"Aging" in Baldur's Gate Trilogy and some other Portrait ideas

[Osvir]

Oh my, sorry for the mass topic engagement mode I am in haha, I am a bit eager.

So well, the games might not be like several years between them but nonetheless, I was thinking of using the same method a site called "Face of the Future" uses. Google it. To morph your character's so that they look older. I couldn't, unfortunately, access the site myself so I couldn't see the quality. But I did an experiment of my own (using Photoshop) to make one guy (I know not his name) look older.

Original:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a32/Damienz/M0001L.jpg

Older:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a32/Damienz/M0001LOldv2.jpg

EDIT The older picture was a quick-job also, just had to say it =P

In the Older one he is a bit more "concerned" due to hardships or whatnot he's been through (just for show really). But the core of the idea is, is it possible to make the game gradually change the picture as you go through the game? Another thing, in Wolfenstein-eque, could it be possible to make the portrait become more damaged the less health your character has? The thing I can think of is that you'd need lots and lots of portraits stored somewhere and the game would need to grab data from there and replace the portrait in-game actively. And I don't know if that could be possible.

I am also thinking, if your character would go either evil or good his facial expression would also change, although now I might be going into a bit of a major project thought pattern here but, just want to know what the limits are (what you can and what you can't do).

Thank you in beforehand,
Osvir

[Ipsy]

It's possible to automatically change portraits - Kitanya in the Underdark and Edwin's Nether Scroll incident with Edwin Romance installed both do this. But you'd need a portrait set for every change you intended to make - it's not possible, AFAIK, to make it change them bit by bit. So that would be a lot of photoshopping.

For the record, that's Anomen.

You may want to check out the IESDP for some of this.

[jcompton]

Another thing, in Wolfenstein-eque, could it be possible to make the portrait become more damaged the less health your character has? The thing I can think of is that you'd need lots and lots of portraits stored somewhere and the game would need to grab data from there and replace the portrait in-game actively. And I don't know if that could be possible.

You're looking for the NPC Damage Mod.

Changing portraits based on scripting events is fairly easy.

[Osvir]

Okay okay, well for the gradually changing pictures I was thinking at certain points (Chapter 1 - One picture, Chapter 2 - Another picture) or per level. And for the "Evil" vs "Good" pictures of your character (Example below):

10 Rep = Original portrait
11 Rep = Modified portrait, new expression
etc.

Also, depending on your initial choosing (Lawful Good, True Neutral etc.) their expressions could be different. However that... is another story for the future. Getting a bit way ahead of me haha, just brainstorming.

A bit off-topic but... is it possible to change alignment in-game? I mean if I choose a Lawful Good character and commit only evil deeds and go in for cruelty with my character, will his alignment change? Or is there a mod for that?

[Ipsy]

Virtue mod changes alignment based on the PC's actions. And yeah, it's totally possible to change alignment in-game, using for instance the spell effect of the Helm of Opposite Alignment.

[Osvir]

Virtue mod changes alignment based on the PC's actions. And yeah, it's totally possible to change alignment in-game, using for instance the spell effect of the Helm of Opposite Alignment.

Alright cool! ^^ My thought was for portraits on this, that the portraits would change with alignment as well. And that, for starters/example, you could start off as Chaotic Evil (with a portrait) and end up as Lawful Good (with another portrait, well not "another" portrait but another expression).

[jcompton]

All that you describe is very possible and would be a fine beginner's project. (That's not a value judgment--I'm just saying that the processes involved are few, and about as straightforward as it gets in Infinity-land.)

Game chapter is an easily-checked value, as is alignment. Of course, for PC portrait sets in this system, you would probably simply have to settle on a single naming convention that you would use for all of the player sets, but that's a pretty minor inconvenience.

[Osvir]

All that you describe is very possible and would be a fine beginner's project. (That's not a value judgment--I'm just saying that the processes involved are few, and about as straightforward as it gets in Infinity-land.)

Game chapter is an easily-checked value, as is alignment. Of course, for PC portrait sets in this system, you would probably simply have to settle on a single naming convention that you would use for all of the player sets, but that's a pretty minor inconvenience.

Sweet! Thank you ^^