Help with personal Shapeshifter mod for Baldurs Gate EE 1&2

[gamemaster76]

I've been working on my own mod for the shapeshifter kit and I keep running into problems.

Direct download to mod: https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=1Vv53Ms47j_mTQecSUHwOH2PvydrUMBnt

For context: This mod gives the Shapeshift Druid class a Lesser form that's weaker for lower levels, and it buffs the 2 existing forms:

Lesser Werewolf:

Damage: 1d6

Attacks Per Round: 1

Weapon Enchantment Level: +1

Magic resistance: 10%

Base AC: 4

Strength: 18

Dexterity: 15

Constitution: 15

 

 

Normal Werewolf:

Damage: 1d6 ------> 1d12

Attacks Per Round: 2

Weapon Enchantment Level: +2

Magic resistance: Locked at 20% ------> no longer locked at 20%

Immunity to Normal Weapons

Strength: 19

Dexterity: 16

Constitution: 15

 

 

Greater Werewolf:

Damage: 1d8 ------> 2d8

Attacks Per Round: 2 ------> 3

Weapon Enchantment Level: +2 ------> +3

Magic resistance: 40%

Immunity to Normal Weapons

Base THAC0: 6

Strength: 21

Dexterity: 20

Constitution: 25

Regeneration 3 HP / second

 

 

So now these are the current problems:

1.  In BG1EE, the Lesser form crashes the game when you go into inventory or your character stats. Completely fine in BG2EE. Works now!
2. In both games, the Lesser and Normal forms don't have their paw attacks. They get the stat boosts from the form, since those are tied to the paw items, but they don't replace your weapons in the weapon boxes. For the Lesser form I have code linking it to the paw attack to the one I made for it. Normal still has the same paw item but it's been modified. Greater as the same modifications pus more but works as intended. Paws loading like normal! Except now Lesser form is loading the Normal form stats.
3. When changing back from Lesser form, my physical stats keep the boosted werewolf stats. Also when Changing from Normal werewolf to regular form, my constitution score stays that of the werewolf (strength and dex return to normal).  I'm assuming since these stats are tied to the paw attacks, that they are staying because the the paws weren't properly equipped and thus when I changed back were never unequipped. So solving problem 2 may fix problem 3. Stats are returning to normal for now!

The greater werewolf form is completely fine and has no problems. Which greatly confuses me because the code altering it is the same as the Normal form (not counting the abilities unique to it) so I can't see any reason as to why the Greater form is fine and the Normal form is having problems.

 

... I would greatly appreciate any help for this.  

 

Edit: so at the moment of writing this, the only issue left is implementing the lesser Werewolf form in BG2EE. Basically my Lesser Werewolf code is being completely ignored and not being properly implemented. The files are copying over but not the changed to the files that need to be done.

Mod is good and ready now!

Edited February 1, 2021 by gamemaster76

[Jarno Mikkola]

3 hours ago, gamemaster76 said:

 In BG1EE, the Lesser form crashes the game when you go into inventory or your character stats.

This is because the BG1EE game doesn't contain all the same resources that the second one does. Likely the inventory avatar...

And the 3, is that you ought to modify the claws to have different effect combinations... or so that each form has their own effects that cancel each others ...meaning the claw approach is the easiest. Not saying you can't do it differently, but that you might want to approach it from that perspective.

 

The inventory icon is a file called: MGWEINV.BAM

Edited January 28, 2021 by Jarno Mikkola

[gamemaster76]

1 hour ago, Jarno Mikkola said:

This is because the BG1EE game doesn't contain all the same resources that the second one does. Likely the inventory avatar...

And the 3, is that you ought to modify the claws to have different effect combinations... or so that each form has their own effects that cancel each others ...meaning the claw approach is the easiest. Not saying you can't do it differently, but that you might want to approach it from that perspective.

ok I figured out the avatar issue. Looking at the claw in near infinity I see that its not assigning the werewolf avatar:

    COPY_EXISTING ~BRBRP.ITM~ ~override/brbrp2.ITM~ // adds paw attack for Lesser Werewolf form
        
        LAUNCH_PATCH_FUNCTION ~ALTER_ITEM_EFFECT~ // LINKS TRANSFORMATION WITH CORRECT PAW ATTACK
          INT_VAR
            check_globals = 1
            match_opcode = 135
          
          STR_VAR 
            resource = ~WEREWODR.CRE~ // links werewolf avatar
        END  

 

Aside from the variable names, its the same code for the BG2 version of the code and it works there. This one it just ignores it. Keeps saying there's nothing assigned.

 

Isn't that what I did with the claws? The different effects are there, they just aren't going away when I change back. And the claw attacks themselves aren't showing up on Lesser and Normal.

Edited January 28, 2021 by gamemaster76

[kjeron]

            resource = ~BRBRP2.ITM~ // cut out the extension when specify these resources, just ~BRBRP2~
        LAUNCH_PATCH_FUNCTION ~ADD_ITEM_EQEFFECT~ // You're running this in duplicate, on the item, and the spell (SPCL645.SPL).  One or the other, but it should not be as a global effect on the spell, nor should you use timing mode 2 in a spell.   When you use it for op135, you are not specifying a resource (creature) to polymorph into.
        LAUNCH_PATCH_FUNCTION ~ALTER_ITEM_EFFECT~ // You're running this on the items for opcode 135 - BGEE polymorph items don't use op135, their spells do - the two games (BGEE/BG2EE) do not handle polymorphs in the same manner..  You're also running it elsewhere calling 'parameter3' and 'parameter4' - those fields don't exist in item effects.

 

Edited January 28, 2021 by kjeron

[Jarno Mikkola]

26 minutes ago, gamemaster76 said:

Isn't that what I did with the claws?

Looking at the code in the BG1EE files, I read this, at .tp2 files line 126:
            resource = ~WERELEDR.CRE~

 

.. thing is, there's no such .cre in the game files. So you either need to make(modify from the original files) it, or store it in the game mods archive file, and copy it over during the install.

Edited January 28, 2021 by Jarno Mikkola

[gamemaster76]

25 minutes ago, kjeron said:

            resource = ~BRBRP2.ITM~ // cut out the extension when specify these resources, just ~BRBRP2~
        LAUNCH_PATCH_FUNCTION ~ADD_ITEM_EQEFFECT~ // You're running this in duplicate, on the item, and the spell (SPCL645.SPL).  One or the other, but it should not be as a global effect on the spell, nor should you use timing mode 2 in a spell.   When you use it for op135, you are not specifying a resource (creature) to polymorph into.
        LAUNCH_PATCH_FUNCTION ~ALTER_ITEM_EFFECT~ // You're running this on the items for opcode 135 - BGEE polymorph items don't use op135, their spells do - the two games (BGEE/BG2EE) do not handle polymorphs in the same manner..  You're also running it elsewhere calling 'parameter3' and 'parameter4' - those fields don't exist in item effects.

 

ok I put just BRBRP2 and replaced ADD_ITEM_EQEFFECT with ADD_SPELL_EFFECT and it doesn't crash anymore! 

As for the opcode, I know it doesnt run polymorph the same as BG2 but I have no idea where to find it. I've been using this https://gibberlings3.github.io/iesdp/opcodes/bgee.htm.

There's BG1, BG2 and BG2EE but no BG1EE. I figured that was because BG1EE would use either the same as BG1 or BG2EE. In both cases the parameters are what I put them as:

1 No resistances/statistics gained, spell-casting enabled, colouring

or

1 ⟶ Appearance only

I assumed both have the same effect.

 

 

parameter3' and 'parameter4 fair enough, removed.

Edited January 28, 2021 by gamemaster76

[gamemaster76]

Just now, Jarno Mikkola said:

Looking at the code in the BG1EE files, I read this:
            resource = ~WERELEDR.CRE~

 

.. thing is, there's no such .cre in the game files. So you either need to make(modify from the original files) it, or store it in the game mods archive file, and copy it over during the install.

Yeah your first post clued me into that and I fixed that, making it point to WEREWODR which does exist.

[gamemaster76]

6 minutes ago, Jarno Mikkola said:

Looking at the code in the BG1EE files, I read this:
            resource = ~WERELEDR.CRE~

 

.. thing is, there's no such .cre in the game files. So you either need to make(modify from the original files) it, or store it in the game mods archive file, and copy it over during the install.

Yeah your first post clued me into that and I fixed that, making it point to WEREWODR which does exist. I updated the file on the drive.

 

oops, double posted somehow

Edited January 28, 2021 by gamemaster76

[Jarno Mikkola]

5 minutes ago, gamemaster76 said:

1 No resistances/statistics gained, spell-casting enabled, colouring

Where did you find the "No" to that ? Cause it's definitely WITH all of that ! Except the spell casting is DISABLED !

[gamemaster76]

6 minutes ago, Jarno Mikkola said:

Where did you find the "No" to that ? Cause it's definitely WITH all of that ! Except the spell casting is DISABLED !

I only make the polymorph cosmetic, I disable speech, spellcasting, etc. in the claws.

Putting WITH ignores all the other buffs I added and makes it the vanilla transformation... at least I think. Its been months so I dont really remember my reasoning too well. I remember it was a good reason though

Edited January 28, 2021 by gamemaster76

[kjeron]

1 hour ago, gamemaster76 said:

As for the opcode, I know it doesnt run polymorph the same as BG2 but I have no idea where to find it. I've been using this https://gibberlings3.github.io/iesdp/opcodes/bgee.htm.

There's BG1, BG2 and BG2EE but no BG1EE. I figured that was because BG1EE would use either the same as BG1 or BG2EE. In both cases the parameters are what I put them as:

The opcode works the same in both EE games.  What I meant was that the items/spells that use it are setup differently.

In BGEE, the Spell uses op135 with a duration.

In BG2EE, the Item uses op135 while equipped.

Both still require the item as a weapon for the new form.

Edited January 28, 2021 by kjeron

[gamemaster76]

10 hours ago, kjeron said:

The opcode works the same in both EE games.  What I meant was that the items/spells that use it are setup differently.

In BGEE, the Spell uses op135 with a duration.

In BG2EE, the Item uses op135 while equipped.

Both still require the item as a weapon for the new form.

Ah ok! good to know. 

Well, problems 2 and 3 are happening on both games so I don't know if that helps though.

[gamemaster76]

So from what I can tell, problem 2 and possible 3 are because the claw attacks aren't equipping properly. I've compared the Greater claw (which is working as intended) with the other 2 and there's no difference in duration, settings, etc. 

The transformation itself is the same between them aside from what weapon they create. 

The polymorph itself must be cosmetic because otherwise it completely ignores the changes and uses the vanilla transformation. Unless there'sres a way around that.

Edit: also the lesser form now sets Strength to 19 instead of 18 and changing back puts it at 18...

Edited January 28, 2021 by gamemaster76

[gamemaster76]

13 hours ago, Jarno Mikkola said:

Looking at the code in the BG1EE files, I read this, at .tp2 files line 126:
            resource = ~WERELEDR.CRE~

 

.. thing is, there's no such .cre in the game files. So you either need to make(modify from the original files) it, or store it in the game mods archive file, and copy it over during the install.

actually I did create it:

 

    COPY_EXISTING ~WEREWODR.CRE~ ~override/WERELEDR.CRE~ // adds the Lesser Werewolf creature
            SAY NAME1 ~Lesser Werewolf~
            SAY NAME2 ~Lesser Werewolf~
            WRITE_BYTE  0x5d ~10~ // Magic Resistance
            WRITE_BYTE  0x46 ~4~ // Natural AC
            WRITE_BYTE  0x48 ~4~ // Effective AC
            WRITE_BYTE  0x53 ~1~ // APR
            WRITE_BYTE  0x238 ~18~ //STR
            WRITE_BYTE  0x23c ~15~ // DEX
            WRITE_BYTE  0x23d ~15~ // CON

[gamemaster76]

kjeron I finally understood what you meant about polymorph not being linked to anything! 
I added            

STR_VAR
            resource = ~WEREWODR.CRE~

to the normal werewolf and it works! I got confused because the opcode page didnt mentioned anything about needing a line like that.

 

all that's left is Lesser werewolf! I tried the same thing with WERELEDR.CRE and the claw attack comes but Its loading the Normal form and not the Lesser.

Edit: it loads the Normal form EXCEPT for the damage of the claw attack. the damage is 1d6 which is right for Lesser. but the stats and the magic resistance belong to Normal.

I've updated the link

Edited January 28, 2021 by gamemaster76