Suggestions for new features?

[Sam.]

I had a look at it when I began working of FotD, but there were no firewall BAMs to be found, and without those there is really nothing to restore. Someone would need to make these.

I guess that depends on how aggressive of a wall of fire you're looking for.  Here is my submission.  It is a recolored Wall of Moonlight.

[Echon]

I guess that depends on how aggressive of a wall of fire you're looking for.  Here is my submission.  It is a recolored Wall of Moonlight.

If I were to do it for FotD, I would prefer to up the aggro a bit, with flames and such. Unfortunately, I have no skills in animation.

But I seem to recall other mods having restored/recreated the spell. Is that just wishful thinking?

[Galactygon]

Yes, SpellPack B6 introduces Wall of Fire as a 5th level priest spell, and uses IWD2's Wall of Fire animation. Future versions will have it as a 4th level wizard spell as well.

[Sam.]

Yes, SpellPack B6 introduces Wall of Fire as a 5th level priest spell, and uses IWD2's Wall of Fire animation. Future versions will have it as a 4th level wizard spell as well.

Where can I find this mod?  Would you mind posting a link?

[The Imp]

Would you mind posting a link?

A direct download link.

[Sam.]

I guess that depends on how aggressive of a wall of fire you're looking for.  Here is my submission.  It is a recolored Wall of Moonlight.

If I were to do it for FotD, I would prefer to up the aggro a bit, with flames and such. Unfortunately, I have no skills in animation.

But I seem to recall other mods having restored/recreated the spell. Is that just wishful thinking?

Yes, SpellPack B6 introduces Wall of Fire as a 5th level priest spell, and uses IWD2's Wall of Fire animation. Future versions will have it as a 4th level wizard spell as well.

For reference, here is what "IWD2's Wall of Fire animation" from SpellPack B6 looks like, compared to my version.  Assuming Galactygon et al. don't mind UB borrowing their Wall of Fire animation, would this version be aggro enough for you, Echon?

[Echon]

For reference, here is what "IWD2's Wall of Fire animation" from SpellPack B6 looks like, compared to my version.  Assuming Galactygon et al. don't mind UB borrowing their Wall of Fire animation, would this version be aggro enough for you, Echon?

I cannot say right now, since I getting a 403 on the DB link. Have you got somewhere else to but it?

[Sam.]

For reference, here is what "IWD2's Wall of Fire animation" from SpellPack B6 looks like, compared to my version.  Assuming Galactygon et al. don't mind UB borrowing their Wall of Fire animation, would this version be aggro enough for you, Echon?

I cannot say right now, since I getting a 403 on the DB link. Have you got somewhere else to but it?

Damn.  Okay, here and here.

[Echon]

Damn.  Okay, here and here.[/quote]

Sure. #2 looks great, and would be worthy of the Wall of Fire spell.

[Tash]

Husam's dlg and the area files of the Central Sewers and the Ducal Palace basement may indicate that originally there was supposed to be an alternate way to get into the palace. Husam points the way and warns you against powerful wards, while the area files have the respective entrances already placed, but without regions assigned to them.

Playing through that part of the game again, I'm almost convinced that a custom passageway-area between the sewers and the basement, filled with crafty traps or a possible assassin encounter, would spice things up. This would also give a chance for the Shadow Thieves to play a part in the whole cabal. Most of them could potentially die to traps (insert an awesome cutscene), the rest aid you in the ensuing fight with Sarevok's assassins guarding the secret entry (a designer's trick to prevent AoE spamming ).

[Sam.]

Husam's dlg and the area files of the Central Sewers and the Ducal Palace basement may indicate that originally there was supposed to be an alternate way to get into the palace. Husam points the way and warns you against powerful wards, while the area files have the respective entrances already placed, but without regions assigned to them.

Playing through that part of the game again, I'm almost convinced that a custom passageway-area between the sewers and the basement, filled with crafty traps or a possible assassin encounter, would spice things up. This would also give a chance for the Shadow Thieves to play a part in the whole cabal. Most of them could potentially die to traps (insert an awesome cutscene), the rest aid you in the ensuing fight with Sarevok's assassins guarding the secret entry (a designer's trick to prevent AoE spamming ).

I really like the idea 

[AstroBryGuy]

Husam's dlg and the area files of the Central Sewers and the Ducal Palace basement may indicate that originally there was supposed to be an alternate way to get into the palace. Husam points the way and warns you against powerful wards, while the area files have the respective entrances already placed, but without regions assigned to them.

Playing through that part of the game again, I'm almost convinced that a custom passageway-area between the sewers and the basement, filled with crafty traps or a possible assassin encounter, would spice things up. This would also give a chance for the Shadow Thieves to play a part in the whole cabal. Most of them could potentially die to traps (insert an awesome cutscene), the rest aid you in the ensuing fight with Sarevok's assassins guarding the secret entry (a designer's trick to prevent AoE spamming ).

Considering the names of the unused entrances are EXIT0111 and EXIT0225, I don't think there was ever another area planned. Entrance names usually reference the area file the entrance comes from/leads to, so if they both led to a passage, say AR0227 they would both be called EXIT0227. My guess is that there would have been a series of traps before the exit from the sewers, perhaps a magically locked portal, then a confrontation with the guards in the basement of the palace.

It would be interesting to provide an alternative path if you fail to get the invitation from Slythe & Kristin. Cool idea! 

[Tash]

Considering the names of the unused entrances are EXIT0111 and EXIT0225, I don't think there was ever another area planned. (...)

I agree, but I'd given it some thought before and I still don't think simply connecting the two areas would be the best idea. This has a potential to do something more interesting, provide a challenge and a creative alternative.

If one drops some traps on the sewer entrance, that would be no different from what the player's been doing, ie a nuisance rather than anything else. There would be hardly any place for any encounter; placing the fight in the basement area would be one solution, but unlikely for a trained group of assassins (too much ruckus just below the lounge).

A simple passageway, even using sewer tiles, would offer a chance to introduce, for example, riddle tile-traps (the player can't detect/disable them; a series of riddles on the wall related to some long-gone Dukes hints which tiles the player should step on, etc). This is just an extreme example to show you what I have in mind -- I'm not a designer and I know this is too much for a faithful restoration, but I believe the project has long abandoned that kind of an approach, isn't that right?

[AstroBryGuy]

Well, creating new areas is not a simple undertaking. The one example of BG1UB restoring a missing area to the game, Ice Island Level 2, simply re-used existing resources. It did not create new areas.

I like the idea, but I'll admit, making new areas is not in my modder skill set. Someone else would need to pick up the gauntlet on that . You can see what goes into making a new area here: http://www.simpilot.net/~sc/dltcep/index.htm

The other part is how to modify the narrative to make this path preferable to walking in the front door with the invitation you get from Slythe & Kristin. Why run a gauntlet of death when you can bluff your way in? Would you just remove the invitation and force the player through the secret entrance?

Once you're in, how would a general alarm not be raised so that the guards don't attack you when you emerge from the stairs to the basement? Even if an alarm isn't raised, why wouldn't the guards on the main floor be suspicious of you when you emerge from the basement (presumably smelling like the sewers) instead of coming in the front door like the other guests?

Don't mistake my intentions; I'm not trying to shut the idea down . It would be a cool addition. I'm just thinking about the narrative issues in addition to the technical ones.

[Tash]

Good points!

A simple sewer corridor should be easy enough to do. For me, object shadows often proved to be the most time consuming; dimly lit sewers are easy. Maybe even I'll do it.

The traps should be deadly enough if Husam himself is afraid to go in there. I know riddles are over-the-top... it was just an example of taking it one notch up too many. I'm doing Durlag's Tower right now, so maybe I'll get inspired.

The whole idea behind it is that a lot of players never even meet Husam, and some don't even realize there's a palace basement with its own movie. So, the rationale, here, is that you will want to choose the sewers to get the Thieves to help you out in the fight. Otherwise, they won't ever make it on their own. And they don't have invitations...

Once you emerge from the basement, the ceremony actually begins and everybody is focused on the speech. Then Sarevok (appropriately surprised by your showing up) reveals his plans and there isn't really that much time for guards to react to your presence.

For convenience, the guards in the basement could end up silently-assassinated, should you choose that path. After all, Sarevok mentions a group of gangers going through the sewers in one of his letters. If you use the invitation, nothing changes in the basement, and you can't enter the secret passage from there to bypass the traps and grab exp from the assassins.

Edit: I'm making the area. I also have a cool idea for an interactive dialogue-based ward/trap. Of course, it's going to have something to do with sounds. 

I don't want to introduce something that obviously can't be considered a restoration, so as a compromise I've decided to drop the ambush idea. After all, I want an alternative to the fight with the assassin duo. A new area is still too much to be part of the Unfinished Business, but I still want to try something like that in modding.

[AstroBryGuy]

Cool! I look forward to seeing the finished mod (and dying in its traps many times )

[Salk]

Sounds good, Tash! Good luck with it!

[Tash]

I'm playing the original BG1+TotSC.

Going through Kaishas Gan's dlg (KAISH.dlg), I noticed an extra reply tree, "I met a strange mage out there. He was mad from isolation, but he had much to say," to Kaishas' question, "Were you successful? Did the beasts fall before you?." The reply requires a global from Dradeel's dlg that is probably never set, as I didn't get this line despite talking to him and learning about Balduran's journey.

This may have already been done in the Fixpack(s), as I vaguely remember it from a BGT playthrough years ago, but the original game is still missing that line.

[AstroBryGuy]

The global "DraTalk" is set, depending on how you navigate the dialog with Dradeel. If you tell Dradeel you can't help him, the variable is set. If you accept Dradeel's quest, then the variable is not set (nor if he attacks you).

[Tash]

Here's one more from the Werewolf Island: Daese appears to be Karoug's mate, but she shapeshifts into a werewolf instead of a wolfwere. So: a) this is a Romeo-and-Juliet kind of a lycanthropic love story, or b) an oversight. I'd like it to be the former, but her stats tell otherwise (a pumped-up wolfwere).

A simple name string change in DAESEWLF.cre should do.

[AstroBryGuy]

Here's one more from the Werewolf Island: Daese appears to be Karoug's mate, but she shapeshifts into a werewolf instead of a wolfwere. So: a) this is a Romeo-and-Juliet kind of a lycanthropic love story, or b) an oversight. I'd like it to be the former, but her stats tell otherwise (a pumped-up wolfwere).

A simple name string change in DAESEWLF.cre should do.

That's already in BG1UB. Did you install the Creature Name Restorations component?

Code: [Select]

COPY_EXISTING ~%tutu_scriptd%AESEWLF.CRE~ ~override~ // Daese as werewolf
  PATCH_IF (SOURCE_SIZE > 0x2d4) BEGIN
    SAY NAME1 @56
    SAY NAME2 @56
  END
BUT_ONLY

[Tash]

Sorry, my bad. I was messing with CREs, so this was to be expected.  I'll be quiet with my paltry "suggestions" now.

[AstroBryGuy]

Sorry, my bad. I was messing with CREs, so this was to be expected.  I'll be quiet with my paltry "suggestions" now.

No problem. I was concerned the Creature Names component wasn't working correctly.

[skellytz]

Hi!

Here's a couple of things I noticed that you might consider restoring:

1. In the original BG1, there's a Watcher (WATCH3.cre) in Candlekeep that's missing in BGT. He spawns, "opens" and "closes" the door to the barracks and then has an equal chance to do either of the following:
- stand guard next to the door for 30 seconds then open-close the door and "destroy" himself
- walk around the keep counter-clockwise then open-close the door and "destroy" himself

The script for that (WATCH3.bcs) is properly copied and referenced in the CRE file, but BGT Candlekeep area script (AR0015.bcs) doesn't spawn him at all.

2. This goes way back to the original BG1. All Green Slimes use Olive Slime animation. The palettes are different; I think they decided to swap them because the green variant could've been a little bit too washed-out and hard to see for some testers. Personally, I don't think that's the case and the original Green Slime animation looks all right.

There aren't any proper Olive Slimes in BG1, so their audio resources are wasted. I think it would be cool to restore the original Green Slime animation and add a new Olive Slime creature type. Some Olive Slimes could then be placed in appropriate areas to spice things up.

That's it! Thanks