Skip to content

Hacker question: Is there a way to PREVENT an NPC from appearing?

This is a continuation of some questions I raised in this thread here: http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/28968/using-ee-keeper-to-use-your-favorite-bg1ee-npc-party-in-bg2ee

...I didn't want to derail someone else's thread, and I was hoping to get some more feedback on this issue.

I'm toying with the idea of importing some of my BG1 party members into BG2 (the way the TS describes in the other thread). My issue here is that Minsc was killed in my BG1 playthrough, but I've continued on with Dynaheir and intend to import her into BG2 - so I don't want Minsc in my BG2 party (especially if he's going to talk about how Dynaheir is dead, LOL), and I would prefer not to even see him in his cell at the start of the game.

I know as KidCarnival suggested, I can just pretend not to see him and avoid walking too closely to the cell, to avoid triggering any dialogue. However, I was hoping there would be a way that I could prevent his character from even being present in his cell in the first place - say, by deleting a character file somewhere. However, I'm also afraid that something like this will cause the game to crash, if it loads the opening video sequence and then searches for a char file that isn't there.

Any knowledgeable hackers out there have any advice for someone who's hack-illiterate?

Comments

  • kryptixkryptix Member Posts: 741
    Figure out which global variable needs to be set to show that you rejected Minsc from joining by comparing two saves in eekeeper and add that to your start of game save so it behaves like you already rejected him when you start or set the flag that he perma died?
  • KidCarnivalKidCarnival Member Posts: 3,747
    Or how about EEkeepering his appearance to a mephit or something? Wouldn't look out of place in the cage, and you'd have a rp reason to not go close (you're presumably still unarmed) and you wouldn't see Minsc.
  • kryptixkryptix Member Posts: 741

    Or how about EEkeepering his appearance to a mephit or something? Wouldn't look out of place in the cage, and you'd have a rp reason to not go close (you're presumably still unarmed) and you wouldn't see Minsc.

    Or you can rp killing him then from long range.
  • SharGuidesMyHandSharGuidesMyHand Member Posts: 2,582
    Those are some really good (and probably less difficult/problematic) suggestions. Thanks everyone!

    Except instead of using EE keeper, I could probably place another character/creature file with Minsc's file name in the override folder, which would then override Minsc's character in the cage?
  • KidCarnivalKidCarnival Member Posts: 3,747
    Haven't tried that, but EEKeeper has an option "edit NPCs outside party" that I usually use to change all colors and sprites to what I want when I start a new game. Just edit Minsc to any "mephit" sprite, and voila.
  • SharGuidesMyHandSharGuidesMyHand Member Posts: 2,582

    Haven't tried that, but EEKeeper has an option "edit NPCs outside party" that I usually use to change all colors and sprites to what I want when I start a new game. Just edit Minsc to any "mephit" sprite, and voila.

    Thanks for that info.

    I actually just used EE keeper to export Renfeld's char file (the poisoned man that you come across when leaving Athkatla for the first time), renamed it as "Minsc7.cre," and placed it in the override folder. Now when the game begins, it looks like there's just a dead body in the cage (which isn't inconspicuous, as there are several other bodies lying around the room).
  • VasculioVasculio Member Posts: 482
    Hmm... This give me ideas
  • SharGuidesMyHandSharGuidesMyHand Member Posts: 2,582
    Vasculio said:

    Hmm... This give me ideas

    In case you're wondering, if you were to try talking to Renfeld, the game will treat him like Renfeld rather than like Minsc. In other words, he gives his own dialogue about being poisoned rather than Minsc's dialogue about breaking free, and I was able to get Renfeld's body in my pack with a journal update (to be clear, I initiated the dialogue just to see what would happen - he wouldn't have said anything if I hadn't clicked on him to talk to him).

    If you were to put an enemy creature in the cage, it would be instantly hostile the moment the opening video scene ended, and the entire game would go into "battle mode" until you killed it - which I found to be a bit of a hassle at a time when I just want to get my bearings.

    Also keep in mind that it appears the cage can only be opened by Minsc's dialogue and berserker rage sequence - so don't put anything in there expecting that you can release it (although if you were to put a phase spider in the cell, it would probably "phase" its way out of the cell and attack you the moment you finished your dialogue with Imoen - which would make the game quite challenging right from the start).
  • ShinShin Member Posts: 2,344
    You could edit the area files where the NPCs spawn (e.g. the starting dungeon for Minsc or Jaheira) and delete the ones you don't want to appear. It should in most cases not lead to problematic consequences (worse than the game simply spawning them somewhere else later on) as you could for instance leave Minsc and Jaheira without ever going near their cages, but of course you can never be sure.
  • KidCarnivalKidCarnival Member Posts: 3,747
    Wouldn't be too bad if you put a minor monster like a kobold in the cage. I assume you could kill it with ranged weapons through the cage?
Sign In or Register to comment.