2 replies to this topic

[Kaeloree]

For the second part of day 3 of 12, we present an interview with the indomitable SConrad! Author and contributor to many popular mods, released and in progress, SConrad has been around the IE Modding Community for many years - and we hope he's around for many more!

To learn more about SConrad, his mods and his history, continue reading!



K'aeloree

[Kaeloree]

Interview with SConrad

When did you first join the IE Modding community?

That depends on how you look at it. I was a lurker and guest poster for a couple of years when I was just playing mods before I registered at FW and TeamBG back in the day. I had decided to take a leap from guest to member because of a mod I was developing; Khadion. So I suppose you could say that I took a leap from player to modder at the same time.

How did you get involved in Spellhold Studios?

Spellhold Studios wasn't SHS back then, it was named Forgotten Wars. Not too long after I registered, I started hanging out in the FW IRC channel, and I liked the atmosphere and people in the community. It wasn't long before I requested hosting for Khadion. One thing lead to another, and I became a Moderator, then Global Moderator and eventually the community was given to me from the old Administrator.

A couple of months later, it was decided that we would move FW to a new name and give it a new brand. Spellhold Studios was born.

What inspired you to get into modding?

Irritation, believe it or not. I was an avid BGII player, and didn't like the fact that there were no single class thieves that I could take with me for the full SoA-ToB saga. I didn't want to go through the game without one, and quickly got tired of the multi and dual classed characters in the game. Even though other NPC mods started to pop up at this time, there were no thieves among them, either. In the end, I figured I had no other choice but to create my own.

How did you start, and what was your first mod?

Khadion started out as a multiplayer character, who then turned into a concept. I started to mess around with dialogue files and other tools, and eventually I had a pretty sad excuse for a mod. It remained that way for about a year before I got back to it, and that's when I first joined the community. I quickly got involved in other projects as well, and several years later, here I am. I still haven't finished the mod that started it all.

The first mod I released was called "Timestop Tweak." It was a very simple tweak to get rid of Timestop and its effects. I had got tired of the high-level mages who would cast Timestop, only to spend their newly won time to case Symbol: X, which my party would save against anyway. With my mod, any mage who tried to cast the spell would have a big hand smacked down on him, instead of actually stopping time. Silly, yes. But I quite liked it at the time.

What is your favourite aspect of modding?

It depends on my mood. Sometimes, I quite enjoy writing dialogue more than anything else. Other times, I really love to play around with WeiDU and create nifty .tp2 patching.

You have worked on many mods in the past- which were your favourites, and why?

DLTC, no doubt. The concept of the mod was - at the time - so much larger and better than anything anyone had ever seen. When it comes to IE modding, it is still unrivaled in scope, technical implementation and quality. The only thing I could compare to it would be The Broken Hourglass. I would also even be so bold as to suggest that we had the best modding team ever working on it; Max, SimDing0, Avenger, hlidskialf, igi, jcompton, Ajoc and Immortality were all involved, one way or another. It was a true privilege to work alongside them. I still say Max is the best modder we've ever seen in the community.

What mods are you working on currently?

I've got a couple of projects - some are public, others are not. Khadion is currently one of the top priorities.

Could you tell us a little about your NPC mod, Khadion?

Heh. There's a lot in this interview about him, but I can't say that's very surprising. He's been with me for a long time, is the reason I'm here, and in many ways defines me as a modder.

Khadion is - to say the least - an extremely ambitious project. The background and story have been revised so many times that I can't keep track anymore. The volume of material that has been and has to be written is immense. When he finally is released, I think and hope it's going to blow people away. Quality will be absolutely top-notch, and that goes for everything in the mod.

Don't be fooled by the lack of activity or action in the forum. I can safely say that most of the information there is outdated and some of it is no longer applicable. This is intentional, and rest assured that I eventually will reintroduce the mod and the character. And when I do, a release might not be very far away.

As for the character? Khadion is charming, erratic, athletic and intelligent - but not very wise. Words like "rascal" and "scoundrel" can be used to describe him. He's not inherently evil, but he's not good, either. He's selfish and can a bit of a prick sometimes, but on the other hand, he's insecure and easy to intimidate or bully. Most of all, however, he's just a boy trying to find his own way and his own place in a world he'd like to be smaller. I hope you'll like him. I know I do.

What advice would you give first-time modders?

Three things: Don't go in over your head, Don't give up, and Make friends. It might seem as if the first two are conflicting with each other, but they're really not.

I've seen so many mod concepts from new modders that are just too large for even experienced modders or a whole team to accomplish. Start out small - discover how the game is pieced together and learn what things are viable and the things that are not. Create something small at first, and release it. An itempack, a tweak, a miniquest or something else. In doing that, you'll have a far better idea of what it takes to make a mod. I'm a perpetrator of going overboard, as well, so I know how easy it is to do.

I've seen even more mod concepts abandoned or discontinued because the modder simply gives up. Modding is a stubborn business - don't start if you don't have the determination to see it through.

Finally, make friends and establish contacts. Don't throw your own mod idea out there and expect people to jump on the bandwagon. Offer your help to others - spend three months writing or coding someone else's stuff - and get to know other modders better. Then, you'll have a better chance of getting a positive answer when you, in turn, ask them for help.

What are your plans for the future, modding-wise?

My own plans are to keep working on my projects - Khadion and the secret ones. Modding's been rare recently due to a hectic real life, but I hope to get back in full form early in 2008.

Short-answer questions:

Favourite canon BG/BGII Character? - Sarevok
Favourite Mod Character? - Khadion
Irenicus or Bodhi? - Irenicus
Vanilla or Modded BGII? - Modded
Favourite Class? - Kit; Archer, Class; Sorcerer

[Zyraen]

Sweet interview. Though we haven't talked much most of the time, thanks for all the help along the way SC.

"Most of all, however, he's just a boy trying to find his own way and his own place in a world he'd like to be smaller. I hope you'll like him. I know I do."
<== best line I've read in a while Here's to Khadion.

*cracks whip!*