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Mods in 2020

Hello buddies of the Forgotten Realms (and other planes) (sorry about my bad english)

In these Times of Troubles ^^, I d rather stay home playing video games.

I read a lot these last days about mods, character builds, rules, ...

I dont see anything clear now
I must gather the mods before venturing forth^^
I m installing SCS mod and I would like to have some experimented advice about the best mod combo ?

And : Is there any ways to have a grid on the map so I know if my fireballs are gonna kill my party ? =D
Or a "pre-cast size of effects shadowing" (is that english ?)

Thank you in advance for your shares

Take care.
JuliusBorisovgorgonzolaronaldo

Comments

  • gorgonzolagorgonzola Member Posts: 3,864
    if you are starting to play i suggest you to have at least a vanilla run, there is a lot to learn to play this game effectively, the magic system is very complex, there are so many tactical options and ways to fight a battle, and every class but the warriors has a steep learning curve, even how to play a warrior type with some mod settings needs knowledge, but in vanilla is more a point and click thing.
    also scs changes some game mechanics so starting with it you never learn how to play vanilla or with the mods that use the vanilla mechanics, let's say tactics mod (that imo is an experience that each player should have at least once in the life).

    if you are already an experienced vanilla player scs is a very good way to start with mods. i am convinced of it even if i personally don't play it and i did not test it in his actual incarnation.
    as it is a highly configurable mod, you can select which components are installed, i would suggest you to start just with it, or with it and maybe some quest mods and npc mods to add content to your game.
    depending on how you configure scs it can make the game mildly harder then vanilla or brutally harder, so i would start without the hardest components.

    to play on settings that are well beyond the actual knowledge and skill of the player imo brings some disadvantages.
    1. it can be utterly frustrating, challenge is good, force you to improve, but there is a limit, gaming should be fun, not a nightmare. if you have to reload 1000 times a battle probably you have passed that limit by far.
    2. you learn less. there is a lot to learn in this game, as i told. but playing beyond your actual limits you have far less space for experimentation and for trying different tactics, you stick to the most powerful party possible, to the most powerful builds and to the tactics you already know. with a challenging, but a little more relaxed setting, you can experiment new tactics, play classes that are not super powerful, and maybe learn that those classes, once you learn how to play them, have their own power and are very fun to play.
    3. unless you have a very strict self given "code of honor" it is very difficult to not indulge in some broken and cheesy tactics instead of learning to play properly.
    4. i could continue, but those are the 3 main points why imo the right balance between settings and player skill is so important.

    about a way to know the aoe of a spell before you cast it afaik it is not possible.
    but a player develops quickly a feeling for it, to hit your party members is an issue that happens only at the beginning, i can not even remember the last time it occurred to me.
    and by the way the fireball is sometimes an useful spell, but at the same level skull trap is much better, a smaller aoe make it easier to target the enemies only, the slight delay that it has as the trap has to be triggered, allow your toons to move away from the aoe making it more party friendly.
    also it is capped later then the fireball so once your mage hits lev 11 or more it is more damaging and deals magical damage that is way less resisted then fire damage in the game, quite a bit of enemies are resistant to fire.
    and it allows to be used like a trap also, even if not a party friendly one, but there are tactical situations where it is useful if you are smart enough to find how.
    JuliusBorisovjeanindubAerakar
  • kjeronkjeron Member Posts: 2,367
    edited March 2020
    jeanindub wrote: »
    And : Is there any ways to have a grid on the map so I know if my fireballs are gonna kill my party ? =D
    Or a "pre-cast size of effects shadowing" (is that english ?)
    Add to Baldur.lua:
    SetPrivateProfileString('Game Options','Show AOE','1')
    

    Only works in BGEE, BGSoD, and IWDEE currently, not BG2EE (so not much use to you, but it should be eventually added).

    Does not work with all spells, including all spells that automatically target self (such as Sunfire).
    gorgonzolaAdam_en_tiumjeanindub
  • jmerryjmerry Member Posts: 3,822
    The game is perfectly fine and playable without mods. I'd recommend going through it at least once or twice before you do anything serious.

    Then, start asking yourself questions.
    Do you want more powerful options for your characters?
    Do you want more quest content? Small quests or large ones? Changes to existing quests?
    Do you want more character interaction? Romance, friendship, or just talking with each other?
    Do you want new characters to recruit to your party?
    Do you want rule tweaks? New and changed character kits/classes? Fixes to some little bugs?
    Do you want more of a challenge? Better tactics and AI, or just flat out more powerful foes?

    Then, once you know what you're looking for, you go and find the mods you want. Or you can ask the community again. With more focus, you're a lot more likely to get useful answers.
    gorgonzola
  • lunarlunar Member Posts: 3,460
    https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/64868/mod-tales-of-the-deep-gardens

    I love all the mods made by this guy, they are well made, innovative and fun to play.

    http://www.shsforums.net/files/category/106-colours-of-infinity/

    Dungeon Crawl, Tower of Deception are other nice quest mods I love.

    Gibberling3 anniversary quest mod is good for a light-hearted, fun adventure.

    For npcs I recommend Faren (bisexual), Aran Whitehand (heterosexual but has rich writing!), and Nathaniel (gay kensai) npc mods. They are top-notch and are standart for what I look for in an npc mod.

    You can't go wrong with scs, it is the best difficulty enhancing mod, it makes the opponents play like real, thinking people, very very very cunning and smart tactical play!

    Spell and item revision mods are for trying out different things, I don't use these, though.

    Kit and class mods, there are lots and lots! Just search up the mod section.
    gorgonzolajeanindubAerakar
  • SatrhanSatrhan Member Posts: 75
    I think it really depends on if it is your first time playing this game, and if you're planning on playing through it multiple times (which is hard to answer if you've never played and don't know if you'll like the game that much).

    The sentiment that you should play the game unmodded at least once is valid, but I think that SCS improves the AI to such a degree that it's worth installing even for a first time player. Just keep the difficulty slider on the first or second setting, maybe move it up to the third after a while if you feel you can handle the challenge. Mainly install the core components (I'd say install the IWD spells. Skip most of the tweaks except those that improve the healing spells, add more random spell scroll drops, the AI script (if you use those), and maybe the animal behavior ones. I'd install all the smarter AI options, and skip the tactical challenge parts).
    Besides SCS get the tweak anthology, if only for the cosmetic changes and the increased stack size tweaks, skip all the content and rule changes for now.

    Item revisions is a good mod, perhaps don't use it for a first time playing the game, though I don't think it would hurt that much if you do.
    Spell revisions has a lot going for it, but some of the changes are rather big so I wouldn't recommend it for a first time. Also it has a few minor, but in my opinion annoying to the point of not wanting to use it, issues.

    Other than that I wouldn't recommend you try any of the quest or npc mods for a first time. There is plenty of content to experience.
    gorgonzola
  • gorgonzolagorgonzola Member Posts: 3,864
    Satrhan wrote: »

    Other than that I wouldn't recommend you try any of the quest or npc mods for a first time. There is plenty of content to experience.
    true, and the new content becomes so welcome when you have played the game again and again multiple times, as it happens to many players as those games are so engaging and fun to play.
    why to waste it for a first time when anything is already new.

    for a first time player, but we are not sure that the OP is one of them, i would suggest also to spoil himself with guides, play troughs and reading too much certain forum threads the less that he can.
    to ask help or advice on the forums, let's say to overcome a certain difficult battle or to play a certain class in the correct way is not a problem.

    but i perfectly remember my first play trough, many years ago and completely not spoiled as at that time i had not even an internet connection. it was so great, even if now i smile remembering how badly i played, because everything was completely new and unexpected.

    ZaxaresSatrhan
  • jeanindubjeanindub Member Posts: 9
    edited March 2020
    Sorry
    I should have say it clearly : I played the game several times, but not these last 5 years and never with mods.


    Though, I m already at the asylum with my full created party, with SCS, BugFixPatch and Wheels of Ascension mods.

    I see a very light change with the enemies' behavior, but overall that doesn't renew the experience game fights.
    I see 2 big problems :
    - Inquisitor is too powerful (I think I ll restart without)
    - Almost all protection mage spells are cast on the caster only. I don't want to face Firkraag with my mage ... So Fighter/Mage is quite not an option, that I dont like.

    I try Stalker, very funny.
    Berserker 9/Druid is really strong tank.
    - No magical scimitars ??? Must go to the Druid Map I think

    Ill check for a spells mod, a higher difficulty, more items (?)
    Post edited by jeanindub on
  • Lord_TansheronLord_Tansheron Member Posts: 4,211
    My personal "mod trifecta" has now become SCS + Item Revisions (Revised) + Spell Revisions (Revised). So far it's the most fun and well-balanced challenge I've managed to come up with. Some minor random mods strewn in as well, of course, but those are the big ones.
    jeanindubAerakarArdul
  • jeanindubjeanindub Member Posts: 9
    I tried "Item revision" mod
    It's bugged with my BG2EE 2.5
    Some items are not where they should be and there are no new ones or any other thing modified; just some items disappeared. Nice mod XD (anyway I got the Clua to create them)
    + some dialog options : "invalid 0246841"

    Spell Revision is also not working (but doesn't "damage" the game)

    Again, Scs is ok, but I don't feel the game is harder; just more consistent (enemies "cover" each other)

  • DanacmDanacm Member Posts: 950
    One thing i would like to, after sod is came out: the bg2 and bg1 ai gets the minor uodate like sod ai. It should be better vanilla experience without scs.
  • Mantis37Mantis37 Member Posts: 1,173
    Which versions of item & spell revisions did you install? I installed them not too long ago without trouble.
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    Danacm wrote: »
    One thing i would like to, after sod is came out: the bg2 and bg1 ai gets the minor uodate like sod ai. It should be better vanilla experience without scs.

    AFAIK, this isn't the case. Would be great if it was though.
  • DanacmDanacm Member Posts: 950
    ThacoBell wrote: »
    Danacm wrote: »
    One thing i would like to, after sod is came out: the bg2 and bg1 ai gets the minor uodate like sod ai. It should be better vanilla experience without scs.

    AFAIK, this isn't the case. Would be great if it was though.

    I know, they dont have time to work on it, and its understandable. So the basic ai stands as it now.
  • jeanindubjeanindub Member Posts: 9
    Mantis37 wrote: »
    Which versions of item & spell revisions did you install? I installed them not too long ago without trouble.
    latest version of scs with bg2EE2.5

    And I had problem also with BG1EE and Jaheira and Khalid who level up to 160k xp when I meet them at Arm Inn.

    Also "scs dificulty" bugged with 10 then 5 "invalid xxxxxx" responses in dialog.
  • SatrhanSatrhan Member Posts: 75
    I don't have spell revisions installed, but I do have item revisions and scs, with no problems so far.

    The issue with companions leveling to max level, that I can confirm, it's tied to the scs companion customization feature. If you look around people claim it's tied to having the party ai turned off, but that's not the case for me. But fortunately the problem is a bit random, I do a quicksave when I have a new companion joining, before I level them up. I get the bug about 50% of the time, so if it happens I just have to reload and try again.
    jeanindub
  • BlackbɨrdBlackbɨrd Member Posts: 293
    edited April 2020
    Edit: Ignore my comment, made a mistake.
  • jeanindubjeanindub Member Posts: 9
    I reloaded multiples times; 1st time Jaheira level up until 160k xp, then it was only Khalid. Maybe I should have reloaded earlier in the game (quite same as just restart).

    I feel I experienced more bugs than improvement with mods.

    Anyway the EE is quite good challenging when you don't min max your ability scores (18 or 3), don't cheese in any way, reload or lower difficulty for scrolls, auto pause on enemy sighted, hit and run, etc.
    I m still trying to role-play sleep but it's very hard to respect night/day. Maybe playing an evil team sleeping during the day is easier XD

    gorgonzola
  • SatrhanSatrhan Member Posts: 75
    Sorry to hear that. I know the feeling, last time I tried getting the games up and running with a bunch of mods it was a very frustrating experience. This time less so, although I messed up with the installation order a few times, forgetting a mod or two and having to start over.
    Don't know how to fix it, other than stressing that you need to do a bit of research before installing, to see what order the mods need to be installed in, and if there are any conflicts.

    I agree the game is perfectly playable without mods, though a few really add so much to the game. You could always just not install the customization module from SCS. It's nice to have if you really want to change a character without mucking about with other tools, but not that essential.

    You could always justify traveling or adventuring under the cover of night as a security measure. But I prefer the daytime too, it just looks better overall.
    ThacoBell
  • Mantis37Mantis37 Member Posts: 1,173
    If you’re installing the revisions mods make sure that you are getting them from the forum threads on G3, they are the most up to date versions. If you’re having problems then I suggest only installing about 3 mods rather than lots in any case, and not too many options.
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