I'm slowly working my way through this thread, and I've just taken a break-let to say you've got a real talent for dynamic posing - excellent stuff!

Yes, it is almost done. In fact, I could probably release what is ready tomorrow so people could finish the ToB section of the romance. However, I'm not going to release it tomorrow, simply because I'm not happy with it as it stands - there are a few things I would like to add to it before I go to a public release

At the moment I can't give an actual 'release by' date because my PC (which has the unfinished dialogues in it that I really want to add in before a release) is packed away (my house is being rennovated right now) - that and I can't dedicate hours of mod time a day due to the amount of time I have to dedicate to my young daughter (she is only 4 months old). However, I will tentatively say 'give me a month' and then see how we're doing

This is excellent work!

I really, really like your style - I tend not to favour 'anime'-ish styles (because they tend to be a bit staid and cliche), but your style is vibrant and interesting - it's also so very nice to see this kind of work done with traditional media! You have a real talent for posing and creating mood - your picture of Sola and Narra is simply lovely !

Sir K? Sir K?!? Lordie lordie lordie, how long has it been? Too long, for sure...

Just throwing my hat into the 'definitely would like to let Chrysta join my party' ring. So, so, so good to see you're still around, my dear.

Thanks, everyone!

I like the thir one best, and I think it blends better with BioWare than the default portrait. The second is nice, too, but the first one is a bit... well, she looks kind of like she's had enhancement surgery.

*nods* I know what you mean - unfortunately, none of these are dedicated portraits, and so they aren't perfect for the job. Eventually, I will probably digitally repaint this picture to be Fade (heh, I am better with traditional media over digital, so I bet I screw it up...), but I can't do that until my house renovation are finished (just the bathroom to go now!) and my PC is unpacked again - although I do have Gimp2 on this laptop (I have Photoshop on my PC), my lovely wacom tablet is - you guessed it! - packed away with my PC... bah!

If I get time, I'll probably repaint the third portrait again as well... I've got a bunch of things I want to do, so I might as well!

I have to say that I drew Fade's portrait a hell of a long time ago - I've painted Fade a few more times since then and so I have converted two of them to portraits.

However, this thread isn't just for my portraits - I know that some of you have made your own portraits, and I would a) love to see them and b) create a nice resource for people who like to have a choice in these matters. So if you have made a new Fade portrait and wish to share it, please post away!



(original painting HERE)


(original painting HERE)


(original painting HERE. This is an older one that I'm not so fond of...)

I also have THIS PAINTING but it doesn't make a very good portrait...

Always have liked your stuff - your cartoons have got me through some incredibly boring days, and for that, I thank you!

I haven't got a clue what it was called, but it was an old BBC adventure game that took about half an hour to load, and we never got past the third (?) stage because it was a black screen with 'holes' in it that you had to try to avoid (sudden death). Needless to say, it caused much irritated intrigue.

Other ones include Chucky Egg and Frogger on the BBC and NewZealand Story on the Commadore 64. We also had a couple of those old text-based RPGs on a battered old Atari machine - I loved them as a kid!

My first 'proper' D&D RPG was Warriors of the Eternal Sun on the Megadrive... gosh, I'd love to play that again

Earliest Playstation games were Kings Field and the original (and best) Tomb Raider.

First 'proper' PC games... probably the X-Com games and Doom; however the first game hubby and I bought for the first PC we bought together as a couple was, rather ironically, the first Baldur's Gate. We still own the discs, all in pristine condition and in the original packaging

This might not be the right forum for this - if it isn't, just move it and give me a slap on the leg

After coming back to BG after a while away from it, I have decided to run a vanilla game before fiddling around with mods again. It is largely a pleasant experience - even Irenicus' hellish first dungeon isn't as unpleasant as once it was, and whilst it isn't like playing for the first time, it is nice to come back after a protracted break to discover that BG is indeed as awesome as I remembered it, and not due to a horrible case of rose-tinted glasses.

One thing that really has struck me, however, is how much more respect I have for Anomen as a character. Whilst I still find him arrogant and boastful, whereas once I thought these flaws were irritating, I now find them interesting and inspired.

Over the last couple of years, I have really gotten into writing in a big way, and due to this, I have gained a love for truly flawed characters; ones that have real flaws as opposed to 'cosmetic' flaws (like being an arrogant wanker compared to being 'a bit clumsy' or having a bit of a temper... you know, annoying, real life flaws as opposed to 'these are *technically* flaws which would make me a total idiot in real life, but in the realms of fantasy, they make me look cool'). Due to this, I have been able to look at Anomen and at last see this much maligned, often ridiculed character for what I think he really is - a character with 'proper' flaws that make him incredibly real in ways other NPCs (canon and mod - and I include my own mod in this!) aren't. Of course, this means he isn't totally appealing in terms of being compatible with most female fantasies of their own personal 'knight in shining armour', but that doesn't mean he's a bad character - quite the opposite, in fact...

I was once one of those people who called Anomen 'Annoyman', but this is no longer the case. I am not saying he doesn't irritate me - sheesh, if I met him down the pub in real life, I'd be making my excuses to leave pretty damn sharpish! - but I have to admit that after ridiculing him for so long, I now feel a trifle silly and sheepish, because in reality, he is actually, I feel, a triumph of character creation.

TL;DR? Anomen FTW. Never thought I'd say that, but hey, you live and learn...

Anyone else had any revelations about any NPCs over the years? Ones the initially hated but have over time discovered respect for? Or how about vice versa? Maybe there was once a character you liked, but over time they have been revealed for the frauds they truly are...

(For purposes of keeping this topic unbiased, it pribably is best to stick to canon NPCs... although let me be the first to say that I am acutely aware that I definitely need to put a few more genuine flaws into my next NPC! )

Sillara!! So good to see you again! I'd heard you'd had another 2 babies since last we spoke: all girls, or have you had a boy? Hubby and I are definitely looking at having another one in the next year or so - being a mummy rules so much! It's hard work - I'm absolutely exhausted, and I don't think I've ever worried quite so much in my life, but it's also the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me; when Lucy smiles at me, nothing beats it

I tend to do a loy of one handed typing right now - I'm not a total pro, but I'm getting there (hehee, nursing right now - I feel like a real milky-moocow at the moment. Lucy wants feeding every 2-3 hours right now - curse this 4 month growth spurt!)

Thank you for continuing to support me - I really appreciate it And love to nethrin and the kids!! xx

Thanks everyone!

Being a mum is awesome (even if Lucy seems to be allergic to everything right now... I'm going on an elimination diet to try to figure out what it is. We're guesing dairy (which = no more chocolate or cheese for me) since she had a major allergic attack which ended up hospitalising her the first time she ever had formula milk (a couple of weeks ago) - now she's just all itchy. It's really quite horrible, and there's nothing I can do about it until the bloody doctor stops faffing around and actually decides to help me! )

Oh, christ - I actually feel a little bit sick, I'm so nervous about doing this!! That's how silly I am...

Any hoo - hello, folks! You can pick your jaws up off the floor and ready your various missiles of the rotten fruit variety if you wish...

First off - a big apology to all and sundry! Yes, I fell off the face of the planet. This happened for many different reasons:

1) I was burnt out. Seriously, seriously burnt out. It got to a point where if I never saw BG2 again, I would have been happy. However, after getting the urge to play BG again, Fade's been niggling at the back of my mind, and so I decided to take a deep breath (one that took 3 days - I really should grow a spine at some point!) and see if there was still any interest in Fade... imagine my surprise (pleasant!) that this forum isn't the complete ghost towen I was expecting!!

2) I had to put some more effort into my career - teaching is majorly draining.

3) Lastly, and most importantly - I'm now a mother! I have a beautiful 16 week old daughter called Lucy who is just my life at the moment.

So, yeah. Tentatively looking at getting back into the modding saddle (if Sil will have me, that is!!). I also need to get my house rennovations finished before I can seriously get down to anything (all my mod files are on my main PC, which has been packed away in a cupboard for a good, ooo, 6+ months now...). Chances are, I will play through the mod myself (it's been that long!) and possibly re-write sections, simply because I feel I have definitely matured as a writer now (I've been indulging in a bit of NWN:HotU based fan fiction and other writing exersizes in my spare time, and when I read stuff I wrote back in 04 / 05, I just want to cringe!), but I definitely want to take the yoke that is the unfinished ToB section of this mod off from around my neck soon. It's going to take me some time to re-integrate myself back into this community, and although I am off work until September (and then going back part time), Lucy is the main focus of my life right now, so I won't be able to devote hours and hours of mod time a week like I used to back in Ye Olde Times, but I'd still like to give it a crack... that's if you all want me to, of course!

Love and hugs,

Ely

(and, of course, Fade herself... )


(Just to prove she is still in my thoughts forever - a new-ish painting of her )

GT - YOU ARE THE BEST! Thank you so much; I can now go through my files and refamiliarise myself with everything (although, saying that, it doesn't take me long to get back into the mindset... last night I ended up unable to sleep due to the old noggin going into overdrive mode, which is a bugger considering Lucy had me up at 3am this morning - I'm knackered now!). And of course I'll be roping you in for any beta testing I need done

Heya, Zyraen! Long time no speak! How's everything your end?

Heaven!!! It's been too long... forgive me?! Of course I'll tap you if (when) I need help - I have to admit that right now, I could do with someone who knows CN Anomen (I am rather ashamed to admit that I have never had CN Anomen in my party - I always let him pass his test, because I am a great big softy like that!). If you do want to change the song you wrote, the let me know - I know how it feels to read back on old stuff and think 'oh, hells, that's just awful!' (although I have to admit that I think your song is lovely... )

Thank you, everyone, again for being so supportive!

Wheee!!! Hooray - Lucy's asleep! We're having a bit of a trying time right now - I had to take her to the doc's yesterday with suspected (now confirmed) infantile eczema, and I've been with the paediatric dietician all morning discussing my diet... from now on, I am on a strict no-dairy-whatsoever diet (Lucy is horribly allergic to cow's milk (she had an anaphalactic response to her first ever bottle of formula - good job I was intending to breastfeed her near enough exclusively for a least the first 6 months, really) and we think it is affecting her skin), which isn't much fun. Nevermind, though - it's for her, so it's worth it

Thanks for the lovely warm welcome back, everyone!

Sil: You are the best, you know that?! I couldn't do this without you!!

Now I've got to start organising myself - I've even bought myself a new Fade modding notebook (to go with the 3 I have already filled out...), so if that doesn't say something, nothing does!

I totally agree with your assessment of Anomen's treatment - as a recent Anomen convert, I would love to see him treated with sensitivity rather than just playing the old 'he's an arrogant twat and must be ridiculed at every turn' card (something I admit in full to doing in the past - believe me, I am going to take steps to amend this!).

As for Keldorn, like Aeryn, I am rather fond of the old paladin. Rather than a romance per se, I envisioned an almost father/child relationship developing, where Keldorn partially fills that big, Gorion shaped hole in the PC's life. Keldorn is, after all, a father himself, and for that reason alone I could see him taking an interest in such a young person with such a huge responsibility upon their shoulders - he seems to have quite a strong paternal streak in him, and having him pass on his wisdom to a younger student figure would, I think, fit his personality. However, like all children (biologial or adopted...), how the PC takes this interest is another matter!

To bridge that gap between a full blown romance and a student/mentor thing, the PC could develop a bit of a crush on him; Lord knows, I know I quite easily could...

Thank you so very much for your kind words, both of you! I have to admit that I thought people had forgotten about Fade, but after getting curious as to whether this was true, coming across comments such as these really is a real incentive to get back into the saddle and get this mod finished...

Thanks again!

This is why it is awesome that you're back Miss! I love this idea, I don't think romaces are passé . And a doomed one like this would be awesine, even if you decide to leave it out though a memory erased silver dragon joining your party would be great , it'd be something different that's for sure

If I was going to tackle any of these ideas, I think this is the one I would probably tackle first. Ghost has been around as a character for a good 4 years, and so it would be nice to give her a part in BG2. I think she would also be easier to undertake than Xen'shai - as an 'honest to goodness' PC, she would definitely be a more straightforward character in terms of personality.

Miss, how dare you! A non-good, non-dual weilding manipulative drow?! Those don't exist . I know my evil male PC would be very happy to have a guy he could compare notes with xD. He'd find it a challenge to have someone just as, or more, manipulative than him around

I know! It's almost as if I was a bit fed up of dual wielding rebel drow with hearts of gold...

I've been wanting to write a true 'evil' romance for ages, but I have to say that they are HARD. I've toyed with a few characters over the years, and they've all come to naught in the end, simply because although I find writing evil fun, I am also a hopeless romantic who does like a 'happily ever after' kind of ending. However, I got that with Fade, and there is no way I'm going to do that again - what's the point?

Ghost and Jek - this is one great idea. There are not many "unrequited love" romances around, especially when that unrequited love is directed towards the PC. But having someone in the party who is all paladin-like and still so materialistic would probably make some funny moments.

I'm not sure whether it would be unrequited - just doomed. Ghost certainly wouldn't reciprocate any feelings the same way Fade would - she is just too distant for that, so I suppose in that sense any romantic feelings might seem unrequited. Once she reclaims her true form, however, then it would definitely be unrequited - I envision potentially a very sad ending for Ghost's story, which in itself is interesting for me .

Xen'shai Aleanath sounds like he would be a really interesting addition to already problematic life of my Bhaalspawn - so long as there was an option to play "smart" against him

Oh, absolutely! Shai would be an interesting yet difficult character to write for, because I would have to ensure there were 'evil', 'good', 'naive and 'smart' options for his dialogues, ensuring as many PC types as possible were catered for. As I said above, I think Ghost would be an easier mod to write (and so would probably be tackled first), but Shai would be a real meaty challenge... I'd like it so that you could play him through at least twice, getting a different response from him each time depending on whether you played the innocent or whether you smart-mouthed him. For this reason, I expect I'd probably have to draft people in to help me - I don't think I'd like to undertake writing Shai on my own...

As for Solaufein, there are already two Nalia mods. I don't see anything blasphemous about creating another mod about Sola. More Sola is always good.

I have to admit, this surprises me! I was expecting to get totally lambasted for even suggesting such a thing - I expect I would have been when I first thought of it a few years ago. Maybe there has been enough time between releases now, and so a new Sola would be more accepted than once upon a time?

Yes please! I have been dying for a truly evil male to 'romance,' and gods would Xen'shai be perfect. And it has nothing to do with that particularly drool-worthy, half-naked drawing of him...no, nothing at all...*cough* The idea of a manipulative relationship is hugely appealing to me, and to my evil PCs who think Anomen would be more useful with his head on a pike.

Aeryn? Is that Aeryn Phoenix? Hehee - hi! Since I know you've read WDR, you know what kind of character Shai is (and thanks for the comment on his drawing... ) - I think he would make the PC's life 'interesting', shall we say! As I said above, though, I do think he would be hard to bring to life... I have thought long and hard as to how to implement him, and I would definitely have to change his motivation towards the PC than Jen; we know why he (and Vhaeraun) want Jen, but would the same plot device work for the divine spark of Bhaal? This is the one thing I'm not sure about, I have to admit...

Ghost and Jek makes me kind of sad. It sounds interesting, and it's nice to see ideas that deviate from the typical flow of mods.

It would be a 'sad' mod - I'm not sure how many people would want to undertake a possible romance that was fated to be doomed, but then again, that's where dramatic irony comes in - although the player might now what is going on (although I wouldn't tell them the twist in the mod description!), the character doesn't, and if he likes Ghost, then why not pursue her? I'm definitely into atypical romances right now - I've essentially done the whole straightforward 'true love' path, and so I think it's fun to explore different avenues

I agree with pretty much everything you said about Sola. I think most people shy away from the idea of a new project for him simply out of deference to Weimer, which is all well and good, but I am with the group that was not really satisfied with how he was characterized. At all. If there is enough demand for a different type of Solaufein (which I believe there is), then I see nothing wrong with undertaking the creation of another mod.

Again - I am surprised at this! I really did think I would be burnt at the proverbial stake as a heretic... although I would seriously LOVE (and it warrants the capital letter, believe me!) to create another Sola mod (because I just lurve stoic, brooding warriors, as I am sure you already know!), I am not sure I am the modder to do it - I don't have the clout (and to be honest, I don't particularly want to cultivate the clout) of a lot of the big name nodders out there... I kind of like being little me, nibbling away at the fringes of the core community. Bringing another Sola to the fore would definitely change that - Christ, I'd be the modder than effectively took on Weimer, which half scares me to death, considering the negativity that would inevitably spark! - so I'm not sure if I am the person to do this. I'd happily write the mod tomorrow given the chance - I've been a Sola fan since the beginning - even before I knew of the mod, I used to write silly fanfics where he joined the PC after the whole Ust Natha incident (and no, no one has read them, and no one ever will!) - but I think even if enough people lent me support, I'd rather hide amongst a group or even write under a pseudonym, simply so people didn't know it was me.

Yes; I am that much of a coward... (In all my years of modding and writing, the one thing I've never been able to deal with is the politics that inevitably go on within the community - I just want to write and have a fun hobby, not argue and get shitty with people. Unfortunately, as soon as I started work on Fade, I found out rather acutely that, as hard as you try to avoid the drama and politics, it eventually comes and seeks you out and you end up embroiled in it whether you want to be or not... It has put me off creating other mods in the past, I must admit, which is a shame, because modding itself is actually quite a lot of fun once you get in to it (whereas worrying about whether you're going to get subjectively lambasted by people simply by virtue of who you are (as opposed to people objectively and constructively criticising your work, which is something I embrace wholeheartedly) is, simply put, not. I'm not naturally the kind of person who goes against the grain - in real life, I'm pretty easy going - and so I find this abrasive mentality quite upsetting and, well, baffling sometimes...

Err, yeah. Umm, sorry - didn't mean to go on about that here! Just had to say why I am so very nervous about even proposing to make a new version Sola, let alone actually producing one!

If it helps you choose between ideas you feel equally strongly about, yes. Otherwise, the only opinion you should consult about what to work on next should be your own.

Yeah, I know I'm saying yes and no at the same time.

Hehehee It's the attitude that counts!

Thanks again - you've thrown new light on the whole issue for me, which has definitely put it into perspective (which is what I needed).

Another take on sola can only be interesting and would be fun to play. I think the community as a whole is mature enough to appreciate another interpretation of the character for what it is, and not draw narrow comparisions on which is better or worse.

Hopefully this will be the case! Got to admit, I was expecting a largely negative response - to get this much of a positive one really does make me feel a hell of a lot more comfortable about thinking about this project

If we change the word "watch" to "own every single season and do a marathon every few months just for fun and still get upset over stuff that happened 10 years ago"...then yes.

Gah, I know - Janet's death is a particular one for me; each time I watch that blinking episode, I sob like a child. And then there's Sunday... argh, don't get me started on Sunday. Carson... NOOOO! JUST GO FISHING WITH HIM!! (As for Quarantine - still won't watch that episode. Bloody Keller - who does she think she is, makin' moves on my Ronon?! )

*cough* Umm, yeah, okay, this is a discussion for elsewhere, methinks...

But actually I think you're description is pretty close to how I picture him as well. I think he'd be jumpy and nervous at first, and really nervous in surface cities/crowded places, especially during the day when it's harder for him to see. (In a lot of ways, he's pretty defenseless in those situations, and he'd have to trust the PC to back him up if things go badly.) I think he'd be paranoid, even of the PC. Especially of the PC if she's female. Life as a drow male and all that. If the PC shows trust and vulnerability with him, I can see that staunch loyalty really kicking in. It's obvious from the way he tries to "protect" Phaere even when she tells him off that he's the protective type. I can't see him romancing an evil (at least not a prototypical "evil") person. I think he would have had enough of that from his past...but I guess it would depend more on how an evil PC treats him and the people/things he values than his/her actual alignment? And I think the Eilistraee thing should be something similar to the way Aerie occasionally mentions her beliefs in an offhand sort of way. It's important to him, but it's personal to him. If that makes sense...I think I'm babbling.

Have you been peeking into my mind? Because That's basically how I envisioned him, too! At first, he'd be incredibly reserved to the point of almost being withdrawn (think Ronon when he first speaks to Weir in 'Duet' - all that suspicious reservation), so to begin with, it would be a case of helping him aclimatise to the surface (again, like Ronon has to aclimatise to civilisation after being on the run for 7 years). For a male PC, there could be a real Sheppard / Ronon dynamic, and with a female PC (although I am not a Spanky shipper at all) a Ronon/Teyla dynamic... Lol, can you guess that I have also thought about making a mod based on Ronon's character at all?! (In fact, it was this that made me think about doing a new Sola mod in the first place - there are a lot of similarities between the two characters at the end of the day!)

In case I didn't say it outright, I do like the Sola idea though I'm still in the cheering section for Xen'shai.

Hehee - 'Shai is definitely an interesting NPC to play around with, but he would be 'one of the long haul', rather like Fade...

Having as many dialog options as possible is always good, we're playing RPG after all. However... Having 3-4 different - and I mean really different, not just various formulations of the same subject - options is quite enough. Anything more will most likely result in diminishing return. Furthermore, having to read through 6-8 lines every time one is about to reply quickly gets tedious and boring. Same thing about having long (over 20 words) replies. In fact, the dialog system employed in IE can't really support more than 5-6 options, just as it can't work with replies that are more than 10-15 words long. Not for technical reasons, but exactly due to the need to read through all of them before selecting one.

Exactly - this is why I was getting so bogged down with something that was in the end ultimately futile. Having choice is fun, but having too much choice is actually counter productive - when it comes to this, I really, really, REALLY need to gain my perspective.

Speaking of railroading, sometimes that's needed more (and much so) than diversity. Heavy story and sandbox are incompatible by their nature. Problem is, not everyone knows (judging by many RPGs released) how to conceal those rails well enough. That's it, unless you meant exactly the concealing.

As Sillara once said to me, 'it's all about giving the player the illusion of choice, whilst at the4 same time getting them to do what you want them to do'. I used to be able to do it... but then it all kind of went a little bit to pot!

Agreed with the modern RPG thing as well - it's something I've noticed in near enough all games (don't even get me started on the new Tomb Raider games... totally and utterly ruined, they are. Crystal Dynamics should be shot for Legend, simple as that!)

That's surely none of my business to meddle in, but if they do think like that, aren't those their own problems?

Yes, it is their problem... but that's the kind of thing I worry about anyway. I like to create, but not necessarily rock the boat, y'know what I mean? And I have a feeling creating a new Sola might rock the boat just a little bit!

I *thought* that was what her name was. I still remember her picture(I suppose I could've looked that up first. ) if that makes you feel better.

Yep - that was her! I would have to re-paint that portrait before using it - *shudders* so many anatomical errors...

Hmm, on DeviantArt and RPGDungeon I go by Xenshail(And you even drew me a sketch, which was fabulous), but I never based it on another character that I recall... Course that was back before Fade was even released, iirc. So that's quite a time ago.

LOL! This is why it should be against the law for people to change their online names - because old hags like me get confused at to who used to go by what name! I was sitting there, wracking my brains, thinking 'I know Xenshail became someone else, but who the buggery was it??' - now I know

Both of your first two ideas look very intriguing. I'm sure you'd write Sola well, also, but he just never interested me.

I'd really be open to whichever you want, but you know I've got a little bit of bias for Ghost of course. And that crazy little psuedo, Jek.

Thanks! I'll see how it goes... got to get my head around finishing Fade too (although sometimes working on something else actually paves the way for more inspiration...). As I said before, if I was going to tackle one first, it would probably be Ghost, since she would be in the game for a set time, rather than spanning the entire thing, so she's not *quite* as daunting as taking on Xen'shai.

Okay. *Deep breath*. I know I've only just returned to modding after a protracted absence (some of it not entirely intentional... *gazes adoringly at Lucy* ), but that doesn't mean I've not continued to think up ideas for different mods.

My first question for all of you fine people is something that has been bugging me for a while now - although I see plenty of mods in the making, is there still a demand for them? BG2 is, afterall, coming up for 10 years old... Is it just the hardcore few that like new mods - considering many of us in the modding community have been here for donkey's years, are we all just creating mods for ourselves now rather than a wider audience (or has that indeed always been the case?) - or is the appeal of new mod NPCs still as widespread as it was 5 years ago?

Still, saying that; here are a few ideas I have had over the years for mods (some of these characters may be familiar to some people - I tend to incorporate many of my potential mod characters into either my stories or my roleplaying characters, mainly to test out their personalities and see if they 'work' as characters).

First up: Ghost and Jek

People who used to rp at Narbondel years ago (Kellen, I'm looking at you!) might remember Ghost. She is a mixture of an RP character I designed for the Midnight D20 system and then tweaked for Narbondel - I thought she might make an interesting mod NPC (although she *might* be a bit much, I don't know).

Ghost is a human female with pale, almost albino-esque skin, silvery hair and pale, silvery blue eyes. She is called Ghost not just due to her ethereal appearance, but also because she has no idea who she is nor where she came from; her anmesia with regards to her past (and sometimes even day to day things) is total and complete. She is, however, and accomplished sorcereress, but has no idea how she wields such power. Her only link to her possible past (and the 'person' who reminds her of day to day things) is her familiar, Jek - an abrasive and over-protective pseudodragon. She joins your party for two main reasons: to continue her seemingly neverending search to discover exactly who she is and why she dreams so consistently of flying, and simply so she has meaning to her life, a cause she can subscribe her life to and a place where she feels she 'belongs'.

Ghost is Lawful Good (which in itself is unusual for usually chaotic sorcerers). She believes in honour and helping others, and has an almost visceral response to evildoers. Although Ghost's life is very complicated, her morals are not - when it comes to them, Ghost sees the world in a very black and white way, which can sometimes come off as arrogance. Her amnesia, however, also makes her quite naive, and she can be manipulated quite easily. She finds it hard to connect with other people, and frequently has the nagging feeling that she simply 'doesn't belong' amongst other humanoid races. Surprisingly, she can also be quite covetuous and materialistic - she is seemingly drawn to gems and gold, favouring star sapphires and flawless diamonds over anything else.

Jek is Chaotic Good and serves as Ghost's friend, protector and personal journal. He regards his mistress highly, and reacts in an alomst jealous way if he deems other people's interest in her as 'too friendly'. He is also hiding a big secret that may or may not have something to do with Ghost's past.

Obviously, at first, the PC (and therefore the player) have no idea who or what Ghost really is, and obviously part of the fun is discovering this, but for the purposes of a mod pitch, I can't keep the twist a total secret! This is also where the 'Jeez, this is a bit much...' feelings might come in. Ghost is actually a polymorphed Silver Dragon, cursed to walk Faerun as an amnesiac human by a powerful Lich. This leads to the simple fact that as soon as she discovers who she is and regains her true form, she will leave the party, possibly making Ghost a rather bitter-sweet addition to BG2, especially if I do decide to include a romance (she would obviously have to leave once she re-discovered her heritage; I don't think anyone could excuse you carting a Silver Dragon around in your party!!!).

You would find Ghost in the Copper Coronet (or maybe another Athkatlan Tavern), and the culmination of her over-arcing quest would be iin Watcher's Keep (facing the Lich to break the spell, whereupon she would leave you - I figured WK was a good place for this, since it is the one place available for the duration of SoA and ToB).

Obviously, you could avoid losing Ghost as a party member by not allowing her to discover her true form (once she discovers her draconic heritage (the final realisation would be in WK), she will insist upon facing the Lich to break the spell to restore herself to her former glory (dragons are nothing if not self-centred and arrogant, afterall!) - if you refuse or leave it too long, she'll leave your party anyway), that's it, but that would just be mean...

Suggested Stats (subject to change): STR: 11 (although she is a dragon, as a human she is not too strong), DEX: 14, CON: 16 (her draconic heritage does make her pretty hardy), INT: 12 (average intelligence - the Lich doesn't want her to work out who she is too easily!), WIS: 15 (she's pretty sensible, hence the reason why she's survived regardless of her anmesia), CHA: 16 (she is a sorceress and a dragon to boot - this does lead to her having a strangely compelling aura about her).

Romance? Possibly. I do like writing romances, and this would be, for me, an interesting exercise in a doom-fated romance. However, romances are time consuming and might be a little passe now? I don't know...

Secondly: Xen'shai Aleanath

Xen'shai Aleanath is a NE drow bard with a complicated history. I first came up with Xen'shai years ago as a minor player in an RP (the member Xen'Shail (dunno if he is still around!) based his user name on the character many moons ago), and more recently, he is a major player in my Hordes of the Underdark fanfic, Where Darkness Resides.

Xen'shai is a Deathsinger, a drow bard dedicated to the service of Vhaeraun. He is charming (bordering upon almost sleazy), confident, and utterly self-centred, but is accomplished enough in manipulation that he can come across as caring and genuine. His reasons for joining your party seem innocent enough - as a drow upon the surface, he has little in the way of allies and is keen to 'make friends' (read: 'ally myself with someone hugely powerful who can protect me'), but underneath there seems to be another, slightly more sinister motive...

Xen'shai will target female PCs over male ones, simply because he finds females easier to manipulate than males (unless they are interested in the contents of his breeches; they're fair game as well). He likes to worm his way into people's affections as a way to get his own way - he enjoys the company of surfacer females because, in his experience, they are eager to please and easily satisfied (compared to the drow females he used to consort with, it's no surprise, really!). He is drawn to power, which goes some way as to why he is drawn to a Bhaalspawn... there is also the simple fact that as a Bhaalspawn, you have contained within yourself a divine spark, something that he rather covets himself (which makes his interest in the PC rather similar to Irenicus).

Whilst Xen'shai would probably come under the umbrella of a romance mod, the fact that he is utterly selfish and that he is incredibly unlikely to genuinely devote himself to the PC (although I am sure there are PC's with huge CHA scores out there that could do this!) will mean that any 'romance' pursued by a PC (although it will be Shai doing most of the pursuing, if that makes sense!) is effectively false - there is only one person Shai loves, and that is himself! Although he is evil, however, he does favour 'good' PCs (not that that excludes evil PCs - in fact, and evil PC is more likely to be the one whom he devote himself to), but that is simply because he sees them as easier targets... but in the long run, he would respect an 'evil' PC more.

Suggested Stats (subject to change): STR: 12, DEX: 17, CON: 10, INT:16, WIS: 12, CHA: 18. Xen'shai is not much of a fighter when compared to other characters, and prefers to talk his way out of things if possible, but he can hold his own when necessary.

The third and last proposal is probably going to be my most contraversial and least likely to be accepted, so I'm bracing myself for a bit of a flaming for even suggesting this, but here goes anyway...

Solaufein

Yes, THAT Solaufein.

I would like to make is clear from the very start that this is in no way an affront or condemnation of Weimer's fine work. His Sola was the first mod I played, and was the mod that started my modding career (I wrote a whole bunch or pretty crap flirts for him back in '03...), and for this reason, I do hold his Sola in high regard.

However, the more I read around the subject, the more I realise that a lot of people are not particularly satisfied with Weimerfein, stating specifically that he is just a little too different from Bioware's original character. Now, I am in no way whatsoever saying that I think I could do a better job in characterising Sola than Weimer (sheesh, I think that could actually be considered modding blasphemy!), and any tentative project undertaken to bring an alternative Sola into the game would MOST DEFINITELY be undertaken by a team (in this instance, I do think a team of people could pin down Bioware Sola's personality, simply because it's not just one person's interpretation), but I do think it might be an interesting project to undertake... *dons large iron helm and hunkers down into the foetal position, awaiting the many and varied beatings she may receive for even thinking this, let alone suggesting it...*

Before commenting upon the Solaufein suggestion, please remember that it is literally just an idea and nothing else!!

I do have other ideas, but these were the main three I wanted to toss out. Obviously, when it comes to modding, Fade is my main concern right now, but it is fun to think of other projects, too

Yes ma'am. I've played around with characters with a pretty similar arc, and I get giddy over the possibilities, but one thing or another always stops me from developing them in any real capacity (usually some combination of real life and the panic attacks I get when I stare at code for too long ). From an outsider's perspective, I can easily see Shai being fascinated by a Bhaalspawn, for different reasons depending on the type of PC. It would be a hell of a lot of work considering different motivations/plots/plans/smartassness...but it would be so amazing.

I feel exactly the same way, which is why I'm kind of staying out of the mainstream while I fiddle with a project(s) until something gets complete. Then I'll just toss it out there and people who hate it can hate it, and those who don't can have something to play with.

The one thing that always hangs me up about a new Sola mod (and I loved him early on too, in my first vanilla playthrough) is how long it takes to actually get him in the party. It's so much easier for a character that starts out somewhere close to the start of the game because they can be developed and integrated into the party. Strangely, to me at least, it seems like it would be more work than a fresh character .

It might seem silly, considering I have effectively been modding since the end of '03, but I never have shaken off that feeling of being a total noob when it comes to these things...

I think that has always been the issue with Sola, but I wouldn't want to have him join the party any earlier - it would just be too game breaking.

Do you watch Stargate? If so, you'll know who I'm on about - I kind of see Sola as a mixture of Teal'c and Ronon: he would have Teal'c stoicism and age along with Ronon's brooding nature and almost animalistic / vicious way of fighting. I personally would keep him a pure fighter, and his SoA dialogues would be more about him adjusting to the surface and dealing with living outside of drow society, as well as dealing with just what he's gotten himself into with regards to the PC. Any Ust Natha backlash would actually initially be aimed at the PC as well - the fact that Sola is with them would come as a bit of a surprise for them (he just disappeared, after all). Any romance might be tentatively started in SoA, with the main bulk of it happening in ToB. I personally wouldn't make him a chosen of Eilistraee - he would be just a drow on the run, trying to come to terms with the massive decision he has made and the full implications of his actions in Ust Natha.

Whoa. I think you're really overthinking the Weimer Sola thing. People have played and enjoyed Sola for years, and even if you write a Sola mod, they will still play it, but everybody needs a change sometimes.

And there's no such thing as modder clout. Some people are better known than others, and some may have a high opinion of themselves, but when all we're offering is free downloads, how much "clout" can a person possibly have? We don't even own our own characters, not really, or at least not once it's downloaded. You never know what interpretation someone is going to walk away with. This is doubly true when a person mods a BioWare NPC. For example, the NPC Flirt Pack offers flirts for Anomen. I'd like some variety. Maybe I want to write my own flirt pack. Would it be wrong for me to come up with a group of NPC-initiated flirts and a new PID menu that was a little different? OK, you probably wouldn't be able to have both on the same installation, but it would offer some choice. I can do this because the writers of the NPC Flirt Pack don't own Anomen. There's an encounter with Edwin in Romantic Encounters. There's a mod romance that involves Edwin. I don't see a problem with this.

Do you see what I'm getting at?

Anyway, if you wrote it, people would play it.

Berelinde - you speak a hell of a lot of good sense, that much is true. You're right - I am overthinking it all (I tend to do that!), and I'm getting all tied up in knots over it. Problem is, I still have quite a severe case of 'once bitten, twice shy' when it comes to certain aspects of modding - earlier on in my modding career, I with hindsight made some pretty stupid decisions. I didn't make them out of arrogance (which I was accused of), but simply out of stupid naivete; I got so caught up in the whole 'wow, I'm making something!' that I didn't necessarily think things through carefully enough with regards to some of my choices. Problem is, I now tend to go in completely the opposite direction - now everything I write is completely optional, with intensely (almost stupidly) detailed dialogues that cover near enough every single kind of PC reaction I can think of, which was equally stupid of me, because it led to the Avenue of Complete and Utter Burnout - in the end, I was sitting at my computer, stressing out because I couldn't figure out if Cespenar was a Baatezu or Tan'ari and sitting on an unfinished dialogue that already had well over 100 blocks of dialogue in it, just so I could cover as many eventualities as I could think of (when you're getting up to 8 PC choices or responses per dialogue block out of fear of people coing back to you and accusing you of 'railroading' them, it really is time to stop and evaluate what is important in your life!).

I suppose when it comes to Sola, I don't want anyone to think I am disrespecting Weimer's version in any way, because I am not. As I said, it was Weimer's Sola that brought me to modding, so on that level alone, it warrants my undying respect. I'm not in any way saying Weimer got it 'wrong' - just that it would be interesting to come up with another interpretation of him, and so I do see completely what you're getting at.

Thanks a lot - I need people like you around me to help me maintain my perspective! (And thank you even more for the very sweet last comment... )

I'm not sure - I might do a poll, asking for people's opinions on the Sola matter - you know, seperate it from this thread. Do you think that is a good idea?

Okay - the time to work on this mod is definitely nigh, considering how much it kept me up last night, bombarding me with ideas for possible new material. However, some of them I'm a bit torn on... whilst I do try to go with my gut on these things, sometimes my gut has a metaphorical brainfart (a bit like how, when you've had one too many, that egg, onion and curry sauce sandwich seems like such a good and tasty option, riiight up until that moment when you take your first big bite...) and so it is nice to get outside opinions.

It was always my intention to make Fade more than 'just a romance mod' and add in equivalent material for non-romancing males and female PCs. With regards to this, I have had two ideas floating around for a while:

For non-romancing male PCs: If you let Fade down nicely / gently early on in her romance path (via a player initiated dialogue), that will kick off the male 'friendship' track. I figured, however, that just because you don't want to romance Fade, she wiil automatically not find you attractive - so I figured for non-romancing males, I might write an 'unrequited love' subplot, with a possible chance to requite it in ToB (if the player so wishes). She won't try to steal you away from your current love interest per se, but unless you are absolutely foul to her (and even then, she can't deny her heart completely), she will still initiate dialogues that might be mildly flirtatious in nature - I thought this might also give the current romance (Bioware ones only initially) a good chance to show some reaction / get jealous / be a bit insecure themselves. You know, just like in real life... Good idea? Bad idea? Indifferent idea?

For female PCs: there will be a friendship track (already started on this), but in lieu of a Bhaalspawn to fancy, I thought Fade might turn her affections to another victim: namedly Valygar. There has already been ground laid that she quite likes Valygar (yes, this is author bias too; I am just a complete sucker for that whole 'stoic warrior' thing), but again, should it be unrequited, or should Valygar eventually reciprocate? I have to admit, I am erring on the side of it being unrequited (but then again, I like torturing my own creations ), but I could be easily swayed if people want it requited.

For female PCs romancing Anomen: Yes, I am guilty as charged with regards to ridiculing this much maligned character, and so I am rather keen to set the record straight a bit and allow female PC's to discuss why they are with Anomen... again - good idea / bad idea / indifferent idea?

Any input is very much welcome!

Thank you very much for your input! This is really helpful - there is no point indulging in anything people wouldn't be interested in seeing (or indeed, reading), and so it really allows me to focus upon what is important

As for Valygar - I agree with both of you with regards to him not reciprocating any of Fade's feelings. Basically, it would be that old 'he's just not that into you' chestnut - whereas Fade is definitely someone who (against all odds, considering her heritage) likes and, to a certain degree, needs company, Valygar just isn't... I envision that whilst he wouldn't be unpleasant to her, he could gently jibe her etc (I just like it when your own characters don't win / succeed in everything they strive for, hence the reason why an 'unrequited' path for a non-romancing male PC is appealing for me - it is a whole new avenue of writing not yet explored )

Thank you very much! The first portrait is one of the few of my drawings I am actually pleased with on the whole (there are a few things I would change if I could...) - it was a lot of fun to play with all those lovely colours!

As for making her into a portrait - give me a bit and I'll see if I can sort that out (I'm not too good at resizing portraits - it really does take me some time to get it right! |There must be ab easier way to get it done as opposed to my 'trail and error - mainly error' approach).

I've got lots of rubbish - loads of pictures, ranging from full on paintings to silly little sketches; here;s some of them

First up - HALF DRAGONS. I am pretty much obsessed with half dragons from a design point of view - I love hybrids in general, and half dragons are my absolute favourite.









Next, I'll dig out my demons and tieflings (although I'll spare you my plethora of Valen Shadowbreath fanart - there's already enough of that on my other art thread! )