Beta Testing Issues

[Lauriel]

I noticed that the area isn't auto-revealed (explored) like the rest of the city.  Is that something that a mod did on my side or is that standard behavior?  Either way, I'm sure it would be difficult to get at that preference setting.  However, adding an option to the installation to start with the area being 'explored' would be pretty easy.  Just a thought!

[jastey]

@Lauriel the reason is that noone of us thought about it. It makes sense to make it consistent! Thanks for the idea.

[Lauriel]

I would add the interiors to that explore list - probably by default.  I think all interiors are always auto-explored.  ...   I think.

[Lauriel]

And also, I looked for way too long for that commander.  The journal says he's on the 2nd floor of the Seatower.  I didn't equate that with the Seatower Inn. 

[Lauriel]

Being picky here, but how would the Commander know we were the group that cleared out the mines?  Perhaps he could ask, like Scar did upon our arrival?  Or let the PC introduce themselves first?  Just seems like he knows way too much about us at first glance before the group gets even a word in.  Is Elminster hanging out in that inn or something? (j/k!)

EDIT: Along the same vein...how would the prisoner even know about us?  Or is he just wanting to talk to whoever it was that uncovered what he did?  Everyone's intimate knowledge of who we are is sort of creeping me out.

Edited January 12, 2021 by Lauriel

[jastey]

9 hours ago, Lauriel said:

Everyone's intimate knowledge of who we are is sort of creeping me out.

Hmm, I was asuming the name was known after some time, at least in the Watch who have a sharp eye on what is going on in the south. Scar asks the PC on the bridge but I always thought it's more of a courtesy he lets the PC reveal their name in a question - BG city authorities should know who they are expecting or we have a situation like Greywolf and the PC in Nashkel with Oublek.

My assumption was: BG city Watch / Flaming Fist knows about CHARNAME clearing out the mines in Nashkel.

The soldier in the prison heard the tower commander and Scar talking about CHARNAME. Not every soldier knows about it. Sorry for giving a creepy feeling that everyone knows CHARNAME, it was supposed to be Scar+Tower Commander+the soldiers who were guarding the meeting of which one of them drew his own conclusions that he wants CHARNAME's help.

If I take this out the main reason why the Commander hands the prison pass to CHARNAME would be gone. I see your point but I'd need a good other suggestion to work around this. I could make the Commander's acknowledgement dependent on whether the PC is actually already working for Scar or at least revealed themselves to Scar. That would make more sense maybe?

9 hours ago, Lauriel said:

I looked for way too long for that commander.  The journal says he's on the 2nd floor of the Seatower.  I didn't equate that with the Seatower Inn.

The inn is on the first floor of the main tower. The map calls the whole tower Balduran's Seatower. I'm open to suggestions how to clearify the locality.

 

[Lauriel]

In my mind, the entire structure is the tower, like how the Tower of London isn't the middle building, it's the entire complex. Perhaps that is what threw me.  I went into the large building, saw it was an inn (like the Friendly Arm Inn), and didn't think anything further about it.  Looking for the prisoner was a bit difficult for me as well.  I also didn't expect to find it in the basement of the inn.  So I guess if the journal could say, he's on the "second floor of the main tower, above the inn", that would clarify it for someone like me.  Although the inn is actually more than one floor.  So perhaps, 2nd floor of the Seatower Inn?  And if the entrance to the inn's basement could be made more visible, that would have helped me.  I had to bring up NI to find it.

Edited January 14, 2021 by Lauriel

[jastey]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I lack an idea to make the entrance to the basement more visible, though.

[Lauriel]

The sword obtained from the Glabrezu says it has a bonus of +3 to THAC0 but it's only a +1.  The damage modifier seems to be correct, though.

[Lauriel]

Captain Dungarth started talking about feeling better knowing the men he sees are real immediately after Master Shizell throws the mimic powderd before the fight starts.  Order of events were:

1. I said I was ready
2. Master Shizell throws the powder
3. Enemy sighted, my team starts to attack
4. Captain Dungarth heals himself
5. Master Shizel heals himself
6. My teams continues fighting
7. Captain Dungarth says: Ah, this feels a lot better...and continues on with his conversation about helping with the others not in the room
8. Then my team and I kill the dopplegangers in the room with no help from Dungarth or his guards.

I figured this wasn't what you had in mind..

Edited January 13, 2021 by Lauriel

[Lauriel]

All the dopplegangers are dead, but I still have a number of quests open in my journal that I expected to be closed: Myconides (sic) in the Seatower Prison, The Breach in the Seatower Prison, and The Dead Adjutant.  I still have the pearl one open, but then I haven't found the pearl yet, so wasn't expecting that to be closed.

Heading off to Nashkel to see to that brother...

EDIT: The Breach in the Seatower Prison quest finished when I went through all the dialogue options with the commander.  The other two still remain open, however.

Edited January 13, 2021 by Lauriel

[Lauriel]

I've completed it except for finding the black pearl and getting the sea troll gland.  Overall impression is that it's an awesome piece of work.  Some of the areas are stunning (underground and the tailors shop especially).  Beautiful.  Pathing (because of narrow corridors and tiny exit spans) is an issue.  I did it with just a solo character and Grey (because Grey must always be in my group even if I don't have a group).  Even with just the two of us, I consistently ran into 'you must gather your group' when he was right there.  I can only imagine it being much worse with a full group.  Dialogues always assume you're in a full group and don't take into account solo players.  I like how you expanded current areas, like Wyrm's Crossing.  Took me by surprise...pleasantly.  Most of the fights were really easy though.  You might want to beef them up a tad.  Some were quite challenging - like the Glabrezu.  I run around without buffs on (except for maybe the all-day ones), and he had me reaching for my summon creatures wands to keep him away from me.  He hit hard!  It was good.  I enjoyed the encounter.  I appreciated the heads-up with the coins.  Had I not rushed through before reading it, I'd have had time to prepare better.  So, unpreparedness on that encounter was all on me.

If I think of anything more specific, I'll pop in here, but for now I think I'm finished.

EDIT: Oh, and it would be nice to be able to sell the expired mimic powder, or at least stash it in my bag of holding.  It goes in no container.

Edited January 14, 2021 by Lauriel

[Lauriel]

16 hours ago, jastey said:

lack an idea to make the entrance to the basement more visible, though.

That's on the artist.  If you look at it, it doesn't appear to have steps going down.  There appears to be a railing across the front of it.  Anyway, it didn't scream, STAIRS LEADING DOWN HERE to me.  Maybe a visible 'door' panel ... one of those purple thingies or light blue thingies?  Something that says 'click here' for us less observant types?

[Lauriel]

18 hours ago, jastey said:

I could make the Commander's acknowledgement dependent on whether the PC is actually already working for Scar or at least revealed themselves to Scar. That would make more sense maybe?

At least, yes.  But even if the commander has heard my character's name doesn't mean he knows her face belongs to it.  A 'are you the ones working with Scar?' or like Scar did 'are you the ones that did such and such?' seems in order.  You seem well equipped...are you able to handle such and such a responsibility?  I'd check rep and alignment, as well.  If they're a bunch of evil schmucks with a rep in the negative numbers, he might not be so ready to work with them?  Well, unless that is accompanied by high charisma.  Yeah, I like getting picky.

 

[jastey]

 

12 minutes ago, Lauriel said:

I'd check rep and alignment, as well.  If they're a bunch of evil schmucks with a rep in the negative numbers, he might not be so ready to work with them?

It's always the dilemma of the dev. We can't seal off the Seatower mod quests for an evil party completely. PC did cleare the Nashkel mines and a commander of the Flaming Fist knows how to handle ruffians.

3 hours ago, Lauriel said:

I figured this wasn't what you had in mind..

Not exactly, no. The script for the captain's dialogue checks for all enemies dead. Or so I thought.

3 hours ago, Lauriel said:

The Dead Adjutant

You should be able to report the dead Adjutant to the commander, that should remove the journal entry.

3 hours ago, Lauriel said:

Myconides (sic) in the Seatower Prison

The quest closes when you tell prison guard Jai about killing them.

2 hours ago, Lauriel said:

t would be nice to be able to sell the expired mimic powder, or at least stash it in my bag of holding.  It goes in no container.

It's a bottle currently, which fits as it is not a potion? Who would like to have the expired one? Maybe the mage can take it back or something. There is a quest path where you use up the Mimic powder.

We know about the door entries being a bit hard to hit at places. This will be reworked so entering will go easier.

Thank you very much for all other reports I didn't reply to!

Thank you very much for the kind words!