Is there a mod that undoes Beamdog's gameplay changes in BG?
chimeric
Member Posts: 1,163
I like most convenience changes Beamdog has brought to mechanics, although I think the character sheets are too cluttered with information, kind of hard on the eyes and not at all necessary. I can tolerate their ideas of re-balancing spells, too, now that I've played the game up and down (although I think I would bitterly complain how they nerfed so many spells for the sake of balance and took their coolness away if I were only recently exposed to BGEE and one of the old editions). I would probably bitterly complain about a lot of things in BGEE if I were new.
But I'm a little tattered around the edges, and I care more about inventing something for the game than about playing it now. Still, I would like to install something that rolls back gameplay alterations such as: the sling proficiency for Montaron instead of the crossbow; that Taerom makes the ankheg armor in three days instead of a tenday, or in just one day for more money; that a party traveling south from Beregost to Nashkel encounters not one but three Flaming Fist officers who can be killed with impunity, which means three suits of plate mail for free; the ninja-to proficiency for Safana (?!?) and so on.
I don't want to rage against Beamdog as others have done a couple of years ago, especially on their own forums. A thing of beauty is a joy forever, and nothing can change that. But as for me, the difference between the old game and the new game is like the difference between reading a fine classic novel you know too well to get any fresh enjoyment from, but one that still delights you with its spot-on wording, its masterful, luxurious style, all of which reminds you of a time when such things could be expected to appear on the shelves regularly, as a matter of course, and did indeed appear - and that memory is like a gulp of air today; the difference between that and a "renovation" of that novel by a young, not too educated hired writer who thinks nothing of throwing out old strange words and putting his simple new ones instead. I don't want to trace that line of thinking to the end - I have to ignore the enhanced parts, and, honestly, that's something of a burden...
Beamdog's new engine has to be the vehicle for new mods, there is no other. And I hope they keep improving it. But I'd like to find a mod that takes that burden of having to tolerate content that repulses me, having to anticipate it, off my heart. Because there are not going to be any really wonderful ideas here, let's be clear on that. There is nothing ahead. You won't see a true return to the spirit of D&D anywhere in the franchise. D&D is light, it's fun, nonchalance and glory. For foolish boys around a table, by a detail-obsessed world-author. That's what D&D is. Beamdog tries, but they don't know how to be either. Is there a mod that will help me ignore these "good intentions"?
But I'm a little tattered around the edges, and I care more about inventing something for the game than about playing it now. Still, I would like to install something that rolls back gameplay alterations such as: the sling proficiency for Montaron instead of the crossbow; that Taerom makes the ankheg armor in three days instead of a tenday, or in just one day for more money; that a party traveling south from Beregost to Nashkel encounters not one but three Flaming Fist officers who can be killed with impunity, which means three suits of plate mail for free; the ninja-to proficiency for Safana (?!?) and so on.
I don't want to rage against Beamdog as others have done a couple of years ago, especially on their own forums. A thing of beauty is a joy forever, and nothing can change that. But as for me, the difference between the old game and the new game is like the difference between reading a fine classic novel you know too well to get any fresh enjoyment from, but one that still delights you with its spot-on wording, its masterful, luxurious style, all of which reminds you of a time when such things could be expected to appear on the shelves regularly, as a matter of course, and did indeed appear - and that memory is like a gulp of air today; the difference between that and a "renovation" of that novel by a young, not too educated hired writer who thinks nothing of throwing out old strange words and putting his simple new ones instead. I don't want to trace that line of thinking to the end - I have to ignore the enhanced parts, and, honestly, that's something of a burden...
Beamdog's new engine has to be the vehicle for new mods, there is no other. And I hope they keep improving it. But I'd like to find a mod that takes that burden of having to tolerate content that repulses me, having to anticipate it, off my heart. Because there are not going to be any really wonderful ideas here, let's be clear on that. There is nothing ahead. You won't see a true return to the spirit of D&D anywhere in the franchise. D&D is light, it's fun, nonchalance and glory. For foolish boys around a table, by a detail-obsessed world-author. That's what D&D is. Beamdog tries, but they don't know how to be either. Is there a mod that will help me ignore these "good intentions"?
Post edited by chimeric on
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Here is a less than obvious example: Goodberry. That spell used to produce 8, or was it 5, separate berries. You had to go in the inventory and put them in a stock by hand. Plunk, plunk. It actually felt like handling berries. And you would divide them between party members, too. 3 to Imoen, 2 to Khalid. Gulp! Along comes Beamdog and, with the best intentions, makes the berries all appear as a pile, which works exactly as a very weak potion. Who even bothers with those berries now? Half of the fun was in the physical immersion, and that's what I wish was back. Every freaking berry I pick up convinces me a little more that I'm in the Forgotten Realms.
There is probably also an excess of flashly, too-long spell visuals. In the original many spells were nothing more than a sparkle, and imagination filled out the rest. But the sequel began to have those animated movies - flying pigeons, a rising gate, which then opens etc... They are still rarely interesting, and they actually feel like a drag. (If you ask me, spells also don't make enough use of sound. Interesting sounds - not something as obvious as a roar of the undead - would feed the fantasy more. But I digress.)
Now relative power of things and balance is more of a gray zone. Were the original Sleep and Mirror Image overpowered? I don't know. The new versions don't bother me, but neither do they excite me. I don't build tactics around them, I just assume they will be somewhat helpful... How much power is too much? Well, if you've read "The Dragons of Autumn Twilight" by Weiss and Hickman, in the beginning there is a scene where the characters are rowing away in a boat from some hobgoblin archers. Arrows are whooshing by and Raistlin gets up, throws up a pinch of sand - and all of the archers fall face down. That's the Sleep spell used to effect! Imagine what that scene would be like if an editor said "No, that's too powerful" and only a couple of hobgoblins went down.
So I think what I would like to play is the new game MINUS every, or almost every, new feature about which you can say "it's a time-saver" or "it makes for a lower learning curve" or "it adds consistency" or "it adds variety." Consistency is just boredom, and variety should come from real new ideas, not randomized dispersion of assets.
There are obvious places where Beamdog can be inventive, like loot. Have you noticed there is no D&D-style random loot in the games, except gems? It was a weak point in the original, too. Some of the fun of dungeon-delving comes from finding statues, dishes of porcelain, a 500 pounds stained-glass window, ancient coins, ingots of platinum or maybe just the orc chieftain's gilded helmet - then trying to sell this crap. Beamdog could easily make loot tables more interesting, but, I fear, in their eyes this would be too messy and time-consuming. Different prices, the strain on memory... They want to keep streamlining things.
That's why I'm looking to get retro-active.
While Beamdog's style is not exceedingly ugly, the bland blue hues and buttons copied from the SoA interface simply don't cut the mustard compared to the aesthetic appeal of the original. For me, at least.
Is this a test question or have you just never paid attention?
I’d also love to see a mod option that un-nurfs the pick-pocket skill.
Entangle Spell as discussed here.
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/19961/spell-mod-bg1-style-entangle
Thieving skill.
The EEs made changes to how this skill works. What you can and cannot pickpocket from what slots etc. And no, I have never pick-pocketed Drizzt and never will. Others did enjoy this however.
I suspect that someone eventually will. I believe that such a mod would be very popular if it was modular, like the Tweaks mod is, allowing players to pick which changes they wanted to bring back.
- Brings the stone gui back
- Brings the old movies back
- Reverts the spells back to BG2
- Reverts the spells back to BG1
- Removes exotic weapons
- Removes Beamdog NPC’s
- Makes all items pick-pocketable again
- …
But I don’t have time to mod and play
And I like the most changes Beamdog has made, so i think my Javelis, and Club Mods will have priority.
I think you should search the forums, G3 en SHS for those components. Gather them, ask the modders if its ok to create a single mod with their components and release it.
This is completely distinct from actual common sense like not allowing you to backstab with a two-handed sword or not letting you steal boots off people's feet, and has nothing at all to do with restoring the interface or even spells, whether I would like them back as they were or not. I'm not nostalgic, I look forward to new and new good features, and the only thing I'm unhappy about in this game is what amounts to this:
http://www.forgottenwars.com/bg1/evil.htm