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BG2EE Mod Request - Jaheira Romance tweak(s)

MaurvirMaurvir Member Posts: 1,090
I mentioned this briefly in the other mod request thread, but I figured I would start another one for it. There may even be a mod like this already.

The request is for a mod that would not only legit remove Jaheira's gender requirement (so either a male or female PC can romance her), but a also would fix the few lines of dialog that break disbelief by making them appropriate for the PC's gender. Of all the original romances, hers is not only one of the best, but the only one where it could be directed towards either male or female PCs without feeling "wrong" (as opposed to the fiasco that is Aerie's romance). I would imagine that simply fixing one or two lines of dialog and lifting the gender check would do it.

Other than that, perhaps adding a bit more of a delay between ID and the start of the romance (for realism), while shortening some of the other timers that often mean the romance barely has time to conclude before you are at the tree.

While my parties have generally included other romance-able NPCs, this is a mod I've long wanted for my female PCs, as I've always felt Jaheira would have been cast more like Corwin had the game not been developed in the 90's.

Comments

  • SkitiaSkitia Member Posts: 1,054
    edited June 2020
    -Removing Gender Requirement: Really Easy, I could do this pretty quickly. Probably a mod that does this already, but I'm not sure. I could do it for all of them, really, though as noted in the next point, there'd probably be some dialogue issues at certain points.
    -Fix the few lines of dialog that break disbelief by making them appropriate for the PC's gender: I wouldn't know what these lines are. I've never finished the Jaheira romance, my favorite by far of the original three male choices is Aerie so she's the only one I've finished. I'm curious if you can safely replace strings in dialogue files like you can replace text in script files. If you can then this is also kind of easy, but you'd have to know what file you are adjusting.
    -Changing Timers: Almost all of the timers are the exact same length. Easy enough to shorten them, but you can't really add the delay that you want. My approach would be a minimalist alteration sort of thing for compatibility (And time, my other project is my main focus.)

  • MaurvirMaurvir Member Posts: 1,090
    Yes, JUST removing the gender requirement is already done by the tweak pack. I've used it before, but if a mod were created to "fix" Jaheira's romance, it would be nice to fix it there. Of course, I'm not a modder, so I imagine a note would have to be made to not fix it in the tweak pack.

    As for the dialogue, I'd have to go back and play again with Jaheira, but I believe towards the end, when the relationship state hits 2, there are some dialogs that are unambiguously gendered. Save for these few lines, everything else she says isn't really gendered at all.

    The timer thing was actually a last minute thought. It just seems odd that she would be ready to start a new relationship mere days after finding her husband's body carved up like a holiday turkey.
    energisedcamel
  • energisedcamelenergisedcamel Member Posts: 110
    I completely agree about the timer. It would make the romance much better if it started later. I know that the life of an adventurer probably moves faster than a normal person's, but she could at least wait a week!

    Out of interest, why do you think the Aerie or Viconia romances wouldn't work as a female? Anomen talks a lot about flowers and being reminded of his sister, which I guess might be a bit more of a stretch for a male PC (except those slender pansy elves), but I don't remember Aerie and Viconia the romances well enough to understand why they wouldn't work for females.
  • MaurvirMaurvir Member Posts: 1,090
    Aerie? Without spoiling it, let's just say some serious magic would need to be involved. I haven't ever taken Viconia in a party, so I really can't speak to that one.

    As for Anomen, well, sure - I could see him in a MM romance. However, no matter what gender my protagonist is, they never, ever, seem to get along with him for unrelated reasons. Specifically, that he is a pompous ass. Same reason I never pick up Ajantis in BG1.
  • energisedcamelenergisedcamel Member Posts: 110
    Maurvir wrote: »
    Aerie? Without spoiling it, let's just say some serious magic would need to be involved. I haven't ever taken Viconia in a party, so I really can't speak to that one.

    As for Anomen, well, sure - I could see him in a MM romance. However, no matter what gender my protagonist is, they never, ever, seem to get along with him for unrelated reasons. Specifically, that he is a pompous ass. Same reason I never pick up Ajantis in BG1.

    Ohhh you're so right. I forgot about that part of the ToB romance for Aerie because it's just so ridiculous, but yeah, that would need to be cut completely or reworked beyond recognition. I think Viconia's would work a bit better, from memory.

    Anomen is definitely a chore, but I like his growth and I like to imagine my PCs can see his value as an ally long enough for him to grow up, but that is more than fair enough. In real life, I would stay as far away as possible.

  • MaurvirMaurvir Member Posts: 1,090
    I will say that the fact he elicits such strong reactions speaks to the overall skill of the writers. The NPC companions actually have personalities - for good or ill. I think it's one of the reasons I keep coming back to these games.
    energisedcamel
  • SkitiaSkitia Member Posts: 1,054
    Yeah as a modder I wouldn't touch the Aerie romance's gender requirement. And I wouldn't really want to rework it, though one could. I like it for what it is, sex has risks after all! The birth though could have just taken after everything.

    I guess it is possible to have one of the early timers take a lot longer, I recall a second timer is set after the first one expires, so I would just have the second one in X circumstance take extra long, and reduce the general timer.

    It's not a one day project so I won't take it on presently, but I can consider looking at this in the future.
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