Ideas for NPC Mods for my rerun of SoA and ToB, will likely contain spoilers

Edar Macilrille · Post by **Edar Macilrille** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 5:35 pm

As both Yasrena and Saerileth bugs me for no apparent reason I have to take a look at the alternatives as I set out to start anew (bummer).

What I need is a female love interest. She must however fulfil the following criteria:

-Be good, I play good parties

-Have material for both SoA and ToB

-Not be from The Chosen of Mystra, I tried two of their romancable female NPCs and both went buggy. Further, TCoM had a fallout and it is apparently not so easy to get support for bugs there, though admittedly I did not try very hard after noticing the fallout, so no-go there for me.

-Not be the standard three ingame ones, I did Viconia xxx times now and I am not too keen on her mental instability and -almost wrote a synonyme for female dog there that our Fable will not let me use, but how else to describe a girl like her and Jaheira? And Airie is just too full of self-pity. I cannot abide that, and she too is mentally unstable...

So I am stuck without a female companion, a horrible situation that I am not unfamiliar with RL, though here my experience with unstable women has made me make that choice consciously, real deal; strong and stable, or nothing. I suspect the PC would do something similar, Bhaalspawn or not, if presented with the girls in Vanilla...

Both Saeri and Yas were perfect choices until they suddenly started hating me without reason (nothing had changed- in fact I had just been married to Saeri).

Jordoo · Post by **Jordoo** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 5:59 pm

ToB content will be the sticky part. IMO.

Saerileth is probably my favorite that has ToB content. My favorites that don't have ToB are Amber and Tyris both have ToB in the works but time frames and Modders are never sure things.

Tashia is sorcoress that I beleive has ToB content, never played her though.

My advice would be to play with fewer mods and go with Saerileth again, as far as female ToB content she is pretty hard to beat IMO. If your not completely bent on ToB then go with either Amber or Tyris both are really good!

Have you done the biogals with flit and banter packs installed? Thats another option if you have not.

fable · Post by **fable** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 6:13 pm

Tashia is sorcoress that I beleive has ToB content, never played her though.

That was intended by the modder, but never followed through.

If you need a female NPC mod, what about Fade?

Jordoo · Post by **Jordoo** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 8:28 pm

I thought Fade's ToB was never finished either?

fable · Post by **fable** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 9:32 pm

Jordoo wrote:I thought Fade's ToB was never finished either?

Bah. I meant Auren Aseph.

Jordoo · Post by **Jordoo** » Thu Dec 03, 2009 9:45 pm

Auren is an option but she only romances woman actually Sarah is another lesbian romance Mod that Tob was just finished for as well.

Edar Macilrille · Post by **Edar Macilrille** » Fri Dec 04, 2009 3:21 am

After my first clean Vanilla runthrough I have not looked back, but played modded- yes I have done the Biogals with flirt- and banterpacks installed. I still despise Jaheira and Aerie and only slightly less so Viconia.

However, I would prefer to also not unmod my game, which would I want to uninstall? I like them all. I might change Tactics to SCS II as the Vanilla enemies are simply too easy and I find Tactics to be using cheese and hard to defeat without it.

So I am still befuddled and foiled...

Jordoo · Post by **Jordoo** » Fri Dec 04, 2009 7:19 am

Auren only romances Nalia, not the PC, just clarifying that!

Edar, Your already having problems adding NPC Mods to the set up you have so you need to do something anyway. Uninstall all your Mods and then uninstall the game and start over.

Full Install SOA
Full Install TOB
Official TOB bioware Patch
G3 fix pack

Then make a list of the Mods you want to play including NPC's. Read all the readme's do your research and figure out the best order to install them. Check for any mods that aren't compatable with each other.

Once you have your install order set read up on how to mantain a clean install, there is a great thread on this at G3. Make a copy of your override folder before you install the mods and stash it some where.

OK now you install all the mods in the order you have set. Might want another override copy after this install session as well, but prabably before you add NPC's.

BTW check out your override file right now I bet you its a mess! I usually check my override file everytime I uninstall a mod to make sure nothing got left behind, its amazing what you will find sometimes. Unfortunitally its made me a bit lazy with keeping copies of my override around which you should always do. If you keep your override file in check and stay with the same basic Mod install set up its really pretty easy adding and removing the various NPC mods without having any problems. And trust me I'm no computer wizard so it can't be that difficult if I can figure it out.

Jordoo · Post by **Jordoo** » Fri Dec 04, 2009 7:37 am

On a side note any improved enemy tactic mod is great initially but once you figure out what to do its kind of just makes the fights longer, its not like you go into the fights not knowing how to defeat the diferent enemies. And the cheese is just rediculously annoying when used obviously by the bad guys.

I play more now to enjoy the mods rather than the actual battles although i still try new stuff just for ****s and giggles.

Edar Macilrille · Post by **Edar Macilrille** » Fri Dec 04, 2009 9:58 am

No Baldurdash? Or is that included in G3 Fixpack now? I always liked G3.

Well, I like Tactical Challenges in battles (I play a lot of Europa Barbarorum), as well as storytelling- a good RPG should have it all (be it P&P or Comp, I do not do Live as I was already a re-enactor with steel weapons before Live came to Denmark). Approaching battles from new angles etc., but Tactics is cheesy IMO, only beat it once without resorting to any cheese at all myself, and in many instances I was just lucky in that runthrough.

Guess I will be depressed for a day or so while un- and reinstalling :-(

fable · Post by **fable** » Fri Dec 04, 2009 10:06 am

Edar Macilrille wrote:No Baldurdash? Or is that included in G3 Fixpack now? I always liked G3.

Yes, it is. Check out the readme.

Edar Macilrille · Post by **Edar Macilrille** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 2:59 am

I arrived at the following choices:

G3 Fixpack (they seem very active with this)
Ascension
Item Upgrade
Ashes of Embers
Banterpacks
Improved Oasis (now part of Quest Pack, so I install all of that)
Unfinished Business
Sword Coast Stratagems
Flirtpacks
Rogue Rebalance
G3 Tweakpack finishes installation

These are confirmed as working with G3 Fixpack, there were some problems when handing Anomen a sling to a weapon slot, but should be fixed.

The non-confirmed ones, which I might not do
Clerical Remix
Unerrepresented Items
Bag Bonus

NPCs that I want to test
Solaufein
Kelsey
Sarileth
Yasrena
Yes you convinced me and the Biogals are not my cup of tea...

Any other suggestions or percieved problems?

Jordoo · Post by **Jordoo** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 9:36 am

If you play Kelsey and your not romancing him make sure you have Imoen in the party it will make things more interesting. (I alwasy have Imoen in the party, but I know some people hate her)

I would recommend only installing the NPC Mods that your going to play in your next run. For example if your group will have Saerileth and Kelsey don't install Sola and Yas. No reason to install them if your not going to use them. When your doen with your game uninstall whatever NPC's you used replace your override folder with the one you made a copy of right before you installed the NPC mods (and you are going to make an override folder copy, right!) and then you've got the same set up ready to go all you need to do is install whatever NPC mods you want in the next run.

If your only doing NPC's with ToB, Sarah is one to look into. Note she is a Lesbian and you hav eto be nice to her but she can be an excellent archer or front liner depending on how you develope her.

Edar Macilrille · Post by **Edar Macilrille** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 4:31 pm

I have an override after the G3 Fixpack installment (I may be a stiffnecked, stubborn bastard of a carpenter-Historian and Viking Warrior, but I do sometimes take advice- if it is sound

). Is it best to use that one or the one I will make after installing the mods, but before NPCs?

I planned to only install the NPCs I use, so as to avoid conflict, modwise and characterwise. Sadly, I rarely have Imo in my party, she is not really good at anything, sp I protect her by sending her to safety, magic will be performed by a sorceress and multis, and I like melee, so this time round Kelsey might not get a chance, on the other hand, at HL, two sorcerers can really waste enemies.

Sarah? What does she do? Sola is hitting on me all the time anyway, so why not a lesbian as well? Bad was when Anomen started after Sarileth left...

Setup will probably be
-PC, Kensai-Thief or Kensai-Thief-Mage, Katana + War hammer (Ultimately Celestial Fury and Crom Faeryr).
-Sorceress, multiplayer homegrown one, sorcerers are powerful in SoA, Staff of the Magi and sling.
-Minsc (Archery and two-handed mayhem, or possibly War Hammer and Axe, Axe of the Unyielding, depends whether Sari or Yas comes)
-Sari/Yas with appropriate weapons.
-Priest, Anomen or Viconia with appropriate weapons.
-Keldorn, Valyagar or Sola with appropriate weapons (Sola Flail of Ages).

Suggestions for changes?

Jordoo · Post by **Jordoo** » Wed Dec 09, 2009 6:50 pm

Sarah is a ranger.

The copy of the override folder you have now is to save you from having to reinstall the game.
Make another copy right before you intsall your NPC mods and use that one for your next game when you have different NPC mods to play.

Imoen should be the most important person in the PC life you know!

Edar Macilrille · Post by **Edar Macilrille** » Thu Dec 10, 2009 3:05 am

Ah... thanks.

Imo is important yes, which is why I do not take her into harms way. In game you cannot send her to safety with the Paladins, Priests or Thieves, where she could be safe and comfortable while I went and got wasted. But that is what I would do RL, not take her into extreme danger with her lack of competence almost certain to get her wasted.

One could leave her at a stronghold though. I think in the future I will do that.
A good combat unit functions smoothly, know each other intimately and are friends, but knows each others competence and rely on each other- most often with little communication. When somebody threatens your family members though, you tend to forget such, especially if you know they are not able to deal with the threat effectively. So Imo goes to safety and I keep my elite friends around me.

Edar Macilrille · Post by **Edar Macilrille** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 3:29 pm

:speech:

The BG Gods must hate me...

I uninstalled BG II SOA and ToB on the XP computer I have set aside for that specific purpose (it runs smoother on that and I can play Multiplayer games, which I cannot on Vista, and my graphics card on the Vista one- this one- does not work together too well with Vista, BG and the screen). I played with my new set of mods and only had a small occasional bug that I could fix with CluaConsole or Shadowkeeper. Then at about 6- 6,5 mil XP for the group my harddisc wiped itself while I was looking for Valyagar to do the last NPC-related quest. Totally wiped itself, the computer cannot find it now...

:speech:

Edar Macilrille · Post by **Edar Macilrille** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 5:35 am

Edar Macilrille wrote:I arrived at the following choices:

G3 Fixpack (they seem very active with this)
Ascension
Item Upgrade
Ashes of Embers
Banterpacks
Improved Oasis (now part of Quest Pack, so I install all of that)
Unfinished Business
Sword Coast Stratagems
Flirtpacks
Rogue Rebalance
G3 Tweakpack finishes installation

These are confirmed as working with G3 Fixpack, there were some problems when handing Anomen a sling to a weapon slot, but should be fixed.

The non-confirmed ones, which I might not do
Clerical Remix
Unerrepresented Items
Bag Bonus

NPCs that I want to test
Solaufein
Kelsey
Sarileth
Yasrena
Yes you convinced me and the Biogals are not my cup of tea...

Any other suggestions or percieved problems?

Installing on a new old XP PC gained for that sole reason I noticed the following order as the best:

-All four games
-Official ToSC and ToB patches
-G3 Fixes

Copy override

-Ascension
-Item Upgrade
-Underrepresented Items
-Banterpack
-Quest pack (I missed that on this install and merely noticed too late that it says QP will not install over Tutu, and I cannot be bothered to uninstall Tutu and AoE for Improved Oasis, which is what I mainly wanted in QP).
-EasyTutu
-Ashes of Embers (Tutu must be installed before this)
-Unfinished Business
-SCS II
-Flirtpacks
-Rouge Rebalance
G3 Tweaks finishes

Override copy2

-NPC Mods, will try Yasrena and Sola this time.

I am in the middle of installing this, so will update whether it works, but post while my memory of various messages from Engine is still fresh. Last time RR did not work. We shall see whether it does this time.

Edit, some of RR could not be installed on Tutu, so it should probably have been installed before or not at all.

Daynov · Post by **Daynov** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 7:40 am

For best compatibility Ascension should go before the fixpack.
Also SCS II should be at the very bottom of the list.

Edar Macilrille · Post by **Edar Macilrille** » Wed Jan 27, 2010 8:39 am

Before? That is contrary to all other info I have.
Tweaks should be last, SCS II second-last?

Spoiler about Yasrena ahead.

Spoiler

I also discovered that Yasrena is not romancable,

so I will add Sarileth, she is sweet and likable in all her innocence. Not yet hardened by life.