Fixpack itself has much more bugs than proclaimed "beta" fixes. I'll probably write on which parts should a player "disable" in the .tp2 to make his game more true to vanilla (i.e. better).
That'd be very cool. I'm currently in the process of editing the TPA. I disagree with most of the Core spell changes.
Here's something funny. Don't take it seriously. Some of the spells carry over bugs from BG1; them BioWares never even bothered to check them. I think they must've had different people assigned to writing descriptions and building SPLs; the description guys read AD&D books and transcribed stuff word by word, then cut it so that it fit into GUI. And sometimes these people would exchange roles, you know, just for kicks. So, the SPL devs would leave sticky notes with BG time units. But the description nerds just couldn't get it: "1 means 1 turn or... speed unit 1 which is 0.6 sec...? What the heck? Hey, where's that sticky note? Who threw it away?".
There's a lot of inconsistencies here simply because somebody couldn't get the damn time units right. Some devs mixed round/turn units with casting speed, which are completely dfferent... And, of course, the description guys got hand-written nerdy notes from the SPL guys, like all over the place, and couldn't get the descriptions updated. "4PM, why stay at work trying to understand some scribble-doodle by a SPL nerd when I can go home and leave this description just as it is in the PnP book". Or, you know, write "1" for casting speed and get everyone confused as to whether it's 1 round or 1 speed unit. That's Iron Skins. I don't think it's a full round as that's crazy for this spell.
Whatever, I don't want to go on, but spells were always a mess. And will be. Spell Revisions sounds cool, but I don't like the overpowering changes and 3rd Ed. rules implemented into an easy "novel-game." So, kreso, if you could post your thoughts about some of the unnecessary Fixpack changes, you'd probably save a little of my time.
** EDIT ** Ah, but I do wanna go on. Too much stone to sleep. So, you gotta remember that BioWare is a Corporation, and, as such, it is subject to several corporate rules. One of these "rules" says that if you wanna get back to the fun part of life sooner, always exploit new/lesser employees to get them do your job.
All right, so now we're back in 1999. I'm at the BioWare customer service waiting for a secretary. She never appears. I'm about to discover why... I catch part of a conversation coming from the office hallway.
BioWare Emp. #1 (Lvl 10), aka "The Smooth Exploita": [Damn, this SPL structure is a pain. I gotta get someone... anyone...] Hey! You there! New guy!
BioWare Emp. #2 (Lvl 1), aka "I-look-like-the-sad-dudinski-in-the-bigg's-avatar": Mm-e? *fixes nerd glasses -4 to-read-code-variables mispositioned on his nose*
BWE #1: Yea, you! How ya doin'? Fine? Good. Listen, uh, ever built a spell file?
BWE #2: Whaz? Nah, I'm new here. Just been assigned to proofreading item descriptions and...
BWE #1: Yea, yea. That's wuss stuff. Now spells, that's what all the cool guys do 'round here *McConaughey style*
BWE #2: Hmm, dunno, but I DMed a lot back in High School, I -- I was very specific about it in my resume. Have you read it?
BWE #1: Yea, sure, kiddo. Listen, it's real easy and fun [bluff: roll successful]. Just check this one spell, SPWI101, and build everything else accordingly. All the dev and beta tester notes are nice and neat to read [they're hand-written scrawls with tits doodles] and everything is commented and categorized [but that's also a lie]. OK? Cool. I'll be at Sarah's [the hot secretary] cubicle. Don't disturb coz I got very important boobsine..., uh, I mean *business* to attend. If you need anything, call my internal at 069. Chop chop now.
BWE #2: B-but...!
BWE #1: *disappears in a puff of magicool dust*
~5 mins later. BWE #2 calls 069. He's no idea how to interpret BG time units. He's no clue about flags. "What's "hostile" do?"; the dudinski's utterly bemused! Anyway, the phone keeps on ringing. No one ever answers. The secretary, too, is nowhere to be found. And so the day at the BioWare HQ concludes, and SPLs are now a sticky mess of dudinski's tears.
Edited by Tash, 18 July 2014 - 08:58 PM.
