821 replies to this topic

[Jarno Mikkola]

How about being able to remove armor in combat. I see no reason why a mage\thief throwing darts far from the front lines couldn't slip out of her chain mail to cast a few spells...

Well, there's a few ways you could do this other than editing the bgmain.exe actually, say an effect in all the armors to equip each others ... via the backpack inventory 'spells', this would also disable the characcter for the turn and so enable the realism, as you cannot really drop your 20 pound armor just to wave your hands a bit and then have it back on like the water from a water balloon.

[Igneous]

How about a tweak for swapping Cleric/Thieves' Turn Undead and Thieving menu buttons?

Hm. Upon further deliberation, I'm unsure as to whether this would actually be possible, from an operational standpoint. Turn Undead is a modal action, so situating it beneath Special Abilities may inhibit the toggle functionality.

[Kalindor]

Hm. Upon further deliberation, I'm unsure as to whether this would actually be possible, from an operational standpoint. Turn Undead is a modal action, so situating it beneath Special Abilities may inhibit the toggle functionality.

This is a request thread, man! Shoot for the sky! We want modal actions accessible through the special abilities button!

[ScuD]

Eh.... Full screen map in any resolution?

[Chevalier]

A Keep party formation function? I hate it when one or more NPC's thinks he should try the long way around (often getting ambushed alone).

[Jarno Mikkola]

This is a request thread, man! Shoot for the sky! We want modal actions accessible through the special abilities button!

Näh, aim for the moon, even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.
What I would suggest is a fully customizable GUI... for starters alike the Icewind Dale 2's GUI, where you can choose to use a spell-casting icons, instead of ..(with the right click). and then if you can make the extended area usable...

[Lollorian]

If we're gonna go ridiculous, how about free full 360 degree view area rotation??

Anyway, while I don't think this comes under ToBEx's scope, could something be done to like, reduce stuttering problems? Optimize the script engine? Increase the no. of usable CPU cores? (yes, I'm subtly comparing ToBEx with Oblivion's OBSE and OSR )

[Turambar]

What I would suggest is a fully customizable GUI... for starters alike the Icewind Dale 2's GUI, where you can choose to use a spell-casting icons, instead of ..(with the right click). and then if you can make the extended area usable...

Hmmm... it would also be nice to allow things into your secondary hand even if you're using a two-handed weapon; the engine could then enable or disable it depending on what you have in your first hand:
eg, if you have a shield in your left hand, you can put anything in your first hand; the engine displays the shield on your animation and changes your AC only if you're using a 1-haned weapon.
Or, if you have a weapon in your left hand, the engine also checks that you don't have a throwing weapon, before changing attacks number and bonuses

[Ascension64]

1) Enable us to add in a custom selectable classes.

Sorry, too much coding. So much code depends on detecting class.

I think that my wish isn't a wish, but a proof of my daydreaming, however is it possible to make subraces in BG2? I mean in character creation, not via dialogue in game or something.

I imagine it is possible to take an existing 'non-playable' race and turn it into a selectable race at chargen. However, the rule changes would need lots of coding. A lot of code depends on detecting race.

On a side note, a list of all possible assertion errors would be great for the lolz

Yeah, there are a lot of assertion errors and warnings. The same error might not always be due to one thing, either. This is the reason why I include the return address of the function that called the error. It enables someone to debug the error itself, but at the same time it requires a debugger who has reversed a significant portion of the executable, who aren't exactly abundant...

Throwing weapons animations...

Yes, I am aware of this mentioned in the tob_hacks thread on G3. I will have a look at it.

having a way to check for barbarian and/or wild mage kit

I got confused trying to understand the threads and gave up a while ago (on the understanding part), but I will have another look.

giving penalties to thieving skills even when the unusability doesn't exactly match the Assassin / Bounty Hunter ones

Will have a look, but should this configurable so that people can still require an exact match?

Forcing a full window redraw every tick, to avoid problems with external overlays

A difficult one, since I haven't looked too much at the GuiWorld stuff, but will put it down as to-do.

Could It be possible to add "hidden" proficiences to game (Meele, Arquebuses, and something else)?

I'm sure everything's possible...
Anyway, I think it could be done by a similar hack that would extend STATS.IDS. It would be a pretty big hack though, because the entire CDerivedStats structure would need to be added onto.

Also, 2 weapon wielding in iwd2(d&d 3e) works much better than in bg2, engine can read additional bit in itm file to determine light or medium type of weapon...

I think the current BG2 behaviour is a single kind of penalty. So you want to be able to adjust that penalty based on an item flag for the weapon?

Just curious, but how hard would it be to add an Order system similar to what Icewind Dale II has? Something like <Ranger/Paladin/Monk/Cleric> of <chosen deity>.

Yeah, I too am trying to work out how that is different from the current arrangement and kit mods out there.

How about a tweak for swapping Cleric/Thieves' Turn Undead and Thieving menu buttons?

If that is doable then what about a fully customisable menu bar for modders. Imagine a fighter kit with a find traps button? Or a bard who can't sing but can turn undead? Or maybe letting Viconia hide in shadows?

I'm currently thinking about how to make the 12 buttons more customisable - not easy, but probably worth doing. The quickest method would be to externalise the button choices allowing editing. Does IWDII allow customisation on the fly?

Would it be possible to implement more bag-friendly HasItem()/PartyHasItem() etc. triggers?

I'm still in the process of cross-checking with GemRB, but should be doable.

D&D encumbrance

Will have a look for it.

How about being able to remove armor in combat. I see no reason why a mage\thief throwing darts far from the front lines couldn't slip out of her chain mail to cast a few spells...

This is probably the easiest one - yes, definitely tweakable.

A couple of BG features would suit purists playing the various BG and IWD conversions, such as disabling pause on the inventory screen and disabling the tab key.

Disabling pause, sure. I imagine the code is already there for multiplayer, so doable I think. As for Tab key, can't people just not use Tab?

An effect to grant a percentage increase to all damage dealt of a selected type would be nice. Ex: Aqua Mortis and the like from IWD2.

I suppose this is doable. Will need to cross-check with GemRB.

Full screen map in any resolution?

I haven't looked at world maps at all, but I'm sure this is doable (the Widescreen mod has already done lots).

A Keep party formation function? I hate it when one or more NPC's thinks he should try the long way around (often getting ambushed alone).

Yeah, pathfinding sucks, but I'm not bright enough to tweak the system at the moment.

Anyway, while I don't think this comes under ToBEx's scope, could something be done to like, reduce stuttering problems? Optimize the script engine? Increase the no. of usable CPU cores?

I'm not familiar with this kind of coding, but I'm sure it is possible. As for reducing stuttering problems, I considered looking for example at the dragon animation issue, but haven't actually looked at it. Action stuttering is probably something that should be kept because it is indicative of poor scripting. Frame rate drops due to too many animations or too many items in a bag of holding is something to look into as well.

Hmmm... it would also be nice to allow things into your secondary hand even if you're using a two-handed weapon; the engine could then enable or disable it depending on what you have in your first hand:

Complicated, but probably doable as well.

[Galactygon]

1) Enable us to add in a custom selectable classes.

Sorry, too much coding. So much code depends on detecting class.

Is externalizing multi/dual-class combinations much of a hassle?

Throwing weapons animations...

Yes, I am aware of this mentioned in the tob_hacks thread on G3. I will have a look at it.

ITEMANIM.2da specifies (in a single column) what character sequence plays when activating an item's special ability. Right now that sequence plays whenever activating any ability for some item (for items with multiple abilities), and does not allow for attack animations to be overridden. Perhaps this could be fine-tuned (by adding more columns) to allow variations between extension headers, and allow attack animations to be overridden.

Could It be possible to add "hidden" proficiences to game (Meele, Arquebuses, and something else)?

I'm sure everything's possible...
Anyway, I think it could be done by a similar hack that would extend STATS.IDS. It would be a pretty big hack though, because the entire CDerivedStats structure would need to be added onto.

I thought as according to Nythrun, STATS.IDS is not expandable.

Does IWDII allow customisation on the fly?

You could edit your buttons ingame.

An effect to grant a percentage increase to all damage dealt of a selected type would be nice. Ex: Aqua Mortis and the like from IWD2.

I suppose this is doable. Will need to cross-check with GemRB.

Opcode #250 could help us out (with expanded parameters to account for damage dealt through spells/items, modifier type, etc).

I'll list a few more that were mentioned at various threads at G3:
* Simulacra use male casting voices, this could be fixed if spellcasting uses 0x0237 (sex) instead of 0x0275 (gender)
* Spell Immunity-type menus (.2das) could be linked with spells (.spls) in an external .2da table so that the menu will expand to replace the spell when selecting contingencies/triggers.
* Flags for spells/item abilities to allow targeting of invisible characters, ignore the 1-spell/round limit, and (for item abilities) to be affected by aura cleansing

Here's one I'm keen on:
The engine rolls saving throws and calculates luck bonuses before the first feature block of the extended header is applied, rather than before the first feature block where the saving throw or damage reduction is calculated. This prevents us from applying effects that give bonuses to saving throws and luck bonuses on the fly (ie. in the same extended header). This is not the case with damage/magic resistances, where they are calculated when first looked for, so this is some engine inconsistency.

If the engine could take saving throw modifiers/luck modifiers into account when placed in the same feature block, but right before the order in which the rest of the effects are applied, then it would be possible to implement AD&D saving throws vs. damage types / wisdom modifiers to saving throws against charm-related effects.

-Galactygon

[Jarno Mikkola]

Does IWDII allow customisation on the fly?

About the interface buttons, and like I said, yes you can in most cases(with the right clicking on top of them which then gives a customization selecter, alike the spell selection window), some of them are preset, like the weapon slots(at least that's what I remember)... yep, the right click opens up this interface, from were you can set that interface button to be what you like:

Edited by Jarno Mikkola, 12 January 2011 - 11:43 AM.

[the bigg]

giving penalties to thieving skills even when the unusability doesn't exactly match the Assassin / Bounty Hunter ones

Will have a look, but should this configurable so that people can still require an exact match?

I don't understand the question; I think having a component in ToBExConfig asking if you want that tweak or not (like the rest of the stuff) is fine with me (I doubt this would cause compatibility issues, since sane modders wouldn't pillage the BH/Assassin unusability bit for their kit).

Re: buttons, I recall that some modder would've liked to disable the Bard button using opcode Button: Disable Button [144].

Re: stuttering, I heard that the Ammo Belt doesn't suffer from the stutter problem caused by the Bag of Holding (10000 copies of arow01 in the BoH would cause noticeable slowdown with PartyHasItem(), while the same wouldn't happen if the arrows were in the AB). The source of this information was the Iron Curtain, so assume the information is wrong or misleading until extensively tested.

Edited by the bigg, 12 January 2011 - 07:44 AM.

[Lava Del'Vortel]

I think that my wish isn't a wish, but a proof of my daydreaming, however is it possible to make subraces in BG2? I mean in character creation, not via dialogue in game or something.

I imagine it is possible to take an existing 'non-playable' race and turn it into a selectable race at chargen. However, the rule changes would need lots of coding. A lot of code depends on detecting race.

I mean to make it as it was in IWD2 - when you click elf, then another window appears offering you subraces. But I'm not sure if that's possible - the problem would be to make game "understand" that for example sun elf, drow etc are all elves... It's just an idea, however... probably it's to difficult to make it come true

Hmm, so maybe lets add at least tiefling to the options? Maybe one or two more, but logical and acceptable ones - not dragons and other questionable ones.

[Jarno Mikkola]

...

Well, there's the FinnJO's Subrace mod...

[Lava Del'Vortel]

Yeah, I know but that would be better to include that kind of options in creating a character. As far as I remember that kind of mods add subrace via dialogue.
However, probably it's just me who would like to see it so...

Edited by Lava Del'Vortel, 12 January 2011 - 08:13 AM.

[GeN1e]

Some time ago I've asked in PM for no casting interruption if no damage (100% res) is taken.
Thinking more about it, could the concentration check be implemented, using creature's level as a base?

if ((level + 1d20) < damage) then interrupted=1
else interrupted=0

* Simulacra use male casting voices, this could be fixed if spellcasting uses 0x0237 (sex) instead of 0x0275 (gender)

I second this. Female-looking planetars are also annoying.

Here's one I'm keen on:
The engine rolls saving throws and calculates luck bonuses before the first feature block of the extended header is applied, rather than before the first feature block where the saving throw or damage reduction is calculated. This prevents us from applying effects that give bonuses to saving throws and luck bonuses on the fly (ie. in the same extended header). This is not the case with damage/magic resistances, where they are calculated when first looked for, so this is some engine inconsistency.

If the engine could take saving throw modifiers/luck modifiers into account when placed in the same feature block, but right before the order in which the rest of the effects are applied, then it would be possible to implement AD&D saving throws vs. damage types / wisdom modifiers to saving throws against charm-related effects.

Use 177. I've made Spirit Armor's backlash to be saved against at the moment of appliyng, instead of upon casting.

[Galactygon]

Use 177. I've made Spirit Armor's backlash to be saved against at the moment of appliyng, instead of upon casting.

I've almost wrote a "no, not possible" post, but I decided to test it once again (I've been trying to get this to work using external .effs for years), and it sort of worked. I'm giving you credit for giving me the idea to delay the external damage-applying .eff. I would have to:
1.) externalize all damage feature blocks into .effs
2.) make sure that .eff fires away with a delay of 0 (set in the extended header)
3.) make sure the saving throw modifier is placed before the external .eff with a duration of 1 (0 doesn't work, bc it expires before the .eff is fired).
It's still not optimal, because many things can happen within that one second when the saving throw/luck roll is penalized. Furthermore, I would have to externalize every single opcode in the game, which is a pain.

I'm also giving you credit because this made me test opcode 133 [Luck Non-Cumulative] instead of 22 [Luck modifier]. Opcode 133 is applied right when the game reads through that feature block, as opposed to opcode 22 (which is applied when the game reaches the end of the feature block list). You are now my friend, GeN1e.

In summary: I'd like opcodes 22, and 33-37 to behave like opcode 133 in terms of when they are applied.

-Galactygon

[Dakk]

Some time ago I've asked in PM for no casting interruption if no damage (100% res) is taken.

Seconded.

Thinking more about it, could the concentration check be implemented, using creature's level as a base?

if ((level + 1d20) < damage) then interrupted=1
else interrupted=0

But then Magic Missiles would never interrupt anything

[GeN1e]

BG2 has a number of unused proficiencies (they exist and you can set them via opcode #233 (Proficiency Modifier) param2 116 through 134, but they don't show on the chargen screen). Rather than adding brand new proficiencies, all you'd really need to to do would get these unused to show on the chargen screen.

Those are already used by DS, and I'll wager my accounts on all BG-related sites that 99% of players will take SCS over a mod with new profs, if they're forced to choose. So it's back to extending STATS.IDS.