HLAs in BG:EE

[Skye]

We are attempting to make use of HLAs for one of our custom kits in BG:EE, with no success. The LUABBR.2DA has the correct suffix for the LU*.2DA file, we added the kit and set the correct values for it in LUNUMAB.2DA, but when a character levels up, nothing seems to happen. I tried to modify a standard thief's HLA gain rate in LUNUMAB.2DA and it just gets stuck at the level up screen, with no way to select an ability, but no way to finish leveling up either.

In light of all that, I have the following questions:

1. Are HLAs simply not available in BG:EE due to GUI limitations?
2. Is there any way to enable them short of porting the entire game to BG2:EE engine?
3. Can you even specify custom kits in LUNUMAB.2DA? It seems to disregard my entry entirely.
4. Is it possible to specify more than 24 abilities in the LU*.2DA file or does the engine stop parsing at line 24?

[subtledoctor]

One option: set the kit to use an existing table (doesn’t matter which, can be Fi0), then use my HLA table-modifying function to give it whatever custom HLAs you want. I think BGEE simply lacks the HLA .SPL files... possibly when you tried with a vanilla thief it got stuck at the table with no actual HLAs to choose from. If you point your kit to a proper table and populate that table with existing abilities (which my function will do - you just have to COPY in the specified abilities) then I think it should work. 

Unless the BGEE UI simply doesn’t permit it. Not sure about that part. 

[lefreut]

The SoD UI is missing the HLA screen (I think the BGEE UI has it).

[Skye]

3 hours ago, subtledoctor said:

One option: set the kit to use an existing table (doesn’t matter which, can be Fi0), then use my HLA table-modifying function to give it whatever custom HLAs you want.

Doesn't do me any good. I also need the kit to start receiving HLAs very early, so it's not just about the ability table.

1 hour ago, lefreut said:

The SoD UI is missing the HLA screen (I think the BGEE UI has it).

You seem to be correct. The old BG:EE UI has the Abilities button. The SoD one does not. I suppose I could mod the button back in with a GUI mod.

To answer some of my own questions:

• Despite IESDP saying otherwise, there seems to be no way to add a custom kit to LUNUMAB.2DA. As far as I can tell, the game ignores it.
• HLAs are theoretically available in BG:EE, but the GUI elements are missing in SoD UI and need to be added back in with a GUI mod.
• It is possible to define more than 24 HLAs in the LU*.2DA table, since the HLA screen is now scrollable and not just a fixed grid.
• The MIN_LEV field seems to behave strangely, at least with HLAs past the initial 24. Need to research it further.
• The rates in LUNUMAB.2DA can be decimals (0.5 seemed to work fine for 1 point/2 levels).

At this point, unless someone knows something that I've missed, there doesn't seem to be any way for me to make a custom HLA progression for my kit, so this whole idea goes down the drain. My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined...

[subtledoctor]

1 hour ago, Skye said:

there seems to be no way to add a custom kit to LUNUMAB.2DA

I was going to object, but I was mixing this up with LUABBR.2da. My functions patch that to give each kit a custom table; but the level and rate at which you start getting HLAs is determined solely by class. 

1 hour ago, Skye said:

The MIN_LEV field seems to behave strangely, at least with HLAs past the initial 24. Need to research it further

Like several other things, this doesn't do what you think it does. It was designed just for multiclasses, to e.g. prevent you choosing a 9th-level spell before you can cast 9th-level spells. I have found it’s best to avoid messing with this field in any other circumstances. 

1 hour ago, Skye said:

The rates in LUNUMAB.2DA can be decimals (0.5 seemed to work fine for 1 point/2 levels)

That’s fascinating! I never thought to try that! If I knew that a few years ago I would have made a feats mod much sooner!

[Allbrother]

I've gone this route before, turn back now. Unless you want to bang your head against a BG2/TOB/HoW character creator shaped wall, as those skip HLA screen entirely and any picks at earlier levels are lost.

 

edit:

 

You can kind of achieve a similar effect with a combination of opcodes #171 and #214

Edited August 3, 2021 by Allbrother

[Skye]

9 hours ago, subtledoctor said:

Like several other things, this doesn't do what you think it does. It was designed just for multiclasses, to e.g. prevent you choosing a 9th-level spell before you can cast 9th-level spells.

  I see. This is poorly documented in IESDP too, then. Good to know if I ever decide to mess around with the table again.

9 hours ago, subtledoctor said:

That’s fascinating! I never thought to try that! If I knew that a few years ago I would have made a feats mod much sooner!

As long as all of us are a little bit wiser now, it wasn't a waste of time, I guess.

9 hours ago, Allbrother said:

You can kind of achieve a similar effect with a combination of opcodes #171 and #214

I use that for certain parts of my mod, but it's not good enough for what I'm trying to achieve.

I guess I'll look into modding the UI. Maybe I can achieve the same result with a custom panel and some Lua.

[subtledoctor]

1 hour ago, Skye said:

I use that for certain parts of my mod, but it's not good enough for what I'm trying to achieve

You might want to look at Kjeron’s UI mod template for sorcerer spell learning, which uses the sequencer choice UI, and which can be adapted to other things like feats or HLAs. The “learning” part springs from an automated application of opcode 171, so it can handle any kind of abilities rather than just wizard spells; and you can replace that 171 effect with 146 or the like, as needed, to apply passive effects. 

I think the simplest version I have is my mod that lets Archer-type kits choose from various Called Shot abilities. The code is slightly opaque, but once you wrap your head around it, it can largely be copied and pasted for other applications. It operates from a simple .2da table so making adjustments is quite easy after it is set up. 

The basic function can be found here.

[Skye]

Thank you. We will study those mods. If nothing else, we'll learn something new.

[CajunAzn]

Sorry if necroing this thread breaks convention, but I thought this was relevant.

I recently rediscovered the TeamBG LV 40 HLA mod for BG:EE (download link from @CamDawg's ChosenOfMystra mirror), which adds the missing HLA SPLs, but I can't get the thief traps working: "Set Spike Trap" (SPCL910), "Set Exploding Trap" (SPCL911), and "Set Time Trap" (SPCL912).

The game will say "Set Snare Succeeded" after casting, but the trap indicators on the area map won't appear, the 7 trap limit will not be counted against, and the traps won't fire.

Does anyone know what other files need to edited for the HLA traps to register properly when set? Thanks a lot!