Revised SCS

[Grammarsalad]

 

 

I think AI mages are always desperate; who wouldn't be when a full adventuring party appears in view? I do like the idea of a chance of the summoned fiend turning on the enemy caster too, though. A nice bit of entertaining randomness there.

I support this as well.

Agreed

[zenblack]

Hello weekend! Will we see something behind door number 2?

[Demivrgvs]

Hello weekend! Will we see something behind door number 2?

My deadline is December 20. I hope to upload a new SR build this weekend though.

[DreamSlaveOne]

It's nice to see that Revisions are alive and kicking It looks like my yearly playthrough in january will be very fun and exciting!

[Hoverdawg]

 

Hello weekend! Will we see something behind door number 2?

My deadline is December 20. I hope to upload a new SR build this weekend though.

 

my body is ready.

[Incantatar]

I see instant monster summoning from the AI at the start of combat and I don't have short duration precast enabled. This should not be scripted in long term precast, except the 8 hour summons.

[kreso]

I see instant monster summoning from the AI at the start of combat and I don't have short duration precast enabled. This should not be scripted in long term precast, except the 8 hour summons.

They're in the long preparation buff routine. There aren't really many 8 hours summons (maybe undead? I can't remember) so....

[Incantatar]

 

I see instant monster summoning from the AI at the start of combat and I don't have short duration precast enabled. This should not be scripted in long term precast, except the 8 hour summons.

They're in the long preparation buff routine. There aren't really many 8 hours summons (maybe undead? I can't remember) so....

 

Only Animate Dead and Invisible Stalker.

 

It's not that big of a deal for me personally because I play solo but if you play with a party and any high level mage can instantly summon Greater Basilisks every time you encounter one, that can get frustrating. There is no way around this else not installing smarter mages.

[zenblack]

Kreso,

 

How large are the improvements that you have submitted for the next version of IR for EE? I ask because I am tired of waiting and if they are only QoL improvements and not major (like concentration checks) then it isn't worth the aggravation of having someone other than yourself held accountable for release.

[Demivrgvs]

Kreso,

 

How large are the improvements that you have submitted for the next version of IR for EE? I ask because I am tired of waiting and if they are only QoL improvements and not major (like concentration checks) then it isn't worth the aggravation of having someone other than yourself held accountable for release.

I cannot speak for Kreso but if I don't manage to upload the full new build on github within 24 hours I'll give you my own via dropbox.

[kreso]

Kreso,

How large are the improvements that you have submitted for the next version of IR for EE? I ask because I am tired of waiting and if they are only QoL improvements and not major (like concentration checks) then it isn't worth the aggravation of having someone other than yourself held accountable for release.

You mean Spell Revisions? What I've sent to Demi is some updated code so Deflections will work much better and cover much more spells. Also fixed REfinements code. I hope he will include some other tweaks as well; if for nothing than for SoD AI to work properly (mages use Haste to speed up entire armies, but with SR they fail with it...).

As per Item Revisions, I've last posted some stuff that needs to be tweaked/changed etc. Demi hasn't responded on it.

As per EE-only SR component, it's not really "needed"; but it's (kind of) done. I haven't really played or done any modding stuff in ten days or so, pretty much due to burnout (going through thousands of files with NearInfinity several times isn't fun) and having much RL work. I work at a school so just before holidays I'm swamped in damn paperwork. However, starting from today I'm on a 3-week holiday so..... . I'll get back on BG in few days.

To my great dissapointment, EEs didn't implement Tobex concentration check properly. It's bugged, it seems to be completely random and fixing this is something that has to be done on engine level.

Edited December 23, 2016 by kreso

[kreso]

It's not that big of a deal for me personally because I play solo but if you play with a party and any high level mage can instantly summon Greater Basilisks every time you encounter one, that can get frustrating. There is no way around this else not installing smarter mages.

Yeah, I understand this is probably very frustrating. I'm kinda hoping Demi will tweak MSIX to summon something else rather than basilisk.

My main gripe against how AI mages play is that most of them are piss-poor weak w/o some meatshields if they're solo like Lavok, which is the main idea behind this tweak. While I can uderstand that original SCS idea isn't to beef up such encounters; I'd probably rework some of them.

Example of what I'm pointing at:

Lavok is supposed to be an ultra-powerful mage. With SCS, he has levels, he has spells, he has "brains" to use them, yet the battle is very easy since he can be overwhelmed by sheer numbers - and this makes all his levels, spells and "brains" moot since after he eats a Breach spell he's pretty much dead, with the player witnessing approx 20% of what he CAN do, but usually fails to.

If he's that powerful, couldn't he create some creatures that assist him? Has some deal with a Demon from the Planes? Just imagine this battle now vs one where you'd have Lavok + a Pit Fiend or two. A Lich could also be there. Now you've got a worthy battle, not some solo schmuck mage with a unique animation.

There are quite a few such encounters in SoA. ToB is (imo) much more balanced regarding; mages are rarely alone there.

Improved Anvil goes around that by increasing enemy immunities so they last much longer, but that's not really the direction I want to go. Thus, I went for instant summons to at least give mages some backup. If I find the time and willpower to learn more about scripting (I do already know a thing or two; I just need to learn the finesse stuff) I could probably make an optional component; or a mini-mod for "more beefy encounters".

[Daxtreme]

Yeah, I understand this is probably very frustrating. I'm kinda hoping Demi will tweak MSIX to summon something else rather than basilisk.

My main gripe against how AI mages play is that most of them are piss-poor weak w/o some meatshields if they're solo like Lavok, which is the main idea behind this tweak. While I can uderstand that original SCS idea isn't to beef up such encounters; I'd probably rework some of them.

Example of what I'm pointing at:

Lavok is supposed to be an ultra-powerful mage. With SCS, he has levels, he has spells, he has "brains" to use them, yet the battle is very easy since he can be overwhelmed by sheer numbers - and this makes all his levels, spells and "brains" moot since after he eats a Breach spell he's pretty much dead, with the player witnessing approx 20% of what he CAN do, but usually fails to.

If he's that powerful, couldn't he create some creatures that assist him? Has some deal with a Demon from the Planes? Just imagine this battle now vs one where you'd have Lavok + a Pit Fiend or two. A Lich could also be there. Now you've got a worthy battle, not some solo schmuck mage with a unique animation.

There are quite a few such encounters in SoA. ToB is (imo) much more balanced regarding; mages are rarely alone there.

Improved Anvil goes around that by increasing enemy immunities so they last much longer, but that's not really the direction I want to go. Thus, I went for instant summons to at least give mages some backup. If I find the time and willpower to learn more about scripting (I do already know a thing or two; I just need to learn the finesse stuff) I could probably make an optional component; or a mini-mod for "more beefy encounters".

 

 

Be careful not to confuse SCS with tactics however.

 

Tactics' goal is make every encounter as hard as possible. The aim is for you to be kinda forced to reload to find the cheese to that encounter.

 

SCS aims to make it so the enemies aren't dumb, or at least not as dumb as the vanilla game. Even a very powerful mage can be surprised/taken off-guard, and that's when mages are at their weakest.

 

After playing revised SCS for a while I think the level of difficulty sounds about right. Sometimes, even my powerful characters die because an enemy mage so went off with the right combination of spells, and I didn't have the right spells prepared. Sometimes, they kinda fail and I unleash the fury.

 

> A Lich could also be there. Now you've got a worthy battle, not some solo schmuck mage with a unique animation.

 

I love this

 

Also, remember that, technically, you're supposed to fight Lavok quite early in the game. If you buff him too much... Bad things could happen

[agb1]

I don't think Lavok should have a pet lich. A lich is generally the one in charge, unless the master is also a lich...

 

Perhaps AI mages need a new form of HP boost .. Something to let them survive a few more rounds. Or just give them more simulacra / clones...

Edited December 23, 2016 by agb1

[zenblack]

For what it's worth I think adding a component that increases the end battle of a questline is a good thing. Second you can script it so that there are differing levels of creatures spawned based on level. So for low level parties that do the Wizard stronghold first you could spawn lower rank demons. I would prefer a maralith to be honest, or perhaps a succubus consort. Something you don't see much in SoA and at a level where 1 would be a fun challenge as opposed to a speedbump.

 

Conster has this issue in Firekragg's Lair as well as the Druid Grove if you don't poison it. If you poison you get an epic battle with high level druids for your level whereas the 1 on 1 vs Faldorn is lame. I mostly consider the Rakasha battle the boss battle for that stronghold.

 

SCS improved certain stronghold battles like the Shadow Grove so I don't think it would be too far to add it to certain mage-style battles.

 

I can't think of too many encounters outside of Lavok, Conster, and Vithal that don't have an added meat-shield component to encounters with mages. Perhaps the Alhoon battle.