60 replies to this topic

[DavidWallace]

SCSII:
- If you have autopause on 'Target Gone', being hit by a trap or similar with the SCSII AI Script will launch an infinite Autopause cycle.

Picking up on this belatedly... what's the problem? (& is there an easy solution?)

[the bigg]

I already copied over at G3. Not sure about the fix and/or real cause, but probably something about a trap script using an actor as an attacker and the script trying to attack a non-exant LastAttackerOf(). Sola's AI script doesn't suffer from the problem, if you'd like to compare stuff.

[the bigg]

I'm stuck at gathering the courage to tell Imoen to check her file system somewhere else (bonus points if you understood that). I should take lessons on being an asshole from DomiAshara

+= I've been a monumental asshole and told Imoen off, now I'm cleaning Spellhold.
- SCSII Calls for Help: the Kurtulmak Altar Kobolds rushed to the aid of the one from the Tome.
- SCSII Player AI: Kelsey started attacking some summoned but Chaosed Sword Spiders, thus making them even more hostile to him (he doesn't against Chaosed party members, luckily).

Edited by the bigg, 10 June 2008 - 01:39 PM.

[the bigg]

I already copied over at G3. Not sure about the fix and/or real cause, but probably something about a trap script using an actor as an attacker and the script trying to attack a non-exant LastAttackerOf(). Sola's AI script doesn't suffer from the problem, if you'd like to compare stuff.

Here's a test case: the Djinni statue in Spellhold (AR1514, trigger at x1260 y1257) does a single "Auto-Pause - Target Gone".

[the bigg]

I'm clearing up Spellhold. Possible SCSII: Calls for Help oddity: the Clay Golems in the room with Gesen's String (supposedly blue until you open the container) decided to turn red and rush in to help the Wolfweres just beyond the door. Unfortunately, it so happened that two Clay Golems came out of the door, whereas one didn't, thus leaving the door locked to everything save Ctrl-J'ing in. Killing the remaining Golem opened the door, and it didn't re-close when I picked up the Bowstring.

-> there should be stronger checks so that the Golems don't turn hostile until you take Gesen's Bowstring.

[the bigg]

Clearing up on Brynnnlaw before leaving for the Sahuagin area.

- I went into Cayia's home with just CHARNAME, stoneskinned. The Pirate Guards appeared, and they rushed out of the door, presumably to attack the non-stoneskinned Aerie.
- Saemon does not spawn for me, and hasn't for a lot of games.

[the bigg]

Cleared the Sahuagin town.

- An enemy casting of Teleport Field left <CHARNAME> in one of those unreachable sniper spots (to be precise, I was fighting the group directly South of the Cloak Priestess, and I was teleported to the unreachable spot where two normal Rebels spawn when you spawn the Priestess). Given the decent number of these unreachable sniper spots, I think it'd be a good idea not to cast TF there. Perhaps the mage component could use with a blacklist of areas where it's forbidden to cast TF?
- The Rebel guarding the stairs fled down them, drank a potion, and sat down the stairs, but I still could hit him with ranged attacks if I hugged the trigger close enough.

[the bigg]

I'm clearing the pre-Drow City Underdark section.

- The Drow Ambush at the gates is impossible for a Good party if you don't know PFME (the four Glabrezus each cast Unholy Blight to start the match... that's an average of 25 damage each Glabrezu, 100 total, if you make all the saves, not counting anything else).

EDIT: on fighting the second main Underdark Drow Ambush (the one on the Bridge), I'd say part of my problem is also that I don't have a single-leveling Fighter (closest being Aerie the Fighter/Cleric), meaning I never hit Drows thanks to their armor, shields & dex. I'm still not sure that turning SCS(II) into an IA-clone ("guess what spell I want you to cast, and God help you if you take weak NPCs") is a good idea.




There's an interesting exploit with the Geomantic Sorceror: if (s)he gets mazed, he loses his 25%XP penalty and can get free level-ups (s)he loses the XP points after Maze ends, meaning that it's easy enough to police yourself and avoid the temptation of clicking 'Level Up' when under Maze.

Edited by the bigg, 16 June 2008 - 02:36 PM.

[DavidWallace]

Teleport field: yes, aVENGER reported that one too. Agreed, it needs to be blocked. (I'm not aware of anywhere other than City-of-Caverns where it matters, though.

Drow ambush: if there are four glabrezu, that's two too many. It should be two glabrezu, one extra L15ish wizard, one extra L15ish priest, and two of the existing drow guards being replaced by stone golems.

So:

(a) on the possible bug: definitely 4 glabrezu? I get 2 on my install. Which version are you playing? (I had some significant problems with that encounter on my local version; I didn't think any of them got as far as a released version).

(b) on the intended balance: I agree it's pretty difficult. I'm partly trying to give teeth to the idea that Adalon needs to help you to escape: if you do it with her help, it shouldn't be too hard. (You might take casualties for the first 2-3 rounds, but after that she'll have killed most of the high-levels and banished the demons.) I'm surprised if it's really uniquely hard for SCSII though.

Drow in general: I don't massively muck with the drow basic files. They get better ability scores I guess, which makes some difference.

General design philosophy: I think I advertise SCSII as being playable with any reasonably balanced party (and then leave it up to individuals to decide what "reasonably balanced" means!) I can see that playing without any single-classed fighters is going to be tough when fighting magic-resistant creatures like the drow. If I wanted to get into an SCSII-vs-IA debate, I might want to distinguish between (a) parties with some non-powergamed characters and (b) very nonstandardly balanced parties... but I don't.

The drow component is also newish, and feedback has been a bit variable, so do keep reporting it - it may need tweaking, we'll see.

[the bigg]

Drow ambush: if there are four glabrezu, that's two too many. It should be two glabrezu, one extra L15ish wizard, one extra L15ish priest, and two of the existing drow guards being replaced by stone golems.

It might be there were just two. It's hard to keep track of them when they're Mirror Imaged and there are so many spell effects on-screen that I can't see the enemies' body, much less the circles under their feet

on the intended balance: I agree it's pretty difficult. I'm partly trying to give teeth to the idea that Adalon needs to help you to escape: if you do it with her help, it shouldn't be too hard. (You might take casualties for the first 2-3 rounds, but after that she'll have killed most of the high-levels and banished the demons.) I'm surprised if it's really uniquely hard for SCSII though.

That's what I thought as well - obviously after rage-Y-ing them
Yeah, it looks like it's uniquely hard to most of what I've played - they manage to wipe my party (or buffed decoy) in two rounds consistently, no matter what buffs I tried (I once sent Dalis with SI: Necro, SI:Abj, Regeneration, Imp Haste, PFMW, ImpInvis, Mirror Images and DefStance, and he still fell before PFMW had time to run out). But then, I've forgotten about Adalon helping you (it's the first time she's actually needed) and my party is highly nonstandard anyway (I have 3M XP but crap equipment since I started at an high thresold since I had soloed an uncapped FMT through SCS1).

Drow in general: I don't massively muck with the drow basic files. They get better ability scores I guess, which makes some difference.

Yeah, I assumed that - I was just taking guesses as to why I couldn't break them.



As I'm progressing, I've noted that one of the Illithid ambushes (the one in the last room before the Master Brain) had about a dozen of Illithids and/or Ulytharids (which means I'm screwed since I cannot rest to memorize Chaotic Commands). SCSII thing or bug?
I've installed this:

~SCSII/SETUP-SCSII.TP2~ #0 #290 // Smarter mind flayers -> Illithids have only original-game resistances; Illithids can see through invisibility: v6

but Illithids still start off Improved Invisible (not that it matters, since only Elminster can attempt a magical attack).

I'm also not convinced that turning Elder Orbs and Hive Matrons into high-level mages is a good idea - thanks to their anti-magic attack, they'll disable your mages in half a second and then you have to hope you make all your saves until you can outspam their PFMW's and Stoneskins (I got tired of Aerie and CHARNAME consistently failing Death Rays and Web saves and forced the whole Beholder hive to save against scrlzy, so I do not have well-formed feedback, only some whine. And yeah, I even brought the Shield this time).

[DavidWallace]

As I'm progressing, I've noted that one of the Illithid ambushes (the one in the last room before the Master Brain) had about a dozen of Illithids and/or Ulytharids (which means I'm screwed since I cannot rest to memorize Chaotic Commands). SCSII thing or bug?

I haven't touched the number of illithids in the area. (I think there were already loads of them.) Not being able to rest is SCSII.

I've installed this:

~SCSII/SETUP-SCSII.TP2~ #0 #290 // Smarter mind flayers -> Illithids have only original-game resistances; Illithids can see through invisibility: v6

but Illithids still start off Improved Invisible (not that it matters, since only Elminster can attempt a magical attack).

That's intentional... am I missing something? All 4 illithid subcomponents give illithids the same psionic powers, including II every 2 rounds - the only variation is whether they can see invisible themselves and whether they have Tactics-style damage resistance.

I'm also not convinced that turning Elder Orbs and Hive Matrons into high-level mages is a good idea - thanks to their anti-magic attack, they'll disable your mages in half a second and then you have to hope you make all your saves until you can outspam their PFMW's and Stoneskins (I got tired of Aerie and CHARNAME consistently failing Death Rays and Web saves and forced the whole Beholder hive to save against scrlzy, so I do not have well-formed feedback, only some whine. And yeah, I even brought the Shield this time).

I haven't touched the abilities of Hive Mothers at all. Elder orbs already were high-level spellcasters; I just mucked with their spell choices. I recommend judicious and frequent use of potions, and getting your spellcasters to use scrolls once they get spell-failure; also, use decoys to draw the antimagic ray onto other targets.

[the bigg]

I haven't touched the number of illithids in the area. (I think there were already loads of them.) Not being able to rest is SCSII.

This reload I had 2 Umber Hulks, 3 Mind Flayers, 3 Ulitharid. Last reload I had 2x of each

That's intentional... am I missing something? All 4 illithid subcomponents give illithids the same psionic powers, including II every 2 rounds - the only variation is whether they can see invisible themselves and whether they have Tactics-style damage resistance.

Oh, I associated "II" with "Tactics-style direct spells resistance", rather than "weird psionic abilities".


EDIT: and no potion in the world can save you when you're targeted with dozens of Death Rays and you aren't sleeping with the PRNG.

Edited by the bigg, 17 June 2008 - 07:00 AM.

[Icendoan]

With the TF issue, there is an area in Sendai's chamber, the one with the duegar in.

There is an unreachable ledge there.

Icen

[DavidWallace]

I haven't touched the number of illithids in the area. (I think there were already loads of them.) Not being able to rest is SCSII.

This reload I had 2 Umber Hulks, 3 Mind Flayers, 3 Ulitharid. Last reload I had 2x of each

Pass; I didn't do it.

That's intentional... am I missing something? All 4 illithid subcomponents give illithids the same psionic powers, including II every 2 rounds - the only variation is whether they can see invisible themselves and whether they have Tactics-style damage resistance.

Oh, I associated "II" with "Tactics-style direct spells resistance", rather than "weird psionic abilities".

Damage resistance only.

EDIT: and no potion in the world can save you when you're targeted with dozens of Death Rays and you aren't sleeping with the PRNG.

PRNG?

I was thinking of the "make all saving throws automatically" potion.

[the bigg]

Pseudo-Random Number Generator. I know I stock on potions but never bother to take them out of their box, but there's one that makes you win all saves and can't get dispelled?

[Icendoan]

Yeah, the Potion of Everlasting.

Icen

[Jarno Mikkola]

Pseudo-Random Number Generator. I know I stock on potions but never bother to take them out of their box, but there's one that makes you win all saves and can't get dispelled?

Ouh, but what is this?

[DavidWallace]

Pseudo-Random Number Generator. I know I stock on potions but never bother to take them out of their box, but there's one that makes you win all saves and can't get dispelled?

Not "and can't get dispelled". But ultimately, arrange things right and you can probably go in fairly short order to 1-2 elder orbs, so that's only 1-2 Anti-magics per round. You've got 6 characters. Protect as and when defences go down.

(There may be other ways to win; this is what worked for us. For what it's worth, party: Undead Hunter PC, Valygar, Anomen, Haer'dalis, Aerie, Immy.)

[the bigg]

I decided to drop this run after seeing this, since part of the reason of this run is I wanted to see the Haer/Aerie/Keto triangle (disabled by the Happy Patch of G3's Tweaks), but I installed that component. Also, having discovered Gametap (Psychonauts for free, legally!) is not good for having more gaming time.

[Azazello]

I decided to drop this run after seeing this...

Man, learn something new every... I too wonder why Haer-y and Aerie weren't gettin' it on.

Also, having discovered Gametap (Psychonauts for free, legally!) is not good for having more gaming time.

Thanks for the tip! I love this:

OVERVIEW: In the future, humanity has colonized the stars, occupying planets far and wide. But now a terrifying alien menace threatens to...oh, who cares? Alien Blast is about blasting aliens, pure and simple.