So, which one?

[Domi]

Fair enough.

 

Foreshadowings were done using the material already in the original game BG1 and in some cases, to tie into BG2 events.

 

Dynaheir is the only NPC that reliably knows Bhaalspawn lore and actually came to the SC to find child of Bhaal (BioWARE's charmed dialogue in BG1). She is also a figure of an undeniable authority in her native land and substancial learning, being a Hathran. As a LG character, who suspects (not knows) that PC might be a Bhaalspawn, and falling for him, she is obviously as inclined as Gorion to make sure that taint does not sway him toward evil. Hence the romance was build based on these premises, and yep, it intended to invoque a sense of guiding/pulling PC on the leash at times; PC has plenty of chances to argue with her about that.

 

If you don't want NPCs to comment on the important descisions/happenings in the game, you can simply uninstall Phase II of the project - the one that adds the Interjections. They are not for everyone, and that is exactly why we made each project's component separate. The amount of comments BG1NPCs make are not nearly as high as in BG2, but the more authoritative, opinionated or chatty characters, like Ajantis, Jaheira, Viconia, Garrick or Dynaheir do have a *lot* to say.

 

Dynaheir and Branwen feuding is part of their romantic conflict; as it progresses, they actually reason out why they are frustrated with each-other, and decide that they should not jump at each-other throat etc. If you don't like the NPCs fighting over the PC, keep only one romanceable character in the party, or the characters with non-conflicting romances. The bickering will eventually stop anyway after PC makes his choice.

 

I am not sure what you mean when you say that Branwen has severe mental issues; she definetly uses in her romance the history of Moonshaes and her own experiences prior to meeting PC detailed in BG1 (having have to leave her native land, being a mercenary and being tricked and turned to stone). I don't think she comes even close to Aerie or Viconia in terms of being unable to cope with her past and her problems.

 

Imoen wants to become a mage, rather than knows that she will become a mage, which is something that people wanted to see, to justify the sudden conversion in BG2 that caught everyone by surprise. If Imoen was written as a thief quite happy with her amplua in BG1, it would have called for critisism on that account.

Edited May 28, 2006 by Domi

[Guest Mimic]

Well, I didn't see an option to not install phase II. I shall have to check again because it is like having Anomen in my group. And I have to have Dyna if I want Minsc, who is the one I would rather have, so I have to tolerate Dyna's constant chatter.

 

As for Branwen, one minute she is butch, the next she is uncertain and then after that she is flirting with Minsc! MINSC!! I mean...GROSS!! Besides that tho, she is really moody, as if there are 5 people inside of her. It is like traveling with Sybil.

 

I'm sorry. I'll be quiet before I make someone angry. I had just, you know, hoped for more.

[Domi]

I had just, you know, hoped for more.

 

You've hoped for a romance that you'd like to play with. That did not happen, and you are naturally dissappointed. It happens. Let's concentrate on trying to improve your gaming experience.

 

What you do, just like with your other WeiDU mods that have multiple components, you ask to install by component, instead of installing the whole thing. Since you have the mod currently installed, you can do the following: click on the installer (BG1NPC.exe file), and WeiDU will ask you what you want to do with the components already installed. Specify "ask about every component" option. Then it will ask you what you want to do with every one of the options, so you can regulate what you have in the game.

 

BTW, if you don't like romantic chatter you can very easily turn it off in the game itself. Just click-talk Dynaheir and tell her you'd like to be friends. She will then stop romancing your character. Same with all other romanceable NPCs. So, it's not all that bad, even if you feel dissappointed in the way it was developped. You definetly do not have to follow the story arc that irritates you.

 

Another good way to make your game more pleasent and perhaps discover new angles is to try different characters; there are some that are lighthearted, some that are crazy, some that are funny, some that are serious, some that are wild. There are 25 of them out there in the game. Take them for a spin. See if they fit your style. It's part of the game.

 

Cheers, and well, even with the romances alone you still have four romances you have not tried yet. Shar-Teel's will be a combatant one, Ajantis' - faithful, Coran's - sensual, and Xan's - sad. If it does not click, it does not click. BG1 is a developping field, and perhaps one day someone will make a romance with an existing or new character that will suit your taste if you're still playing it.

Edited May 29, 2006 by Domi

[Neferit]

I like Xan's romance best. Yes, it's sad but I like melancholik characters

 

It's quite sad that NPCProject isn't in .tra I know of several people from Sigil who would like to play BG1 with Project but they can't, because they don't understand what somebody is telling and translations are far away.

[Guest Guest]

Another good way to make your game more pleasent and perhaps discover new angles is to try different characters; there are some that are lighthearted, some that are crazy, some that are funny, some that are serious, some that are wild. There are 25 of them out there in the game. Take them for a spin. See if they fit your style. It's part of the game.

Yes, I am trying that and now have Edwin in my party. I suppose I just do not understand why everyone seems to think that Branwen is a...rather large woman. If it is being based on Viking mythology, the women were not small and petite, but nor were they Amazons. All this refering to her as large, manly, etc really makes me not want to romance her. It is not attractive.

 

I can see it will come down to me writing my own romance, which I cannot do because I really am not that good at writing. Maybe some of the other mods will pique my interest. Thanks for listening and trying to help.

[Domi]

It's quite sad that NPCProject isn't in .tra

 

We'll try to tra'fy next version. It took us a few years to make the project, and it just doesn't make sense to tra'fy a mod before it's finished. There will be a lot of work for Andyr and Cmorgan to do that, making sure that file names are all different etc, so it's better to make sure that absolutely everything is in.

 

I suppose I just do not understand why everyone seems to think that Branwen is a...rather large woman. If it is being based on Viking mythology, the women were not small and petite, but nor were they Amazons. All this refering to her as large, manly, etc really makes me not want to romance her. It is not attractive.

 

Her viciousness in battle, her dedication to Tempus, her strength and her solicitousness of males were all the character treats directly from BG1 material. We did our best to try to develop the characters as close to BG1 as possible. Her lifestory and her values in BG1 strongly suggest that she is a warrior born first and foremost. She is a barbarian with the mystisism, strength and valour of the Moonshaes in her, and in addition, she struggled to become a priestess of Tempus, left her native Village of a Seawolf where it was not allowed for women. She wants to be a warrior worthy of her diety. She is not Brienne of Tarth, of course, but she is a fighter, first and foremost, who values victory and glory. Yes, she is tall, strong, golden and boisterous. All her dialogues written by her first Czar and the character sketch viewed her that way, and it was used by Kulyok in the romance to build what she thought an appropriate relationship.

 

Nope, that won't make you like Branwen better, and I am not trying to convince you that you are somehow wrong (you can't be; it's your taste vs the character's creator taste) but I am just trying to explain that there were both reason and reasoning behind the way the character was written and imagined by her Czar.

 

I can see it will come down to me writing my own romance, which I cannot do because I really am not that good at writing.  Maybe some of the other mods will pique my interest. Thanks for listening and trying to help.

 

That's what we're here for.

 

Heh, if warrior women are not your thing, then Shar-Teel is not a sylphide either. Very much not a sylphid. If Kiki have ever developped Safana's Romance, it would have filled in the niche of a womanly seductress. If Jinnai would have developped Imoen's or we've developped Alora's, it would have been a fluffy, girly relationship. But we did not have the menpower to do everything, so we did what the writing team members were interested in doing and had time to do during the Phase III development.

 

And that which was different. One can't just churn out romances that are exact copies in spirit and content to what already exist. Over the years many players expressed dissappointment with BG2 female romances being that of dependable, crancky, powerless women who hang onto PC like he was the last man alive, hoping that he resolves their life-problems. BG1 lended itself for thr romances with strong, self-sufficient female characters, which could befriend, guide, abandon, trust, etc out of their own volition.

 

By contrast, BG2 only female romance being unsatisfactory to a number of female players in terms of romantism, maturity, strength and dependability of the male character, caused us to do a playful, a solid and a very romantic romances for a female player.

 

Would I myself as a player wanted to see more romances in BG1? Absolutely. It did not happen. Even if it did, if we had four or five romances per gender (ie Safana, Imoen/Alora or Skie, Garrick, Eldoth/Edwin or Xzar), I do think that we would have had the "I liked none" category in the poll. But we could at least try to provide choice, to write interesting lovestories that fit BG1, and try we did.

Edited May 29, 2006 by Domi

[Guest Guest]

Her viciousness in battle, her dedication to Tempus, her strength and her solicitousness of males were all the character treats directly from BG1 material. We did our best to try to develop the characters as close to BG1 as possible. Her lifestory and her values in BG1 strongly suggest that she is a warrior born first and foremost. She is a barbarian with the mystisism, strength and valour of the Moonshaes in her, and in addition, she struggled to become a priestess of Tempus, left her native Village of a Seawolf where it was not allowed for women. She wants to be a warrior worthy of her diety. She is not Brienne of Tarth, of course, but she is a fighter, first and foremost, who values victory and glory. Yes, she is tall, strong, golden and boisterous. All her dialogues written by her first Czar and the character sketch viewed her that way, and it was used by Kulyok in the romance to build what she thought an appropriate relationship.

Now I am confused. I have seen nothing in the romance that states that she had trouble becoming a Priestess. Where does that come from and what does it have to do with the Amazonian descriptions of her?

 

Heh, if warrior women are not your thing, then Shar-Teel is not a sylphide either. Very much not a sylphid. If Kiki have ever developped Safana's Romance, it would have filled in the niche of a womanly seductress. If Jinnai would have developped Imoen's or we've developped Alora's, it would have been a fluffy, girly relationship. But we did not have the menpower to do everything, so we did what the writing team members were interested in doing and had time to do during the Phase III development.

No, warrior women are fine. I prefer a strong female character, one that is sound of mind and body. I guess it is the descriptive words that were used. And romancing Immy is hjust too weird in my book. I woukld be like sleeping with my little sister. Um...YUK.

[Domi]

Now I am confused. I have seen nothing in the romance that states that she had trouble becoming a Priestess. Where does that come from and what does it have to do with the Amazonian descriptions of her?

 

Heh, her BioWARE biography. Tempus, the god she wanted to serve so much, that she left her native village Seawolf (were the position was reserved for males) is a pure diety of Battle, who wants his priests to inspire and lead charges, for glory and victory. Battle, battle and battle. Hence, amazon, a Valkyre, a woman drunk on the battlelust who cherishes the company of warriors. She will talk with the PC, I trust, in the romance about both Tempus and his doctrine, and why she had to leave her village.

[Guest Mimic]

Now I am confused. I have seen nothing in the romance that states that she had trouble becoming a Priestess. Where does that come from and what does it have to do with the Amazonian descriptions of her?

 

Heh, her BioWARE biography. Tempus, the god she wanted to serve so much, that she left her native village Seawolf (were the position was reserved for males) is a pure diety of Battle, who wants his priests to inspire and lead charges, for glory and victory. Battle, battle and battle. Hence, amazon, a Valkyre, a woman drunk on the battlelust who cherishes the company of warriors. She will talk with the PC, I trust, in the romance about both Tempus and his doctrine, and why she had to leave her village.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

May I get a link to that please?

[Guest Mimic]

Oh I am a dummy! Her bio in the game! Sry!

[Domi]

No problems. Btw, not sure if it's going to help any, but in the interest of full disclosure, lol, we have an alternative for Branwen's in game portrait by XVIII included in the BG1NPC portrait pack, where she looks softer and more womanly:

 

http://www.gibberlings3.net/portraits/disp...p?album=2&pos=2

[Guest Mimic]

No problems. Btw, not sure if it's going to help any, but in the interest of full disclosure, lol, we have an alternative for Branwen's in game portrait by XVIII included in the BG1NPC portrait pack, where she looks softer and more womanly:

 

http://www.gibberlings3.net/portraits/disp...p?album=2&pos=2

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh...wow! Very lovely!

[EiriktheScald]

I fancy the alternate portrait of Branwen on David Levy's site, the one wearing armor with a red ornament on the breastplate. [Edit] Oh, and the qualities of this character that appealed to me are her faith and resolve to become a better person.

Edited June 13, 2006 by EiriktheScald

[Bohemund]

Wow, I was going to vote for Shar-Teel but the thread said that my vote has already been cast. I can't remember what I did 2 weeks ago

 

So far that is the only romance that I have finished but I have enjoyed it so much, best NPC mod I have played. I think Bioware should put a link to the NPC Project on their site. I have a friend who has played all Bioware games, I'll have to remind him again to try out this mod when he has some leisure time, too bad he roleplays exclusively with the same Lawful Good character in every game, so I won't find out his impressions of the Shar-Teel portion of the mod.

 

I have tried to play vanilla BG1 for the 1st time. I stopped after reaching Beregost. Nobody comments when I find Gorion's corpse, Imoen doesn't banter upon reaching Beregost. For someone who enjoys character development and storyline as much I do, the NPC Project makes a huge difference. And since I finished the game with Shar-Teel, Xzar, Montaron, Edwin and Viconia, there are still plenty of NPCs for me to travel with.

 

Xzar's quest with the dryad was great! Another time I met the dryad along with Khalid and Jaheira, then they attacked me because I wanted to cut down that tree. It was well done and in character, and my character was laughing inwardly at Jaheira for wanting to kill him over a tree.

 

Now what I like about Shar-Teel's romance:

 

The writing was very well done. After finishing the romance, my impression of Shar-Teel is that of a sadistic yet sincere person, the opposite of her hypocrite of a father.

 

Furthermore, she strikes me as being VERY strong-willed. The way she reacted after her encounter with the Flaming Fist while still a youth, is something my Chaotic Evil character really admires. At first his thought was that it would have been better to die than to suffer such indignities, but the fact that Shar-Teel came out a stronger person from that event certainly altered his perception about her and about his own values.

 

Also, her replies really revealed her intelligence. For example, when my character was arguing with her that to be able to apologize displays strength and nobility of character, she retorts that "Nobility itself is foolish. Look at the - pfeh! - 'knights' of the city, rotting in their armor as they stand like slabs of meat, doing nothing, killing nothing. Chivalry won't lead to power. The strong know this. You should, too."

 

That response left my character speechless as it reminded him of the lessons he learned while reading privately at Candlekeep. Indeed, he is one to believe that nurturing a code of chivalry is akin to waging war in chains. To triumph, one has to be ruthless. To survive, one has to destroy, be it beasts for food or trees for fire. No matter what your excuse is for slaying a cow, it will still yearn for life and regard your action as unfair. So he is one to act on his impulses and make no pretense of being righteous.

 

Shar-Teel is also very bold in her manner of speaking to the PC. And the fact that she can leave the party and attack the PC is a testament to her bravery and independence.

 

All those traits as well as her beauty moved even an ambitious and selfish son of Bhaal. So naturally he would have accepted her offer. The fact that during my game, she died during the epic battle at the end, in which she dealt the fatal blow to Sarevok before being killed herself, possibly by Angelo, would give the main char a reason to continue his quest for godhood, although a void would always remain.

 

That story with Ysena provides a great explanation for her background. And I like the way in which she displays her affection too.

 

In conclusion, your Shar-Teel is a multi-dimensional character endowed with many qualities, so far my favorite female character among all those I've encountered in any RPG. Better than Aribeth or that drow cleric antagonist from Hordes of the Underdark for certain.

 

I think I'm pretty lucky to have been able to play Shar-Teel's romance, from digging up past threads it would seem that not many people were vocal about wanting to play such a mod. I was always curious about how a romance with an evil character would go, and this mod certainly exceeded my expectations.

Edited June 14, 2006 by Bohemund

[Domi]

Thank you.

 

Many things went into Shar's romance - Kish' groundwork, Cliffette's brilliant sense of humor, and Turkish' amazing research for the background, and yours truly stubborness to see it through. I'm always glad to hear that she does find her audience, despite spines and grime and all.

 

It's awsome to read a post like yours, and remember all these things that were discussed, and written, and coded, and tested, and played....

 

As for votes, if you checked the results of the poll before casting a vote, the forum software registers a 0-vote. But who knows, you might try another one of the romances and we might yet hear back from you