Having more Gnolls is fun, I was pleasantly surprised at the large number of guards at the front gate. But having literal dozens of gnolls per spawn group every three steps in the tight platforms of the stronghold is kinda of a clustercluck. That part could do with some tuning down.
I think the Gnoll stronghold is big enough, especially sense most player do that quest pretty early into the game. Making the dungeon bigger also won't solve the issue of inflated xp and treasure.
While I appreciate what you are saying @ThacoBell I have to admit that I enjoy it the way it is. The downside is the overly lucrative loot drops for sure. I suppose if the mobs were reduced by three dozen or so we would still get the feeling of being swamped but the loot and extra XP would not be so excessive. I try to clear this map without resting due to the availability of dropped healing pots. Lots of good 2 hr duration buff potions can be well utilised here and aoe/charged items give great value too.
All that being said, it is not necessary to go through the stronghold if you are not on the rescue Dyna quest. Before this mod I just cleared the bridge and caves for the loot if Minsc and/or Edwin were not involved.
Hi,
Doesn't work on iOS (SoD on iOS is a standalone app, not an expansion to BG). As far as I can say, only area files are missing, or at least that's what is always the mod failure reason for me. Log attached.
@polymorphedsquirrel Hmm weird. AR4501.ARE is missing it says. *checks the area* yeah that is the Wyvern Cave area. Now if I remember correctly that area had no area script (missing a AR4501.BCS file / script file) to add to so it needed to have one created for it and then it could be added on to (if I remember correctly). So I had troubles with that area in the the past and now it has compatibility issues. You might be able to throw a blank AR4501.BCS file into the override manually and it might work after that, although don't hold your breath.
Now I did not add any area files (also I am bad with WeiDU) and I patched in the new content via area scripts (the .BCS script files which go with .ARE files - the area main file basically).
SO! I noticed that once the installer was trying to patch a pre-existing area (AR4501.ARE) it failed to find AR4501.ARE (Wyvern cave). Now I did not add any .ARE (area) files. I just added on to the ones already there from the Windows version. Now, I did not know what kind of files are used for area files for Baldur's Gate in IOS version (I only got the Windows version working) so I am not sure what I can say.
Do most mods work on IOS or is this an odd case?
I keep getting weird Baldur's Gate version compatibly error reports and I do not know how to fix these issues for I only have Baldur's Gate on Windows PC, I am not good at WeiDU (the installer program to used to patch Baldur's Gate) so I wish I could do more to help but it seems like an issue with the file patching and not the files for on Windows PC it works.
Hmm, I am trying to think of who would know how to solve these weird compatibility issues with WeiDU file patching.
It would be great if I could get more compatibility yet for right now all I know how to do Is on Windows PC for that is all I have at the moment. If I had more resources I could afford to make more work stations to problem solve these kinds of issues although right now I am just a guy on Windows PC making free content as a hobby.
There is probably a solution how to patch the content files for IOS but I do not know how to do this. You would actually be in a better spot how to ask to make WeiDU patch IOS for you have the system and I do not; which is odd but you could test and iterate on IOS while I currently cannot. An odd point but true all the same.
Wait. "SoD on iOS is a standalone app, not an expansion to BG" @polymorphedsquirrel
On the windows version of Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear all of the game files of Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition and Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear are shared. Meaning Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition (with SoD installed) can access SoD content like items, creatures, scripts etc.
Now! If Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear is a stand alone game on IOS that would mean that there is no need for the first part of Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition. If your IOS version of Baldur's Gate Siege of Dragonspear is a true standalone game my module will not work for it needs Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition files to work.
Baldur's Gate II does not require Original Baldur's Gate files / content to play, you can install BGII and play starting with 89,000 xp from a new character. This is because Baldur's Gate II is a standalone game. Yet Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal is not a standalone game and it requires Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn to be installed.
I do not know what Beamdog did to fit Siege of Dragonspear on the IOS but all of Siege of Dragonspear's areas and files can be run alone from Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition and still work. I know that ~everything that is a Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear file has the prefix "BS" in front of it. So a Siege of Dragonspear area would be like BS0100.ARE for example. A bastard sword would be BSSW1H01.ITM as another example.
Now It would not be legal for myself to throw you Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition game files to you to link your game together to play my module. It sucks but it has to be played a version of Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear with both the Baldur's Gate patch 2.0+ and the Siege of Dragonspear installed together. So to access some SoD content (like items and scripts) in Baldur's Gate patch 2.0+. This is effectively back porting content from SoD into the original quest of Baldur's Gate. I did this style of content retrofitting in a few areas throughout the main game 'play through path'. In some cases I added more content that would normally only be accessible later in the saga in some 'dry' play style areas of the first game. Such as answering a lack of abundant magical Ninjato and Wakizashi swords and magical Hide and Splint mail armour during the early chapters.
I think we are not understanding each other.
I own BGEE and BG2EE on iOS, too - but they are separate apps and they can't share files with each other.
For all intents and purposes, SoD is a separate application which happens to include BGEE; it is only normally sold as DLC requireing BG1 for marketing reasons, but if you purchased it from Beamdog, it installs as a standalone aside from the BG1 you own (don't know about Steam etc).
SoD for iOS has been cutdown to offer only the SoD campaign as a standalone app. As far as I can say, all items, creatures, etc from BG1EE are present there, too. Area files for the BG portion are missing though.
I don't know what exactly your mod does not having played it, but I would presume it consists of BG1 and SoD content. Perhaps it is then possible to not fail with an error when patching the areas from BG1? Or move them to a separate component? Or does it only retrofit SoD items to the BG1 campaign? I don't know the extent to which it is done, but there are many mods that bring back items from BG2 to BG1 for example and it always seemed to be ok (hell, BGT and EET exist after all!). The chances someone installing mods doesn't own the whole trilogy are slim anyway. But I can understand if you think that would constitute misuse.
I have no idea what's the mobile player base (which actually uses mods). Personally I prefer the form factor of iPad to playing even on a light notebook and I purchased the EE for PC only when I started thinking about creating mods myself, because the development cycle is much quicker, but don't really play it on that platform. I may be in minority, though.
Hi @polymorphedsquirrel and @WithinAmnesia,
I am unsure about the iOS installation procedure for mods, but on Android, SoD is also a standalone app.
When I create a modfile to move to Android, I use the PC installation as the basis (which has BGEE/SOD installed). This means that all files are available for the mods to do their thing. The additional (BGEE) files that are in the override folder and come over with the modfile aren't used by SoD, so they they just sit there doing not much at all, but they don't take up much room either.
This works for Android, it might also work with iOS.
If the download link is updated, I'll check it out (well, I guess it will install, feedback about whever it works will come later).
And the mentioned way of modding is asking for trouble - the files aren't identicial between mobile and PC. For one, mobile is always at least one patch behind. I did have problems before I found a thread here showing how to mod the iOS files directly.
@OlvynChuru , @Gusinda , @polymorphedsquirrel I wish I could test these suggestions out but I only run windows PC for making modules. If the PC version of Baldur's Gate Siege of Dragonspear could be be successfully ported to IOS I think the module would install properly (for both the original EE chapters and SOD files can be accessed in the game content). Again I do not operate IOS so I cannot test this although if someone can test this I will support the best that I can having the module be able to be played on IOS.
Hi @polymorphedsquirrel, may I ask what version you are running? I know that the version I run on the Android mobile device is the same as the PC (currently 2.5.17.0) and apart from some install 'order' (which also impact on PC) problems, I haven't any disasters (except v2.5.16.4 which had its own problems with mods). If you bought your PC version from either GoG or Steam, then you do need to run modmerge prior to installing any mods.
I downloaded this to give it a go and see if it works, but like @WithinAmnesia, I don't own an iOS device so couldn't test it in that enviroment. It installed fine and I was able to transfer to Android without concern. Gameplay seemed good. I will upload the modfile I use so that you can give it a go if you desire.
One step we have in using mods in the Android environment is to apply 'centralfix' (rewrites the header in a .zip file to allow it be read in the Android environment) to the modfile. Not having an iOS, I am unsure what the procedure is. If you don't do this, then there is still no problem as it will unpack normally as a .zip file.
This modfile is setup for the English version of BG1EE SOD 2.5.17.0 and only contains this mod. If used on a PC, just unpack the file into a clean install of BG1EE and SOD (it will overwrite your dialog.tlk so make a backup if you need it). To uninstall, delete the override folder and replace dailog.tlk with your backup. You can also delete the dialogf.tlk as it is no longer required. (It is also not required for normal play except for some mods in the BG2 environment, but it doesn't hurt either. It is a copy of the dialog.tlk renamed)
If used on an Android device, copy the file into the following folder on a clean install of SOD:
'Android/data/com.beamdog.siegeofdragonspear/files/'
No other installation steps. Just play. To uninstall, delete the file.
For iOS, not sure but you might be able to reverse engineer it through the process you know. All the files required are in the modfile.
I'm enjoying this very much. The Gnoll fortress was quite the rearguard battle though (I even ran out of arrows; I only realised that this was a mod later on lol). Not sure I would want to put myself through this every time! Nonetheless, all of the encounters are great extensions to the game.
This mod looks ***AMAZING***. @WithinAmnesia Is this still being actively worked on? I'm coming out of a 300 hr run, now trying EET for the first time ever on a fresh install...and I'm bitterly disappointed that I wasn't aware of this mod when I put together my install order.
I would SO love to try this. Are there any outstanding bugs?...and anything other than issues with the gnoll stronghold? Is the gnoll stronghold an optional component?
Thanks @ThacoBell. A pity it's not modular... If it's okay with @WithinAmnesia, perhaps I can try editing this? Reducing the number of gnolls, removing the Mulahey content (due to bug report), and making it modular would be priorities. It's *such* an incredible-looking mod, I really want to try it.
@tl1942 I am not very good with using WeiDU to make an installer. You can tinker around with it if you like, make a few versions if you want. This was kind of a very small experiment to see if I could make more Baldur's Gate content of any decent quality. I am hoping to make a new dungeon something like Durlag's Tower but a fair bit harder. Here is a work in progress image of the outside; I wish to have ~3 more levels for the interior: https://www.deviantart.com/withinamnesia/art/Lich-s-Crypt-Outside-5120x3840-Alpha-Play-V-0-2-871442302
I have a bunch of unreleased content without a proper setting for them so I am hoping to add some more areas and give them a proper release. I think I only dabbled with a few items in EEEE as a short experiment. I'm trying to aim for something like Tales of the Sword Coast but piece by piece. A dungeon here, a town there, a full sized few wilderness areas over there, a city there etc. This is kind of like my digital garden where I tinker around and see if I can make some high quality content. Although then again maybe not, I am not sure who would play it. I have the skill set yet I am low on motivation. Eh who knows? We will see I suppose.
With @WithinAmnesia 's blessing, I am hereby bumping this topic to present to you the 2.0 version of Extra Enhanced Expanded Encounters!
CHANGELOG:
Fixed: Gnolls using nonexistant item OLEAT10 instead of LEAT10 (Hide Armor).
Fixed: "Conflict" with Ascalon's Questpack - Feast of Gnolls - Fission Slime no longer spawns if Aaron occupies the cell.
Changed: Each area encounter is now a separate component.
Note: The Gnoll Stronghold bear cave encounter only uses SoD monsters, so it's skipped on vanilla BGEE.
Added: Traification.
Added: EET support.
Added: Safeguards against classic and incompatible games.
Added: Project Infinity metadata.
With @WithinAmnesia 's blessing, I am hereby bumping this topic to present to you the 2.0 version of Extra Enhanced Expanded Encounters!
CHANGELOG:
Fixed: Gnolls using nonexistant item OLEAT10 instead of LEAT10 (Hide Armor).
Fixed: "Conflict" with Ascalon's Questpack - Feast of Gnolls - Fission Slime no longer spawns if Aaron occupies the cell.
Changed: Each area encounter is now a separate component.
Note: The Gnoll Stronghold bear cave encounter only uses SoD monsters, so it's skipped on vanilla BGEE.
Added: Traification.
Added: EET support.
Added: Safeguards against classic and incompatible games.
Added: Project Infinity metadata.
Also note that I did not changed the items themselves, which might be a problem for mod compatibility.
Many thanks to WithinAmnesia for allowing me to update this mod.
Ask myself in a message if you want the Mega.nz link for: (Edit removed the link from the public). @jastey
The E.E.E.E. (original / old version) and the Arms and Armour Emporium Alpha and the archive of random / old bits with the Arms and Armour Emporium / pre alpha. Also I threw in my testing override from my main game with a bunch of other people's work in there and all of my prototypes and what not included *I am not taking credit for other people's work, the Override (used for my internal testing of this content) is a data dump for people who are looking for my missing content files; like 'OL' and prototype items and it is not a proper mod release*. It might have the missing items and things like that too in there with OL prefix and stuff like that. I think some items are missing dialog in the prototyping test override and I think other stuff like the prototype magical item upgrades and reforged versions are in there. I think the missing OLEAT10.ITM is in there as well. I wanted to release these properly but I am quite busy with my own R.P.G. at the moment and I thought this could help in the mean time :-).
@WithinAmnesia I'm not sure if I'm interested in that archive, actually.
In fact, I think it's better to not have OLEAT10.ITM because it wouldn't help anyone. But let me go over the list of items included currently grouped up to see my point. Note that I haven't touched any of this sans the wyvern in 2.0 and as-is from EEEE 1.0.
The first group is dedicated monster attack items:
- OLFDRAK1.ITM, OLFDRAK2.ITM and OLGWYVRN.ITM (the last one is actually me copying and including BDWYV03.ITM from SoD to allow the wyverns spawning in BGEE).
These three are for the monsters alone and it needs no discussion to have these. These are fine.
The second group are the new magic items:
OLBOOT04.ITM - boots providing +5 against missile weapons
OLBOW11.ITM - Strong Arm, the composite longbow requiring 19 STR but adding +3 (this one is texted as +2 though)
OLCHAN01.ITM - elven chainmail with additional magic abilities
OLDART01.ITM - magic dart +2
OLHELM21.ITM - Band of Protection circlet
OLRING05.ITM - ring providing +2 melee THAC0 (texted as +1 though)
OLRING06.ITM - ring providing +3 melee THAC0 (texted as +2 though)
OLSHLD02.ITM - the Buckler +2 with magic abilities (although the text on this one is also a bit weird when it mentions it has an additional -2 and a separate +1 vs missiles)
These are all new supposed-to-be-unique artifacts, there's a point in including them. These are also fine - although I would probably nerf the rings from +2/+3 to +1/+2 and remove the OLRING05 from Melia @ the Coast Way encounter, since Mulahey also has and drops it and fix Strong Arm's description.
The third group is borderline problematic (duplicate magic artifacts substituting classic counterparts):
SW1H13.ITM -> OLSW1H13.ITM - Xan's Moonblade
This one is technically problematic because you're removing the default moonblade from the game, but the revamped effects are so many that it worths the risk to break other mods which are not prepared for this change. I still would have checked in other mods if they assign checks to Xan having/lacking the moonblade and then coming up a solution/warning for a conflict with these mods (iirc this isn't mentioned in Xan's New Grove either which just FYI to others out there was always completely incorporated in this mod as well).
Also, this change is implemented via basically nuking and rebuilding the entire contents of Mulahey's chest. I think noone would have noticed if the moonblade changes location in the chest, so this feels excessive.
The fourth group are cosmetic clones, which have no functional differences:
PLAT24.ITM -> OLPLAT24.ITM - Magma Bulwark +2; new description, new icon
OLHELM00.ITM - another basic helmet variation, I haven't compared this one to know which basic one it was derived from.
I'm also putting OLPOTN01.ITM/OLPOTN02.ITM here because these only pop up twice and they are just health potions positioned between the BG1 ones, giving 15-20 HP. I don't feel they can have an impact on a game.
Additionally, with OLEAT10.ITM being worn by the most basic Gnolls this mod adds, that would also end up to be a vendor trash belonging to this group.
This group shouldn't exist at all. The Magma Bulwark change should have just patched PLAT24.ITM with the cosmetics, OLHELM00 could have been one of the default helmets, BGEE have six variants already, there's no point in yet another one.
And ofcourse, there's OLFDSCAL.ITM, which comes from the Fire Drake as a misc. item without any functionality and basically vendor trash as-is. This probably needs a function but I wouldn't really use it for an item at this point, but as a quest reward or trigger even (this mod is about encounters afterall) but I have no idea for this one and I'm not the owner to overrule functionality.
Why this matters for mod compatibility: Some of the tweakmods (like Tweak Anthology's Spellcasting/Thievery in Armor components) do not patch things on the fly but maintain a database of items from other mods to know which item needs to have what update for the tweak being installed to function. These mods need updates when one's introducing a new item and I call it a worthwhile compatibility effort to only introduce new items when they provide actual new impactful functionality. For Xan's Moonblade, the result justifies the cost, the new unique magic artifacts obviously tick this box as well but the cosmetic group is just wasted effort for everyone to adjust to.
Not having OLEAT10.ITM in favor to the BG standard Hide Armor still thematically stands out in the Stronghold because the original ones wear standard leather armors and because these are vanilla items, they do not affect compatibility at all.
@GraionDilach Yeah the work to make the compatibility function properly with other mods is commendable. The original focus of the module for E.E.E.E. was to see if I could get a variety of content added and working as a proper mod before Christmas and it worked; although not flawlessly in terms of compatibility. So if you need to hack and chop this and that and adjust this or move that or add in this tweak here and there to make it get along with other mods please feel free to do so.
I think the OLEAT10.ITM thing was a minor tweak to the penalties or it was from BG2 or something minor so it is no big loss. I think the main idea with some tweaks was to bring them inline with BG. Or like try to make them work if they had weird details like a mis-match of description vs .ITM stats; for example of the Strong Arm Composite Longbow.
I think I added the Strong Arm Composite Longbow in for the lore was from Cloakwood and I was in general trying to add in missing magical item variants to the original Baldur's Gate to flesh out the item diversity and to support less common builds* that use less common or even missing item types and or underrepresented item types like magic hide armour and splint mail, magical returning darts and stuff like that. Also I felt it proper / natural to add in more encounters (in usually content light areas to help pad out the game like an expansion but smaller like D.L.C. content) to justify the additions / try to blend them in as seamless as I could in parts. I was hoping for E.E.E.E. to feel close in style to Bioware / Beamdog stuff and not be too jarring for regular players if memory recalls correctly.
Not everything is perfect either, like the missing part with the Fire Drake Scales, or requiring S.o.D. items / modmerge even. The Bimmy part was supposed to be linked to the dialog of the other bandits but I ran out of skill and time and just plunked him in there for it was perfectly functional but not 100% perfect; but more like 70-80% decent. There are areas that could definitely benefit from more polish. So please feel free to do what you feel would make it better.
Also the HELM00.ITM is unique in graphics / cut content I put back into the game to give more flavour; minor but still. It could be renamed like OLHELM00.ITM or something like that if the item is not playing nice. I know its not magical but still neat little item and spruces thing up a bit. The potions are kind of thrown in and they could have been put everywhere but I only put them in the new content areas for lack of work. They are meant to be a fill in between BG1 potions and BG2 potions based on lore / Bioware BG1 style. They could easily just be thrown in shops around BG1 / patched into older encounters / potion drinking scripts and where ever makes sense. Again another very functional but but 100% perfectly implemented addition.
*[Like the trying to restore the cut Xan neutral 'fighter' / mage gameplay. Yet not rocking the boat too much and or as little as possible by still keeping him the same as a mage and adding new items on top of preexisting content. Minus swapping out the Moonblade +3 with the E.E.E.E. version; that was a deliberate content swap. For I lacked the skill to do it as an update and I just hacked and cut away at the Mulahey chest to get it to work. I felt it was worth the issues and the roughness around the edges in its implementation for I feel that the new Moonblade+3 is cool.]
Yes, I got your intention from the whole design of the mod actually and I'm trying really hard to minimalize my edits (and keeping them transparently documented in the Git history) as well out of respect (the most aggressive edit I did so far was preventing the bear encounter and the random treasure rewards on BGEE-only to lift the SoD requirement and dropping the jelly when Ascalon's quests are also there). The whole reason why I picked up the maintenance of this one is because I played a game with it at one point and as a player I was really impressed at how well it worked out contentwise... I only started realizing most of the issues when I started actively working with the files themselves (which I also only started after you gave the permission on Saturday).
If you could tell what was the idea with the dragon scales (atleast drafting it out), I can probably work with that.
@GraionDilach The Fire Drake Scales are kind of a prototype for a dragon module I didn't get around to making where like in BG2 the player can forge the scales into armour; or in BG1 the ankheg armour. The Arms and Armour Emporium mod does work. It is just lacking the scripting for the scales into armour. I think the armour is in the override folder Mega.nz thing (if I'm not completely off my rocker here XD).
The E.E.E.E. was a small scale test mod of my easy to add content that I hope to get out before Christmas and the later work on the bigger version the Arms and Armour Emporium. Yet here we are. I did manage to get the art and the shop and 1 prototype item to be reforged and it can be used as a template but it might need to tweeked the items required to reforge items to be less than a million random gemstones and potions and scrolls XD.
I made rare jewels to add to the game to make the item double upgrades (original -> upgrade -> double upgrade) limited to like ~15 so to make the player pick and choose / reward tough encounters around the entire game. I had a plan to take every unique magical item in the original Baldur's Gate and make at least 1 upgrade / reforged version of it and then hopefully a second upgrade with a once per day magical effect and or and improved version with more charges or something if it already had on like the Charm cloak.
The Baldur's Gate Arms and Armour Emporium does work although it is just the new shop area (2 levels) and I think the voice acting works as well. The new arms and armour stores add +2 magical items to Baldur's Gate to fill in the lore because its weird having S.o.D. tent camp from Baldur's Gate city have +2 items out the wazoo but in Baldur's Gate city proper the player who has a ton of gold cannot buy a +2 standard magical item. Even though there is an Iron Crisis and people would make money hand over fist selling magical arms and armour (even with imported iron and arms and armour). Thus I made the Baldur's Gate Arms and Armour Emporium module but only to Alpha. All it is really missing is item upgrade recipes to link the already made upgraded items (some are buggy / 'version 1' / placeholders) and some basic dialog / item desicriptions for them and some time to bug fix it / iterate, iterate, iterate.
I was hoping to fix up the recipes and finish the Arms and Armour Emporium before the release of the Crypt module / area. Yet I'm making my own R.P.G. like Diablo 2/ Baldur's Gate / W.o.W. / Classic E.Q. and I am quite busy with that and in real life building my own houses and kind of running a business and making a new one. Also I think I got bored with the recipes for they are kind of script heavy and I like items and art so yeah. I am not sure if you are into that it is there on the table if you want to go ahead on that.
That is what is supposed to happen with the Fire Drake Scales. They are suppose to go to 'part 2' / Baldur's Gate Arms and Armour Emporium. Then optionally the player is supposed to talk with Michael of Baldur's Gate (after the Cloakwood encounters conveniently unlocked Baldur's Gate city). Then pay and wait a ~few days and get them forged into armour. It would be very much be like the Ankheg armour (and or something like a helmet too with the wyvern heads although I think that is a mod I'm not sure).
I know I am kind of taboo in parts for the whole drama business; but if you really want myself to look for the missing content / files / prototypes I can. It will take a few hours or a day or something and sift through my overrides and prototype builds and pluck out the content that didn't make it into E.E.E.E. / could fix / tie up a lot of missing ends / threads. I have like a decade of Baldur's Gate work not published that I has been working up towards a Tales of Sword Coast expansion in terms of scale so it might take a while x.x. E.E.E.E. was just small potatoes and mostly what I had on hand that was easy to release. I am not even sure it was even half of the items and content I had at the time; maybe like a third or quarter not even? It is really just a matter if people want to play this stuff. I can work on this stuff but then again I can too on other games as well so it really just comes down to people's interest and my managing my lack of free time XD.
I am not interested to deal with the Emporium stuff exactly because of the association (one of the reasons I dared resurrecting EEEE was exactly because it predates and is clean of all the problems Emporium got dragged into and I would really like to keep it that way).
I would very much prefer if you could send over only the item (recipes) what you planned with the scales and I would simply add dialogue options to Thalantyr/Taerom so they can build those (if you only have their text descriptions, I would recreate the items from scratch with recoloring some close counterparts from one of the games and then I'd add them in as OL#ZGXXX.itm - ZG is my own modder prefix, but I wouldn't use it in this one's maintenance) and call the mod completed as-is pretty much (along with the item reconsiderations from my previous post).
Comments
All that being said, it is not necessary to go through the stronghold if you are not on the rescue Dyna quest. Before this mod I just cleared the bridge and caves for the loot if Minsc and/or Edwin were not involved.
Doesn't work on iOS (SoD on iOS is a standalone app, not an expansion to BG). As far as I can say, only area files are missing, or at least that's what is always the mod failure reason for me. Log attached.
Now I did not add any area files (also I am bad with WeiDU) and I patched in the new content via area scripts (the .BCS script files which go with .ARE files - the area main file basically).
SO! I noticed that once the installer was trying to patch a pre-existing area (AR4501.ARE) it failed to find AR4501.ARE (Wyvern cave). Now I did not add any .ARE (area) files. I just added on to the ones already there from the Windows version. Now, I did not know what kind of files are used for area files for Baldur's Gate in IOS version (I only got the Windows version working) so I am not sure what I can say.
Do most mods work on IOS or is this an odd case?
I keep getting weird Baldur's Gate version compatibly error reports and I do not know how to fix these issues for I only have Baldur's Gate on Windows PC, I am not good at WeiDU (the installer program to used to patch Baldur's Gate) so I wish I could do more to help but it seems like an issue with the file patching and not the files for on Windows PC it works.
Hmm, I am trying to think of who would know how to solve these weird compatibility issues with WeiDU file patching.
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/73729/how-to-replace-or-delete-an-area-actor-from-a-preexisting-area/p1 Here is where I sought help with WeiDU for I am not good at using it. Perhaps there is a better WeiDU operator who could help you to get the module to work on IOS for I do not know what to do nor do I have a work station to develop for IOS.
It would be great if I could get more compatibility yet for right now all I know how to do Is on Windows PC for that is all I have at the moment. If I had more resources I could afford to make more work stations to problem solve these kinds of issues although right now I am just a guy on Windows PC making free content as a hobby.
There is probably a solution how to patch the content files for IOS but I do not know how to do this. You would actually be in a better spot how to ask to make WeiDU patch IOS for you have the system and I do not; which is odd but you could test and iterate on IOS while I currently cannot. An odd point but true all the same.
On the windows version of Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear all of the game files of Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition and Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear are shared. Meaning Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition (with SoD installed) can access SoD content like items, creatures, scripts etc.
Now! If Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear is a stand alone game on IOS that would mean that there is no need for the first part of Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition. If your IOS version of Baldur's Gate Siege of Dragonspear is a true standalone game my module will not work for it needs Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition files to work.
Baldur's Gate II does not require Original Baldur's Gate files / content to play, you can install BGII and play starting with 89,000 xp from a new character. This is because Baldur's Gate II is a standalone game. Yet Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal is not a standalone game and it requires Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn to be installed.
I do not know what Beamdog did to fit Siege of Dragonspear on the IOS but all of Siege of Dragonspear's areas and files can be run alone from Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition and still work. I know that ~everything that is a Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear file has the prefix "BS" in front of it. So a Siege of Dragonspear area would be like BS0100.ARE for example. A bastard sword would be BSSW1H01.ITM as another example.
Now It would not be legal for myself to throw you Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition game files to you to link your game together to play my module. It sucks but it has to be played a version of Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear with both the Baldur's Gate patch 2.0+ and the Siege of Dragonspear installed together. So to access some SoD content (like items and scripts) in Baldur's Gate patch 2.0+. This is effectively back porting content from SoD into the original quest of Baldur's Gate. I did this style of content retrofitting in a few areas throughout the main game 'play through path'. In some cases I added more content that would normally only be accessible later in the saga in some 'dry' play style areas of the first game. Such as answering a lack of abundant magical Ninjato and Wakizashi swords and magical Hide and Splint mail armour during the early chapters.
I own BGEE and BG2EE on iOS, too - but they are separate apps and they can't share files with each other.
For all intents and purposes, SoD is a separate application which happens to include BGEE; it is only normally sold as DLC requireing BG1 for marketing reasons, but if you purchased it from Beamdog, it installs as a standalone aside from the BG1 you own (don't know about Steam etc).
SoD for iOS has been cutdown to offer only the SoD campaign as a standalone app. As far as I can say, all items, creatures, etc from BG1EE are present there, too. Area files for the BG portion are missing though.
I don't know what exactly your mod does not having played it, but I would presume it consists of BG1 and SoD content. Perhaps it is then possible to not fail with an error when patching the areas from BG1? Or move them to a separate component? Or does it only retrofit SoD items to the BG1 campaign? I don't know the extent to which it is done, but there are many mods that bring back items from BG2 to BG1 for example and it always seemed to be ok (hell, BGT and EET exist after all!). The chances someone installing mods doesn't own the whole trilogy are slim anyway. But I can understand if you think that would constitute misuse.
I have no idea what's the mobile player base (which actually uses mods). Personally I prefer the form factor of iPad to playing even on a light notebook and I purchased the EE for PC only when I started thinking about creating mods myself, because the development cycle is much quicker, but don't really play it on that platform. I may be in minority, though.
The "IF_EXISTS" part means WeiDU doesn't crash if the file doesn't exist. It will simply skip that COPY_EXISTING command and continue running.
You don't have to do this with EXTEND_TOP or EXTEND_BOTTOM, which automatically create the BCS file if it doesn't already exist.
I am unsure about the iOS installation procedure for mods, but on Android, SoD is also a standalone app.
When I create a modfile to move to Android, I use the PC installation as the basis (which has BGEE/SOD installed). This means that all files are available for the mods to do their thing. The additional (BGEE) files that are in the override folder and come over with the modfile aren't used by SoD, so they they just sit there doing not much at all, but they don't take up much room either.
This works for Android, it might also work with iOS.
Gus
And the mentioned way of modding is asking for trouble - the files aren't identicial between mobile and PC. For one, mobile is always at least one patch behind. I did have problems before I found a thread here showing how to mod the iOS files directly.
I downloaded this to give it a go and see if it works, but like @WithinAmnesia, I don't own an iOS device so couldn't test it in that enviroment. It installed fine and I was able to transfer to Android without concern. Gameplay seemed good. I will upload the modfile I use so that you can give it a go if you desire.
One step we have in using mods in the Android environment is to apply 'centralfix' (rewrites the header in a .zip file to allow it be read in the Android environment) to the modfile. Not having an iOS, I am unsure what the procedure is. If you don't do this, then there is still no problem as it will unpack normally as a .zip file.
This modfile is setup for the English version of BG1EE SOD 2.5.17.0 and only contains this mod. If used on a PC, just unpack the file into a clean install of BG1EE and SOD (it will overwrite your dialog.tlk so make a backup if you need it). To uninstall, delete the override folder and replace dailog.tlk with your backup. You can also delete the dialogf.tlk as it is no longer required. (It is also not required for normal play except for some mods in the BG2 environment, but it doesn't hurt either. It is a copy of the dialog.tlk renamed)
If used on an Android device, copy the file into the following folder on a clean install of SOD:
'Android/data/com.beamdog.siegeofdragonspear/files/'
No other installation steps. Just play. To uninstall, delete the file.
For iOS, not sure but you might be able to reverse engineer it through the process you know. All the files required are in the modfile.
Hope it plays nicely for you
Gus
Edit: Added uninstall instructions
Thankee!
@WithinAmnesia
I would SO love to try this. Are there any outstanding bugs?...and anything other than issues with the gnoll stronghold? Is the gnoll stronghold an optional component?
https://www.deviantart.com/withinamnesia/art/Lich-s-Crypt-Outside-5120x3840-Alpha-Play-V-0-2-871442302
I have a bunch of unreleased content without a proper setting for them so I am hoping to add some more areas and give them a proper release. I think I only dabbled with a few items in EEEE as a short experiment. I'm trying to aim for something like Tales of the Sword Coast but piece by piece. A dungeon here, a town there, a full sized few wilderness areas over there, a city there etc. This is kind of like my digital garden where I tinker around and see if I can make some high quality content. Although then again maybe not, I am not sure who would play it. I have the skill set yet I am low on motivation. Eh who knows? We will see I suppose.
CHANGELOG:
Fixed: Gnolls using nonexistant item OLEAT10 instead of LEAT10 (Hide Armor).
Fixed: "Conflict" with Ascalon's Questpack - Feast of Gnolls - Fission Slime no longer spawns if Aaron occupies the cell.
Changed: Each area encounter is now a separate component.
Note: The Gnoll Stronghold bear cave encounter only uses SoD monsters, so it's skipped on vanilla BGEE.
Added: Traification.
Added: EET support.
Added: Safeguards against classic and incompatible games.
Added: Project Infinity metadata.
DOWNLOAD:
https://github.com/GraionDilach/ExtraExpandedEnhancedEncounters/releases/latest
Also note that I did not changed the items themselves, which might be a problem for mod compatibility.
Many thanks to WithinAmnesia for allowing me to update this mod.
Thank you for @GraionDilach
Thankee for updating this mod! Alleluia!
What do you mean by not changing some of the items in this mod possibly causing inter-mod conflicts?
May we get this added to the EET compatibility list?
Ask myself in a message if you want the Mega.nz link for: (Edit removed the link from the public). @jastey
The E.E.E.E. (original / old version) and the Arms and Armour Emporium Alpha and the archive of random / old bits with the Arms and Armour Emporium / pre alpha. Also I threw in my testing override from my main game with a bunch of other people's work in there and all of my prototypes and what not included *I am not taking credit for other people's work, the Override (used for my internal testing of this content) is a data dump for people who are looking for my missing content files; like 'OL' and prototype items and it is not a proper mod release*. It might have the missing items and things like that too in there with OL prefix and stuff like that. I think some items are missing dialog in the prototyping test override and I think other stuff like the prototype magical item upgrades and reforged versions are in there. I think the missing OLEAT10.ITM is in there as well. I wanted to release these properly but I am quite busy with my own R.P.G. at the moment and I thought this could help in the mean time :-).
In fact, I think it's better to not have OLEAT10.ITM because it wouldn't help anyone. But let me go over the list of items included currently grouped up to see my point. Note that I haven't touched any of this sans the wyvern in 2.0 and as-is from EEEE 1.0.
The first group is dedicated monster attack items:
- OLFDRAK1.ITM, OLFDRAK2.ITM and OLGWYVRN.ITM (the last one is actually me copying and including BDWYV03.ITM from SoD to allow the wyverns spawning in BGEE).
These three are for the monsters alone and it needs no discussion to have these. These are fine.
The second group are the new magic items:
OLBOOT04.ITM - boots providing +5 against missile weapons
OLBOW11.ITM - Strong Arm, the composite longbow requiring 19 STR but adding +3 (this one is texted as +2 though)
OLCHAN01.ITM - elven chainmail with additional magic abilities
OLDART01.ITM - magic dart +2
OLHELM21.ITM - Band of Protection circlet
OLRING05.ITM - ring providing +2 melee THAC0 (texted as +1 though)
OLRING06.ITM - ring providing +3 melee THAC0 (texted as +2 though)
OLSHLD02.ITM - the Buckler +2 with magic abilities (although the text on this one is also a bit weird when it mentions it has an additional -2 and a separate +1 vs missiles)
These are all new supposed-to-be-unique artifacts, there's a point in including them. These are also fine - although I would probably nerf the rings from +2/+3 to +1/+2 and remove the OLRING05 from Melia @ the Coast Way encounter, since Mulahey also has and drops it and fix Strong Arm's description.
The third group is borderline problematic (duplicate magic artifacts substituting classic counterparts):
SW1H13.ITM -> OLSW1H13.ITM - Xan's Moonblade
This one is technically problematic because you're removing the default moonblade from the game, but the revamped effects are so many that it worths the risk to break other mods which are not prepared for this change. I still would have checked in other mods if they assign checks to Xan having/lacking the moonblade and then coming up a solution/warning for a conflict with these mods (iirc this isn't mentioned in Xan's New Grove either which just FYI to others out there was always completely incorporated in this mod as well).
Also, this change is implemented via basically nuking and rebuilding the entire contents of Mulahey's chest. I think noone would have noticed if the moonblade changes location in the chest, so this feels excessive.
The fourth group are cosmetic clones, which have no functional differences:
PLAT24.ITM -> OLPLAT24.ITM - Magma Bulwark +2; new description, new icon
OLHELM00.ITM - another basic helmet variation, I haven't compared this one to know which basic one it was derived from.
I'm also putting OLPOTN01.ITM/OLPOTN02.ITM here because these only pop up twice and they are just health potions positioned between the BG1 ones, giving 15-20 HP. I don't feel they can have an impact on a game.
Additionally, with OLEAT10.ITM being worn by the most basic Gnolls this mod adds, that would also end up to be a vendor trash belonging to this group.
This group shouldn't exist at all. The Magma Bulwark change should have just patched PLAT24.ITM with the cosmetics, OLHELM00 could have been one of the default helmets, BGEE have six variants already, there's no point in yet another one.
And ofcourse, there's OLFDSCAL.ITM, which comes from the Fire Drake as a misc. item without any functionality and basically vendor trash as-is. This probably needs a function but I wouldn't really use it for an item at this point, but as a quest reward or trigger even (this mod is about encounters afterall) but I have no idea for this one and I'm not the owner to overrule functionality.
Why this matters for mod compatibility: Some of the tweakmods (like Tweak Anthology's Spellcasting/Thievery in Armor components) do not patch things on the fly but maintain a database of items from other mods to know which item needs to have what update for the tweak being installed to function. These mods need updates when one's introducing a new item and I call it a worthwhile compatibility effort to only introduce new items when they provide actual new impactful functionality. For Xan's Moonblade, the result justifies the cost, the new unique magic artifacts obviously tick this box as well but the cosmetic group is just wasted effort for everyone to adjust to.
Not having OLEAT10.ITM in favor to the BG standard Hide Armor still thematically stands out in the Stronghold because the original ones wear standard leather armors and because these are vanilla items, they do not affect compatibility at all.
I think the OLEAT10.ITM thing was a minor tweak to the penalties or it was from BG2 or something minor so it is no big loss. I think the main idea with some tweaks was to bring them inline with BG. Or like try to make them work if they had weird details like a mis-match of description vs .ITM stats; for example of the Strong Arm Composite Longbow.
I think I added the Strong Arm Composite Longbow in for the lore was from Cloakwood and I was in general trying to add in missing magical item variants to the original Baldur's Gate to flesh out the item diversity and to support less common builds* that use less common or even missing item types and or underrepresented item types like magic hide armour and splint mail, magical returning darts and stuff like that. Also I felt it proper / natural to add in more encounters (in usually content light areas to help pad out the game like an expansion but smaller like D.L.C. content) to justify the additions / try to blend them in as seamless as I could in parts. I was hoping for E.E.E.E. to feel close in style to Bioware / Beamdog stuff and not be too jarring for regular players if memory recalls correctly.
Not everything is perfect either, like the missing part with the Fire Drake Scales, or requiring S.o.D. items / modmerge even. The Bimmy part was supposed to be linked to the dialog of the other bandits but I ran out of skill and time and just plunked him in there for it was perfectly functional but not 100% perfect; but more like 70-80% decent. There are areas that could definitely benefit from more polish. So please feel free to do what you feel would make it better.
Also the HELM00.ITM is unique in graphics / cut content I put back into the game to give more flavour; minor but still. It could be renamed like OLHELM00.ITM or something like that if the item is not playing nice. I know its not magical but still neat little item and spruces thing up a bit. The potions are kind of thrown in and they could have been put everywhere but I only put them in the new content areas for lack of work. They are meant to be a fill in between BG1 potions and BG2 potions based on lore / Bioware BG1 style. They could easily just be thrown in shops around BG1 / patched into older encounters / potion drinking scripts and where ever makes sense. Again another very functional but but 100% perfectly implemented addition.
*[Like the trying to restore the cut Xan neutral 'fighter' / mage gameplay. Yet not rocking the boat too much and or as little as possible by still keeping him the same as a mage and adding new items on top of preexisting content. Minus swapping out the Moonblade +3 with the E.E.E.E. version; that was a deliberate content swap. For I lacked the skill to do it as an update and I just hacked and cut away at the Mulahey chest to get it to work. I felt it was worth the issues and the roughness around the edges in its implementation for I feel that the new Moonblade+3 is cool.]
If you could tell what was the idea with the dragon scales (atleast drafting it out), I can probably work with that.
The E.E.E.E. was a small scale test mod of my easy to add content that I hope to get out before Christmas and the later work on the bigger version the Arms and Armour Emporium. Yet here we are. I did manage to get the art and the shop and 1 prototype item to be reforged and it can be used as a template but it might need to tweeked the items required to reforge items to be less than a million random gemstones and potions and scrolls XD.
I made rare jewels to add to the game to make the item double upgrades (original -> upgrade -> double upgrade) limited to like ~15 so to make the player pick and choose / reward tough encounters around the entire game. I had a plan to take every unique magical item in the original Baldur's Gate and make at least 1 upgrade / reforged version of it and then hopefully a second upgrade with a once per day magical effect and or and improved version with more charges or something if it already had on like the Charm cloak.
The Baldur's Gate Arms and Armour Emporium does work although it is just the new shop area (2 levels) and I think the voice acting works as well. The new arms and armour stores add +2 magical items to Baldur's Gate to fill in the lore because its weird having S.o.D. tent camp from Baldur's Gate city have +2 items out the wazoo but in Baldur's Gate city proper the player who has a ton of gold cannot buy a +2 standard magical item. Even though there is an Iron Crisis and people would make money hand over fist selling magical arms and armour (even with imported iron and arms and armour). Thus I made the Baldur's Gate Arms and Armour Emporium module but only to Alpha. All it is really missing is item upgrade recipes to link the already made upgraded items (some are buggy / 'version 1' / placeholders) and some basic dialog / item desicriptions for them and some time to bug fix it / iterate, iterate, iterate.
I was hoping to fix up the recipes and finish the Arms and Armour Emporium before the release of the Crypt module / area. Yet I'm making my own R.P.G. like Diablo 2/ Baldur's Gate / W.o.W. / Classic E.Q. and I am quite busy with that and in real life building my own houses and kind of running a business and making a new one. Also I think I got bored with the recipes for they are kind of script heavy and I like items and art so yeah. I am not sure if you are into that it is there on the table if you want to go ahead on that.
That is what is supposed to happen with the Fire Drake Scales. They are suppose to go to 'part 2' / Baldur's Gate Arms and Armour Emporium. Then optionally the player is supposed to talk with Michael of Baldur's Gate (after the Cloakwood encounters conveniently unlocked Baldur's Gate city). Then pay and wait a ~few days and get them forged into armour. It would be very much be like the Ankheg armour (and or something like a helmet too with the wyvern heads although I think that is a mod I'm not sure).
I know I am kind of taboo in parts for the whole drama business; but if you really want myself to look for the missing content / files / prototypes I can. It will take a few hours or a day or something and sift through my overrides and prototype builds and pluck out the content that didn't make it into E.E.E.E. / could fix / tie up a lot of missing ends / threads. I have like a decade of Baldur's Gate work not published that I has been working up towards a Tales of Sword Coast expansion in terms of scale so it might take a while x.x. E.E.E.E. was just small potatoes and mostly what I had on hand that was easy to release. I am not even sure it was even half of the items and content I had at the time; maybe like a third or quarter not even? It is really just a matter if people want to play this stuff. I can work on this stuff but then again I can too on other games as well so it really just comes down to people's interest and my managing my lack of free time XD.
I would very much prefer if you could send over only the item (recipes) what you planned with the scales and I would simply add dialogue options to Thalantyr/Taerom so they can build those (if you only have their text descriptions, I would recreate the items from scratch with recoloring some close counterparts from one of the games and then I'd add them in as OL#ZGXXX.itm - ZG is my own modder prefix, but I wouldn't use it in this one's maintenance) and call the mod completed as-is pretty much (along with the item reconsiderations from my previous post).