BG1 NPCs for SoA & ToB

Smiling Imp · Post by **Smiling Imp** » Fri May 10, 2013 8:17 pm

Hey Guys, Smiling Imp here. Just wanted to know about my mod, which adds the majority of NPC from the original game into the sequel and expansion. It is broken down into different components for easy mixing and matching with other mods that add BG1 NPCs and adds a mini-city area called the Water Gardens. This mod is always being updated so any feedback and suggestions are welcome.

Download Link: http://www.baldursgatemods.com/forums/i ... ile&id=177

Forum: http://www.baldursgatemods.com/forums/i ... oard=133.0

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Sat May 11, 2013 1:12 am

Every time I think I'm done with Baldur's Gate you modders entice me back! Quite like the look of the Yoshimo romance too.

Thanks, I think.

Smiling Imp · Post by **Smiling Imp** » Sat May 11, 2013 7:42 pm

galraen wrote:Every time I think I'm done with Baldur's Gate you modders entice me back!

LOL!

There may be a few misspelling & typos and the NPC's scripts are still being being worked on, but a new version is constantly being worked on to improve the mod and will be uploaded at the download link from time to time. If you have a chance to give it a try, please, let me know what you think.

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Fri May 17, 2013 1:14 pm

Going well so far. Have picked up all my party from BTG1, Shar-Teel, Montaron and Xzar, Vici and (briefly Imoen).

Montaron was level one for some reason, but as I had a save from the end of BG1 that was easy to sort out in Shadowkeeper, as was Xzar being level 13, both are now back to where they should be.

I'm using BG Trilogy by the way, which meant at least Vici was as she was at the end of BG1; Shar-Teel on the other had had to be edited in SK to get her back to where she was.

So minor hiccups, but nothing problematic so far. It would have been nice to have some indication what the items Xzar has do though.

Smiling Imp · Post by **Smiling Imp** » Fri May 17, 2013 5:18 pm

galraen wrote:
Montaron was level one for some reason, but as I had a save from the end of BG1 that was easy to sort out in Shadowkeeper.

Montaron was deliberately set at level one for the purpose of adding a pure thief the player could recruit and have the opportunity to set their thieving skill points, which I remember being a gripe in the forums back in the days, about how there were no good thieves that you could mold into what you wanted. It might be an idea that has run its course.

galraen wrote: So minor hiccups, but nothing problematic so far. It would have been nice to have some indication what the items Xzar has do though.

Along with the ones Kagain sells, the mod adds over 400+ items, so not every one is going to have a description that is down to the detail, however in the future I will make a concerted effort to try and at least improve the descriptions of the items the NPCs come equipped with.

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Sat May 18, 2013 2:10 am

Was Montaron supposed to have XP when you picked him up so you could level him yourself? If so it didn't happen.

The lask of a description wasn't a hasle for me as I have IEE Pro, but others might find it confusing. However when I used Xzar's eye I got a message "You may only have one explorer active at a time". Also the target cursor appeared after Clairvoyance opened up the area map and disappears when you close it, so Hold Undead is ineffective.

PS Not that Hold Undead is a big deal, the other spells in the sequencer are more than adequate! LOL

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Sat May 18, 2013 2:43 am

PS Maybe there should be some sort of warning message on the wrapper for parents of underage kids or an easily shocked disposition!

If there was I missed it, but just entered the graveyard with Montaron in tow. Now me I'm old n grizzly so no worries, but some mums and even one or two dads I know would be well shocked, definitely not for the faint hearted.

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Sat May 18, 2013 10:19 am

Is it this mod that's responsible for turning the circus into a death trap or the Yoshimo romance mod? Whichever one it is should get rid of it!!! Not that I'm against making some 'dungeons' tougher, but not when they are lock-ins and it's the first dungeon you encounter after leaving Chateau Irenicus. As it happens I left the circus until later than usual, but still found the swarm of Ettins and the ice bombs more than I could handle without multiple reloads!

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Sat May 18, 2013 12:10 pm

Well there are serious problems with the circus, not just the over abundance of creatures most new entry parties wouldn't stand a chance against (where is a noob party supposed to acquire protection from Petrification?) either. The map is too big which means you end up being attacked by monsters which you can't see or reach with melee weapons. On auto your characters can use spells or missiles, but it would seem that at least one of the keys is off the map!!!

This really needs post haste. Until those problems are patched the mod should be withdrawn.

Smiling Imp · Post by **Smiling Imp** » Sat May 18, 2013 1:49 pm

galraen wrote:PS Maybe there should be some sort of warning message on the wrapper for parents of underage kids or an easily shocked disposition!

If there was I missed it, but just entered the graveyard with Montaron in tow. Now me I'm old n grizzly so no worries, but some mums and even one or two dads I know would be well shocked, definitely not for the faint hearted.

If you think that is bad, just thank your lucky stars that the Montaron Romance has not activated. Perhaps the README should be amended to add an advisory warning.

galraen wrote:Well there are serious problems with the circus, not just the over abundance of creatures most new entry parties wouldn't stand a chance against (where is a noob party supposed to acquire protection from Petrification?) either. The map is too big which means you end up being attacked by monsters which you can't see or reach with melee weapons. On auto your characters can use spells or missiles, but it would seem that at least one of the keys is off the map!!!

This really needs post haste. Until those problems are patched the mod should be withdrawn.

Sorry if the Circus of Chaos is not your cup of tea. Let me explain a few things though.

I am not sure if you added the Kagain component, but it adds a store in the Promenade that sells scrolls of protection from petrification.

The third key is hard to find. If you go to the top left part of the map on top of the ice castle, there is a small ledge you can climb over and reach a path that will lead you to the third key. It is actually just above where the party starts on the map. A large gelatinous creature holds it.

Yes, the new Circus of Chaos is difficult, even for experienced players, but it was meant to be. I don't think adding extra challenge to an old game like Baldur's Gate is a bad thing so when players tell me they think its hard, I take it as a compliment. The saga has a history of throwing tough obstacles at players when they are not ready. Remember the ogre outside of Candlekeep? True, the ice castle is very hack-n-slash, more reminiscent of a level in Diablo than Baldur's Gate, but everyone likes different things. Besides, once you successfully finish the quest, you will not only have completed one hell of journey but also have the added pleasure of watching the The Great Gazib and the Amazing Oopah, who have just moved their act from the Nashkel Carnival to the circus in Athkatla!

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Sat May 18, 2013 2:23 pm

Not a bad thing if you'd placed it later in the game, the real problem is that the area in the top left corner is inaccessible, you can see the feet of some creatures including the dryad you have to give the key to, but that's it! I had to reload a lot of times before the creatures that had the keys had the decency to die on screen!!I never actually saw the gelatinous creature, but could just see the key the last time I tried, couldn't see it was a key, but the cursor let me know something was there to pick up!

The Ogre outside Candlekeep has never been a problem, not even the first time I played strangely enough.

the added pleasure of watching the The Great Gazib and the Amazing Oopah

Er, no I didn't, maybe because I killed them in the Carnival?

I really think the circus add-on need to be changed, at least make it so people can actually see and access the whole map!

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Sat May 18, 2013 3:40 pm

Another problem; Shar-Teel seems to be broken. For some reason she periodically turns 'hostile' without actually being hostile; she has the red circle (has enemy setting in SK) but follows as normal but can't be controlled and triggers everyone's battle-cries constantly and can't save or sleep as the game thinks I'm in combat. Several times now I've had to go back to a precious save but it's happened too many times so I've had to give up and let her go.

Smiling Imp · Post by **Smiling Imp** » Sat May 18, 2013 3:50 pm

galraen wrote:Not a bad thing if you'd placed it later in the game, the real problem is that the area in the top left corner is inaccessible, you can see the feet of some creatures including the dryad you have to give the key to, but that's it! I had to reload a lot of times before the creatures that had the keys had the decency to die on screen!!I never actually saw the gelatinous creature, but could just see the key the last time I tried, couldn't see it was a key, but the cursor let me know something was there to pick up!

I don't think I am following you? Only the dryad's feet are visible? Can't seem to replicate that unless I am misunderstanding.

There is an area above the dryad which is the top of the castle. If you head in North East from where the dryad is, there will be a staircase on your left that will lead you to the top of the castle. That is where the path I was talking about is.

The Ice Castle is actually just the Wyrm's Tooth from IWD, modded up.

http://www.gamebanshee.com/icewinddale/ ... stooth.php

That stairway beneath '5' is the one I am speaking of. Get on top of the structure and climb up the snow mound on the top left to take you to the ridge over the '1' and to where the 3rd key is.

Smiling Imp · Post by **Smiling Imp** » Sat May 18, 2013 4:14 pm

galraen wrote:Another problem; Shar-Teel seems to be broken. For some reason she periodically turns 'hostile' without actually being hostile; she has the red circle (has enemy setting in SK) but follows as normal but can't be controlled and triggers everyone's battle-cries constantly and can't save or sleep as the game thinks I'm in combat. Several times now I've had to go back to a precious save but it's happened too many times so I've had to give up and let her go.

Sounds like something that happens after an NPC makes an interjection and the scripted action of the enemy gets transferred to them. If you let me know who you are speaking to, I can stop that from happening with a quick fix.

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Sat May 18, 2013 4:47 pm

In the last instance I wasin the Planar Prison after following Haer'Dalis and company through 'gate'. It could have happened late in the quest, I didn't really notice until the action ended after the final fight prior to releasing the troop. It is obviously non-stop action once you enter, so was concentrating on my main whilst leaving the others on auto.

The previous occurrences where also after a speech by an NPC who turns hostile after his/her speech finishes.

The Dryad and accompanying monsters were on that shelf 'north' of 1, but mostly off the map to the north. I'm playing on 800x600 res if that makes any difference.

Smiling Imp · Post by **Smiling Imp** » Sat May 18, 2013 5:20 pm

galraen wrote:In the last instance I wasin the Planar Prison after following Haer'Dalis and company through 'gate'. It could have happened late in the quest, I didn't really notice until the action ended after the final fight prior to releasing the troop. It is obviously non-stop action once you enter, so was concentrating on my main whilst leaving the others on auto.

The previous occurrences where also after a speech by an NPC who turns hostile after his/her speech finishes.

Okay, just fixed the offending dialog and it will be included in the next update.

It just took adding another line of dialog so that the action switched back to the enemy instead of Shar-Teel. If you can remember when any other instances occurred, please let me know and I'll fix those as well.

galraen wrote: The Dryad and accompanying monsters were on that shelf 'north' of 1, but mostly off the map to the north. I'm playing on 800x600 res if that makes any difference.

Yeah, that definitely should not be the case. The dryad should be at '3'. I just visited the area to try and replicate but everything is working fine. It could be the higher resolution, but I'm not sure why that would change the placement of the creatures. Perhaps b/c its a modded ares? IJDK?

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Sun May 19, 2013 6:44 am

Initially she was at three, that's where she was when she told me I needed three keys. Why she teleported I really can't say, unless it was as a result of the heavy combat that took place in that area when I returned to it from the dome area north of 3. When I got back to there, there were 3 Ettins several Ice Ogres and the [expletive deleted] basilisk plus some unkillable Trolls (for some reason acid arrows, fire arrows, FoA, nothing would finish them off; standard glitch that though, nothing to do with the mod I think) plus some others monsters. So god knows what spells went off in that fight I was too busy taking down the Basilisk before it could kill my main yet again!

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Sun May 19, 2013 6:59 am

As for previous occasions when Shar-Teel glitched. One I recall was in Nasty Neb's after Montaron and Shar-Teel stuck their oars into the conversation. He never turned red or summoned the Ghosts. I reloaded from before entering, went in on my own and again he never turned red or summoned help, just stood there and did nothing.

I remember also having a similar problem when Keldorn turned red, not catastrophic though, so that could have been something else entirely.

Smiling Imp · Post by **Smiling Imp** » Mon May 20, 2013 2:37 am

galraen wrote:As for previous occasions when Shar-Teel glitched. One I recall was in Nasty Neb's after Montaron and Shar-Teel stuck their oars into the conversation. He never turned red or summoned the Ghosts. I reloaded from before entering, went in on my own and again he never turned red or summoned help, just stood there and did nothing.

I remember also having a similar problem when Keldorn turned red, not catastrophic though, so that could have been something else entirely.

Okay Galrean. Got the Neb interjection as well.

Can't replicate the problem with the dryad, but I think managed to find something to keep that from happening regardless. Thanks for bringing that issue to my attention.

This is why feedback is golden to me though. I am neither a programmer nor a published author, so I understand my own limitations. I am just some guy doing this for fun and yeah, bugs will happen from time to time. That is why I value feedback from the players so much.

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Mon May 20, 2013 3:06 am

You're doing a great job, teething problems are inevitable in any project. In the underdark with Monty and Xzar now, so far I've had not problems with those two, apart from the 'adult' nature of their dialogue; and that's not a real problem at all. In fact you've succeeded in bringing out their evilness in a way Bioware totally failed to do, congratulations!