OneEyedPhoenix

This is to let you all know that me and MM75 have undertaken a project to create a balancing mod for BWP.
The goal is to balance the big content mods for BWP, kind of like BP-Balancer did (to some extent) for BP.

To do this however we need feedback and suggestions from you!

We do not have our own forum yet, and will likely not have until we are ready to release an early version of the mod.
In the meantime this thread will be your chance to give us general feedback/suggestions on what the mod should be like.

If you have something to say about a specific mod then please do so at the appropriate thread in each respective mod forum, to which I will provide links below in this post.

As of now the first mod up for revision/balancing is DSotSC. A feedback thread for NTotSC is also up and running.


DSotSC Feedback thread
NTotSC Feedback thread

Me and MM75 have recently undertaken a mod project to balance mods for use with the BWP (BW-Balancer) and one of the first mods up for revision is the NTotSC.

As a means to that end we would like to give you all this opportunity to say what you think should be different in NTotSC.
Is a certain item overpowered? Should some items/spells/etc be removed/revised? Do you have a suggestion for how the items/spells/etc should be altered?

We would like your input on this and if you provide us with good suggestions we might just include them in our mod. The more elaborate the reasoning and the suggestion(s) the better are the odds that we will use it.

Any thoughts?

Me and MM75 have recently undertaken a mod project to balance mods for use with the BWP (BW-Balancer) and the first mod up for revision is the Dsotsc.

As a means to that end we would like to give you all this opportunity to say what you think should be different in Dsotsc.
Is a certain item overpowered? Should some items/spells/etc be removed/revised? Do you have a suggestion for how the items/spells/etc should be altered?

We would like your input on this and if you provide us with good suggestions we might just include them in our mod. The more elaborate the reasoning and the suggestion(s) the better are the odds that we will use it.

Any thoughts?

Edit: Below follows some suggestions I made three years ago. Feel free to comment on those.

dsamul03

Original:

Special: 
  Double all 1, 2, and 3rd level priest spells
  +1 on all saves

My Version:

Special: 
  One extra 1, 2, 3 and 4th level priest spells
  +1 on all saves

Kind of like the ring of holiness. Not as insane as before, but still very good.

dsamul07

Original:

You are a very lucky adventurer indeed.  This Bluestone Necklace increases your Dexterity and gives you a +3 THAC0 bonus!  Just don't let it fall into the wrong hands.....  

Special:  
  +3 Dexterity Bonus and +3 THAC0 while wearing

My Version:

You are a very lucky adventurer indeed.  This Bluestone Necklace increases your Dexterity and gives you a +1 THAC0 bonus!  Just don't let it fall into the wrong hands.....  

Special:  
  +2 Dexterity Bonus and +1 THAC0 while wearing

Just a general down tuning.

dsamul08

This one I'm not quite sure about. Says that wizardslayers are the only ones not able to use it. Would it then give the +1 lvl1 priest spell to non-priests? Should be restricted to Cleric, Druid and ranger, single, dual and multi-classes if it does.

dsarrow1

Original:

This arrow will kill any minor dragon or wyvern outright, does extra damage larger dragons and wyrms and has a greater chance of slaying one of the greatest threats to elven forest, the Green or Forest Dragon.

STATISTICS:

Damage:  1D6 
Damage type:  missile (piercing) 

Special:  
  Slay Minor Dragons and Wyvern upon contact
  +3 Damage/+3 To Hit all Dragons
  10% chance to slay all Dragons

My Version:

This arrow will inflict extra damage on any dragon or wyvern.

STATISTICS:

Damage:  1D6 
Damage type:  missile (piercing) 

Special:  
  +3 Damage/+3 To Hit all Dragons

Ability to instantly slay Dragons is just stupid! I wanted to make this arrow able to penetrate any magical protection a Dragon might have, but I wouldn't know how to code it right...

dsbelt01

Seems to have haste as an equipping effect. Should be changed to a charged effect.

Original:

STATISTICS:

Armor Class Bonus:  
  +3 vs. piercing and missile weapons
Special: Haste

My version:

STATISTICS:

Armor Class Bonus:  
  +3 vs. piercing and missile weapons
Special: Haste (3 charges)

Not sure if I got the coding right. Just added 3 charges and made it rechargeable.

dsbook01

Original:

This tome contains within the finely leather bound cover, the magical runes and notes of the great mage Grun'lerthkin. Grun'lerthkin was a resident of Myth Drannor during its peak. As you read the magical scribbles and notes you begin to become more knowledgeable and somehow feel that you have the abilities of a mage of twice your level.

STATISTICS: 

Doubles all experience points upon reading

My version:

This tome contains within the finely leather bound cover, the magical runes and notes of the great mage Grun'lerthkin. Grun'lerthkin was a resident of Myth Drannor during its peak. As you read the magical scribbles and notes you become more knowledgeable.

STATISTICS: 

Adds 10000 exp upon reading

I don't like these kind of items at all! Seriously toned this one down...

dsbrac01

Original:

Even the most powerful of sages can at times find themselves unprepared for a battle and without the magic to defeat an opponent.  It was for just these times that Sharga commissioned these gloves to be made.  They provide a practitioner of magic with a little extra help when the fight degenerates to direct combat.

STATISTICS:

Armor Class: 0

Special:
  Increased Attacks
  Increased Saving Throws
  +25% to Magic Resistance

My version:

Even the most powerful of sages can at times find themselves unprepared for a battle and without the magic to defeat an opponent.  It was for just these times that Sharga commissioned these gloves to be made.  They provide a practitioner of magic with a little extra help when the fight degenerates to direct combat, unfortunately they prevent spells from being cast and must be removed by magical means.

STATISTICS:

Armor Class: 2

Special:
  Increased Attacks
  Increased Saving Throws
  +25% to Magic Resistance

Added 100% chance to miscast magic, and made it cursed.

dsbrac02

My version:

STATISTICS:

Special: 
  Increased Attacks
  Increased Resistance to Petrification

Original had +2ac, which I removed.

dsbrac04

Original:

STATISTICS: 

THAC0:   +3 bonus 
Damage:  +3 bonus

My version:

STATISTICS: 

THAC0:   +2 bonus 
Damage:  +2 bonus
Increased attacks

I slightly altered it, because in bg1 clerics would be quite useless as fighters, with just one lousy attack per round. Added 1 extra attack.

dsclck04[/i]

Just changed this from +3 to +2ac.

dscoswd

Original:

STATISTICS:

Damage: 1D10 + 4 (+3 vs All Dragons)
THAC0:  +4 (+3 vs All Dragons)
Special:
  AC Bonus +1
  Has a slight chance of slaying any dragon on contact
  50% Resistance to Fire and Acid
  Provides an Aura of Protection
  +2 Bonus to Save vs. Breath Weapons

My version:

STATISTICS:

Damage: 1D10 + 4 (+3 vs All Dragons)
THAC0:  +4 (+3 vs All Dragons)
Special:
  AC Bonus +1
  50% Resistance to Fire and Acid
  Provides an Aura of Protection
  +2 Bonus to Save vs. Breath Weapons

I still think that instant dragon slaying is a bad idea.

dscuswd

Changed it to +3 and removed undescribed ac bonus and bless effect.

dsdrgskn

Changed base ac to 4.

dsebplat

My version:

Not Usable By:
 Bard
 Druid
 Mage
 Thief
 Monk
 Archer
 Stalker
 Barbarian
 Beast Master
 Kensai
 Shapeshifter

Made it unusable by restricting kits.

dshamm02

Changed it's damage from 3d6+1 to 2d6+1

dskorim

Original:

Forged by the Netherese sorcerer/ranger Korim, this green tinged splint mail is imbued with strong enchantments. The strange metal (a copper and uranium mix) is light and supple, yet nearly impervious to blows of any kind. The mail allowed Korim to use his abilities to their fullest. Moreover, the strange metal has proven to have an extraordinary side-effect - it heals the wearer.  

STATISTICS:

Armor Class: 0
Special:  
  Regeneration 1HP every 2 rounds
  Mage Skills Unimpaired

My version:

Forged by the Netherese sorcerer/ranger Korim, this green tinged splint mail is imbued with strong enchantments. The strange metal (a copper and uranium mix) is light and supple, yet very resistant to blows of any kind. The mail allowed Korim to use his abilities to their fullest. Moreover, the strange metal has proven to have an extraordinary side-effect - it heals the wearer.  

STATISTICS:

Armor Class: 5
Special:  
  Regeneration 1HP every 2 rounds
  Mage Skills Unimpaired

Mage armors seriously shouldn't give this good ac.

dsrngfsh

Changed ac bonus from +4 to +2 and removed protection from non magical weapons.

dsrobe03

Original:

This powerful Mage Robe offers protection from all forms of physical attack while at the same time increasing one's magical resistance. Due to the nature of its enchantment, it can only be removed by remove curse.

STATISTICS:

Armor Class:  3
Magic Resistance: +50%
Special:  
  Immune to 1st, 2nd & 3rd level spells
  +4 to 1st, 2nd & 3rd level spells
  Sets Intelligence and Wisdom to 19
  Increased spell casting speed
  Immune to all non-magical weapons

Weight:  6

Usable by:
 All

I'm open to suggestions on this one. Should maybe restrict it to mage classes and give it some serious drawbacks to balance it's outrageous bonuses...? Personally I changed dsmortus.cre so that he wouldn't drop it at all.

dsrobe05

Original:

STATISTICS: 

Armor Class: 3 
Special: 
  Raises Intelligence by 2
  Memorize one extra spell per level up to level 9
  +6 Save vs. Breath Weapon
  +75% to Fire Resistance
  Non-Detection

This robe is also seriously overpowered, but I didn't change it as it disintegrates and is used by several creatures ingame. Should perhaps disintegrate as soon as it's hit by sunlight...?

dsrobe06

STATISTICS:

Armor Class:  +5 Bonus
Magic Resistance: +25%
Saving Throw:  +5 bonus 
Bonus Spells: +3(Lv 1-5)
			  +1(Lv 6-8) 
Constitution: -30% 
Special: Never Need Sleep

Does anybody seriously want to imagine a Neversleeping-ubergod-Edwin? I leave this one to you guys though...

dsswd07

Original:

STATISTICS:

Damage: 1D8 + 1
THAC0:  +5 bonus
Special:
   Dexterity bonus +2
   AC bonus +3
   1 extra attacks per round

My version:

STATISTICS:

Damage: 1D8 + 1
THAC0:  +2 bonus
Special:
   Dexterity bonus +2
   AC bonus +1
   1 extra attacks per round

dstears

Original:

STATISTICS:

Damage: 1D8 + 3
THAC0:  +3 bonus
Special:
  Ac +2
  Cast Charm Person or Mammal 3 times per day
  Stun target unless save vs. Spell

My version:

STATISTICS:

Damage: 1D8 + 3
THAC0:  +3 bonus
Special:
  Cast Charm Person or Mammal 3 times per day
  Stun target unless save vs. Spell at +4

Removed ac bonus and made it harder for the stun target to take effect.

dswrkarm

This one is coded wrong to begin with. Toned my version down to base ac 4.

DSWRLSTF

My version:

This staff is of the Chanah'Rea, forged by lightning striking the tree of power, Chitiruhkha is possessed of lightning.

STATISTICS:

Damage: 1D8 + 3
THAC0:  +3
Special:
  casts "Lightning Bolt" 1 time per day

Changed it to +3, removed ac bonus, removed +6d6 Electrical damage and reduced "Lightning Bolt" charges to 1 per day.

Not sure where to put this, but I have noticed an out of place vertical line on the far left edge of ar7256.wed (second floor of many Baldur's Gate houses).
Change-log reveals nothing so I'm just guessing that BGT is the only mod handling this .wed.
It might well be that this line only becomes visible because I run the game at a higher resolution than 800*600.

The line should be clearly visible on the full size version of this screen shot.
 Wed_sample.JPG   95.72K   271 downloads

I found some looping script blocks in ar6600.bcs. Link here.
The problem is the following two blocks:

[codebox]IF
GlobalGT("Chapter","GLOBAL",3)
Exists("Montaron")
!InParty("Montaron")
THEN
RESPONSE #100
ActionOverride("Montaron",DestroySelf())
END

IF
GlobalGT("Chapter","GLOBAL",3)
Exists("Xzar")
!InParty("Xzar")
THEN
RESPONSE #100
ActionOverride("Xzar",DestroySelf())
END[/codebox]

Apparently "DestroySelf()" doesn't block "Exists", for some weird reason.
Adding a blocking global or changing "exists" to "InActiveArea" will fix the problem.