mod testing [Mod release] Valen EE - A rewritting of Valen NPC mod for Enhanced Edition

[Hellmouse]

Hi everyone,

I am totally new on this forum, but I just wanted to share a mod I have been working on for the past weeks.

I am currently writing an Enhanced Version of Westley Weimer's Valen Mod. For those who don't know this mod, this mod makes Valen (one of the Bodhi's sbires) a joinable NPC. She is a chaotic evil vampire fighter/thief with many NPC interactions. This was one of the first mod that allowed you to really play an evil playthrough without disadvantage (lack of evil thief, less rewarding evil path from siding with Bodhi to killing Adalon etc.). Unfortunately, this mod was never ported to the enhanced edition.

Here the content of Valen Enhanced Edition:

• Full compatibility with Enhanced Edition
• Rebalancing of the mod: the original Valen was known to be quite overpowered and game breaking. I strive to make her progression consistent with the Bhaalspawn one (while keeping her original powers).
• Better scripting: Westley Weimer's code is quite old, some of the scripts were a bit drastic and unstable. One of the original scripts, for instance, made all the non evil priests hostile to the party, potentially breaking the game or some of the quests.
• More detailed Valen background, and story, with more NPC interactions (specially her relationship with Bodhi)
• And many things still in development, from Romance to quests, depending on the feedbacks I will get. 

Here is the mod current version (stable on latest EE PC version): https://github.com/hellmouse/valen_ee (you can download it from github, installation instructions are on the read me)

It is only available in English for the moment, although most of the original content is already translated so translation work would only be required for the new content (if you want to help on translation, don't hesitate to reach out !). I will probably add a French translation (my native language) when (if) the Enhanced Edition gets its French translation.   

Don't hesitate to give it a try!

I would be very happy to take any feedback, whether you want to play-test the mod, or have idea/expectation about it, or even if you played the original Valen Mod and want to share your thoughts about it.

 

 

Edited December 24, 2020 by Hellmouse
add info on installation

[Endarire]

Thankee!

1: Where do we get this mod?

2: Is it EET compatible?

[Guest ront]

Nice release. I'll be sure to check it as soon as I can!
 

Are you Thorium Dragon? 

[Hellmouse]

4 hours ago, Endarire said:

Thankee!

1: Where do we get this mod?

2: Is it EET compatible?

Hi!

1. Not hosted on gibberlings3 for the moment (don't know if this is possible for new mods), so everything is on github (https://github.com/hellmouse/valen_ee). You can download the code from this link, and then just follow installation instructions. Don't hesitate if you have any trouble, I would be happy to help. Installation is a bit different if you are on Mac / Linux I can provide help too.

 2. Not for the moment (actually it may be but I did not test it). I can work on that thought.

Edited December 24, 2020 by Hellmouse

[Hellmouse]

3 hours ago, Guest ront said:

Nice release. I'll be sure to check it as soon as I can!
 

Are you Thorium Dragon? 

Thanks! Don't hesitate if you have any trouble. 

Nope, but I saw Thorium Dragon worked on a similar project. I tried to contact him, unfortunately he is not very active on shs forum.

[Jazira]

Hello Hellmouse good to know that you updated this mod to work with EE's.

I just want to tell you that your github repo doesn't have any official "release". It could be a bit confusing for some.

6 hours ago, Hellmouse said:

It is only available in English for the moment, although most of the original content is already translated so translation work would only be required for the new content (if you want to help on translation, don't hesitate to reach out !). I will probably add a French translation (my native language) when (if) the Enhanced Edition gets its French translation.   

BG2EE will have the french translation released soon, it's actually in the beta 2.6. (It's not writen anywhere but SoD too got it's french translation on the patch.) https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/80867/road-to-2-6-planned-patch-items-windows-macos-linux

If you want to work on any french translation or other french modders i'll suggest you come see us on the french community site. https://www.baldursgateworld.fr/lacouronne/forum.php

Have you made any change text wise ? I believe there is already a (full?) french translation of this mod.

[jastey]

9 hours ago, Hellmouse said:

• More detailed Valen background, and story, with more NPC interactions (specially her relationship with Bodhi)
• And many things still in development, from Romance to quests, depending on the feedbacks I will get.

Updating the mod for the newer engine is cool.

Adding content is not. It violates the codes of modders of honor. Unless you have permission of the original author.

Thus, a technical and bugfixing update is welcome.

Your own rewritten "Valen" version is not.

[Jazira]

Haven't noticed it, but Jastey is right, It's a bit unethical without the author's permission.

I'll just add the nuance that your content is welcome if it's as a separate add-on/mod.

[Hellmouse]

8 hours ago, Jazira said:

Hello Hellmouse good to know that you updated this mod to work with EE's.

I just want to tell you that your github repo doesn't have any official "release". It could be a bit confusing for some.

BG2EE will have the french translation released soon, it's actually in the beta 2.6. (It's not writen anywhere but SoD too got it's french translation on the patch.) https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/80867/road-to-2-6-planned-patch-items-windows-macos-linux

If you want to work on any french translation or other french modders i'll suggest you come see us on the french community site. https://www.baldursgateworld.fr/lacouronne/forum.php

Have you made any change text wise ? I believe there is already a (full?) french translation of this mod.

Hi Jazira!

Thanks for your answer!

That's great to hear for the French translation! I will definitely go on The Copper Coronet (I remember getting tutos from this forum very long time ago, happy to see it is still active!).

Not many changes so indeed there would not be a lot of work my side. There may be the special characters encoding to watch for too. But as the French Translation is not released it would not make sense right now. 

[Hellmouse]

Hi Jastey,

I am really sorry about that. I tried to contact both the author mod (W. Weimer) and one of the modder that got his approval for an extension (Thorium Dragon), unfortunately none of them replied (but if you know a better way to contact one of them, I would be happy to try again). As you said on the shs forum, I don't know what were the exact Weimer words to Thorium Dragon (whether it was just an agreement for his Valen Expansion Mod or for any modder to extend it).

I also carefully read this old topic about a Valen DLC on beadmog forum https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/21157/bg2ee-dlc-idea-valen , including (among many) this message:

Quote

I don't think you need to worry about rights. Valen is, after all, not an original creation but a modification of an existing character. Extra lines or not, that should put the IP rights with the license holder. Don't think it's much of a problem anyway, the mod is not exactly densely written (by the author's own admission) and would need to be reworked so substantially you might as well start from scratch.

I understand that is not sufficient, and I am sorry again if I offended you or the modding community, so here is my proposal:

• As Jazira suggested I can separate the new content from the original one. I could include an add-on group to the installer so the user can choose which version they want (I think the EE version of Ascension does that). I can't promise I can make the original mod fully stable without small content modifications although. 
• Otherwise I will just close the github repository until I get a clear approval from one of the original modders or the modders community. 

Tell me what you think about it.

Edited December 24, 2020 by Hellmouse

[Endarire]

@Hellmouse
I do want EET compatibility for this mod since that's how our family is playing this.

Thankee!

[Guest Morgoth]

Just split your new content from the "improved" version, and then you are done. I think that is easily fixable.

[jastey]

@Hellmouse How I'd suggest you proceed: Make an update of the original mod that is a technical / bugfixing update only. Make a detailed changelog about your changes - and I mean details, with specifying the file names etc.

Then, make a separate add-on mod with your changes and additions. This add-on does not contain the original content but only add to or make changes to it, i.e. the player needs to have the original mod installed first. Make clear the add-on is your content and (so far) not approved by weimer.

Until that is done, remove your GitHub repo from the public.

Be ready to take down your add-on if weimer or jcompton (who is responsible for PPG) so wish in the future.

Also, post into the original Valen forum at PPG and let them know about your plans. There is not a lot going on there but it's a matter of courtesy to post in the original forum.

To your comment above: You already noticed yourself, but relying on an opinion someone not related to the project said on a third forum is nothing that would count as an argument in one's favor.

I can only stress that a technical update for bugfixing and EE compatibility is very welcome, but that good will vanishes the moment you make changes/tweaks to the original package at your gusto because you think they should be done.

If you make a technical bugfixing update with a clear changelog I will organize it being uploaded to the original download's page.

[Endarire]

@jastey
Is Wesley Weimer still around the G3 forum?  If so, how can we get him to voice his verdict on the new content for this mod - the stuff that isn't strictly technical fixes & improvements?

[jastey]

After writing the very first mod NPCs (Solaufein and Valen) and for this, inventing the unique WeiDU tool for compatible game patching ("Weimer's Dialogue" is what the "WeiD" in there stands for), Weimer wasn't active for over 10 years. You can try and write an email to the address he left on his homepage or inside the mod package, but there is no guarantee you'll reach him.

That's what can happen in an open community for an unpaid hobby; modders move on to other things or RL takes them away and they are not reachable any more - still doesn't mean the content they leave behind is free to change and alter to one's will.