You don't have to romance her with the mod installed, but as Ballad notes upthread, the mod does assume that Charname has some degree of attraction towards and for Imoen, which might make things a little awkward if that doesn't fit your characterization. I avoided that in my most recent playthrough by jetting off to Spellhold before the mod dreams started kicking in, but even that's not a perfect workaround.
That said, there are a handful of banters in the mod that only trigger if you are romancing one of the Bioware NPCs and are not romancing Imoen, so there is some attention paid towards having the mod work in the context of non-romance playthroughs.
What if Charname is a dwarf, halfling, or gnome? Since there are no "half" varieties of those, one can assume that fertile cross-breeding between those races and humans is biologically impossible.
It's possible. It just is very uncommon. There are several other very uncommon "mixbreeds" as well.
I know this is coming kind of late, but I finally managed to complete my Imoen-enhanced runthrough today. Though I feel like there's little I haven't said already, I still feel like paying my dues in the form of a little review, to honor the creators of this stellar modification.
Ballad's Review of the Imoen Romance modification v3.5, part II, Throne of Bhaal
In general
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'm going to go out on a limb and and say the Imoen Romance mod is by far the best unofficial story/NPC mod I have ever played in any CRPG. I was very favorably impressed by the SoA portion, but the ToB segment proved simply outstanding. It really breathed new life into the game and made playing through ToB - my least favorite part of the saga - very much worthwhile.
I've been playing the two Baldur's Gate games on and off for nearly two decades now, and truth be told, they are starting to feel a little stale. I originally started my current runthrough pretty much only because of SoD. I really dug the expansion, but once I got to SoA, I felt like I needed to try something new to hold my interest. Running with SCS and Banter packs again simply wouldn't do, so I ended up installing Imoen Romance on a whim, with very low expectations to match. Little did I know it would end up becoming the pinnacle of my runthrough and one of my most memorable modding experiences of all time.
If you are on the fence about playing this mod, do yourself a favor and give it a try. It is really worth it.
Content
What surprised me about the ToB portion of the mod is how solid and streamlined it was, despite being a very recent addition to the whole. I wonder if it is due to it being less mired in controversy and personal differences amongs its makers. Moreover, it is much more cheerful and, well, uncontroversial than the SoA portion. That's right; tragic and difficult themes such as torture and sexual violence play no part in the latter half of this mod. Imoen is also a lot more stable and less prone to bouts of guilt, angst and self-doubt.
Unlike the SoA portion, the ToB segment does not rely on timer-based lovetalks. Rather, the dialogues fire off during important events and after the bigger battles. As such, the ToB half feels even more like a story than a NPC/Romance mod. During my playthrough, I felt like well over half of the dialogue I ran into came from the mod. This was a welcome feature since ToB is not exactly known for its verbosity and abundance of banter. So, if anything, Imoen Romance made the dialogue-starved, battle-heavy expansion feel more intimate and interesting.
One things that is particularly great about this mod is that it does not railroad Imoen's development. The things you choose to say during dialogues and lovetalk have a huge impact on her characterization and how your relationship plays out. I read somewhere that there are over 42 possible epilogues for Imoen in this mod. Though that does seem a bit excessive, it should establish the fact that the choices you make will shape your half-sister's destiny.
In addition to the fixed dialogue and interjections, the mod enables you to flirt with Imoen and ask her personal questions through "force-talking" to her. Also, you get the choice to spend "quality time" with her when resting at an inn for the first time. This is not merely fluff; the things you ask her and even the times you show her affection will have an impact on how things unfold. So be sure to make full use of this feature to get the best possible outcomes.
Last but not least, Imoen has her own personal quest. It is related to an item she acquires in Ch6 SoA and though it is does not amount to a major sidequest, it is nonetheless a fun thing to see through.
Writing
This is a very well-written mod, though it does take its stylistic liberties. The ToB portion continues in the style of its SoA predecessor, so expect parenthetical descriptions and illustrated lovey-dovey passages. If you hate romance, you might find this mod a pain in the ass to read, but then again it is highly doubtful you would've installed it in the first place. It is called Imoen Romance after all.
While the SoA portion had some very intensive, emotionally gut-wrenching moments, the ToB part is slightly more mellow, though definitely not lacking in luster. I also found the overall tone and wording to be more appropriate to a fantasy setting - there are no awkward, contemporary Americanisms this time around. Imoen is still very much herself and never once do her lines feel rushed or glossed over.
I thought I had more to say, but now that I'm typing this out, I really can't seem to come up with anything deeper than "it's really good, give it a try."
Gameplay
Unlike with the SoA portion, I actually ran into a couple of game-breaking issues while playing the ToB part. Neither turned out to be due to the Imoen Romance mod in the end but other mods components I had installed. Nevertheless, I feel like I should bring these up so that prospective players can avoid the headache of running into these themselves.
One. There are a couple of WeiDu mod components that are at present incompatible with the Imoen Romance mod. The two I know of are "Fixed Imoen Interactions" from BG2 Tweaks and "Imoen Retrospection Dialogue" from the IEP Extended Banters. Having these components installed will likely cause Imoen to initiate an infinite dialogue loop with the main character, effectively breaking the game. (She will force-talk to you again and again no matter where you go and what you do.)
Two. Ascension and Imoen Romance have some serious compatibility issues, it seems. This is unsurprising, given that Ascension is not fully compatible with BG2:EE yet. However, I experiences frequent crashes and bugs, including a nasty one where I couldn't exit the pocket plane after the final challenge. Also, during the final battle I ran into a game-breaking glitch which caused Melissan to disappear, dead-ending the game. Ultimately, I am not sure if this has anything to do with the Imoen Romance mod, but I just thought I'd give you a heads-up if you're planning on running the two mods simultaneously.
Apart from these two annoying mishaps, my experience was very smooth and positive overall. If I had to complain about something, it would be the fact that the mod obliges you to run through all the player-initiated questions and flirts in order to get the best outcome for your romance. I didn't realize this until the very end. Apparently, there is a global variable called IRTLOVEMETER that needs to be higher than 40 for Imoen to be "fully in love with you", and you can only attain this value if you run through all the flirts with her. This is nothing scandalous or game-breaking, but still a bit counterintuitive IMO.
TL;DR
If the SoA part of the Imoen Romance mod was a very pleasant surprise, its ToB portion is even better, and deserves to be played by a wider audience. Anyone who has ever contemplated giving this mod a try but hasn't yet, tarry no longer and give it a shot. If you're at all into Imoen, or quality character development in general, you won't be disappointed.
@Ballad@Kaigen@SmilingSword or anyone else familiar with this mod...are there any specific party members you would recommend playing with? My time is limited so I'm not sure when I'll be able to make another run through the game. I'm not worried about balance or alignments. I'm just looking for a party that Imoen will have a lot of interaction with.
I'm pretty sure there's an evil path to take with the Imoen romance. I haven't played through it myself, but I had it installed and I looked at the epilogues (due to an epilogue bug with some other NPC mods I was playing with), and...
... it looks like there are options to "corrupt" Imoen and turn her evil, if enough of the corruption opportunities are taken.
I have no idea if that's actually implemented in-game though or just some left-over legacy stuff that's not actually reachable.
@vanatos Thank you! I heard she develops a more in-depth friendship with Aerie, so I think I might bring her along to see that.
I just barely discovered that I can look through the dialogue files <_< Out of curiosity, for the stat checks when it says "GT 16 Chr" and "LT 16 Chr," if I have 16 Charisma which options will I see? I'm assuming it actually means you'll have that option available with a score of 16 or higher, but I could be wrong. Maybe it only appears with a 17+, who knows... It's not hugely important, but I'm curious how stat checks work for dialogues like that.
@subtledoctor You're well versed with scripting, maybe you can help answer that question
NO! It is abominable! Don’t you recognize it? Any of you?! It is disgusting, not only because she is main character’s sister, but becouse of how character she is. Imoen is not an another peace of pussy to fuck with. BG is not another james bond! You have to prove at all costs, that friendship between man and women doesn’t have rihghts to exist, do you? Lamentable. If you treat women like that, play Witcher - it is made for such as you. Perhaps yoy’ll get a shock, but not every girl must be a whore first of all. Why are you trying to shower slander at everything remain pure and innocent? You have all the world filled with this intrusive cult of promiscuity; why aren’t you leave JUST ONE game not sprinkled by this shit? And please, don’t cover your quasi scientific arguments beneath some bilogical needs and instincts - maybe you are some mindless beasts, but Imoen don’t have to be. Nobody eat and excrete here? So? Where’s mod forcing all characters to defecation?
Friendship is much more valuable than any romance. I love Imoen. She might be preety, but I desire her kindness, impertubable devotion and cheerfulness. That is true. I don’t expect enyone will understand me, I’ll remain alone against primitve mob, as always. But in such discussuion there’s no democracy, and I am right in this matter.
You're always free not to install the mod. For me, when BG1 first came out, Imoen was my character's constant companion, from Candlekeep all the way to Sarevok's fall. In my own headcanon, the two of them were friends, and yes, lovers; childhood friends brought together by tragedy and united by a desire to protect and nurture the other, no matter what came. I was devastated when BG2 came out and she was revealed to be your sister, but I still refused to ever drop her from my party.
That said, your mutual parent is a god, one who gave no more thought to your spawning than a scientist genetically modifying his own sperm and then using it to impregnate everything from rabbits to chickens to rhinos to sharks. Would you consider a shark to be a sibling to a chicken, even if they both contained partial human DNA from the same human? As far as I'm concerned, Bhaal is no more our real father than Imoen and I have the same mother.
i dunno i played it and it seemed fine to me. they don't even push it on you either
the Imoen in the dreams is just bhaal's taint pushing you towards one possibly. not saying " hey you know that cute girl you lived most of your life? you should go and bang."
and you don't even need to romance her to get the most out of the mod. i like it for the stuff it adds to the game that is not romance related. it fleshes her out and makes her a better character now that she has things to say over the course of the game. and her friendship with aerie is sweet.
alot of her tob stuff alone makes the mod worth it imo.
@Chiren Npc or npc related mods are no different from fanfiction when it comes to content . Couples are created and new characters are added , but in the end we all know , whether it being good or bad, that it ain't canon .
NO! It is abominable! Don’t you recognize it? Any of you?! It is disgusting, not only because she is main character’s sister, but becouse of how character she is. Imoen is not an another peace of pussy to fuck with. BG is not another james bond! You have to prove at all costs, that friendship between man and women doesn’t have rihghts to exist, do you? Lamentable. If you treat women like that, play Witcher - it is made for such as you. Perhaps yoy’ll get a shock, but not every girl must be a whore first of all. Why are you trying to shower slander at everything remain pure and innocent? You have all the world filled with this intrusive cult of promiscuity; why aren’t you leave JUST ONE game not sprinkled by this shit? And please, don’t cover your quasi scientific arguments beneath some bilogical needs and instincts - maybe you are some mindless beasts, but Imoen don’t have to be. Nobody eat and excrete here? So? Where’s mod forcing all characters to defecation?
Friendship is much more valuable than any romance. I love Imoen. She might be preety, but I desire her kindness, impertubable devotion and cheerfulness. That is true. I don’t expect enyone will understand me, I’ll remain alone against primitve mob, as always. But in such discussuion there’s no democracy, and I am right in this matter.
You're always free not to install the mod. For me, when BG1 first came out, Imoen was my character's constant companion, from Candlekeep all the way to Sarevok's fall. In my own headcanon, the two of them were friends, and yes, lovers; childhood friends brought together by tragedy and united by a desire to protect and nurture the other, no matter what came. I was devastated when BG2 came out and she was revealed to be your sister, but I still refused to ever drop her from my party.
That said, your mutual parent is a god, one who gave no more thought to your spawning than a scientist genetically modifying his own sperm and then using it to impregnate everything from rabbits to chickens to rhinos to sharks. Would you consider a shark to be a sibling to a chicken, even if they both contained partial human DNA from the same human? As far as I'm concerned, Bhaal is no more our real father than Imoen and I have the same mother.
that may have been the intention of the mod. she just screams childhood friend romance.
It is a bit disturbing, and I hope they are joking! I find it unfair to criticize something for its content without giving it a chance, or at least going in and reading all of the lines. I've found a lot of mod authors have their content unfairly bashed at times! Writers are certainly allowed to write about uncomfortable things, and can be very rewarded for doing things well.
The Imoen romance mod does a good job of giving Imoen depth. It adds a bit of complexity and drama to situations. There are things I do not like, sometimes the humor isn't funny for me, for example, and there are a couple of situations where the drama can become melodramatic. But otherwise the amount of content is enriching and does not ever feel jarring. They address the conflict of having the same father and not ignoring it, which is cool, and the consequences of temptation. There are a lot of things the Imoen mod does well that can be learned from, and its most inspiring story isn't even the content, it's that it took over a decade to finish. Stories like that are what made me decide to start modding, even if it's 2019 and I probably only get very little interest and feedback for my work because of the late joining, but it's not about those things, it's about the passion of the art itself.
On the weird romance complaint, the mod gives a friendship path. This isn't a bad thing, doing this doesn't make Imoen promiscuous (This makes no sense anyway). It just allows the player to explore what a relationship might look like if they are interested in that sort of story.
Last bit, hope this isn't rant-coming, but I'm not fond of comparing mods to fanfiction usually. Fanfiction is a lot easier to do and receives quicker gratification, but mods aren't re-writing the story most of the time, but adding something new. They take a large amount of time and require a lot more varied skills. Some content like the ascension mod is even seen as must downloads. (That said I have guiltily never downloaded it!)
First of all, I wish to apologize for my a little bit too vulgar and offensive language. As a citizen of one of less civilized EU members, I've just got used to more aggresive style of public dispute. I'm sorry for the form, but not for the contents. Still I claim, that such mod should never been released, and all its admirers shoulf find some other games, closer corresponding to their taste. And there's really no significance in scholastic reflections about similarity genes of Gorion's foster -children, analogies in weird relations the ancient gods were involved into, or tortuous assertions that violence in the game excuses incestuousness. In fact, the simple point of the problem is that mod creator's only goal was to depreciate Imoen as a symbol of friendship, and once again demonstrate that EVERY woman have to be a sexual object. Even she... Is there any undefiled sanctity left? I'm sick of this. In my homeland, women's rights are incessantly violating, so maybe I should become accustomed, but Imoen's dignity is more important for me than my own. She is almost such archetypical character as Gandalf himself; would you accept Gandalf's romance? I doubt it. He's not that kind of person, so isn't Imoen.
In fact, the simple point of the problem is that mod creator's only goal was to depreciate Imoen as a symbol of friendship, and once again demonstrate that EVERY woman have to be a sexual object.
No. No, it isn't. If you actually ever read the mod's writing, it should be very clear. The writing has its issues but this statement is laughably far from the truth.
You can't say what the mod creator's only goal was unless they really say so themselves. In fact, you should not assume the writer is writing from experience or with an agenda in mind. Imoen isn't even sexualized in the mod. Not to mention there are multiple creators attached to the mod and it is not an individual.
No mod is perfect, certainly not this one, every NPC mod I've seen, including my own, have significant places where they can improve, especially ones where you work alone. I'm not the best at proofreading my own work for example, and I find my male characters are not as well crafted, and talks are hard for me as I'm used to crafting full narrative, not conversation. This would be easier to work around with help, and thus I think the Imoen mod is blessed in that they had a team to work on it, as that makes it so much easier. The writing and execution could use significant work in places, but in the end, that it is a fully completed work is a marvel on its own. So many people start things, but so few finish.
@Chiren: I can appreciate where you're coming from, although I respectfully disagree. Sexual attraction and intimacy is a crucial part of many human relationships, and it is not, in itself, "wrong" or "unclean" or "impure". (In fact, I believe that teachings to that regard create some extremely unhealthy human attitudes to sexuality and gender relationships in real life, but let's not get into that can of worms for now.) Nonetheless, I understand that the vision of what you see in Imoen is different from mine, and I'm pleased to note that apparently the mod creators designed it in such a way that both of us can realize the different visions we have for Imoen.
He didn't even play the mod and he is talking. His presence should be cleansed from this forum for not providing any useful informations at all and nothing that is actually embedded in reality
he would be right if he was talking about the original version of the mod where this was the case. but the 2010 rewrite is not the case it's the same as every romance. Imoen herself even has issues with it herself and the last romance talk in soa is trying to convince her. so it's not like the creators are ignoring the situation.
like i said the mod does not force you to romance Imoen even if it's the focus. she has talks even if you don't romance her. heck if you don't romance her or aerie then in tob:
Imoen will admit she has a crush on aerie and ask you if it's ok to use a wish spell on her to make it work. as the author does not make aerie into girls out of the blue.
she even has banters if your romancing someone else. the whole point of the mod was to give her deph and turn her into the 2nd most important character in the saga. as it should be.
By the way, why is the first draft so criticized? I saw it has adult content, but honestly seems pretty weird on a game based on a plethora of 'bad' subjects
@Chiren: Out of curiosity, what country are you from, if you don't mind my asking? You need not respond if you don't feel comfortable; I was just curious.
By the way, why is the first draft so criticized? I saw it has adult content, but honestly seems pretty weird on a game based on a plethora of 'bad' subjects
they went a little to far and had things that irk people the wrong way. lets just say there were evil things you could do to her in the orginal draft that is now gone.
So as I predicted, I have to resist massive attack. I though nobody would read that, but now I see I've touched some tender string. Ok, let's get started. First, let me assume an attitude to SKITIA: yes, I admit just started the mod which is allthat fuss about, and in some matters I hope not to be right (however, I'm too old to allow myself to be naive). I criticized just AN IDEA of Imoen's romance plot. It's more the question of my moral code in general; I'm not ready to particularize. Reffering to ZAXARES' commentary; let me explain that I never claimed "attraction and intimacy is wrong, unclean or impure", as You were kind to accused me, suggesting some sexual inhibition as well. I claim that only in reference to Imoen, whichwhich personality doesn't even match to romance. Otherwise, in BG there is a couple of other romancing thread available, to which I was not critical (maybe Jaheira's was somehow uncomfortable; ultimately she is much older, and was a friend of my step father... Yyyh!). Those original were acceptable and absolutely sufficient. My opposition focuses on general trend to presenting EVERY female character (especially my dear Imoen), as a potential "prey". I do not accuse anything to any of other mods, but such as this one, are close to a moral level of hentai porn transformations of famous cartoons... And as everything filthy and unmoral, it found a lot of recognition, as well as legion of defenders. I was crushed having learned that some "sacrilegist" dared to breach Imoen's untouchability, but Your (i mean all of you) applause for that, is even more devastating. It seems I am still alone among "enemies". So be it. My view remains unwavering, even if I am the only one who think that way.
I was crushed having learned that some "sacrilegist" dared to breach Imoen's untouchability, but Your (i mean all of you) applause for that, is even more devastating.
...this is a VIDEO GAME CHARACTER, not the second coming of Christ. Rule 34 is a thing on the internet. Real porn of Imoen probably has existed for years now. It’s ridiculous how you think this mod seems to be committing some sort of unthinkable crime.
Comments
That said, there are a handful of banters in the mod that only trigger if you are romancing one of the Bioware NPCs and are not romancing Imoen, so there is some attention paid towards having the mod work in the context of non-romance playthroughs.
Ballad's Review of the Imoen Romance modification v3.5, part II, Throne of Bhaal
In general
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'm going to go out on a limb and and say the Imoen Romance mod is by far the best unofficial story/NPC mod I have ever played in any CRPG. I was very favorably impressed by the SoA portion, but the ToB segment proved simply outstanding. It really breathed new life into the game and made playing through ToB - my least favorite part of the saga - very much worthwhile.I've been playing the two Baldur's Gate games on and off for nearly two decades now, and truth be told, they are starting to feel a little stale. I originally started my current runthrough pretty much only because of SoD. I really dug the expansion, but once I got to SoA, I felt like I needed to try something new to hold my interest. Running with SCS and Banter packs again simply wouldn't do, so I ended up installing Imoen Romance on a whim, with very low expectations to match. Little did I know it would end up becoming the pinnacle of my runthrough and one of my most memorable modding experiences of all time.
If you are on the fence about playing this mod, do yourself a favor and give it a try. It is really worth it.
Content
What surprised me about the ToB portion of the mod is how solid and streamlined it was, despite being a very recent addition to the whole. I wonder if it is due to it being less mired in controversy and personal differences amongs its makers. Moreover, it is much more cheerful and, well, uncontroversial than the SoA portion. That's right; tragic and difficult themes such as torture and sexual violence play no part in the latter half of this mod. Imoen is also a lot more stable and less prone to bouts of guilt, angst and self-doubt.Unlike the SoA portion, the ToB segment does not rely on timer-based lovetalks. Rather, the dialogues fire off during important events and after the bigger battles. As such, the ToB half feels even more like a story than a NPC/Romance mod. During my playthrough, I felt like well over half of the dialogue I ran into came from the mod. This was a welcome feature since ToB is not exactly known for its verbosity and abundance of banter. So, if anything, Imoen Romance made the dialogue-starved, battle-heavy expansion feel more intimate and interesting.
One things that is particularly great about this mod is that it does not railroad Imoen's development. The things you choose to say during dialogues and lovetalk have a huge impact on her characterization and how your relationship plays out. I read somewhere that there are over 42 possible epilogues for Imoen in this mod. Though that does seem a bit excessive, it should establish the fact that the choices you make will shape your half-sister's destiny.
In addition to the fixed dialogue and interjections, the mod enables you to flirt with Imoen and ask her personal questions through "force-talking" to her. Also, you get the choice to spend "quality time" with her when resting at an inn for the first time. This is not merely fluff; the things you ask her and even the times you show her affection will have an impact on how things unfold. So be sure to make full use of this feature to get the best possible outcomes.
Last but not least, Imoen has her own personal quest. It is related to an item she acquires in Ch6 SoA and though it is does not amount to a major sidequest, it is nonetheless a fun thing to see through.
Writing
This is a very well-written mod, though it does take its stylistic liberties. The ToB portion continues in the style of its SoA predecessor, so expect parenthetical descriptions and illustrated lovey-dovey passages. If you hate romance, you might find this mod a pain in the ass to read, but then again it is highly doubtful you would've installed it in the first place. It is called Imoen Romance after all.While the SoA portion had some very intensive, emotionally gut-wrenching moments, the ToB part is slightly more mellow, though definitely not lacking in luster. I also found the overall tone and wording to be more appropriate to a fantasy setting - there are no awkward, contemporary Americanisms this time around. Imoen is still very much herself and never once do her lines feel rushed or glossed over.
I thought I had more to say, but now that I'm typing this out, I really can't seem to come up with anything deeper than "it's really good, give it a try."
Gameplay
Unlike with the SoA portion, I actually ran into a couple of game-breaking issues while playing the ToB part. Neither turned out to be due to the Imoen Romance mod in the end but other mods components I had installed. Nevertheless, I feel like I should bring these up so that prospective players can avoid the headache of running into these themselves.One. There are a couple of WeiDu mod components that are at present incompatible with the Imoen Romance mod. The two I know of are "Fixed Imoen Interactions" from BG2 Tweaks and "Imoen Retrospection Dialogue" from the IEP Extended Banters. Having these components installed will likely cause Imoen to initiate an infinite dialogue loop with the main character, effectively breaking the game. (She will force-talk to you again and again no matter where you go and what you do.)
Two. Ascension and Imoen Romance have some serious compatibility issues, it seems. This is unsurprising, given that Ascension is not fully compatible with BG2:EE yet. However, I experiences frequent crashes and bugs, including a nasty one where I couldn't exit the pocket plane after the final challenge. Also, during the final battle I ran into a game-breaking glitch which caused Melissan to disappear, dead-ending the game. Ultimately, I am not sure if this has anything to do with the Imoen Romance mod, but I just thought I'd give you a heads-up if you're planning on running the two mods simultaneously.
Apart from these two annoying mishaps, my experience was very smooth and positive overall. If I had to complain about something, it would be the fact that the mod obliges you to run through all the player-initiated questions and flirts in order to get the best outcome for your romance. I didn't realize this until the very end. Apparently, there is a global variable called IRTLOVEMETER that needs to be higher than 40 for Imoen to be "fully in love with you", and you can only attain this value if you run through all the flirts with her. This is nothing scandalous or game-breaking, but still a bit counterintuitive IMO.
TL;DR
If the SoA part of the Imoen Romance mod was a very pleasant surprise, its ToB portion is even better, and deserves to be played by a wider audience. Anyone who has ever contemplated giving this mod a try but hasn't yet, tarry no longer and give it a shot. If you're at all into Imoen, or quality character development in general, you won't be disappointed.That's my 2 gold pieces. Ballad out.
I have no idea if that's actually implemented in-game though or just some left-over legacy stuff that's not actually reachable.
I just barely discovered that I can look through the dialogue files <_< Out of curiosity, for the stat checks when it says "GT 16 Chr" and "LT 16 Chr," if I have 16 Charisma which options will I see? I'm assuming it actually means you'll have that option available with a score of 16 or higher, but I could be wrong. Maybe it only appears with a 17+, who knows... It's not hugely important, but I'm curious how stat checks work for dialogues like that.
@subtledoctor You're well versed with scripting, maybe you can help answer that question
Friendship is much more valuable than any romance. I love Imoen. She might be preety, but I desire her kindness, impertubable devotion and cheerfulness. That is true. I don’t expect enyone will understand me, I’ll remain alone against primitve mob, as always. But in such discussuion there’s no democracy, and I am right in this matter.
That said, your mutual parent is a god, one who gave no more thought to your spawning than a scientist genetically modifying his own sperm and then using it to impregnate everything from rabbits to chickens to rhinos to sharks. Would you consider a shark to be a sibling to a chicken, even if they both contained partial human DNA from the same human? As far as I'm concerned, Bhaal is no more our real father than Imoen and I have the same mother.
and you don't even need to romance her to get the most out of the mod. i like it for the stuff it adds to the game that is not romance related. it fleshes her out and makes her a better character now that she has things to say over the course of the game. and her friendship with aerie is sweet.
alot of her tob stuff alone makes the mod worth it imo.
Anyone else find this creepy as hell?
that may have been the intention of the mod. she just screams childhood friend romance.
The Imoen romance mod does a good job of giving Imoen depth. It adds a bit of complexity and drama to situations. There are things I do not like, sometimes the humor isn't funny for me, for example, and there are a couple of situations where the drama can become melodramatic. But otherwise the amount of content is enriching and does not ever feel jarring. They address the conflict of having the same father and not ignoring it, which is cool, and the consequences of temptation. There are a lot of things the Imoen mod does well that can be learned from, and its most inspiring story isn't even the content, it's that it took over a decade to finish. Stories like that are what made me decide to start modding, even if it's 2019 and I probably only get very little interest and feedback for my work because of the late joining, but it's not about those things, it's about the passion of the art itself.
On the weird romance complaint, the mod gives a friendship path. This isn't a bad thing, doing this doesn't make Imoen promiscuous (This makes no sense anyway). It just allows the player to explore what a relationship might look like if they are interested in that sort of story.
Last bit, hope this isn't rant-coming, but I'm not fond of comparing mods to fanfiction usually. Fanfiction is a lot easier to do and receives quicker gratification, but mods aren't re-writing the story most of the time, but adding something new. They take a large amount of time and require a lot more varied skills. Some content like the ascension mod is even seen as must downloads. (That said I have guiltily never downloaded it!)
In fact on the mod's website it will actually tell you the goal and history, and I would recommend reading it to get an understanding of what their goal is. http://www.imoen.blindmonkey.org/docs/mod_history.php
No mod is perfect, certainly not this one, every NPC mod I've seen, including my own, have significant places where they can improve, especially ones where you work alone. I'm not the best at proofreading my own work for example, and I find my male characters are not as well crafted, and talks are hard for me as I'm used to crafting full narrative, not conversation. This would be easier to work around with help, and thus I think the Imoen mod is blessed in that they had a team to work on it, as that makes it so much easier. The writing and execution could use significant work in places, but in the end, that it is a fully completed work is a marvel on its own. So many people start things, but so few finish.
like i said the mod does not force you to romance Imoen even if it's the focus. she has talks even if you don't romance her. heck if you don't romance her or aerie then in tob:
she even has banters if your romancing someone else. the whole point of the mod was to give her deph and turn her into the 2nd most important character in the saga. as it should be.
they went a little to far and had things that irk people the wrong way. lets just say there were evil things you could do to her in the orginal draft that is now gone.