Would a half-dragon NPC be possible in BG2?

[Andrea C.]

Hello everyone!

 

I'm quite new to these boards and I'm currently translating some of the G3 mods for BG2 in italian. I've never done a mod myself and I have no experience with coding what-so-ever, so I'm asking 1) whether it would be possible to create this mod and 2) whether there are people on these boards actually interested in developing it.

 

My idea is basically that of a female half-dragon sorceress joinable NPC, chaotic evil and fully romanceable. The main things to be done are importing the half-dragon avatar from IWD2 and create a paperdoll for it; I can work on the details with those who offer to code the mod.

 

Before even starting, though, I'd need to know whether importing the avatar from IWD2 would at all be possible.

[Gorilym]

I believe Red Knight is already doing something quite similar, i.e. a half-dragon NPC utilizing the IWD2 avatar.

[Andrea C.]

I believe Red Knight is already doing something quite similar, i.e. a half-dragon NPC utilizing the IWD2 avatar.

 

Not exactly what I had in mind but at least it shows the avatar-thing can be done I'd still be up for my mod, if anyone's interested.

[Gorilym]

I didn't mean to be discouraging if that was your impression. The more mods the merrier!

[Andrea C.]

I didn't mean to be discouraging if that was your impression.

 

It wasn't On the contrary, thanks for pointing that one out!

[Domi]

One problem with IWD2 avatars are that they have the swords they hold in their hands. This sword will not dissappear if you reequip her with another weapon, the way it does on the animations that are designed for the in-party characters. The only way you can go around it, is by blanking out all choices of weapons for her, *appart* from the sword. She also won't have any 'casting spell' animations.

 

Another thing, I think that BG2 does not have a 'half-dragon' in its 'race' slot so your character will end up being a 'human'.

 

I have encountered these problems when thinking of making a joinable IWD2 half-dragon NPC, only there, 'half-dargon' crashed the game when used on a party chatracter.

[Andrea C.]

The only way you can go around it, is by blanking out all choices of weapons for her, *appart* from the sword.

 

Or give her an unremovable sword as a weapon

 

She also won't have any 'casting spell' animations.

 

Another thing, I think that BG2 does not have a 'half-dragon' in its 'race' slot so your character will end up being a 'human'.

 

Are these things hardcoded? If yes, my mod's journey ends here before even starting, otherwise someone could script the missing stuff.

[Domi]

Yes, these are hard-coded. In other words you can't have a race choice that is not in the game. This is the reason we have two tieflings and no aasimars, or Andyr's Gytherai is called "gythyanki". To be honest, this for me won't be as noticeable/restricting as the bloody sword thing.

 

Or give her an unremovable sword as a weapon

 

You have to blank other spots as well, otherwise someone will try to put a weapon in the available square, and animation won't change. So, it works for Sheena - she is a fighter, and it's her sword, and stand back! But if you have a sorceress... well, maybe it's like Anomander's Sword that channels uber-magical energy.... Heh.

[Andrea C.]

Yes, these are hard-coded.

 

Damn hard-coding.

[Domi]

I whole-heartedly agree with you. I was quite dissappointed that even IWD2 did not allow me to use a Half-Dargon as a joinable NPC. It was all going so well, but *CRASH*.

 

Though take a look at SubRace mod. I think it manages to hack some half-decent solution, ie you mught be able to have "Human" and underneath it "Half-Dragon" or something like that, I am not sure how thye do it.

[Andrea C.]

Though take a look at SubRace mod. I think it manages to hack some half-decent solution, ie you mught be able to have "Human" and underneath it "Half-Dragon" or something like that, I am not sure how thye do it.

 

I could ask the authors how it's done. Having "Human Half-Dragon" written there would be more than ok (after all, she would actually be ha human half-dragon). The biggest problem is that of the missing spell-casting animations: if there is no way to add them, my mod's pretty much gone for good anyway.

[Domi]

Well, you might want to load IWD2 where you fight the half-dragons, and see what they do. If those movements will be enough for you, then you will have them when importing the avatars. IIRC the blacks and Sherinkal just fought, and the red was breating fire and might have casted something - but I can't remember. During that battle, there were also a bunch of other chars on the tower, so I don't know which one did wich.

[Alinia]

The biggest problem is that of the missing spell-casting animations

 

I'm fairly certain there are casting animations. If I recall correctly, the wings flap and everything during spell-casting. It's a neat mod idea; Red Knight's mod was ok, but I'd rather have a half-dragon all the time, rather than switching between human and half-dragon.

[Guest Guest]

I'm fairly certain there are casting animations. If I recall correctly, the wings flap and everything during spell-casting.

 

Well, if there actually are spellcasting animations (even if they are a few, doesn't really matter) we're pretty settled. Thing is, I do not have IWD2 so I can't check that out. Could try and get a copy of the game; in the meanwhile, if anyone who has the game could check, it'd be helpful

 

The subrace mod looks fine. Should maybe install it and see how it works. The author seems to have disappeared but the readme file lists all the programs used to achieve the goal so it probably could be done for the half-dragon mod.

 

Does any of you already have experience in NPC-creation?

[Andrea C.]

^ it was me from another computer, quite obviously