Kish

I too have been waiting a long time. Could you please release this mod in stages? Start with 1 stronghold working with 1 NPC. Then release updates as you add strongholds and/or NPCs.

I couldn't if I wanted to, I'm afraid. I'm not developing it modularly. In fact, in order to get more work done, I'm likely to switch to a different stronghold for a while now--before completing the Keep.

aha...

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Yep, a week turned out to be way too optimistic. Still working on it, sorry.

I know, it's going way too slowly.

I have hopes of updating the Progress thread within a week or so.

I updated the bugfix list to point to the database at SHS instead of FW.

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Whenever I click on one of the links it takes me to a place at SHS that says "the link that brought you here is out of date or broken."

Valygar Golems??? for a ranger you would think there are a lot of creatures to fight out there. The only reason I find remotely rewarding is the one that mage often rely on golems as bodyguards, but still it is just too obvious.

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More important, I think, is that Lavok was so focused on building golems.

I worked out the last question, doesn't seem to have a edit botton.

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If you want the Edit button, register.

If the player's own character doesn't qualify, Nalia has her preferences.

Guess who takes three times as much coding as anyone else.

Familiar...but different.

These are from the unmodded game.

I just did a test with a fighter, CLUAConsoling her up to 3 million xp, then 3,250,000, and so on until she hit the XP cap. Her first HLA was Power Attack (for the prerequisite), then she just took Critical Strikes. She had 20 Critical Strikes when she hit level 40 and the XP cap, and was able to select it for her 40th level HLA.

If you have Throne of Bhaal:

1) Install Shadows of Amn.

2) Install Throne of Bhaal, if applicable. DO NOT install the Shadows of Amn patch.

3) Install the Throne of Bhaal patch.

4) Install the Baldurdash fixpack for Throne of Bhaal.

5) Install up to one non-WeiDU mod.

6) Install any desired WeiDU mods.

7) Play.

If you do not have Throne of Bhaal:

1) Install Shadows of Amn.

2) Install the Shadows of Amn patch. DO NOT install the Shadows of Amn patch if you have Throne of Bhaal.

3) Install the Baldurdash fixpack for Shadows of Amn.

4) Install up to one non-WeiDU mod.

5) Install any desired WeiDU mods.

6) Play.

This is information which is less than clear from reading the Throne of Bhaal manual.

High-level abilities:

A character gains his/her first high-level ability as soon as the character levels up at or above 3,000,000 experience points.

For a dualclass character (a character who began with one class and then switched to another one), the first high-level ability (which must come from the second class's pool) is gained when the second class levels up with at least 3,000,000 experience points in that class specifically. Experience points in the first class do not matter.

For a multiclass character (a character who simultaneously advances in two or three classes), the first high-level ability is gained as soon as either class levels up when the character has a combined total of 3,000,000 xp. High-level abilities for such a character can be selected from a combined pool of the high-level abilities for two classes (whether the character actually has two classes or three). A character with three classes will not have access to the mage pool. Thus, a cleric/ranger can choose his/her first high-level ability upon reaching level 13 as a ranger, will gain another high-level ability at every level thereafter, and is free to choose from the cleric pool or the ranger pool regardless of which class has actually leveled up.

High-level ability pools: Paladins, regardless of kit, have access to the Summon Deva ability. Each time they select that ability, they gain the innate ability to summon one deva, as per the spell, once per day.

Thieves with the Swashbuckler kit do not gain access to the Assassination ability. Instead they gain access to the Whirlwind Attack ability, though none of the other warrior abilities.

Rangers gain access to the Tracking ability. This is stated at one part of the manual but contradicted in another.

The Critical Strike ability can be taken any number of times, once the character has the Power Attack prerequisite once.

The Use Any Item ability overrides alignment, class, and name restrictions, but not stat restrictions (a Chaotic Good thief with Constitution 17 and Use Any Item can use the Holy Avenger sword which is restricted to paladins, or the Soul Reaver sword which cannot be used by any Good character, or the Human Skin armor which can only be used by Evil characters, but will not be able to use the Sword of Chaos +4, which requires its wielder to have Constitution 18). Bear in mind that most items designed for a specific NPC are only usable by a character who equals or exceeds several of that NPC's stats. However, if using an item imposes a restriction on a certain class, that restriction will remain in place even with Use Any Item. (A thief can use weapons normally not available to thieves, but cannot backstab with them, and a thief/wizard can wear any armor, but cannot sneak wearing armor heavier than leather or cast spells wearing any armor.)

The Elemental Transformation abilities from the druid pool are innate abilities, not spells. The druid can change into an elemental once per day for each time the ability is selected.

Fighter and thief high-level abilities are considered innate spells, and thus any number of them can be used with Improved Alacrity.

A lot of the alignment codings in Baldur's Gate II are, to put it nicely, insane. Good brigands and murderers. Neutral paladins. Evil actors, major-domos, Priests of Lathander, and other characters who are entirely helpful and friendly. The Alignment Correction component of this mod was written to correct these errors.

Additionally, in Throne of Bhaal, David Gaider created excellent Tougher versions of four members of the Five, which are most conveniently available as part of Ascension-WeiDU, located at Westley Weimer's site...but no Tougher version of Sendai, Throne of Bhaal's ultimate spellcaster. Already markedly weaker than her brother Abazigal, whom players could encounter before facing her, Sendai became the weakest of the Five when all existing Tougher versions were installed. The Tougher Sendai component strives to rectify this, making Sendai approximately as deadly as Tougher Abazigal.

Other components joined these later. The Improved Continuity component gives the final villain of SoA the same soundset in the final battle that he's had throughout the game, and prevents Saemon Havarian from mysteriously coming back to life in ToB if he died in SoA. The Altered Spells component changes three underpowered spells--Comet, Know Alignment, and Charm Animal--to be worth using. The Cleric Kits component grants clerical kits and strongholds according to the full alignment of the deity involved, and also permits monks a choice of strongholds. The Monk High Level Abilities component gives monks high level abilities suited for their class as an individual class, rather than lumping them in with fighters as an afterthought. The Holy Liberator paladin kit was created largely as a test to see if I could make a kit, and at the request of a friend.

You can view the complete ReadMe here.

Q: Are you planning an Oversight for BG1?

A: No. The Oversight mod was written, in large part, because of culture shock. In BG1, all the alignments were carefully and appropriately assigned. In BG2, I wasn't even out of the starting dungeon when I realized something was terribly wrong. If the alignments had been wrong from the beginning of BG1, I would just have accepted it as the way it was--why should I go to the trouble of making them sensible if the writers didn't? But some of the writers did, even if those particular writers weren't around for BG2. I could ramble some more about the differences between BG1 and BG2, but I've used enough words to say "no" by now, I think.

Q: I think something is an oversight in the game. Will you fix it?

A: No. Read here.

(Copied from an old post at FWP.)

I've noticed that the title of this mod seems to be confusing to many people. A number of the posts in this forum seem not to be referring to the Oversight mod, per se, but rather references to things the poster considers "oversights," and therefore believes should be fixed by this mod. These posts are better made in the Mod Discussion and Announcements forum. This forum is meant for discussion of the mod's existing components; it is unlikely that I will add more components to it (if I make more mod components I will probably make another mod). The Oversight Mod is named that because it's the best name anyone suggested for the mod; the name was never meant to imply that this mod will fix everything anyone considers an oversight.

My apologies if anything in this post seems harsh or off-putting. My concern is that by posting mod ideas here, you essentially guarantee they will not be made, whereas if you post them in the Mod Discussion and Announcements forum instead, someone may pick them up.

This thread will detail precisely how Tougher Sendai will be different at each difficulty level. As such, it will include some rather massive spoilers for Sendai's precise tactics and vulnerabilities, things which are better experienced in-game. You've been warned.

On Novice:

Sendai will not use Harm.

Sendai's images will cast Time Stop and Improved Alacrity once.

On Normal:

Sendai will use one Harm.

Sendai's images will cast Time Stop and Improved Alacrity twice.

Sendai's apprentices will cast Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting.

On Core:

Sendai will use multiple Harms.

Sendai's images will cast Time Stop and Improved Alacrity three times.

Sendai's apprentices will cast Comet.

On Hard:

Sendai is immune to level drain.

Sendai's Projected Images are immune to divinations, abjurations, and conjurations (like True Sight, Dispel Magic, and Insect Swarm).

Sendai is immune to Silence.

Sendai will Force-Cast all her defensive spells, buffing spells, and protection-strippers, so that she doesn't lose the spells from her memory and they cannot be disrupted.

Sendai will also Force-Cast Death Spells, if appropriate.

Sendai's apprentices will use sequencers and triggers.

On Insane:

Sendai and all her Projected Images are permanently affected by Improved Alacrity.

Q: What's this mod about?

A: In the unmodded game, the PC can gain one stronghold determined by the PC's class. This mod will permit most NPC party members to claim the strongholds appropriate for their classes.

Q: What about characters with more than one class, like Jaheira or Jan? Will they be able to claim both strongholds?

A: No. Like the PC, such characters will only be able to claim one stronghold--either of the two they qualify for.

Q: Will every NPC be able to claim a stronghold?

A: No. A few NPCs don't make sense for the strongholds their classes otherwise qualify them for, either because the stronghold-granter would not give the stronghold to that NPC or because the NPC wouldn't accept the stronghold. Logic is given priority over giving a stronghold to all NPCs in these cases.

Q: How will we know if an NPC doesn't qualify for a stronghold?

A: Either the stronghold-granter or the NPC will make it plain. The NPC will not be ignored.

Q: What if both the PC and one or more NPCs qualify for a stronghold?

A: The stronghold will be initially offered to the PC. The PC will be able to claim the stronghold, or to have an NPC who qualifies for it take it instead.

Q: Can your PC prevent the NPC from claiming the stronghold? (If you want to 'save' him/her for the second class stronghold.)

A: Yes.

Q: Will the NPC truly run the stronghold, or will the PC make all the decisions?

A: The NPC will run the stronghold. Some NPCs will be more eager to take or ask for advice from the PC than others. In many cases, the PC will be able to have some effect on how the NPC resolves the stronghold quests--however, the ultimate decisions lie with the NPC.

Q: What happens if more than one NPC qualifies for the stronghold?

A: The stronghold will be offered to one of them initially. The PC will be able to determine which of them actually gets it.

Q: Will the pc be able to offer their input on every decision in the stronghold, or is it just the major ones?

A: That depends on the particular NPC's personality. It's also possible the PC won't be consulted at all.

Q: Will what the npc thinks of the pc (romances, alignment, charisma etc.) affect how much they listen to the pc's input?

A: In some cases.

Q: Will LG Anomen be able to gain access to the paladin stronghold? Although not a paladin, he is a member of the order.

A: No, not being a paladin (and lacking both innate Detect Evil and a personal interest in Carsomyr), Anomen will not be offered the paladin stronghold.

Q: Keldorn is already a member of the order--how can he join it?

A: He won't join the Order the same way the PC does, but the Prelate will send him on the stronghold quests after visiting the Windspear Hills.

Q: How will siding with Bodhi affect the Thieves' Guild stronghold?

A: I'm uncertain of the current patch status of the "if you have the Thieves' Guild, you can mysteriously keep it after the Shadow Thieves have been destroyed" bug...but not uncertain that it is a bug. Accordingly, if you get the Thieves' Guild for Nalia or Jan and then side with Bodhi, they will lose the stronghold. (To get the stronghold for Imoen, you will need to side with the Shadow Thieves and do the stronghold quest in Chapter Six with her in the party.)

I do consider it a problem that this will result in this mod taking "you probably don't want to side with Bodhi if the PC is a thief" to "you probably don't want to side with Bodhi," but, it's a matter of which alternative I dislike the least.

Q: Will NPCs fight duels with each other/with the PC over strongholds?

A: No.

Q: What about mod NPCs?

A: The mod will be written to grant a stronghold to at least one mod NPC, perhaps more.

Q: Will NPCs push me to go to their strongholds for their quests?

A: Yes. This mod is not recommended for someone who sees the PC as a dictator or military commander. The spotlight is on the NPCs, and the PC's role here is secondary.

Q: Will the NPCs do remarkable things with their strongholds that the PC couldn't do? Will any NPCs get strongholds that aren't available to a PC of any class?

A: Mostly, the quests and decisions to make will be the same for an NPC that they are for the PC. The big exception to this is the Thieves' Guild stronghold, which largely presumes that the PC is a particular type of character (selfish, ruthless, and profit-motivated); while I can see Jan focusing on making his guild profitable and not rocking the boat, that really doesn't work for Imoen or Nalia. For all the strongholds, there are likely to be small changes in a number of places where the PC's limitations, in my opinion, make little or no sense. There will be no completely new strongholds.

Q: Will this mod give me a chance to kill an NPC who I couldn't kill previously with no consequences, such as Raelis Shai, Delcia Caan, Prelate Wesselan, or the Mayor of Imnesvale?

A: I wouldn't count on it.

Q: Will this mod be compatible with all other mods? With Big Picture?

A: It will be incompatible with any mod that changes the same dialogue paths. So, anything that hinges on Oisig greeting the party in the Temple District, for example. I could code around that, but, I'd also need to write around it and it would be, in my opinion, significantly worse writing for Arval to appear to Aerie and ask her to come to the Temple of Lathander and then Oisig to appear and tell the main character "I wish you were a <MAN/WOMAN> of faith." I don't know which mods do directly affect stronghold NPC dialogue. It has apparently been included in Big World; I disavow all responsibility for that inclusion. If you have NPC Strongholds as part of Big World and you encounter a bug, ask on the Big World forum, not here. It will also not be strictly compatible with any mod that requires the PC to have a specific stronghold (looking at de'Arnise Romance here). Any mod that changes Anomen's alignment to something other than Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral, or Chaotic Neutral will lead to NO VALID REPLIES OR LINKS if Anomen is in the party.

Q: How will this mod interact with the de'Arnise Romance mod?

A: If you have both installed, whether you even see the option to offer the de'Arnise Keep to anyone but your character will depend on your character's class; you should still be able to take the Keep for your main character regardless. Note that if you do give the Keep to Mazzy or Jaheira or Anomen (or, indeed, do anything but take the Keep for your character, by design of the de'Arnise Romance mod), that will shut off the romance with Nalia.

Q: Will the new Enhanced Edition NPCs get strongholds?

A: Signs point to "no."

Baldur's Gate takes enough liberties with the Forgotten Realms setting that I don't think we really need to worry about that aspect of the afterlife, Gospel.  Valygar also doesn't worship any particular god, but it doesn't interfere with his resurrectability.  (To Whom It May Concern: Yes, those who get mortared into the Wall of the Faithless are significantly harder to resurrect, though I'm not sure whether it requires a True Resurrection, it requires a Wish, or it just can't be done at all.)