47 replies to this topic

[Argent77]

Convenient Enhanced Edition NPCs
A mod for BG:EE, BG2:EE and EET that allows you to tweak the new Beamdog NPCs.
 
Download
Readme

The new NPCs introduced in the Enhanced Editions differ somewhat from the original cast and might not be everyone's taste. This mod provides a number of options to adapt them to your comfort level. You can make their first appearance more passive, giving you more control over whether or when to make the first contact. A small number of events will be slightly altered to make this possible.
 
Alternatively it is also possible to simply remove one or more NPCs from the game. In that case you have the choice to make their personal or quest-related items available to everyone in stores or as loot.

Additionally the mod allows you to improve their portraits or customize their classes and/or kits to whatever you desire.

Edited by Argent77, 21 August 2022 - 11:44 PM.

[Sergio]

You are a boss.

[Argent77]

New release: Disable Enhanced Edition NPCs v2.0
 
Changes:

• Added options to keep all or individual NPCs from initiating conversations or events on their own. Affected NPCs: Baeloth (BG:EE), Hexxat (BG2:EE), Neera (BG:EE and BG2:EE) and Rasaad (BG2:EE).

[Argent77]

New release: Disable Enhanced Edition NPCs v2.1
 
Note: From now on you can also download this mod directly from GitHub. You can find the links in the first post of this topic and on the download page.

Changes:

• Fixed a missing game check in the "Passive Neera" component, which caused the component to be skipped in BG:EE.

Edited by Argent77, 21 August 2022 - 11:45 PM.

[Slythistle]

As someone who grew to despise Neera the longer she was in my party, this is splendid. Hear, hear.

 

Only question. Certain NPCs come with items (Neera. Neera comes with an item) that are not able to be found elsewhere (that gem bag). If I disable her completely, am I still able to get that bag?

[The Imp]

As someone who grew to despise Neera the longer she was in my party, this is splendid. Hear, hear.

 

Only question. Certain NPCs come with items (Neera. Neera comes with an item) that are not able to be found elsewhere (that gem bag). If I disable her completely, am I still able to get that bag?

You can cheat it in, with EEKeeper or the console. So no but yes.

[Slythistle]

I always try to find alternatives to CLUAing first, but thanks for the help.

[Argent77]

New release: Disable Enhanced Edition NPCs v3.0

The most noticeable feature is the new component "Make NPC-specific items available for everyone". It is only available if you disable one or more NPCs and allows you acquire items related to the NPCs even without them having in your party. Several items have been slightly altered, mainly to relax usability restrictions. As a bonus I have also enabled a couple of items that are (probably) meant for specific NPCs, but haven't been added to the game (yet).
 
A detailed list of items and their new locations can be found in the Readme.

[agb1]

The new component is coded to check sequentially for the 'individual disable" components in if/else blocks, so it seems it will not give items for more than one of the disabled NPCs unless you chose the "disable all" component.

[Argent77]

You are right. Will be fixed.

[Argent77]

New release: Disable Enhanced Edition NPCs v3.1
 
Fixed an incorrect check in the new component "Make NPC-specific items available for everyone".

[Argent77]

It's mainly a compatibility requirement. I don't want to break some NPC-related quest just because the player acquired an item before it can be officially acquired for that quest. Furthermore, I have modified a small number of items which might cause additional problems if the original owner is still available. You can always remove the restrictions in your local copy if you want to take that risk.

[Vlan]

Is their writing really that bad or what exactly makes them dont fit into the world of Faerun / Baldurs Gate?

 

Never played EE, but if that is the case I might just stick with BGT.

Edited by Vlan, 08 March 2016 - 10:44 AM.

[Vlan]

.

Edited by Vlan, 08 March 2016 - 10:43 AM.

[Argent77]

There are several reasons. Most of them are probably a matter of taste though.

The quality of writing varies greatly from NPC to NPC (imo). While I found Neera's content in BG2 quite enjoyable, I couldn't bear having Hexxat in my party. Some of the encounters and quests are also much more challenging compared to quests attached to the old NPCs. The most annoying issue for me (and the main reason to create this mod) was the way how almost every new NPC tried to force themselves into my party. That's why I have added a "passive" NPC component to this mod. The current version of the games also contain a number of (quite serious) bugs, but that issue should be solved with the next patch.
 

[Fiann of the Silver Hand]

Yeah, the intrusiveness was bad, but I also loathe that they are so much more BG2 NPCs than BG.  Default BG NPCs only occassionally chirped, and absolutely had no romances, long dialogs, or complicated personal quests.  They just don't fit.

[Roxanne]

There are several reasons. Most of them are probably a matter of taste though.

The quality of writing varies greatly from NPC to NPC (imo). While I found Neera's content in BG2 quite enjoyable, I couldn't bear having Hexxat in my party. Some of the encounters and quests are also much more challenging compared to quests attached to the old NPCs. The most annoying issue for me (and the main reason to create this mod) was the way how almost every new NPC tried to force themselves into my party. That's why I have added a "passive" NPC component to this mod. The current version of the games also contain a number of (quite serious) bugs, but that issue should be solved with the next patch.
 

It is mostly a matter of taste, i.e. the new NPCs appear more than NPCs from a mod than vanilla BG1 NPCs.

I agree that their quality is quite different from each other (again subjective judgement), from interesting Neera to Baelot at the level of a one-day-NPC. They come with quests and romance options like a mod NPC. They are still bugged even in the latest edition.

In a modded game, e.g. in EET they fit in, (when you have BG1NPC romances and other mod NPCs alongside with them) - in a vanilla BG1 game they may appear odd.

In this way Argent77*s approach is valid as it makes them selectable - if you play a modded game with other mod NPCs in it, they fit quite well, otherwise you may leave them out at your discretion.

Personally I treat them like any other mod, they are an offer you can take or ignore. (I do not agree that they *force* themselves into the party - it is rather that they make some *grand appearance* that lets you expect more from them than they fulfil.)  Compared to many mod-added NPCs they are at a medium-to-poor quality but there are worse...and they can be improved like the original BG vanilla cast was over time...

[Fiann of the Silver Hand]

Either way, more options is usually a good thing!