Posted by: Cybersquirt
« on: March 13, 2014, 01:42:21 AM »that's the problem with folk spending their own time making these things.
thanks for the thoughtful feedback, tinter
thanks for the thoughtful feedback, tinter
Inconveniencing the Infinity Engine since 2001.
News:
All Pocket Plane Group mods install using WeiDU.
Posted by: Cav
« on: February 15, 2014, 12:25:51 AM »Have there been any further developments with this mod? The changes sound very interesting, but there's been no activity for a year and I can't seem to find much about it in terms of install order and compatibility.
Posted by: Tinter
« on: June 11, 2013, 10:20:38 AM »Just thought I'd provide some more feedback now I've had time to get some more play in.
Generally, I personally find it a big improvement, both in terms of reducing percieved (if not actual) metagaming and in making my clerics contribute more consistently over time. It is mostly a boost to my party in general adventuring rather than for main fights, and in a way that feels appropriate (and increases my affection for divine casters/fits with my RP vision thereof). Its also an excellent de facto convenience tweak, one I much prefer to vanilla buffing (either manual or with AI).
However, I think a couple of spells are long duration where they may have been better left as a combat protection rather than being given long duration.
Negative Plane Protection was clearly designed as a combat buff. Vampires really aren't very scary now- obviously, the standard tactic was send in two NPCs with the relevant items, but just like when dealing with beholders this is a still a change in game style and pacing that was worthwhile. Now, unless there is a mage vampires are totally worthless. At the least, a longer duration NPP would seem to warrant a substantially higher spell level, but I think a shorter (still increased but perhaps not to full encounter length) version is more desirable.
Similarly, Chaotic Commands is now very cheap making illithids go down to a non-issue- I can just massacre them, really. Obviously, I can basically do this anyway, but shorter durations make it tougher to clear out areas of them.
I agree with the principle of long duration buffs in general but where a spell is primarily used to render a type of enemy non-threatening I think its probably best left as a combat buff.
Shield of the Archons is similar; it already had a pretty good duration, and probably should be a cast per encounter buff- which makes sense given its nature. Long duration magic resistance is also a bit OP- its a very powerful effect which is rightly difficult to achieve in vanilla; even dispellable magic resistance is a bit too much at the cap of the spell.
Generally, I think the above spells would be better with a somewhat shorter duration in terms of balance- longer buffs should be reserved for less gamechanging effects.
Unrelated but I also think divine zeal is a little strong- I would go with +1 to hit, with +2 to hit, +1 to damage from level 11. Of course, thats optional so doesn't matter so much.
Of course, I expect the mod reflects your existing preferences for play which is fair enough, but never hurts to share I suppose/hope. Thanks for all the work.
Generally, I personally find it a big improvement, both in terms of reducing percieved (if not actual) metagaming and in making my clerics contribute more consistently over time. It is mostly a boost to my party in general adventuring rather than for main fights, and in a way that feels appropriate (and increases my affection for divine casters/fits with my RP vision thereof). Its also an excellent de facto convenience tweak, one I much prefer to vanilla buffing (either manual or with AI).
However, I think a couple of spells are long duration where they may have been better left as a combat protection rather than being given long duration.
Negative Plane Protection was clearly designed as a combat buff. Vampires really aren't very scary now- obviously, the standard tactic was send in two NPCs with the relevant items, but just like when dealing with beholders this is a still a change in game style and pacing that was worthwhile. Now, unless there is a mage vampires are totally worthless. At the least, a longer duration NPP would seem to warrant a substantially higher spell level, but I think a shorter (still increased but perhaps not to full encounter length) version is more desirable.
Similarly, Chaotic Commands is now very cheap making illithids go down to a non-issue- I can just massacre them, really. Obviously, I can basically do this anyway, but shorter durations make it tougher to clear out areas of them.
I agree with the principle of long duration buffs in general but where a spell is primarily used to render a type of enemy non-threatening I think its probably best left as a combat buff.
Shield of the Archons is similar; it already had a pretty good duration, and probably should be a cast per encounter buff- which makes sense given its nature. Long duration magic resistance is also a bit OP- its a very powerful effect which is rightly difficult to achieve in vanilla; even dispellable magic resistance is a bit too much at the cap of the spell.
Generally, I think the above spells would be better with a somewhat shorter duration in terms of balance- longer buffs should be reserved for less gamechanging effects.
Unrelated but I also think divine zeal is a little strong- I would go with +1 to hit, with +2 to hit, +1 to damage from level 11. Of course, thats optional so doesn't matter so much.
Of course, I expect the mod reflects your existing preferences for play which is fair enough, but never hurts to share I suppose/hope. Thanks for all the work.
Posted by: Macready
« on: January 21, 2013, 06:06:06 PM »Shield of Faith is definitely dispellable.
Posted by: Macready
« on: January 21, 2013, 04:19:36 PM »I just started a new BG2 with this, cleric PC & Anomen in the party, so far only done the Copper Coronet & Slaver Compound quests. It feels great, Shield of Faith & Flame Blade work well, everything lasts as long as I'd expect. I now hate Dispel Magic with a passion.
Speaking of which, should Shield of Faith be removed by Dispel Magic? Because it hasn't been anytime it's cast on me, currently.
It should be removed. I'll double check to be sure it didn't get flagged as undispellable.
Quote
Edit: a suggestion I thought of, after I forgot to install one mod when I was setting up this game and thus my Goodberries are shit. How about including that relevant component from Sim's tweak pack? Of course it's easy to install it oneself, but just for convenience and to have all the cleric spell improvements together in one handy package.
I wouldn't be comfortable doing that unless he gave me permission. Maybe I'll send him a PM and ask.
Thanks for taking the time to post feedback!
Posted by: Anacron
« on: January 21, 2013, 06:07:54 AM »I just started a new BG2 with this, cleric PC & Anomen in the party, so far only done the Copper Coronet & Slaver Compound quests. It feels great, Shield of Faith & Flame Blade work well, everything lasts as long as I'd expect. I now hate Dispel Magic with a passion. 
Speaking of which, should Shield of Faith be removed by Dispel Magic? Because it hasn't been anytime it's cast on me, currently.
Edit: a suggestion I thought of, after I forgot to install one mod when I was setting up this game and thus my Goodberries are shit. How about including that relevant component from Sim's tweak pack? Of course it's easy to install it oneself, but just for convenience and to have all the cleric spell improvements together in one handy package.
Speaking of which, should Shield of Faith be removed by Dispel Magic? Because it hasn't been anytime it's cast on me, currently.
Edit: a suggestion I thought of, after I forgot to install one mod when I was setting up this game and thus my Goodberries are shit. How about including that relevant component from Sim's tweak pack? Of course it's easy to install it oneself, but just for convenience and to have all the cleric spell improvements together in one handy package.
Posted by: Daulmakan
« on: January 15, 2013, 04:24:31 PM »Congrats. Will give it a go in the future.
Posted by: Kulyok
« on: January 13, 2013, 12:56:23 PM »Released! Great, I was planning a BG2 replay soon. Congratulations! I'll go add it to the modlist.
Posted by: Macready
« on: January 13, 2013, 09:59:11 AM »Work has been completed, and a download link is now available. Please see the OP in this thread.
Posted by: Macready
« on: January 12, 2013, 01:15:35 PM »Through tiers 5 and 6. Once the seventh tier has been addressed, coding will be complete.
Posted by: Macready
« on: January 06, 2013, 01:52:11 PM »I've finished with the fourth divine spell tier, and did some further tweaking to the first three.
No. Mazzy's innate is not Remove Fear; it is a slightly different spell known as Invoke Courage. It carries with it some extra benefits (save bonuses, THAC0 bonus). Since it has an offensive component, and since it already has a decent duration (an hour), I chose to leave it be.
Re: healing, I am trying to keep the big picture in mind as I tweak each spell.
Nice! Changed for Mazzy as well? Just asking because saw the other two NPCs were listed individually.
No. Mazzy's innate is not Remove Fear; it is a slightly different spell known as Invoke Courage. It carries with it some extra benefits (save bonuses, THAC0 bonus). Since it has an offensive component, and since it already has a decent duration (an hour), I chose to leave it be.
Re: healing, I am trying to keep the big picture in mind as I tweak each spell.
Posted by: Tinter
« on: January 05, 2013, 12:06:04 PM »...9d4 for an average of 22.5, even.
Posted by: Tinter
« on: January 05, 2013, 12:02:32 PM »Nice! Changed for Mazzy as well? Just asking because saw the other two NPCs were listed individually.
I like the cure wounds spells scaling, but theres also the issue of the higher level Cure spells, especially Cure Medium Wounds, not being very worthwhile. Possibly this could also be balanced for? Perhaps something like:
Cure Light Wounds: 8+ 1 per 3 levels
Cure Medium Wounds: 15+ 1 per 2 levels
Cure Critical Wounds: 30+ 1 per level
This would make the higher level ones slightly more appealing than at present; by the time a cleric is in the teens, Mass Cure will heal the whole party for nearly as much as Cure Critical Wounds heals one character.
The same scaling could be applied to the Cause Wound spells, which are currently useless. They could probably do with even more, maybe a status effect or healing the cleric? For example, Cause Wounds Critical requires a cast and a succesful melee attack for 27 damage; Flamestrike does at minimum 1d4 per level (earliest- level 9, so at least 9d4, average 18) and possibly double that if a save is not made- just from a casting.
I like the cure wounds spells scaling, but theres also the issue of the higher level Cure spells, especially Cure Medium Wounds, not being very worthwhile. Possibly this could also be balanced for? Perhaps something like:
Cure Light Wounds: 8+ 1 per 3 levels
Cure Medium Wounds: 15+ 1 per 2 levels
Cure Critical Wounds: 30+ 1 per level
This would make the higher level ones slightly more appealing than at present; by the time a cleric is in the teens, Mass Cure will heal the whole party for nearly as much as Cure Critical Wounds heals one character.
The same scaling could be applied to the Cause Wound spells, which are currently useless. They could probably do with even more, maybe a status effect or healing the cleric? For example, Cause Wounds Critical requires a cast and a succesful melee attack for 27 damage; Flamestrike does at minimum 1d4 per level (earliest- level 9, so at least 9d4, average 18) and possibly double that if a save is not made- just from a casting.
Posted by: Macready
« on: January 05, 2013, 08:27:39 AM »Also, sorry to double post but would changes to the spell Spiritual Hammer automatically change Branwens special ability? If not, would you add this as well? Similarly, do you think comparable changes to Mazzys and cavaliers remove fear and paladins protection from evil are appropriate/ are they also automatic?
All of these innates have now been addressed.
Posted by: Macready
« on: January 01, 2013, 05:22:37 PM »I spent a while looking for the download link, was all set to came back to complain until I actually read the OP properly. This looks exciting indeed, and I share some of the sentiments about the divine spells in BG2.
Thank you! So far the play testing has been fun, so I'm hopeful others will find this to be worth a go.