Hendryk's Content

#187786 A Dying NPC

Posted by Hendryk on 11 February 2005 - 06:17 PM in IE Modding Discussion

While a potentially good idea, this is way too big for a mod. The storyline would compete with, and often overshadow, the PC's own Bhaalspawn saga. It really wants a TC all its own, I'd say.

#187871 A Dying NPC

Posted by Hendryk on 12 February 2005 - 10:02 AM in IE Modding Discussion

That's what I mean. You've "just" given a synopsis of the entire plot of PST there. To rein it in the point where it can possibly be shoehorned into BG2, stick with poisoning by mundane enemies and make those enemies ones that are already encountered; Twisted Rune, slavers, Shadow thieves, maybe deviant Harpers working for Galvary. If nothing that ordinary appeals for your projected NPC, then it's TC time.

#190791 More accurate paperdoll animations

Posted by Hendryk on 01 March 2005 - 05:40 AM in IE Mod Ideas

The item animations exist already. Why wouldn't a character with a fighter avatar look the same in a mage robe as a pure mage? It would seem that it would be a matter of adding to the game parameters to allow different classes access to the different paperdoll wardrobes and avatar outfits.

I have no idea how this is controlled by the game unfortunately but it wouldn't seem to call for any new graphics at all. At most renamed copies of the existing files.

#190828 More accurate paperdoll animations

Posted by Hendryk on 01 March 2005 - 10:03 AM in IE Mod Ideas

Since the robe or armor is an integral part of each character's basic animation, a list of problems for the easy way would include:

Halflings have no mage animation at all.

Half-orcs and female dwarves and gnomes have a mage animation but no paper doll.

Male human and half-orc animations acquire, rather noticeably, a mage's beard.

So the graphic-intensive version would be to copy the BAMs out, erase the heads, hands and feet from each frame and then try to get it function in coordination with the normal avatar as though it were a shield or helmet. Along, possibly, with an actual shield or helmet.

No thanks.

A question though. If you just erased the beards as necessary, would the game accept an icon of type A5 or M5 if that's how you decided to name the new avatars? Or is there another way to get an additional set of character BAMS to work without overwriting an existing set?

#190910 The Mod for the Wicked!

Posted by Hendryk on 01 March 2005 - 06:56 PM in Mod for the Wicked

Also, a way through Ust Natha in alliance with Lolth/Mother A that would allow an Evil party to blast all the surface elves encountered. All that would be needed is to get Lolth's attention during the ritual. She wouldn't want Irenicus to become an Evil male elvish god; if nothing else, as a god, he would be too enticing an alternative to the male drow now under Lolth's sway. So she'd want the PC to succeed in stopping Jon and would order Mother A to provide those services which Eltan currently offers regarding entry into Suldanesselar. Thus, Eltan and the rest would be dispensible - and fun, if some of their arrogance gets through before they discover your real intentions.

#192219 Baldur's Gate III: The Bane of Bhaal

Posted by Hendryk on 09 March 2005 - 01:51 PM in IE Mod Ideas

It 'could' be done certainly. But what if I'd like my new PC to support the old one against Cyric and/or Bane? Seems like an awful lot of work just to set up an uber pit fight.

#192223 Baldur's Gate III: The Bane of Bhaal

Posted by Hendryk on 09 March 2005 - 02:26 PM in IE Mod Ideas

It 'could' be done certainly. But what if I'd like my new PC to support the old one against Cyric and/or Bane? Seems like an awful lot of work just to set up an uber pit fight.

This not just to set up an uber pit fight. The purpose behind this is to create an entirely new BG gaming experience based upon the Bhaal storyline but with a story and life of its own rather than create yet another NPC who adds a few new experiences to a storyline that's played over and over. The storyline, by the way, isn't complete. It started with the fall of Bhaal and Bane in the time of troubles. Cyric now holds most of the portfolios of evil with Bane re-acquiring some and the Bhaalspawn now holding some. The ultimate goal of all three is to become the one true god of murder, mayhem, etc. This storyline will address that, along with introducing a fourth faction (you, the main character) that could hold the key to becoming just that or destroying that.

Sorry, I knew I should've spelled my RP objection out better.

My point is that the, say, paladin PC whom I have played through BG1 and 2 would emphatically not have "the ultimate goal...to become the one true god of murder, mayhem, etc." And, although his fate is not spelled out at the end of ToB, it is very clearly implied that, whatever it is, it won't be just following in Bhaal's footprints. And it seems to me that your idea for BGIII would negate any effective choice between Good and Evil for the first PC. Whatever class/alignment/path was chosen, he/she will accomplish nothing except to create one more opponent for the "real" PC in BGIII.

Now there could easily be twists that might reconcile that. Cyric, for instance, may set the original PC/god up to be worshipped by a cult of assassins as the "son of Bhaal" thereby negating any chance for a good PC to gain a more congenial following. And the original PC/god, still Good but effectively helpless to change things right away, could be right ticked about the situation but would need the second PC to straighten things out. But that would call for cooperation between the old and new PCs which, apparently, you wouldn't allow. And it would make nonsense of the idea of any meaningful RP choice for either of them.

#192352 Baldur's Gate III: The Bane of Bhaal

Posted by Hendryk on 10 March 2005 - 05:34 AM in IE Mod Ideas

Just a thought. You seem to have a pretty developed idea of the rationale and story for the second PC. So why not make a post-ToB mod with the "second" PC in fact turning up as an NPC; an ally or enemy as per the original PC's choices? You'd lose the pleasure of confronting your original PC, of course, but you'd get your main story told without all the padding needing to work the second PC up to a reasonable level. This would also save on new areas (although you could certainly do some, set in Tethyr or unexpolored bits of Amn) since the original PC has roots on the Sword Coast and so might logically (whether mortal or ascended) decide to return there for at least some of the action.

And for people who think that re-used areas suck on principle: please note that re-used areas would be the same ones that you've already visited in BG1 or SoA. No one's asking you to pretend that an old area is a new place. And if the previous area suits the story as well or better than a new one could do, what's wrong with that?

#192687 Need Help with Aran Linvail's Quest

Posted by Hendryk on 12 March 2005 - 09:03 AM in Big Picture

To finish the first visit to Bodhi's lair, you must stake the southern-most of the three coffins in the room where the golem was. If you can't, that means that you haven't killed the vampire that occupies it. Make sure you killed Tanova and Lassal in the room of blood and blades. IIRC, it's one of them that retires to that particular coffin.

#192776 Need Help with Aran Linvail's Quest

Posted by Hendryk on 12 March 2005 - 06:29 PM in Big Picture

Then check the globals 'AranJob' and 'LassalVampires'. Each should be set to 3. If they already are, or setting them there doesn't work, then one of your mods would seem to be interferring.

#192778 TC Idea

Posted by Hendryk on 12 March 2005 - 06:52 PM in IE Mod Ideas

Ah, the real ToEE; the slavelords; tomb of horrors, against the giants and then the descent to meet the queen of the demonweb pits. Iuz the Old, Ivid the Mad and Mordenkainen, Tenser, Rary, Otiluke and too many other delightful mages to count.

I do hope you set it before the sad events of the Greyhawk Wars. To me, it was a far more charming place prior to the enforced political cohesion that occurred then.

#192783 TC Idea

Posted by Hendryk on 12 March 2005 - 08:03 PM in IE Mod Ideas

Iggwilv's daughter was a charming girl. Killed a couple of my favorite henchmen over her.

*sigh* Guess all I can do is wish renewed health and long life to your 'puter.

#193049 On the roof of the Duchal Palace

Posted by Hendryk on 15 March 2005 - 01:40 PM in Mega Mod Help

It's not a door. It doesn't highlight, for instance, when you initialize cheats and then CTRL-4. From the x-y coordinates, it seems to be a Closed Vertex - whatever that is - for Dor01081 to the ducal palace. Just got misplaced somehow. It exists at the same location in BG1 but I don't know if it would change the cursor there

#193634 Welcome to the Chrysta Forums!

Posted by Hendryk on 17 March 2005 - 04:17 PM in Chrysta

Cool. When is she gonna be done?

#193812 The Chrysta Code

Posted by Hendryk on 18 March 2005 - 05:14 AM in Chrysta

As regards #1, conversations can be interesting and amusing without necessarily being competitions with "winners" and "losers". Cernd and Jaheira would tend to be very supportive of one side of Chrysta while Korgan, if he tolerates her at all, would at least be an exemplar for the other while Edwin and Haer'Dalis might, respectively, have a fourth and a fifth take on her, none of which (except Edwin's) would involve winning and losing.

Also, no modder is equally familiar with or has equal respect for all the official NPCs. So, to the degree that a mod NPC is permitted to shine too extensively at the expense of the official ones, it's very often because the modder either doesn't know or heartily dislikes the official NPC in question. If you recognize such a situation in your own writing, that's a good time to call for volunteers for the other half of the banter. You would still, certainly, set the framework for it but getting help from someone else who does know and like the other NPC tends to produce a livelier talk on both sides.

#193817 The Chrysta Code

Posted by Hendryk on 18 March 2005 - 05:29 AM in Chrysta

As regard to #5, I sort of doubt you will take that so seriously as to under-write Chrysta's story. Still, should you be so tempted, please remember that hardly anyone here would play BG2 again without a new and interesting mod to make it worthwhile. So if the focus seems to you, at times, to shift a bit too firmly to Chrysta, bear in mind that your target audience will be perfectly ok with that.

#194047 How would you like your NPC cooked, sir/madam?

Posted by Hendryk on 19 March 2005 - 12:55 PM in Chrysta

You left off "a good story" probably since that might include elements from so many other of your options. That still gets my vote though, no matter what you have to include, or omit, to tell it properly.

#195156 Can I take your BG2 playing order please?

Posted by Hendryk on 23 March 2005 - 12:52 PM in Chrysta

Number two. Most of my PCs in SoA acquire a stronghold and develop ideas about eventually settling down in Amn. Thus, they tend to do a thorough job on quests in chapter 2; partly because they wish to gain enough power to beat Irenicus and partly because they simply want to check the place out for future consideration. Having no great or specific foreknowledge of the demands of ToB, they don't of course realize that they are wasting their time by considering a future in Amn.

#195322 It is Good to be Neutral

Posted by Hendryk on 24 March 2005 - 05:48 AM in Chrysta

There are also two distinct types of Neutrals. The philosophical Neutral (aka, Jaheira) sees Neutrality as a positive reconciliation of all conflict; as something good (small 'g') to be upheld for its own sake. The indifferent Neutral simply doesn't care, in that abstract, about Law or Chaos or even Good or Evil. It's simply the default alignment that's left over after any positive commitment has been removed.

As a newly-minted, sentient creature, Chrysta would probably fall into the latter camp of Neutrality.

#195663 It is Good to be Neutral

Posted by Hendryk on 25 March 2005 - 06:27 PM in Chrysta

I wonder if it's possible to play a fully lawful good PC in BGs... no. I don't think that's possible.

Well, if by "fully lawful good" you mean a character who never adjusts his/her alignment behavior in the slightest to accomodate to actual game-world situations, then no. Thing is, though, unless the campaign/game is pure hack'n'slash, I don't think it's possible to RP a fully lawful good character by that definition. Not unless the LG character were made to sit out for almost all the RPing.

#195673 It is Good to be Neutral

Posted by Hendryk on 25 March 2005 - 07:33 PM in Chrysta

A true LG character would never deal with the Shadow Thieves or Bodhi.

Bodhi? No. But if the need were great enough and there were literally no other way to meet that need, a deal with Aran might be permissible. Not Aran's petty, make-work errands perhaps but payment for services and attacking Bodhi's lair could probably be managed - with dispensation beforehand, atonement afterward and lots of LG-type angst in between.

Actually, I would see the slaughter of that drow-hunting party outside of Ust Natha as a bigger alignment problem for a LG PC than anything Aran Linvail involves the party in.

#195675 It is Good to be Neutral

Posted by Hendryk on 25 March 2005 - 08:01 PM in Chrysta

While I see a lawful good pc being deeply saddened about killing the drow-hunting party, they don't plan to do so and are merely defending themselves, so I don't think it constitutes an alignment problem.

I guess. It would've nice if Bioware had included at least the appearance of an RPing option to talk one's way past it. As portrayed, just smack down another random encounter in the UD without a word, it'd be problem.

I suppose Bioware would say they didn't include anything like that because it would've just been unavailing chatter and they had word-count limits to observe and deadlines to meet. Still about the suckiest thing in the game from a LG perspective though.

#195905 The Second adventure group

Posted by Hendryk on 26 March 2005 - 08:57 PM in IE Mod Ideas

Actually, I think you've got a bit too far off the original idea because of words like "annoying" from the original post. As I see it, Biges was suggesting something like a living world campaign from NWN where adventurers outside one's own party actually undertake adventures that the player party has ignored for the moment.

So the scenario might work like this. If the party avoids or turns down Nalia for a certain period of time, she'd become frantic and assemble her own party. Anomen, if not in the PC group, would certainly help her out and if Minsc, Aerie or even Yoshimo had been shed by the PC, they might go along. It'd be scripted so that, I guess, Nalia would wait x number of days and after that, if there were y number of other adventurers of the right classes and alignments, she (and they) would take off to try to recover the de'Arnise Keep without the PC. There'd be a chance they might fail and none of them return but also a chance for success (with perhaps one or two random casualties) with the survivors being appropriately more experienced and better equipped. It'd be pure hell to program but it's really a more logical idea than the current setup with "adventurers" waiting, zombie-like, all over the lot for the PC to return and animate their utterly passive existences with a little attention.

#196603 Your party!

Posted by Hendryk on 29 March 2005 - 04:36 PM in Baldur's Gate Series

I asked him that a while back and he only uses SK. I'll let him explain it though; I never could get it to work.

And UU, some of your discoveries would be well worth writing up as a tutorial. Not as hilarious as your cheese guide, maybe, but almost as useful - especially for demented modders seeking to make unique NPCs.

#196638 "Stonefire Rising" comments/criticism thread

Posted by Hendryk on 29 March 2005 - 08:45 PM in Chrysta

You are certainly off to a good start here although I am not, generally speaking, a fan of End-of-the-World-as-We-Know-It scenarios. Can't help but recall the Pythons' blancmanges: They Mean to Win Wimbledon!

Anyhow, being the short-sighted bottom feeder that I am, may I suggest that it ought to occur to someone that Chrysta *has* to accompany the two paladins to Mamnoth? Knowing, as she does, about the gem and knowing how very regretable it would be if she blabbed indiscriminately, she can really only be permitted to remain alive in the company of those to whom she can speak freely without breaching security. She cannot even be taken back to the company's base. What if she spoke, in all innocence, of unmentionable matters to a guard? Or even had a revealing nightmare? Far, far too risky, IMHO.