HoFemu: Heart of Fury mode emulator for BG:EE, v. 1.0.

Tisamon

Abstract/tl;dr:
This mod purports to re-create the IWD Heart of Fury mode as faithfully as possible.

 In its current state, the mod can be considered reasonably well tested: I’ve conducted a party run with both SCS and HoFemu enabled. Even though I did not finish it properly (I’m at end-chapter IV), I’ve been to enough areas, both critical and completely optional. Of course, if you run into some bugs with the mod, feel free to contact me here or via e-mail.

 Compatibility issues. I can only vouch for SCS v. 28: HoFemu is fully compatible with SCS. It’s important to note it’s best installed after SCS. Again, if some compatibility issues arise, please let me know.

 Component description, or what this mod actually does. (1) ‘HoF-style enemy statistics: -11 AC, -5 THAC0, -5 saving throws, hp * 3 + 80, xp * 4 + 2,000.’ Pretty much self-explanatory, I suppose. Please note: I did not make these rules up. That’s how Heart of Fury mode operates in IWD. (2) ‘HoF-style enemy ApR: Enemies gain +1 ApR.’ To be perfectly honest, IWD HoF did not just add an extra attack, but since the exact rules were never externalized, I had little choice but to rely on my own experience and common sense. As it stands, I think +1 ApR is an adequate enough translation of whatever IWD HoF does in a vast majority of cases. (3) ‘Semi-HoF summon/polymorph statistics: -5 AC, -2 THAC0, -2 saving throws, hp * 1.5 + 40, xp * 2 + 1,000.’ This is very different from what HoF does in IWD, and for a good reason. One of the main drawbacks of IWD HoF mode was it made all creatures – indiscriminately - tough as hell. That translated into a weird new balance, where summoners/shapeshifters became the indisputable kings of the game. To avoid this flaw, and, at the same time, to allow summons/polymorphs to remain viable as ‘meat shields’, I make them semi-HoF, which means they gain exactly half of the HoF bonus stats, rounded down (thus, no +½ ApR). From what I’ve experienced during my test playthrough, this approach seems to work better than the original indiscriminate one. (4) ‘Familiar hp reverted to non-HoF value; all familiars gain 50% physical damage resistance and full HoF AC: hp=12, +50% physical DR, -11 AC.’ This is the sole exception to component (4). Technically, familiars are summons. However, since the summoner gains ½ of his familiar’s hp, that caused a rather serious issue: semi-HoF familiars had 58 hp, so that the mage was suddenly getting +29 hp upon casting Find Familiar. My method to remedy that issue is probably not an ideal one: I give the familiars their non-HoF hp back, but, to compensate for that, also grant them full HoF AC and +50% damage resistance (crushing, slashing, piercing, missile). I am well aware of the fact no one probably uses these guys in melee (even the pseudo-dragon), but the option should remain open. (5) ‘Illusionary monsters in the prologue grant no HoF xp bonus when killed: xp=0.’ Illusionary monsters during Obe’s training session were granting 2,000 xp per kill (HoF bonus). Since putting a freebie level-up station in Candlekeep was hardly my intent in this mod, I nerf them back to 0 xp per kill.

 Some tips for the brave masochists that wish to try a rather unpleasant, monotonous, and tiresome combination of SCS plus HoF. First of all, remember BGEE can (should?) be played more as a stealth game than as a beat-‘em-up. You’d be shocked how few enemies along the critical path it is really mandatory to kill to advance the plot. Secondly, a corollary of the principle formulated above is that invisibility is your friend. All forms of it, really, not just the wizard spell (rogue skills, Sanctuary). Thirdly, while the amount of hp is strongly modified by this HoF emulator, the amount of hit dice/levels is not. Pay close attention to hit dice-reliant spells (Command: Sleep, Cloudkill). And finally, it doesn’t matter how epic target’s AC is, if it is asleep or stunned. There are spells and items that can help a ton in this respect.

 An example of SCS plus HoF battle with Kelddath Ormlyr and his sirines, done in three segments:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxDSimaogbw&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA7b7AVvY1k&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liZoLUK0RC0&feature=youtu.be

The installation procedure is very simple: just drop the files in your BGEE folder, then run Setup-HoFemu.exe. Good luck (you are going to need it), and enjoy the mod!

Tisamon

Updated.

Tisamon

Should one find a full HoF emulator too challenging, here is a HoF-lite version. It basically halves the bonuses the creatures get (also taking care of summons/polymorphs, proportionally). An extra attack remains an extra attack, though. Personally, I tend to think this mod results in a much more acceptable interaction with SCS. The challenge it creates is still very high, but the gameplay is significantly less tedious than full HoF+SCS is. Try this if you are looking for a challenge, yet somehow are not a fanatical masochist at the same time

CrevsDaak

I've got some feedback about the code… I think you should remove the ACTION_IF FILE_EXISTS ~BGEE.EXE~, since that won't the mod install on Mac (the game is the same so it's fully compatible) nor on the Beamdog version of the game (where the .exe is named Baldur.exe instead). Try using REQUIRE_PREDICATE GAME_IS ~bg2ee bgee bgt bg2 tob~ ~Your game doesn't work with this mod~ instead, it won't even try to install it and will pass the component over altogether.
Besides that, if you want to make it compatible with BG2 you just have to add a few lines like the ones inside the PATCH_IF.

Also, when you do this

BEGIN ~xp=0~
SUBCOMPONENT ~Illusionary monsters in the prologue grant no HoF xp bonus when killed~

///// BG:EE \\\\\
ACTION_IF FILE_EXISTS_IN_GAME ~BGEE.exe~
THEN BEGIN
PRINT ~BGEE detected. Installing: this may take some time depending on your PC's performance.~
COPY_EXISTING_REGEXP GLOB ~.*\.cre~ ~override~
PATCH_IF SOURCE_SIZE > 0x70 THEN BEGIN
READ_LONG 0x14 "xp"

PATCH_IF (("%SOURCE_RES%" STRING_COMPARE_CASE "ihobgob" = 0) OR ("%SOURCE_RES%" STRING_COMPARE_CASE "itasloi" = 0) OR ("%SOURCE_RES%" STRING_COMPARE_CASE "ikobold" = 0) OR ("%SOURCE_RES%" STRING_COMPARE_CASE "iskelet" = 0) OR ("%SOURCE_RES%" STRING_COMPARE_CASE "ixvart" = 0) OR ("%SOURCE_RES%" STRING_COMPARE_CASE "igibber" = 0))
THEN BEGIN
WRITE_LONG 0x14 ("%xp%" - 2000)
END
END
BUT_ONLY_IF_IT_CHANGES
END ELSE BEGIN

PRINT ~No IE game has been detected. Please contact the author.~

END

you can do it easier by actually changing it to something like this:

BEGIN ~xp=0~
SUBCOMPONENT ~Illusionary monsters in the prologue grant no HoF xp bonus when killed~
ACTION_FOR_EACH creature IN itasloi ihobgob ikobold ixvart igibber BEGIN
  COPY_EXISTING "%creature%.cre" "override"
  PATCH_IF %SOURCE_SIZE% > 0x2c8
    WRITE_LONG 0x14 0
  BUT_ONLY
END

instead, so you have to write less code

Tisamon

I'm hardly a coding specialist, thus I'm very reluctant to change anything as long as it functions properly. Simply put, code aesthetics, i. e. its being concise and elegant, are the least of my concerns. After all, it's not that the player is affected in any way by my code being overlong and clumsy, correct?

That said, the Mac issue does definitely deserve closer attention. Thanks for your feedback!

AstroBryGuy

If you use

ACTION_IF GAME_IS ~bgee~ THEN BEGIN

That should work as a drop in replacement for your current BGEE.exe check.

Tisamon

AstroBryGuy said:

If you use

ACTION_IF GAME_IS ~bgee~ THEN BEGIN

That should work as a drop in replacement for your current BGEE.exe check.

I appreciate your help

semiticgoddess

Would it be possible to make a HoF mode for BG2, non-Enhanced Edition? I know it's probably a big hassle, but I've always wanted to try a HoF run of BG2, and I don't have BG2:EE. I'm actually drawn to the look and the mods of the original.

SmilingSword

Love this mod, using it to offset Dark Horizons gear. Its not really enough to offset that gear, but it helps.

Tisamon

>Its not really enough to offset that gear, but it helps.

ROFL. This, strangely enough, is a common issue with many theoretically good mods. An excellent example would be Dragon Age: Origins vanilla, which is balanced quite well for such a huge game, and its official DLC add-on modules (Warden's Keep, Stone Prisoner, Return to Ostagar) that ruin the balance horrendously. I'm aware of the fact that some people role-play through party-based RPGs, and thus don't mind unbalancing the game in their favour, but the majority of players I know definitely do want their RPGs to be reasonably challenging. People are smart enough to understand they've just gibbed that huge dragon because of their OP equipment, not because they are Napoleon reincarnated.

The_Cheeseman

I have completed a solo run with this mod (though it was an earlier version from the testing thread in Playthroughs forum) and SCS in BG1EE, maximum difficulty (except for short-duration mage pre-buffs, since I find it too annoying, and generally just run away and wait for them to wear off, anyways). I was excited to finally have a challenge worth using the multi-class kit mod to create a Kensai/Illusionist/Assassin uber-ninja. The hardest part of the game was honestly the Candlekeep tutorial. Those rats inside the house were hardcore, and I barely managed to kill one of them at a time with the aid of my familliar, while resting in between. I got WTFPwned by Carbos more times than I care to admit, as well. However, since I was using the Shadow Thief avatar, I was slightly faster than most MOBs (seems to be equivalent to a +2 movement speed bonus or thereabouts) so once I reached a reliable Hide in Shadows/Move Silently value, I managed most fights via hit-and-run tactics.

If you plan to run through solo as well, you'll probably want to install a mod that adds HLAs to BG1, as I got to 3mil exp before I even started TotSC, and I wasn't particularly concerned with clearing the wilderness areas, either. It was kinda fun getting to x7 BS mod and running about one-shotting chickens and squirrels for the same exp as unmodded flesh golems. ;-)

Overall, a very fun mod for those of us who want a real challenge, or in my case, any challenge at all for an unarguably OP character build. This is a great way to tide yourself over until the full Nightmare Mode gets patched-in. Thanks for your time and effort!