13 replies to this topic

[Qwinn]

I'm thinking of listing the Tweaks in the installer by how much I recommend they be used by first time players. It would also, hopefully, make installation quicker as you're more likely to get all the tweaks you want early in the list and you can just quit out of the installer without having to answer No to 13 other tweaks just to get that last one you want.

I'm thinking I would list 'em in this order:

1. Banter Accelerator
2. Stackable Items
3. BG2-Style THACO Display
4. Scale of Souls
5. Explore City Areas
6. Save Nordom!
7. Maximized Friends Spell
8. Maximized Strength Spells
9. Maximized HP for TNO and Party
10. No Battle Music
11. Use Floating Text Font Globally
12. Identify All Items
13. Early Glabrezu
14. Power Action Leprechaun Annah, by Black Isle
15. Easter Egg Morte, by Black Isle
16. Rest Anywhere
17. Tome of Cheats

Whatcha all think? Anything you'd disagree with in this order? I'm kinda doing this with a first time player in mind, as a more frequent player won't be needing as much guidance.

Qwinn

[ghostdog]

I agree with the order. Another suggestion would be to separate them to two categories like "recommended" and "just for fun" (or something like that). I think the first 9 tweaks are a lot more useful than the rest.

[Daulmakan]

Yeah, the first nine are certainly useful, the others, not so much. I use the early Glabrezu one, but for a first timer, it isn't that mandatory (and might even end up being excesive, even if you're warned before entering Undersigil). I'd bump tweak number 9 in the order, as a newbie I always saved and reloaded to get maximum HP rolls; this tweak saves a lot of hassle. Explore city areas could be somewhat lower, but in overall that order is fine.

[Shambelle]

Perhaps "BG2-Style THACO Display" before "Stackable Items"?
The first one helps characters' management without changes to the gameplay, the other one helps also but with changes to the gameplay (number of items available).

The rest seems good.

[Qwinn]

Yeah, the BG2-Style THACO display is probably better to put at #2. In fact, the Scale of Souls should probably move up as well based on the same argument.

The reason I kinda tried to lower the HP tweak is because it is a pretty major change to gameplay... and since my feeling is the game's combat is altogether too easy, it's one that I'd kinda like to discourage. Of course, I'm a total hypocrite on this, because I always use it myself - if I don't, when it comes time to level up characters, I always wind up reloading until I get a decent roll. So eh, yeah, might as well put it as the first of the Maximized ones. One of these days, I'm gonna go through and do a Maximized HP for Enemies tweak, but that's gonna take a while, and it's not always easy to tell what an NPC's max hp -would- be (because the creature's level isn't always set properly).

I like giving Explore City Areas a high spot because, to me, its main purpose is art appreciation. Without it, it can be impossible to totally uncover some city areas, but they have some of the coolest artwork in the game. Doesn't really change anything gameplay-wise, though. So, yeah, good reason to recommend it and no reason to object to it I can think of, really.

And Early Glabrezu I actually dislike. Getting those uber items early on can wreck combat balance even worse than it already is. Thus why it's so low on the list.

Another suggestion would be to separate them to two categories like "recommended" and "just for fun" (or something like that)

Well, the only way I could really do this in WeiDU would be the way UB does it, with an option to do an automatic install of all recommended components. I don't think I want to go that way with this though. Really, the only "must haves", IMO, are the first 3 and maybe 4, and I'm sure there's people who would disagree with me on even those.

Anyways, based on the comments, here's the new order:

1. Banter Accelerator
2. BG2-Style THACO Display
3. Scale of Souls
4. Stackable Items
5. Explore City Areas
6. Save Nordom!
7. Maximized HP for TNO and Party
8. Maximized Friends Spell
9. Maximized Strength Spells
10. No Battle Music
11. Use Floating Text Font Globally
12. Identify All Items
13. Early Glabrezu
14. Power Action Leprechaun Annah, by Black Isle
15. Easter Egg Morte, by Black Isle
16. Rest Anywhere
17. Tome of Cheats

Qwinn

[gothemasticator]

I would actually move "11. Use Floating Text Font Globally" up to number 6.

Readability isn't a gameplay change, and you don't even have to have played the game once to benefit from it.

Otherwise, the list is great. You've got the ones I would recommend right up top.

gothemasticator

[prowler]

14. Power Action Leprechaun Annah, by Black Isle
15. Easter Egg Morte, by Black Isle

Maybe these two components shuold be marked like as "bonus" or "extra" or "special features", 'cause it's an official patches.

[Qwinn]

I figured that's what the "by Black Isle" accomplished

Qwinn

[Karnor]

Personally I really didn't like the scale of souls mod because I much preferred having to judge for myself whether actions were good/evil/chaotic/lawful and only discovering if I made so many similar choices that my alignment shifted. Knowing what the game thought of my decisions took away from my immersion of it.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Personally I really didn't like the scale of souls mod because I much preferred having to judge for myself whether actions were good/evil/chaotic/lawful and only discovering if I made so many similar choices that my alignment shifted. Knowing what the game thought of my decisions took away from my immersion of it.

I totally agree with you.The alignment is the shadow of our mind.I feel unwell to look that scale before or after I make every decision along with my journey.To some degree,I guess it may prevent me from indulging in the dialogue.Of course it is a personally thinking.

I concur. Scale of Souls shouldn't be used by first time players if you ask me. The rest is good, however.

Can I ask: What order do these mods appear when you're installing them? I need to update my guide and I'm in the middle of a game Thanks.

Edited by ThunderPeel2001, 05 February 2010 - 03:57 PM.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Can I ask: What order do these mods appear when you're installing them? I need to update my guide and I'm in the middle of a game Thanks.

No need for an answer now, I looked through the .tp2 files and saw the order. Hopefully my guide is now up to date with all of your hard work, Qwinn! Brilliant job, btw.

[ghostdog]

No need for an answer now, I looked through the .tp2 files and saw the order. Hopefully my guide is now up to date with all of your hard work, Qwinn! Brilliant job, btw.

Hey thunder, since you're updating, maybe you should also add that Vista/Win7 users should not install the game into the program files folder.

[ThunderPeel2001]

No need for an answer now, I looked through the .tp2 files and saw the order. Hopefully my guide is now up to date with all of your hard work, Qwinn! Brilliant job, btw.

Hey thunder, since you're updating, maybe you should also add that Vista/Win7 users should not install the game into the program files folder.

Did that ages ago when you first suggested it, GD!