The BG2 cast in IWD (mod)

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:35 pm

I just saw [url="http://www.fortunecity.com/boozers/winelodge/79/bgstuff/bgstuff.html"]this[/url] mod for IWD.

I'm wondering if anyone has ever used it before? If so, I have a couple of questions. First, exactly which files do I need to download? There are ten parts, should I assume I need all ten?
Secondly, is this just a case of the BG2 NPCs being made as playable characters and nothing more, or is there any kind of banter etc?

Domi_Ash · Post by **Domi_Ash** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 8:27 pm

Hi Dragon Wench, Blucher who made this mod states in the description: These are complete with biography info, soundsets and portraits and items (with a few extras). .

In other words what you get are the characters only with a few items. As far as I know, Blucher experimented a bit with adding the banters, but he never released it (I saw his post about it the last time he surfaced at Pocket Plane forums). You will need to download all 10 files, as it seems to be the ZIP archive split into 10 parts (an old trick to break appart one big archive).

To my best knowledge my IWD2NPC mod is the only one to date that recreates BG-KOTOR like interactions in IWD (but in IWD2 only and with 10 original characters, not BG2 cast).

Aqua-chan · Post by **Aqua-chan** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 8:53 pm

DW, I think it's safe to conclude that you and I are similar enough gamers to be able to trust one another's experience, so I'll just say it outright: I had this mod installed briefly on my last Icewind run and found myself just plainly disappointed by the lack of banter/character depth these NPCs had in comparison to BG2. If I had to summarize it I would say it's good at what it does, but if you go for this mod just don't expect the whole BG experience to be reincarnated in the Spine of the World.

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 10:28 pm

Thanks

@AC,
Yes, I think we certainly can trust one another's tastes in gaming, so many cheers for the advice. I didn't truly think this could recreate the BG2 experience in The Spine of the World, but for one extremely brief moment I was hopeful...

*sigh*

Ah well...

Domi_Ash · Post by **Domi_Ash** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 7:48 am

Oh, actually there is a mod that does allow you to take some of BG2 characters into the Spine of the World. It's called Never Endling Journey, and it's hosted at the Black Wyrm Layer. However, the mod is a pain to install, and what it does, is open portals throught BG2, that would take you to play a chapter of IWD via time-traveling.

That time-traveling aspect is why it's impossible to do satisfying character development for BG2 NPCs in IWD-IWD2. In those years most of the cast of BG2 is unavailable (not born/otherwise engaged), and doing a non-cheesy story is well... pretty much impossible.

Technically nothing stops anyone from doing such a mod.

But practically, it's 17 NPCs in BG2, and doing full char dev would be a killer. Plus, the fact that they are the *same* old ones - and the big problem with that is that there are always be the shoulder check on "OMG, would BioWARE's Jaheira say that?" when writing.

So, yes, it's technically possible, but imo original characters that are written specifically for the setting are the way to go. Though I know, I know, Bio ones would be much more popular and all that.

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 11:52 am

and the big problem with that is that there are always be the shoulder check on "OMG, would BioWARE's Jaheira say that?" when writing.

Well...given the number of truly fine mods for BG2 out there that have done an excellent job of characterizing the BG2 NPCs, I'd think the same would apply in this particular case.

Otherwise though, I certainly see what you are saying. That would be *a lot* of work. Any project like this, realistically, could only involve a small handful of the BG2 cast.
I do not possess the tech ability to undertake anything like this (though I would if I could

), but I think, for the sake of consistency, I'd stick with the characters who appeared throughout the whole series (Minsc, Imoen, Jaheira, Edwin), and perhaps I'd also include Jan Jansen as an extra. Could you imagine Jan's dialogues with Oswald? :laugh:

Domi_Ash · Post by **Domi_Ash** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 9:45 pm

Well, I'm finding it much more intetresting to work with custom characters after all these years of adding dialogues to BioWARE's, but I will gladly share the coding technique I'm using to reproduce the banter engine etc with whoever wants to do this. I think that one can go around the timeline by simply saying that IWD or IWD2 story happened in 1368, ie between BG1 and BG2 and PC went to the Spine of the World under theweight of the relevation about his/her godhood, blah-blah-blah.

As for a lot of work, I think that all told, my 10 NPCs which all have some 14 to 16 friendship talks, and 2 banters minimum with every other NPC, plus wagon-load of interjections, plus 4 romance tracks (12 talks each+ Flirt Packs), will end up on the order of 1.5 years of writing/codong/testing etc. So it's very doable to select a number of NPCs, not to limit the unfortunate player to Jaheira, Imoen and Minsc, lol.

CoM_Solaufein · Post by **CoM_Solaufein** » Thu Mar 08, 2007 7:05 am

dragon wench wrote:I just saw [url="http://www.fortunecity.com/boozers/winelodge/79/bgstuff/bgstuff.html"]this[/url] mod for IWD.

I'm wondering if anyone has ever used it before? If so, I have a couple of questions. First, exactly which files do I need to download? There are ten parts, should I assume I need all ten?
Secondly, is this just a case of the BG2 NPCs being made as playable characters and nothing more, or is there any kind of banter etc?

I never heard of this mod or any of the other things on this site. Here I thought I had everything downloaded that deals with the IE games.