For the love of Bhaal, please restore the "Default" script.

DeathOfNames

It's no secret that the A.I. in BG:EE has been a sore point since release, but 1.2 fixed a lot of the issues. However, there are definitely still some kinks to iron out, and the same is true for BG2:EE.

For me the biggest issue is that none of the scripts work as well as the standard BG2 "Default" script. This was basically the same as "Standard attack" is now, except that you could rely on a character to actually do what you told them, and not worry about them suddenly charging of into battle.

It's especially annoying when playing a spellcaster. Sometimes you can instruct your character to cast a spell, but while waiting for the cooldown from the previous spell to expire, someone fires an arrow at you. This causes the spellcaster to disregard any previous order and engage the assailant with preferred weapon (previously he would also rush them despite being ranged).

This is also apparent with fighters. They tend to change targets when being attacked by multiple opponents. Even walking from A to B can be interrupted if an enemy appears.

I want a script that will allow an idle character to defend himself and party (just with weapon held), but not cause him to abort direct instructions from me. This is standard in vanilla BG1&2, and i want i back!

I haven't created a bug report as there are many already and surely this is among them, but with BG2:EE you have a lot more spellcasting to manage, and having my mages disregard my orders is becoming a real pain.

Oh, and disabling party A.I is really not a "solution" as I don't want micro every single encounter.

KidCarnival

I agree that the scripts need work. One that bothers me is the "cleric defensive". It works well enough insofar that the cleric does go around and heal party members after battle (if they are under 50 %?), but that's the same point when the party leader goes to collect loot, which shouldn't cancel the actions of the rest. However, if I forget to select only the leader and just walk, the cleric's casting is cancelled and the spell is lost. Makes no sense to me; none of the other party members do anything when the leader picks up loot, they don't even really walk. But they still regard it as interruption.

Kanaric

if you are using scripts to play your characters automatically you are doing it wrong. Space bar, standard attack or ranged, and controlling for spells is how everyone plays this. This isn't Neverwinter Nights.

BaldursCat

I really don't think that's helpful @Kanaric, gameplay style is very much up to the individual. I play turn-based with this game and even on the original version I found myself having to deal with the odd wayward party member - usually Aerie - rushing in where even my tanks would be wary about treading, so I can only imagine how frustrating the new AI is. (I haven't got as far as playing yet, I'm too busy creating characters!)

AlexT

DeathOfNames said:

I want a script that will allow an idle character to defend himself and party (just with weapon held), but not cause him to abort direct instructions from me. This is standard in vanilla BG1&2, and i want i back!

The default script is unchanged in BGII:EE i.e. it works the same as it did in the original game.

To ensure that it is selected, on the character record sheet click Customize -> Script then scroll all the way down and pick CUSTOM (DEFAULT).

Schneidend

Kanaric said:

if you are using scripts to play your characters automatically you are doing it wrong. Space bar, standard attack or ranged, and controlling for spells is how everyone plays this. This isn't Neverwinter Nights.

Except that Standard Attack can cause characters to attack things you don't want them to attack, preventing focus fire.

Xukuth

Kanaric said:

if you are using scripts to play your characters automatically you are doing it wrong. Space bar, standard attack or ranged, and controlling for spells is how everyone plays this. This isn't Neverwinter Nights.

Speaking as someone who has finished BG2 probably at least 20 times: Not every single encounter requires or should require constant micromanaging. You shouldn't use AI on boss fights, but trash isn't usually challenging enough to rate fine control of all six party members. It's not unreasonable to want a decent AI script that doesn't do blatantly stupid things.

KidCarnival

Exactly. I don't want to micromanage out of battle stuff like searching traps or healing. I want the thief to just search, and I want the cleric to just go around and heal. And I don't want to hit space for every goblin because the mage doesn't understand he has 4 hitpoints and no armor and runs into melee with a freaking sling.

Mungri

The AI changes targets far too frequently, much more than I remember it doing in the original game.

Even in normal fights, you always want to be killing casters first, and when I click on my characters to attack those, they end up automatically changing to attack some feeble melee or ranged enemies.

athak

It does indeed change targets far more than in the original.

KidCarnival

Mungri said:

The AI changes targets far too frequently, much more than I remember it doing in the original game.

Even in normal fights, you always want to be killing casters first, and when I click on my characters to attack those, they end up automatically changing to attack some feeble melee or ranged enemies.

This specific thing is worse if you are using the script that says "ATTACK CASTERS FIRST". Dear NPC, by that I don't mean "run to hit the caster once and then target random summoned war dogs". I mean "KILL the caster first".

CrevsDaak

Create a script with NI (what I did) so you are not interrupted with a spellcaster, or turn the AI off, I ever select STANDARD ATTACK and let it off, and I turn it on only against low level enemies.

Joey

KidCarnival said:

Exactly. I don't want to micromanage out of battle stuff like searching traps or healing. I want the thief to just search, and I want the cleric to just go around and heal. And I don't want to hit space for every goblin because the mage doesn't understand he has 4 hitpoints and no armor and runs into melee with a freaking sling.

i use fighter and thief scripts, but never ever have scripts on my spellcasters, precisely for this reason.

RazaDelrom

I turned all scripts off and work on every round and every command myself. And yes it is bothersome that I don't even have a thief script that just finds traps outside of a fight, and shoots ranged targets if there are enemys. In BG1:EE there were some useful scripts, so I could let the usual fights happen without much supervision or even hitting spacebar. The casters would use their slings, the melee would either attack or defend spellcasters and the thief would do it's job.
The sad thing is, the conjured beasts and nymphs in BG2:EE have a nice working script package. Heals when needed, uses crowd control to take the edge of a fight, even uses damage spells. Why can't my casters use something like that?

KidCarnival

Joey said:

KidCarnival said:

Exactly. I don't want to micromanage out of battle stuff like searching traps or healing. I want the thief to just search, and I want the cleric to just go around and heal. And I don't want to hit space for every goblin because the mage doesn't understand he has 4 hitpoints and no armor and runs into melee with a freaking sling.

i use fighter and thief scripts, but never ever have scripts on my spellcasters, precisely for this reason.

Well, I set my mages to "wizard passive" - which specifically says "doesn't cast unless ordered to", so they don't waste spells in random encounters. It also says they will use a ranged or melee weapon to defend themselves if attacked. And that's all I want them to do in a mob of goblins, not charge them with a sling nor stand around and do nothing while being killed. I turn AI off for more important fights, but otherwise, it would be quite helpful if all NPCs just defend themselves when attacked, casters included.

DeathOfNames

aVENGER said:

The default script is unchanged in BGII:EE i.e. it works the same as it did in the original game.

To ensure that it is selected, on the character record sheet click Customize -> Script then scroll all the way down and pick CUSTOM (DEFAULT).

@aVENGER I am running the default script. While the default script may be unchanged, it doesn't run on the same "engine" as before, and it certainly doesn't behave like it used to.

I know that EE brings a lot of enhancements to the script engine (like distances from targets and the like), but it also brought some bugs. Current default script overrides user commands quite frequently, and the old one did not.

I don't expect the scripts to handle spellcasting, abilities or anything advanced. I just want my characters to defend from/attack obvious threats if no other command has been given. "Walk", "attack target" and "cast spell" all have a measurable end. "Walk" ends when you reach destination, "attack target" ends when target is dead and "cast spell" ends when the spell has been cast. These actions should not be halted because the script feels that something else should take precedence.

Mungri

Rest in the sewer.

Your sleep is interrupted by 5 mere goblins.

Automated mage casts time stop. Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.

Someone make a rage comic out of that.

KidCarnival

Montaron STOPS WALKING every time he successfully enters stealth. What's the point of him doing that instead of just going to the destination and THEN trying to stealth? Or, y'know, just continue to walk after stealthing.

RazaDelrom

Yep, also happened to me that the adventurer script actually kept me from looting the corpse, because stealth cancels loot, you try again and whooops you are hinding in the shadows again, and again and again. There should be a check if said character is actually doing something not defined in the script, so that it will pause the script until said job is done. And if there is a target script, don't switch until job done.

I really don't want a full automated casting bot, but please don't let them do anything stupid. If I call a target, keep it and use whatever weapon is at hand. That all I would like to ask.

AlexT

RazaDelrom said:

Yep, also happened to me that the adventurer script actually kept me from looting the corpse, because stealth cancels loot, you try again and whooops you are hinding in the shadows again, and again and again.

Try the new "Thief Controlled" script.

Meepichi

You guys can try the BP series for scripts. They're not perfect by any means but they're better than what's provided. I think there's a thread about it somewhere on here, but here's the site's address:
http://www.shsforums.net/topic/55595-bp-series-for-bgee-bg2-and-bg2ee/

Pibaro

I have the same problem.
I used to give the default script to all my party members, and usually when I decide to cast a spell, I simply cast a spell, without any problem.
Now with the new standard attack I try to cast a spell, but 60% of time the wizard decide to not cast the spell and start using the sling (or whatever) again.
That's frustrating.
I'll try the "wizard passive", but I don't think it's the right one for my fighter/mage.
Wich is the right one if I just want my partymembers to use the weapon I choose for them unless I decide to cast a spell?

Maverick617

I know this post is older but I just have to say @Kanaric, they don't have scripts in game so we can play this game "all wrong". Making comments like that just makes people in the world dumb & dumberer. That's the last thing the world needs is people posting nonsense online. Stick to facts, maybe the scripts are buggy. Maybe you play different, or maybe you are useless to the human race as a whole.

FACT... the world would be a better place without people writing nonsence in help forums..

JuliusBorisov

The last thing the world needs is a thread-necromancing without any purpose.

The thread is closed.