1192 replies to this topic

[miker17]

I have question.... about That bandit quest in waterdeep. Can you please tell me where is Sewer ?

[Evani]

Hello,

 

I have recently installed an exhaustive BWS setup and restarting BGT with Sandrah. The combination adds a lot of content and given how many times I've played vanilla BGT, I'm likely to speed run through a lot of things till TOB and miss out stuff, especially when I usually don't switch party members very often.

 

Apart from the hints and the not-a-walkthrough( which covers the story), could you tell me which characters Sandrah needs to interact with in order to gain her abilities(and what they do) and upgrades?

 

Thanks!

Edited by Evani, 05 July 2015 - 07:45 PM.

[Samriel]

Yeah, that's what the google search answer for the "An Assertion failed in ChDimm.cpp at line number 834" -line says too.
@Samriel: The fun thing is, you failed to properly make a clone of your game install, and so you should do that properly first... aka, remove the game you have modified, uninstall the primary game, remove that game folder and reinstall the game there again, and then copy the game directory, and properly change the [Alias] -lines in it, start that game and then install the megamod on top of that. So:

Good that I did not install it in the original copy as I would need to reinstall it all with mods and stuff all over again.

Actually no, not at all.

Is it theoretically possible to have two working installations of the game at the same time?

 

Let us assume that I had installed the game and so did an install wit plenty of mods which seems to work quite well. However, I decided to add one more mod but I fear installing it in the folder where I installed everything before since I fear that it might screw up what was working well before.

 

So could I do a BWS install in a WORKING clean copy of my BG2 install or would the install from before get in my way/cause potential malfunctions even if I changed the path of my copy version in  baldur.ini?

 

Or would I have to uninstall EVERYTHING then and do a BWS install after installing the game again?

 

The thing with Sandrah is that it needs to be installed the last so I kinda fear adding new mods to my already existing installation and uninstalling and reinstalling everything takes TONS of time...

 

Is there no was to keep a "safe" game backup(with installed mods) while trying to experiment by adding new stuff on a copy?

 

Or should I try my chances by simply installing the one extra mod I want in the working game folder MANUALLY and hope that it somehow will be installed before the Sandrah mod?

Edited by Samriel, 06 July 2015 - 12:26 AM.

[The Imp]

Is it theoretically possible to have two working installations of the game at the same time?

It's not just a theory. But you have to do it correctly from the start.
 

Let us assume that I had installed the game and so did an install wit plenty of mods which seems to work quite well.
...
So could I do a BWS install in a WORKING clean copy of my BG2 install or would the install from before get in my way/cause potential malfunctions even if I changed the path of my copy version in baldur.ini?

I would advice you to run the Setup BiG World Setup.vbs file and run the restore a clean back up from it, yes, the program has that function if you made it available for you(it takes a bit of space, but it's very small), and in the case you didn't, just use the Windows Control Panel to remove the game, and then reinstall it. After that, you can exit from the BWS and make a copy of the game folder, as it's now a clean game folder.
PS: But read on... 
 
 

However, I decided to add one more mod but I fear installing it in the folder where I installed everything before since I fear that it might screw up what was working well before.

Well, in this case you don't need the BWS, just a lots of space in your hard drive as you need to copy the modified game to as separated folder, edit the baldur.ini to lead to this folder, and then just install the mod there, manually.
 
 

...or would the install from before get in my way/cause potential malfunctions even if I changed the path of my copy version in baldur.ini?

If you did it correctly it won't have any effects on the original install, but if you did it wrong, you are pretty screwed, as you have to start from the beginning, to have a clean install.
Now you can use this same trick in to a megamoded game, but the BWS won't be able to adjust to it, but you can then use the manual method to install mods.
 
 

The thing with Sandrah is that it needs to be installed the last so I kinda fear adding new mods to my already existing installation and uninstalling and reinstalling everything takes TONS of time...

Yeah, and which mod didn't ? You have to understand that the mod author is always just looking after their own hides when saying things like that. You can place any mod that "requires" this after the aTweaks mod and you'll likely be in the correct spot as the Generalized Biffing and Widescreen mods are still after that.
 
 

Or should I try my chances by simply installing the one extra mod I want in the working game folder MANUALLY and hope that it somehow will be installed before the Sandrah mod?

After the BWS has made it's install, you can go copy the whole megamoded game folder and then redirect the [Alias]*es, you can then go and manually uninstall mods, but you have to do it one at a time, and manually, as the BWS can't handle the manually changed folder.

Edited by The Imp, 06 July 2015 - 01:27 AM.

[Roxanne]

Hmmm, got some new questions.
 
1.

Spoiler

You mentioned that Shar-Teel is one of the potential characters to join for RtF. Do I need the BG1 NPCS for SoA or the Shar-Teel NPC mod(which I recall was in German) to make her available for RtF? Or maybe she is recruitable as in SoA/ToB and/or RtF as part of the Sandrah mod?

 

Spoiler

She is NOT joinable but has a significant quest role in RtF.
If you plan to have a male player in BG1 and take her along you will get a lot of contents with Sandrah and BG1NPS installed and a deeper story for what she becomes in RtF, but it is not essential. There is another story about her development if you did not take her in BG1 or you are a female PC
Shar-Teel NPC is not required, but it is made compatible with the plot in Sandrah.

 

2. Any plans to add maybe some flirts-initiated by the PC- to Sandrah? By that I do not mean just the love talks but ones that depend on how the relationship between her and the PC stands and/or reflects the most current events? Maybe even Sandrah offering some extra advice on what to do? She is already my party counselor so...^^
Her PID options are constantly evolving during the game, depending on your treatment and the quests you do. It is worth checking her from time to time, you should find new things after each new significant event.
 
3. Is Sandrah compatible and/or features content for mods that restore content like Unfinished Business or Almateria Restoration mod? I quite enjoy playing BG/BG2 with all kinds of restored content.
Which type of compatibility do you mean? I can see no issue why she is not compatible with these mods, even though the Sandrah mod finishes or elaborates some *unfinished* issues from the game herself. There was no overlap with the current version of UB, Sandrah recognises UB and BG1UB. I never tried Almateria, but my assumption is there will as well be no issues. From what I have read that mod restores things that were never in the game before, which means there will be no reaction/comment or such from Sandrah to those new things.
 
Btw I did a reinstall with biffing and the game is no longer slow. Thanks for the help guys!!

Edited by Roxanne, 06 July 2015 - 02:21 AM.

[Roxanne]

I have question.... about That bandit quest in waterdeep. Can you please tell me where is Sewer ?

Spoiler

Did you talk to Ringothal at the inner part of the Mystra's Temple?
Did you check the sewer grates on the initial map of WD, look near the house where the shadow thief encounter took place.

[Roxanne]

Hello,

 

I have recently installed an exhaustive BWS setup and restarting BGT with Sandrah. The combination adds a lot of content and given how many times I've played vanilla BGT, I'm likely to speed run through a lot of things till TOB and miss out stuff, especially when I usually don't switch party members very often.

 

Apart from the hints and the not-a-walkthrough( which covers the story), could you tell me which characters Sandrah needs to interact with in order to gain her abilities(and what they do) and upgrades?

 

Thanks!

The answer may be frustrating for your plan to rush through the game, but most likely Sandrah is not for you.

The story runs along the main plot of the PC including the major mods of BG1 (Dark Side, Northern Tales, Drizzt etc, etc.). There are also some longer diversions (e.g. to her hometown Waterdeep, that are required for her quest) Many issues are found in addition in those areas that had little content in the original game.

Regarding her upgrades and abilities - those depend very much on which party members you choose and which quests you do. Depending on which experience she makes in your company she will develop in different ways (and gain different abilities that way.)

[Roxanne]

Is it theoretically possible to have two working installations of the game at the same time?

It's not just a theory. But you have to do it correctly from the start.
 

Let us assume that I had installed the game and so did an install wit plenty of mods which seems to work quite well.
...
So could I do a BWS install in a WORKING clean copy of my BG2 install or would the install from before get in my way/cause potential malfunctions even if I changed the path of my copy version in baldur.ini?

I would advice you to run the Setup BiG World Setup.vbs file and run the restore a clean back up from it, yes, the program has that function if you made it available for you(it takes a bit of space, but it's very small), and in the case you didn't, just use the Windows Control Panel to remove the game, and then reinstall it. After that, you can exit from the BWS and make a copy of the game folder, as it's now a clean game folder.
PS: But read on... 
 
 

However, I decided to add one more mod but I fear installing it in the folder where I installed everything before since I fear that it might screw up what was working well before.

Well, in this case you don't need the BWS, just a lots of space in your hard drive as you need to copy the modified game to as separated folder, edit the baldur.ini to lead to this folder, and then just install the mod there, manually.
 
 

...or would the install from before get in my way/cause potential malfunctions even if I changed the path of my copy version in baldur.ini?

If you did it correctly it won't have any effects on the original install, but if you did it wrong, you are pretty screwed, as you have to start from the beginning, to have a clean install.
Now you can use this same trick in to a megamoded game, but the BWS won't be able to adjust to it, but you can then use the manual method to install mods.
 
 

The thing with Sandrah is that it needs to be installed the last so I kinda fear adding new mods to my already existing installation and uninstalling and reinstalling everything takes TONS of time...

Yeah, and which mod didn't ? You have to understand that the mod author is always just looking after their own hides when saying things like that. You can place any mod that "requires" this after the aTweaks mod and you'll likely be in the correct spot as the Generalized Biffing and Widescreen mods are still after that.
 

Considering contents, Sandrah can be installed just after Aurora and Haiass, as those are the last mods in the BWP/BWS sequence it adds contents to, which otherwise will be lost.

However, I currently test the mod once again with a VERY LARGE all-you can have installation and start to find issues (I will avoid them in a next version but it may take some while until this can be accomplished) with some item/spell/tweak/strategy mods that now are installed after them. Those issues are that normal creatures and items are tweaked, relocated and overwritten by some mods, item locations are changed, creatures do not carry an expected item, etc. So until I found all these issues and found a solution for each, it is safe to install her as late as possible. (remember the mod is still under test)

 

Or should I try my chances by simply installing the one extra mod I want in the working game folder MANUALLY and hope that it somehow will be installed before the Sandrah mod?

After the BWS has made it's install, you can go copy the whole megamoded game folder and then redirect the [Alias]*es, you can then go and manually uninstall mods, but you have to do it one at a time, and manually, as the BWS can't handle the manually changed folder.

Looks like my comments got somehow misplaced above.

Edited by Roxanne, 06 July 2015 - 02:33 AM.

[The Imp]

Looks like my comments got somehow misplaced above.

That's the forum software... I wouldn't try to fix that, but color them with a blood:

 [color=#ff0000]-text-[/color] 

Also you might wish to toggle the BBCode Mode tag off-and-on... and remove a few of the lines you are not directly responding to so the post is not just a pyramid of earlier posts.

Edited by The Imp, 06 July 2015 - 03:19 AM.

[Samriel]

More questions ^^

 

1.

Spoiler

I've read the readme for Sandrah and I try to recruit all potential NPCS for future adventures but I do not know how to start the orphanage quest to recruit Izzy. Any advice? 

 

2

Spoiler

Speaking of Imoen, I started her BIG quest regarding Henning and got to the point where I bring the guy in question Winter wolf pelts and sometime later as I enter the Neshkel, Imoen wants really badly to see him and runs to his shop but no conversation there happens. I traveled for a while and returned to Neshkel as few times but there does not seem like it progresses. I started this quest around the time I defeated Tazon and started looking for Cloackwood. I did not advance said quest since then but just did minor quests here and there. Is it to late for Imoen's Big Quest or should I advance further into the main plot as I return to Nashkel once in a while? 

 

3. Are there any points where stats like Charisma/Intelligence/Wisdom do play a role in quests or affect how characters react to you and/or provide new/different conversations? If not then are you considering perhaps implementing said feature?

 

4. Is it better -or obligatory- to choose Candlekeep Chores or a normal start of the SoA part?

Edited by Samriel, 06 July 2015 - 03:52 AM.

[Roxanne]

More questions ^^

 

1.

Spoiler

I've read the readme for Sandrah and I try to recruit all potential NPCS for future adventures but I do not know how to start the orphanage quest to recruit Izzy. Any advice? 

Spoiler

Izzy will only appear in RtF
She will be there, regardless of how you manage the orphanage quest, you will only miss the reason why she is there, who she is, why the house is now an orpanage and why the other persons are there etc - This is related to the story below #2

2

Spoiler

Speaking of Imoen, I started her BIG quest regarding Henning and got to the point where I bring the guy in question Winter wolf pelts and sometime later as I enter the Neshkel, Imoen wants really badly to see him and runs to his shop but no conversation there happens. I traveled for a while and returned to Neshkel as few times but there does not seem like it progresses. I started this quest around the time I defeated Tazon and started looking for Cloackwood. I did not advance said quest since then but just did minor quests here and there. Is it to late for Imoen's Big Quest or should I advance further into the main plot as I return to Nashkel once in a while? 

It looks like you missed this quest. The Imoen/Henning relationship must have started before you go to the Bandit Camp. 

3. Are there any points where stats like Charisma/Intelligence/Wisdom do play a role in quests or affect how characters react to you? If not then are you considering perhaps implementing said feature?

There are some situations/conversations that take wisdom/charisma into account, however not in the relationship between Sandrah and the PC but in respect to outside people (e.g. with high enough WIS or CHA a dialogue option is given to the PC, otherwise Sandrah will compensate and help you out...)

4. Is it better -or obligatory- to choose Candlekeep Chores or a normal start of the SoA part?

The mod requires CtB only for the transition from BG1 to BG2. It does not matter at all which option you choose, the choice is only provided for players who do not want the interuption (even the FastForward option) during the transition.

Better is what you choose for yourself.

[Samriel]

Very interesting, its a bit of a shame that Sandrah does not have reactions to those stats herself though. Like maybe being impressed by an insight that only a player with high wisdom got or finding a more charismatic PC to be more irresistible... Maybe even finding herself flabbergasted by dialogue options of a PC with a veeeeery low INT

 

Also one thing: I recall that Sandrah is not recruitable for evil PCs but the readme said that an evil PC can turn her into his/her enemy. Does it mean that if I created a PC with an evil alignment then Sandrah would appear in the game but not as a recruitable party member but as an enemy? Or does it apply only to when I get my reputation really low?

 

Also......what if I make evil decisions in hell by the end of SoA-Hell trials- and it changes my alignment to evil? Would Sandrah react to that somehow? I think it is an interesting option to consider^^

Edited by Samriel, 06 July 2015 - 04:55 AM.

[Roxanne]

Very interesting, its a bit of a shame that Sandrah does not have reactions to those stats herself though. Like maybe being impressed by an insight that only a player with high wisdom got or finding a more charismatic PC to be more irresistible... Maybe even finding herself flabbergasted by dialogue options of a PC with a veeeeery low INT

The way most mods deal with that is to have some eligibility checks for this at the beginning, e.g you have to have minimum INT or CHA to interest him/her. For the current test version I have not introduced these checks in order to receive as much feedback as possible. For a later version I will probably introduce some requirements, I cannot see her follow a dwarf fighter of low intelligence or a chaotic halfling sorcerer without charisma.

Also one thing: I recall that Sandrah is not recruitable for evil PCs but the readme said that an evil PC can turn her into his/her enemy. Does it mean that if I created a PC with an evil alignment then Sandrah would appear in the game but not as a recruitable party member but as an enemy? Or does it apply only to when I get my reputation really low?

She will not show up if you are evil from the beginning (This may be changed - see above - upon introduction of some more sophisticated checks). The reason I did that for the test version was fairplay for those willing to try the mod. .

Spoiler

It is a large mod and cumbersome still to install her - so you would be rightfully angry if she kills you halfway through BG1 assuming you are the BAD bhaalspawn and not Sarevok

 

She will react if you change during the game. There will also be reactions to low reputation (depending on what causes it).

Also......what if I make evil decisions in hell by the end of SoA and it changes my alignment to evil? Would Sandrah react to that somehow? I think it is an interesting option to consider^^

There are reactions - the outcome will depend on a number of other issues that may have accumulated by that time, e.g. your personal relationship at that time, the way you have dealt with her own quests and how far they have evolved (She may decide to stay with you if it is helpful and there is still a chance to change things until ToB end)

Edited by Roxanne, 06 July 2015 - 05:13 AM.

[Bill Bisco]

It would really be nice if Sandrah would not disappear if CHARNAME is evil ala Saerileth and Kova & Kiyone.

[Roxanne]

It would really be nice if Sandrah would not disappear if CHARNAME is evil ala Saerileth and Kova & Kiyone.

 

After further consideration

I think for future versions I should allow an Evil PC as well, provided that some other Stats are acceptable. There are many options throughout the game to change, read tomes to improve stats, etc.

The best way would be to introduce (in addition to already existing) some checks during the game to see if PC and Sandrah are still compatible or drifting too far apart.

The real point of decision should not be at the beginning of BG1 but after the crucial Sandrah quest in the second half of ToB. At that point it will become clear if the PC is suitable for his/her role in RtF.

The downside of this would be that an NPC who went almost through the whole game with you could become your worst enemy in the end - but that would be fully in line with Sandrah's story and character (and it would probably not come as an unforeseeable surprise, you should have received enough indications/warnings before).

[Samriel]

Whoops triple post. How can one delete posts here?

 

Damn my internet connection...

Edited by Samriel, 06 July 2015 - 06:32 AM.

[Samriel]

I think that an evil PC trying to show that he/she can "self redeem" himself/herself through actions despite starting with an evil alignment-which can be due to the taint- and having to put a bit more of an effort. After all Bhaal's taint seems to make the "victim" more evil or at least affects the target by strengthening the evil within a person like it did with Sarevok.

 

Hmmm also...have you considered maybe an "evil path" where a PC through clever conversations and by gaining a very high love and trust score could possibly corrupt her and make it possible for an "unholy matrimony" or "Villainous friendship" with both being willing to get their hands really dirty? Maybe resulting in a change to Sandrah's alignment from NG to NE? I think such an optional route would be really interesting 

 

As for stats how about at least letting those affect conversations between PC and Sandrah during special/crucial moments which affect the PC's most important choices that are tied to Sandrah? And yeah, though she seems really open minded I do not see her falling for an ugly dwarf or halfling

[Samriel]

Some new options for how one could complete quests would be cool too.

Edited by Samriel, 06 July 2015 - 05:55 AM.

[Bill Bisco]

Dp.

Edited by Bill Bisco, 06 July 2015 - 06:09 AM.

[Bill Bisco]

It would really be nice if Sandrah would not disappear if CHARNAME is evil ala Saerileth and Kova & Kiyone.

 
After further consideration
I think for future versions I should allow an Evil PC as well, provided that some other Stats are acceptable. There are many options throughout the game to change, read tomes to improve stats, etc.
The best way would be to introduce (in addition to already existing) some checks during the game to see if PC and Sandrah are still compatible or drifting too far apart.
The real point of decision should not be at the beginning of BG1 but after the crucial Sandrah quest in the second half of ToB. At that point it will become clear if the PC is suitable for his/her role in RtF.
The downside of this would be that an NPC who went almost through the whole game with you could become your worst enemy in the end - but that would be fully in line with Sandrah's story and character (and it would probably not come as an unforeseeable surprise, you should have received enough indications/warnings before).

That sounds awesome and would be both thematic and appropriate!