Nythrun

This is something people've been talking about modding since, what, 2002? And then you just quietly do it.

 

Awesome possum

No, I'm referring to the corrupt version that DSotSCTD provides.

Ahah, that's where Bub-Of-The-Sixteen-Nulls-Stuffed-In-Header comes from.

 

I'll see what I can do.

It's the very best of reasons to move on.

 

Congratulations.

Grab this file, and also a copy of WeiDU (which you can also get by copying the setup-modname.exe for any mods you happen to have lying around). Rename that copy of WeiDU to "setup-edwin_soundset.exe" without the quotes. Put both files in your BGII folder and double click the setup-edwin_soundset.exe.

 

There's about half a dozen other errors with the Edwin sequence which you won't get fixed this way, though.

Boo says: Vampires are hard!

On it, thanks

And Gavin has joined the pyre

 

Based on the feedback I've had thus far, people are using this mod in more of a tweaky spirit to nudge weapon proficiencies and the like into more agreeable configurations rather than to make silly apes of their favorite NPCs.

They'll be in; thanks for double checking for me

 

I've no intention of asking anyone else to wade through that ghastly .tp2 - I wrote it and I still don't like looking at it

I'll actually be reading from the files that are copied, so it shouldn't be strictly necessary - I'd just like external confirmation from someone who knows what's what, as I tend to get sloppy during these sleepless mod binges

I'd like to extend the above request for information to include the NPC's script name and the name of their initial dialogue file (the one that would contain their first JoinParty() action). I have this already for the above mods and the half-dozen others that will be included in V1; it's just reference for future additions.

Listing the salient .cre and .itm files is all I'd really need if anyone else wants to jump in - signature item usabilities were sorted ages ago. Though if there's any wacky scripting that checks for your own character's class, that's always good to know.

 

I'll add these posthaste; thank you both

Most of them are in bg2fixpack/compile/soa-dlg.d; they can be commented out with the same /* */ or //.

If it's not in code tags, the forum here will probably convert to unicode autostupidly.

 

I should be able to covert it back though. Thank you

 

/edit

 

Let's try Microsoft WinCyrillic CP1251 character set.

		  OUTER_SPRINT ~unusability_match~ ~\(ÃÂÃ¥ èñïîëüçóåòñÿ\)~
	  OUTER_SPRINT ~NOT_USABLE_BY~	 ~ÃÂÃ¥ èñïîëüçóåòñÿ:~
	  OUTER_SPRINT ~NEUTRAL_OR_EVIL~   ~Ëþáûìè íåéòðàëüíûìè èëè çëûìè ïåðñîíàðàìè~
	  OUTER_SPRINT ~DRUID~			 ~Äðóèäàìè~
	  OUTER_SPRINT ~CLERIC~			~Ñâÿùåííèêàìè~
	  OUTER_SPRINT ~FIGHTER~		   ~Ìàðàìè~
	  OUTER_SPRINT ~THIEF~			 ~Âîðàìè~
	  OUTER_SPRINT ~MAGE~			  ~Âîèíàìè~
	  OUTER_SPRINT ~BARD~			  ~ÃÂàðäàìè~

The setup.tra for this mod is brief and ought to be pretty easy - wherever possible I've taken strings directly from dialog.tlk, so there's not so much to do.

 

There is, however, a complication: there is also a section of this mod that adjusts item usability, and updates item descriptions to match the new restrictions. These phrases are not in the .tra. Because AD&D has its own peculiar technical jargon, I cannot simply refer to a dictionary to find out how "Swashbuckler" is written in Flemish BGII. I'd need the following phrases, as they're usually written in an item description:

~Not Usable By:~

~Any Neutral or Evil Character~

~Druid~

~Cleric~

~Mage~

~Thief~

~Fighter~

~Bard~

 

English language BGII was none too consistent here: it's possible to find "Not usable by:" "Not Usable By:" "Unusable by:" ...etc. Mods tend to exacerbate the inconsistencies. So if you happen to think of multiple ways something might be written, feel free to include all of them. E.g. the German might be

~NOT_USABLE_BY~ ~Kann nicht verwendet werden von:~

~NEUTRAL_OR_EVIL~ ~Neutral oder Böse~

~DRUID~ ~Druide~

~CLERIC~ ~Kleriker~

~THIEF~ ~Diebe~

~FIGHTER~ ~Kämpfer~

~MAGE~ ~Magier~

~BARD~ ~Barde~

but if the nouns are somtimes plural, please let me know.

 

Thanks

 

/edit

 

Forgot the .tra - heh.

@100000 = ~Scanning available NPCs and fixing a few bugs, this may take a moment.~
@100001 = ~As far as WeiDU can tell, you're not running any version of BG2 or Tutu here. Please check your directory and filepaths before trying again.~
@100002 = ~Nythrun's Level One NPCs, Version 1, Dec 23, 2007: List party-joinable NPCs (required to install any other components)~
@100003 = ~Correcting effect version.~
@100004 = ~Scanning game resources for joinable NPCs.~
@100005 = ~Copying joinable NPCs.~
@110100 = ~Select a class from the list below. Enter the class's number and press "Enter".
0  Wait, I've changed my mind - don't install this component!
1  Mage
2  Fighter (includes Barbarian)
3  Cleric
4  Thief
5  Bard
6  Paladin
7  Fighter/Mage
8  Fighter/Cleric
9  Fighter/Thief
10 Fighter/Mage/Thief
11 Druid
12 Ranger
13 Mage/Thief
14 Cleric/Mage
15 Cleric/Thief
16 Fighter/Druid
17 Fighter/Mage/Cleric
18 Cleric/Ranger
19 Sorcerer
20 Monk~
@110200 = ~You must enter a value between 1 and 20. Try again.~
@110300 = ~Select a kit from the list below, or enter 0 if you prefer No Kit/True Class.~
@110400 = ~You must enter a value that corresponds to a kit on the list, or 0. Try again.~
@110500 = ~You fail at life. Try again.~
@110600 = ~You must install the main component before any others. Please exit and begin again.~
@110700 = ~Select a racial enemy from the list below.~
@110800 = ~Select thief skill points from the list below. You'll be spending them five at a time.~
@110900 = ~Select weapon proficiencies from the list below. The first column lists the number to enter, the second lists the maximum you may place, and the third is the proficiency's name.~
@111000 = ~Select an arcane spell to know from the list below. Choose a number in the first column.~
@111100 = ~Select your second arcane spell to know from the list below. Choose the number in the first column.~
@111200 = ~You've attempted to select the same spell twice. Try that again.~
@120100 = ~Aerie~
@120101 = ~Aerie not found~
@120200 = ~Anomen Delryn~
@120201 = ~Anomen not found~
@120300 = ~Cernd~
@120301 = ~Cernd not found~
@120400 = ~Edwin Odessiron~
@120401 = ~Edwin not found~
@120500 = ~Haer'Dalis~
@120501 = ~Haer'Dalis not found~
@120600 = ~Imoen~
@120601 = ~Imoen not found~
@120700 = ~Jaheira~
@120701 = ~Jaheira not found~
@120800 = ~Jan Jansen~
@120801 = ~Jan not found~
@120900 = ~Keldorn Firecam~
@120901 = ~Keldorn not found~
@121000 = ~Korgan Bloodaxe~
@121001 = ~Korgan not found~
@121100 = ~Mazzy Fenton~
@121101 = ~Mazzy not found~
@121200 = ~Minsc~
@121201 = ~Minsc not found~
@121202 = ~Retain Minsc's headwound rage? (enter 0 for yes or 1 for no)~
@121203 = ~Leave Boo in the quickslot, move Boo into inventory, or annihilate Boo? (enter 0 to leave or 1 to move or 2 to delete)~
@121300 = ~Nalia De'Arnise~
@121301 = ~Nalia not found~
@121400 = ~Valygar Corthala~
@121401 = ~Valygar not found~
@121500 = ~Viconia De'Vir~
@121501 = ~Viconia not found~
@121600 = ~Yoshimo~
@121601 = ~Yoshimo not found~
@121700 = ~Sarevok~
@121701 = ~Sarevok not found~
@121800 = ~Ajantis Ilvastarr~
@121801 = ~Ajantis not found~
@121900 = ~Alora~
@121901 = ~Alora not found~
@122000 = ~Branwen~
@122001 = ~Branwen not found~
@122100 = ~Coran~
@122101 = ~Coran not found~
@122200 = ~Dynaheir~
@122201 = ~Dynaheir not found~
@122300 = ~Eldoth Kron~
@122301 = ~Eldoth not found~
@122400 = ~Faldorn~
@122401 = ~Faldorn not found~
@122500 = ~Garrick~
@122501 = ~Garrick not found~
@122600 = ~Kagain~
@122601 = ~Kagain not found~
@122700 = ~Khalid~
@122701 = ~Khalid not found~
@122800 = ~Kivan~
@122801 = ~Kivan not found~
@122900 = ~Montaron~
@122901 = ~Montaron not found~
@123000 = ~Quayle~
@123001 = ~Quayle not found~
@123100 = ~Safana~
@123101 = ~Safana not found~
@123200 = ~Shar-Teel Dosan~
@123201 = ~Shar-Teel not found~
@123300 = ~Skie Silvershield~
@123301 = ~Skie not found~
@123400 = ~Tiax~
@123401 = ~Tiax not found~
@123500 = ~Xan~
@123501 = ~Xan not found~
@123600 = ~Xzar~
@123601 = ~Xzar not found~
@123700 = ~Yeslick Orothiar~
@123701 = ~Yeslick not found~
@129500 = ~You've already installed a Sword Coast Strategms component that does much the same thing. Please pick one or the other.~
@129600 = ~Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn NPCs~
@129700 = ~Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal NPCs~
@129800 = ~Baldur's Gate I NPCs~
@129900 = ~Mod NPCs~
@200000 = ~Tweak weapon proficiencies for some classes (a la Ashes of Embers and aVENGER's Rogue Rebalancing?~
@200001 = ~Hit 0 and enter for no change, 1 and enter for one star.~
@200002 = ~Hit 0 and enter for no change, 1 and enter for yes.~
@200003 = ~Try that again.~
@200004 = ~Allow clerics one star in any weapon type a fighter can use?~
@200005 = ~Allow druids one star in any weapon type a fighter can use?~
@200006 = ~Allow grandmastery for fighter multiclasses?~
@200007 = ~Allow thieves, mages, and bards to place one star in any weapon type?~
@200008 = ~Allow thieves and thief multi-classes three stars in dual-wielding?~
@200009 = ~Allow backstab with any weapon a mage/thief, fighter/thief, or cleric/thief can use?~
@200010 = ~This is required for classes who dual to cleric to retain all old proficiencies.~
@200011 = ~This is required for classes who dual to druid to retain all old proficiencies.~
@200012 = ~Unfortunately, single-class thieves will be able to equip any weapons thus altered.~
@200013 = ~They won't, however, be able to spend proficiency points in forbidden categories.~
@200014 = ~You've opted to make no changes, that's fine too.~
@200015 = ~Make two-handed weapons unusable for backstabbing?~
@200016 = ~Hit 0 and enter for no change to single class clerics, 1 and enter for allow one star, or 2 and enter to skip all cleric related tweaks.~
@200017 = ~Allow cleric/thieves one star in any weapon type a fighter can use?~
@200018 = ~Allow cleric/rangers two stars in any weapon type?~
@200019 = ~Allow fighter/clerics and fighter/mage/clerics two stars in any weapon type?~
@200020 = ~Modifying the weapon proficiency table.~
@200021 = ~Adjusting item usability.~
@200022 = ~Restrict Fighter/Druids from armours single class Druids cannot wear?~
@200023 = ~Restore Monks' attacks per round with melee weapons (0 for no, 1 for yes)?~
@200024 = ~Modifying melee weapons.~
@200025 = ~Hit 0 and enter for no change, 1 to make all two handed weapons do no additional damage on a successful backstab, and 2 to restrict only quarterstaves.~
@300000 = ~Add (possibly illegal and naughty) kits to exported characters~
@300001 = ~Modify this character(0 for no, 1 for yes):~
@400000 = ~Joinable NPCs more closely match the player character's experience?~

No.

 

Multiclasses are themselves classes (i.e. FIGHTER_MAGE is a class and not just FIGHTER plus MAGE). There is no Fighter/Mage/Cleric/Thief class - and classes are hardcoded, so there won't be.

 

You could make a kit for a multiclass and assign it by scripting (you won't be allowed to pick kits for multiclasses at character creation, this is also hardcoded) that combines the abilites and restrictions of a bunch of other kits, but that's probably as close as it's possible to get.

Q: "No, that's too much work." or "I'm not a programmer, don't ask me to be one." or "The game seems to be working fine without the Fixpack, I don't want to bother."

 

Well, that's okay too. You can play Baldur's Gate 2 without even the official patch if you want to to - the game will crash more, and lag more, and have more chances to muck up, but if you're getting by without it, then go have fun. And if unzipping the old non-WeiDU version of Baldurdash into your override folder after running the offical patch is as much programming as you want to do, then do that, and go have fun. And if you prefer one of the WeiDU versions of Baldurdash or the Sorceror's Place fixpack, then use those and go have fun. None of this is worth leeching away your enjoyment of the game. It does mean that you'll miss all of the additional bugfixes in this Fixpack and that the people who post here may not be able to help you with problems if you do encounter them - but it's your choice.

Q: "Okay, so there won't be a version of the Fixpack that asks about each change individually. Fine - that's no help, I still don't like this fix!"

Quite right. You already have CamDawg's welcome to post about why you think a fix shouldn't be included, and if you make a good case it'll be changed. Really - it's happened before. You also have another option, which is to alter the Fixpack yourself.

What you'll need:

1) A decent programming editor (most of the code in the Fixpack is just written in plain old text files with a different name). My preference is ConTEXT: it's free, it works on Windows and on Linux through WINE, and it won't pull a Notepad and mangle in the linebreaks in your files for you, but if there's something else you prefer, by all means use that instead.

You can download ConTEXT here. If you use a Macintosh, I'm not sure what alternatives are easiest to use, though I've heard encouraging things about NEdit.

2) The two commands that are used in Baldur's Gate WeiDU mods to comment out a section of code.

These are very simple. Two slashes means "ignore the rest of this line"; it's also used a lot for comments, which are reminders and debugging tools for the programmers, never applied to the game. Here's an example, three bugfixes long, from the Fixpack:

// gorf the squisher fixes
COPY_EXISTING ~gorf.bcs~ ~override~
DECOMPILE_BCS_TO_BAF
REPLACE_TEXTUALLY ~SetGlobal("GoKillEm","LOCALS",2)~
~SetGlobal("GoKillEm","LOCALS",2)
SetGlobal("GorfBystander","GLOBAL",1)~
COMPILE_BAF_TO_BCS
BUT_ONLY_IF_IT_CHANGES

// prevents Tamoko from running away and making PP challenge unfinishable, see chtaz02.cre for other half
COPY_EXISTING ~gpkensai.bcs~ ~override/cdtamoko.bcs~
DECOMPILE_BCS_TO_BAF
REPLACE_TEXTUALLY ~!HasItem("POTN55",Myself)~ ~False()~
COMPILE_BAF_TO_BCS
BUT_ONLY_IF_IT_CHANGES

// move grae's minhp1 destruction to dialogue options where she dies; see soa-dlg.d for rest of changes
COPY_EXISTING ~grae.bcs~ ~override~
DECOMPILE_BCS_TO_BAF
REPLACE_TEXTUALLY ~DestroyItem("minhp1")~ ~~
COMPILE_BAF_TO_BCS
BUT_ONLY_IF_IT_CHANGES

When you install the Fixpack, it's like everything written after those slashes isn't even there. So if you don't want to play without the option to break your game by allowing Tamoko to disappear in one of the Pocket Plane challanges, you can restore this bug by changing the code to:

// gorf the squisher fixes
COPY_EXISTING ~gorf.bcs~ ~override~
DECOMPILE_BCS_TO_BAF
REPLACE_TEXTUALLY ~SetGlobal("GoKillEm","LOCALS",2)~
~SetGlobal("GoKillEm","LOCALS",2)
SetGlobal("GorfBystander","GLOBAL",1)~
COMPILE_BAF_TO_BCS
BUT_ONLY_IF_IT_CHANGES

// prevents Tamoko from running away and making PP challenge unfinishable, see chtaz02.cre for other half
// COPY_EXISTING ~gpkensai.bcs~ ~override/cdtamoko.bcs~
// DECOMPILE_BCS_TO_BAF
// REPLACE_TEXTUALLY ~!HasItem("POTN55",Myself)~ ~False()~
// COMPILE_BAF_TO_BCS
// BUT_ONLY_IF_IT_CHANGES

// move grae's minhp1 destruction to dialogue options where she dies; see soa-dlg.d for rest of changes
COPY_EXISTING ~grae.bcs~ ~override~
DECOMPILE_BCS_TO_BAF
REPLACE_TEXTUALLY ~DestroyItem("minhp1")~ ~~
COMPILE_BAF_TO_BCS
BUT_ONLY_IF_IT_CHANGES

The Tamoko fix has been commented out - i.e. it's been changed from working code to comments, and when you install the Fixpack, it will be ignored and make no changes to your game. The other way to comment out a section of code is to enclose it between /* and */ : think of these as complicated parentheses. In a fix that looks like "Fix the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker." you can insert these characters thus: "Fix the butcher,/* the baker, */ and the candlestick maker.". Now the butcher and the candlestick maker are still being fixed, but the poor baker isn't.


3) The location in setup-bg2fixpack.tp2 of the fix that you want to remove.

You've probably noticed from the snippet of code above that there are lots of comments in the Fixpack, and if you're looking for something to remove, you can probably just have your text editor Find the fix you're looking to delete. If you can't find it, you can ask about it here, and someone will help you. I mean, I'd rather go play with my doggie, but if I see a thread asking for this kind of assistance, I'll answer - and so will the other nicer people who post in this forum. In this thread there's a poster who doesn't want the elven sleep/charm fixes (which run from lines 12,421 to 12,480 of setup-bg2fixpack.tp2) or the alignment fixes (which run from lines 4,159 to 5,011 of setup-bg2fixpack.tp2). To change this:
1) Open up bg2fixpack.tp2 in your text editor.
2) Go to the lines I've mentioned and put a /* at the start of lines 4,159 and 12,421 and a */ at the end of lines 12,480 and 5,011. Save your changes, close your editor, and install the Fixpack.
3) Play the game, with your elves not getting the abilities mentioned in their racial description. Done and done.

If you've already installed the Fixpack, you can still make these changes: just uninstall it and then run through the steps above. Voila! The Most Holy Order of the Radiant Heart is full of lawful evil paladins again.

A palliative in three parts: Why is the Fixpack like this? What can I do to change it? What are my other options?

 

Q: "Why isn't the Fixpack in the 'Ask about each change' format I've come to expect, and why don't you just rewrite it, so it is?"

 

CamDawg likes to joke that there's bound to be something in a project of this size that you won't agree with. That's funny but also not just a joke. You may think that switch to a modular format would make everyone happy - it's a little optimistic, though.

 

First we'd better come to an agreement about how many changes a fix consists of. That sounds like a foolish semantic game, but isn't really. We're going to look at familiars for a bit, as they have lots of issues (and because of an ulterior motive ).

 

There are familiars you can have as a protagonist, and simulated familiars for some NPCs. One fix, or two?

There's a different familiar for each alignment. Still one fix, or two, or nine, or eighteen?

There's problems with cat familiar soundsets, with bad targetting effects accidentally skipping familiars, with the familiar's attacks doing the wrong damage, with their statistics, with losing spells when level drained...how many fixes now?

 

Search around at the various Baldur's Gate 2 fora, and sooner or later you'll find a post by someone who thinks each one of these problems isn't one and must be bundled seperately, and a post by someone who thinks that same problem is obviously a core fix and we're being absurd even inquiring about it. (I told you I had an ulterior motive! Try starting at Sorceror's Place and looking for posts by Extremist - these opinions are real, and finding them is like an Easter Egg hunt only without the fun!)

 

So, there's one option where the definition of a "fix" is as broad as possible. The Fixpack has maybe two thousand seperate components and can be installed over the course of en evening. Or rather, it could be, once someone recodes portions of the Fixpack, tests those recoded portions, and writes descriptions for each and every fix. Those descriptions have to be intelligable, too: if I write a component description that reads "Would you like to fix broken IDS targetting in some .eff files?" some users are going to nod, and some are going to "Say wha?" - meaning that description had better be expanded until you can tell what you're getting. All of which adds up to a few months of work, during which new fixes aren't added, old fixes aren't debugged, and at the end of which many people still aren't happy (remember the forum search above?).

 

There's also the option from Crazy Town where the definition of a "fix" is as narrow as possible. This Fixpack has over a hundred thousand components, can't be installed in less that a week, won't be released this decade - and still doesn't make everyone happy. We're going to back away from this option slowly.