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

[Vlad]

Sergio, it seems you're playing very fast and bypassing a lot of things. It is understandable because after playing so many times with different mods, you know everything in the game and rush to complete the walkthrough.

However, the present compilation of my mods creates a kind of a new game with [like you mentioned] a ton of things to do. The amount of quests makes the entire walkthrough different and non-linear. You must take this into account. Therefore, per one walkthrough, you won't be able to cover everything that my mods offer. Also, if you in rush, at least please take a look at the hints section. You don't need hints only if you're playing slowly, checking every NPC in the game, every quest and every item. Otherwise, you bypass a lot.

Now to your specific questions:

1) Sharteel is obsessed from the very beginning. Hence, the complete failure of her endeavors which makes her even more frustrated. She is completely pissed off and I don't see a single chance for her true personality to stay with the charname. I'd suggest to play with her in the group from the very beginning to see a lot of her banters and interjections in order to understand what's going on in that crazy head of hers. I don't like marking her evil. She's just obsessed and frustrated with her life, and she says the very true things, by the way. But you know, nobody likes the truth. I've never left her to rot in the cell, so I've never checked this option with her dialogues. It simply doesn't make sense for me to install her great character and then to leave her in the cell.

2) If you don't have Dar and/or Melora and/or Taffic, you may still visit some BG1 areas, but their quests in these areas you'll miss. Dar's quest starts when you come back from Halruaa. Melora's quest starts when you visit the area near Candlekeep.

3) To open Twisted Rune you need a rogue stone and a letter from Guarded Compound after you dealt with the slaver's group there.

4) As Senka mentioned, there is a Wolf Pelt Bag in Kuldahar (sold by Conlan). If I remember correctly, there are also other bags of holding.

5) Janeira is seriously offended when you dropped her in the dungeon, no matter the reasons. She is leaving the dungeon on her own and may be gone forever. Minsc and Dar will be in Copper Coronet, and Yoshimo-Kachiko (if you choose good options in the dialogue) will wait for you in Sea Bounty.

6) All the NeJ was written by Larriene. She is a great British novelist, and I was really lucky to meet her. TS was written by Domi. By the way, her Valygar Romance is also in TS. There is also some material by Richard and others (see Credits section).

7) Basically you need to collect different ingredients throughout the Realms to have Cromwell upgrade your items. Once the first component of an item to be upgraded appears in your inventor/bag, Cromwell will tell you which other items he needs for the upgrade. Keep an eye on different components when you explore different areas.

8) Letters and Notes that you mentioned are for the Third Path and Keldorn Romance. When you collect all of them, a messenger will appear to call arms for war with Riatavin. If you're not romancing Keldorn, you may drop these letters.

All in all, it is advisable to complete ALL the NPCs quests including the major part of Keldorn Romance before sailing to Brynnlaw. Then you'll have the TS island and will be able to complete the TS major quest. Also, the second part of NeJ (travel to Halruaa) you are supposed to complete before departing for Brynnlaw. The last (third) part start in the Underdark.

This post has been edited by Vlad: Oct 9 2019, 01:20 PM

[Sergio1992]

Sergio, it seems you're playing very fast and bypassing a lot of things. It is understandable because after playing so many times with different mods, you know everything in the game and rush to complete the walkthrough.

However, the present compilation of my mods creates a kind of a new game with [like you mentioned] a ton of things to do. The amount of quests makes the entire walkthrough different and non-linear. You must take this into account. Therefore, per one walkthrough, you won't be able to cover everything that my mods offer. Also, if you in rush, at least please take a look at the hints section. You don't need hints only if you're playing slowly, checking every NPC in the game, every quest and every item. Otherwise, you bypass a lot.

Now to your specific questions:

1) Sharteel is obsessed from the very beginning. Hence, the complete failure of her endeavors which makes her even more frustrated. She is completely pissed off and I don't see a single chance for her true personality to stay with the charname. I'd suggest to play with her in the group from the very beginning to see a lot of her banters and interjections in order to understand what's going on in that crazy head of hers. I don't like marking her evil. She's just obsessed and frustrated with her life, and she says the very true things, by the way. But you know, nobody likes the truth. I've never left her to rot in the cell, so I've never checked this option with her dialogues. It simply doesn't make sense for me to install her great character and then to leave her in the cell.

2) If you don't have Dar and/or Melora and/or Taffic, you may still visit some BG1 areas, but their quests in these areas you'll miss. Dar's quest starts when you come back from Halruaa. Melora's quest starts when you visit the area near Candlekeep.

3) To open Twisted Rune you need a rogue stone and a letter from Guarded Compound after you dealt with the slaver's group there.

4) As Senka mentioned, there is a Wolf Pelt Bag in Kuldahar (sold by Conlan). If I remember correctly, there are also other bags of holding.

5) Janeira is seriously offended when you dropped her in the dungeon, no matter the reasons. She is leaving the dungeon on her own and may be gone forever. Minsc and Dar will be in Copper Coronet, and Yoshimo-Kachiko (if you choose good options in the dialogue) will wait for you in Sea Bounty.

6) All the NeJ was written by Larriene. She is a great British novelist, and I was really lucky to meet her. TS was written by Domi. By the way, her Valygar Romance is also in TS. There is also some material by Richard and others (see Credits section).

7) Basically you need to collect different ingredients throughout the Realms to have Cromwell upgrade your items. Once the first component of an item to be upgraded appears in your inventor/bag, Cromwell will tell you which other items he needs for the upgrade. Keep an eye on different components when you explore different areas.

8) Letters and Notes that you mentioned are for the Third Path and Keldorn Romance. When you collect all of them, a messenger will appear to call arms for war with Riatavin. If you're not romancing Keldorn, you may drop these letters.

All in all, it is advisable to complete ALL the NPCs quests including the major part of Keldorn Romance before sailing to Brynnlaw. Then you'll have the TS island and will be able to complete the TS major quest. Also, the second part of NeJ (travel to Halruaa) you are supposed to complete before departing for Brynnlaw. The last (third) part start in the Underdark.

BEING FAST. Fast is a cute term and I would tend to agree with it, but it’s not only about being fast. I’ve got a honed way of doing things, because I know quest order, spots, encounter, even the traps I’m going to meet in vanilla game. I won’t say even that I know the equipment, because I would sound obsessed, but let’s just say that I know when things are out of the ordinary
So, having some new content makes me lusting for everything at once: I'll try to be slower

1) Next time I’ll bring Sharteel with me. After leaving Irenicus dungeon I took Sharteel with me because my charname wouldn’t have left her here; add on top of that that the first quest the group did was the one with Firkraag and what was said between her and Firkraag intrigued me a lot.

To which option are you referring to ...? The one with charname leaving her into the cell before returning?

Anyway, if you don’t see a chance for her to stay with Charname, I would advise to make it impossible to “persuade” her after meeting the guy that is supposed to give you the firkraag’s loot and to make evident that YOU ARE NOT getting any items from him. Because right now it is far from evident.

2) Okay, thanks. I had to ask because these areas were added right after coming back from Nej but I didn’t know if I was supposed to go there myself or I could (should...) wait. Would it be hard to make these map markers appear as soon as Hrothgar asks you to go there?

3) Are you supposed to find a message that will make you enter the guarded compound in the temple district, or is charname supposed to go there while exploring?

4) I only found the three brown bags and I didn’t see the others. My bad.


5) Doubt I will take Yoshimo �“ Kachiko
So you are telling me that if I got charname, Minsc, Sharteel, Dar, Hrothgar, Imoen, I’m supposed to drop Imoen and take Jaheira with me?But I wouldn’t have a thief and that’s harmful for the last part of the dungeon. Unless I reach the end of the dungeon, drop imoen, then come back to Jaheira and take Jaheira. Is that what am I supposed to do?

6) Got it.

7) By the way, there are so many things that I could be upgrading. Tell me you got a list somewhere. I’m asking because for example I brought with me lot of trash because I thought I could be upgrading them via Cromwell. E.g: ancient armor; skulls; cursed ring etc.

8) Found the letters in the following one:
- Captain dennis (five flagons inn)
- the group in the sewer of the temple district
- one of the slavers inside the ship area (the one where you come in from the sewers with Lilarcors)
- Forgot the others

9) Thanks for these notes. I saw your hints but they are a little too spoilerish for my taste. I’ll resort to that, I guess, if I need it.

This post has been edited by Sergio1992: Oct 9 2019, 05:11 PM