Progress report Options

[aigleborgne]

Hello,

As Salk said, I found a new job and thus, I am quite busy now (my old job gave me so much free time).
Anyway, I will find time to finish what I was working on (multiple spellbooks on a same creature & monk kit). I will validate the kit list so Salk will be able to produce a first version.

Actually, all over modules are mostly completed:
- Monsters
- Items balances
- Many fixes (items, spells...)
- New spells (level 1 to 5, from BG2) : need to be place somewhere
- Scripts : all done except thieves-mages (need some work to make good use of backstab/spell/attack)
- TP2 done (most important thing after scripts, since the mod use a set of 2da files to determine every changes to make)

You can expect a first release in end october or november.
Thanks for your patience

I am doing my best to finish this mod, but I am a player too, and I am playing many games. I will never forget BG, but I don't have enough time to do everything I want

[melkor_morgoth75]

Just a word:

thanks

mm75

[Tervadh]

One of Murphy's "unknown" laws goes something like:

"Projects proceed rapidly until they are 90% complete. Then they remain 90% complete indefinitely."

Unfortunately this is all too common (especially in anything I get involved in ). But it sounds like people've done quite a bit of good work here... would be a shame to shelve it indefinitely even if the authors have moved on to other games besides BG or real-life pursuits. Looking forward to a release of this, and if you can use any help testing etc. let me know.

[Salk]

Tervdah,

thanks for your interest.

The situation at the moment is fairly described by Murphy's law. Aigleborgne had several ETAs for releasing a non Alpha version for quite some time.

Unfortunately, for a reason or for one other, he could not stick to his deadlines and the release has been postponed several times.

Untill I get some material validation from Aiglerborgne I can't start my part and I will also need some time once I receive his response.

90% of the Mod is practically ready but it is unpresentable without the necessary 10% left.

Hopefully I will start working on this soon...

This post has been edited by Salk: Oct 24 2006, 05:42 AM

[aigleborgne]

I am sorry to delay my mod, but I am really busy.
I can't even estimate a release date.

Just one thing you can be sure:
I will finish this mod for 3 reasons:
- I haven't worked for hundreds of hours for nothing
- I really like my mod (hehe, pretty obvioud)
- I still have to play through all trilogy (with many mods installed)

Players who still play Baldur's Gate are generally fans and so, they won't stop playing tomorrow.

I could say that this mod will be release in early 2007 (probably in january-february).

While this is quite far away, there are some advantages tied to it: many mods will be updated (and so better), better stability, ...

Enhanced Creatures was at first a "quick coded" mod that should have been released far earlier. But while I was working on, and following many discussions with Salk, it ended beeing a lot more complicated and interesting.

This is why I need to code some new features these days, while doing some other things for Salk.

Because of delays, some similars mods went out and maybe many players will forget this one and see others.
Well, I'm sorry about this, but at first, I was coding this mod for myself, to play a better game.

I'm just sharing what I can do with community, and I don't want to rush to produce a final version.

Quality is my top priority.

Cheers,

[Salk]

I and aigleborgne both surely share the same vision and what we just feel to say to people that are patient enough to wait is that it will be worth while.

He is very right when he says that important Mods will be more stable and enjoyable once Enhanced Cratures goes out of Alpha.

There are also others mods that are not out yet and that would make a great addition like BG1 Unfinished Business and other productions here at Black Wyrm.

It's true that aigleborne is a great fan of the series and I am one as well. But our passion is balanced by all the rest that we have to do in the everyday life.

I will try and be ready and fast as soon as aigleborne will need my help!

Thanks!

[Salk]

After a month of very little activity, I have finally started kitting the NPCs as aigleborgne gave me permission by validating at least partly the changes brought in by me, adding useful suggestions and comments.

The author won't be able to get back to coding (there are some kits left to code in) untill the new year but I can report his interest in the project is still very high.

The delay is not pleasant of course but you will bear perhaps with less heavy hearth realizing that in this period many important Mods are being updated and will be welcoming EC with less bugs and more features.

My activity has resumed yesterday but it takes time and is tiresome making me prone to mistakes. I am doing my best.

I will give here from time to time a percentage that should define how close my part of the work is to completion:

At today 4%

The number is small but I will try and make it raise as quickly as I can!

Thanks!

[Salk]

After some days of work, I'd say I am up to 25%...

[Salk]

A month has gone and I reached 75%. Aigleborgne is in the middle of moving to a new apartment and won't have Internet at home for few weeks but he is back to coding, trying to eliminate some bugs and introduce new features that we are not yet so sure that can be coded in (but he's trying to find out) and that would make Enhanced Creatures even more interesting and unique! Stay tuned!

[Tervadh]

Great work - keep chipping away at it. If you need any coding help, let me know. I'm not really an expert, but I've learned a thing or two and am working on some mods that sound kind of similar to this one.

[Salk]

Hello Tervadh!

Thanks for your support! My personal coding skill is zero. I am just assisting aigleborgne with ideas and an editing part that doesn't require any coding ability (that's why I can do it).

If aigleborgne is in need of help, I am sure he'll send you a PM/contact you in some way!

[Salk]

Hello!

I have nearly done with my job (90%). I am though at a point from which I can't proceed further untill I get to work again and discuss details with aigleborgne who should finally move in his new apartment soon.

Over 350 NPCs have (not counting all the monsters tweaked by aigleborgne!) been thorougly examined. Of them, more or less 50% have now a kit. Sometimes giving a kit to a specific character was almost automatic as it screamed for having it. Most of the times instead, it's a decision weighed by different factors like original equipment, personality, attitude and so on.

It was (is) a tough job but I am satisfied of the results so far. Of course everything needs to be tested and this will take also some time.

Once this part is complete, I will dedicate some time to kitting added characters brought in by BG1 Unfinished Business (10-12 NPCs more) plus those that didn't make it in (for a reason or for one other) in the chart I got from aigleborgne but that I am going to restore.

Stay tuned!

This post has been edited by Salk: Feb 15 2007, 04:22 PM

[Salk]

One more small update: I will soon enough get the material needed to complete my NPC kitting as I need to transfer my modifications to a new home and review them in the process.

aigleborgne is working to bring in those tweaks I requested and that we discussed via e-mail. I am very pleased...

There is some sort of general idea about how things will be distributed.

The next version of Enhanced Creature will leave Alpha status and be the first Beta. No ETA is given because too many times we had missed our deadline so, if nothing else, we won't disappoint anymore anyone. Following this, a stable version (hoping we will get much feedback) and eventually a version that expands Enhanced Creatures (some ideas we have won't find implementation at first as it would delay further any public release).

Well, in the meantime EasyTuTu is getting more and more refined and bug free and other Mods improve their quality through new releases. Let's hope Enhanced Creatures will become an appreciated addition to the modding community. I am sure it will but hey, my opinion could be called biased...

[Salk]

Small update:

Today I received the final version of the chart thus being finally able to complete the last 10% left of my job. Despite being just 10%, it is going to take me a long time because I intend to review all my modifications because I am sure there will be need of corrections.

aigleborgne is busy with his scripts and squashing remaining bugs while trying to not create new ones as the code is modified. Not easy.

Keep tuned!

[Salk]

Hello everybody!

I am happy to announce that the "ordinary" part of my job has finished.

"Ordinary" means that there are some NPCs that need further discussion or the creation of special equipment. But they represent just the 2% of the whole.

Now the ball goes to aigleborgne who is - as usual - struggling with the same 24h a day has to offer him.

Hopefully a first public Beta will be out soon enough.

[melkor_morgoth75]

I'm just wondering, looking at the future, how/if this mod could/is compatible with other Ai enhancer like BP or SCS ...

Did u think about that maybe?

mm75

[Salk]

Hello melkor!

Enhanced Creatures will not be compatible with Sword Coast Stratagems. It's either the first or the second.

About Big Picture, it is not time to worry about it yet as Enhanced Creatures will be released for TuTu first. Later there will be a BGT version as soon as the TuTu version goes out of Beta.

We will do everything to keep compatibility with Big Picture as high as possible.

This post has been edited by Salk: Apr 6 2007, 12:50 PM

[melkor_morgoth75]

Cool! It's a nice idea to choose amongst more than one AI enhancer

Keep up the good work, long life to BG forever ...

mm75

[Salk]

Hello again!

aigleborgne and I have made a newer "To-do" list which extends past the Beta version that will be first out to the public. This means that the first version for TuTu will not have some cool enhancements in because it would further delay the release.

They will come. Just in the next version.

At the moment, aigleborgne is working on giving Sarevok his proper kit: deathbringer!

The original kit was developed by Idobek and permission has been asked over at G3's for making use of those specific files included in Idobek's NPC Kit Pack Beta v0.72

Keep tuned!

[Salk]

Hello!

New small update: aigleborgne is working on the Monk kit which is finally almost done! I'll soon be testing it.

One more thing I am going to do is to make BG2-only wizard scrolls available in the TuTu game as it seems just fair that player and enemies have the same chance to cast spells of each kind. Some stores will have the new scrolls and some foe will leave some behind.

Keep tuned!

This post has been edited by Salk: May 3 2007, 04:55 AM