Disable additions like Neera

Vnavekul

Is it possible to completely disable DLC-things like Neera, Dorn and Rasaad? I suppose they are nice additions and all, but they seem really out of place for me. (I'd like the game more if it stays more true to the original, without them.) I know I can just ignore them afther their initial encounter, but ignoring someone like Neera would be really out of place for most of the characters I play. Just wondering!

Riolathel

And why can't you just ignore them?

they're just some new sprites.. you don't even have to talk to them

Chow

Riolathel said:

And why can't you just ignore them?

they're just some new sprites.. you don't even have to talk to them

You do have to talk to Neera. She pretty much forces the encounter on you.

Imryll

It's hard to ignore someone when your character who's trying hard to keep adequate distance from her while uncovering the map in the area in which you first encounter her gets swept into a scripted sequence. I'd really like to be able to opt out of Imoen's "tell me a story of trollops ..." comment, too. I really like the convenience of the enhanced edition, but it's already clear to me that other than BG 2 engine-type changes, I prefer my BG straight.

Illustair

I haven't played the game so I wouldn't know the exact scenario. Every so often I'm put into a dilemma wherein something breaks my immersion. You know what I do? I just try to ignore them and eventually they'll just be forgotten...most likely in a matter of minutes (5 min at most?). Believe me, it's easy to do. :-)

ajwz

This is an interesting question. Perhaps it should be possible to disable any DLC before you start a game

Imryll

When said scripted encounter results in the death of your level 1 character and your last save is more than five minutes earlier, it's not so easily forgotten. ;-)

ajwz

I don't think people should be forced to ignore them - there should be a way to switch them off. Will ask about this.

Flauschig

ajwz said:

I don't think people should be forced to ignore them - there should be a way to switch them off. Will ask about this.

Like they were forced to buy this game?

CutlassJack

I'm not really seeing why they should waste any time programming an off switch for something so easilly avoided. Its not 'out of place' at all to send them on their way. Its not like you don't already do this with many companions in the vanilla game. You're practically beating them off with a stick as it is. :P

Neera is the closest thing to a forced encounter of the three, and even there you could just choose not to help her and be on your way. Even if you don't, the encounter is easier than most of the assassination attempts you're dealing with at exactly the same point in the game.

ajwz

Flauschig said:

ajwz said:

I don't think people should be forced to ignore them - there should be a way to switch them off. Will ask about this.

Like they were forced to buy this game?

You have to bear in mind that all the new NPCs are downloadable content that came free with the PC version. For the tablet versions, you have to buy them manually for example. I think it's fairly reasonable for people to want to play BG:EE but not want to encounter Neera in beregost for example.

Dee

The implementation would be fairly simple. You'd just add a check to Neera's initial spawn to find out if the feature's been enabled; if not, she doesn't appear.

You'd have to enable/disable her during the game creation, though; or specify that changing it in Options would only affect new games, not existing ones.

Tanthalas

Though yes, its probably easy to add checks to the game so that Neera and the other new characters don't spawn, I honestly think its ridiculous to be asking for something like this when they can be easily ignored after a single interaction and something like this is certainly not worth the time of the developers.

Illustair

@Imryll
Hehe okay, you do make a point there. :-) maybe it's just me then, shit happens...enemies try to kill you, you die, you reload. I assume the scripted sequence is in the initial encounter; I'd like to think 99% of the time everyone can win that battle (assuming it is, since you said you could die). But for this: " I know I can just ignore them afther their initial encounter", you can easily do that. Believe me, it's easy to do. ;-) you wouldn't care anymore after a few minutes.

For the meantime though, do just that. If there'd be an option to disable them, you might not get that for a while. Best you just ignore them like I said.

Dee

@Tanthalas
Personally, I look at it in the long-term: something like this would be a great first step toward mod-maintenance. If you could have a screen before starting a game that allowed you to enable or disable an official DLC, then you could also (potentially) have things in that same screen that are unofficial content mods or tweak packs. Being able to enable or disable them at game creation would allow easier customization.

In any case, this is definitely a feature request, so I'll move it there now.

mlnevese

As many others, I suggested a few months ago that the game should have an internal mod manager to avoid problems such as what we have now with the Weidu update being delayed. It would simplify management for those who do not know how to use a command line and would create a standard mod format.

DLCs could be treated as mods, being simple to enable/disable them.

Here this is my old thread if anyone is interested.

http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/2381/internal-mod-manager

bigdogchris

I agree that Neera's scripted event is not great for level 1 char's. I vote +1 to not start it unless you talk to her.

Vnavekul

Thanks for moving it, @Aosaw! Sorry for the inconvenience. I didn't think it would be very hard to implement either, since they are additions to the tablet-version like someone already said. It's just hard to find relevant topics with the search-function of this forum, so I'm sorry if someone already asked for this specific thing.

By the way, Dorn can't be avoided, right? I always get his initial meeting when I travel to the mines.

reedmilfam

Imryll said:

When said scripted encounter results in the death of your level 1 character and your last save is more than five minutes earlier, it's not so easily forgotten. ;-)

A random post-rest encounter can do the same. This argument is essentially invalid, as it points out the obvious : Level One Characters Are Squishy.

I find it difficult to get to Beregost without leveling up once, but that might be due to my propensity to clear areas out for max XP, especially early.

Wisp

You are asking the authors if you could please not be subjected to their work?
This is a mod, and it is a pretty easy one at that. You'll have better luck pursuing it as such.

Vnavekul

Well, this topic isn't the place for it, but I do agree with the people who say that these characters feel like mods. But requesting it as a mod is probably a better idea, yeah. Thanks for the tip.

SirK8

I like the feature request just for the fact that it could have utility in other areas. As for the NPC itself, if you purchase the PC version of the game, you've purchased that content, should we be able to select at start up what content we do or don't want... I'm not so sure about that premise. At the same time, treating DLC content as a mod that can be turned on and off could be useful if also applied to external mods.

As for Neera's event just happening. I do not think that should be changed. This is a game of AD&D, sometimes shit just happens and you have to deal with it.

I've not chosen the options for giving her over to the wizard, so I don't know if combat can or cannot be avoided, but even if not, combat is not always avoidable in this game anyway.

I would not like this event changed just because some people don't want to deal with Neera. I agree with @Wisp, just mod her out.

Avenger_teambg

I think a modder could switch them off easily. Especially Dorn and Neera.
Rasaad is not a dlc, but it is also just one line to change.

RedGuard

Sounds like this is more suited to the work of modders. Much like Dungeon-b-gone.

ajwz

Tanthalas said:

Though yes, its probably easy to add checks to the game so that Neera and the other new characters don't spawn, I honestly think its ridiculous to be asking for something like this when they can be easily ignored after a single interaction and something like this is certainly not worth the time of the developers.

At the moment the NPC's are relatively easy to ignore, but later on as more DLC's are added I think the system should be put in place, so why not do it now?

The multiplayer update would be a good time to do this - I know the the devs have said they intend to make the DLC usable by everyone in the game if even one person has it, but people playing multiplayer who haven't yet played with the DLC's might not want them spoiled for example.

My main reason for wanting it is that it could easily be converted into an in game mod manager too.

CamDawg

At the CLUAConsole:

SetGlobal("NEERAExists","GLOBAL",1)
SetGlobal("RASAAD_PLOT","GLOBAL",1)
SetGlobal("DORNExists","GLOBAL",1)

That would prevent all three from spawning.

smeagolheart

somebody weidu it as EEbgone and whomever is interested can use it. I wouldn't be interested.

Sixheadeddog

This is an interesting discussion... that I'm, granted, coming to a few days late, but whatever

My initial instinct was to think that this was a pretty silly thing to ask for. As someone else mentioned, there are a *ton* of NPCs in BG1 that almost leap out in front of you and ask to join you for no good reason. I remember my earliest playthroughs of BG1 I had absolutely no problem completely ignoring Quayle, even though I did think his hat was rather spiffy (but god, that voice??).

But then it came up that a feature like this could lead to an internal mod manager, which actually *does* sound like something that BG really needs. Maybe that should be the request instead.

As for the new character DLCs, this strikes me as only being something that's a problem on the PC and Mac versions, since they come with the DLC for free. And, honestly, I think it's rather a small and, ultimately, insignificant problem. Maybe the request should just be for a mod manager, since that's the most practical and universally useful thing that's come out of this discussion?

Vnavekul

People like Quayle isn't the problem I was talking about by the way. I just find the new characters a bit out of place. That's all.

tomty89

Aren't they just like the bonus merchants in BG2? Maybe we can try to figure out the files and move/delete them? LOL

Sixheadeddog

What?? Delete the bonus merchants?? No way! The PS:T tribute items were awesome, and the Robe of Vecna was easily one of the best things you could possibly ever find to equip on your party mage.