Neera's starting equipment

Rei

I'm on my second playthrough of SoD. I just recruited Neera after playing through all of BGEE with her.

Now, my last playthrough of SoD, I seem to remember Neera spawning with the equipment she left BGEE (or rather the SoD intro) with. She had Robes of the neutral archmagi, Ring of evermemory, etc. None of her items seem to be there when I recruit her, though.

Am I misremembering and this is intended? Is it bugged somehow? Is there anything I can do?

She also, oddly enough, seems to have spawn with a gem bag that is an exact copy of the gem bag that I have on my main character. (Tons of valuable gems, all exactly the same she has.) Maybe this is because my main character is using the gem bag I got from Neera in BGEE? Just a guess... seems odd.

Fardragon

Yes it is a bug. What has happened is a "clean" version of Neera has spawned, as if you had never met her before. Thus, she has her BG1 starting gear, including the gem bag.

Unfortunatly this bug is underreported, since many players are not certain it is a bug. Also, no one knows how to reproduce it reliably. This has made it slow to be fixed.

Rei

When does she "spawn?" Is loading an older save going to do something or is it determined at the start of the game?

Fardragon

I don't know. I suspect if we knew when the error occured the bug woukd be easier to fix.

The apparently similar bug, where the NPC isn't awarded xp, occurs at the point when you first invite them into your party.

However, I think this bug has to occur when or before you enter the zone map. It would be helpful if you could try using an earlier save and let us know if you still get the bug.

It may occur at the point when you start SoD. Did you start by imorting a character or a save game, or directly by completing BG1? Did you play through BG1 in 2.2 or an earlier version?

Rei

Fardragon said:

However, I think this bug has to occur when or before you enter the zone map. It would be helpful if you could try using an earlier save and let us know if you still get the bug.

I tried reloading a save from before I entered the fort the first time. Same issue. Loading a save before I entered the bridge map (if I even have one) would require me to do the whole Temple of Bhaal again, so I'm not too keen on that.

Fardragon said:

It may occur at the point when you start SoD. Did you start by imorting a character or a save game, or directly by completing BG1? Did you play through BG1 in 2.2 or an earlier version?

I played through BG1EE (2.2 start to finish) and directly into SoD, no importing.

I don't suppose there's any chance different dialogue options have any effect? I've been trying a couple different ones. Any other suggestions before I suck it up and just play through?

Also, I just realized the gem bag is not a "copy." It's the same gem bag. That is, taking gems out of one, causes them to disappear from the other.

Rei

Rei said:

Also, I just realized the gem bag is not a "copy." It's the same gem bag. That is, taking gems out of one, causes them to disappear from the other.

This gave me an idea. I loaded a save from before I entered the fort, went to another map, dropped the gem bag on the ground, went back the bridge and entered the fort and talked to Neera.

It didn't change anything, but I just figured I'd throw it out there.

(Also, I tried resting until the gem bag disappeared (even traveling to another map and back) but it just wouldn't disappear. I don't know the mechanics behind how long items on the ground stay active, but if someone can tell me, I can try again.)

Fardragon

I wouldn't worry about the gem bag, it's a symptom, not a cause.

My guess would be that at some point the savegame file is being corrupted so that the game can't read the flag that says that Neera has been encountered previously.

lnstructor_

Items in inventory like some scrolls did move to my storage, but items on body like Adoy's Belt did not unlike. I haven't gotten to the point of the recruiting her yet.

Coran ran off with my stuff as well... Viconia did keep my equipment including Helm of Opposite Alignment and the investment of 2 Tomes of Understanding. I believe Neera ought to be fixed hopefully before I get to that part

Rei

Instructor_GG said:

Items in inventory like some scrolls did move to my storage, but items on body like Adoy's Belt did not unlike. I haven't gotten to the point of the recruiting her yet.

Coran ran off with my stuff as well... Viconia did keep my equipment including Helm of Opposite Alignment and the investment of 2 Tomes of Understanding. I believe Neera ought to be fixed hopefully before I get to that part

You should know that Neera carried over just fine in my first playthrough. So don't worry about it too much. Also, it's not really that big of a deal. You can replace most of her gear fairly easily.

ManiacalFreak

This bug is still in the game. That area script, bd2100.bcs, definitely is not working as intended.

1) Neera was in my party throughout BG1 and in the SoD prologue, yet BeenInParty("neera") failed and "neera7" spawned instead of "neera". Looking at the save in NI, a "neera" does exist in the area with all her old equipment, but she is invisible in game.

2) I edited the script (and re-entered the area using an old save) to force "neera" to appear as she should. Bizarrely, this "neera" also just has her starting items and is level 1. There still exists ANOTHER invisible "neera" with all her old items in the area.

I think there's a work around possible. We just need to make that invisible "neera" with her old items become visible, and block the spawning of "neera7" and level 1 "neera". Is there a clua command maybe?

mf2112

ManiacalFreak said:

This bug is still in the game. That area script, bd2100.bcs, definitely is not working as intended.

1) Neera was in my party throughout BG1 and in the SoD prologue, yet BeenInParty("neera") failed and "neera7" spawned instead of "neera". Looking at the save in NI, a "neera" does exist in the area with all her old equipment, but she is invisible in game.

2) I edited the script (and re-entered the area using an old save) to force "neera" to appear as she should. Bizarrely, this "neera" also just has her starting items and is level 1. There still exists ANOTHER invisible "neera" with all her old items in the area.

I think there's a work around possible. We just need to make that invisible "neera" with her old items become visible, and block the spawning of "neera7" and level 1 "neera". Is there a clua command maybe?

Do you have a saved game you could upload?

ManiacalFreak

Here you go.

The save called fixneera is before entering the area.
The other save called buggedneera is in the area after neera ("neera7") joins.

ManiacalFreak

Hmm I was mistaken about one thing. "neera" with her old items does not exist in the area bd2100. She does still exist in the save file, though (as a NPC in baldur.gam).

ManiacalFreak

OK I found the problem and a workaround.

If you look in my buggedneera save, there exist two copies of neera in baldur.gam. One is flagged as beeninparty and has her old items, while the other is not flagged beeninparty and has starting items. That second neera must be messing up the script.

I went back and looked at my saves from BG1. The chapter 1 start save does not have this neera in it, but the chapter 2 start save does. I bet the bug is occurring in some script involved when the party first meets neera in beregost. I couldn't find where this second neera is created, though.

Anyway, after deleting the second neera from the fixneera save, the correct neera spawned in bd2100 with all her old stuff. There was nothing wrong with the bd2100 area script.

mf2112

I am glad you found that. I am sorry for not replying sooner, work got kinda insane for the past couple days.

ManiacalFreak

It's the same problem with Dorn, btw. By deleting the duplicate Dorn in the save file before entering bd2000, I got the correct Dorn to spawn with his old equipment (in the box). I didn't test Dorn as much, but I think its the same issue.