Ascension mod- which to download

I read some post somewhere that stated that one should not download the Big Picture 1.77's Ascension mod component because it was so buggy. It was suggested that I download the normal Ascension mod from the WEIDU site, instead. I did so, but it failed to install - I've now checked and , apparently, the Ascension mod download on the Black Wyrm Lair(Dragon's Hoard website) is the one you have to use if you also have the Darkest Day already installed - I havent' tried yet to see whether that version will install, but I'll do so later.

My question is whether the bugs in the Big Picture's Ascension mod component might have been fixed, or if the info I got re bugs was wrong for some reason. It's just that the readme for the Big Picture mod 1.77 states that one has to download the Big Picture's Ascension mod component, and not the standard one, as otherwise problems may occur. So which of those two views is right re this point?


Thanks

Edited by Strontium Dog, 01 July 2007 - 03:44 AM.

The Ascension Mod included in Big Picture is game breaking. Unfortunately, lots of people who don't browse the Forums and that don't have the chance to read about the many warnings against critical bugs, will keep on following the Read Me advice where the Big Picture version of Ascension is recommended.

We need an update to Big Picture as much as the deserts need water.

The Ascension Mod included in Big Picture is game breaking. Unfortunately, lots of people who don't browse the Forums and that don't have the chance to read about the many warnings against critical bugs, will keep on following the Read Me advice where the Big Picture version of Ascension is recommended.

We need an update to Big Picture as much as the deserts need water.

Thank you very much for the very fast reply. I only came across that comment re the bugs in BP 1.77's Ascension mod by pure chance. Is there anything else that the BP 1.77's readme fails to cover?

One other question - I've just read a post from ages back about the possibility of being able to use the Oversight mod's "Tougher Sendai" component as long as one installs it before installing the big mods such as SOS/TDD/TS etc. Would you recommend this as an acceptable move, or should I avoid it like the plague?

I would recommend you to avoid "Tougher Sendai" from Oversight if you intend to play with Big Picture. As general rule, it's best to let Big Picture take care of the AI without adding components from Tactics (which we report as incompatible as a whole mostly to avoid possible problems and because it doesn't make much sense to have it, if you install Big Picture) and other Mods that makes changes to encounters and scripts (SimDing0's Quest Pack, example).

I would recommend you to avoid "Tougher Sendai" from Oversight if you intend to play with Big Picture. As general rule, it's best to let Big Picture take care of the AI without adding components from Tactics (which we report as incompatible as a whole mostly to avoid possible problems and because it doesn't make much sense to have it, if you install Big Picture) and other Mods that makes changes to encounters and scripts (SimDing0's Quest Pack, example).

Thanks for the clarification. I still have one last question, though, before committing myself to a full install:- I have basically 2 options. Either I can install the Tactics mods, with their minor AI improvements, as well as the more general AI improvement of the Quest-Pack etc., - or I can install the Big Picture , with a slightly greater restriction on the numbers of other mods I can install, alongside, by comparison. The way I see it, since the Big Picture mod has most of the Tactics components, the deciding factor would be whether the Big Picture Core AI is better or worse than the combined AI improvements of the Tactics and Quest Pack mods. Which, in your opinion, is the better option?


Thanks,

I would recommend you to avoid "Tougher Sendai" from Oversight if you intend to play with Big Picture. As general rule, it's best to let Big Picture take care of the AI without adding components from Tactics (which we report as incompatible as a whole mostly to avoid possible problems and because it doesn't make much sense to have it, if you install Big Picture) and other Mods that makes changes to encounters and scripts (SimDing0's Quest Pack, example).

Thanks for the clarification. I still have one last question, though, before committing myself to a full install:- I have basically 2 options. Either I can install the Tactics mods, with their minor AI improvements, as well as the more general AI improvement of the Quest-Pack etc., - or I can install the Big Picture , with a slightly greater restriction on the numbers of other mods I can install, alongside, by comparison. The way I see it, since the Big Picture mod has most of the Tactics components, the deciding factor would be whether the Big Picture Core AI is better or worse than the combined AI improvements of the Tactics and Quest Pack mods. Which, in your opinion, is the better option? Having played through this game many times before, modded or unmodded, what I'm looking for now is to have mods with the toughest fights, best AI etc.


Thanks,

I'm glad you brought up this subject, as I know most players have similar confusion.

There is no 'better or worse' or 'better option'. You have to make a personal decision on which core AI mod you want to base your installation on. Neither BP or Weimer's Tactics or the smaller tactics mods are better or worse than the other.

Although BP incorporates most of the same components that Tactics incorporates (please, read the ReadMe of both), it does make some extra modifications. (If you want details, the BP-WeiDU forum is your friend. Start at the beginning.) Tactics has some components that BP doesn't. Some people like BP more, some like Tactics more, some hate them both.

So a player's options -- again, there is no better or worse -- are:
-- Play the game with vanilla tactics. It might just be an interesting experience.
-- Play with BP, Tactics or some combination of both.
-- on top of the above two, throw one some smaller tactics mods. Or not.

So a player's options -- again, there is no better or worse -- are:
-- Play the game with vanilla tactics. It might just be an interesting experience.
-- Play with BP, Tactics or some combination of both.
-- on top of the above two, throw one some smaller tactics mods. Or not.

Well, I did some checking of past Spellhold forum posts(the readmes aren't much help) and discovered that the Big Picture mod aims to improve the AI without resorting to cheesy tactics. The Tactics mod, by contrast, is really cheesy in 2 cases(Improved Sahuagin City and Improved Illyich), but I don't have to install those and can install other mods, instead(such as the Slightly Improved Illyich mod).

My gut-feeling is that the Big Picture might still be relatively buggy as a whole, given that the Ascension component is not recommended, so I'll stick to the Tactics mods I used before, along with the numerous mini-mods out there, such as "Super Firkraag Mod" etc.. I will certainly try the Big Picture mod in the future - but I would prefer waiting until something similiar to the Oversight mod's "Tougher Sendai" etc. were introduced into the BP mod.

Edited by Strontium Dog, 02 July 2007 - 12:36 AM.