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In these days...

MortificatorMortificator Member Posts: 21
edited May 2020 in BGII:EE Mods
I want to portray the centurion from the Aletered Beast (from Sega Mega drive) but I have some questions.

If you know the character then you aware that he must be a shapeshifter. In human shape he fight unarmed, punching and kicking (there are abilities and animations based on kicks?). I just need to allocate points into single weapon style in order to properly fighting unarmed?
His attacks get stronger thanks to a couple of power up, so I think the innate ability "enrage" would be the best choice. But if you know abilities that fit better I'm open to any suggestion.
While in form of werewolf he attacks launching fireballs https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b5/bf/d5/b5bfd57accf3062075d621db98a980f3.gif (nothing near the D&D version, rather a ball of fire that hits one enemy at time) and perform a flash attack https://portforward.com/games/walkthroughs/Altered-Beast/Altered-Beast-small-3.jpg (the yellow delta effect in the image) similar to a charge that hits all the enemies trhough the path.
For the fireball attack I found Melf's minute meteors fits quite well the part (again, I'm open to suggestions) but to reply the flash attack I didn't find nothing. Any idea?
An aspect of the maximum importance is to cast that spells while shapeshifted.
I'm trying to mod it via EE Keper but I'm struggling, I don't know hot to enable that.

To recap:
Human form
- Unermed fight just requires single weapon style?
- Attack and/or animation also based on kicks?
- The innate ability "enrage" fits well the attacks that becomes stronger/more effective?
Werewolf form
- Melf's minute meteor represents well the fireball attack? Its animation is good but would be better if there were something like a punch (applicable to the werewolf) that generates the fireball.
- Abilities or spells that can be representative of the flash attack (charge)? And what about animation?
- How to enable cast while shapeshifted?

I would need a step by step guide for all of this points.

I almost forgot, when ingame I open the mage book (I added few mage spells via EE Keeper) I cannot interact in any way: the window is blacked-out and I cannot memorize or deselect any spell. Yet I can cast that spells and after a rest they're available again. It's not really an issue (at the moment) but anyway...

Comments

  • LandonLandon Member Posts: 14
    You can use Near Infinity to duplicate the mage spells you want to use. Rename them for the override folder. Then edit their properties to be abilities rather than spells. They'll show up in your ability panel instead of casting panel. Add them as innate abilities using their resource name in EEkeeper. That's one recommendation for a workaround there.

    Also, what class did you make it? Monk seems like the logical choice for unarmed fighting. I think it shows punch and kick animations by default when unarmed fighting.

    As far as casting while shapeshifted, there should be an effect on the ability / spell you can add to make it available. I'll look when I get on my computer.

    So IMO make a monk, add shapeshifting ability via eekeeper or near Infinity, as well as convert mage spells to abilities via near Infinity and add them to the PC.

    I think to allow spells to be cast while shapeshifted, you'd need to edit the shapeshift ability to include effect -> add special ability -> set the special ability you want added by the shapechange. Then have them remove themselves when returning to natural form. I would recommend creating a custom shapeshifting ability for this so it doesn't give those abilities globally to any shapeshifter.
  • lolienlolien Member, Moderator, Translator (NDA) Posts: 3,108
    Landon gave you good advices, my first thought was the monk class with additional shapeshifting abilities too.
  • MortificatorMortificator Member Posts: 21
    Landon wrote: »
    You can use Near Infinity to duplicate the mage spells you want to use. Rename them for the override folder. Then edit their properties to be abilities rather than spells. They'll show up in your ability panel instead of casting panel. Add them as innate abilities using their resource name in EEkeeper. That's one recommendation for a workaround there.

    Do I have to duplicate the mage spells, I can't just edit them in the character file without affecting the same spells used by other characters?
    Landon wrote: »
    Also, what class did you make it? Monk seems like the logical choice for unarmed fighting. I think it shows punch and kick animations by default when unarmed fighting.

    So IMO make a monk, add shapeshifting ability via eekeeper or near Infinity, as well as convert mage spells to abilities via near Infinity and add them to the PC.

    I already created a shapeshifter but I can re-edit him as a monk. I just have to remove many of the class innate abilites (and nerf it a little bit, I think), as I did with the druid spells (the character shouldn't be able to cast spell in human form and as werewolf he cast just two spells, or "spells").
    Yeah, monk unarmed combat animations are the most similar to those of the Sega game.
    Landon wrote: »
    As far as casting while shapeshifted, there should be an effect on the ability / spell you can add to make it available. I'll look when I get on my computer.

    I think to allow spells to be cast while shapeshifted, you'd need to edit the shapeshift ability to include effect -> add special ability -> set the special ability you want added by the shapechange. Then have them remove themselves when returning to natural form. I would recommend creating a custom shapeshifting ability for this so it doesn't give those abilities globally to any shapeshifter.

    Now that I think about it, working on shapeshifting ability would be better in order to best represent the character, as he can cast his two spells (or, again, "spells") only in the werewolf form.
    However, by opening the shapeshifting werewolf window, some problems arise:
    - I've found add effect and spell ability but not special ability. Maybe you just got a little confused with the words and you were referring to spell ability? Or I misunderstood and I have to add effect and then, in a way that I haven't yet realized, I have to add a special ability?
    - How exactly add those innate abilities (formerly spells)?
    - Oh, I almost forgot a key aspect: in the original game, the fireball attacks in werewolf form was basic attacks, there were no physical attacks in that form. So, how I can set as default the "fireball" attacks while shapeshifted?
    - And how to set Melf's minor meteors unlimited and ready to be shoot, I mean without requiring a prior creation of the small fire globes? And how to assign it the visual effect of the punch attack?
    - Speaking of werewolf basic attacks, the flash attack charge is basic too. Which spell is closer to that attack? There's something like the warrior charge on enemies? And which visual effect grant to it and how to do so?

    Sorry, I know, too much questions and a little know how from which to start :tongue:
  • LandonLandon Member Posts: 14
    Mortificator wrote: »
    Do I have to duplicate the mage spells, I can't just edit them in the character file without affecting the same spells used by other characters?

    Sorry, I know, too much questions and a little know how from which to start :tongue:

    I'm still learning Near Infinity myself so I can't answer most of those questions.

    As far as having to make custom mage spells into innate abilities - I think you have to do this if you want to be able to cast them in shapeshifted form. It's really easy though. You can use EEKeeper spell search to find the spells you want. But first, make a custom shapeshift for your monk:

    1. Go to shapeshift werewolf in NI
    2. Right click it and "Add a copy of" (give it a unique name - 8 characters)
    3. Give your monk the custom shapeshift ability.

    To make spells innate:

    4. Get the resource name from EEKeeper
    5. Find the resource in Near Infinity
    6. Right click it and "Add copy of"
    7. Rename it to something unique (8 characters)
    8. Open the newly created custom spell in override
    9. Under "Spell type" choose "Innate (4)"
    10. Make sure EEKeeper is closed (can interfere with some things in NI sometimes) and save

    To cause your custom shapeshift to add the new innate ability:

    1. Go to override in near infinity.
    2. Open the custom shapeshift ability
    3. Click add -> new effect
    4. Open the new effect
    5. Change "Type" to "give innate ability (171)"
    6. Change "Target" to "Original caster (9)" or "Self (1)" - either should work.
    7. Under "Timing", I'm not sure. Instant / Limited maybe? Someone else might have to answer this one. I dunno how to cause the ability to remove itself once the shapeshift has ended. Use Instant / Permanent -9 for the time being.
    8. Probability 1 = 100, 2 = 0
    9. Click "Resource" and type in the name of your custom mage spell you have made into an innate ability.
    10. Make sure you updated all the values, close the box, then save.

    Duplicate this effect by right clicking on it for however many times you want the spell added.

    Your custom shapeshift will now provide your innate mage spell when you transform.

    There might be a way of removing those innate spells if you shapechange back using Shapeshift Natural Form but I haven't tried yet. I imagine it would be similar to adding the innate abilities when you shapeshift werewolf, but instead a line of code that removes them when you shapeshift natural form.

    That's all I got. Dunno how to answer any of the other questions.

    Anyway, I like to make things custom like that in the override instead of using natural game resources. You can do a lot with them. Add new sound effects, change the icons, etc. So it's better. And no chance of breaking core game files.

    Hope this helps.
  • MortificatorMortificator Member Posts: 21
    Landon wrote: »
    Anyway, I like to make things custom like that in the override instead of using natural game resources. You can do a lot with them. Add new sound effects, change the icons, etc. So it's better. And no chance of breaking core game files.

    Hope this helps.

    I agree, custom stuff open up to more possibilities and make it more fun. The key is to have pleasure in playing as you want, even if it meant make things easier (it's not my case, I'm about to nerf the monk a lot). It's matter of taste.

    Thanks Landon, you 've been very helpful. I really appreciate your help. I hope I don’t have to bother you anymore.
  • LandonLandon Member Posts: 14
    Mortificator wrote: »
    Landon wrote: »
    Anyway, I like to make things custom like that in the override instead of using natural game resources. You can do a lot with them. Add new sound effects, change the icons, etc. So it's better. And no chance of breaking core game files.

    Hope this helps.

    I agree, custom stuff open up to more possibilities and make it more fun. The key is to have pleasure in playing as you want, even if it meant make things easier (it's not my case, I'm about to nerf the monk a lot). It's matter of taste.

    Thanks Landon, you 've been very helpful. I really appreciate your help. I hope I don’t have to bother you anymore.

    No bother. I'm actually learning a lot trying to help. I was able to give a shapechanged werewolf melf's meteor as a weapon. Only one unfortunately, and as soon as it's thrown (uses attack animations), they shapeshift normal form. So I'll keep trying to see if i can get it right.
  • MortificatorMortificator Member Posts: 21
    Thank you. Meanwhile I'm still struggling in identifying what effects match abilites of the monk in the corresponding list. LOL
    Of his abilities I wish to keep just the AC bonus (not the one vs missile attacks), save throws and immunity to charm, speed factor and THACO bonus, maybe nerfed. Maybe also the magic resist but I really don't know.
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