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[v1.66] Vienxay, a Elven Shadowmage NPC for BG:EE + SoD and EET

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  • WithinAmnesiaWithinAmnesia Member Posts: 958
    edited June 2019
    @skitia I thought you didn't want to reply to my comments but I realized that I did not check my participated discussions; too much bread not enough butter - spread too thin xD!

    Bla bla bla bla personal stuff
    I think that real reason I seek your advice (and others on here) is to find like minded people, to work with to restore moral after long hard grinds towards high quality content. The loss of moral stops myself long before the bugs and over scope usually does.

    It just feels too cold when I am the only one working a project meant for others to also enjoy; like an internal metric gauge of relevance falls too loo and I temporarily abandon the project (for a while) to pursue another more warmer one.

    My Achilles' Heel is lack of creative community to have fun. More people = more fun, more fun = more productivity, more productivity = more fulfillment of goals, more fulfillment of goals = more general success, more general success = more people.

    I work my best with and *for* people, selfless yet really focused. Yet it is like I am whale and the community is the water; when the community dries up I end up beached and so too does my productivity die.

    For all of the things I like about what you do I have one gripe or clash of personality with you Skitia, you are like a turtle and don't expose yourself in a risk filled environment.

    I do not think given your body of work that your brain is limited in thoughts. Just rather that you don't express and or expose your ideas to most people unless your are sure that they are... emotionally secure.

    I could be wrong about you (hey it is all vague non synchronous mono cadence text base communication after all give me break xD) but I was like that (of what I described): Turtle mode in life.

    Then one day I had no choice and had the shell ripped off and I found that past the pain over time that I still enjoyed the shell yes, but moreover I could feel life more without the shell. In time I grew to prefer to be exposed and run into the waves and fly at them as they crashed (instead of hiding from their cold system shock). For the overall process of overcoming adversity was more invigorating and I learned more and through this painful growing process as a result I was more capable of achieving my goals and dreams. Everything I ever wanted was and is outside of my comfort zone.

    You are just so cold Skitia!

    Me (left): Bla bla bla bla bla bla - Skitia (right): incorrect, no, wrong, unapprove, reject, no
    adderw70r1l2.gif

    Skitia (3 minutes later):


    Me: But octopus can be like

    *visibility confused*
  • SkitiaSkitia Member Posts: 1,054
    I'm a bit lost in what you are saying. But I did like the octopus videos!
    Brokenkatana
  •  TheArtisan TheArtisan Member Posts: 3,277
    And here I thought there was some context that I was missing but you’re as confused as I am.
  • megamike15megamike15 Member Posts: 2,666
    this must be a meme that i am not getting. how does spiderman lead to octopus?
  • BrokenkatanaBrokenkatana Member Posts: 47
    I read through this a couple times and I wonder if it relates to when you and I offered edited versions of his item description in a different post? Maybe he's saying you stopped talking to him and hid like the octopus in the cave, after he was trying to engage in a back and forth conversation like the Spider-man thing? Regardless, I'm excited to reinstall my game this weekend and use the completed Vienxay.
  • polymorphedsquirrelpolymorphedsquirrel Member Posts: 114
    Vienxay uses Viconia's portrait files or am I seeing something wrong?
  • SkitiaSkitia Member Posts: 1,054
    edited June 2019
    If you open up the CRE without installing it, you'd see Viconia's portrait. But you'll never see it, the installer will change the portrait and you'll see Vienxay's picture from page one. Even if you deleted it, you'd see a blank and never Viconia's.

  • WithinAmnesiaWithinAmnesia Member Posts: 958
    Ah don't mind myself @Brokenkatana I am just going nuts I suppose xD. I think that I am doing the wrong methods for the scope I have to work in. I keep pestering Skitia over and over but with no in depth feedback (probably really annoying).

    I'm really persistent for what I'm interested in but this just seems like bad idea, like it is not mutual and I am trying too hard for something that I think exists yet may not? Yet it could exist so it keeps myself thinking what if I could work with Skitia and make really cool content? We are only so human at the end of the day. I could be really wrong about all of this but eh truth is stranger than fiction.

    Big O' Wall of text strikes again. I want to tell you how I feel guys! I have these long thoughts and I care! Yet there are too many words x.x.
    I really want to work on Baldur's Gate stuff and Skitia is good in content creating areas where I am not and makes cool stuff (yet I really want to make more N.P.C. content but I kinda suck a bit too much so I need help sorry @Skitia ). I'm just trying my heart out to team up / make stuff with Skitia but having none of it lol.

    It is probably a bad idea to just bug someone who does the same thing as you over and over (it makes myself look worse and worse the more I do this tbh). Yet god damn I like N.P.Cs and Skitia has this potential to make really cool content in my mind's eye. Or I am just nuts and if that is the case please forgive myself I have the best of intentions yet perhaps not the best of methods x.x.

    I think that I keep bugging Skitia (and myself for all this trouble invested herein) because I believe Skitia has this kind of potential few people have and it takes awhile to manifest but it takes like deep emotional risk to bring out. I don't think Skitia is stupid, just rather the opposite and talented with latent abilities but does like to talk / be social about the inner mind's creation engine behind creating new content. Yet that is where this font of creative power comes from (for myself at least) and I am wondering if Skitia already has this fonte of emotional creation power or if I'm seeing ghosts.

    It feels like Skitia is really slow to consider what I am saying or just not interested in what I am saying; like we are opposites or something (yet I think we creatively operate very similar so this social opposite disconnect thing confuses myself). Even though I am trying to extend and make an effort to be social; the input to feed back ratio for myself and Skitia is horrendous xD (it is not healthy yo *take a hint*).

    Yet in spite of this I am super curious to see how Skitia creates new content (basically I really like making new R.P.G. stuff and I have this huge back log / archive of unreleased stuff). Magnets, it is like I am a magnet to what Skitia / the community on here does basically.

    I think my spider octopus meme insanity boils down to a few factors in my life colliding at once: A common interest (Skitia does cool stuff like myself) + looking for people to work with + real life success methods not translating to digital success (frustrated so I try, try and try harder) + many projects on the go in real life and digitally (lack of time for deep focus so I just go for *it*) + many past false starts with making video game content (here and in Unity so again I just try, try and try until success) + big plans out of my current scope (driving myself bonkers xD).

    Yet Skitia is a person, not a goal or thing so persistence may actually be very rude and inconsiderate over time even if it would bum myself out to never see what is just out of reach (If Skitia has this super creative potential or not).

    I just want to work on games yet you need multiple people to make good game content and being isolated is not good for myself I think. Now that I look at it, I think that I just want to work with people like Skitia or other people on here but all of these factors in my life right now are ganging up on myself so I'm getting more and more frustrated o.O. It is almost like that demon boar from Princess Mononoke http://www.criticalcommons.org/Members/kskingsbury/clips/princess-mononoke-pulling-san-out-of-the-demon or atlas. I keep shaking the tree to see what falls out yet it feels as if I shook all the leaves off lol.

    Perhaps if I was more successful in what pursuits I would not be here bugging Skitia to make Baldur's Gate content (but hey maybe other transferable creative skills for other rpgs game content in the future too). Then again maybe we cross paths and it could lead to something unforeseen in the future, or not. Nothing is really sacred, yet I have this unresolved curiosity that Skitia has this creative potential and really is not interested in what I am doing here. Perhaps it is time to fade away not knowing, like a mystery in the dark digital wilderness on a chance meeting never seeing each other but maybe just maybe there is a diamond in the rough.
    TL;DR I want to create cool stuff with Skitia and I keep pestering about this because I think there is this latent creative potential but should probably stop being a nuisance.
  •  TheArtisan TheArtisan Member Posts: 3,277
    edited June 2019
    Okay, I'm having trouble understanding most of this and I still can't shake the feeling there's context hidden in the background that would make this whole spiel make more sense but you cannot just force creativity out of people, especially if you're taking things in a direction one is not interested in. Repeatedly poking people like this is not going to make them more inclined to do you any favors.

    I would not presume to speak for Skitia since, as previously mentioned, I can barely even understand what is going on here. This is just a statement made for content creators in general.
    BrokenkatanaWithinAmnesia
  • SkitiaSkitia Member Posts: 1,054
    edited June 2019
    I sadly don't have the time to add on any further projects beyond those I am tackling. I'm starting a new job next week and since it's my first programming job, going to be doing a lot of research and hair-pulling for quite some time. There's no way I could squeeze in another creative project on top of what I already have.

    I can give advice, or suggestions, or proof read anything you want me to look over, these don't take as much time. I would condense your messages though, they are really long and confusing and I have not been sure what you were asking until your last post, in almost any message. The TL;DR part was much easier to understand and respond to.
    PsicoVicWithinAmnesia
  • megamike15megamike15 Member Posts: 2,666
    well atlest you got your first 3 mod's sod content finished before everything gets put on hold indefinitely.
    WithinAmnesia
  • PsicoVicPsicoVic Member Posts: 868
    Oh, good to have your npc mods finished and playable, I was waiting for them. Good luck with your new job.
    WithinAmnesia
  • SkitiaSkitia Member Posts: 1,054
    edited June 2019
    megamike15 wrote: »
    well atlest you got your first 3 mod's sod content finished before everything gets put on hold indefinitely.

    Oh, my current projects (BG2 content, my other two NPCs, and Wings) will still continue, @megamike15 . At worst the movement might be slower, but I'm pretty dedicated to working on at least a tiny bit every day.

    But there's no way I could add another project, like partnering with WithinAmensia on something, a sixth character, or something else.

    Once I get settled and get past the dreaded 90 day period and hopefully have some of these projects done I'll be more willing to say yes to such requests.
    megamike15PsicoVicWithinAmnesiaIsewein
  • megamike15megamike15 Member Posts: 2,666
    thats good to hear. when real life happens the modding tends to slow down.
    WithinAmnesia
  • WithinAmnesiaWithinAmnesia Member Posts: 958
    edited June 2019
    @AionZ I think you hit the nail on the head, "you cannot just force creativity out of people"; very true.

    lol I pictured this scene in my mind's eye when I read that line of juice pressing an orange xD.

    I think Alfred Hitchcock said that movies are just life with the boring bits cut out. I suppose I could improve my mental impact with writing less yet saying more. Concentrated, like orange juice ha!

    Eh I have this fear of not giving enough meaning to people so I tend to keep throwing words at people. Yet sometimes the smallest of details tells the largest of truths.

    I think that I am too hungry at times. I want to pursue a long term approach to making high quality content to all walks of life. Yet upon reflection I was becoming too impatient and obfuscated in communicating what my intent was trying to talk to Skitia about teaming up.

    Irony, so many words yet so little actually said. I hope the job goes well and there is not great chaos. I suppose what weighs on the mind also leaves an imprint on how it functions; an imprint on what it shares.
  • GnollGnoll Member Posts: 24
    Hey! I just started this mod and I think Vienxay is great so far. Well done! I'm looking forward to a BG2 release at some point to play the saga, on your schedule and as time permits of course ;)
    Skitia
  • SkitiaSkitia Member Posts: 1,054
    Thanks Gnoll! I'm glad you like it. :) I am hoping I can have a BG2 release done by the end of the year.
    megamike15Fina92Gnollilduderino
  • Wise_GrimwaldWise_Grimwald Member Posts: 3,848
    edited December 2019
    I love the fact that you can slightly change her alignment. I wish that were possible with more NPCs. In RL such things are not set in stone. People DO change, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.
  • IseweinIsewein Member Posts: 521
    I've played with both Emily and Vienxay and quite enjoyed them! Their interactions with Charname are really fleshed out, but I do find that they don't banter all that much with the original crew. If the muse kisses you I would suggest adding a few more party banters that make the group feel more like a whole, as it is done in BG1 NPC. Thanks for your wonderful mods! :)
    Wise_Grimwald
  • SkitiaSkitia Member Posts: 1,054
    I think their banter volume varies depending on your party, some they have as much as five, others as few as one or two. Who did you have along? I'll probably consider adding more to those individuals.

  • IseweinIsewein Member Posts: 521
    Xan and Kivan I'd have liked to see more of especially. I expected them to have some more in-depth conversations, considering Vienxay's unique background. Otherwise I had Jaheira, Khalid, Edwin and Imoen. I suppose she banters more with the Evil NPCs?
  • SkitiaSkitia Member Posts: 1,054
    Vienxay has 4 with Kivan and 2 with Xan, but three of Kivan's are dependent on a level of quest progress. It can't hurt to give each of them one more that isn't tied to that.

    She has 3 with Imoen and Kagain, and 2 with everyone else.
    Iseweinmegamike15
  • fluke13fluke13 Member Posts: 399
    Probably the issue is on my end, playing a very heavily modded bgee, but for some reason I always find two Vienxay's at the Friendly Arm. Great mod by the way, you can tell when a mod has been made with love.
  • SkitiaSkitia Member Posts: 1,054
    edited December 2019
    That would be on your end, but it's fortunately a harmless bug and you can ignore the second Vienxay. It won't cause any issues.
  • SkitiaSkitia Member Posts: 1,054
    My mods are too different for mod-merging, so updating these individually.

    Vienxay 1.4 Mostly includes minor bug fixes I've found but not uploaded, spelling errors, and a new banter.
    megamike15Blackraven
  • SkitiaSkitia Member Posts: 1,054
    edited December 2019
    Vienxay is updated to 1.41

    Mostly a couple of spelling tweaks and a delay in her talk timer.
    Also she now has a crossmod talk with Artemis's Drake.
  • SkitiaSkitia Member Posts: 1,054
    Vienxay is updated to 1.42
    This simply makes her song slightly softer and expands it to be slightly longer.
    You can listen to it here under the music and audio section. (Picosong no longer hosts music, so my website hosts my audio files now.)
    Gusinda
  • SkitiaSkitia Member Posts: 1,054
    edited January 2020
    Vienxay is now at 1.5

    This addresses one of the longstanding issues that happens when you give a mage-thief a standard kit through EKEEPER. Vienxay would get the incorrect number of spells learned a level (+1 more than she should have), and get more thieving points per level than she should have (+5 more per level), and not get a reduced backstab (So could backstab immediately, and capped at +5), on top of all the pros of Shadowdancer. Not quite balanced, and was why her stat total was at 79.

    As I start modding in BG2, looking at their classes is the first thing I'm doing, and I wanted to look at Vienxay's.

    To fix it, I gave her a custom made mage-thief kit, Shadowmage that mostly mimicks Shadowdancer:
    +1 Saves
    +10% to Hide and Move Silently
    Backstab properly reduced
    Spellslots now gained properly.
    -Thief Skillpoint reduction now works properly.

    However, Hide In Plain Sight is hardcoded to Shadowdancer, and it can't be given to anyone else with modding, so she loses one of its key characteristics. So she has a unique, different level five innate ability called Shadow Jump

    SHADOW JUMP: Manipulating shadow, the shadowmage teleports to the selected living creature, be it ally or enemy, unseen as per the invisiblity spell. For the next twelve seconds, they gain +2 to their backstab modifier and remain unseen until they make an attack.

    Shadow Jump is instant just like Shadow Step. This should allow some fun assassinating/escaping moves. Her early levels are still going to be a lot more difficult than before, so the Vienxay in BG:EE starts with a few sets of throwing darts/darts +1 in her inventory to get her started.

    Her strength has also been shifted to be 15 now, putting her total in the 80s like everyone else and out of 79. This mostly just gives her more carry weight, but also allows her attack to be improved if improved to 16.

    While she can't increase her set trap skill, she still gets the snare ability due to hardcoded reasons, though it should always fail.
    Post edited by Skitia on
    GnollMantis37GusindaFina92
  • GnollGnoll Member Posts: 24
    Sounds very cool!
  • StratosjStratosj Member Posts: 30
    edited January 2020
    Hi, first of all thank you for all your effort. I'm excited to try a playthrough with all of your characters together.

    Ran into some technical issues, but they are the same for other mods so I will try to resolve it by myself first. :smile:
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