Hi Sikret

Sorry to be a pain but do you have any idea when v4.3 will be ready for public release (not looking for a specific day, but whether it might be a matter of days or weeks?)

I would quite like another run through BG2 with IA installed, but as there seems to be an increasing list of bugfixes & features for 4.3 compared to 4.2, I am wondering if it is worth waiting for a bit longer.

Thanks

coaster

Hi, coaster!

thetruth and leonidas are testing the new version. They are of great help to me. We are fixing more bugs and adding more new content to the mod. We are doing our work with the maximum possible speed, but I can't really predict when it will be ready. (No, I can't promise that it will be released within a few days. It may take more than one week.)

After installing the new version, starting a new game will be strongly recommended for all, but it will be mandatory only for those who have a vagrant or a cavalier protagonist. So, if you want to start a new game before the release of v4.3 and don't intend to start a new game after installing the new version, don't pick a vagrant or a cavalier.

Cheers

Great, thanks. I'll wait and go play something else in the meantime

coaster

Quick question about new version: is there any point to start new game right now or must i wait for v4.3?
My PC will definitely be mage/x (f/m or f/m/c, didn't decide yet), not vagrant or paladin of any kind.

If your main PC is a vagrant or a cavalier, starting a new game after installing v4.3 will be mandatory. Otherwise, it is not mandatory but it's still strongly recommended. Reasons:
1- Some (not many) items are added to the randomizer program. If you do not start a new game, you will never find those items in the game.
2- Lilarcor is not an easy pray in v4.3. It's now guarded. If you already have Lilarcor, and if you don't start a new game, it may disappear from your ineventory as you have not actually defeated its guardians.
3- New content is added to the 3rd level of WK. If you have already been there, you will not see the new content and you won't be able to proceed to the 4th level. So, if you are in the 3rd level of WK, you will need to rertun to a saved game before that level.
4- The battle with Faldorn in druid grove is revised (slightly improved; don't panic!). If you have already done the trademeet quest, you will not see the new content.
And some other new content (such as Improved "Chaos monster" in the last quest of druid stronghold, etc...) are added.
In short, depending on how far you have progressed in the game, it is probable that you miss some new content, but your game will not break (that's why I said it is not mandatory to start a new game).

Ranger's useless HLA, "Tracking", is replaced with a new and more helpful ability. So, if your rangers have already picked tracking as their HLA, you will (at least) need to return to a saved game before picking it.

Ooh another cool and welcome change, Sikret! I always used to get so annoyed by having completely useless HLAs like that.

Any hints on what the new HLA is going to be or will it remain a secret until the release date?

This post has been edited by nataben1314: Jun 30 2007, 02:33 PM

How about replacing those useless scroll and potion HLAs for mages? Maybe something like an improved Tensor's Transformation so it doesn't unbalance the game back in their favor? Of course a multi-classed mage shouldn't get them at all to avoid further favoring F/Ms, etc.

I thought an Improved TT was already going to be used to replace PI in 4.3... maybe I'm just remembering this wrong though.

Personally I like the idea of a mage creating potions/scrolls, it's characterful. If these were changed to produce better potions, scrolls and with ideally a choice of which to make they could become good HLA choices for a mage.

Gee- definitely! I've always found the current HLA kinda useless. The potion one isn't too bad (theres some chance you'll get something you might use one day ie. potion of superior healing or potion of master thievery) but the scroll one is truly shocking (I mean you always end up with a low level scroll that you're never going to cast). Changing the ability so that higher level spells are made would be awesome.
Also giving the player some choice over what spell is made would be good, but I'm not sure what the technical limitation of this would be (something like a contingency menu to select a spell out of you spellbook to be copied would be pretty cool)

It's a regeneration type ability (a tad weaker than Auramaster's 'Contact With Nature' ability) and it can be chosen as HLA only once (hence, you can't have more than one use per day).

Any plan on estimated realese time. I think I will start BG2 with IA on next week, I could wait for 1 more week for 4.3, but not more.

What's your opinion about adding these new effects to the new HLA in addition to the regeneration:

"While in contact with nature, the ranger is immune to petrification and imprisonment." (It makes sense that mother nature can protect against these two effects. If you have additional suggestions for what mother nature may or should protect against don't hesitate to send them. Also, I forgot to mention that the regeneration rate is 18 hp/round and the duration of the contact is 10 rounds.)

I think protection from petrification and imprisonment are useful. Not terribly needed but still useful . What about disintegration? When we're talking about mother nature protecting her servant why not from this effect (as well)? Think rotting corpses - it's even natural . Death Ward takes care of it anyway though iirc.

This post has been edited by Arkain: Jul 2 2007, 06:03 PM

I'm liking this, though I'm wondering if it's a little too good compared to other HLAs. If you look at some of the theives HLAs related to avoiding death, they get nice bonuses that last only for a few rounds. The immunities coupled with 180 point regen over 10 rounds is pretty amazing (perhaps too). I like the flavor-- calling out to mother nature in a moment of great peril, and mother nature answers!!

I'd recommend perhaps a nice bonus against save vs. death effects (rather than full on immunities) and keep the regeneration. This would still be somewhat overpowered when compared to other HLAs, but hey, some classes just get better benefits than others sometimes. That doesn't bother me so much. But changing the immunities to a bonus, I think, mellows it out a bit.

By the way, any chance you'll consider revamping rogues to give them a nice new HLA (perhaps replacing or modifying one of their existing)? With all of the benefits, love and attention rangers are getting in IA, and the distinct reductions in the usefulness of thieves (for the record: I'm not saying they aren't useful, just less useful than they were in the vanilla game), a bonus or two for thieves might be nice as well. Perhaps you could take a look at the thief's/bard's evasion abilities and give them a bit of a boost. Maybe increase the duration a bit and/or give the bonuses a bit of a boost. Anyhow, I'm getting a bit off topic, but wanted to throw that out there as well.

I really hope that you're not adding more new content to 4.3 as I'd really like to incorporate it into my current game; I'm looking forward to Keldorn's new armor!
Save this new content for 4.4 or something! Put 4.3 out there for us to play with!

@Marceror

The regeneration rate is the same rate of the 7th level clerical spell with the same duration except that the cleric can cast as many regeneration spells he wants but the ranger new HLA can only be used once per day (you can't pick it for a second time as your HLA choice). So, I don't really think that it is overpowered.

@sturmvogel

I assure you that I'm working on the mod with the maximum possible speed, but I have things to do in RL as well (to be honest, I have even re-arranged and changed my appointments and RL program so that I can work on the mod more than I normally could and should; and I have annoyed some people for this change in my daily program). I'm sorry for the delay, but have patience please.

Sikret, I don't mean overpowered as in game breaking. If you look at my post, I was comparing this HLA to those other classes receive. I only meant "overpowered with respect to other high level abilities," particularly those of fighters/theives (priest and mages are sort of in a whole different stratosphere).

Just so we don't get tripped up on semantics, I'll choose a new word. Let's say, instead, that this power seems somewhat inequitable compared to what other classes receive, fighters and thieves, particularly. For example, a thief gets a 4 second boost to AC and some saves with evasion, and can invest a SECOND HLA point to improve the AC bonus and saves a bit (but not the 4 second duration).

Comparing that to what you're suggesting, which is 10 rounds of regen that equals what a 7th level cleric spell can do, and immunity to some of the most lethal spells out there (including level 9 mage spell imprisonment), this just seems a bit too good, again, for an HLA. The limit of one use per day helps, but again, my recommendation (as stated in my previous post) is not to change the regen, but modify the immunities to a bonus. Just a recommendation - I recall you asking for feedback. Do as you see fit.

As an aside, apparently I need to be extra careful with my wording on these boards, because apparently the only thing that was noted about my last post was a single word: overpowered. While had thought my additional context explained what I meant with by word (the word choice was not actually incorrect within the context I was using it), the response and specific example given - high level priests can do a similar thing using their highest level spell slot - makes me feel that I was unheard. But next time I'll just make sure my word choice is absolutely pristeen. I'm part of a small minority of english speakers who feels confident in my ability to pull that off.

This post has been edited by Marceror: Jul 4 2007, 01:39 PM

Thanks for the clarifications, Marceror! They are always welcome to make what we mean clearer.



I may do something for thieves too. But the first priority was to do something about the most useless HLA of the game which was "Tracking".


A low level berserker can gain immunity to Imprisonment for the same duration of time and he can even refresh it with extra use of his enrage ability. So, having immunity to imprisonment for 10 rounds and only for one use per day "as an HLA" doesn't look too much to me. (Mother nature will not allow her child to be impisoned in a cell deep in the Earth; not at leat while they are in contact.)



Thanks for the feedback. I always read them and use some of them.


No, no. I read your entire post. My answer was not merely aimed at the term overpowered. Even if you had used a different word, I would have sent the same reply.

Thanks again.

I appreciate you taking the time to respond, yet again, Sikret. I guess I still find it a little odd that you chose your example about the cleric spell, when I specifically said I thought you should keep the regen component as is. But looking past that, what you're really saying is that you prefer the immunities, and at the end of the day, you've got to make the choices you feel are best.

It's nice to hear you say that theives are on your radar, since they could definitely use a little TLC in my opinion.

So what does the proposed ability look like at this point? I saw someone mention immunity to disintegration, which seems to fit with the spirit of the ability. Another thought, as long as we're sticking with the immunity concept, is granting immunity to death spells for 10 rounds (thieves will really need some lovin if you do this, however), so basically the ranger is getting the benefits of a death ward spell, among other things. As long as nature is sustaining the ranger in such a miraculous way, protection from death spells seems appropriate. Having the ranger call out, "protect me Great Mother," followed by the Great Mother actually appearing and saying "I have heard your voice my faithful son/daughter), ending with a "finger of death" snuffing the ranger out in no time flat, seems rather anti-climatic.

Lastly, as long as you're including immunity to imprisonment, you should probably include immunity to the Maze spell as well. If nature can protect from the the 800 lb gorilla (imprisonment), she can probably handle his kid brother as well.

So that gives us 10 rounds of regen, death ward, immunity to imprisonment/maze. Yeah, it's very, very powerful, but for the moment I'm just focused on answering the question, what should nature protect from. If a ranger still manages to die with all that protection, well, we'll just call that a heroic death!