SCS enemy builds and behaviour - just what is SCS supposed to change?
OrlonKronsteen
Member Posts: 905
Hello everyone, some months ago after reading some threads here I worked up the courage to try SCS. I tested it in BG1 and BG2 (EE versions) simultaneously. I did a really noob set up: I only installed improved general AI and improved calls for help. At first I was really enjoying it, but then I noticed a couple of unsettling things.
In my BG1 game, I discovered that SCS had changed Greywolf into a dual-wielder. The broad reading I'd done until then on SCS (including the readme and forums) seemed to indicate that the mod only makes enemies smarter, and that it doesn't change the enemies per se. Can anyone enlighten me on the real story on what and/or how SCS changes enemies? In my BG2 game I discovered the statues on level 1 of Watcher's Keep (I went there early) were much tougher. I didn't necessarily mind these changes, but I was wondering what the mechanics are behind it so I can anticipate other surprises that might get thrown at me later.
Now, in my BG2 game I discovered something I really didn't like. In the Planar Prison, when I made it to the third and fourth chambers to the east, the entire level attacked me at once. The Yuan-ti, the wyvern, the Master of Thralls, the Warden and the pack of thralls in the north made their way down and had at me. While it was a thrilling battle to say the least, it bothered me that SCS had changed the level so much. In the original game it's written so that you're supposed to experience each chamber as a series of individual encounters, not a big pile-on. Has anyone else experienced this in the Planar Prison, and does this phenomenon occur in other quests? I uninstalled SCS after this happened, but months later I'm getting curious about trying it again.
Thanks in advance for any insights. I apologize if this info is already available somewhere, but my initial searches didn't find anything addressing these specific issues.
In my BG1 game, I discovered that SCS had changed Greywolf into a dual-wielder. The broad reading I'd done until then on SCS (including the readme and forums) seemed to indicate that the mod only makes enemies smarter, and that it doesn't change the enemies per se. Can anyone enlighten me on the real story on what and/or how SCS changes enemies? In my BG2 game I discovered the statues on level 1 of Watcher's Keep (I went there early) were much tougher. I didn't necessarily mind these changes, but I was wondering what the mechanics are behind it so I can anticipate other surprises that might get thrown at me later.
Now, in my BG2 game I discovered something I really didn't like. In the Planar Prison, when I made it to the third and fourth chambers to the east, the entire level attacked me at once. The Yuan-ti, the wyvern, the Master of Thralls, the Warden and the pack of thralls in the north made their way down and had at me. While it was a thrilling battle to say the least, it bothered me that SCS had changed the level so much. In the original game it's written so that you're supposed to experience each chamber as a series of individual encounters, not a big pile-on. Has anyone else experienced this in the Planar Prison, and does this phenomenon occur in other quests? I uninstalled SCS after this happened, but months later I'm getting curious about trying it again.
Thanks in advance for any insights. I apologize if this info is already available somewhere, but my initial searches didn't find anything addressing these specific issues.
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Edit: Missed the point of the thread due to my lack of sleep. What I mean is, that the Planar Prison thing doesn't always happen (also I'm not even sure if it's actually intended to happen or just a bug), and that the change behind Greywolf's dual-wielding has an actual logical explanation, that is based on SCS's "AI plays fair and like the player" dogma, which also gives some underpowered enemies a buff they actually do deserve (also, Greywolf has the best Long Sword in the game generally speaking).
Btw, I think you can completely disable the Planar Prison bug by not installing the Improved Calls for Help, although I'm not sure since I've never played SCS without them.
That's the main change I find.
So, as you mentioned the Planer Sphere quest, I've just completed that. And honestly, each time I never know how the fight's going to go. This last time, killed the warden almost before anything else, (he turned up just after the welcoming comittee) then had to kill thralls, then the air things, lastly found the keeper, then was attacked by all the Yuan Tee. So all mixed up. Meanwhile, quite a few enemies got caught in the trap that petrifies them including the wyvern.
It actually made the fight easier than non SCS, but not having everybody in their spaces waiting for you to turn up adds interest. And next playthrough, well it's a toss up what will happen then as well, perhaps the wyvern will turn up, the master of thralls before I'm ready ect. ect.
I'd say the Planar Prison, once you get over the shock of "OMG, people aren't where they are "supposed" to be" has been a big improvement.
The other one where that happens a bit, the Planar Sphere.
Yeah, we all know, kill the tough halflings, congregate to the side, kill the next batch, trigger the one chewing a bone, then move onto the second phase with mages (the ones who drop Tazok's hands).
Now, nope got to be ready for everything.
But sometimes, one still doesn't turn up.
Variety.
As for improved enemies, I don't mind an improved Greywolf or the statues in Watcher's Keep (they gave me a royal ass whooping) - as long as it doesn't get too crazy. I wouldn't really like it if I got to the end of BG1 only to find that SCS had given Sarevok 30 levels of sorcerer, for instance. I mean, the reason I avoided SCS for so long in the first place is I feared getting ambushed by pit fiends on the way to the Friendly Arm Inn, or packs of demi-liches spawning in the Nashkel Mines.
One thing I am a bit annoyed by at times, though, is that it still features uninterruptible spells in some spots. I'm talking casters that will keep casting like it's nothing even if you knock them back across half the map. I get that it adds a certain dimension of inevitability to some encounters, but I can help but notice a bad taste. Divine casters also seem incredibly resistant to damage-based interrupts and will often complete a cast through a barrage of incoming hits. And all that, of course, is only true for enemies - your own casters will lose their cast-time-1 spell as soon as the enemy as much as looks at them.
From release notes:
The way that spellcasters fail after taking damage has
been externalized to CONCENTR.2da. By default, any
damage a spellcaster takes will cause them to fail their
spellcasting.
CHECK_MODE
0
Any damage
1
(1d20 + luck) vs. (spell level + damage taken)
2
(1d20 + Concentration ) vs. (15 + spell level)
Note from the Developers:
This is inspired by a feature
from ToBEx. Be aware that Baldur's Gate games have
no Concentration skill; using that option will use a basic
1d20+luck formula for the caster's check.
Spell Rev sets CHECK to 1.
What I was not aware of is protection from interrupts even against things like knockbacks that toss you a good distance.
Thank goodness its not. I'm not a fan of SCS at all.
The great thing about modding is that it let's you do what YOU want.
Overall I'm enjoying the difficulty enhancements, but I have a feeling it's going to get tedious. In my BG2 run, for instance, I'm getting tired of random encounters where thieves are chugging a seemingly endless supply of invisibility potions and backstabbing my party. I get that some people enjoy that - and I found it fun the first two times - but the micromanagement required to be prepared for that at all times is getting old. And, while most encounters are manageably harder, occasionally you run into stuff that's insanely hard. Case in point: I just headed off to Firkraag's lair to test out the smarter dragons component, only to find Ruhk the Transmuter to be unkillable at my level. I'm unable to hit him with +3 weapons and he's immune to all my spells. I expected Firkraag to kick my ass, but there's no reason for Ruhk to be so hard. I read in another thread that the SCS version of Ruhk is immune to anything below 8th level spells, which agrees with my experience.
If I trap an area where I know a particularly badass mage enemy spawns (e.g. liches) and then kill said mage instantly with those traps before all of their protections fire off, it causes BG2EE to crash. It's so irritating to have to shut down the game via the processes tab in task manager, restart the game, and try killing that mage again. This does not happen with any other enemy type. Lesser (but still strong) mages can die to this and not crash the game, either.