Cahir's EET Epic Run Mod Order help request

[subtledoctor]

“Thrown Spiritual Hammer” might conflict with Spell Revisions, which turns the Spiritual Hammer into a melee weapon with the same strike range as thrown weapons. The SR version is excellent (attack from range, but no ranged-weapon penalties if an enemy gets up in your face), so I always omit the “Thrown Spiritual Hammer” mod.

Refinements HLAs install two kits (a Blade clone and a Shapeshifter clone) so they should probably be installed after Might & Guile and before Faiths & Powers Multiclass.

Components that alter arcane spell tables (in this case, the ones you have in CDTweaks) should go before Tome & Blood’s stat-based bonus spells components. (Or, for simplicity, just before Tome & Blood.) 

Faiths & Powers’ sphere system applies its own ranger & paladin spell tables, and I don’t recommend changing them with a later mod like CDTweaks. 

(I can’t tell if you are installing the sphere system... if not, then you should probably uncheck the “Apply Sphere System” component. FnP needs to install its sphere system in two parts: one before adding kits, to set up the spheres and install the new spells, and one after installing kits, to apply the spheres to those kits. The second part uses the INSTALL_BY_DEFAULT flag - there is no user interaction - and automatically installs if you install the first one. You have the second one but not the first one, which is weird.)

Edited April 18, 2020 by subtledoctor

[Cahir]

53 minutes ago, subtledoctor said:

“Thrown Spiritual Hammer” might conflict with Spell Revisions, which turns the Spiritual Hammer into a melee weapon with the same strike range as thrown weapons. The SR version is excellent (attack from range, but no ranged-weapon penalties if an enemy gets up in your face), so I always omit the “Thrown Spiritual Hammer” mod.

Refinements HLAs install two kits (a Blade clone and a Shapeshifter clone) so they should probably be installed after Might & Guile and before Faiths & Powers Multiclass.

Components that alter arcane spell tables (in this case, the ones you have in CDTweaks) should go before Tome & Blood’s stat-based bonus spells components. (Or, for simplicity, just before Tome & Blood.) 

Faiths & Powers’ sphere system applies its own ranger & paladin spell tables, and I don’t recommend changing them with a later mod like CDTweaks. 

(I can’t tell if you are installing the sphere system... if not, then you should probably uncheck the “Apply Sphere System” component. FnP needs to install its sphere system in two parts: one before adding kits, to set up the spheres and install the new spells, and one after installing kits, to apply the spheres to those kits. The second part uses the INSTALL_BY_DEFAULT flag - there is no user interaction - and automatically installs if you install the first one. You have the second one but not the first one, which is weird.)

Thanks, @subtledoctor that's exactly kind of feedback I was hoping for!

1. I'll remove Thrown Spiritual Hammer component from the list, it was never an essential one for me and since SR does a great job with it, I won't miss it at all. 

2. Yeah, I forgot to move Refinements up between MnG and FnP multiclass after your first comment about it. 

3. Thanks, I'll move spell table components before TnB. This is the kind of dependencies that are not obvious to less gameplay, more RP oriented player like me. 

4. I'll remove ranger and paladin tables from Tweaks Anthology, thanks. 

5. This point I don't understand, because I didn't see any other component for sphere system, other than component 80 "Apply Sphere System". Can you tell me what is the component number for the first part of sphere system? 

[subtledoctor]

FnP sphere system is in component 21 (the FnP system) or 22 (the 2E purist system). 21 is more balanced and includes more new spells.

[Cahir]

5 hours ago, subtledoctor said:

FnP sphere system is in component 21 (the FnP system) or 22 (the 2E purist system). 21 is more balanced and includes more new spells.

Thank you! Now I see it, I must have missed it first time.

 

[Cahir]

@subtledoctor @jastey once again thank you very much for your feedback, it's really appreciated.

@subtledoctor, I have adjusted install order (edited spoiler tag) based on all your suggestions. It would be great, if you could just take one last glance if everything looks OK now.

[4udr4n]

FYI, a few of these errors (and some of my own) occur because Project Infinity presents a list of all components and does not differentiate by what games, other mods or previous components you have. This can lead to an impression that there are no dependancies and hide that elements would ordinarily be skipped unless you read the readme carefully.

I've started manually installing anything that seems to cuase a problem, and in many cases it's because I'd failed to spot a component that shouldn't be there or was required.

To summarise, PI is fantastic for quickly running a WELL TESTED install order, or sharing one with others. At present it is not a great tool for planning a new one.

[Lightbringer]

This thread is a great find. I'll be referring to it for future runs. Your mod setup goals seem very similar to mine -- difference being that I have most of the mega mods and only a few NPCs and only one class/kit mod.  It's been pretty bug free, as far as I can tell. Once IWD-in-EET is released and stable, I have run #2 planned. I'll check out some of what you end up with then.

Last time I tried Item Upgrade, I wasn't using Item Revisions, so I can't speak to compatibility. I can, however, verify that every one of the Thalantyr Item Upgrade recipes works just fine with IR. If Item Upgrade works the same way, (and I guess it would?), then there shouldn't be a problem. 

 

[Cahir]

@4udr4n yes, that is a hindrance when it comes to using PI, and this is why I missed Sphere Access component of FnP in the first place (I missed "+" flag to show which subcomponent to choose). But @ALien is still developing the tool and I'm sure there will be more neat features to come.

@Lightbringer I waited with my epic EET run for IWD-in-EET run, but it seems it is still months away (if it will be released at all), so I figured the time has come. Especially since elminster basically scrapped the idea of finishing The Eve of War (which I hoped would be my ultimate quest mod).

As for item upgrade mods (Item Upgrade or Thalantyr Item Upgrade) I have more of a conceptual issue while combining them with Item Revisions rather than technical. Those mods upgrade items based on vanilla stats and then the upgrade makes sense. Item Revisions changes items, often to make them work differently than in vanilla (with different lore too). Then Upgrade mods "upgrade" those items, reverting them back to "upgraded vanilla state" and virtually nullifying the "conceptual change" introduced by Item Revisions. Unless I seeing it wrong?

@subtledoctor I see in your install list you're using Enchant Missile Launchers tweak. Have you ever used it on EET installs? Will it work? I love this tweak very much, but it's old and predates EET, and I'm not sure how it will hesitate within EET environment.

To all, I'm also making notes in the first thread, where I listed all mods I plan to install (in a non-ordered list). This would mainly to remind me why I scrapped some components or add another, but it could prove also useful for other players to avoid compatibility issues. Some info may be hard to find since it's scattered throughout different topics.

I'm still browsing through my downloaded mods (boy, there are a lot of them) to check if I did not miss any mod I would hate to miss. Can you recommend me some other quest mod that is not on my list? My requirements are:

- no overpowered items/spells (I don't want BG or even ToB power stuff during BG1)

- no ridiculously difficult fights (I'm looking at you Dark Horizons)

- interesting and engaging plot (I'm looking at you Secret of Bonehill, I remembered playing it like 10 years ago and it was a nightmare)

- as few bugs as possible (I don't want to be forced to use console command to fix things)

- to fit as much as possible in FR lore (so, no silly comic stuff, I love it, but not for this run). I'm a sucker for FR lore that's why the fate of the Eve of War makes me really sad.

 

[Cahir]

@Ulb will your Animal Companions mod allow to take animal companion for an NPC or is it restricted to PC? I would love to add some animal companion to Valygar.

@subtledoctor have you ever tried Animal Companions with your Might & Guild ranger revisions?

[Ulb]

@Cahir As it is coded right now, only player1 can get an animal companion.

[Cahir]

@Ulb that's a bummer. I hoped it would work. I don't plan for Ranger run this time, so AC needs to be shelved for another time.

Next question to you guys (sorry for spamming my own topic, btw). Have any of you played Aran Whitehand mod? It hasn't been updated for ages and I think cmorgan retired from modding (I'm not sure, though, I don't remember any announcements), but it seems the last official release added EET compatibility. I wonder if it's stable in its current version and if I can safely use master branch, since it's 56 commits ahead of release. I know it's always safer to take the latest release, but in this case I fear developing of this mod is discontinued. And from the sneak peeks it looks fantastic, I love the writing.

[Cahir]

Added Subtledoctor's Random Tweaks to the list. I love every single one of those tweaks! I'm surprised I didn't notice this mod earlier. Most (not all) of those tweaks will help me not to struggle horribly with SCS. I plan to use SRR (mostly for advertised better EE compatibility), so I hope those tweaks won't clash with @Bartimaeus changes for Revised version.

 

[Ulb]

@Cahir just started reading through your list..

Quote

 

Bubb's Revert Pathfinding Tweak

• 0: Bubb's v2.5.16.6+ Pathfinding Revert

 

i can't seem to find anything related to this one, not even on Bubb's github.. is this already out-dated (did Beamdog release a new patch that fixed pathfinding while I was gone?)

 

 

[Cahir]

4 minutes ago, Ulb said:

@Cahir just started reading through your list..

i can't seem to find anything related to this one, not even on Bubb's github.. is this already out-dated (did Beamdog release a new patch that fixed pathfinding while I was gone?)

 

 

@Ulb apparently patch 2.5.17 screwed up pathfinding instead of upgrading it (don't know, I just read about it) and I was advised to install this tweak. As far as I understand this tweak reverts pathfinding implementation back to the 2.3 patch era, where apparently it worked better.

But I dunno, if you guys think it's not needed just let me know.

[Ulb]

1 minute ago, Cahir said:

@Ulb apparently patch 2.5.17 screwed up pathfinding instead of upgrading it (don't know, I just read about it) and I was advised to install this tweak. As far as I understand this tweak reverts pathfinding implementation back to the 2.3 patch era, where apparently it worked better.

But I dunno, if you guys think it's not needed just let me know.

No, assuming patch 2.5.17 is still the latest patch and was when I last played BG (which was last year) path finding definitely has some issues (characters getting stuck because they are on top of each other being one of them) and I'd love the patch you've listed.. only I can't find said patch anywhere on the web?

Do you have a link for it?