50 replies to this topic

[Smiling Imp]

A while back I had this idea of adding different types of coins into BG2 because in real life, they would not have just one kind of uniform gold coin.. Never really took off, but a lasting remnant of that are the platinum coins found my BG1NPCs for SoA mod. Some of the merchants in the Water Gardens will only sell certain rare items for platinum coins and I have added a few more items that can be bought with them. There is also a moneylender that will change platinum coins to gold and vice versa at four gold coins per platinum. (The real value of gold to platinum is 5 gold coins for 1 platinum)

What I am asking of any modders out there, is if they would add platinum coins to their mods. All you would really need to do is change the reward that some of the enemies in your mods give from random treasures into a few platinum coins. I greatly appreciate any that decide to participate as I think it will add some flavor to Amn and add some continuity between more mods. Below I have added an attachment that gives the item and BAM item icon so all you need is to copy the following into your .TP2 and you are platinum, baby!

COPY ~"Insert your folder name here"/PLATNUM.itm~ ~Override/PLATNUM.itm~
SAY NAME1 ~Platinum Coin~
SAY NAME2 ~Platinum Coin~
SAY UNIDENTIFIED_DESC ~Platinum Coin~
SAY DESC ~Platinum Coin

Platinum coins are a form of currency. As a form of currency, these coins proved to be impractical: platinum resembles many less expensive metals, and, unlike the more malleable and ductile silver and gold, it is very difficult to work.~

Attached Files

•  platnum.zip   1.7K   145 downloads

Edited by Smiling Imp, 09 October 2012 - 05:31 PM.

[Tempest]

The only purpose to these platinum coins is to buy items your mod adds. If you want these coins in the game, add them yourself as part of the mod(s) that use(s) them.

Edited by Tempest, 09 October 2012 - 05:43 PM.

[Smiling Imp]

The only purpose to these platinum coins is to buy items your mod adds. If you want these coins in the game, add them yourself as part of the mod(s) that use(s) them.

I already have done that and, yes, so far, they only buy items from my mod.. so far. But if people like the idea of adding different kinds of coins into the game they will eventually add merchants that use them in their mods and we will have created a second money system created by modders that would work universally arcoss all of them.

Edited by Smiling Imp, 09 October 2012 - 06:13 PM.

[Tempest]

I don't see the point. It would be like the tokens from Spellhold - a scavenger hunt for special items to exchange for other items. That's not a money system, and the game's existing gold system works perfectly well.

[Smiling Imp]

I don't see the point. It would be like the tokens from Spellhold - a scavenger hunt for special items to exchange for other items. That's not a money system, and the game's existing gold system works perfectly well.

Not really a scavenger hunt as you can trade gold for platinum at the money lenders, but yeah, it is used for special items. Sure the game's existing gold system works perfectly well, if you enjoy a static computer world with little realism.. A real fantasy world would have copper, silver, bronze coins that would have different names, i.e the Athkatlan Eagle.

Anyways, I'm guessing that is a 'no' from you and your mod.

Edited by Smiling Imp, 09 October 2012 - 07:29 PM.

[Smiling Imp]

GOLD IS FOR SERFS!

"Platinum coins are the latest thing, girls want them more than nice diamond rings!"

-An excerpt from the newest version of the Ballad of brave, Brave Sir Garrick

Edited by Smiling Imp, 10 October 2012 - 01:03 AM.

[Jarno Mikkola]

Well, like Tempest hinted, this idea will be hated because it kinda breaks the 4th wall a bit, as the commerce in Forgotten Realms is done via gold coins.
Also it smells all kinds of bad mod only modification, which has problems with overpowered items ... the idea might be good on a game with less compatible mods, as BGII has 400 once, if you look at the BWP/BWS... but around here, it doesn't really fit.

Edited by Jarno Mikkola, 10 October 2012 - 12:02 AM.

[Smiling Imp]

Well, like Tempest hinted, this idea will be hated because it kinda breaks the 4th wall a bit, as the commerce in Forgotten Realms is done via gold coins.

My Player's Handbook shows a chart for standard exchange rates for copper, silver, electrum, gold and platinum. Not only that, Volo's guide to Cormyr states that some peasants are lucky to see a few gold coins a year. Perhaps in the City of Coin the economy is different and the peasants of Cormyr are using a bartering sytem, but one might also see how the different coins might be used. Just because Baldur's Gate presents a simplified version of this, it does not mean that we as modders have to think simply.

Also it smells all kinds of bad mod only modification, which has problems with overpowered items ... the idea might be good on a game with less compatible mods, as BGII has 400 once, if you look at the BWP/BWS... but around here, it doesn't really fit.

Some people that have played Baldur's Gate enough times want new challenges and items and the point of the platinum is so that items are expensive so you will have to earn them. Really though Jarno, just b/c you and Tempest don't think it is such a great idea doesn't mean eveyone is going to hate it. Different people want different things from their game play experience.

Edited by Smiling Imp, 10 October 2012 - 02:20 AM.

[Lollorian]

How about adding Platinum Coins to the random treasure tables themselves? Much less intrusive and practically everything gives you stuff from the RNDTRES

You could tier up your coins and add the lower valued stuff to low treasure levels while the platinum stuff goes into the higher levels

[Smiling Imp]

Are you worried about your retirement funds? Tired of seeing your gold lose value as it sits around in a horde?

Then you should invest your funds into platinum bullion and coins. Already, with the price of gold fluxuating thanks to the abundance of it brought in from Maztica, most prominent merchants have already switched to using platinum.

How can I get these marvelous coins for myself you ask? Well, just download the attachment in the first post. It will give you all you need to be rest assured that your financial future is secure. Don't take my word for it though, here is a tail from one of our satisfied customers.

"I switched to platinum and have never felt more carefree when eating horses. Thank you Smiling Imp"

Edited by Smiling Imp, 10 October 2012 - 02:53 AM.

[Smiling Imp]

How about adding Platinum Coins to the random treasure tables themselves? Much less intrusive and practically everything gives you stuff from the RNDTRES

Interesting idea. How does one go about adding an item to the random treasure tables though?

You could tier up your coins and add the lower valued stuff to low treasure levels while the platinum stuff goes into the higher levels

I like that. However, so far I have only implented the platinum coins as even I have to admit it would be hard to find pratical uses for the lower valued coins at the moment. In real life, they would be used to buy foodstuffs, oils for iron weapons and other items that we take for granted in a simulated computer world since the adventurers require no regular sustenance or maintenence for their weapons.

The one benefit that I see to the lower valued coins, it that at least intiailly, it will make things harder to buy. The drawback is that because the game engine does not allow for anything to be worth less than 1gp, modders would also have to add moneylenders in their mods to exchange the coins.

Edited by Smiling Imp, 10 October 2012 - 02:10 AM.

[Lollorian]

The file to modify would be RNDTREAS.2DA The IEDSP is awesome! Have a look at RNDEQUIP.2DA to know how the mechanics work exactly

I'd recommend just replacing ONLY one of the numeric entries (that stand for gold) in each row and replace that with PLATNUM*X (where X is the corresponding cumber of platinum you get ) As an example, you could replace column 6 in the AVERAGE row, 15 (which stands for 15 gold) with PLATNUM*3 (so you get 3 Platinum Coins instead)

There are lots of mods out there that add to/edit/change this file but the best examples would be from BGT or Aurora I'd take rare but higher valued currency for imba items anyday btw... Not so excited about those low valued 'realism' coins

[TDouglas]

The biggest problem I see is that (failing bags of holding) inventory space is precious, and the gold system doesn't require us to carry anything around in it. The platinum coins would have to be carried ... sounds like more of a pain than an advantage . I don't mean to be antagonistic here, but just sayin' ....

[Rhaella]

And I've lost my poor familiar enough times to be leery of losing all my money at some point also. If you're going to do an overhaul, keep it out of the inventory.

[Smiling Imp]

The biggest problem I see is that (failing bags of holding) inventory space is precious, and the gold system doesn't require us to carry anything around in it. The platinum coins would have to be carried ... sounds like more of a pain than an advantage . I don't mean to be antagonistic here, but just sayin' ....

I understand your concerns, but where you guys see problems, I see an opportunity for enhanced role-playing. For example, yes, the platinum coins would take an inventory spot, but is that any different than the large number of gems already found in the game? The platinum coins will fit in a gem purse and can be stacked up to 30,000 (the in game limit). And if and when inventory slots do become a problem, you will have to decide whether to sell the platinum coins at a reduced rate to merchants for a quick buck or wait until you find a moneylender that will give you a better rate.

When talking about adding some depth and realism though, it also makes more sense. Why carry around 1000gp when you could carry 200 platinum pieces instead, save yourself a load and have more room for equipment? Of course in Baldur's Gate, carrying around 1gp weighs exactly the same as carrying 1,000,000 so realism is not really a factor there.

And I've lost my poor familiar enough times to be leery of losing all my money at some point also. If you're going to do an overhaul, keep it out of the inventory.

I wouldn't call it an overhaul really.. more like a skip and a hop. Not really trying to change the money system, because as Tempest pointed out, the gold system in the game works fine. It is more of an attempt to add flavor and realism to the game which some might find pointless, but then again, what is the point of anything? What is the point of modding? What is the point of life?

Anyways, I am not part of some Sythillian Horde, trying to impose this on the fair citizens of Amn. That is why I used words like, please and appreciate in my first post. For those of you that decide not to participate, no harm done. When your party becomes tired of carrying around all those gold coins that are rapidly losing their value, I will make sure the money lender in the Water Gardens still gives you guys a good rate for them.

Edited by Smiling Imp, 11 October 2012 - 03:07 AM.

[Lollorian]

How about this money lender guy giving prospective platinum prospectors (I made pun yes? ) a free Bag of Holding... I mean a Coin Bag To hold all of them coins and stuff

[Jarno Mikkola]

How about this money lender guy giving prospective platinum prospectors (I made pun yes? ) a free Bag of Holding... I mean a Coin Bag To hold all of them coins and stuff

As if the game had not enough lag due to those bags and the PartyHas() rutines the mods add... just saying.

[Smiling Imp]

"When I was using gold, I was always worried about going bust."

"Now that I use platinum though, I have doubled my assets."

Edited by Smiling Imp, 11 October 2012 - 02:22 AM.

[Tempest]

Smiling Imp, I think you should take the hint from everyone agreeing that this isn't a good idea.

[Smiling Imp]

Smiling Imp, I think you should take the hint from everyone agreeing that this isn't a good idea.

Actually there are already a few 'platinum tier' modders that have expressed interest.

http://forums.gibber...showtopic=24802

Perhaps the problem is not my idea, but a lack of creative energy.

Edited by Smiling Imp, 11 October 2012 - 09:32 AM.