NPCLEVEL.2DA Question

[Rastor]

I understand how NPCLEVEL.2DA works. My question is, where are the spawn points defined? I have looked throughout the ARE files, the scripts, the WED files... No place can I find any reference at all to where each NPC spawns.

[SimDing0]

BALDUR.GAM.

[Avenger]

I don't understand how npclevel.2da works

 

Well, i just don't know when is it used.

1. at game creation time all npc resrefs in .gam are resolved.

2. when the npc first loaded in the area that particular npc is resolved.

3. when the npc first joins the party that particular npc is resolved.

 

The 1. would be the most convenient, and most of the time bioware chose the convenient way too, though i'm not 100% sure.

[SimDing0]

I *think* it's #2, but don't take my word for it.

[devSin]

Yeah, it's either #2 or #3. Go to the Copper Coronet with 89K XP, and save the game. Did any of the NPC defs in Baldur.gam change? Level up to some suitably high level (2.95M XP or something), and then have Anomen/Korgan/Nalia join the party. Do you get the cheapest NPC, or the best NPC?

 

I know that if you make changes to the NPC def in Baldur.gam before the area where the NPC is loaded gets loaded, the changes won't be preserved when the NPC joins the party (so it's definitely not #1). The only thing I can't tell you is if it's #2, #3, or both.

 

I'm actually thinking #3 would be the most convenient, since it would be fairly easy to consult the table during the snafu involved in JoinParty() -- you already have to consult PDIALOG and whatnot, but loading a "global" CRE into an area from a saved game, or when loading the saved game itself, would present similar opportunities (i.e., all 3 have enough custom "umph" tacked on that they could have done it anywhere without much trouble).

[Rastor]

The method that the game uses is #3.

[Ghreyfain]

I have some odd behaviour to report that might be a little hazy, since it was a long time ago, and it was BG1. I had Kivan in my party, and he joined at a level below 6. Then I kicked him from the party, levelled up a bunch, and when I found him again, he had lost all the equipment I'd had him wearing, and he'd become level 6.

 

So perhaps each time an area loads it checks the .2da for out-of-party NPCs? Or each time the game loads. Odd.