21 replies to this topic

[mildImp]

Ive only played through the Gnoll and bandit camp, the burned down barracks and have just entered the bandit keep (just finished the battle in the main hall). I have to say, I really have enjoyed the mod so far. The plot details and new npcs have been fun and the new areas are great. So far, Ive run into very few bugs. Some so minor, I even hesitate to mention them, others are already known.

So here is my only critizism so far: Given the amount of magical items and treasure that this mod provides access to (I have Dsotsc and Exnem installed as well), I think the encounters are too easy. I have difficulty dialed up to 11, and I am not cheating with my party, but I do take advantage of every opportunity to utilize magic items available to me (looting npcs and purchasing from shops). Let me say, I started the BH mod after clearing out Nashkel and clearing all the coastal areas (below candlekeep and west of beregost) and my party members are all about 5-6th level, but as I said before we have amassed a large arsenal of magic items.

My suggestions would be to inlcude more spell casters (orc and gnoll shamans, evil wizards and clerics) in the encounters and increase the number of enemies (revolutionary I know ), as well as including more buffed boss types (maybe a troll or giant). Anyway I continue on!!! Maybe Im in for a big suprise in later areas (I secretly I look forward to those areas where I have my ass handed to me).

Finally, let me say this is great work. Thanks Sir BillyBob! and keep up the good work. Im looking forward to the rest of this mod and Dsotsc.
:thumb:

[Chevalier]

My suggestions would be to inlcude more spell casters (orc and gnoll shamans, evil wizards and clerics) in the encounters and increase the number of enemies (revolutionary I know  ), as well as including more buffed boss types (maybe a troll or giant).  Anyway I continue on!!!  Maybe Im in for a big suprise in later areas (I secretly I look forward to those areas where I have my ass handed to me).

It really matter of when you play the mod. Go quickly to the mines and go to BH just after the mines. Then it is really challenging.

[Sir BillyBob]

Yes, it was meant to be the first place you go after clearing out the mines. So you should only be at level 4. I do increase the monster count on some areas based on difficulty level or your player level (this uses Horred's scripts). The gnolls can really wear you down if you don't have fireball or any other good area spells. I have also been killed by the traps, some backstabs and a fireball from Telvar.

If you come into this mod too high, it is a cake walk. I realize that but the more monsters on the screen, the slower the game becomes. So it is a toss-up. DSotSC should not be an issue since it mostly doesn't come into play until after the Cloakwood mines. Exnem is cheese even for TOB! If you use those items, there aren't too many creatures that can touch you. I have Monty at -20 AC so he hasn't needed a healing potion since I equiped him! Good for bug hunting, bad for real game playing.

As for any other bugs you find. Let me know. I am cleaning up some of the dialogs now. I hope to release a final product in the next week or so and start in finalizing DSotSC. So I want every little gnat I can find squashed (assuming I know how).

[mildImp]

So what happens if I remove exem mod at this point (Ive got items and spells memorized)? Is that possible or will it screw my current game? I really do believe that is part of the issue, I just dont know how much.

Nevermind, I got it removed. Much better, more challenging.

Edited by mildImp, 20 October 2004 - 08:37 PM.

[The Saint]

I have just been sent back by pelltar, and must concur with the crowds; it is a fine mod, though a map add-on with BP would be great, so one doesn't have to travel across every patch of land every time one wants to move from area to area.

A minor bug I encountered was when talking to the priest below the abbeys quarters, I could repeat the "done this and that" and receive the XP award again. I only tried one time, but nothing left me believing I couldn't do it again.

I went to meet pelltar after clearing out the mines and the gnoll stronghold, which I know can see was too much. My party consisted of four, all made by me, around lvl 4-5. the isle, however, did turn into a slight walkover given the insane amount of money available, both from various monsters and their equipment, which made it possible to acquire some of the finer goods sold by the merchants. After clearing out the isle my party had risen to lvl 7, and very well equipped, so the only let down is, that the next areas may be too easy. but what the heck. such things will happen when you combine mods with an already balanced game.

When encountering sir billybob, he told me to check the bald hill area, which I did, got attacked, had the dialogue, cleared out the cave, and a text was displayed saying, I know knew who was responsible for the missing caravans. Returning to billybob, he still told me to check out the area. I assumed that something might pop up later, but even after completing the glorious hand quest he still said the same damned thing, so I decided to just leave him there muttering insanities to himself and went home to the mainland

well, that was my very fresh first hand opinion, oh yeah, I do hate your rats. of all the creatures in the mod, they were the hardest to kill, pesky little buggers

The Saint - Blatantly stealing this thread for his own comments

[Sir BillyBob]

The rats are very hard to hit. I just used the ones in BP and gave them the ability to disease you. No AC or other changes were made. Fireballs work great.

I have been looking at the idea of reducing the treasures. I did keep everything to a +2 or less. I think there is one +3 short sword. Also, my plan was to give you the ability to purchase magic items, not just leave them all around the place. So you still have to work for your goodies (or be a very good thief). If you notice, most wands have less than 10 charges left. Most traps and locks require 70 or higher for disarming so you are going to need to buy some potions for Imoen (or whomever).

The dialogs are being changed right now. I wanted the ability for you to talk to someone and cover all the topics in one conversation. However, it seems that dialogs don't update globals until the dialog is done. Therefore, you can loop. So I went back to the old way where you are going to have to click on the person several times until all the dialog options are completed. This also fixed Sir BB. The area script for Bald Hill wasn't setting the global to the level he needed to trigger the "quest done" dialog.

As for XP, I only give you a small amount for each quest. The rest you get for enemies and locks/traps. Pelltar never gives you any until you return to the mainland. I have only been able to go up 2 levels on this mod. So if you have gone more, either you cheated on the dialogs or used a smaller party.

Worldmap ideas are great but remember this is the same map used in BP. I am already working on a map for DSotSC. So we would need a map that covers BGT, BP, DSotSC, BH, and (I would like) CtB. The problem is for people who don't install all of these mods. So which mod gets the new map because you would have to install that mod to get all the areas for all the mods. Remember, NeJ doesn't use the map at all. What if another mod wants to change the map also?

[mildImp]

Are you sure about the +3 short sword? I think I ran every encounter and search every area and I didnt see one. But hey, maybe I missed something.

***********Spoiler************************












BTW, I found the secret room under the alter at the abby of phaulkon. Was there more to the encounter with Qualton? I know from reading the module that he is supposed to be experiencing some kind of psychological skism and regularly went back to talk to him, but nothing really happened here. I think that could be a pretty cool subplot.


Anyway, all in all I think this mod would be made better by removing some of the magical items and reducing the monitary rewards.

Edited by mildImp, 24 October 2004 - 08:41 PM.

[bpfan]

I don't remember seeing a +3 short sword either.

As for the priest, that's part of the mod sequel, which BillyBob alludes to in a few places and has said he intends to do when he's done with his current projects.

I don't think the money is necessarily excessive. I do think some of the items the merchants have should be more expensive. But really, there's not a whole heckuva lot to spend your money on in BG1, it's not unlikely that your party will have a few hundred thousand gp when nabbed by Irenicus.

If I were to suggest toning down or removing anything, it would be the spell book with all the TDD spells. you can easily add a level or so to your XP total just by memorizing all the spells!

[Chevalier]

'BTW, I found the secret room under the alter at the abby of phaulkon.' I think this will be use in part 2. From earlier posts I read he was trying to workout something tricky, but will put it in part 2 I think.

Edited by Chevalier, 24 October 2004 - 09:43 PM.

[Sir BillyBob]

The bandits near the bridge should drop +3 short swords (unless I already changed this).

Part 2 covers Qual and his mental state. That is mentioned in the real mod and it even says to not give this away yet. That is why he is only "preoccupied" right now.

The hidden room is supposed to be there, as is the tunnel exiting it. That is from the mod. Only Qual knows of it's existance. If you talked to Alton after opening it, he will mention that it looks like someone moved it. According to the mod, he doesn't know about it. However, I didnt' want you opening it up in front of him and Alton just standing there. That is why you ask him to leave the area (well, without directly asking him that). He will alert the guards if he sees the altar opened.

The spellbook of TDD spells was my idea because you never get them all in the TDD or BP game. I would like to add them to the SOA part but my mod doesn't go that far. I could have Lazarus sell it to you in TOB but it is kind of late in the game for all those spells. My original plan was for Lazarus to sell all of those spells. That way, if you wanted them, you had to pay. However, I have to remove them from a Tutu version of this mod. So it was easier to use a spellbook that I can just strip out of a Tutu mod.

Maybe I should just split the book up to the lower 3 levels for now. By the way, DSotSC can have you level up by giving up access to all those 7-9 level spells also. So this needs to be addressed there also. Should we have a locked-down spell level for the BGT world? No 9th level spells period?

You guys are the beta testers. We all know how to CLUA in scrolls so we can cheat up levels. Do you think regular players do that also? If they don't cheat, should I tone down the scrolls so they aren't leveled up too fast?

[mildImp]

I remeber the fight with the bandits at the bridge, they all had +2 short swords, so you must have changed that already. As far as spells go, I'm a bit torn. On the one hand, I think you already have way too much access to high level spells with other mods like Dsotsc, but If your like me and playing a fighting primary character with an intention to dual later in the game to a magic using character its kinda cool to get all the spells. I have my magic users memorize the spells they can use when their able to prevent the accumulation of unrealistic exp pts early in the game. And, frankly, I think BB is right, most mod players are going to clua in spells they cant find or buy as soon as they are able to use them.

Personally, I would remove the almost complete collection of high level BG spells from the vendors in town and have them sell TDD spells instead. That way, if a player is so inclined, they can purchase them their. They will definately have the money.

[The Saint]

In reply to your comment. I'm playing with a party of four, all created by me, so my thief did not encounter much trouble picking the locks, especially with the load of potions of master thievery. that did pay off in a fair bit of xp. I have added another char to the party, as to get the XP progression slowed down a bit.

The only cheat im using, is the crtl+j to teleport across explored area

the spell book, was one thing I forgot to comment. I'm playing the game, mostly, for the challenges given through battle. I love to see gibberlings backstabbed recieving +100 damage, or destroying an advancing group of gnolls with fireball or more powerfull toys. maybe that's why im playing through with a druidic sorcerer, to experience some of the high level spells. but finding a spellbook containing every high lvl spell that early in the game, might be a bit too much.

hmm, I thought I had one more thing, but that seems to have slipped my mind...

[Sir BillyBob]

The druid/sorceror is kind of like using Exnem. Talk about overpowered. Yes, I put the potions of master thiefing into the game so you can complete the quests that need access to those areas. I played through one time without a thief and found you can't complete the mod unless you cheat (try accessing the room in the sewers without a thief). So soloing is limited in this mod.

I can move the spellbook items to Lazarus. That would be a better option. I just fixed the bridge bandits to not drop all their items, just some. I will have to go through everything again to reduce the gold amounts.

[mildImp]

Whats the deal with Pelltar at the Temple of Lanthandar ( however you spell it) after you complete BH? He just stands there with out anything to say. I thought he might teleport me back to the island, but no. Just seems kinda weird to have him stick around if he isnt going to do anything.

[Sir BillyBob]

Whats the deal with Pelltar at the Temple of Lanthandar ( however you spell it) after you complete BH?  He just stands there with out anything to say.  I thought he might teleport me back to the island, but no.  Just seems kinda weird to have him stick around if he isnt going to do anything.

That is already fixed for the next patch.

[mildImp]

So what is going to be the effect of the next patch with respect to Pelltar? Will he still be there or what? Just curious

[Sir BillyBob]

He wasn't supposed to still be there. So the fix removes him. You won't see him again until the sequel (several months from now).

[mildImp]

Whats the story around the sequel? Is it in BGT or later in SOA or TOB?

[Sir BillyBob]

Whats the story around the sequel?  Is it in BGT or later in SOA or TOB?

Don't know. I haven't written it yet.

[kovarex]

Hello,

First of all I would like to thank for increasing the world of Baldur's gate by making this mod.

criticism:
1) I would appreciate your maps to be more different from the original BG maps, as i don't enjoy to explore the exactly same map again.
(It would be ok to add at least some special structures or something to make it really different)
2) I know I can't expect the same game quality as in the original bg, but I'm missing so BG specific atmospheric details that makes the game much more enjoyable.
2a) More dialogs that motivate you more to do that what you are supposed to do (Like bandit Sam killed my husband, pls revenge him, when you meet that bandit, you can have some dialog with him)
2c) Even minor stupid mini dialogs makes it better, like "He came by the west entrance, come here boys", "The boss will get me extra food if I bring him your body" or the last living bandit would say "I was supposed to slaughter few stupid villagers, this is not what I was paid for"
3) You should make the stores bit less overpowered (TOB healing potions in the place u expect lvl 4 players? common)
4) I encountered bug, where all items in the temple had no icons and cost 0 gp.

I hope you are not angry that I pointed what I didn't like but I really believe that you made a lot of work on that mod, and that just a bit more work can make it much better.

PS sorry for my English

Edited by kovarex, 15 December 2007 - 02:14 PM.