Modding the Druid class: Need some help with the "Polymorph into specific creature"-effect!
Akuro
Member Posts: 93
Hey guys,
Let's face it: The druid forms are more or less a bad joke as soon as you encounter more difficult enemies. Gosh, there was so much potential for them and it was wasted! There could have been animal forms for the druid class which scale with your level or gain many new abilities as soons as the druid gains new levels. Instead, the bear, wolf etc. forms are just a "nice RP element" and at least offer a little bit of fun in the BG1 part of the series. Nevertheless, I plan to change that.
I want the druid to be really defined by his shapeshifting. Wouldn't it be great to see your animal forms become stronger and stronger? Tank as a bear? Sneak as a panther? Howl and shred your enemies to pieces as a wolf? And all that even in Throne of Bhaal? Giving the animal forms new abilities and let them scale according to your levels isn't a problem. However...
The problem:
-----------
One thing that has always bothered me is the fact that you loose all your spells in your quickspell-slots if you shapeshift; as soon as you change into your "casterform" again, the selected spells are gone and the quickspell-slots are blank. Even in the BG2EE version, this bug still exists (Why hasn't this been fixed yet? This is such an obvious, huge flaw - I can't believe it!)
Afaik there is a bugfix for that flaw; after I had installed the Big World Mod with some mods, everything worked like a charm. *Does anybody know the name of that mod which fixes the bug?*
The solution:
-----------
After experimenting I've found the solution for this problem, which - at the same time - also makes shapeshifting more comfortable to use:
1) Allow spellcasting while being shapeshifted -> With this change the quickspell buttons won't be empty as soon as you change forms +
2) To balance that change AND to make shapeshifiting more comfortable to use, I've added a "cast spell on target (myself, Spell "special version of spin122 - End shapechange")" effect under the "while casting conditions tab" for all druid spells, which transforms you back into human form as soon as you cast a spell while being shapeshifted.
The result:
---------
So far I've achieved that you can do the following as a druid:
1) Shapeshift into an animal form -> all your three preselected spell are still in the quickspell-fields.
2) As soon as you try to cast a spell while being in an animal form, you change back into your human form WHILE casting the spell! This works like the WOW mechanic for druids: They can be in cat form and as soon as they cast a spell, they change back to human form.
With that change you don't have to change back to human form first, then wait a second until your spells can be cast again and THEN finally cast some spells.
Combat is therefore more fluid and feels way more exciting!
Why do I need your help?
---------------------
Everything workes fine so far except one bug:
In order to make this feature possible, you have to change the parameter "type" in the "polymorph into specific creature" - effect (I think it's the effect number 135 or something like that):
- In vanilla BG2 / BG2EE, the parameter under "type" is set to 0.
- If you set the parameter for "type" to "2", you can polymorph with the "casting spells enabled" - function.
- HOWEVER, if you do that and then try to change back, you don't change into your human form again. Instead, the paperdoll into which your avatar changed stays the same.
- So if I set the parameter for "type" to 2 and my druid polymorphs into a wolf, he is indeed able to cast spells while being in wolf form. If I cast the spell "spin122" (End shapechange) after that, everything works fine except the paperdoll and the avatar are still a wolf!
That problem does not occur if the parameter for "type" is set to 0, as it is in vanilla but then again, the character is not able to cast spells while being shapeshifted. Damnit!
Does anybody know if I also have to change other parameters in order to make this effect functioning properly?
I'd be really glad for your help!
Maybe @Avenger_teambg or @Demivrgv ?
Akuro
Let's face it: The druid forms are more or less a bad joke as soon as you encounter more difficult enemies. Gosh, there was so much potential for them and it was wasted! There could have been animal forms for the druid class which scale with your level or gain many new abilities as soons as the druid gains new levels. Instead, the bear, wolf etc. forms are just a "nice RP element" and at least offer a little bit of fun in the BG1 part of the series. Nevertheless, I plan to change that.
I want the druid to be really defined by his shapeshifting. Wouldn't it be great to see your animal forms become stronger and stronger? Tank as a bear? Sneak as a panther? Howl and shred your enemies to pieces as a wolf? And all that even in Throne of Bhaal? Giving the animal forms new abilities and let them scale according to your levels isn't a problem. However...
The problem:
-----------
One thing that has always bothered me is the fact that you loose all your spells in your quickspell-slots if you shapeshift; as soon as you change into your "casterform" again, the selected spells are gone and the quickspell-slots are blank. Even in the BG2EE version, this bug still exists (Why hasn't this been fixed yet? This is such an obvious, huge flaw - I can't believe it!)
Afaik there is a bugfix for that flaw; after I had installed the Big World Mod with some mods, everything worked like a charm. *Does anybody know the name of that mod which fixes the bug?*
The solution:
-----------
After experimenting I've found the solution for this problem, which - at the same time - also makes shapeshifting more comfortable to use:
1) Allow spellcasting while being shapeshifted -> With this change the quickspell buttons won't be empty as soon as you change forms +
2) To balance that change AND to make shapeshifiting more comfortable to use, I've added a "cast spell on target (myself, Spell "special version of spin122 - End shapechange")" effect under the "while casting conditions tab" for all druid spells, which transforms you back into human form as soon as you cast a spell while being shapeshifted.
The result:
---------
So far I've achieved that you can do the following as a druid:
1) Shapeshift into an animal form -> all your three preselected spell are still in the quickspell-fields.
2) As soon as you try to cast a spell while being in an animal form, you change back into your human form WHILE casting the spell! This works like the WOW mechanic for druids: They can be in cat form and as soon as they cast a spell, they change back to human form.
With that change you don't have to change back to human form first, then wait a second until your spells can be cast again and THEN finally cast some spells.
Combat is therefore more fluid and feels way more exciting!
Why do I need your help?
---------------------
Everything workes fine so far except one bug:
In order to make this feature possible, you have to change the parameter "type" in the "polymorph into specific creature" - effect (I think it's the effect number 135 or something like that):
- In vanilla BG2 / BG2EE, the parameter under "type" is set to 0.
- If you set the parameter for "type" to "2", you can polymorph with the "casting spells enabled" - function.
- HOWEVER, if you do that and then try to change back, you don't change into your human form again. Instead, the paperdoll into which your avatar changed stays the same.
- So if I set the parameter for "type" to 2 and my druid polymorphs into a wolf, he is indeed able to cast spells while being in wolf form. If I cast the spell "spin122" (End shapechange) after that, everything works fine except the paperdoll and the avatar are still a wolf!
That problem does not occur if the parameter for "type" is set to 0, as it is in vanilla but then again, the character is not able to cast spells while being shapeshifted. Damnit!
Does anybody know if I also have to change other parameters in order to make this effect functioning properly?
I'd be really glad for your help!
Maybe @Avenger_teambg or @Demivrgv ?
Akuro
1