]

I've played with this SCS special SR mod on, here are my thoughts!

 

First of all, huge thanks to kreso and DavidW for making these mods, they're great!

 

Let's get to it

 

- The Mage released by Freedom in the Underdark, Vithal... when I fought him he didn't do anything. He just walked up to me and hit me with his staff until he died. 20,000 XP! Is that how it's supposed to happen? I can't remember if he actually put up a fight in vanilla.

 

- I stumbled upon a random Undead Spawn Lich in Spellhold and it... didn't do much. Especially for a Lich. I mean, I fought some liches and they were a real challenge, like Alchra Diagott for example, who opened with Wish --> Double length Time Stop + Improved Alacrity --> Bunch of spells. Killed me twice. Loved it! But yeah, this Lich in spellhold just walked around, threw melf's minute meteors at me, and eventually died without much resistance. Bummer!

 

- Speaking of Melf Minute Meteor, I think a Lich specifically should be above using such a spell and trying to hit you in-between spells. I think Liches should plant themselves there and attempt to pile up maximum casualties ASAP with high level spells/Gate, but maybe that's just me

 

- Everything goes so fast, it's awesome.

 

- Not sure why but I could buy all the Spell Immunity scrolls, which I think have been replaced? Hopefully it's a by-product of the Anthology Tweaks, because if not, most of them had screwed icons and stuff. SR might be to blame, not sure. Dispelling Screen stacked over SI: Abj seems a bit too much to me.

 

- Maybe have more variety in what enemy spellcasters summon for lvl 7? I've been fighting mages all day that summon mordenkainen swords... but there are a lot more possibilities! Summon Djinni, Efreeti, Nishruu... can they even summon these? I'm only seeing MSwords stacked next to MSwords everywhere. Maybe I'm just being quite unlucky. I've definitely gotten Ogres/spiders and stuff summoned next to me, just nothing else from lvl 7.

 

- I'm just loving how fights don't always go the same. Sometimes enemy spellcasters open with something, other times it's different. Keeps things fresh. I know it's also featured in original SCS but it's great.

 

Might have more coming up later but for now that's it.

 

Thanks for this mod!

 

Dax

[kreso]

- The Mage released by Freedom in the Underdark, Vithal... when I fought him he didn't do anything. He just walked up to me and hit me with his staff until he died. 20,000 XP! Is that how it's supposed to happen? I can't remember if he actually put up a fight in vanilla.

It's not really supposed to happen. I'll check it out in game (seems fine when checked with editor).

 

 

- I stumbled upon a random Undead Spawn Lich in Spellhold and it... didn't do much. Especially for a Lich. I mean, I fought some liches and they were a real challenge, like Alchra Diagott for example, who opened with Wish --> Double length Time Stop + Improved Alacrity --> Bunch of spells. Killed me twice. Loved it! But yeah, this Lich in spellhold just walked around, threw melf's minute meteors at me, and eventually died without much resistance. Bummer!

There is a lich in the game (lich01.cre; I'm not sure if this is the one that spawns there) which is only level 9 thus gets spells up to level 5... I'll look into it.

 

 

Speaking of Melf Minute Meteor, I think a Lich specifically should be above using such a spell and trying to hit you in-between spells. I think Liches should plant themselves there and attempt to pile up maximum casualties ASAP with high level spells/Gate, but maybe that's just me

I agree, but I don't really fiddle with cast'n'attack stuff - best I could do is remove this spell from liches which would make them try to attack melee (they're awfully slow-moving and it would be horrible). They usually try to hit spellcasters with it to disrupt castings, which is what they probably should be doing, no?

 

 

- Not sure why but I could buy all the Spell Immunity scrolls, which I think have been replaced? Hopefully it's a by-product of the Anthology Tweaks, because if not, most of them had screwed icons and stuff. SR might be to blame, not sure. Dispelling Screen stacked over SI: Abj seems a bit too much to me.

Odd...try posting your Weidu file. Yeah, DS+SI:Abj isn't meant to be used. Do you have some "make individual copies of SI scrolls" tweak installed? SI scroll shouldn't even exist in the game, SR replaces it.

 

 

- Maybe have more variety in what enemy spellcasters summon for lvl 7? I've been fighting mages all day that summon mordenkainen swords... but there are a lot more possibilities! Summon Djinni, Efreeti, Nishruu... can they even summon these? I'm only seeing MSwords stacked next to MSwords everywhere. Maybe I'm just being quite unlucky. I've definitely gotten Ogres/spiders and stuff summoned next to me, just nothing else from lvl 7.

SCS is kinda random with spell picks and school assignment. Here's what's used for level 7 summons:

 

CONJURER - Efreet, Hakaeshar (they get a bunch of lower level summons as well). What could be added is Djinni and Demons/Devils; level 7 MS from SR needs more work.

FIGHTER-MAGE - Mordy (low priority, they should be using Prismatic Mantle at level 7 over summons anyway and spell slots are fairly limited for them)

INVOKER - Mordy, since it's Evocation

NECROMANCER - Cacofiend (Death Knight for you, but SCS will summon Demons/Devils via this spell depending on alignment) (+ a bunch of undead at level 5 & 6)

ENCHANTER - none at level 7 - this is due to their lack of evocations - they focus on PW spells (now I see a bug, they shouldn't get Waves of Fatigue, will fix) and some high-powered transmutations (Flesh to Stone); Hold Monster and similar stuff that disables you.

 

Note, I didn't want for example that Invokers focuses on summons - they focus on direct damage, Necros focus on summoning Undead at lower levels and level 7 is usually Finger of Death (seems fitting imo and you save at -4 vs a necro's FoD). As you said, it might be "bad luck" so you get plenty of Invokers. If you reinstall, it randomizes again; I haven't touched the part of SCS that deals with that.

 

If you have ideas about spell picks, please post them - I didn't really spend much time or tought about it.

Thanx for your toughts, appreciated.

[Ardanis]

I agree, but I don't really fiddle with cast'n'attack stuff - best I could do is remove this spell from liches which would make them try to attack melee (they're awfully slow-moving and it would be horrible).

 

I made the passive attack routine for SoD mages - they'll attack if target is within range or if they're out of spells, otherwise they stay rooted.

 

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

// if in melee range, equip melee and attack nearest

// if have ranged equipped, attack nearest

// attack with ranged weapon if more than 1 round has passed since the last time i've used a spell

// otherwise just equip ranged without attacking

IF

See(NearestEnemyOf(Myself))

Range(LastSeenBy(Myself),5)

THEN RESPONSE #100

EquipMostDamagingMelee()

AttackReevaluate(NearestEnemyOf(Myself),30)

END

IF

See(NearestEnemyOf(Myself))

IsWeaponRanged(Myself)

THEN RESPONSE #100

AttackReevaluate(NearestEnemyOf(Myself),30)

END

IF

See(NearestEnemyOf(Myself))

!GlobalTimerNotExpired("bd_cast","locals")

THEN RESPONSE #100

EquipRanged()

AttackReevaluate(NearestEnemyOf(Myself),30)

END

IF

See(NearestEnemyOf(Myself))

Delay(2)

THEN RESPONSE #100

EquipRanged()

END

 

[Daxtreme]

Wow, a lvl 9 Lich? Color me surprised, I didn't know that. Come to think of it, it didn't do much. It had a few spell protections but frankly, dealing with the 2 greater mummies was the greater threat here, if that's any indication...

 

Thanks for looking into it, I'll try to replicate those fights if I can (Lich and Vithal), see if maybe I just got a random bug.

 

> They usually try to hit spellcasters with it to disrupt castings, which is what they probably should be doing, no?

 

Yeah, I mean, it's logical, but it kinda feels wrong. I don't know... The only problem I have with that is that, you encounter a low-level mage in Athkatla, and he's walking around throwing melf minute meteors at you between spells.

 

You then encounter a Lich, an undead archmage who has access to the most powerful spells imaginable... and he walks around, throws melf minute meteor at you. Kinda makes the fights stale i.e. feel all the same, and doesn't make you truly appreciate the power difference between the 2.

 

Just saying.

 

Maybe the problem is melf minute meteor in itself, maybe it shouldn't work that way if a low-level mage and a high-level mage can interrupt spellcasting with it with total indifference to their level. Maybe a low level mage should be using that spell to give himself an advantage, but what I really mean is that a Lich shouldn't need to rely on such a spell. Maybe I just dislike melf minute meteor (I think it's a cheesy spell that doesn't belong in the game)

 

> Odd...try posting your Weidu file. Yeah, DS+SI:Abj isn't meant to be used. Do you have some "make individual copies of SI scrolls" tweak installed? SI scroll shouldn't even exist in the game, SR replaces it.

 

STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2160 // Add an extra copy of some hard-to-find spell scrolls: v30forSR

 

Maybe this is what you're talking about? If so, i'll simply refrain myself from using them.

 

> CONJURER - Efreet, Hakaeshar (they get a bunch of lower level summons as well). What could be added is Djinni and Demons/Devils

 

I think that would be a great idea actually!

 

So I will try to replicate the buggy fights, thanks for checking those things out, and again, good job on this, so far it's a blast!

 

edit (poster above): "they'll attack if target is within range or if they're out of spells, otherwise they stay rooted."

 

I think that would work really great as well. We could try to find something else to give to Lich to compensate, the main goal here is to increase the variability of spells you encounter between fights/types of enemies! Just throwing ideas out there by the way

 

2nd edit: I replicated the fight with Vithal. Sadly he really didn't do anything.

 

Here is a link to the video I frapsed: https://www.dropbox.com/s/brbw3pk7p3h13ux/VithalBug.mp4?dl=0

 

He just walked up to me and attacked. It doesn't change anything whether I complete his quest or not, he doesn't cast anything nor does he have any spell protections up.

Edited November 26, 2016 by Daxtreme

[kreso]

I agree that Lich tossing flaming rocks is silly, it's simply the "most effective" thing to do in between casting for them. Provided they're high-enough level they'll throw Energy Blades (Kangaxx also....that's hilarious when you think of it).

 

About Vithat - I think this indeed may be a bug, but hardly of my doing - he does have spells but lacks scripting to actually use them, he has a wrong script assigned....will fix in 5 min and give you a hotfix.

[kreso]

Here....this is made in 2 min and so it will probably ask you if you want to install custom items or some crap...just install over SCS; Vithal should be fixed by it. Link.

[Daxtreme]

Do I have to re-install the whole SCS to install this fix?

 

Also, I have tweaks anthology (only mod installed after SCS), do I need to re-install it too?

[kreso]

No, don't reinstall anything, download and install over whatever you have installed.

Edited November 26, 2016 by kreso

[Daxtreme]

Also, I tested today the fight vs Sorcerous Amon and his party in The Den of the Seven Vales (waukeen's promenade 2nd floor) and he didn't do much.

 

Same bug maybe?

 

edit: Nevermind, he did exactly this: protected by Stoneskin, Globe of Invul, then dispel magic on me. Then he died, so he didn't exactly do nothing. My bad.

Edited November 27, 2016 by Daxtreme

[kreso]

STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2160 // Add an extra copy of some hard-to-find spell scrolls: v30forSR

 

Maybe this is what you're talking about?

No, SCS had an option to allow individual versions of SI to be used, they all used different icons and had to be memorized seperately - this allowed for their use in triggers for players....but I believe this option doesn't exist on ToBex or EE installs. Odd, to say the least.

 

P.S.

 

About that Lich. SCS should replace him with a different version which is level 25. I'm sure I've played some installs where he'd be a very lethal foe (coupled with aTweaks Greater Mummies + Aerial Servants it was one of the hardest game fights actually). I'll look into it tomorrow; I doubt this is due to "revised SCS"; I haven't messed with random spawns so it's likely to be connected to EE (on old engine it works fine).

Edited November 27, 2016 by kreso

[Daxtreme]

 

STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2160 // Add an extra copy of some hard-to-find spell scrolls: v30forSR

 

Maybe this is what you're talking about?

No, SCS had an option to allow individual versions of SI to be used, they all used different icons and had to be memorized seperately - this allowed for their use in triggers for players....but I believe this option doesn't exist on ToBex or EE installs. Odd, to say the least.

 

 

~STRATAGEMS/SETUP-STRATAGEMS.TP2~ #0 #2050 // Allow individual versions of Spell Immunity to be placed into Contingencies and Spell Triggers: v30forSR

 

I have this installed. Maybe this is the culprit?

Edited November 27, 2016 by Daxtreme