Developper's diary, things I'm doing currently Options

[aigleborgne]

I am looking for each monsters in Enhanced Monsters component. I've just started this and there are 325 creatures to check.
I have seen some errors in the first one, some problems with mods installed that doesn't work properly with EC, and some scripts behavior I can't fix.

Petrification : I try to make it working with The Bigg Tweak Pack. I've always found it stupid that game ends when PC is petrified. Especially when someone in the party can cast stone to flesh just after the fight!

AI issue: creatures faster than humans don't attack properly. They catch someone trying to run away but they don't attack at all. I thought they would swing once, run closer, swing again... but no, they don't !
Once target stops, they start attacking.

Sarevok : I'm trying to use the nice-looking model from BG1 with a new equipment. But it doesn't work at all. Weapons make game crash. I could eventually use BG2 model, but it is less cool.

This post has been edited by aigleborgne: Jul 15 2009, 07:48 PM

[aigleborgne]

I've finally removed The Bigg Tweak Pack as I didn't really like his new petrification effect.
I fixed basilisks, greater basilisks and bears issues.

[aigleborgne]

Monsters will now have their own speed as in P&P.
It was working fine but it wasn't based on Walking Speed component found in BG2 Tweak Pack.
Now, install will check this component to calculate accurate speed.

[aigleborgne]

Today, I'm looking at Helmed horror and battle horror.
I originally thought they were not true P&P monsters and thus, I did very little changes to these monsters (only basic fixes).
Little researchs on internet proved me I was wrong! I've found detailed informations on these monsters and they are more powerful than they are in game.

Additionnally, it is time for me to improve my developping station. As it becomes harder and harder to work on my tables, as I'm adding more and more data.
So, I will take time to do something better, probably a database (mysql) with an interface in J2EE. This will slow down dev for about one or two months
(time needed to build database, code interface, and transfer data).

Benefits from this operation:
- faster work on creatures & monsters
- easier files management
- more reliable in many ways
- better support for later improvements and BG2 EC

I will also improve current patching program to do things in a better ways with great flexibility.

Why all of this? Because I am a far better developper now than I was 3 years ago.
Current developping station for EC is awful. I can't really blame myself.. when I started this project, I was doing a small project. I added so much things in the process that it became a big project! (well, for me it is big :-)

[Salk]

It's really nice to see you back working on EC!

I do hope there will be compatibilty with BGT in the future as we planned many months ago.

Also the new developing station sounds great for when you'll have to work on EC 2...

[aigleborgne]

I hope so

It's really nice to see you back working on EC!

I do hope there will be compatibilty with BGT in the future as we planned many months ago.

Also the new developing station sounds great for when you'll have to work on EC 2...

[aigleborgne]

A nice evening yesterday : fixing bugs in my editor while editing my first monster : Ankheg, done at 80%
I'm expecting a rate of 5-10 monsters per week. A few of them are very complex and will require a lot more time

I was also playing with movement speed to make a table between P&P (2nd edition) and ingame speed. I ended up with something like ingame speed = P&P speed * 0,75 (round on lower integer)
Might not be the best method, and since I store P&P movement speed. I'll just have to adjust my table if necessary.

[aigleborgne]

My editor has a lot of bugs and I spend too much time fixing them but at least, my data are saved.
Finally, I don't like it as it is now. Bug, unfriendly at times, very far from applications I do at work. I'm a web specialist and this was my first winform application.
Anyway, it does its job and it is all I need

Ankheg is now 95% done , just need to export and test.

[melkor_morgoth75]

Great, may i ask what's the differences for the ankheg (just as an example) between yours and the unmodded game?

tx,
mm75

[aigleborgne]

Following P&P:
Strength : 9 -> 18/80
Dexterity : 9 -> 10
Constitution : 9 -> 17
Hit point : 52 -> 88
Attack per round : 2 -> 1
Resist fire : 25 -> 0
Slower movement rate
Script : very basic -> advanced script (for a simple creature, it is just a better targetting system and a tracking system)
Weapon : remove ranged weapon, in P&P, they can throw acid one time per day when desperate, so I replace this by an innate ability that they will use when low HP
melee weapon is almost identical, but it will entangle target (no save) for 10 seconds as it is supposed to try to bring target under earth.

So in conclusion:
- less attack per round
- no more strong ranged attack
- stronger melee attack (with entangle and strength bonus)
- better script


I've improved my export system to be able to select what I want to export, which is very important since a complete export takes about 15 minutes.
I've started to review my AI scripts. A lot of work here but it was needed. I'll need to see how I'll implement spell detection by scripting state (those have changed a lot over the time).

Following days will be :
- install a new and clean BGTutu
- prepare several game saves for testing purpose
- basic script review

Then this year
- huge monsters work
- advanced script review
- NPC component

[aigleborgne]

I've finished my installation and have prepared a few savegames for test cases. I've updated my weidu.log in this forum FYI
I've take a first review of my main TP2 install : bugs correction or changes for some reasons.

I will continue my script correction and update before going on monsters. It should take me about 1 or 2 weeks. But it is necessary as my old system was a total mess! (even if it was working)

[aigleborgne]

Quite some news:
- I have corrected many things and add some features to my editor
- I have vastly improved my class/kit generator (giving everything to a creature)
- I have spend many hours to review and improve AI scripts. It is far from finished but it is a lot better now
- I have prepared about 164 adventurers (5 for each class/kit, at levels 6/9/15/20/30). They will be my test cases for AI scripts and class / kits.
- I have added all ingame adventurers in my database

I will need about 2 months to polish my scripts and test a lot those 164 adventurers
In fact, monster component will be delayed after adventurer component.

Once my tests will be done, it will be very quick to make adventurer component, probably 2-3 months

Still, it is slower than I planned, but I'm now able to test things in game, I like it
Patience... just patience !

[melkor_morgoth75]

We are, don't worry and take your time

mm75

PS: when u speak about "adventures", do u mean that u're planning a new mod with new quests in the game?

[aigleborgne]

No, I meant "adventurers" which means every person you can meet or fight in the game.
It is mostly enemy groups but also some people you are not supposed to attack like priest in temple, mage in shops [...]

You can expect some challenge if you plan to attack Thalanthyr for example, as he is a level 15 mage protected by 2 golems.
Originally, my strategy was to pull and kill those golems one by one and attack the mage after.
It was possible because scripts were bad and anyway, Talanthyr don't have a good spellbook.

Now, it would be a lot more difficult.

Well, almost every creature (monster or adventurer) could be killed by PC party.
Some will be designed to be lethal and should be avoided : Shandalar, Cadderly, and Tethtoril.. I really like this one but he is a level 18 priest of Mystra, and is one of the most protected person of the realms.
In classic game, he will just kill PC with one big lightning bolt, no matter what.
Now he will be more "human" with a good spellbook and immediate intervention of some very powerful allies if his life was in danger.

My mod is not made to bring a challenge, but to give right abilities and script to monsters and adventurers so they can defend themselves or attack properly !
How deceptive it was to bring down the thieves guild because of poor scripting... Expect a lot of backstab there, and some surprise!

Back to main subject, my initial test wasn't too good : AI script still need a lot of work !
Those tests allowed me to find and correct a few bugs in my editor and see that traps layed by ennemies thieves don't seem to work on PC allies !

Even if my scripts weren't perfect, it wasn't that bad and I have already spent several hours (15+) to improve them