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Ascension in BG2EE - guide and fixes

RooksxRooksx Member Posts: 57
edited May 2015 in BGII:EE Mods
There still seems to be some understandable uncertainty about getting Ascension to work in BG2EE and what the issues may be. So below are some tips and fixes based on my playtesting and frustrations. After a great deal of tinkering and annoyance, I have got a smooth experience.

The Sendai not dying bug was fixed by either patch 1.3 or v30 of SCS.

The required files are:
Big Picture : http://www.shsforums.net/files/file/546-the-big-picture-v181/
This has the Ascension mod. The WEIDU version is incompatible with BG2EE.

SCS: http://gibberlings3.net/forums/index.php?app=downloads&showcat=32
This is important for reasons I'll explain.

Slayer form fix (attached)
This is to solve the bug where changing to Slayer form continues to drain your health after you change back. Not sure who produced this fix but thanks.

Throne of Bhaal pools fix (attached) (by me!)
There's a bug with the pools that give you powers in the Throne of Bhaal. They heal you but do not restore your spells as they're meant to. This fixes the issue.

Installation guide:

1. Big Picture Ascension. This should be first on your mod install list. A minimal installation of Big Picture works best in my experience. From what I can tell, BP uses custom scripts for creatures that can cause all sorts of problems, eg disappearing monsters, inability to rest in areas, Sendai not doing anything., etc So I recommend only these components:

Big Picture, core component (required for most subcomponents): v181-b4611
Ascension for BP: v181-b4611
Improved Abazigal: v181-b4611
Improved Demogorgon: v181-b4611
Improved Gromnir: v181-b4611
Improved Illasera: v181-b4611
Improved Sendai: v181-b4611
Improved Yaga-Shura: v181-b4611

2. Whatever quest, NPC, dialogues, fixpacks (BG2 Tweaks, Spell Revisions, Unfinished Business, Arestorations etc), other mods that you like. Note that Unfinished Business has a "Restored Bhaalspawn powers" component. I recommend that you do not install this as it conflicts with the restored powers that you get from the Ascension mod.

3. SCS. I suggest installing this because of the problems I mentioned with BP scripts. Certain SCS components will override those scripts. So you don't need to install everything but will need:
Initialise mod (all other components require this)
Initialise AI components (required for all tactical and AI components)
Smarter Throne of Bhaal final villain
Smarter Illasera
Smarter Gromnir
Smarter Yaga-Shura:
Smarter Abazigal
Give Ascension versions of Irenicus and Sendai SCS scripts and abilities
Give Ascension demons SCS scripts and abilities

4. Slayer fix. Backup the relevant file in your Override directory and then copy this into it.

5. ToB pools fix. Backup the relevant files in your Override directory and then copy these into it.

Hopefully this will work for all of you. Please note that there may still be issues with Longer Road and Wheels of Prophecy working together.
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Comments

  • brunardobrunardo Member Posts: 526
    This is great @Rooksx as been looking on the forum for a solution and want to try SCS but with ascension on my next playthrough and ran into bugs menitoned above with BP ascension (installed only to try final battle and some random quests)...couple of questions can I include the side quests like ritual/poison encounter, etc? and what would I be missing from doing a Min BP install with SCS on top as you recommended...also can I choose Longer road or Prophecy or are both buggy?
  • RooksxRooksx Member Posts: 57
    Side quests that take place in an isolated area should be ok. I found that BP's AI components could make saving impossible in areas where I fought the improved enemies, eg improved knights resulted in no saving in the Bridge District after killing the renegade Paladins.

    I had a problem with Wheels of Prophecy and Longer Road that I think was due to confronting Balthazar before Sendai and Abazigal. I'd you want to use Longer Road, see here: http://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/37579/longer-road-working-in-bg2ee
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,753
    Due to the number of times this question has been asked about, this thread is stickied!
  • brunardobrunardo Member Posts: 526
    Yeah the no save thing really is a problem so maybe will follow your guide and install SCS after the BP ascension stall.
    Im really looking for AI challenge in my next playthrough but also want to include as many quest mods to add new flavour to the game but can skip Lnger road and WOP mod if needed....thanks also about the UB mod bug as was going to install that one too.
  • RooksxRooksx Member Posts: 57
    The issue with Longer Road is that the author abandoned it years ago. I have been using it and it mostly works but there are some bugs, including a couple of gamebeaking ones that are mentioned (and fixed) in the thread I made.

    If using WoP and LR together, I think you should ensure that you do not confront Balthazar until you have defeated Sendai and Abazigal.
  • brunardobrunardo Member Posts: 526
    Thanks @Rooksx - dont need to play as Irenicus so will skip longer road if still buggy.

    So youve played both BP and SCS, whats the big difference between them in terms of AI and add ons like quests, Ive only played BP installed for the last part of TOB but is it essentially the same with changing enemy AI?
  • RooksxRooksx Member Posts: 57
    The SCS AI is much tougher. The smarter mages component in particular makes combat a lot harder. SCS is highly customisable though so you can tailor it to your difficulty preference.

    SCS also has optional components that change some encounters. In some cases these incorporate the Tactics mod. It does not have any additional quests.

    Overall SCS is a critical part of why I'm still playing BG2.
  • brunardobrunardo Member Posts: 526
    lol thats what I hear. especially with the mages but am looking for more challenge.
    I'm big on adding mod quests and the ones from BP like Ritual/poison which were fun and challenging along with ascension so guessing I should follow your guide with install those minimums and quest add ons and then install SCS aftewards right? Want to be careful and not have a gamebreaking bug in the game or the whoe cant save/cant sleep etc like I ran into with BP
  • RooksxRooksx Member Posts: 57
    You should install SCS after any quest mods so that the SCS AI will apply to the enemies in the quest. However SCS may not work properly for Big Picture quests; I'm not sure.
  • brunardobrunardo Member Posts: 526
    ok good to know, can always skip those quests if they get buggy or maybe not put them on just to be safe
  • Gan_YaoGan_Yao Member Posts: 4
    Can I just install the Pools Fix? I would like to get my powers back without having to go through the Oh-so-time-consuming Shadowkeeper route lol. But I hate using EE keeper just to fix a bug in a single playthrough every time, and it just *feels* like cheating, even though I know I am supposed to get powers back.
  • RooksxRooksx Member Posts: 57
    Not sure what you're referring to exactly. The pools giving you powers is a modification made by the Ascension mod. The fix I made just ensures that your spells are memorised once you click the pools. It will not grant you the powers itself.
  • SageSage Member Posts: 28
    Many thanks for this! I don't want to de-rail this like the last thread, but I would like to state that I still really hope Beamdog picks this up officially eventually :).
  • Gan_YaoGan_Yao Member Posts: 4
    ah, gotcha. I always assumed there was a legitimate way to get your bhaal powers ( weak as they are ) back, when you mentioned pools, I thought of a couple areas that would make sense restoring them after being yanked by Jhonny Boy. So, on that note, neva mind! And thanks anyways :)

  • RooksxRooksx Member Posts: 57
    edited May 2015
    Ascension does give you new Bhaalspawn powers through completing the challenges in your pocket plane. That's why I recommend not installing the Bhaalspawn powers component in the Unfinished Business mod. If you want the powers without Ascension, install the UB component.
  • RooksxRooksx Member Posts: 57
    edited May 2015
    Ok, there is something wrong with Sendai in the final battle that is causing the game to crash when you kill her. Maybe someone who understands scripting can take a look at her script?
    Post edited by Rooksx on
  • brunardobrunardo Member Posts: 526
    I read about that issue awhile back and remember in a diffrent thread a solution to work around it...which thread though cant remember
  • MusignyMusigny Member Posts: 1,027
    Do you experience this issue with Sendai if you redeploy a clean game and mods without installing Stratagems at all ?
    Are you referring to the ascension battle or the battle in Sendai's lair ?
  • RooksxRooksx Member Posts: 57
    Installing BP-Ascension without SCS can cause a whole other bunch of issues. Referring to Ascension battle.
  • MusignyMusigny Member Posts: 1,027
    This is the deployment of both BP-ascension and Stratagems that used to cause problems in the past. Hence the related paragraph in the SCS readme.
    Therefore I still think it is better to test BP-ascension without the Stratagems-ascension components in a first approach.
  • RooksxRooksx Member Posts: 57
    Here's an idea, why don't you test it?
  • brunardobrunardo Member Posts: 526
    I know BP is buggy in the last battle with ascension but no issues with sendai...will try with scs though as everyone recommends this AI and your advice sounds solid @Rooksx
  • RooksxRooksx Member Posts: 57
    Thanks Brunardo. I'm on holiday right now but when I get back I'll have another look at the scripts and see if I can figure out what's wrong. I couldn't see any obvious difference between Sendai's script and the others. I'll post on the SCS forums as well.
  • brunardobrunardo Member Posts: 526
    Thanks @Rooksx and enjoy the holidays, I'll check out the scs forums too
  • RooksxRooksx Member Posts: 57
    I'm fairly sure that the crashes I've experienced are due to Longer Road. So if you don't have that installed (or just don't have Irenicus in your party during the final battle), you should be fine.

    Now I'll just see if I can figure out what the issue is with that mod.
  • brunardobrunardo Member Posts: 526
    lol no irenicus - I can live with out him
  • KaiketsuKaiketsu Member Posts: 38
    So guys... since Adventure Y is near completion - can we expect a "proper" Ascension anytime soon and not the mix-match of old files? :) I recall there was a Beamdog dev claiming to make EE Ascension after Adventure Y is done.
  • SageSage Member Posts: 28
    Kaiketsu said:

    So guys... since Adventure Y is near completion - can we expect a "proper" Ascension anytime soon and not the mix-match of old files? :) I recall there was a Beamdog dev claiming to make EE Ascension after Adventure Y is done.

    http://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/23076/state-of-ascension#latest

    Who knows honestly :(
  • brunardobrunardo Member Posts: 526
    I sure hope so. kind of waiting for that
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    What if you don't care for the improved difficulty of SCS? Is it critical to making ascension work?
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