Mod idea: Hidden options you'd like to see in the in-game options menu?

argent77

I'm currently working on a small UI mod that adds a number of hidden game options to the in-game options menu which are normally only accessible by editing the baldur.lua. It would be available for all EE games that have been patched to v2.0 or higher (including PST:EE).

Update: The mod has been released. More about it in this topic.

I have currently covered the following options:

• SetPrivateProfileString('Program Options','Debug Mode','1')
• SetPrivateProfileString('Program Options','Strref On','1')
• SetPrivateProfileString('Program Options','UI Edit Mode','1')
• SetPrivateProfileString('Game Options','Show Triggers On Tab','1')
• SetPrivateProfileString('Game Options','Extra Combat Info','1')
• SetPrivateProfileString('Game Options','Show Date On Pause','1')
• SetPrivateProfileString('Game Options','Enable Fog','1')
• SetPrivateProfileString('Game Options','Cleric Ranger Spells','1')
• SetPrivateProfileString('Game Options','Allow Spacebar In Dialog','1')
• SetPrivateProfileString('Game Options','Critical Hit Screen Shake','1')
• SetPrivateProfileString('Game Options','Pausing Map','1')
• SetPrivateProfileString('Game Options','Reverse Mouse Wheel Zoom','1')
• SetPrivateProfileString('Game Options','Hotkeys On Tooltips','1')
• SetPrivateProfileString('Game Options','3E Thief Sneak Attack','1')
• SetPrivateProfileString('Program Options','Disable Movies','1')
• SetPrivateProfileString('Graphics','Disable Area Map Zoom','1')

Are there more options you would like to see within the game's options menu?

StefanO

• SetPrivateProfileString('Program Options','Path Search Nodes','400000')
  

argent77

Only simple on/off options are currently possible. I might implement more complex controls later though.

argent77

A screenshot how it would look like in the game:

In the current state of the mod options can be added to the following sections:
- Gameplay
- Gameplay > Feedback > Visual Feedback
- Gameplay > Feedback > Feedback Messages
- Graphics > Display Options
- and possibly Gameplay > Auto-Pause > [both lists of options] (not tested though)

Contemplative_Hamster

First, this is a great idea!

I've got one! One which I want so badly, though I am unsure if it belongs to this mod or to another.

An option to turn off the loud CLICK every bloody time I press a button. This is in IWDee, which I am playing right now. I forget if it is present in BGee and BG2ee, it's been a while. But srsly, I had to turn miscellaneous sound effects off entirely, which meant I also lost spellcasting sounds and combat sounds.

argent77

@rrchristensen IWD:EE is still on v1.4 and therefore not covered by this mod yet. The click sound is most likely produced by one of the many GAM_xx.WAV files you can find in the game (probably GAM_09.WAV). It should be enough to place an empty sound file of the same name into the override folder to get rid of it.

Grammarsalad

This is an awesome idea!!!

I guess I should look at baldur.lua.

Ummm, where can I find that? (Here's hoping that's not a dumb question)

argent77

There is a good number of potential options listed directly in the game's executable:

Tiles Precache Percent
Duplicate Floating Text
Area Effects Density
Area Effects Refresh Probability
Low End Machine 2
Extra Combat Info
Critical Hit Screen Shake
Disable Casting Glows
Low Mem Sounds 1
Low Mem Sounds 2
Disable VEFVidCells
Disable Display Text
Mid Level Brighten
High Level Brighten
Enhanced Path Search
Enhanced Path Finding
Pausing Map
Extra Feedback
Filter Games
All Learn Spell Info
Heal Party on Rest
Environmental Audio
Cheats
Memory Access
Memory Level
Footsteps
Mouse Scroll Speed
GUI Feedback Level
Locator Feedback Level
Bored Timeout
Always Dither
Subtitles
Keyboard Scroll Speed
Command Sounds Frequency
Selection Sounds Frequency
Effect Text Level
Infravision
Weather
Tutorial State
Attack Sounds
Auto Pause State
Auto Pause Center
Render Path
Difficulty Level
Suppress Extra Difficulty Damage
No Difficulty Based XP Bonus
Quick Item Mapping
Terrain Hugging
HP Over Head
Force Dialog Pause
Hotkeys On Tooltips
Disable Statics During Combat
Disable Foot Steps During Combat
Disable Placed Sounds During Combat
Super Atomic Speed Fighting Action
Automated Speed Adjustment
Automated Translucent Shadows
Automated Very Low Performance
Automated Low Performance
Automated Disable Brightest
Automated Limit Transparency
Automated Diable Casting Glows
Automated Disable VEFVidCells
Automated Mid Level Brighten
Automated High Level Brighten
Automated Foot Steps
Automated Attack Sounds
Automated 3D Animations
Automated Disable VVC Sounds
Automated Faster Blur
Fully Disable Non Visible During Combat
Disable VVC Sounds
Faster Blur
Smart Radius
Color Circles
Classic Selection Circles
Hardware Mouse Cursor
Over Confirm Everything
Show Learnable Spells
Render Actions
Debug Action Queue
Show Triggers On Tab
Confirm Dialog
Combat UI
Maximum HP
Show Character HP
Nightmare Bonus Gold
Nightmare Bonus XP
3E Thief Sneak Attack
Cleric Ranger Spells
Show Date On Pause
Disable Cosmetic Attacks
Journal Popups
Render Travel Regions
Render Search Map
Render Dynamic Search Map
Render Frame Times
Zoom Lock
Gameworld Scaling
Disable Banters
Enable Fog
Use Sprite Outlines
Use Character Highlights
Greyscale On Pause
Show Black Space
Use Linear Scaling
Short Pregen Description
Render Explored Map
Backend
Enable Chat Menu
Show Enemy Health Status
Always Run
Message Box Top
Show Message Box Hint
Ranged Weapon Switching
Health Bar Settings
Round Length
Smooth Area Transitions
Disable Area Map Zoom
Allow Spacebar In Dialog
Default Permissions
Pausing Dialog
Import Character

I'm not sure which additional options would be useful, what some of them mean or if there are more.

Grammarsalad

Aren't a few of those already available?

Well, these look interesting:

Import Character(i.e. during a game? Yes please!)
Always Run(?)
Smart Radius(?)
Ranged Weapon Switching(?)
GUI Feedback Level
Extra Combat Info(I want as much feedback as i can get)

argent77

"Always Run" will probably stay PSTEE-only and is already covered by vanilla options. "GUI Feedback Level" is most likely covered by vanilla options as well.

From what I've read "Smart Radius" is only useful for tablets (I haven't tested it though). I have no idea what "Import Character" is used for and what kind of values it expects. "Extra Combat Info" is already included (see first post) and provides indeed a lot of feedback.

"Ranged Weapon Switching" might be an option if I can find out what it does.

Edit: Looks like "Ranged Weapon Switching" is already available under Gameplay options (Don't Melee After Depleting One Ammo Stack).

lefreut

***

argent77

Thanks for this! I have already found out "Disable Area Map Zoom" myself, but completely forgot the really useful options "Strref On" and "UI Edit Mode".

argent77

I found another interesting option:

SetPrivateProfileString('Game Options','Reverse Mouse Wheel Zoom','1')

It pretty much does what the name suggests. Not sure how useful it is, but it doesn't hurt to add it.

smeagolheart

This is for PSTEE? I might try the 3e sneak attack in that game...

argent77

@smeagolheart Have you tried out if it works? I couldn't find SNEAKATT.2DA in PST:EE which defines the damage bonus dealt by a successful sneak attack. I can add it to BGEE/BG2EE though.

procco

This sounds like a useful mod! How difficult is it to implement each option? Could you set it up so all the hidden options are available, but the user selects which ones they want to use when installing?

argent77

Yeah, I'm planning something like this. You can either choose to select individual options or install all at once.

I have already finished implementing low-level code that expands the relevant game resources. Adding new options is now just a matter of adding a couple of strings and a single function call.

Contemplative_Hamster

Potential names for this mod:

The God Mod
The Secrets Revealed
Life, The Universe, And Everything
There Ain't No Modding Like God Mode Modding, 'Cause God Mode Modding Doesn't ... nah, I've got nothin'.

argent77

Hmm, "The Secrets Revealed" is tempting. I'm currently using the descriptive, but rather boring title "Hidden Gameplay Options". I could also merge both titles and create "Secret Gameplay Options Revealed". Decisions, decisions...

kjeron

Any way to make some of these not require a restart to take effect, specifically Debug Mode and Extra Combat Info?

argent77

I don't know enough about UI modding to find a way. Vanilla options use Infinity_GetOption() and Infinity_ChangeOption() to get or set options. However, they require some kind of internal ID for each option. I couldn't find any reference how IDs are related to options yet.

I'm using Infinity_GetINIValue() and Infinity_SetINIValue() instead. These functions use the same arguments as SetPrivateProfileString() in the baldur.lua, but apparently require a game restart to take effect.

Contemplative_Hamster

argent77 said:

Hmm, "The Secrets Revealed" is tempting. I'm currently using the descriptive, but rather boring title "Hidden Gameplay Options". I could also merge both titles and create "Secret Gameplay Options Revealed". Decisions, decisions...

The Colon is Your Friend (that's another book title you'd dread to find under the Christmas tree). Hey, it works in academia and other pyramid schemes, so why not here?

"The Secrets Revealed: Unlocking Secret Gameplay Options"

That DOES make it sound a little like a how-to sex book, but I think it's worth it.

argent77

The mod has been released. You can find out more in this topic.

I have decided to follow a more conservative approach for the mod title. It will be "Reveal Hidden Gameplay Options". It's a very technical mod after all.

ithildurnew

[edit - posted question in proper thread]