28 replies to this topic

[Michel]

This 'mod' changes the paperdoll in BG2 to the ones used in BG. It also (afaik) changes the BG2 itembams to the ones used in BG1.

Oh, and UB mostly completes unfinished quests and restores some dialogs and itemdescriptions.

Edited by Michel, 08 August 2004 - 08:46 AM.

[Idobek]

By the description of this project, it sounds like the purpose is to complete things Black Isle didn't by making BG2. Well, isn't it what Unfinished Business is supposed to be doing?

1: Just because one mod is doing something doesn't mean another mod isn't allowed to do something similar.
2: UB isn't just supposed to be doing it is doing it.
3: Most of the stuff I've seen here seems to be improving stuff that Black Isle/BioWare intended to be crap (they apparently liked the new paperdolls). Most UB stuff was cut for time/budget reasons. (Admittedly sometimes the two intertwine.)

Edited by Idobek, 08 August 2004 - 11:46 AM.

[Erephine]

To summarize in a few sentences:

Unfinished Business:
Resolving gameplay issues that were left.

One Pixel Ltd:
Improving (mostly graphical) issues with the games.

[Chevalier]

If you have played BG2:SoA then you can't go back. I much think BG1 is better, but the BG2 engine is much better. So get it and play BGTuTu or my fav BGT.

[Erephine]

I still feel the BG1 engine is superior on the whole. Sadly, the newer one does indeed have some new capabilities lacking in BG1.

But if you've ever played true BG1, you'll be quite a bit disappointed at some of the BG2 rushjobs.

Edited by Erephine, 24 October 2005 - 07:59 AM.

[NiGHTMARE]

How is the BG1 engine in anyway better? Sure, the game might be better, but anything the BG1 version of the Infinity Engine can do, the BG2 version can do too.

If you're talking about how the GUI, paperdolls, etc look they're considered part of the game, not the engine .

[Erephine]

I'm talking about the ENGINE.

There's a lot of significantly inferior to BG1 stuff hardcoded in BG2's engine.

[SimDing0]

Um. What? Again, what is in any way better about the BG1 engine?

[Erephine]

For example the fact that it allows unique animations for all classes and armour combinations. This is something that is NOT possible with BG2, and possibly the largest down-side of the BG2 engine.

The fact that it runs SIGNIFICANTLY faster than the BG2 engine, with the same effects used. Also it's loading times are immensely larger than those in BG1, without having any extra content to justify that.

There's more.

[SimDing0]

For example the fact that it allows unique animations for all classes and armour combinations. This is something that is NOT possible with BG2, and possibly the largest down-side of the BG2 engine.

Can be worked around given that BG2 supports unlimited new animations, but okay, point conceded.

The fact that it runs SIGNIFICANTLY faster than the BG2 engine, with the same effects used. Also it's loading times are immensely larger than those in BG1, without having any extra content to justify that.

It's the design of the BG2 areas that affect the load time, not engine optimisation. Tutu areas load pretty much the same as their counterparts in the BG1 engine for me.

There's more.

Well, carry on, and I'll list some advantages of BG2, and we can discuss which comes out on top.

Edited by SimDing0, 11 September 2004 - 12:07 PM.

[Erephine]

Can be worked around given that BG2 supports unlimited new animations, but okay, point conceded.

Can not. The problem is:

Example: You use a thief, a fighter and a cleric. They're both female, and both are human.

They will look EXACTLY the same without any armour in BG2. If you give them leather armour, the thief will get the "thief" look, the other two will still look exactly the same. If you give them chainmails, the fighter and the cleric will STILL look the same. Now, if you give them plate mails, the fighter will look different from the cleric.

In BG1, a thief ALWAYS looks like a thief, the fighter ALWAYS looks like a fighter, and the cleric ALWAYS looks like a cleric. Why? Because BG1 has individual animations for each class/armour constellation, whereas BG2 has a "unified" set for most combinations. And this is hard-coded into the engine, so it's an engine issue.

Edited by Lightspeed, 11 September 2004 - 12:16 PM.

[SimDing0]

And if you assign an effect to the armour items which changes the current avatar...

[Erephine]

Then a female would look the same as a male, and you'd STILL have that every-class looks the same syndrome.

[Chevalier]

From a player's view point BG2 is much better than BG1. I can't seem to go back to playing BG1, but love BGT and am thinking of trying BGTuTu to check out the NPC project.

[SimDing0]

Then a female would look the same as a male, and you'd STILL have that every-class looks the same syndrome.

IDS targetting means you can change the animation specifically for different genders or classes.

I... do sorta know what I'm talking about.

[Erephine]

Chevalier: Just the opposite for me, somehow.

IDS targetting means you can change the animation specifically for different genders or classes.

I... do sorta know what I'm talking about. 

Then please tell me how to do it. I specifically made a thread to ask whether it'd be possible, and all I got was like twenty "no" responses.

[Schatten]

And if you assign an effect to the armour items which changes the current avatar...

wouldnt this mean you have to make complete new animations for idle, swing, casting ect?

[hlidskialf]

Then please tell me how to do it. I specifically made a thread to ask whether it'd be possible, and all I got was like twenty "no" responses.

You have two "Apply External Effect" effects on the armour. One targets the GENDER.IDS value for male, one for female. You create two different .effs. One sets the male animation, one the female animation. So, if a male character puts on the armour, the "male" eff is applied. You can chain these so it can be done by gender, race, and class.
Does that kinda make sense? If you want an in-game example of IDS targeting check out the Equalizer sword and how it works. It targets by alignment, but the principle is the same.