First, I mean Second, try at a big(ish) EET install

[subtledoctor]

Aaaaand, I hit a crash to desktop upon traveling to the Coast Way. This does not bode well.

Not sure how to troubleshoot this... I don't see anything obviously wrong?

Spoiler

Maybe the script could have something too? The only addition to BG2800.bcs since my last, working, game is Brandock spawning. But I haven't seen anything about Brandock causing crashes, it seems to work fine for people.

Sigh...

[subtledoctor]

Can't track down that crash bug, so I made a lazy attempt at a reinstall, using something close to a method I think first relayed to me by @Bartimaeus

1. Duplicate the entire game folder with all 700 mod component installed and the mod folders present. (NOTE: to make this work, Weidu needed the backup folders and the files contained therein to be present. Bart, is there some way you get around this?)
2. Delete /override, /lang, /movies, and /music. Copy in new versions of those folders from a pristine unmodded game install.
3. Rename weidu.log to "weidu_old.log" and create a version of weidu.log with nothing installed.
4. Install EET.
5. Rename the new version of weidu.log to "weidu_new.log" and rename the old one back to "weidu.log"
6. Cut everything from weidu.log from EET_end and below. Don't want to get too aggressive on the first try, I can manually install SCS and the later tweaks. So now weidu.log has about 600 entries, of which one is actually installed, and the mod folders and backup folders for all the other ones are present in the game folder.
7. Run the installer for the second mod in the list, the on right after EET. In this case, I have my BP_in_BG mod.
8. Weidu thinks BP_in_BG is installed because it is in the log. It asks me what I want to do: [ R ]einstall, [ N ]o change, [ U ]ninstall, or [ Q ]uit?
9. I select [ R ]einstall. Weidu pretends to uninstall everything in the whole stack. They are not actually installed so nothing really happens here. It hits some errors and needed my input to continue.
10. Then, the magic: Weidu "reinstalls" every mod in the stack. I didn't stick around to watch this, it took an hour or so. But in the end, I've got about 550 mod components installed, without having to interact with it!

Unfortunately several mods refused to be installed ("reinstalled") this way. The ones that threw errors include:

• Themed Tweaks for SoD
• Amber
• Beyond the Law
• UB "Restored Minor Dialogues"
• Tales of Deep Gardens
• Crossmod Banterpack
• Made in Heaven Item Pack/Tweaks
• Poison No Bypass Mirror Image
• EndlessBG1
• Improved Boareskyr Bridge Scene
• the variant Archer kits (Marksman, Halfling Slinger, and Elven Archer) from Might & Guile

That's a surprisingly good result... but not having EndlessBG1, ToDG, and Poison No Bypass hurts. I'll probably start again and just manually install everything.

Bart do you think there's something I could have done differently/better?

Edited November 4, 2022 by subtledoctor

[Dan_P]

Don't know if this will help, but this is maybe a simpler method for reinstalls. What I do is put the unmodded game in a folder. Extract all the mods I want into the folder. Then backup the whole thing with 7zip or whatever program you use. 

Then I install all the mods manually + make a backup copy of weidu.log. I keep a zip file with various weidu.logs, named something like weidu-bg2ee(modname).log.

If for some reason I need to do a fresh reinstall, I unzip the backup of the game/mods, load up Project Infinity, and import the backup weidu.log. I don't actually use Project Infinity the normal way (with the check box things on the side). I just make sure the mods are ordered right if PI shows warnings, then import the log file and install.

If I want to make a change to installed mods, I just add or delete lines in the backup weidu.log. If there's a new mod or component I'm adding, I'll install it by itself so I can copy paste the lines, then uninstall it.

[Graion Dilach]

He's on a Mac+iPad, he can't use PI.

Honestly, I'm not sure what to say about that crash. The PI screenshot looks meaningless to me. I would guesswork that one of the mods touching the area wasn't case-sensitive enough.

Edited November 4, 2022 by Graion Dilach

[jastey]

I don't understand - didn't you scrumble your game with old files from the mods' backup folders this way?

[subtledoctor]

3 hours ago, jastey said:

I don't understand - didn't you scrumble your game with old files from the mods' backup folders this way?

But then the mods get installed, so that shouldn't matter, right?

7 hours ago, Dan_P said:

Don't know if this will help, but this is maybe a simpler method for reinstalls. What I do is put the unmodded game in a folder. Extract all the mods I want into the folder. Then backup the whole thing with 7zip or whatever program you use. 

Then I install all the mods manually + make a backup copy of weidu.log. I keep a zip file with various weidu.logs, named something like weidu-bg2ee(modname).log.

If for some reason I need to do a fresh reinstall, I unzip the backup of the game/mods, load up Project Infinity, and import the backup weidu.log. I don't actually use Project Infinity the normal way (with the check box things on the side). I just make sure the mods are ordered right if PI shows warnings, then import the log file and install.

If I want to make a change to installed mods, I just add or delete lines in the backup weidu.log. If there's a new mod or component I'm adding, I'll install it by itself so I can copy paste the lines, then uninstall it.

I can't use PI, it is Windows-only. ( (You knew that was coming right?)) Anyway, the Mac Weidu Launcher gives what I think is a good install order. I tinker with as this or that dependency becomes known, but in general it's pretty good. So that's not really a concern. It makes manual installation super easy. I just wanted to give this trick a test run and see how it came out.

As far as actually getting my game playable, there are two possibilities:

1. something went wrong while installing mods this time and I didn't notice. I'll do a manual reinstall of the same group (less Dee's thieving button) and pay close attention to it. Or,
2. I had a perfectly stable install with ~600 mod components, maybe something in one of the new mods is causing instability. Since I know the old weidu.log is good and stable, I can just go back to that and only update the mods. After all the main point of reinstalling is to use the updated versions of my own mods. Adding more stuff to the install was just on a lark.

#1 is of course risky - risking my time if I need to do it over again and change to #2 after. #2 is more conservative and very likely to work great, but misses out on a smidge of new content. Need to think about what is wisest...

[jastey]

3 hours ago, subtledoctor said:

But then the mods get installed, so that shouldn't matter, right?

If you install them to scrumbled files, it will result in scrumbled files.

[subtledoctor]

 these are the 81 components that are in the new install and that were not in the old, stable install:

Spoiler

~EEUITWEAKS/EEUITWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2070 // Dee's Permanent Thieving Button: 3.8.1
~EEUITWEAKS/EEUITWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #3030 // lefreut's Customize All Characters: 3.8.1
~BP_IN_BG/BP_IN_BG.TP2~ #0 #100 // add access to the Black Pits in BGEE/EET: 0.6.2
~C#ENDLESSBG1/C#ENDLESSBG1.TP2~ #0 #13 // Skip Thieves' Maze Once After Sarevok's Death: 13
~TRANSITIONS/TRANSITIONS.TP2~ #0 #22 // Give Sarevok his armor, helm, and sword -> Use EndlessBG1's handling of Sarevok's equipment, if available, else use Option 2: v2.4
~THALAN/THALAN.TP2~ #0 #0 // Thalantyr - Item Upgrade: v4.2.5
~C#SODBOABRI/C#SODBOABRI.TP2~ #0 #0 // Scene at Boareskyr Bridge will be Acknowledged: Add NPC Reactions: v2
~C#SODBOABRI/C#SODBOABRI.TP2~ #0 #1 // Add Description Text to Original Scene at Bridge: v2
~C#SODBOABRI/C#SODBOABRI.TP2~ #0 #2 // Bridge Scene has Different Choices: v2
~C#SODBOABRI/C#SODBOABRI.TP2~ #0 #3 // Add Stat Changes to Choices at Bridge: v2
~C#ANOTHERFINEHELL/C#ANOTHERFINEHELL.TP2~ #0 #0 // Another Fine Hell - Optional Ending for SoD and BGII Closure: Alpha_220923
~C#ANOTHERFINEHELL/C#ANOTHERFINEHELL.TP2~ #0 #1 // Get the Hells Out - Quest Option with Extended BGII Content: Alpha_220923
~C#ANOTHERFINEHELL/C#ANOTHERFINEHELL.TP2~ #0 #2 // PC's and Imoen's chest in Palace should have their content: Alpha_220923
~THEMED_TWEAKS/THEMED_TWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #60 // SoD - Give Imoen a special wand for palace attack scene: v0.3
~THEMED_TWEAKS/THEMED_TWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #70 // SoD - Allow PC to give aid to Imoen after attack in palace: v0.3
~THEMED_TWEAKS/THEMED_TWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #80 // SoD - Stat-based observations and quest options: v0.3
~THEMED_TWEAKS/THEMED_TWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #100 // SoD - Quest: Scouting the Coast Way Crossing: v0.3
~THEMED_TWEAKS/THEMED_TWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #140 // SoD/BG2EE - Add a little snark to dialogues: v0.3
~THEMED_TWEAKS/THEMED_TWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #160 // SoD/BG2EE - Move dreams about Irenicus from SoD to BG2EE: v0.3
~THEMED_TWEAKS/THEMED_TWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #180 // BG2EE - Give Imoen innnate Magic Missiles for attack scene: v0.3
~C#BRANDOCK/C#BRANDOCK.TP2~ #0 #0 // Brandock the Mage: Beta_16
~C#BRANDOCK/C#BRANDOCK.TP2~ #0 #10 // Brandock the Mage: Crossmod Content: Beta_16
~C#BRANDOCK/C#BRANDOCK.TP2~ #0 #20 // Install Alternate Portrait -> Alternative #1: Friendly, by Acifer: Beta_16
~C#BRANDOCK/C#BRANDOCK.TP2~ #0 #50 // Use Short Cutscene in Thalantyr's Abode: Beta_16
~TENYATHERMIDOR/SETUP-TENYATHERMIDOR.TP2~ #0 #0 // Tenya Thermidor for BG:EE
~DRAKE/SETUP-DRAKE.TP2~ #0 #0 // Drake NPC for Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition: 1.6
~KALE/KALE.TP2~ #0 #0 // Kale NPC for BG1EE and SoD: 1.69
~GLAMNPCPACK/SETUP-GLAMNPCPACK.TP2~ #0 #0 // Glam's NPC Pack for BG:EE, BGT and BG TUTU
~BRISTLELICK/BRISTLELICK.TP2~ #0 #0 // Bristlelick—the gnoll companion for BGEE: 2.1
~AMBER/AMBER.TP2~ #0 #0 // Amber the NPC MOD: v5.1
~BTL/BTL.TP2~ #0 #0 // Beyond the Law - Kova & Kiyone -> Beyond the Law with Kiyone original sound set: v2.0.0
~BTL/BTL.TP2~ #0 #2 // Better balanced BTL items: v2.0.0
~THEVANISHINGOFSKIESILVERSHIELD/THEVANISHINGOFSKIESILVERSHIELD.TP2~ #0 #0 // The Vanishing of Skie Silvershield – a new quest for BGEE that lets Eldoth and Skie join your party sooner: 1.5
~FISHINGFORTROUBLE/FISHINGFORTROUBLE.TP2~ #0 #0 // Fishing for Trouble by Yovaneth: v3.2.8
~FISHINGFORTROUBLE/FISHINGFORTROUBLE.TP2~ #0 #1 // Fishing for Trouble - Major character portraits: v3.2.8
~HERTHIMONEY/HERTHIMONEY.TP2~ #1 #0 // Component 1. Interjections & Mini-quests (by Austin & Arcanecoast Team): 4.2.6
~HERTHIMONEY/HERTHIMONEY.TP2~ #1 #10 // Component 2. First Calimport Bank Pack (by Scheele & Austin & Arcanecoast Team): 4.2.6
~HERTHIMONEY/HERTHIMONEY.TP2~ #1 #20 // Component 3. Shadow-Covered Love & Death (by Alisia & Austin): 4.2.6
~HERTHIMONEY/HERTHIMONEY.TP2~ #1 #30 // Component 4. The Missing Troll Case (by Alisia & Austin): 4.2.6
~CHLOE/CHLOE.TP2~ #0 #0 // Chloe for EET (Original Contents): v1.6 EE
~SETUP-WINGS.TP2~ #0 #0 // Wings for BG2:EE
~SETUP-WINGS.TP2~ #0 #1 // Restore missing banters?
~SETUP-WINGS.TP2~ #0 #2 // Remove conflict with Hexxat?
~PAINA/PAINA.TP2~ #0 #0 // Pai'Na NPC for BG:EE
~FHAUGY/FHAUGY.TP2~ #0 #0 // Fhaugy - Baldur's Gate 2: EE NPC: 0.82
~TASHIA/SETUP-TASHIA.TP2~ #0 #0 // Tashia NPC Mod -> Full version (ToB required): v1.3
~TASHIA/SETUP-TASHIA.TP2~ #0 #2 // Tashia Add-on Pack by Bri and Lord Ernie (English only, Tashia ToB Required) -> Action Style dialogues: v1.3
~TASHIA/SETUP-TASHIA.TP2~ #0 #5 // Alternate portrait for Tashia. -> Tashia's Alternate Portrait 2.: v1.3
~SKITIANPCS/SETUP-SKITIANPCS.TP2~ #0 #0 // Skitia NPCs for Baldur's Gate 2: 1.007
~SKITIANPCS/SETUP-SKITIANPCS.TP2~ #0 #2 // Skitia NPCs: Romance Theme Soundtrack -> No Romance Theme Music: 1.007
~WALAHNANBG2/WALAHNANBG2.TP2~ #0 #0 // Walahnan NPC for BG2EE: 0.93
~OFHEIRLOOMSANDCLASSES/OFHEIRLOOMSANDCLASSES.TP2~ #0 #0 // Of Heirlooms and Classes - new artifacts forgeable by Cromwell: v1.2
~FORGOTTEN-ARMAMENT/FORGOTTEN-ARMAMENT.TP2~ #0 #18 // Install Forgotten Armament Items -> ONLY Install New Items: v1.1
~FORGOTTEN-ARMAMENT/FORGOTTEN-ARMAMENT.TP2~ #0 #11 // Add Breach Scrolls to Sorcerous Sundries: v1.1
~FORGOTTEN-ARMAMENT/FORGOTTEN-ARMAMENT.TP2~ #0 #8 // Replace Boots of Speed (Paws of the Cheetah): v1.1
~MIH_IP/SETUP-MIH_IP.TP2~ #0 #0 // Made in Heaven: Item Pack: v7
~MIH_IP/SETUP-MIH_IP.TP2~ #0 #1 // Icewind Dale items for Baldur's Gate 1 & 2: v7
~MIH_IP/SETUP-MIH_IP.TP2~ #0 #2 // Planescape Torment items for Baldur's Gate 1 & 2: v7
~MIH_IP/SETUP-MIH_IP.TP2~ #0 #3 // BG1-style Wands of Frost & -Lightning: v7
~MIH_IP/SETUP-MIH_IP.TP2~ #0 #5 // Alternative Healing Potions -> Healing Potions work as in Icewind Dale: v7
~MIH_IP/SETUP-MIH_IP.TP2~ #0 #9 // Turn generic Full Plate into Field Plate: v7
~MIH_IP/SETUP-MIH_IP.TP2~ #0 #10 // Turn all Dragon Scale Armor into Scale Mail: v7
~MIH_IP/SETUP-MIH_IP.TP2~ #0 #11 // P&P Mace of Disruption (and similar items): v7
~MIH_IP/SETUP-MIH_IP.TP2~ #0 #14 // Add Potions of Extra Healing in BG1: v7
~MIH_IP/SETUP-MIH_IP.TP2~ #0 #15 // Nerf BG1 easter egg items: v7
~MIH_IP/SETUP-MIH_IP.TP2~ #0 #16 // Sensible Shops (see readme): v7
~HOW_EET/SETUP-HOW_EET.TP2~ #1 #0 // Heart of Winter in Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition (Trilogy)
~MIGHT_AND_GUILE/MIGHT_AND_GUILE.TP2~ #0 #50 // Move the Cavalier to the Fighter Class: 5alpha5
~MIGHT_AND_GUILE/MIGHT_AND_GUILE.TP2~ #0 #60 // Add the Weaponmaster (fighter kit): 5alpha5
~MIGHT_AND_GUILE/MIGHT_AND_GUILE.TP2~ #0 #90 // Add the Rake (thief kit) and revise the Swashbuckler: 5alpha5
~MIGHT_AND_GUILE/MIGHT_AND_GUILE.TP2~ #0 #96 // Add the Ninja (thief kit): 5alpha5
~MIGHT_AND_GUILE/MIGHT_AND_GUILE.TP2~ #0 #97 // Add the Ninja (fighter/thief kit): 5alpha5
~MIGHT_AND_GUILE/MIGHT_AND_GUILE.TP2~ #0 #120 // Add Regional Ranger kits: 5alpha5
~MIGHT_AND_GUILE/MIGHT_AND_GUILE.TP2~ #0 #225 // Revised Ranger Spell Table: 5alpha5
~MIGHT_AND_GUILE/MIGHT_AND_GUILE.TP2~ #0 #250 // Revised Berserker and Rage: 5alpha5
~MIGHT_AND_GUILE/MIGHT_AND_GUILE.TP2~ #0 #280 // Revised Backstabbing: 5alpha5
~MIGHT_AND_GUILE/MIGHT_AND_GUILE.TP2~ #0 #290 // Revised Rogue THAC0: 5alpha5
~MIH_TWEAKS/SETUP-MIH_TWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #2 // Protection from Evil blocks Domination: v1
~MIH_TWEAKS/SETUP-MIH_TWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #5 // Fix BG1 Item Shops: v1
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #150 // PnP Fiends -> Mod-added fiends are not affected: v4.53
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #155 // Further Revised Fiend Summoning: v4.53

The question is which, if any, of those could possibly cause the game to crash on the coast way map. Most of them seem safe - not many of those even interact with the Coast Way. Most of them have purely BG2 content. The possibilities that jump out at me are:

1. The Brandock mod adds a travel trigger somewhere on the map.
2. The Vanishing of Skie Silvershield adds code to BG2800.bcs relating to Eldoth's appearance. (Well, it actually does this in AR2800.bcs but I changed it.*)
3. There is an actor in the area named "wonderbunny" that seems a bit odd. I don't see anything obviously crashy about the .CRE file. Seems related to the ACQuest mod, which I've used before.

I do see that I did not correctly convert The Vanishing of Skie Silvershield to EET use: his bit in BG2800.bcs looks like this:

IF
	Global("L#SSMoveEldothNow","GLOBAL",0)
	OR(2)
		Global("cdt_spawn_eldoth","AR2800",0)  // Suldanesselar
		Global("cdt_spawn_eldoth","AR2800",1)  // Suldanesselar
THEN
	RESPONSE #100
		MoveGlobal("AR2300","ELDOTH",[1005.3245])  // Eldoth
		SetGlobal("L#SSMoveEldothNow","GLOBAL",2)
		SetGlobal("cdt_spawn_eldoth","AR2800",2)  // Suldanesselar
END

Clearly I didn't change all the AR references to BG references to make the mod work properly in EET. Still even if this script makes him pop into existence in Suldenesselar, I don't think it would crash the game? But then again I really don't feel a need to bring Eldoth along this early in the game, I guess I'll probably leave this one out.

[subtledoctor]

4 minutes ago, jastey said:

If you install them to scrumbled files, it will result in scrumbled files.

I don't get what scrumbled means?

But at any rate I'm not too interested in that - I haven't even tried out that install to see if it plays. I'm more interested in how to move forward from the manual install which should not have had any scrumbled files and yet still crashed.

[jastey]

38 minutes ago, subtledoctor said:

The Brandock mod adds a travel trigger somewhere on the map.

Worked so far on every platform. It should stop the crash if you put the are file from Brandock's backup into the override folder (as a test).

 

38 minutes ago, subtledoctor said:

There is an actor in the area named "wonderbunny" that seems a bit odd. I don't see anything obviously crashy about the .CRE file. Seems related to the ACQuest mod, which I've used before.

Yes, that's from Ascalon's Questpack, an invisible cre that is helping with some scripts. I would have to search for details.

 

35 minutes ago, subtledoctor said:

I don't get what scrumbled means?

My thought was, if the mod deinstalls it "restores" the files from its backup folder. These files do contain changes from the mod before. It then uses these files to reinstall the mod, still with the changes from the mod(s) before. This only works up to a clean game if all mods deinstall really clean and neat and the last backup files from the first mod installed are restored before the "re"install process starts. Hmmm, ok... I'd be suspicious that works as intended tbh. but it might not be as bad as I thought originally.

[Graion Dilach]

You can attempt updating Vanishing of Skie to 2.0, because I did the EET conversion for that one and should have covered these issues.

[Bartimaeus]

17 hours ago, subtledoctor said:

Duplicate the entire game folder with all 700 mod component installed and the mod folders present. (NOTE: to make this work, Weidu needed the backup folders and the files contained therein to be present. Bart, is there some way you get around this?)

I keep a "master" weidu.log and put an asterisk next to any mod that requires the backup files in order to reinstall. Typically, this is because of READLNs - free-form user input prompts that cannot be captured by the weidu.log.

For a mod that uses READLN (such as BGT above or BGGraphics), the backup folder for the component in question contains the "READLN.#" and "READLN.#.TEXT" files that store these choices; copying them over will preserve your choices and allow them to reinstall, and you do not need anything else from the backup folders. Alternatively, trying to do 500+ components in one-go is really sketchy in terms of "did anything go wrong? if so, welp, I have to start all over since this is impossible to safely stop until it's way too late" as well as weidu speed and stability (the longer it goes, the slower weidu seems to get - possibly from a result of constantly appending the relevant .debug file? Presumably, you don't want a .debug file that is 20 MB large). So instead what I do is I'll add chunks of the old weidu.log to the new weidu.log, then "re-install" in batches - hundred components there, manually install the READLN component that I've asterisked, then another hundred, and so on.

It's a process fraught with danger for sure, but once you know the pitfalls and have how it works down, it's very handy. If you're adding new mods or new versions of mods, you should definitely be installing those manually for the first time.

READLNs wouldn't be an issue if weidu allowed you to supply them in the event of missing input, but instead the installation fatal errors - very annoying, and something I wish would change with weidu.

(e): Though I have to say, I'm not sure which, if any of your components would actually have READLNs; it is possible other issues cropped up because of leaving the backup folders totally in-tact (which I have never done; only the READLN files), IDK.

Edited November 4, 2022 by Bartimaeus

[subtledoctor]

OKAY! Off to the races. I managed to get the updated and added mods to install and run on the iPad. I've created a fighter to try out some of the new Combat Skills and then later dual-class to a cleric of Bhaal myself. I also created a psion/thief. The ranger/psion was surprisingly unexciting... nice to have the advantages of a ranger and there are some nice synergies, but it basically plays like a custom ranger kit - not so much like a ranger combined with an all-new class. A psion/thief didn't seem tough enough, but now that I think about it, it has a cleric's HD and thac0 progression which is not so bad! And more psionic powers, and more points to spend on using psionic powers. And not being a front-liner means I won't  be tempted top play it like a ranger, instead setting back and blasting people with my mind!

I think. I've played both characters through Beregost so far, picking up Jaheira an Khalid. I made Khalid a cleric of Torm 5 dualled to ranger; and Jaheira a ranger/druid specialized in longbows. And in both cases I made Imoen a Jinxer bardic mage/thief. Especially with the Psionicist, there should be some interesting synergies with Imoen because her bard song gives enemies a save penalty, and she has innate access to the Doom and Curse spells, and a psion has lots of targeted save-or-suck abilities.

I already had an interesting encounter with my new Combat Skills mod: in the  very first combat of the game, I was attacking Carbos, and it was taking a long time. Then the screen shook and it said "Charname: critical hit" but Carbos took no damage! I worried about some kind of bug but then I remembered: the mod  gives a random selection of combat skills to all fighters and thieves in the game. And Carbos apparently got the "Parry Slashing" ability. Which blocks one slashing attack each round. And me with my long sword, I was only able to make one  slashing attack each round. Which meant Carbos is effectively invulnerable!* I ran over to the chest with the war hammer and hit him over the head with it. All's well that ends well, but it's a good reminder that some enemies are going to have tricks up their sleeves!

* Which raises the question whether that ability is properly balanced.  It makes parrying potentially super useful in the early game, but when you're facing 4 or 5 attacks each round later on, it's not as protective. Should the parrying skill instead do something like block 30% of all attacks of the relevant damage type? That would be less protective early on, but scale better later.

[subtledoctor]

Here's another interesting thing I've been seeing:

In the alpha version of Might & Guile v5, I am trying something new - again! - with the Berserker Rage ability. I was looking over some of the old PnP books and I saw that it allows temporary protection against the Finger of Death  spell. Immunity to death... interesting! It occurred to me that this is sort of what BG2 was attempting to simulate by giving a +15 hp bonus and then later taking those 15 hp away. But, with the fancy stuff in the EE 2.0 engine, we can actually implement this sort of thing!

So MnGv5 removes those 15 hp from Berserker Rage, and adds an effect that gives you a minimum of 1 hp. The duration is revised down to 30 seconds, and at the end of those 30 seconds if you have 1 hp, then you die. So the idea is, you can wade into melee and if you would have been killed by a crit or something on the 2nd round of your berserk, then you'll get 3 more rounds to fight before you finally keel over and die. The idea is, don't make berserkers immune to everything but instead say, when they die, they can spend five rounds taking their enemies with them.

So the interesting thing I'm seeing in my current playthrough, is that enemies get the benefit of this as well. I'm not just talking about Gromnir - I mean in the third map you visit in BG1 as a 1st-level noob, that ogre wearing Unshey's Belt of Piercing Resistance will pop a Berserk and become unkillable.    I mean, for 30 seconds. But still, that is tactically important. Especially when you encounter 2, 3, 4 ogre berserkers on the Bear River or another map, this means that you cannot thin their ranks by using focus fire. Focus fire, possibly  the most important tactic in this game, becomes useless when this berserk is in effect. No matter how much damage you do, those ogres can whale on you with berserk-enhanced attacks for five rounds, and you just have to take it. And they're immune to almost every low-level crowd control spell too!

What's good for the goose is good for the gander, I guess.

EDIT - also, I noticed that my EET conversions of the Drake and Tenya mods had some problems, so when I ran through chapters1-3 with a psionicist, Drake was not available. But I found and fixed some scripts, and now Drake is in the Burning Wizard and has correct dialogue and  properly joins my party. Hooray! Hopefully the changes will mean Tenya works as well.

Edited January 4, 2023 by subtledoctor

[subtledoctor]

So not only do ogres get death immunity, but at least one cave bear does as well - in the gnoll fortress area, in the cave where the Charisma Tome is, there are three cave bears that attacks with little room to maneuver. One of them goes berserk and become temporarily immortal while the other two flank him... it becomes quite the dangerous encounter.

I'm running two games simulataneously, until one of them takes over and I leave off one. Even though I just played a ranger/psion through BG1, and found it a bit boring - like a ranger+, basically - I thought maybe the problem is that I was too intent on playing a psion with martial abilities. So in spite of my own misgivings I created a thief/psionicist. This class has the utility of a thief, with the thac0 and hit points of a cleric, and more psionic powers and more PSPs, so I can use psionics more freely. And it is fun! Not a front-liner, to be sure, but I am helping out with some archery. This Charname is running with:

• Minsc (barbarian ranger)
• Emily (cleric/ranger)
• Littlun (archer)
• Xan (cleric/mage)
• Dynaheir (Invoker)

This is a very effective group. Everyone has some special abilities, for the most part (excepting Littlun) and with some summoning, and some arcane crowd-control magic, and some psionics, the group is very flexible. As an example, there is an "ettin revenant" in a cave in the southwest, who is an absolute beast - probably meant for groups of level 6 or so but I went there at level 3-4. This guy has immunity to magic damage (so no MM), and immunity to normal weapons (most of what I have), and hits like a Mac truck with a magic two-handed club. My frontliners with 40-45 hit points only last a couple rounds against him, while I have to whittle down his health. But Charname is a psionicist, and managed to Hold the giant revenant - telekinetic Hold uses op185 because it is a physical restraint, so it works on undead. This was the only reason I managed to get through that encounter without anyone dying.

My other Charname is a bog-standard fighter, no kit, just a bunch of boring soldier training from Hull and Jondalar. He learned some combat skills via the new Scales of Balance component.* Eventually when he discovers who he really is, he will have a crisis and dual-class to cleric, to a kit custom-designed for a scion of Bhaal. Maybe after reading Gorion's journal in Candlekeep, maybe after Irenicus' "...experiments." We'll see. But in the meantime, this guy has a psionic wild talent called "Avoid Fate." This ability basically combines the Death Ward spell with a Min1hp effect, meaning you can't die while the ability is active. Well, except if you only have 1 hp it forces a saving throw vs. death each round and if you fail a save then you die. But it gives you a chance to stave off death!

This fighter Charname has a distinctly less capable crew:

• Minsc (barbarian)
• Drake (cleric of Tyr)
• Xan (cleric/mage)
• Rose (bardic mage/thief)
• Dynaheir (invoker)

Here my strategy was necessarily simpler: send Charname straight at the ettin revenant to tank his hits. He had Charname down to 1hp within two rounds, and Charname started making saving throws. This is very risky, but the rest of the crew hit the ettin with some +1 ammo and Sunscorch spells, and soon the revenant was down! Charname very quickly popped a healing potion and canceled the Avoid Fate ability. Handy! My plan for this guy is to get to the end of BG1 and surprise Sarevok by just tanking him like a champ. Sarevok is in every respect the better warrior - stronger, tougher, more experienced, more skilled, and with that nasty Deathbringer attack. But he underestimates Charname whose fighting skills and unique ability should allow me to match him 1-on-1 and ultimately prevail. Very fitting.

* Oh yeah, about those combat skills from SoB. I had Charname learn the "Parry Slashing" skill, which is supposed to block one slashing attack each round. I figured that this would help him handle the gnoll fortress - even though those guys come in groups of 8-10, I figured with very low AC not many attacks would land, and of those that do, one would be blocked each round. Well, I started to get suspicious because Charname wasn't taking any damage, ad his AC is not that low. So I did some testing, having Rose hit him once per round with a scimitar - blocked every time. Fine. Then I had Drake start hitting him with a longsword... and those were blocked too. Uh-oh. I had Minsc join in with a greatsword at 2 APR... and those attacks were all blocked as well. Whoops! For some strange reason the op335 effects were not being properly removed and I was totally immune to slashing attacks! 

So that's a bug in Scales of Balance v6.3. I'll push an update soon to fix it. 

At any rate, there is definitely some interesting new stuff in this install!