Heart of Fury mode emulator for BGEE/BG2EE: testers needed
Tisamon
Member Posts: 209
With a whole lot of invaluable practical help and theoretical advice from @DavidW (the author of SCS, in case you don't know) and @Borsook (the author of the Mix-Mod/Difficulty & Tweak mod), I've been able to put together a faithful enough emulation of Icewind Dale HoF mode. Of course, I refer to IWD1 here, as IWD2 uses a different D&D edition rules and its HoF mode is generally flawed (a steep increase in difficulty is over-balanced by the introduction of obnoxiously powerful HoF-only items).
In case some people here are unacquainted with HoF mode (though I have yet to see a BG fan that haven't touched IWD as well), I will detail Heart of Fury rules:
1. A bonus of -11 to enemy AC.
2. A bonus of -5 to enemy THAC0.
3. A bonus of -5 to enemy saving throws.
4. Enemies gain +1 attack/round.
5. Enemies' hp is calculated according to the following formula: non-HoF hp * 3 + 80.
6. Enemies' xp value is calculated according to the following formula: non-HoF xp * 4 + 2,000.
7. Quest xp is doubled [not implemented in the emulator].
A couple of important notes:
- HoF rules are not externalised in IWD, so this list is a product of extensive in-game experimentation. I admit I do not understand fully the saving throw bonus system used by HoF mode. It is probably governed by new creature level (level 1 fighter will become level 13, in accordance with his new hp value, for example). Still, my educated guess is that flat -5 is an adequate enough translation to BG rules.
- One critical difference between the emulator and the original HoF is its handling of summoned creatures/polymorphs. In IWD, the summons and the polymorphs did in fact benefit from the same boni to the stats the enemies had applied. The impact of this on the common HoF playstyle was colossal. Now, I have no idea whether that was intended, or just a design oversight, but I tend to think it's the latter. Since the beefed up summons/polymorphs potentially ruin the challenge and turn HoF into a weird monster vs. monster game, I have decided to leave all summoned creatures and polymorphs at their non-HoF stats: it means the creatures summoned by enemy mages will be non-HoF as well, but that's a lesser evil -- anyway, enemies aren't especially fond of summoning spells. Currently, I'm doubtful as to what to do with GOODBUTRED creatures (gated demons), since those can be your enemies as well as your allies. Either way, that's a minor issue left undecided.
What do I need at this stage? I post this in the Challenges section in hopes of finding suitable testers for this mod, since it is, indeed, a very challenging (and, at times, quite unpleasant) experience. The mod is fully functional at this point, at least for BGEE (BG2EE needs a closer look at summon/polymorph CRE entries). I wish to test the non-critical path areas of the game (Durlag's Tower, Isle of Balduran, etc.). I intend to handle the critical path by myself, though a second/third/fourth opinion would be welcome as well, of course. Preferably, I need people with considerable IWD/BG experience and firm understanding of game mechanics. If you have hardcore runs under your belt, that's a definite plus as well, for obvious reasons. Not-so-experienced folks, even those that mean well and really want to help, should probably invest their time elsewhere (mainly since I'd prefer not to get feedback along the lines of: "WTF is this mod, man? It's impossible to hit those freaking gibberlings, and a wolf just killed my entire party in two rounds!").
If you wish to playtest it, please reply to this post.
In case some people here are unacquainted with HoF mode (though I have yet to see a BG fan that haven't touched IWD as well), I will detail Heart of Fury rules:
1. A bonus of -11 to enemy AC.
2. A bonus of -5 to enemy THAC0.
3. A bonus of -5 to enemy saving throws.
4. Enemies gain +1 attack/round.
5. Enemies' hp is calculated according to the following formula: non-HoF hp * 3 + 80.
6. Enemies' xp value is calculated according to the following formula: non-HoF xp * 4 + 2,000.
7. Quest xp is doubled [not implemented in the emulator].
A couple of important notes:
- HoF rules are not externalised in IWD, so this list is a product of extensive in-game experimentation. I admit I do not understand fully the saving throw bonus system used by HoF mode. It is probably governed by new creature level (level 1 fighter will become level 13, in accordance with his new hp value, for example). Still, my educated guess is that flat -5 is an adequate enough translation to BG rules.
- One critical difference between the emulator and the original HoF is its handling of summoned creatures/polymorphs. In IWD, the summons and the polymorphs did in fact benefit from the same boni to the stats the enemies had applied. The impact of this on the common HoF playstyle was colossal. Now, I have no idea whether that was intended, or just a design oversight, but I tend to think it's the latter. Since the beefed up summons/polymorphs potentially ruin the challenge and turn HoF into a weird monster vs. monster game, I have decided to leave all summoned creatures and polymorphs at their non-HoF stats: it means the creatures summoned by enemy mages will be non-HoF as well, but that's a lesser evil -- anyway, enemies aren't especially fond of summoning spells. Currently, I'm doubtful as to what to do with GOODBUTRED creatures (gated demons), since those can be your enemies as well as your allies. Either way, that's a minor issue left undecided.
What do I need at this stage? I post this in the Challenges section in hopes of finding suitable testers for this mod, since it is, indeed, a very challenging (and, at times, quite unpleasant) experience. The mod is fully functional at this point, at least for BGEE (BG2EE needs a closer look at summon/polymorph CRE entries). I wish to test the non-critical path areas of the game (Durlag's Tower, Isle of Balduran, etc.). I intend to handle the critical path by myself, though a second/third/fourth opinion would be welcome as well, of course. Preferably, I need people with considerable IWD/BG experience and firm understanding of game mechanics. If you have hardcore runs under your belt, that's a definite plus as well, for obvious reasons. Not-so-experienced folks, even those that mean well and really want to help, should probably invest their time elsewhere (mainly since I'd prefer not to get feedback along the lines of: "WTF is this mod, man? It's impossible to hit those freaking gibberlings, and a wolf just killed my entire party in two rounds!").
If you wish to playtest it, please reply to this post.
Post edited by Tisamon on
6
Comments
The option I'm talking is in stratagems/stratagems.ini that needs editing before installing the mod.
By the by, installation order should be SCS first, then HoF? (I know you usually recommend to install your mod last, however, it does add some creature entries that otherwise won't get Hof treatment, right? Provided those Black Talons, Goblin Shamans, etc. are indeed new creatures, that is...)
I can handle a minimal reload (one per chapter) solo HoF+SCS, I believe. Not 100% sure about ToB (I just happen to know the ins and outs of it much less thoroughly than BG and BG2: SoA - never took it too seriously, truth be told), but BGEE+BG2EE: SoA -- yes, I suppose I can. I postpone my final judgment until I try out a combination of SCS with HoF, though
I admit there is much truth to your words, but... first things first. Let me finish the playtest, then release the mod without the summon/polymorph stats buffed (default option). In the next version, judging by my own experience with the mod + some feedback (hopefully), I can indeed incorporate different options. E. g.: "nothing at all" (all summons & polymorphs are at default non-HoF stats); "middle ground" (all summons & polymorphs gain -5 AC, -2 THAC0, -2 saves, hp * 1.5 +40); "all" (all summons & polymorphs gain full HoF boni).
Another issue I've discovered while playtesting BGEE is HoF experience rate becomes absurdly high in this context. Example: as a solo character, I can kill Drizzt first, then Shandalar (both require only patience and don't involve any fake-talking), and get myself to the xp cap, as Drizzt is worth 50,000 xp, while Shandalar is worth 106,000 xp. I'm not sure that should be changed, as original HoF xp handling was strictly along the same lines, you could start chapter I as Fighter 7/Druid 9, or something like that. After all, that is an emulator of a specific game mode, not an attempt to make the world better
Currently, my attention is focused on a somewhat different (albeit related) project. I should finish that in a couple of days, and then I'd be happy to use your help and feedback regarding HoF emu in BG2EE
As stated above, I believe I can do BGEE + BGEE:SoA solo under these conditions. No, it's not easy at all, but certainly doable: in fact, it's just an extreme exercise in detailed pre-planning (AKA heavy meta-gaming). ToB I'm unsure of, though. We'll see how it progresses, anyway.
Also, the video won't include travel/shopping/other non-essential parts of the playthrough. I've recorded entire runs in the past, and I won't make that mistake again -- editing those huge files is a real pain, too much time/effort investment even for my taste. If that is acceptable, I'll be happy to record and share.
Also, dragons. I think SCS has a feature that buffs dragon HP by 3x or somesuch. So, that's 300% HP, plus all the stuff the emulator will add. Now, I'm not a masochist, but I'm practically drooling at the mouth right now. I just hope the BG2 version will be released very soon (BG1 is a nice game, but I think most of us prefer the 2nd one due to its size, complexity, and high levels).
HoF mode in IWD2 added an insane amount of replay value to the game for me.
Kudos to @Tisamon for making this mod!
The mod will probably be finished and released over the course of this weekend. Why did such a primitive mod take so long to make? The sheer quantitative scope of it is to blame. BGEE has more than 2000 CRE entries, while BG2EE can boast more than 4500. The ea identifiers in most of those are set in quite an inconsistent manner, most notably, with your own summons, polymorphs, and potential NPC allies designated as enemies. During the playtest, all sorts of nasty errors pop up, such as your allies suddenly having insane statistics under certain conditions, or several common monsters not getting any HoF treatment at all. These errors aren't always easily corrected, sometimes one has to think of a workaround. In short, it was a time-consuming task. Luckily, I'm almost finished.