@Musigny (and others): It would be really nice if everything could be become SCS-compatible as well. I see you already have a number of testers atm? Are they enough? If so, I might not join in because I have thousands of pages of translation work, leaving me only a couple of playing hours per week instead of per day, and I'd prefer to spend those on my addiction hobby of no-reloading rather than testing. If however you run out of volunteers, then I'll make some time for your cool project.
@Blackraven Don't feel obliged to test the current package . I am always glad to read your no-reload playthroughs. Gotural and Crevsdaak tested the earliest version of the package but I had no further feedback. At the moment and despite my own lack of free time, I tend to focus on the smarter creatures because I am curious about the implementation and working on it helps me understand some game aspects. This being said those components have SCS equivalent components (sometimes their repackaging) and I don't expect them to be deployed if SCS is to be deployed too. The compatibility (or non interference) with Stratagems clearly is an objective since the beginning. If you have more free time at the end of the month then I will be glad to see you joining for a test of the improved battles. Late May, early June is likely to be the "key" period for the beta testing.
For now, if anyone else is interested, a feedback on the following components would be much appreciated: - Lich in the docks - Gnome Fighter/Illusionist in the dock (Valygar quest) - already got a good feedback from @Gotural - Crypt King - Tougher Kangaxx (with W.Weimer's modifications for Kangaxx and Kensai Ryu's guardians - see the installer).
- A few simplifications. Fixed a minor bug with the variable format used in the questions. - Mae'Var still needs some love. - Anti-paladin : I finally duplicated the sword and made it available if charname is an antipaladin so don't try to import ohreaver (it's unmodified). Still a couple of modifications required : manage translations, sword in multiplayer mode, sword from container to actor? - Converted the Improved Mind Flayers with a normalization of the psionic "spells". I also tried to not modified the new EE part of the game.
If I had a hammer... It includes the Tougher Fire Giants component. All files are patched, nothing is overwritten. A few bugs/duplicate removed. Contrary to the forced behaviour in the original component, many giants have and keep their hammer. Funny point, the axe is declared (vanilla) as a two-handed weapon. Btw these giants wielding an axe are slightly more powerful. Both the hammer and the axe trigger a few random effects on hit. They also grant the wielder several bonus (regeneration 5HP/s for instance, kind of fire shield, etc...) and twelve immunities. I did not use the hammer or the axe effects to alter the proficiency points (wanted by the mod). I directly modified the related cre files.
Edit: confusion between axe and hammer (no change to the package)
A few minor tweaks + Red Badge of Courage / poison based encounter added to the package. Patched a few "bugs". Reconstructed the new area are and bcs files. No change to the AI, no change to the dialog file. If you want to test it: go to ar3000 (Watcher's keep main area), if you meet the requirements (PC XP > 3M) a 100 seconds trigger starts (another 600 second timer is also set) then the whole team is teleported to a new area, no matter your answer you are teleported back to WK after a short dialog. Later in the game (when the 600 secs countdown is over) and your PC XP > 3.5M then you are again teleported to the new area and a fight will start and you cannot flee. Use the area exit once this is over.
@CrevsDaak Don't be sorry, I am glad to benefit from your remarks and suggestions!
At the moment I am looking into the three Mike Barne's component internals and their "are" files systematically overwritten. Should you have a moment when I release them, it would be nice to read your comments.
@WhiteAgnus Thanks for the link and notice! Indeed there is a patch to deal with the areas. I will have a look at it, excellent to crosscheck what I already started. I think I read that general file a couple of months ago and I neglected it because it patches the installation procedure (I rewrite it from scratch) and all the first lines are about patching strings which are correctly NUL terminated. I am not saying this is wrong, that's easier to read and clearer. I do the same but ultimately this fixed no major issue. Indeed the u diff parts for the three MBarnes components are much more interesting.
I only said you should have a look on the BWFixpack, you don't have to diff the areas, if someone else have done it many years (I think it was 2008) ago and it would be better to use the fj_are_structure macro to patch areas (instead of using this old stuff)....
But I think the Fixpack is a good source too look at, for compatibility and stuff...
Just released a micro update alpha33 with a couple of fixes to various unneeded variables in the previous package + Mike Barnes's Marching Mountains
Let me tell you I dislike what I saw. Of course this is a biased view. A few elements: This very little mod replaces four encounters by four already met creatures. In the vanilla version, when you reach YagaS' temple entrance you meet a strange group. Aimed to be a piece of fun with a rabbit which can cast rabbit_power (hey ferrets I can see you're jealous) to transform itself into a greater werewolf. M.Barnes + W.Weimer's modification replaces these four guys with four skeletons you already met when exploring Nyalee's map. In order to not repeat a previous fight, three of these four creatures run a different script. Namely: - a cleric which uses a substantially different (vanilla) script, not specifically more difficult - a mage, ibidem but the difference is thinner, even non existent if you use a mod such as Smarter Mages or (likely) SCS - a warrior - same script - an assassin (a potion drinking skeleton... yes), in the mod (or the patched version suggested by @WhiteAgnus ) it is supposed to use a different script. In tactics2 the issue is that you get this script only if you deploy Improved Maevar).
The area file has no error but as usual it is better to patch the EE game file. I also prefer to override the area-declared scripts at the "default" level, the original mod uses those area-induced scripts at the "general" level thus taking the risi to cumulate two similar combat scripts.
Well, I hope I convinced you to be cautiou even if you are still playing on the vanilla BG2-ToB game. The other two mini mods are more interesting.
By the way, IMHO, the real thing to do is to boost the original creatures AI. Any volunteers ?
The are file is no longer entirely overwrittten (this means that the entrance point is preserved). The three ankhegs are replaced by three dragons (purple brown red).
If you want to test it, please pay attention to the following points. More specifically: - your entry point on the map - the range of the dragon breath(s), are you targetted by more than one breath at a time - do the dragons behave normally if the fight lasts long enough
In terms of implementation, this is a simple patch of the actors declared in the are file. I haven't evaluated the interference with Stratagems yet but please there is a few things you might want to know. The set of dragons in BG2(EE) is not 100% consistent. I think that bioware wanted to create several dragon templates and then instantiate/duplicate these templates to implement the encounters. That is still somewhat the case with the red dragons. There is a dragred creature but Firkraag and Saladrex have their own creature files. That's not the case with the blue dragon which basically is Abazigal. The AI scripts are also reused in some cases. Saladrex has its own script, Firkraag uses the dragred script, the blue AND purple dragons use the abazigal script. Currently, in this mod, the dragon cre files are differentiated (not the original behaviour) but the scripts are left unmodified. This means that if you install another dragon enhancing mod, this may propagate to this mod. Typically Smarter Dragons (Firkraag) in Tactics2 or Ascension Abazigal will have an impact on this mod, no matter the installation order.
Alpha35 release. It includes Mike Barnes Improved North Forest. Thanks to @WhiteAgnus I was able to crosscheck all the modifications with the patch published for BWP 6 years ago. Some creatures are so heavily modified that one might question the reason for patching vs overwriting. The entrance point in the ARE file is now preserved, that's perhaps the main point. (with the drake script). Please note that I had no real time to put all three MB components to the test.
This north forest area offers a good opportunity to mod an evil team. However in the current component, this is not exactly the case. Three spawned creatures and 3 actors are changed to increase a bit the difficulty. The core change comes from the Cyric followers at the bottom of the map. The "familiar" is replaced by a drake on steroids (I changed the filenames as I was afraid of a name conflict with other mods). This is the only creature with a new AI and the script required a couple of syntax updates. The seven creatures keep their AI ! They were already made "more legit" to some extent and they benefit from a better equipment. What really upgrades them is very simple : AC drastically improved (not legit) and a 25% or 50% boost to magic resistance. With the exception of 3 parameters I propagated all changes. That's it !
I think the situation is similar to the marching mountains (or even the small teeth pass). The initial idea is very nice but what's really wanted are improved AI battle scripts. SCS surely helps to transform this lvl ~15 group into something more interesting.
Alpha36 release. Demon AI is added to the package. The component does three main things: -Modify the lich mage script so that they cast gate (pit fiend) for free at the beginning of a combat. I just tweaked it with an additional trigger condition on race. Btw I removed the copy/override of the lich ring, the EE flavour requires no modifications. -Substantially modify the pit fiends stats, weapon, AI. Noticeably pit fiends gate another of their friend when their HP go below 50% (their is also a timer to prevent their proliferation). -Modify the AI of some other demons so that they cast spells at will (but this AI piece does not make them more intelligent).
In the original mod a few pit fiend stats were downgraded (# of attacks comes to mind). I prefer to propose an option that patches only a subset of those stats and keep the EE cre files. I also propose an option to remove the pit fiend killing hit - 999 points of poison damage if you cannot save/resist it. That might sound drastic, especially if you are not aware of the feature. Up to you.
This component is more a moderately improved pit fiend package than anything else. This is to be seen as a companion for the Smarter Mages/Liches component. I guess it influenced other packages that were released after it. For a broader and nice coverage of demons, I advise to use the PnP demon component included in aTweaks. This being said, I had some fun looking at the 150+ demonic creatures of the game prior to writing the install procedure. (there is even a "gnome" and a "half-elf" with the lich ring...).
Just a direct transposition of the Streamlined trolls component. It boosts the troll physical resistances and it removes their "1 HP point guarantee" provided by an item. This is done without trying to modify anything in their scripts which normally trigger a "playdead / sleep" position for a while. I will come back to it to see if this can be enhanced in some way because this is very basic. EDIT June 2, 2015: I modified the trollreg.spl that brings them back on feet. Without the modification the (original) mod surely was a difficult thing to deal with as it reallocates the items... to be released in alpha 43 or 44.
Stratagems has a component to modify trolls but I am not familiar with it and I haven't look at it yet.
Two things I forgot to mention previously. I made a modification to the smarter dragons installation procedure to fix a mistake - not sure about the real impact of that mistake though. The scripts used by the demon knights (GB Blucher's mod introduced in alpha28) are also used by other creatures outside the underdark zone, I did not pay atttention to it. That's both the game and the original mod behaviour but I may have to modify it.
I will be away from BG2 for a few days and this project will be on pause, probably until Thursday. I planned to release all the minor battles this weekend but let's postpone them to the next we.
As regards Tougher Abazigal (see https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/642918/#Comment_642918), I started to build the structure this afternoon. I use the same approach, weidu patching on the fly. I hesitated between the weidu ascension and the original work by David Gaider but W.Weimer's package has a translation available for many languages and "apparently" it also includes the latest patch for the amethyst dragon, a patch authored by D.Gaider late 2001 - I cannot find those files in the packages available on Baldurdash or Sorcerers. Therefore I will take the W.Weimer's version as a base and rollback to D.Gaider's files if there is an issue. The component needs some patching but nothing scary. There is a new EE content to be protected noticeably in the area bcs file but no dialog modifications. Drake files are to be "normalized". Patch the salamender, btw the mod upgrades and downgrades some parameters of this creature - a merge is required. All the AI scripts require syntax fixes but nothing huge. Some files are unneeded (either the file is perfectly ok in BG2EE, a spell for instance or some new mod files are unused in fact). The blue dragon cre and weapon require a bit of patching to fill the gap between EE and the mod version. For some reason they seem skipped by the BP version. Expect a package at the end of the month (see above, cannot go faster). See you next week.
Thanks for the report. Unfortunately as said in my previous post I can investigate the issue right now. I will come back to you next week. The udiff does not seem to work in your case. What is the OS you use ?
@ineth I cannot reproduce your problem - with or without the UB components. Can you please tell me on which OS you run the game ? If that's a diff or naming matter, this is important to know.
@ineth An error solely based on the UB presence is a bit weird. Even if UB requires a couple of tweaks, I do not think it is badly interfering with my modified package. I initially thought that the diff created with the weidu-internal binary compare function (+xdiff) might be the culprit but a true unix universal diff is not really different. There are other elements in your debug file that probably point to other interferences if any.
Back to my own procedure, could you please (tell me what your OS is and) try the slightly modified package to see if it makes any differences. Please uninstall all eetacta2/Tactics2 components if any of them is installed. Erase the eetact2 directory and redeploy the attached package. I would appreciate if: 1- if you could install/test the Smarter Dragons component (yes no mistake) alone and then report any errors - no matter the installation order. Remove it if unwanted. 2- then try again to install the Improved Ilyich and report errors.
I think some mod added ONE_ROUND and ONE_TURN to GTimes.ids and Weidu used this file by decompiling the script...
The failure is not your fault, but I think you should change the last Parameter of SetGlobalTimer to the values in the GTimes.ids and add these entrys (like many mods do) before...
Thanks, I saw it but I cannot tell which mod added it and as far as I can tell it is not UB (which just "damages" action.ids) and as you can see I do not modify the IDS (GTIMES or even SHOUTIDS) myself but I do compile the script prior to patching it and this is likely suboptimal. As this is not fully consistent with the bug report, I want to fix anything wrong with my own script and incidentally there was a minor stupidity. And I am also cautious about the OS behavior which may call its own diff. In other words if 1) goes ok (re-edit) and 2) still goes wrong then I can tell that what you spot is the true issue.
As regards your suggestion, this is great but I do not intend to modify the vanilla game files if I am not forced to do so (especially if this is to match other mods features - this can be endless). If it comes to that, I prefer to inline all the short baf files with the modifications directly applied. This is what I initially started (Kangaxx for instance) ...with a rollback... time to reassess.
Re-edit1:45 local time - re-fixing my comment which was correct..
I tried it and get the same error, if I change the GTimes.ids... (attached you find a simple tp2 file, which adds several entrys to GTimes.ids and a fixed t2ilyich.tpa, which solves this problem, tried it on windows and linux )
You could use R_B_B instead, like you've done in the "ineth" version (tried that also ), I only want to let you know, that if you use the APPLY_BCS_PATCH Macro, the decompiled text (of the bcs file) must be the same, as in your patch file...
Thanks! I will have a look at it tomorrow evening or Friday. Time to go to bed... I am just curious what do you expect from the weidu.log that is not listed in the debug file ?
My thanks to @ineth, you report was helpful because it highlighted something wrong even beyond the Ilyich component patch mismatch itself. My thanks to @WhiteAgnus for the analysis highlighting the resulting issue and the test on two platforms.
I hope you won't mind but I have not used your fix. In fact, that problem was my mistake and not just a mod interaction. I fixed the root of the problem, a bad habit, now several components have an appropriate patching sequence. No need for propagating other mod requirements... well at least for now. I hope I introduced nothing wrong.
The battles in Athkatla are the components to come in the next package.
Alpha39 release - please note that I reloaded the file (first post) at 23:45 CET. It includes: - Improved Guarded Compound - Improved Twisted Rune
Cre and area bcs are patched (versus overwritten) based on the BG2EE version. The new AIs obviously replace the default game files, I added a few tweaks/fixes.
If someone want to test the improved twisted rune, I am interested in your feedback on the initial position/location of the creatures as well as the consistency of Layene's actions. Smarter Vampires has an no(edit) influence on Shyressa Smarter Beholders has an influence on Vaxall but this component is not released yet. Shangalar has its own custom script and it is not impacted by the smarter mages / demon AI and it does not use the Weimer's undead spell (this is the original behaviour).
My thanks to @WhiteAgnus for the analysis highlighting the resulting issue and the test on two platforms.
I hope you won't mind but I have not used your fix. In fact, that problem was my mistake and not just a mod interaction. I fixed the root of the problem, a bad habit, now several components have an appropriate patching sequence. No need for propagating other mod requirements... well at least for now. I hope I introduced nothing wrong.
No problem, you could fix it, like you want, I only want to show the root of the problem... (I also had a look in ineth's installed Modlist and the only one, which changes the GTimes.ids is "Afaaq - The Djinni Companion" Mod... )
Another question, when the "Improved Sahuagin City" is ready? I think thats the best component in Tactics....
Not managing the ids content (gtimes here) was not the core issue, more a consequence than a cause. I am afraid I did things that were wrong from a more general perspective. I fixed several of them without dealing with the ids additions, that is was I meant in the previous post. Of course I am not 100% safe when patching the vanilla bcs files themselves. Anyway...
Comments
I see you already have a number of testers atm? Are they enough? If so, I might not join in because I have thousands of pages of translation work, leaving me only a couple of playing hours per week instead of per day, and I'd prefer to spend those on my addiction hobby of no-reloading rather than testing. If however you run out of volunteers, then I'll make some time for your cool project.
Don't feel obliged to test the current package
Gotural and Crevsdaak tested the earliest version of the package but I had no further feedback.
At the moment and despite my own lack of free time, I tend to focus on the smarter creatures because I am curious about the implementation and working on it helps me understand some game aspects. This being said those components have SCS equivalent components (sometimes their repackaging) and I don't expect them to be deployed if SCS is to be deployed too.
The compatibility (or non interference) with Stratagems clearly is an objective since the beginning.
If you have more free time at the end of the month then I will be glad to see you joining for a test of the improved battles. Late May, early June is likely to be the "key" period for the beta testing.
For now, if anyone else is interested, a feedback on the following components would be much appreciated:
- Lich in the docks
- Gnome Fighter/Illusionist in the dock (Valygar quest) - already got a good feedback from @Gotural
- Crypt King
- Tougher Kangaxx (with W.Weimer's modifications for Kangaxx and Kensai Ryu's guardians - see the installer).
- A few simplifications. Fixed a minor bug with the variable format used in the questions.
- Mae'Var still needs some love.
- Anti-paladin : I finally duplicated the sword and made it available if charname is an antipaladin so don't try to import ohreaver (it's unmodified). Still a couple of modifications required : manage translations, sword in multiplayer mode, sword from container to actor?
- Converted the Improved Mind Flayers with a normalization of the psionic "spells". I also tried to not modified the new EE part of the game.
If I had a hammer...
It includes the Tougher Fire Giants component.
All files are patched, nothing is overwritten. A few bugs/duplicate removed.
Contrary to the forced behaviour in the original component, many giants have and keep their hammer. Funny point, the axe is declared (vanilla) as a two-handed weapon. Btw these giants wielding an axe are slightly more powerful.
Both the hammer and the axe trigger a few random effects on hit. They also grant the wielder several bonus (regeneration 5HP/s for instance, kind of fire shield, etc...) and twelve immunities.
I did not use the hammer or the axe effects to alter the proficiency points (wanted by the mod). I directly modified the related cre files.
Edit: confusion between axe and hammer (no change to the package)
A few minor tweaks
+
Red Badge of Courage / poison based encounter added to the package.
Patched a few "bugs". Reconstructed the new area are and bcs files. No change to the AI, no change to the dialog file.
If you want to test it:
go to ar3000 (Watcher's keep main area), if you meet the requirements (PC XP > 3M) a 100 seconds trigger starts (another 600 second timer is also set) then the whole team is teleported to a new area, no matter your answer you are teleported back to WK after a short dialog.
Later in the game (when the 600 secs countdown is over) and your PC XP > 3.5M then you are again teleported to the new area and a fight will start and you cannot flee. Use the area exit once this is over.
Don't be sorry, I am glad to benefit from your remarks and suggestions!
At the moment I am looking into the three Mike Barne's component internals and their "are" files systematically overwritten. Should you have a moment when I release them, it would be nice to read your comments.
You should have a look at the Big World Fixpack: http://www.shsforums.net/files/file/521-big-world-fixpack/
Thanks for the link and notice! Indeed there is a patch to deal with the areas. I will have a look at it, excellent to crosscheck what I already started.
I think I read that general file a couple of months ago and I neglected it because it patches the installation procedure (I rewrite it from scratch) and all the first lines are about patching strings which are correctly NUL terminated. I am not saying this is wrong, that's easier to read and clearer. I do the same but ultimately this fixed no major issue. Indeed the u diff parts for the three MBarnes components are much more interesting.
@ALIEN
Thanks !
I only said you should have a look on the BWFixpack, you don't have to diff the areas, if someone else have done it many years (I think it was 2008) ago and it would be better to use the fj_are_structure macro to patch areas (instead of using this old stuff)....
But I think the Fixpack is a good source too look at, for compatibility and stuff...
alpha33 with
a couple of fixes to various unneeded variables in the previous package
+
Mike Barnes's Marching Mountains
Let me tell you I dislike what I saw.
Of course this is a biased view. A few elements:
This very little mod replaces four encounters by four already met creatures.
In the vanilla version, when you reach YagaS' temple entrance you meet a strange group.
Aimed to be a piece of fun with a rabbit which can cast rabbit_power (hey ferrets I can see you're jealous) to transform itself into a greater werewolf.
M.Barnes + W.Weimer's modification replaces these four guys with four skeletons you already met when exploring Nyalee's map. In order to not repeat a previous fight, three of these four creatures run a different script. Namely:
- a cleric which uses a substantially different (vanilla) script, not specifically more difficult
- a mage, ibidem but the difference is thinner, even non existent if you use a mod such as Smarter Mages or (likely) SCS
- a warrior - same script
- an assassin (a potion drinking skeleton... yes), in the mod (or the patched version suggested by @WhiteAgnus ) it is supposed to use a different script. In tactics2 the issue is that you get this script only if you deploy Improved Maevar).
The area file has no error but as usual it is better to patch the EE game file. I also prefer to override the area-declared scripts at the "default" level, the original mod uses those area-induced scripts at the "general" level thus taking the risi to cumulate two similar combat scripts.
Well, I hope I convinced you to be cautiou even if you are still playing on the vanilla BG2-ToB game.
The other two mini mods are more interesting.
By the way, IMHO, the real thing to do is to boost the original creatures AI. Any volunteers ?
It includes Mike Barnes small teeth pass.
The are file is no longer entirely overwrittten (this means that the entrance point is preserved).
The three ankhegs are replaced by three dragons (purple brown red).
If you want to test it, please pay attention to the following points. More specifically:
- your entry point on the map
- the range of the dragon breath(s), are you targetted by more than one breath at a time
- do the dragons behave normally if the fight lasts long enough
In terms of implementation, this is a simple patch of the actors declared in the are file.
I haven't evaluated the interference with Stratagems yet but please there is a few things you might want to know.
The set of dragons in BG2(EE) is not 100% consistent. I think that bioware wanted to create several dragon templates and then instantiate/duplicate these templates to implement the encounters.
That is still somewhat the case with the red dragons. There is a dragred creature but Firkraag and Saladrex have their own creature files. That's not the case with the blue dragon which basically is Abazigal. The AI scripts are also reused in some cases. Saladrex has its own script, Firkraag uses the dragred script, the blue AND purple dragons use the abazigal script.
Currently, in this mod, the dragon cre files are differentiated (not the original behaviour) but the scripts are left unmodified. This means that if you install another dragon enhancing mod, this may propagate to this mod.
Typically Smarter Dragons (Firkraag) in Tactics2 or Ascension Abazigal will have an impact on this mod, no matter the installation order.
It includes Mike Barnes Improved North Forest.
Thanks to @WhiteAgnus I was able to crosscheck all the modifications with the patch published for BWP 6 years ago. Some creatures are so heavily modified that one might question the reason for patching vs overwriting.
The entrance point in the ARE file is now preserved, that's perhaps the main point. (with the drake script).
Please note that I had no real time to put all three MB components to the test.
This north forest area offers a good opportunity to mod an evil team.
However in the current component, this is not exactly the case.
Three spawned creatures and 3 actors are changed to increase a bit the difficulty. The core change comes from the Cyric followers at the bottom of the map.
The "familiar" is replaced by a drake on steroids (I changed the filenames as I was afraid of a name conflict with other mods). This is the only creature with a new AI and the script required a couple of syntax updates.
The seven creatures keep their AI ! They were already made "more legit" to some extent and they benefit from a better equipment. What really upgrades them is very simple : AC drastically improved (not legit) and a 25% or 50% boost to magic resistance. With the exception of 3 parameters I propagated all changes. That's it !
I think the situation is similar to the marching mountains (or even the small teeth pass). The initial idea is very nice but what's really wanted are improved AI battle scripts.
SCS surely helps to transform this lvl ~15 group into something more interesting.
Demon AI is added to the package.
The component does three main things:
-Modify the lich mage script so that they cast gate (pit fiend) for free at the beginning of a combat. I just tweaked it with an additional trigger condition on race. Btw I removed the copy/override of the lich ring, the EE flavour requires no modifications.
-Substantially modify the pit fiends stats, weapon, AI. Noticeably pit fiends gate another of their friend when their HP go below 50% (their is also a timer to prevent their proliferation).
-Modify the AI of some other demons so that they cast spells at will (but this AI piece does not make them more intelligent).
In the original mod a few pit fiend stats were downgraded (# of attacks comes to mind). I prefer to propose an option that patches only a subset of those stats and keep the EE cre files.
I also propose an option to remove the pit fiend killing hit - 999 points of poison damage if you cannot save/resist it. That might sound drastic, especially if you are not aware of the feature. Up to you.
This component is more a moderately improved pit fiend package than anything else. This is to be seen as a companion for the Smarter Mages/Liches component. I guess it influenced other packages that were released after it.
For a broader and nice coverage of demons, I advise to use the PnP demon component included in aTweaks.
This being said, I had some fun looking at the 150+ demonic creatures of the game prior to writing the install procedure. (there is even a "gnome" and a "half-elf" with the lich ring...).
Just a direct transposition of the Streamlined trolls component.
It boosts the troll physical resistances and it removes their "1 HP point guarantee" provided by an item.
This is done without trying to modify anything in their scripts which normally trigger a "playdead / sleep" position for a while.
I will come back to it to see if this can be enhanced in some way because this is very basic.
EDIT June 2, 2015: I modified the trollreg.spl that brings them back on feet. Without the modification the (original) mod surely was a difficult thing to deal with as it reallocates the items... to be released in alpha 43 or 44.
Stratagems has a component to modify trolls but I am not familiar with it and I haven't look at it yet.
Two things I forgot to mention previously.
I made a modification to the smarter dragons installation procedure to fix a mistake - not sure about the real impact of that mistake though.
The scripts used by the demon knights (GB Blucher's mod introduced in alpha28) are also used by other creatures outside the underdark zone, I did not pay atttention to it. That's both the game and the original mod behaviour but I may have to modify it.
I planned to release all the minor battles this weekend but let's postpone them to the next we.
As regards Tougher Abazigal (see https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/642918/#Comment_642918), I started to build the structure this afternoon. I use the same approach, weidu patching on the fly. I hesitated between the weidu ascension and the original work by David Gaider but W.Weimer's package has a translation available for many languages and "apparently" it also includes the latest patch for the amethyst dragon, a patch authored by D.Gaider late 2001 - I cannot find those files in the packages available on Baldurdash or Sorcerers. Therefore I will take the W.Weimer's version as a base and rollback to D.Gaider's files if there is an issue.
The component needs some patching but nothing scary. There is a new EE content to be protected noticeably in the area bcs file but no dialog modifications.
Drake files are to be "normalized". Patch the salamender, btw the mod upgrades and downgrades some parameters of this creature - a merge is required.
All the AI scripts require syntax fixes but nothing huge.
Some files are unneeded (either the file is perfectly ok in BG2EE, a spell for instance or some new mod files are unused in fact).
The blue dragon cre and weapon require a bit of patching to fill the gap between EE and the mod version. For some reason they seem skipped by the BP version.
Expect a package at the end of the month (see above, cannot go faster).
See you next week.
UPDATE: It only happens when installing it after the Unfinished Business (v26beta2) mod.
Unfortunately as said in my previous post I can investigate the issue right now.
I will come back to you next week.
The udiff does not seem to work in your case.
What is the OS you use ?
I cannot reproduce your problem - with or without the UB components.
Can you please tell me on which OS you run the game ?
If that's a diff or naming matter, this is important to know.
Edit May 29th : OBSOLETE, see https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/644518/#Comment_644518
An error solely based on the UB presence is a bit weird.
Even if UB requires a couple of tweaks, I do not think it is badly interfering with my modified package.
I initially thought that the diff created with the weidu-internal binary compare function (+xdiff) might be the culprit but a true unix universal diff is not really different. There are other elements in your debug file that probably point to other interferences if any.
Back to my own procedure, could you please (tell me what your OS is and) try the slightly modified package to see if it makes any differences.
Please uninstall all eetacta2/Tactics2 components if any of them is installed.
Erase the eetact2 directory and redeploy the attached package.
I would appreciate if:
1- if you could install/test the Smarter Dragons component (yes no mistake) alone and then report any errors - no matter the installation order. Remove it if unwanted.
2- then try again to install the Improved Ilyich and report errors.
Thanks.
Edit May 29th : OBSOLETE, see https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/644518/#Comment_644518
The decompiled SetGlobalTimer Actions looks like these:
SetGlobalTimer("RageTimer","LOCALS",ONE_TURN)
SetGlobalTimer("Cast","LOCALS",ONE_ROUND)
SetGlobalTimer("KaiTimer","LOCALS",ONE_ROUND)
SetGlobalTimer("Cast","LOCALS",ONE_ROUND)
I think some mod added ONE_ROUND and ONE_TURN to GTimes.ids and Weidu used this file by decompiling the script...
The failure is not your fault, but I think you should change the last Parameter of SetGlobalTimer to the values in the GTimes.ids and add these entrys (like many mods do) before...
APPEND ~GTIMES.IDS~ ~6 ONE_ROUND~ UNLESS ~ONE_ROUND~
APPEND ~GTIMES.IDS~ ~60 ONE_TURN~ UNLESS ~ONE_TURN~
As this is not fully consistent with the bug report, I want to fix anything wrong with my own script and incidentally there was a minor stupidity. And I am also cautious about the OS behavior which may call its own diff. In other words if 1) goes ok (re-edit) and 2) still goes wrong then I can tell that what you spot is the true issue.
As regards your suggestion, this is great but I do not intend to modify the vanilla game files if I am not forced to do so (especially if this is to match other mods features - this can be endless). If it comes to that, I prefer to inline all the short baf files with the modifications directly applied. This is what I initially started (Kangaxx for instance) ...with a rollback... time to reassess.
Re-edit1:45 local time - re-fixing my comment which was correct..
Edit May 29th : OBSOLETE, see https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/644518/#Comment_644518
could you attach you weidu.log please? Or/and make a changelog to the GTimes.ids? This should show us, which mod changed the file...
@Musigny,
I tried it and get the same error, if I change the GTimes.ids... (attached you find a simple tp2 file, which adds several entrys to GTimes.ids and a fixed t2ilyich.tpa, which solves this problem, tried it on windows and linux
You could use R_B_B instead, like you've done in the "ineth" version (tried that also
Every mod changes vanilla resources, this could be a compatibility fix, for other mods, which changed the GTimes.ids
I am just curious what do you expect from the weidu.log that is not listed in the debug file ?
I'll have a look in the installed mods tomorrow...
Nothing new - just a bug fix release.
My thanks to @ineth, you report was helpful because it highlighted something wrong even beyond the Ilyich component patch mismatch itself.
My thanks to @WhiteAgnus for the analysis highlighting the resulting issue and the test on two platforms.
I hope you won't mind but I have not used your fix. In fact, that problem was my mistake and not just a mod interaction. I fixed the root of the problem, a bad habit, now several components have an appropriate patching sequence. No need for propagating other mod requirements... well at least for now.
I hope I introduced nothing wrong.
The battles in Athkatla are the components to come in the next package.
It includes:
- Improved Guarded Compound
- Improved Twisted Rune
Cre and area bcs are patched (versus overwritten) based on the BG2EE version.
The new AIs obviously replace the default game files, I added a few tweaks/fixes.
If someone want to test the improved twisted rune, I am interested in your feedback on the initial position/location of the creatures as well as the consistency of Layene's actions.
Smarter Vampires has an no(edit) influence on Shyressa
Smarter Beholders has an influence on Vaxall but this component is not released yet.
Shangalar has its own custom script and it is not impacted by the smarter mages / demon AI and it does not use the Weimer's undead spell (this is the original behaviour).
(I also had a look in ineth's installed Modlist and the only one, which changes the GTimes.ids is "Afaaq - The Djinni Companion" Mod...
Another question, when the "Improved Sahuagin City" is ready? I think thats the best component in Tactics....
"Improved Sahuagin" will come soon hopefully !