24 replies to this topic

[hlidskialf]

I currently have a large portion of a Greyhawk TC completed atm. The module I was attempting to bring to life with it is Egg of the Pheonix (R1-4). The project is currently stalled with the demise of my laptop's motherboard. Hopefully I can get it finished at some point. If not I'll be sure to share the code.

[Hendryk]

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.

[hlidskialf]

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.

I've been setting it up as a 1st edition campaign, so it's definately pre-war. I had hoped to have it done by now by 3 months without my modding computer really slows things down. The idea was to create the campaign, then open it up to other modders who may want to create adventures/mods/whatever to add to it. I was building the EotP as something fun to play just to get the ball rolling. I'm hoping all the old favorites get incarnations in the setting. I've got quite a few goodies set up for it too.

[Hendryk]

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.

[AnnabelleRose]

Wow Hlid. Just wow... :w00t:

[Sir BillyBob]

I haven't made a final decision on using Greyhawk or sticking with what we already have for my TC project. I will be doing the slavers, giants, and a few extras I picked up at the bookstore that are new and have no bearing on Greyhawk. My biggest issue would be redoing the clerics for the gods of that world. I kind of brought them into the BoneHill games but the clerics are generic in BoneHill, not kits.

There are a few websites talking about how to use the FR world for Greyhawk mods (locations for giants, drow, etc.). At this point, it may not matter which world I use.

My main game base will be using Horred's changes to SOA with the BP game. I am still waiting for him to make a Weidu version of BP so I can steal some of it (you heard it here folks) for my world. There isn't a better enemy AI for the BG games.

[SimDing0]

My main game base will be using Horred's changes to SOA with the BP game.  I am still waiting for him to make a Weidu version of BP so I can steal some of it (you heard it here folks) for my world.  There isn't a better enemy AI for the BG games.

An AI system designed for BG2 may, I suspect, be sub-optimal for a TC, depending on what level you're setting it, and so on.

[Sir BillyBob]

An AI system designed for BG2 may, I suspect, be sub-optimal for a TC, depending on what level you're setting it, and so on.

Okay, what does that mean in english?

After doing a mod for both BGT-BP and Tutu, I have found that Tutu and the original BG have a lousy enemy AI. Thieves stand around try to attack your tanks instead of sneaking up on wizards and killing them in one good hit (hey, as a player this sucks, but as the DM it is great).

Horred has worked with Avenger and some others (probably yourself) to build better IDS files that have more options for analyzing the enemy and determining what would be the better fighting tactic. I was amazed at what I had to strip out of the WTASIGHT.BCS file so it would work in Tutu. It is still better than the original but not as detailed as Horred's.

Anyway, the plan is to pull some of that into my TC to make the fights more of a challenge without using cheesy methods like the Tactics mod does (and no, this is not the right forum to argue for or against Tactics).

I also plan to add all the spells of TDD, IWD, and a few other places as well as most of the items that aren't too overpowered (or bring them in much later in the game). The random treasures will be modified (if I can get someone to answer my question about that 2da file) so you get something a little different than what you get now.

Right now, the TC is just a dungeon crawl until I can figure out where to send the party next. There is no romance planned nor fancy dialogs. I almost went with using the IWD engine instead but figured more people have the SOA game.

[Chevalier]

Sir BB,

When you say TC and you say you might 'sticking with what we already have', how would you start this?? Set it some where on the Swordcoast? In the FR? I really like the Biggest world to explore for my PC. I know we get too much XP in the game, but I like to do a lot with my PC. How about setting your campagine during the time between the End of BG1 and the Start of BG2? G1-2-3 is for levels 8-12, it seems about right. Just lower the XP you give out. You leave (flee) BG, maybe even the Swordcoast, and look for adventure where no one knows you? I don't want to stifle your creativity, but how would a new PC and group be better than letting the ones you already have explore new things? Develop another area of the Forgotten Realms, in your way and give us new adventures, but I think it would be best to make it optional to a BP-BGT game, with Yacomo's new world map.


Just letting you know my thoughts and thanks for all the hard work!!!

Chev

[Yacomo]

This sounds most interesting Sir BillyBob!

Like Chev, I would love to see this become one more path that you could take while playing BP-BGT. But of course this is just my hope and you are free to do it anyway you want

If there is any chance you want your new locations added to the world map. If you would like the map altered / extended. If you would like to have some unique map icons, new exploded areas, whatever, please feel free to contact me! I will be sooo glad if I can help with another great Sir BillyBob production

[SimDing0]

After doing a mod for both BGT-BP and Tutu, I have found that Tutu and the original BG have a lousy enemy AI.  Thieves stand around try to attack your tanks instead of sneaking up on wizards and killing them in one good hit (hey, as a player this sucks, but as the DM it is great).

One of the things I've been meaning to get round to is improved AI for Tutu. Of late, I've been experimenting with patrolling, accurately checking for weapon immunities, and (shock-horror) opening doors. I'll probably put together a Tutu-specific Detectable Spells that'll allow me a lot more flexibility than the regular package if I do anything significant on this. (My questions about the BP stats.ids have many levels of twisted motives, you see.)

Horred has worked with Avenger and some others (probably yourself) to build better IDS files that have more options for analyzing the enemy and determining what would be the better fighting tactic.  I was amazed at what I had to strip out of the WTASIGHT.BCS file so it would work in Tutu.  It is still better than the original but not as detailed as Horred's.

I... guess I kinda worked with Horred to the extent that I sat in chat saying "hey, that's a good idea" or "have you tried this". I remember exchanging scripts with him at various stages, since I found it pretty interesting to see how he was doing stuff. I think there's probably little to no material influenced directly from my scripts in the actual BP package, but I'm not sure really. It was so long ago.

Anyway, the plan is to pull some of that into my TC to make the fights more of a challenge without using cheesy methods like the Tactics mod does (and no, this is not the right forum to argue for or against Tactics).

Okay, well you've kinda addressed what I was saying unintentionally with your remarks about Tutu. Copying the BCS files directly and using them in a TC probably isn't going to do any favours. However, selecting blocks from his scripts (targetting, for example) and using them in your AI will certainly achieve some worthwhile results.

[Sir BillyBob]

The reason this is a TC is because there is enough quests already for the PC to become level 50 before you even get to ToB. I want to start something different. BoneHill gave me the idea of using the original mods and I have a series of mods I had planned to use for a D&D game that never happened years ago (joining the army does screw up your plans around the neighborhood).

Anyway, the TC right now starts you in a town at level 1 (it is a TC, not a mod for BGT or BP; no Bhaalspawn, no special abilities or dreams). You join with some others to go perform a quest for the town mayor. Thus begins your adventuring life. The town is done with just a few dialogs left. The next step is to build out the three large dungeon maps and start work on the creatures and dialogs. I hope to have this ready by the end of next month if possible.

However, without a world to put it on, I do have some problems. Hlid is already building his Greyhawk world and I am thinking that is the easy answer. However, I kind of want complete control over this whole series of mods so joining with anyone may be a conflict now or later.

Staying in the FR world makes some easy changes to a TC. You would still be able to install mods that give you new kits and you can use Ease-Of-Use and some other mods without any changes or compatibility issues. If you go with Greyhawk, what priest kits would make sense? I think the other kits don't really matter which world you are on. Even the Paladin kits are not locked into a certain god or goddess.

I would move away from the SwordCoast, been there done that. The Sea of Falling Stars looks interesting and I need to find some books that describe that area.

By the way, the plan over the next year or so -
After first couple of mods, the A series (slavers), the G series (giants), maybe the D series (drow - the maps would be a bitch), with some side trips to the S series (lich and WhitePlume). I have a few small mods already getting ready to be placed between the big ones as I work out all of this. I found some old Polyhedron magazines in a box. I will have to see what mini-mods from that would work out.

I will release this in sections like the other mods have been. I have no intension of stating all this just to wait one year and say that RL has made me drop everything. You will get it as I am able to build the parts.