RoyalProtector's Tweaks (ZSTweaks) – 1.4.4

[RoyalProtector]

This mod is a collection of tweaks (265 components as of version 1.4.4) that mostly I personally felt the game needed. It's my personal take on various things (spells, items and abilities). Everything is very modular, so you're not forced to pick an unappealing package-deal for the most part. The installation was only tested in IWDEE, BGEE, and BG2EE. A limited selection of Tweaks are available for IWDEE  (untested in the game, I don't play it),  and it's technically compatible with EET too (untested, don't have an EET installation setup ready).

Here's the GitHub link and readme.

Please do not come here to tell me that other mods already have that tweak (you know who you are), unless it's to point out that their code is better or any such functional concerns. There's no point in telling me about the existence of "Item Revisions", and mods of that nature otherwise. And please read the notes at the bottom of the readme.

I very strongly recommend that if you use this mod, you install it as the first tweak mod, as older, more mature mods will cope with previous changes much better, since they've been maintained for longer. Regardless, I will do my best to offer support. Use the indications in the readmes of other mods, and don't go against them willy nilly. If SCS wants to be at the end, just let it. Any components in particular in this mod that should be added later in some situations will be noted in this readme.

Cheers!

Credits and acknowledgements:

• To BeamDog and Bioware for the game, obviously.
• CamDawg for spending significant time to explain details about how WeiDu works, sharing insights, helpful code, and other matters for modding
• DavidW for his great WeiDu tutorial
• Thanks to the developers of WeiDu, including the documentation
• The IESDP: invaluable resource.
• People on Discord generally for their help, and the great modders out there that allowed their WeiDu code to be available publicly, like jmerry, Camdawg, 11jo, Argent77, Ardanis, DavidW, SubtleDoctor, among others.
• zenblack for creating icons and offering ideas and feeback
• Brogan for helping me debug compatibility issues that led to stronger code
• Every person that has offered feedback and reported bugs. I will be unlikely to find all (or even in the majority) of the issues without your help, after all.

Edited 17 hours ago by RoyalProtector

[suy]

Quite a long list of tweaks! Kudos. I'll probably use some soon.

[Sergio - ex SHS member]

I will download this mod, because the equalizer change is pretty great. I will go a little further - any chance of actually putting your "upgrade" and making an optional subcomponent to make it a bow?

[moggadeet]

These look fantastic, very interested in giving them a go! Loving the spear, dagger, and robe changes especially.

[RoyalProtector]

3 hours ago, suy said:

Quite a long list of tweaks! Kudos. I'll probably use some soon.

58 minutes ago, moggadeet said:

These look fantastic, very interested in giving them a go! Loving the spear, dagger, and robe changes especially.

Thanks!

3 hours ago, Sergio - ex SHS member said:

any chance of actually putting your "upgrade" and making an optional subcomponent to make it a bow?

I didn't consider something like this though the idea of making the equalizer a shape-changing weapon that becomes a bow or sword, for example, sounds quite cool.  

[suy]

FWIW, I think there is already a mod that makes the Equalizer a bow (I thought aTweaks or TnT, but no... I can't find which one).

[Xiaolong]

5 hours ago, suy said:

FWIW, I think there is already a mod that makes the Equalizer a bow (I thought aTweaks or TnT, but no... I can't find which one).

It's the Oversight mod "Equalizer Longbow" component.

[RoyalProtector]

Looks they changed the weapon completely and the longbow is unrelated to the original equalizer. I can't check at the moment.

I may look into this, it's an interesting idea. It seems that the balance of power between longbow and shortbow favors shortbows.

In any event, if I do it, it will be modular and independent of the other tweak.

[RoyalProtector]

Just updated to 1.0.1

 Changelog:

Issues

• Some errors in the code found and fixed with the help of CamDawg
• Made a few components more able to cope with non-linear installation orders
• Typos and missing documentation for some components

New components

• Make Comet bypass magic resistance and apply a mix of cold, fire and crushing damage
• Make Wakizashis a piercing/slashing weapon

Edited June 5, 2024 by RoyalProtector

[RoyalProtector]

Just updated to 1.0.2

 Changelog:

New components

• Make Wave slightly more powerful
• Make the THAC0 progression of Thieves better and more streamlined, so they improve up to 6, like clerics
• Make the THAC0 progression of Bards better and more streamlined, so they improve up to 6, like clerics
• Make Poison Weapon improve a couple of times more every 4 levels (level 17, and 21)

Edited June 5, 2024 by RoyalProtector

[megrimlock]

This is fast becoming a must have tweak mod. I won't use all of them, but it's a great selection.

[RoyalProtector]

7 hours ago, megrimlock said:

This is fast becoming a must have tweak mod. I won't use all of them, but it's a great selection.

Thanks, appreciate that. I have a backlog of tweaks I still want to add, so more incoming.

Edited June 5, 2024 by RoyalProtector

[J Beau]

This looks great! I will be using this.

[RoyalProtector]

Just updated to 1.0.3

Fixes

• Fixed probabilities in tweaks being 1% above the intended target

Modifications

• Changed Comet component so that each type of damage does at least 12-13 damage (overall damage unchanged)

New components

• Make single-target healing spells other than Heal worth using (can be installed in IWDEE)
• Make Mass Cure faster to cast to improve it as a combat spell and heal a bit more
• Make CHARNAME's Tankard heal as much as a Potion of Extra Healing (Neera's quest)
• Make Vicross' Thayan Circlet apply Improved Shield of Chaos instead of just Shield of Chaos
• Make Drizzt's weapon slightly more worth stealing in BG2
• Make Belt of Skillful Blade also increase piercing damage by 10%
• Make Eyes of the Beholder's skills mirror the power of the spells they're based on
• Make Robe of Invocation also improve all elemental damage by 5% and add a +2 save bonus against Invocation

Edited June 5, 2024 by RoyalProtector

[RoyalProtector]

Just updated to 1.0.4

Had an epiphany about something that bothered me about robes, so I released another version with just this new component

• Make mage robes without cloak (like Robe of Vecna) take on the appearance of a robe with cloak

Edited June 5, 2024 by RoyalProtector