Sergio

The dreadful tales – try it. I won’t reinstall it. (19/11/2023)

This is the mod I like the most by Lava.

On my eyes, it shows the growth of him as a mod author: areas are cool and interlinked without feeling “overabundant”, the dialogue is not bad, the story is not bad either.

But even with these good qualities, the mod shows what I think it’s the limit in every Lava’s mod – talking, moving around, is just a way to experience the content without having an impact. If you are going to play the mod 2 times, the content will always be the same, because the mod is pretty linear and the choices available for you do not have any meaningful impact.

Every mod I’ve played ends always on you killing the bad guy that is too desperate to be reasoned with or too keen in his evil way – I wouldn’t mind, if there were some real options available for the player.

In this case, there is a way to end the affliction of the land, but what if I didn’t want to end it and actually make it worse? What if I wanted to study what the girl did or have my Charname acquire something more useful than the simple thought of having done a good action?  

Also, the re-use of some ideas feel redundant (for example, the kids following you and getting a useless power reminds me of the dream npc in another mod that can’t be enslaved) or the blacksmith not remembering his past and you having to talk with him).

I mean, I enjoyed the mod, but it’s not like I would say “reinstall it”. It’s Lava’s best mod, but it’s still not something I would reinstall in my every playthrough, because it simply shows the limit I always find hard to bear when I wish to replay something.

Thanks for the mod.

Extra expanded enhanced encounters -> not a bad mod. Try it. Doubt I will reinstall.

You can find the mod here: https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/73749/extra-expanded-enhanced-encounters-module-download/p1

This mod add new encounters. Some are well written, but of course, it’s all subjective.

I will just write about what I didn’t enjoy.

- The gnoll fortress component is cool, but after facing so many gnolls, it is sad not to find a stash or something valuable. Sadly enough, I doubt that gnoll would stash gold coins or jewels inside their own fortress. So I doubt this can be “fixed”.

- The Undercity Magma Bulwark Encounter kinda took me out of the game, because they are skeletons and they all have “human” names. That way, they feel more of an ester-egg added by a mod.

Argent77 mods. --> I will review them all together

I have to make a statement before expressing my ideas about Argent77’s mods. Most of them are amazing and always in my install. Thanks Argent77!!

 

Convenient Enhanced Edition NPCs for BG:EE, SoD and BG2:EE --> will install always. This is a great mod. I use the no-equipment-from EE.

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Hidden gameplay options --> This is a cool mod that I always install, but I dislike the order of the components proposed when you install it. I install only the following three components, that I think can be used by any player (and they are thus the more popular), while the others are more “technical”:
Enable debug mode
Limit ranger/cleric spells
Improved cheat menu
If these three components were to be put first, the mod would be perfect.

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Golem construction for spellcasters  --> this is a cool mod, but I don’t like the way it’s executed. As such, I’m undecided if I will be reinstalling it again. These are my impressions on BG:EE:

1) It would be cooler if it was the player agency that activates the mod, rather than the mod being activated from minute 0. What I mean is that you wouldn’t be finding bones or body parts, until you do a certain thing (wouldn’t finding the manual be a good moment?). Having bodies cluttered with different items is not as elegant as it should be, especially when I’m playing with a CG ranger. Why is my charname so fixated on these?

2) I would add that rather than finding all these items, especially when they are so “common”, an item that just siphons these parts without player input would be way cooler than having the player loot so much stuff and having to click so many buttons.

3) Not only that: knowing that I installed the mod, having all these body parts available and not taking them (I leave these items on the ground) makes regret starts sinking in, because I have never played the mod before, and as such, I don’t know how many of these items I need (and I would like to avoid taking a look at the spoiler manual).
 

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Magic store of vergadain --> cool mod, try it. I will always toss a coin if I have to reinstall it.

 This is a cool mod, but:

- I dislike the limited amount of times you can use it daily (3). You should be able to tweak that.

- it can unbalance the game really fast, because you have temples’ services in the wilderness.
Rather than considering it a limit of the mod (https://www.gibberlings3.net/forums/topic/32357-magic-store-of-vergadain-visit-any-store-anywhere-and-anytime/page/2/#comment-323645) I think a good idea would be an optional component that makes building of the artifact and the single parts way more expensive. I would gladly pay 15k to build the “whole” artifact, due to the services that it offers.

 

 

Author's answer: https://www.gibberli...#comment-327231

Ayden’s project (finished 27/06/2023)

Hello, I’ve played Ayden Project. I will share my thoughts in bullet points.

1) I’m taking a look at two components:

Wands for Thieves: Enable the use of wands for all thief kits (including warlock). (Any)

Thief Proficiencies: Enable mace and spear proficiency for all thief kits. (Any)

Why haven’t you put the warlock class under the bard kit for Ayden, so Ayden can use wand?

And for the thief proficiency, wouldn’t it be easier if you just put these two points from the start on Ayden, rather than touching the kits? Or alternatively, add a weapon that can morph into a mace or a spear that can be used just by Ayden and that becomes stronger with him.

Having a npc mod actually changing the way a class works leaves me a bit conflicted. I could install them safely because I don’t use mods that touch classes or kits (for now).

 

Spoilers incoming, so I would avoid reading them if you wish to try the npc.

 

Thanks for the mod!


Author's answer: https://www.gibberli...#comment-327289

Considering that there is also a follow up that ends with feedback I just left today (today as 02/12/2023): https://www.gibberli...#comment-330802

Thalantyr item upgrade --> really undecided about this mod.

First of all, even if the mod is named “item upgrade”, the mod adds all the containers of BG2 to Thalantyr.

Second, the mod adds a dialogue with a double space, the following: Can you  make magic items or alter them? (The _ points to the unnecessary double space)

Third, the mod adds, as you can imagine, the possibility to upgrade items you find during your journey. This is a concept that I like really much, but personally, I find the execution very lacking, because improving these items most of the time feels unearned, due to the recipe being extremely easy to satisfy while getting unmatched power from these items.

I will offer some examples. Obviously, there will be spoilers.

So, after all of this, why am I undecided? Because I feel that the only recipe I would be using is probably the one for the Balduran's cloak. All the rest have an impact on the balance that takes me out of the game.

Some players opinions: 
1) Inkal: https://www.gibberli...#comment-327108
2) Connelly: https://www.gibberli...#comment-327111
3) Mickabouile: https://www.gibberli...#comment-327114