There is no restoration type spell in the temples for BGEE unlike BG2EE to my knowledge. However the Lesser Restoration priest spell and Negative Plane Protection will provide some safegaurds against the undead.
There is in my set-up. Perhaps the mod or another one does it. I was able to use a restoration spell at Nashkel.
There is no restoration type spell in the temples for BGEE unlike BG2EE to my knowledge. However the Lesser Restoration priest spell and Negative Plane Protection will provide some safegaurds against the undead.
There is in my set-up. Perhaps the mod or another one does it. I was able to use a restoration spell at Nashkel.
Given that I did the first quest, I will publish the review for the first quest.
Okay, the megamod begins with you being greeted by a girl (cleric) that is searching for his sister in friendly arm inn after you have flooded the cloakwood mines.
FIRST ISSUES.
> The girl’s dialogue has a text error
> she doesn’t get your same xp (she has only 40k, but I was 110k),
[personal opinion] and also her justification for searching the sister is rather silly – “my sister has been lost for X months, would you kindly search her with me” (my note: couldn’t have you moved earlier instead of waiting months?)
QOL change? Who knows. Judging by the walkthrough you are supposed to go through Peldvale to go to the place you’re supposed to, but luckily, that place got automatically added as soon as I joined her and I could go there.
FILLER. So we go to the first place and it’s totally filler. A huge map where there are X orcs every few steps, while you have to reach the second map. So first map = waste of time – sounds bad in my player’s idea.
No.. it’s not filler.. because you meet one of the strongest adversary you’ll ever meet, casting a shittons of lightnings on you – skeleton lords. They give you a pitiful amount of xp (2k) and are really tough.
CONSISTENCY. So we go into the second map and there is a fight amongst some phantoms (human ghosts) that you are supposed to watch for a bit, according to the walkthrough. But no one at all tells you that you have observed enough, nor there is any note, not even in the diary, telling you that you found a rather strange battle amongst immortal ghosts (they don’t deal damage to each other) and as such, it seems like it was just added for the sake of adding (unless you read the walkthrough!).
THIRD MAP. Reached the third map. There is a cave you can’t enter alone with graphical glitch full of undead monsters.
Justification behind the monsters here. You find a lot of undead monsters but there is no context on why these would be here... nothing at all.
Found the sister.. she uses level 9 spells. Wails of the banshee. Great!
Especially for BG1. Then.... we kill her but nothing at all happens. You’re supposed to get your ‘informations’ by reading the description of a necklace, instead of them firing from the sister as soon as you kill the banshee. She gives you 3.4k xp by the way.
Shittons of npc. Holy fuck there are a shittons of npc added.... the bad part is – they don’t seem to have dialogues and so on. They should just be cutted or archetypes should be added.
For example, the secon quest I’m doing is concerning the killing of a dragon. Many asks to join you but... they are empty npcs. They should have a little personality added – for example, I’m pretty sure someone could come and ask you for 1/3 of the hoard and leave right after and so on.
Maybe their requests would be related to the level they are. After all, imagine someone being known as a dragonslayer actually joining you just for the hunt.
The way they are done now they are merely placeholders.
These were just the issues for the first quest. Will check the other quests then finish my review.
Look's like you've missed the Dark One quest. After the Banshee quest drop down into the second area where one of the Phantoms will talk to you.
I agree with your comments regarding the Banhsee quest and thanks for posting feedback. The first area does need something to introduce the Dark One and what he has done to his victims. There was a point when dialogs between NPC's was being worked on and they had their own quests as well but was never finished. I remember seeing some new area graphics for the Forgotten Forest as well at one point. Maybe one day CuCoinneach who was leading the revision will return and flesh out all the remaining ideas.
As it is now, the dark one is not correctly introduced . Why would the player go back to the ghosts? I didn’t have any informations on the log informing me that I should go there, nor in-game explanation.
Anyway, Red_Carnelian, no hard feelings. Honestly I think this mod shows a lot and I mean a lot of potential... a shame that it is hindered in his potential.
Edit 2: seems like you only get 800 xp for beating a lich.
Probably a typo. PnP states 8000, so maybe a 0 was forgotten.
Edit: of course, I'm talking about a full PnP powered lich. I doubt that it is the case of the mod. I think it is very unlikely that a BG1 party would survive battling a lich.
Raduziel - Best thing to do is download Near Infinity and check out the stats yourself. You'll be able to learn a lot more about the NPC's that way.
Arthas - The version you are using isn't the one available from this thread. If you are playing DSotSC just for the enhanced version alone then the version is 1.02. Most of the spelling errors and other concerns like the low xp values are in the BGT or EET version.
Update - I've fixed the chapter screen issue which plays after meeting Jetlaya after a lot of head scratching. My current install is DSotSC, NTotSC, Dark Horizons and the world map mod. Just some play testing to do.
It cannot be reiterated enough: Just ignore any NPCs added by this mod other than Jet'Laya. They are not what this mod is about. They are relics of pre-WeiDu times when it was prudent to pack as much diverse content into one big mod as possible because it was near impossible to make different mods work together.
It cannot be reiterated enough: Just ignore any NPCs added by this mod other than Jet'Laya. They are not what this mod is about. They are relics of pre-WeiDu times when it was prudent to pack as much diverse content into one big mod as possible because it was near impossible to make different mods work together.
It cannot be reiterated enough: Just ignore any NPCs added by this mod other than Jet'Laya. They are not what this mod is about. They are relics of pre-WeiDu times when it was prudent to pack as much diverse content into one big mod as possible because it was near impossible to make different mods work together.
I couldn't disagree more. Yes, they can be buggy, but IMO they are very relevant to the plot.
It cannot be reiterated enough: Just ignore any NPCs added by this mod other than Jet'Laya. They are not what this mod is about. They are relics of pre-WeiDu times when it was prudent to pack as much diverse content into one big mod as possible because it was near impossible to make different mods work together.
I couldn't disagree more. Yes, they can be buggy, but IMO they are very relevant to the plot.
I would assume that the critique on the NPCs in DSotSC is that they are mute, with little to no dialogues, banters, and interjections the usual mod NPCs have nowadays. Also, @Isewein did not mention bugginess. @Wise_Grimwald Which NPCs would you call relevant to the plot? Other than Jet'Laya and maybe Ch. (don't now how to spell the name)?
These npcs should be cut altogether or be made relevant only for little time (they should quit you after having finished a certain quest, bringing with himself coins or stuff if needed)
These npcs should be cut altogether or be made relevant only for little time (they should quit you after having finished a certain quest, bringing with himself coins or stuff if needed)
CuChoinneach is needed both practically and from a RP perspective. He doesn't get level drained if I remember correctly.
Level draining was a real problem in BG1 as there was no way to reverse it. (I believe that EE is different)
With the NPCs I just keep them until the quests are over. They are not for keeping afterwards as they are a bit overpowered. Now that the dragon has sadly been nerfed you don't even need their extra abilities.
I was VERY disappointed when the dragon was nerfed. It was quite challenging even with the DSoSC NPCs to help.
I used the paladin from Nashkel to engage in melee. He was buffed for protection from the dragon.
The thief used those good arrows of his.
Dynaheir used spells but I have forgotten which ones I found effective. I think that web might have been one of them. The paladin was buffed against being held.
I think that other characters used ranged weapons too and also used the arrows plus 3.
Despite the buffing the paladin was always nearly dead before the dragon was killed. He did use some of the powerful healing potions available with the mod.
Now I understand why you said the dragon was easy:every guide says to use the npcs added to make it a cakewalk.
But use your vanilla party, instead of the customs npcs. Then tell me the dragon is still easy.
Yes, it's easy, when you are met by characters that meet you and have in their inventory "arrows of slaying dragons" or protection from the dragons buffs.
Now I understand why you said the dragon was easy:every guide says to use the npcs added to make it a cakewalk.
But use your vanilla party, instead of the customs npcs. Then tell me the dragon is still easy.
Yes, it's easy, when you are met by characters that meet you and have in their inventory "arrows of slaying dragons" or protection from the dragons buffs.
I did not say the dragon was easy. My exact words were: "I was VERY disappointed when the dragon was nerfed. It was quite challenging even with the DSoSC NPCs to help."
I also said: "Despite the buffing the paladin was always nearly dead before the dragon was killed. He did use some of the powerful healing potions available with the mod."
The dragon only became easy when it was taken inside and nerfed. Previously it had been VERY challenging.
Arthas - The version you are using isn't the one available from this thread. If you are playing DSotSC just for the enhanced version alone then the version is 1.01. Most of the spelling errors and other concerns like the low xp values are in the BGT or EET version.
I can confirm this. BGT/EET version is based on old BG1 version of the mod (converted by SirBillyBob many years ago) and from what I see none of the fixes made to official version (even pre-EE) have been ported over (there were some updates made by erebusant and Turambar, unrelated to BG1 version changes, though). When I've made a quick update for BGT DSotSC to support EET, I've added few journal entries and updated the dragon encounter to work like in EE release (due to slowdown bug that was present in EE v1.3 - I don't think it's still needed to have the dragon fight in interior with latest patches), but other than this it's still very much based on the initial BG1 release. On top of this the version hosted on my github has some balancing changes integrated in it using unofficial patches released for DSotSC in SHS (ITM/SPL/CRE balancing revision by Vlar, vanilla items and XP balancing by Manduran). Based on Arthas' feedback the XP changes seems quite bad.
So currently we have following versions of DSotSC floating around:
- DSotSC for BG1
- DSotSC+NTotSC as one mod for BG1 (this version has quite a few changes compared to vanilla DSotSC)
- DSotSC for Tutu
- DSotSC for BGT
- DSotSC for BGT/EET (it was meant to replace the BGT version on SHS, but remained only on github since the work on it has been put on hold)
- DSotSC for BG:EE
Quite ridiculous situation. It would be great if someone would just took the version that is in the best shape (no idea which one of those) and implement BG1 NPC Project style cpmvars to support all platforms at once. Don't count on me doing so, since I'm not interested in maintaining DSotSC.
One has to download the mod to check what is written inside the readme because you did a post writing " See top of thread for details and download link."
where you could have pasted it in 5 second top
Version 1.02 (27/05/201) Fourth Full Release for BGEE and SOD
BUGFIXES:
1. Fixed Text Screen when DSotSC is introduced after meeting Jetlaya.
I'm currently trying to decide between an EET run or a regular EE run. Is there any significant content differences between the two respective ersions of DSotSC? @swit mentions that the EET version toned down the imbalanced components (the monty haul character of the mod, I assume) a bit; do I understand correctly that these older tweaks have not been integrated into the standalone EE version?
@Isewein if you are not planning on starting this week, I am about to update the EET DSotSC version with some minor bugfixes.
@Red_Carnelian would you have interest in merging the two mod versions into one package? It feels ineffective not to make the BGT/EET available for BG:EE, too (being said without checking how many BGII-only ressources it uses...). I have to admit that I am in favor of the BGT/EET version if it comes to nerved content etc, though, so you can guess what I would favor in terms of "merging"...
@jastey just to clarify, the version you are working on is the one that integrates the extensive nerfs in terms of encounters and items along the lines of your NTotSC version, yes? I would like to give Dark Side a try again, but I remember really disliking its excessive imbalancing of the original game back in the day.
Comments
There is in my set-up. Perhaps the mod or another one does it. I was able to use a restoration spell at Nashkel.
BG1NPC Project inserts some, I think.
Okay, the megamod begins with you being greeted by a girl (cleric) that is searching for his sister in friendly arm inn after you have flooded the cloakwood mines.
FIRST ISSUES.
> The girl’s dialogue has a text error
> she doesn’t get your same xp (she has only 40k, but I was 110k),
[personal opinion] and also her justification for searching the sister is rather silly – “my sister has been lost for X months, would you kindly search her with me” (my note: couldn’t have you moved earlier instead of waiting months?)
QOL change? Who knows. Judging by the walkthrough you are supposed to go through Peldvale to go to the place you’re supposed to, but luckily, that place got automatically added as soon as I joined her and I could go there.
FILLER. So we go to the first place and it’s totally filler. A huge map where there are X orcs every few steps, while you have to reach the second map. So first map = waste of time – sounds bad in my player’s idea.
No.. it’s not filler.. because you meet one of the strongest adversary you’ll ever meet, casting a shittons of lightnings on you – skeleton lords. They give you a pitiful amount of xp (2k) and are really tough.
CONSISTENCY. So we go into the second map and there is a fight amongst some phantoms (human ghosts) that you are supposed to watch for a bit, according to the walkthrough. But no one at all tells you that you have observed enough, nor there is any note, not even in the diary, telling you that you found a rather strange battle amongst immortal ghosts (they don’t deal damage to each other) and as such, it seems like it was just added for the sake of adding (unless you read the walkthrough!).
THIRD MAP. Reached the third map. There is a cave you can’t enter alone with graphical glitch full of undead monsters.
Justification behind the monsters here. You find a lot of undead monsters but there is no context on why these would be here... nothing at all.
Found the sister.. she uses level 9 spells. Wails of the banshee. Great!
Especially for BG1. Then.... we kill her but nothing at all happens. You’re supposed to get your ‘informations’ by reading the description of a necklace, instead of them firing from the sister as soon as you kill the banshee. She gives you 3.4k xp by the way.
Shittons of npc. Holy fuck there are a shittons of npc added.... the bad part is – they don’t seem to have dialogues and so on. They should just be cutted or archetypes should be added.
For example, the secon quest I’m doing is concerning the killing of a dragon. Many asks to join you but... they are empty npcs. They should have a little personality added – for example, I’m pretty sure someone could come and ask you for 1/3 of the hoard and leave right after and so on.
Maybe their requests would be related to the level they are. After all, imagine someone being known as a dragonslayer actually joining you just for the hunt.
The way they are done now they are merely placeholders.
These were just the issues for the first quest. Will check the other quests then finish my review.
I agree with your comments regarding the Banhsee quest and thanks for posting feedback. The first area does need something to introduce the Dark One and what he has done to his victims. There was a point when dialogs between NPC's was being worked on and they had their own quests as well but was never finished. I remember seeing some new area graphics for the Forgotten Forest as well at one point. Maybe one day CuCoinneach who was leading the revision will return and flesh out all the remaining ideas.
Anyway, Red_Carnelian, no hard feelings. Honestly I think this mod shows a lot and I mean a lot of potential... a shame that it is hindered in his potential.
Thanks for replying.
Edit: some more text issues.. https://imgur.com/a/9FlHZuG
Edit 2: seems like you only get 800 xp for beating a lich.
Can you please PM me with some info about the new elven cleric NPC?
Its deity, stats, proficiency and alignment shall suffice.
If this mod is introduces other new cleric NPCs, would kindly send the same info about them as well?
Thanks
Probably a typo. PnP states 8000, so maybe a 0 was forgotten.
Edit: of course, I'm talking about a full PnP powered lich. I doubt that it is the case of the mod. I think it is very unlikely that a BG1 party would survive battling a lich.
Arthas - The version you are using isn't the one available from this thread. If you are playing DSotSC just for the enhanced version alone then the version is 1.02. Most of the spelling errors and other concerns like the low xp values are in the BGT or EET version.
Update - I've fixed the chapter screen issue which plays after meeting Jetlaya after a lot of head scratching. My current install is DSotSC, NTotSC, Dark Horizons and the world map mod. Just some play testing to do.
I couldn't disagree more. Yes, they can be buggy, but IMO they are very relevant to the plot.
@Wise_Grimwald Which NPCs would you call relevant to the plot? Other than Jet'Laya and maybe Ch. (don't now how to spell the name)?
CuChoinneach is needed both practically and from a RP perspective. He doesn't get level drained if I remember correctly.
Level draining was a real problem in BG1 as there was no way to reverse it. (I believe that EE is different)
With the NPCs I just keep them until the quests are over. They are not for keeping afterwards as they are a bit overpowered. Now that the dragon has sadly been nerfed you don't even need their extra abilities.
I was VERY disappointed when the dragon was nerfed. It was quite challenging even with the DSoSC NPCs to help.
the push attack (the one where he pushes you away)
Then cast his breath attack
Melee you
Then if you tried to kill him he would automatically regenerate to full
Start from point 1 - the push attack
Etc etc
The thief used those good arrows of his.
Dynaheir used spells but I have forgotten which ones I found effective. I think that web might have been one of them. The paladin was buffed against being held.
I think that other characters used ranged weapons too and also used the arrows plus 3.
Despite the buffing the paladin was always nearly dead before the dragon was killed. He did use some of the powerful healing potions available with the mod.
I wasn't playing no reload in those days.
But use your vanilla party, instead of the customs npcs. Then tell me the dragon is still easy.
Yes, it's easy, when you are met by characters that meet you and have in their inventory "arrows of slaying dragons" or protection from the dragons buffs.
I did not say the dragon was easy. My exact words were: "I was VERY disappointed when the dragon was nerfed. It was quite challenging even with the DSoSC NPCs to help."
I also said: "Despite the buffing the paladin was always nearly dead before the dragon was killed. He did use some of the powerful healing potions available with the mod."
The dragon only became easy when it was taken inside and nerfed. Previously it had been VERY challenging.
However, the rewards were commensurate.
http://www.shsforums.net/files/category/41-dark-side-of-the-sword-coast-bgt/
I can confirm this. BGT/EET version is based on old BG1 version of the mod (converted by SirBillyBob many years ago) and from what I see none of the fixes made to official version (even pre-EE) have been ported over (there were some updates made by erebusant and Turambar, unrelated to BG1 version changes, though). When I've made a quick update for BGT DSotSC to support EET, I've added few journal entries and updated the dragon encounter to work like in EE release (due to slowdown bug that was present in EE v1.3 - I don't think it's still needed to have the dragon fight in interior with latest patches), but other than this it's still very much based on the initial BG1 release. On top of this the version hosted on my github has some balancing changes integrated in it using unofficial patches released for DSotSC in SHS (ITM/SPL/CRE balancing revision by Vlar, vanilla items and XP balancing by Manduran). Based on Arthas' feedback the XP changes seems quite bad.
So currently we have following versions of DSotSC floating around:
- DSotSC for BG1
- DSotSC+NTotSC as one mod for BG1 (this version has quite a few changes compared to vanilla DSotSC)
- DSotSC for Tutu
- DSotSC for BGT
- DSotSC for BGT/EET (it was meant to replace the BGT version on SHS, but remained only on github since the work on it has been put on hold)
- DSotSC for BG:EE
Quite ridiculous situation. It would be great if someone would just took the version that is in the best shape (no idea which one of those) and implement BG1 NPC Project style cpmvars to support all platforms at once. Don't count on me doing so, since I'm not interested in maintaining DSotSC.
where you could have pasted it in 5 second top
Version 1.02 (27/05/201) Fourth Full Release for BGEE and SOD
BUGFIXES:
1. Fixed Text Screen when DSotSC is introduced after meeting Jetlaya.
2. Compatibility with the World Map mod.
Thank you. I love the old mods and this one is a classic.
@Red_Carnelian would you have interest in merging the two mod versions into one package? It feels ineffective not to make the BGT/EET available for BG:EE, too (being said without checking how many BGII-only ressources it uses...). I have to admit that I am in favor of the BGT/EET version if it comes to nerved content etc, though, so you can guess what I would favor in terms of "merging"...