Some questions Options

[Sergio1992]

Hello to everyone.
These days I’ve been tempted to give a try to NeJ+ Vlad's compilation + Keldorn romance.

Given that I still have more compelling matters involving my work to solve, I don’t think I’ll be able to play it anytime soon (before Christmas), but at least I can ask some questions. If you can, please be as spoiler-free as possible.

1) I’ll be using Baldur’s gate Trilogy, and probably I’ll also play Baldur’s gate 1 with Nej and Vlad. I looked around and it seems that BG1 has only the bank added and the improved AI on the bandit camp. Am I wrong?

2) I see that you actively discourage against adding mods on top of NeJ and Vlad. Is it only for content mods or for all kind of mods? If you heavily discourage against it, I’ll be playing a first time a compilation free-mods with a good <charname>.

3) Which kind of mods do I plan to add? I don’t think BG needs many things to be honest. And judging by the sheer amount of content your mods have, I don’t feel the need for many of the mods out there. And so, I want to be as strictly as possible to tweaks to rule only.

I’ll be listing each component I would like to go for for every mod:

Atweaks:
Instant casting for warrior innates
Revised Bhaalpowers: Enhance the Bhaalpowers and standardize their casting time
Regain Bhaalpowers in ToB
Make druidic shapeshifting uninterruptable
Unbiased Quest rewards -> honestly, if I had to choose a component amongst all of these it would be this one. It makes it so that going evil will not punish you in vanilla game, because you’ll be getting as much xp and/or as much gold for going evil as going good.
Simple thief script -> AI
Simple Bard script -> AI
Simple cleric/Paladin script -> AI
Slightly expanded storage capacity for containers -> Use the recommended storage capacity value (999)


EET (enhanced edition trilogy) Tweaks
Total xp cap: disabled
Xp for Traps, spells and Lockpicking: BG2 values

Jim’s fixes and tweaks:
Add spell school notifications to the combat log: all spells with a casting time greater than 1
Add expiration notifications for buffs

Klatu Tweaks and Fixes:
Appropriate xp rewards for Cowled enforcers (So you can go full ham on them, rather than having to pay the license)
Free action does not prevent haste or Movement rate bonus


Refinements:
Revised High level Abilities  overhauls all the High level abilities for all classes, making it meaningful.


Scales of Balance:
Stat bonus overhaul -> This makes it so that rolling your character has meaning. Every stat becomes meaningful and not just dead weight in the grand scheme of things.

Tweaks Anthology. Readme here: https://gibberlings3.github.io/Documentatio...e-cdtweaks.html
Add bags of Holding -> this component will add a gem bag to the Friendly Arm Inn store, a scroll case at the High Hedge, an ammo belt to Thunderhammer Smithy, a potion case to the Nashkel General Store, and a bag of holding at the Sorcerous Sundries in Baldur's Gate.
For Baldur's Gate II content, this component adds potion cases to the stores of Roger the Fence and Mrs. Cragmoon and ammo belts to the stores of the Trademeet blacksmith and Perter.

Stores sell higher stacks of items -> This component will alter all stores in the game to use higher stacks of arrows, bolts, bullets, darts, throwing axes, throwing daggers, and (where available) throwing hammers. This component will affect all stores in the game, including ones introduced by mods.

Shapeshifter rebalancing

Multiple strongholds -> seems to be already inside
Allow Cromwell to upgrade watcher’s keep items -> given that you touch Cromwell, this is is bound to cause issues
Allow cespenar to use cromwell recipes -> bound to cause issues too

Move npc from Baldur’s gate -> Alora

Move npc to convenient location: Eldoth, Qualyle, Shar-teel, Tiax, Viconia.

Expanded Dual-Class Options: makes it possible to dual class barbarian and wildmages.

Change Grandmastery Bonuses: True Grandmastery (Baldurash) -> Seems to be already inside.

Alter druid spell and level progression tables: Use cleric level progession changes with Un-nerfed druid spell table  I don’t exactly appreciate the xp gap from level 14 to level 15 for druids in BG. But I could always forsake this component if needs be

Trap cap removal
Remove delay for magical traps
Remove summoning cap for celestials
Druids use 3e alignment restriction
Loosen equipment restrictions for cleric multi-classes
Change equipment restricitions for druid multi-classes -> loosen equipment restrictions
Change effect of reputation on store prices -> low reputation Store Discount (Sabre)
Increase Ammo stack size, gem, jewelry and misc stacking, potions and scroll to 999

Neutral characters make happy comments at mid-range
Keep drizzt’s loot, disable Malchor Harpell
Taerom makes additional Ankheg Armor
Adjust evil joinable npc reaction rolls
Unique containers (unique icons and names)
More interjections
Alter Hp triggers for Npc wounded dialogues


Tweaks and tricks (See readme here: https://github.com/BGforgeNet/bg2-tweaks-and-tricks?

Easy traps: increase trap sense range: so they can get discovered if they are in Line of sight.
The component increase traps requires Easy traps: core
Fair fights
Improved stronghold

Unfinished bussiness for BG2:
restored bhaalspawn powers by David Gaider


SCS
treat hla as innate abilities rather than memorisable spells - I can avoid this component too


Tweaks Anthology
Maximum hp on level up.


Mod of the orderly - consistency plus version (Adds a keyring container)

4) There are also some mods that involve “content” for Bg1 I would like to add, but I’ll save these for later..

This post has been edited by Sergio1992: Oct 4 2019, 01:53 PM

[Senka]

Hi!
Only Vlad can answer you. Did you write to him?

[Sergio1992]

Hi!
Only Vlad can answer you. Did you write to him?

Nope. Should I write to him via email?

This post has been edited by Sergio1992: Sep 10 2019, 10:08 AM

[Senka]

Should I write to him via email?

Yeah.
When I see him online in fb I will tell him

[Sergio1992]

Should I write to him via email?

Yeah.
When I see him online in fb I will tell him

Wait. If you get in touch with him via fb there is no need for me to write an email. Am I wrong?

By the way I don't have vlad's mail so it would be cool if you could send it to me privately

This post has been edited by Sergio1992: Sep 10 2019, 10:07 AM

[Senka]

I wrote to him

[Vlad]

Hi Sergio,

Most of the tweaks you mention are already in my compilation. I really don't think you need something else. Also, I cannot comment on compatibility because I have never played with other mods or tweaks. If I see something needs to be fixed or tweaked, I'm doing that myself. There are so much content in my compilation plus NeJ so I doubt you should install anything else. Moreover, if you encounter problems during your game play, I won't be able to help you as they may arise from other mods or tweaks. You may see my complete walkthrough in YouTube if you need some hints.

Regarding BGT, there are several components including tweaks, items and scripts which I added/changed. But the most important is a continuity of your game and the map with BG1 locations that you can revisit in BG2. Most of the BG1 NPCs smoothly move to BG2 with their stories and accumulated stats and items. Good example is Shar-Teel who has a full story and quest in BG2 which continues her story from BG1. Not all NPCs are moved, but Alora is replaced with a new similar NPC - Melora with her new unique quest.

In ToB, I have also introduced our with Senka enhancements, so I don't think you need something else either.

Anyway, please keep me updated how it's going on. If you drop me a message here, I'll see it in email.

Good luck,
Vlad.

[Sergio1992]

Cu

Thanks. Last question: any suggestion for classes for good/evil/third path?

[Senka]

Fighter/mage

[Sergio1992]

Fighter/mage

1) Multiclass?

I'm going to do three playthroughs and I'm going to getting bored playing always fighter/mage

So I would say...

Third path, for Keldorn Romance: Ranger/cleric
Evil: Barbarian/druid (hopefully I can dual class, otherwise I go pure barbarian)
Good: Fighter/mage

What do you think Senka?



2) Apart from Shar-teel are there any other npc from BG1 that you can play with in 2? I would like to do a continous party.


3) Vlad, I'll play a mod free environment first to taste your mod. My install order will be the following: SoA-ToB GOG + BGT v1.18 + Vlad's Compilation v2.1 + NeJ3 v7.1 + BG1-songs

This post has been edited by Sergio1992: Sep 10 2019, 07:31 PM

[Senka]

Multi?

Dual. I prefer to dual on level 9.

I'm going to do three playthroughs and I'm going to getting bored playing always fighter/mage

You see... NEJ2 is for mage - there are some quests. Well, other mage in your group can do it for you.

Third path, for Keldorn Romance: Ranger/cleric

Fighter-cler better )) Dual of course.

Senka, apart from Shar-teel are there any other npc from BG1 that you can play with in 2?

Nope. Just standard: Jaheira, Minsk, Viconia, Edwin. But... in improved version )))
I love improved Aerie and Nalia - both girls are really hard! ))))

[Sergio1992]

1) Question: when you start BG2, there is a portal near Jaheira. Are you supposed to bring yoshimo with you there?

2) When you talk about Nej2, Nej3, I take you are talking about the continuation of Nej. Do I have to know how to start these quests, or will I meet them "naturally" during my playthrough?

This post has been edited by Sergio1992: Sep 10 2019, 09:15 PM

[Senka]

1. No you cannot
2. You will have the main NPC for NEJ - you cannot play without him. He will tell you, be sure )))

[Sergio1992]

Vlad, there is an unofficial fork of BG:T here: http://www.shsforums.net/topic/60544-v120-...nd-suggestions/

Do you think it will work without problems with Nej and Ts?


Edit: Well, in the end I decided I will just use the original BG:T.
Edit 2: Are you supposed to start a new game with every BG installment (so BG1, SoA, ToB) before installing BG:T? Just asking, because the EE tool forces you to do that for EET.



Edit 3: okay I'm rolling now. First thing I've noticed you made it possible for multiclass to have ***** on weapons. Yuppie.
Edit 4: No maximum Hp tweak added. You have to lower the difficulty to get your juicy max rolls.
Edit 5: Advise: never start a game from SOA if you use Baldur's Gate Trilogy. Starting with BG:T from BG2:SoA gave me the following issues:
- importing from TOB character files makes a post Spellhold Imoen appear inside Irenicus Dungeon (this happens even without BGT)
- starting straight from BG:T made a clone of both Minsc and Jaheira appear in their cages, for a 2x Jaheira and 2x Minsc, with the added bonus of a post Spellhold Imoen inside Irenicus dungeon.
Either play BG1 and play "naturally" or don't install BG:T. And if you go for Soa, always start a brand new game or import from savegames.

This post has been edited by Sergio1992: Sep 12 2019, 08:03 PM

[Vlad]

If you decide to play BGT, you need to start only one new game in Candlekeep. Then every save is continuous. You don't need to start any new game, you can continue from any save. If you want to start SoA bypassing BG1, then why do you need to install BGT? Please take a look here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkVfnsuTOAI

This is the BGT installation. You have two options of a new game though: BG1 or BG2. But honestly, I've never tried to install BGT and then start playing from Irenicus dungeon. If you don't want to play BG1, so simply don't install BGT. I saw such reports that there are two Imoens if you start in SoA and do not naturally progress from BG1, but I won't fix it because it doesn't make much sense for me.

Also, there is no option to start in Irenicus dungeon and then come back to BG1 areas and play BG1. This is a limitation of the engine. I thought about such possibility, but then the whole BG1 needs to be re-scripted.

Are you supposed to start a new game with every BG installment

The answer is no. If you reinstall the game, you can continue with you saved games. As I said, you need to start only once - in Candlekeep, and then continue from any save. If you are in ToB, you'll need to start from ToB saves, of course.

This post has been edited by Vlad: Sep 13 2019, 03:04 PM

[Sergio1992]

Thanks Vlad.

Do you both use widescreen ?

I have a 1280x1024 monitor and in my case, after a lot of testing, I choose not to go for it. Given that the UI gets reduced, doesn't seem worth it.

I also tried the videocard stretching to no avail.

I also discovered yesterday this UI mod and I'm kinda curious if it could make the UI worth it: http://www.shsforums.net/topic/58704-baldu...20/#entry589232

[Senka]

Do you both use widescreen ?

Me not I'm half-blind

[Vlad]

Sergio, there is a GUI mod already in my compilation. Please don't override it, otherwise there will be glitches.

Regarding the widescreen, you have this in the GOG version. I'm playing the max allowed standard resolution of 1024×768 with the widescreen. This way, I get the image filling the entire screen. It's wider than the original picture, but much larger, which I really like. The picture occupies the entire screen of 24" wide display. I really like it. Look in YouTube.

Vlad's Walkthrough - Episode 1 (Let's start in Candlekeep)

This post has been edited by Vlad: Sep 17 2019, 02:37 PM

[Sergio1992]

Okay thanks Vlad. Another thing...

I was checking BWP.pdf (18.2, here: http://www.shsforums.net/files/download/53...world-english/) and there is this note:

Install Component 3 [Dual-Class Erevain NPC for NeJ3 (by Bill and Vlad)]? [N]ot Install
This component is incompatible with the Edwin component from Vlad's Compilation because in spell.ids both of them use the same literal number for different symbolic identifiers.

I don't know if it may be interesting to you but worth reporting, I guess.

[Senka]

Install Component 3 [Dual-Class Erevain NPC for NeJ3 (by Bill and Vlad)]? [N]ot Install

Do not install it. It's not complete.