IWD2 kits (needed for dialogue triggers)

[K4thos]

My 2nd suggestion is just that, if you want to use something like the FnP Nightrunner... simply use the FnP Nightrunner. This mod can have a check for FnP's version already being installed, and FnP can have a check for this version being installed, and each will skip it if the other one already exists. That way the player will only get one version, and because the dialogue in question uses the IDS name that both versions share, it will work no matter what. You certainly have my permission to use any of my kits in this way.

subtledoctor, as mentioned, I don't want to make IWD-in-EET kits shackled by initial design (in this case Cleric of Mask that is initially based on Nightrunner of Mask from FnP). All of these kits are meant to be adjusted as soon as player's feedback and community consensus regarding proposed changes will be available (hopefully there will be feedback once the mod is released).

 

On the other hand, if you want to make a priest of Mask that is different from ours, then you should simply make a new kit. I don't think there is s problem having multiple priests of the same deity, for instance. It's actually lore-correct that deities had different sects with different characteristics; no reason the game shouldn't reflect that.

Since you're against customized version of that kit I dropped it from the mod. First post now lists Priest of Mask based on Lava's suggestion sent to me via PM.

 

I haven't started implementing Lava's vision for Priest of Mask, so thoughts regarding it would be much appriciated.

 

As for compatibility with "Nightrunner of Mask" in IWD2 dialogues I will prepare list of DLG patching needed to make your kit recognizable by the dialogues (done in FnP tp2 if MOD_IS_INSTALLED ~IWD-in-EET/IWD-in-EET.tp2~ ~0~). I still don't like this approach (would prefer overwriting), especially if it works like below quote mentions (I had no idea since all I needed to implement the kit was readme description, so I didn't even install FnP to check it):

what we are doing lately with the divine-class kits is to put simply "cleric of Mask" in the all-lowercase string, so that is what appears in the kit menu, but put "Nightrunner of Mask" in the mixed-case and description strings, so that is what you see in the record screen. It keeps things clean when choosing among kits, but keeps the flavor of having a more specific kit name elsewhere.

[subtledoctor]

That quote was a suggestion, nothing more. But I'm still not sure what you mean by "prefer overwriting..." do you mean you would rather players not be able to install multiple priest of Mask kits? The actual game world has numerous ones: the Demarch of Mask, the Catfoot of Mask, the Nightrunner of Mask, etc. Why shouldn't players install all of these, and choose in-game which one they feel like playing?

 

...And of course, no matter which ones get installed, or how many, it would be ideal if the game dialogues would work - "Ah, I see you venerate my lord Mask" or whatever - regardless of which kit the player chooses.

[K4thos]

That quote was a suggestion, nothing more. But I'm still not sure what you mean by "prefer overwriting..." do you mean you would rather players not be able to install multiple priest of Mask kits? The actual game world has numerous ones: the Demarch of Mask, the Catfoot of Mask, the Nightrunner of Mask, etc. Why shouldn't players install all of these, and choose in-game which one they feel like playing?

 

No problem with that either. I will need to write some function like you suggested to patch dialogue files though since simple stuff like mentioned before won't be enough when Kit check is inside OR trigger. Disabling particular IWD-in-EET kit and taking its place would make this easier, but as you mentioned, it would be indeed flawed implementation due to restrictions of how many kits of particular deity would be supported by dialogues at once (there may be even more mods that adds similar kits in future). Thanks for feedback, now I know how to handle it.

 

btw. I'm currently checking if Lava's proposed kit can be implemented in the engine as it is. That "Can't use plate and full-plate armors." disadvantage sounds like something not possible without risking incompatibility with items unique for clerics (kitlist.2da usability flags), unless I missed something... Unfortunately opcode 181 can't be used for this task since all armors in BG are listed in a single "Armor" category. He also considers adding thief weapons option for Priest of Mask, but that also seems impossible to me without changing how the base cleric proficiency works / patching all items in game (not possible considering the mod is early in install order). Any ideas?

[subtledoctor]

Yes, you have happened upon the reason why FnP uses opcode 181 for kit-based weapon use, but sticks with usability flags for armor. Someone had suggested to me to simply split up armors into different item types, and then use 181 on those, but enough big mods look for armor as item type = 2 that I wouldn't touch it.

 

So: one option is to use opcode 180. Run through items, filtering for type = 2 and looking at the "equipped appearance" offset (check SoB's YARAS component, or FnP's /lib/item_usability.tpa for examples) and create an array of all chain and plate armors. There should only be a couple dozen. Then create 180 effects for each one, and add them to a spell that you apply to your kit at level 1.

 

Alternatively, make that same array, and add a single opcode 319 effect to each armor, blocking it from your kit.

 

Alternatively, you could tie into the FnP usability system, since we have a system in place for custom kit-based usability. It is quite easy, just setting a few variables like CHAIN_ARMOR = 0 and PLATE_ARMOR = 0. But it means the restriction would only be apparent if the player also uses FnP.

 

EDIT - yeah, weapon use has its own pitfalls. FnP makes class-wide changes to both usability and proficiency, and then adds restrictions on a kit-by-kit basis. It would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to do this without making system-wide changes.

 

Again, I could at least show you how to tie into the FnP system so you could let your kit, say, be specialized in short swords if the player uses FnP.

[subtledoctor]

Btw more generally, here is the code for making any divine-class kits compatible with the FnP usability and sphere systems:

FnP_kit_compatibility.zip

[Jarno Mikkola]

Nevermind, nothing to see...

[K4thos]

thanks, subtledoctor for explanation. Considering the mod will be early in install order global files patching won't be as effective compared to end installation when usually kit mods are installed. I think this armors disadvantage will be removed and we will think how to balance the kit differently.