Most useless mod component Options

[balduran]

I know this is an unusual question, but I want to hear some criticism on my work.

[jastey]

For me it's improved bard song. Not that I think it is not a good component, but because I never play as or even with a bard in the party.

[fallen demon]

I haven't tried it, but I don't see much point in 'weapon styles for all' as AOE does this fine.

[Salk]

There are two components that I find very interesting: Improved Bard Song, Victor's Wizards Know Better. What I find most useless are instead Weapons for all and Victor's Improved Races Component. Good job!

[Rastor]

Well, since you asked for it:

Victor's Item Pack
The Lich Slayer +5 is overpowered. Especially considering when you get it. I don't think any stores (barring the improved Adventurer's Mart) should be selling +5 weapons and they definitely should not be available right from the start of the game.

Djinn Merchant
Can you say, "Munchkin?" The items that this guy sells are so ludicrously overpowered that they shouldn't exist until Throne of Bhaal. Level nine spells should not be available until the very end of the game.

Romance Friendly Imprisonment
I have had my romanced NPCs be imprisoned. The romance was never once killed. I honestly never saw a point to this one.

Lydia's Scroll
I actually like the concept of this one, but I would rather see her not overwrite an existing enemy.

Improved Bard Song
Bards are one of the most powerful classes in the game already and are even moreso if this component is added. Blades should definitely not get the improved song. Actually, how about changing it so that the player can choose which kits get the song change?

[balduran]

Well, since you asked for it:

Victor's Item Pack
The Lich Slayer +5 is overpowered.  Especially considering when you get it.  I don't think any stores (barring the improved Adventurer's Mart) should be selling +5 weapons and they definitely should not be available right from the start of the game.

Djinn Merchant
Can you say, "Munchkin?"  The items that this guy sells are so ludicrously overpowered that they shouldn't exist until Throne of Bhaal.  Level nine spells should not be available until the very end of the game.

Romance Friendly Imprisonment
I have had my romanced NPCs be imprisoned.  The romance was never once killed.  I honestly never saw a point to this one.

Lydia's Scroll
I actually like the concept of this one, but I would rather see her not overwrite an existing enemy.

Improved Bard Song
Bards are one of the most powerful classes in the game already and are even moreso if this component is added.  Blades should definitely not get the improved song.  Actually, how about changing it so that the player can choose which kits get the song change?

1) You have a point about the scimitar. From the next version it will be Chapter 6 only.

2) The items aren't overpowered in comparison with the most merchant mods I've seen. You can also get more powerful stuff from the Watcher's Keep which is available even in Chapter 2.

3) There's lot's of tweaks for romances, this is just one of them and it probably predates most of the them. You should ask Galactygon about it.

4)About Lydia's scroll: There's no logic in an undead monstrosity, roaming freely in the Underdark. That's why I had to ise the Sphere prison

5)The bard song is really the worst and by far the most useless component of the mod. I coded it in a moment of madness, and I am sencerely remorseful about it. Especially after I found out that it is not compatible with most of the other bard tweaks.

This post has been edited by balduran: Sep 12 2005, 09:14 AM

[balduran]

I haven't tried it, but I don't see much point in 'weapon styles for all' as AOE does this fine.

When I added this one, AoE didn't support mod items. I checked its code and that's why I did it.

[Moongaze]

1. Victor's Improved Races component

I don't like things like 20+ STR, DEX and CON. I never install this one, really.

2. Victor's Wizards Know Better (have more Lore) component

Makes sense, I'll admit to that. But I usually install d0tweaks' Sensible Lore Tables component instead.

3. Faithful Rogue Kit for BGII

I absolutely love this one. Just...uh...when you create a new Faithful Rogue in a ToB game, he has no equipment!

4. Lich Slayer Scimitar

Tone it down and add it to the Djinn Merchant.

5. The Djin Merchant

Tone the items down. Level 9 spells at the beginning of SoA is a bit overdone, I have to admit. Also, it'd be nice if I had to *do* something to get this merchant. Something other than listening to some guy talking.

6. The Burning Man kit

Cool idea, for sure, but I'm not entirely sure about this one. It sounds hard to implant correctly.

7. Romance Friendly Imprisonment (by Galactygon)

While I've never been imprisoned before, I install this one, just in case.

8. Lydia's Scroll

Like was said before, give her a different location, rather than having her overwrite a character already in the game.

9. Weapons for all

Nah...2nd edition is 2nd edition.

10. Special Encounters

Add more to this component and I'll consider installing it.

11. Improved Bard Song

I hardly use bard song whatsoever, so this is of little use to me.

12. Improved Irenicus Dungeon

Not really my cup o' tea, I'll admit. Umber Hulks in Chateau Irenicus? Nah... Besides, I'm a hardcore user of Dungeon-Be-Gone.

13. Grandpa's Shield quest

I love this one!!!
Just one thing: Add a journal entry!

[balduran]

Point taken on the the encounters, though more will probably be coming after Azure NPC is finished. Journal entries for Grandpa's Shield quest will be added too. Just one question on that one - When the fight innitiated (if you started it at all), did Bladdie attack you with weapons or did he cast spells on him or his party. I just can't get this guy to do what I tell him to.

The scimitar will stay as a diferent component due to some problems that might ocure if it is iliminated as a separate component.

Burning man works just fine. I've been through the game it one and there were no problems.

Dungeon Be Gone would be useful if there wasn't an Improved Illych Mod or Improved Irenicus Dungeon - they both add a new challange to the game so that people who are bored with Chapter 1 would bother going through it again. I suggest you give Improved Irenicus Dungeon a try just for fun or diversity.

[NewNameEachTime]

I'm the only one (or first one) voting for the Burning Man, which I did because the animation annoyed me when I tried one in the Dungeon. (Though I did also have Chloe tagging along, so perhaps that was the reason for my bad temper.)

The Lich Slayer Scimitar is of course overpowered, but so many mods add overpowered items that I don't really care. It's a very handy tool for solo play, however, and as such I like it.

The Djin Merchant doesn't bother me at all. In the beginning you don't have the cash to buy the outrageous stuff, and later you acquire similarly outrageous stuff from other sources, so it doesn't make much difference to me. The absolutely best part, and the one that I use most, is the Djin as a sort of Trash Bag of Holding for instant monetary gain. Again a wonderful thing for solo play, so you don't have to spend hours shuttling between battlefield and store.

I don't use DBG, and the Improved Ilyich kinda scared me the one time I used it... so I think IID was a good way to restore some interest for the start-game (a construct opposed to end-game). I had some problems once with a Duergar that refused to die, but it was because I killed his opponent to swiftly and then chopped at him, so some necessary speech got thrown out of kilter.

[berelinde]

As numerous people have pointed out, Weapon Styles for All is already covered by AoE, which you have already acknowledged.

Burning Man sounds OK, but I'm unlikely to ever use it. I loved the Faithful Rogue, Wizards Know Better, Improved Races, and (ducking for cover) the Djin Merchant. I agree with the poster who said that if you can afford the really powerful stuff, you've probably got access to it elsewhere.

As for Improved Bardsong, I'm unlikely to ever use that, either, but that's due to my own playing limitations. I'm old school 1E D&D. I've been playing since 1976, got into a pattern of character class usage (or one might say a rut), and I have absolutely no idea how to use bards to best advantage. As I can't figure out how they work, I don't use them.

[Khaos1987]

I voted for the Lydia's Scroll component. However, this is only because it overwrites the other lich. If it just added her to a certain place in the game, I'd have no problem with it. The rest are all quite nice.

[berelinde]

I'd like to insert an observation here.

You are getting a fair amount of commentary, but few votes.

One might interpret that to mean that most people don't consider any of the components "useless." Sure, everyone is likely to have a favorite, though.

[balduran]

I voted for the Lydia's Scroll component. However, this is only because it overwrites the other lich. If it just added her to a certain place in the game, I'd have no problem with it. The rest are all quite nice.

There were quite a few of them, but some time ago they got nullified. Probably because the poll was too old. Maybe I should remove it, so that people can just post what they like or don't like.

[Baronius]

Unfortunately, certain polls got nullified when we upgraded to the newest version of forum software.

[Khaos1987]

I voted for the Lydia's Scroll component. However, this is only because it overwrites the other lich. If it just added her to a certain place in the game, I'd have no problem with it. The rest are all quite nice.

I admit, I have several favorites from this mod, but I like them all. It may look like a random gathering of components, but they all improve or add to the game in a nice way.

Balduran, if your looking for a place to put the new lich you created, you could try one of those wilderness areas that get opened up after you leave the underdark. The one with the graveyard would be a nice choice. This would actually give most of us a decent reason to visit them, since two really have no purpose other then a little extra xp and a few +1 items.

[balduran]

The wilderness areas have some prettygood mods that take place in them. The first that comes to my mind is Tactics, which can significantly improve the challenges you meet there, especially with the opportunity to put three dragons there. This kind of happens with areas that aren't haevily used by the developers - in time almost every mod tries to add something to them.

Plus, there's always the reason, that Lydia's special item was stolen from the Matron Mother in the Underdark, and Lydia hereself being a vemp/lich - there isn't much sense in having her outdoors and freelancing.

And mind you, Tactics is way more popular than my mod (and about an year older), and I'm sure most people would prefer the challenges from that perticular mod over mine.

[jiglerul]

Weapon for all - didn't install it, maybe could get used to some clerics with blades, but then I would be out of blunt damage in my party as I favor blades over maces/hammers/flails for their looks.

Improved races - sounds too 3rd edition for me, didn't install it.

Lich Slayer Scimitar - did we need another cheesy way to kill liches? Why does every decent enemy in the un-modded game needs to have cheesy counters to it? I'd sure like a mod that disables the Prot from Magic and Undead scrolls, and all Negative Plane Prot abilities removed from items that have it.

Wizards know better - this is the first mod I found that added such a tweak, and I liked it, it's logical and helpful, without beeing cheesy or out-of place.

The Djin Merchant - as others have said, overpowered.

Didn't have a chance to test other components, actually I only Grandpa's Shield sounds interesting.

And about Lydia, I have a suggestion. Please ignore it if iyou don't like it: put a scroll that summons her in one of the small nooks inthe Beholder Hive in the Underdark.

This post has been edited by jiglerul: Nov 18 2007, 11:38 AM

[Ryel ril Ers]

Victor's Improved Races component
Not bad and not good. However the 20 constitution of dwarf and half-orcs mean they regenerate in a small rate, and they have godly hp.


Victor's Wizards Know Better (have more Lore) component
I love this, the sorcerers only get one lore plese do something.

Faithful Rogue Kit for BGII
Interesting, but i don't try it

Lich Slayer Scimitar
Overpowered because only two +5 weapon in SoA: The Carsomyr and the Crom.

The Djin Merchant
If he only trade +1 and +2 weapons, some potions, scrolls from level 1 to level 5 and some scroll from highter level (like summon djinni), i loving it, but he trade too good items. The biggest problem is the pack of 10 shapechange scroll if you have good rep and char and enough money to buy one then you can buy all of that from all of your money if you sell something after you select 10 from the scroll. Each time you earn 15k gold in clean and if you play a bit with the +3 items you can earn the money for the better items. The burningman only cloak works on my kensai too.

The Burning Man kit
Like th rouge.

Romance Friendly Imprisonment (by Galactygon)
I never had this problem.

Lydia's Scroll
I thinks this must a good encounter but i forget to install it.

Weapons for all
I love the weapon restrictions.

Special Encounters
I love them

Improved Bard Song
Useless.

Improved Irenicus Dungeon
It crashed my game last time, but i forget sent it to you.

Grandpa's Shield quest
Cute, but have a problem. The enemy party has too good items and XP. You able to kill them in the begining and after that the player cannot happy because he find a full plate. Instead of that, change his overpowered equipment to normal and +1 items, and give them only one good item.
Their leaders cannot do anything.

EDIT: the topic is not clear because easier fail the readers and choose his/her most likely part like me. I voted for the grandpa shield.

This post has been edited by Ryel ril Ers: Jan 15 2008, 01:55 AM