A question with installation, about one particular tactics component Options

[Silverstar]

OK I never had the chance to play v5 so I plan to give it a try in the next weeks.

I know I should not install any other difficulty enhancing mods...I have few components from tactics and improved battles which worked fine with V4 in my last game. Will they cause any problems? Namely, unique encounters such as poison avatars, the ritual quest, Bodhi, Maevar, etc.

Bu I also love one particular component of tactics mod and am asking if I can keep it, if so, how?

It is improved undead...it enables all undead critters to have some minor spell like powers...shadows, zombies cast low lvl stuff such as spook, doom, blindness, etc. while higher lvl undead (greater mummies) cast deadly stuff like Finger of Death or Wail of the Banshee.

If I install IA after this component, I noticed undead stopped using their abilities. If I install this component after IA (I know, Sikret, you strictly forbid us to install any other mod after IA) and start a new game, undead work fine. Imoen comes as a gothic sorceress as well, and item randomization program works without problems. (so the message says me) So, I am thinking will it work without problems?

[Sikret]

Welcome back, Silverstar!

No, you can't install any component of Tactics or any other tactical mod (Ascension, Imp. Battles, etc...) with IA v5. If you do, they will break IA's content even though you may not notice the bugs.

[Silverstar]

OK Sikret, thank you very much for your time and answer!

I was so busy with real life in the last months, fourtunately I survived the worst of my exams and have pretty much finished my school program for this year. So I can hop back to hours of playing BG2 with my all time favourite mod IA ofcourse!

Can I have Improved Tougher Demogorgon from Ascension then? I know what you say, but as far as I know IA does not touch Demogorgon. (yet) So can I keep it? I know tougher Demogorgon is still a wuss compared to your improved battles, but normal version would be such a walk in the park that it would feel out of place, after (hopefully) surviving tons of epic IA battles.

[Sikret]

Can I have Improved Tougher Demogorgon from Ascension then? I know what you say, but as far as I know IA does not touch Demogorgon. (yet) So can I keep it?

No, you can't. Installing even one component of Ascension will break IA's scripts, because Ascension edits the vanilla STATS.IDS file while IA requires the file to remain intact. Actually, IA will give lots of error messages during installation if you try to install it over Ascension. Needless to say that installing IA before Ascension is even worse than that.

[DavidW]

No, you can't. Installing even one component of Ascension will break IA's scripts, because Ascension edits the vanilla STATS.IDS file while IA requires the file to remain intact.

Only the main component of Ascension edits STATS.IDS, actually. Tougher demogorgon doesn't touch it, and can be installed without the core component, so I suspect you're okay.

[Silverstar]

Oo I get it. I think I have seen...such error messaes. Lots of 'Parse Errors' and such when I had Ascension. Thank you Sikret, I will amend my installation right now!

@DavidW

Thank you, I will try keeping Demogorgon and see if there are such error messages.

[Sikret]

You are welcome, Silverstar!

I will try keeping Demogorgon and see if there are such error messages.

Even without the core component of Ascension installed and even if you can install IA without those error messages, I still wouldn't risk to endanger an entire game's stability just for one single battle with Demogorgon. Hence, I recommend not to install anything from Ascension.

As a side point:

IA v5 is the best opportunity for you to play a vagrant ranger protagonist, Silverstar! I know that "mage" is your favorite class, but I recommend to play a vagrant in v5 and postpone playing the mage protagonist to IA v6, becuase the expanded mage stronghold will be enriched with several new quests in v6. (In v5, a vagrant protagonist has access to the best quests of the mod).

This post has been edited by Sikret: Apr 26 2008, 11:52 AM

[Silverstar]

I have repaired my installation. I still keep Demogorgon, however. IA was installed without any error messages. I then installed The Four (latest version) and it recognised and was correctly installed this time. (it did not recognise IA before so I think I got it right this time!)

I took a quick look at vagrant class and yes it looks interesting. I also loved the Riskbreaker, may definitely give it a go. I am busy with my BG1 game though.

Hmm, I just got lvl1npcs mod before installing IA. Changed some of the NPCs. I made Jaheira a R/C, and kitted some multi-classed NPCs. Will it cause any bugs with IA?

EDIT:Readme says Sola NPC mod is not reccomended. Is it due to the fact they are incompatible (break each other?) or will its uber items/abilities/battles etc. will break the IA's own flavour? (I can live with it. In fact I think Sola may be very useful in IA battles with his magic resistance and abilities.) Or have they never been tested throughly together?

This post has been edited by Silverstar: Apr 26 2008, 05:54 PM

[Sikret]

I hope you didn't forget to install the fixes uploaded to the forum, Silverstar! Their list and links can be found in the first post in the Progress report for IA v6 topic in the forum.

Hmm, I just got lvl1npcs mod before installing IA. Changed some of the NPCs. I made Jaheira a R/C, and kitted some multi-classed NPCs. Will it cause any bugs with IA?

The lvl1npc mod is NOT recommended in its generality, but if the use is confined to Jaheira, it may be ok. Don't use it for Keldorn, Anomen, Valygar, Imoen, Cernd and Nalia.

Making illegal kitted multi-class npcs will surely create problems. Don't do that.

EDIT:Readme says Sola NPC mod is not reccomended. Is it due to the fact they are incompatible (break each other?) or will its uber items/abilities/battles etc. will break the IA's own flavour?

The latter (breaking the flavour) is certainly true, the former (incompatibility) may also be true, but I'm not sure (if I was sure about the former, I would list it as 'strictly incompatible' rather than 'not recommended').

[Silverstar]

I did not know about fixes...I was away for too long, I am afraid. Hmm I will look for the fixes and apply them to my game ASAP thank you very much!

A couple hard fights from Sola mod won't break the flavour of IA for me, and plus, I am curious, if Eclipse party gets your own IA scripts, it will be really interesting. I have only played Eclipse battle a few years ago, when I did not have half the tactical knowledge I know, so I am really looking for a re-match!

I am willing to make a Sola+IA test-drive, but time is not on my side. I do not know when I can start playing BG2, and after that, there is a long and rocky way to Underdark, that's for sure.

[Sikret]

A couple hard fights from Sola mod won't break the flavour of IA for me

Don't use any of the items from the Sola mod (Sola's personal equipments or items you find with enemies).

[Silverstar]

OK, I don't remember particularly interesting items from Sola mod, though IA items will certainly prove to be much more interesting and useful, no doubt.

[Ymarsakar]

Sola's primary quest weapon that gives 25 str and other bonuses would be pretty powerful.

Since you just want Improved Demogorgon, I suggest you don't install it until you have finished IA 5.0, then install it after you get to that level in WK, play the battle, and then perhaps uninstall it or keep it.

[Kerkes]

Sola mod does not go with IA. He is waay too powerful, he has his own periapt against poison + helm of defence and he messes up shade lord (for this I am sure, cause shade lord invokes Loth and summons a spider + casts power word blind on him immediately) . Don't install it. + eclipse fight nets you an eclipse avenger with #dispel per hit# (aka old sotm) and a strange "cumulative blindness" effect which lowers your opponent thaco by 10 if they don't save vs spell at -4 as I recall and has an insane regeneration rate. He gets something like elistrae blessing which heals party and damages enemies a lot, insta cast. he gets dimdoor, instacast, unlimited use per day. IA enemies would probably be too confused seeing a drow f/m teleporting faster than they can kill him His undead form uses triple SI. (div, abj, evoc) I'm pretty sure there are a lot of other bugs related, but didn't bother actually playing or installing him with IA. He is fun, tough.

This post has been edited by Kerkes: Jul 22 2008, 12:30 AM

[Sikret]

Thanks for the information, Kerkes!

Solaufien mod will then be added to the list of strictly incompatible mods with IA (currently, it's only listed as "Not recommended", because I was aware only of a small portion of the problems you reported).