[Bug report] EE content bugs

[argent77]

[iwdee] Rhinoceros Beetles: Health bar is positioned to high above their creature animation

Placement of health bar and other visual effects are calculated based on their animation size. While it works fine for big creatures, such as dragons, it doesn't work well for these beetles. I'd suggest to fix it in their associated INI file by adding a "height_offset" definition with an appropriate value.

Preview:

Spoiler

 

[jmerry]

The same animation is used in SoD (bdbeeth.CRE). Testing ... the health bar looks pretty similar to your height_offset=100 picture. Checking e230.ini ... height_offset=110. Might as well propagate the fix that SoD used back to IWDEE.

The animation is also present but unused in both non-SoD BGEE and in BG2EE; I know at least one mod that uses the animation for a new creature in BG2EE. BG2EE lacks the height_offset line, but non-SoD BGEE has it.

[Thacobell]

At some point, the line "target has no items" when pickpocketing was removed. Nowthe line that used to only play when your skills were too low plays in the same situation, "target has no items that can be stolen by a cutpurse of your skill" (paraphrasing). Really hurts the clarity of the message.

[Sam.]

1 hour ago, Thacobell said:

At some point, the line "target has no items" when pickpocketing was removed. Nowthe line that used to only play when your skills were too low plays in the same situation, "target has no items that can be stolen by a cutpurse of your skill" (paraphrasing). Really hurts the clarity of the message.

Offhand my guess is it might have changed as a result of the pickpocketable slots being soft-coded.

[argent77]

[iwdee] Tarnelm's dialog (DTARNELM.DLG) should provide a non-evil option to end the conversation with him

If you talk to Tarnelm in the oubliette after giving him food and taking care of Maiden Ilmadia, and ask him about that place all you can do is tell him that you like Marketh's style. This is strangely out of place for anyone except evil or sadistic characters, especially after showing kindness by bringing him food. There should be a second option to end the conversation with a more neutral reply.

One of the other available responses to end the conversation could be reused for this.

Edited June 30, 2023 by argent77

[Thacobell]

23 hours ago, Sam. said:

Offhand my guess is it might have changed as a result of the pickpocketable slots being soft-coded.

Neeeeeeeeeeeeeds fix...

[polytope]

On 7/1/2023 at 10:41 PM, Thacobell said:

Neeeeeeeeeeeeeds fix...

It's always been like that.

Trying to pickpocket someone with items marked as unstealable or in slots that couldn't be stolen from (armor, selected weapon, helmet etc.) would return the message "target has no items", only if the player goes ahead and murders whoever they were trying to steal from would they discover otherwise.

[argent77]

[iwdee/how] Final encounter with Wylfdene in the Barbarian Camp: Zoom and Area Map features don't work after Wylfdene's death and the Seer's final words

You can control the party but Zoom feature and Area Map don't work correctly. Opening the area map on the Camp area (AR9200) only moves the viewport to the map center but does not scale the map.

It can be fixed by saving and reloading. However, that can only be done after the battle with the hostile barbarians is won. In the meantime you cannot properly use zoom and area map features to coordinate your attacks.

My guess is that one of the cutscenes is not properly cleared.

[Thacobell]

On 7/3/2023 at 8:57 AM, polytope said:

It's always been like that.

Trying to pickpocket someone with items marked as unstealable or in slots that couldn't be stolen from (armor, selected weapon, helmet etc.) would return the message "target has no items", only if the player goes ahead and murders whoever they were trying to steal from would they discover otherwise.

No, its not always been like that. Current patch of the EEs has removed the, "target has no items" message.

[polytope]

On 7/6/2023 at 9:44 PM, Thacobell said:

No, its not always been like that. Current patch of the EEs has removed the, "target has no items" message.

It's essentially the same though, in the older versions the pickpocketing attempt would still return "target has no items" when they actually do, if in slots that couldn't be stolen from or outright flagged-as-unstealable items. You always needed to actually kill and loot the target to be sure you've taken everything possible.

Strictly speaking "no items that can be stolen by YOU" is more accurate than "no items", since it covers the latter possibility. Besides, how exactly would a thief know for sure that the mark isn't carrying anything else? It would require a strip search to be certain.

Edited July 8, 2023 by polytope

[Thacobell]

8 hours ago, polytope said:

It's essentially the same though, in the older versions the pickpocketing attempt would still return "target has no items" when they actually do, if in slots that couldn't be stolen from or outright flagged-as-unstealable items. You always needed to actually kill and loot the target to be sure you've taken everything possible.

Strictly speaking "no items that can be stolen by YOU" is more accurate than "no items", since it covers the latter possibility. Besides, how exactly would a thief know for sure that the mark isn't carrying anything else? It would require a strip search to be certain.

Its not the same, because one leads you to believe that you got everything, and the other leads you to believe you need to use your potions of thievery to finish getting everything.
"Besides, how exactly would a thief know for sure that the mark isn't carrying anything else?"
Welll gee, I dunno. How would your character know how many hitpoints they have? How would they know the exact number of their thac0, ac, or saveing throws? The game information is there for the PLAYER'S benefit, not the characters. Clarity in game mechanics/messages is only ever a good thing.

[CamDawg]

Right, so let me preface this with the fact that this string was changed back in 2013, and the BD team has had numerous opportunities to change it back, or to something else. We've got a pretty clear indication that the change in intentional, and working as intended.

There is one string that's available, so let's look at a few scenarios:

1. The target has no items
2. The target has a ring that can be pickpocketed, but you lack the necessary skill
3. The target has a ring that can be pickpocketed, but it's flagged unstealable

Neither 'target has no items' or "target has no items that can be stolen by a cut-purse of your skill" is 100% accurate for all three cases.The former works for #1 and is wrong for the other two; the latter is wrong for #1, accurate in case #2, and kinda, sorta, if-you-squint-just-right appropriate for #3.

Absent the ability to alter the engine to differentiate case #1 from #2 and #3 (which is beyond what we can do in EEFP) there's not a change to be made.¹

 

¹ OK, we could technically go the full rules lawyer: "Target has no items, or target has no items that can be stolen by a cut-purse of your skill. The content of this string is confidential and intended for the character attempting the pickpocket. It is strictly forbidden to share any part of this message with any third party, without a written consent of the pickpocketer. If you received this message by mistake, please file a bug report and join the Cult of the Eyeless to prevent future viewings."

[kjeron]

And that still wouldn't cover all possibilities.

The currently selected weapon, the Fist slot, and the Magical Weapon slot cannot be stolen, without any regard to skill or the unstealable flag.

The launcher (Bows, Crossbows, Slings) currently used by the selected ammo cannot be stolen if you (the pickpocket) currently have that type of launcher equipped (with ammo).

[Thacobell]

7 hours ago, kjeron said:

And that still wouldn't cover all possibilities.

The currently selected weapon, the Fist slot, and the Magical Weapon slot cannot be stolen, without any regard to skill or the unstealable flag.

The launcher (Bows, Crossbows, Slings) currently used by the selected ammo cannot be stolen if you (the pickpocket) currently have that type of launcher equipped (with ammo).

This is super nitpicky. If an item is not pick-pocketable, then the pickpocket target essentially has no items in regards to what can be pickpocketed.


The concept of having messages for both, "You don't have the skill to take this" and "You got everything possible" isn't complicated. If its hardcoded and can't be changed, then I guess it is what it is.

[polytope]

14 hours ago, Thacobell said:

 the other leads you to believe you need to use your potions of thievery to finish getting everything... Clarity in game mechanics/messages is only ever a good thing.

Wasting potions to attempt something? Just a part of RPGs in general, unless you extensively metagame. Examples:

• Notice a monster is immune to the normal arrows you're shooting at it, switch to +1 arrows and waste a few before realizing it's immune to those as well. Should the game display "Weapon Ineffective (you needed at least a +2 weapon)"?
• Miss an enemy with an attack roll of 19, gulp a potion of heroism and still miss with your next 19. Again, is it necessary to inform the player "Attack Roll 19 -1 = 18: Miss (you missed by 4 points)"?

The only use of thievery potions anyway is to either sell, or drink with the intent of stealing things that could also be sold, those aren't critical resources. I don't see how the unnecessary expenditure of such would ruin someone's campaign to the extent of being a bug rather than tweak.

8 hours ago, kjeron said:

And that still wouldn't cover all possibilities.

The currently selected weapon, the Fist slot, and the Magical Weapon slot cannot be stolen, without any regard to skill or the unstealable flag.

Isn't the magical weapon slot still used for Polymorph/Shapechange attacks etc.? It doesn't make sense to steal a mage-in-golem-form's iron hands. Even with other things like Spiritual Hammer it's hard to imagine taking it away from the cleric who cast the spell. Melf's Meteors are the only case I could see as a stealable item.

Currently selected weapon is visible in game for most animations, so it would be obvious to the player, but again, how could a thief stealthily steal a sword currently gripped by someone else's hands, rather than from a scabbard?