[(BG2) bug] Burning hands

CamDawg

Burning hands is supposed to have a range of 5 feet but was set to 2, causing mages to get stupidly close to large people with axes. The spell also pauses the caster too long (animation plays in two seconds, but the caster stands around for three).

// burning hands fixes
COPY_EXISTING ~spwi103.spl~ ~override~
  READ_LONG  0x64 "abil_off"
  READ_SHORT 0x68 "abil_num"
  READ_LONG  0x6a "fx_off"
  FOR ("index" = 0; "%index%" < "%abil_num%"; "index" = ("%index%" + 1)) BEGIN // fix existing effects
    WRITE_SHORT ("%abil_off%" + 0x0e + ("%index%" * 0x28)) 5 // corrects range
    READ_SHORT  ("%abil_off%" + 0x10) "min_lev"
    READ_SHORT  ("%abil_off%" + 0x1e) "abil_fx_num"
    READ_SHORT  ("%abil_off%" + 0x20) "abil_fx_idx"
    PATCH_IF ("%min_lev%" = 1) BEGIN
      FOR ("index2" = 0; "%index2%" < "%abil_fx_num%"; "index2" = ("%index2%" + 1)) BEGIN
        READ_SHORT ("%fx_off%" +        (0x30 * ("%abil_fx_idx%" + "%index2%"))) "opcode"
        PATCH_IF ("%opcode%" = 165) BEGIN // play 3d effect opcode
          WRITE_LONG  ("%fx_off%" + 0x0e + (0x30 * ("%abil_fx_idx%" + "%index2%"))) 2             // corrects duration
        END
      END
    END
  END
  BUT_ONLY_IF_IT_CHANGES

KeithS

Adding...

Nathan

Verified that this change has been integrated and should be present in the next build. I'll test it in-game along with the colorspray change to ensure it's properly hitting targets, just in case.

CamDawg

The color spray fix has been in the BG2FP since one of the first alphas in 2005... if it's been crapping out before 30' the whole time I'm going to enjoy a good point-and-laugh at myself.

Avenger_teambg

@CamDawg. Yeah, start laughing, just tested this.
That is the maximum distance the spray reached.

CamDawg

Well, crap. In that case, I'd like the spell description (strref 25018) amended to reflect the actual range.

Avenger_teambg

Not all is lost, you can increase the projectile's range! There was nothing messed up, just the changes are not enough yet. Luckily these projectiles are used only one spell each. I hope you read this @CamDawg
Just post a .pro patch too and we are saved.

Nathan

On the plus side, burning hands is a-ok (that hapless monk never knew what hit 'em...).

Avenger_teambg

@Nathan, that's good. Burning hands is hardcoded. Its good that it needs no tweaking, because modders wouldn't be able to do that.

Tanthalas

Well, I don't really know how to measure the correct casting distance in the game.

But:

If the objective was for Burning Hands to be cast outside of melee range. Confirmed Fixed

If the objective was for the casting distance of Burning Hands to make sense when compared to the casting distance of other spells, then Confirmed Not Fixed of Confirmed that other spells have range problems:

The level 4 Divine spell Poison is supposed to have a range of 15 Feet. When I had a Cleric cast the spell at the same time as my Sorcerer casted Burning Hands they both moved closer to the target, but the Cleric started casting Poison at less than double the range that my Sorcerer stopped to cast Burning Hands, when the Cleric should have been three times as far away.

Likewise, the Arcane spell Spook is supposed to have a range of 30 feet, yet it is casted at least 3 times the distance of Poison.

Tanthalas

Actually, if the normal visual range of a human character in the game is 30 feet, then Burning Hands seems to be using the correct distance.

So Confirmed Fixed.

Bhryaen

Confirmed Fixed:
Near Infinity shows SPWI103 to have:
"Range (feet)" = 5
"Casting speed" = 1

Also in-game the casting distance and speed for Burning Hands is different between SCRL86 and the actual spell.

SCRL86: instant cast
SPELL: Looks like the casting speed 1.

This is how the distance looks:

[SNIP]

For sure the scroll casting is the same melee-target-friendly distance that @CamDawg was mentioning. The spell casting is a better distance and clearly far enough away from a Green Xvart's short sword, but I tried it with a Two-handed-sword-wielding Skeletal Warrior (SKELWA.CRE), and it seems it's well outside the range of that particular melee weapon as well. That is, the distance that SKELWA got to the ogre was shorter than the distance Nexlit the Blue Elf got to SKELWA to cast Burning Hands. Hard to get a screenshot though because ogres use a morning star which- despite looking huge on-screen- nevertheless apparently has a range of 0.

[SNIP]

CamDawg

Spells via scrolls have all sorts of problems; I've got a big fix roundup from devSin that I'll get around to posting. In this particular case the range on the scroll is still set to 2.

Tanthalas

Ok, I think we can safely consider this one fixed then.

Maegnuz

Any chance you could use the spell effect from IWD? Burning hands worked amazingly well there; just as intended with a large fan-shaped radius that dealt damage to multiple targets. In BG the spell is just a tiny whizz that hits one target. Nearly useless and far from the original spell effect.

Maegnuz

Ah, just read that you cannot use resources from any other game in the series. Real shame.

bigdogchris

I don't think the animation has anything to do with how many targets it hits