Planescape: Torment - Profound changes

[scient]

The spell progression works as it does with Grace. I had to pump in a lot of exp points to get to lvl 8 spells. But, as a dual class say priest/fighter you could probably solo the entire game.

 

[hiver]

Maybe he couldnt become a priest because no deity would take him?

 

[t]

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I also like your signature, Scient. I really do.
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[Qwinn]

Ok, cross posting this from my forum.

I just got to hell in my test run.

I never say things like this, but.... ZOMFGWTFBBQ!!!11!1!

I cannot tell you how different the game feels with the running attack thing fixed. Hell is actually -scary- now (even if still not actually very difficult). Wait till you see what it's like having a huge pack of grilligs or gronks bearing down on you -fast- in the first layer of hell, lol, and knowing that if you run away they'll actually -chase- you. OMG, it's night and day. Looking back, it's like "How did I ever think crossing this area of the first layer of hell was fun before"? And then I realize... "Actually, it never was." Believe me, now it is, lol. Night and freaking day.

There is no WAY something like this just happens accidentally. This is freaking art. Trust me... -this was intended-.

I figured it needed to be posted because none of the other changes we've discussed in this thread are indeed as "profound" as this one is. The creatures not running thing has got to be the single biggest bug in the game. Wait till you see the difference. It's amazing.

Qwinn

 

[hiver]

Yeah, i thought it might be very good in Baator.
Ill bet my favourite demon in Curst will be even nastier because of it.

 

[Gragt]

Maybe he couldnt become a priest because no deity would take him?

Yet Fall-From-Grace is a priest who worships no one.

 

[hiver]

You sure?, He probably stole teh priestly secrets somewhere along the way anyway. Shame we cannot play through that perticular episode, im sure it was hillarius.

 

[ghostdog]

Ok, my next playthrough will be with a thief TNO trying to outrun those devils, I'll be waiting for that next fixpack version with everything in

 

[Jaesun]

The creatures not running thing has got to be the single biggest bug in the game. Wait till you see the difference. It's amazing.

Sounds awesome.

 

[Qwinn]

Heh. I just did a test. If anyone has the slightest doubt as to whether or not this was intended....

1) Load a save game just before Baator
2) Go into Game options
3) Turn "Run Always" off
4) Walk through the zone, avoiding all combat.
5) Observe that nothing on the first layer of hell can catch up with you -walking-. You can go around and accumulate two dozen ravening, drooling demons behind you... and they can't catch up to a casual walk.

A few minutes earlier, Morte refers to this as "one of the most dangerous planes in the multiverse".

Well, yes, I suppose if TNO sprained his ankle and was reduced to limping, but seeing as how that's not possible... I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it's broken really badly. The Village of Hommlet was more dangerous.

Qwinn

 

[Silellak]

That sounds pretty cool, Qwinn. Maybe I'll finally get the urge replay Torment with your new fix pack.

Out of curiosity, did you contact Chris Avellone about the enemies running thing? Not that I think you need to - you've provided pretty solid evidence this change is what the original designers intended. I'm just curious to hear his exact thoughts on the matter.

 

[Qwinn]

Nah. The guy really is busy as hell, and I don't want to bug him unless it's really really necessary, which I don't think it is in this case. I don't think there'll be any controversy to speak of once you guys get to see it.

He said he'd be freed up in a few months, I'll respect his workload till then, and if I ever get to have an extended conversation with him I'll bring it up then. Hopefully he'll even play through the game with my mods sometime That would be the best reward ever for doing this, heh. Well, except for cash. Cash would be good too. Just kidding. Sorta.

Qwinn

P.S. Looking like there's not going to be a 3.0/3.1 thing. Scheduled release is for tomorrow night, after scient finishes up the THACO fix (he's half done already, easy fix apparently) and it will include all the fixes discussed in this thread. Hopefully trais's discovery in the manual has settled controversy on whether the THACO thing belongs in a Fixpack. It certainly settled the issue for me.

 

[Hümmelgümpf]

Maybe he couldnt become a priest because no deity would take him?

The Athar are always there for godless priests.

 

[David Xachaturian]

I wish Chris Avellone explained the intent behind Fall-From-Grace's diary.

 

[xantrius]

Sounds interesting with the running mechanic Qwinn - thanks for the work done.

I wish Chris Avellone explained the intent behind Fall-From-Grace's diary.

IIRC, Fall From Grace was, in the early stages of the development of the game, supposed to betray you; and in this connection you would've been able to read the diary at some point to find that out. This was abandoned though, and I guess the diary had already been produced as graphic... thing for the game, so it was just included anyway; without any real function to it. I'm glad they did uh I mean vexed in a good way by it...

 

[Qwinn]

The draft version 3.0 readme is complete and contains a complete changelog, so if you're curious what's going in, have a read.

(If you've never played the game before, you will likely be spoiled on some minor things, I wouldn't read through all the details until you've finished the game at least once).

http://www.shsforums.net/index.php?show ... ntry430724

Qwinn

 

[Jaesun]

3. Morale Fixes! This major set of fixes correct the previous behavior where party NPC's morale would reset every 8 game hours, among other issues. The following three fixes are a result:
4. Dak'kon's Zerth Blade was supposed to transform when gaining certain fighter levels depending on Dak'kon's morale. This usually wouldn't work due to the morale reset. Now it will! You can now see Dak'kon's Streaming Blade or Kinstealer, depending on how you treat him. (scient)
5. TNO and his fellow PC's are no longer immune to fear spells. This makes several fights with mages that were trivially easy no longer so. Beware! (scient)
6. Fear spells will no longer effectively just paralyze opponents, which made those spells far far more powerful than they should be. Opponents struck by fear will now run 80% of the time, panic (paralyze) 10% of the time, and go berserk 10% of the time, the same as if their morale had broken naturally. (scient)

Nice. Well after this is released, I guess I know what game I'll be re-playing.

 

[poocolator]

Goddamnit Planescape: Torment is not about combat. Stop flogging a dead horse releasing new patches, and bury it already: we won't be seeing a game quite like PS:T ever again; thank Bethesduh & Co.

 

[Qwinn]

Goddamnit Planescape: Torment is not about combat.

I've heard that a couple times lately. In my opinion, the fact that people keep saying this is the best single piece of evidence that that aspect of the game was hideously broken. As far as my patches can go toward making this game actually good at -everything- it tried to do, rather than great at dialogue and so bad at everything else that people try to pretend it wasn't even attempted, the better.

Every piece of dialogue confirms that TNO lives in a very dangerous world. IMO, the fact that it is safer than Candyland in its original form detracts a lot from the atmosphere it was supposed to have.

But don't worry. Even in its fixed form, it's still relatively easy compared to other RPG's. It's just no longer -trivial-.

Stop flogging a dead horse releasing new patches, and bury it already: we won't be seeing a game quite like PS:T ever again; thank Bethesduh & Co.

Um, wow. The reason for the new patches 8 years later is -because- we'll never see a game quite like it ever again.

Qwinn

 

[Silellak]

Goddamnit Planescape: Torment is not about combat. Stop flogging a dead horse releasing new patches, and bury it already: we won't be seeing a game quite like PS:T ever again; thank Bethesduh & Co.

Why the fuck do you care? If he wants to improve an already-awesome game, in ways that were intended by the original designers, let him. Is it a required download to play Torment? No, it isn't. So shut the fuck up and let the man do what he wants. Clearly there are people interested in these changes based on the responses thread alone, and guess what: no one gives a shit if you aren't one of them.

 

[hiver]

So shut the fuck up and let the men do.

seconded

 

[The Vanished One]

we won't be seeing a game quite like PS:T ever again; thank Bethesduh & Co.

And it is also also thanks to Qwinn and scient that PS:T will outlast beth's next-gen bloom-drenched goldmines.

 

[hiver]

Just have to say... i never even knew there was this moral stuff in game mechanics.

With all the other fixes ill be able to play it again... wow, man.

 

[Qwinn]

Thanks for the support, guys

And seriously, DO try the Unfinished Business mod, at least the recommended components. It's almost all original Black Isle material, the readme will tell you honestly how much I had to add to get it working. A lot of it could arguably have gone into the Fixpack, but I kept it separate for purist principle's sake.

And I'd recommend the Expanded Deionarra's Truth component as well. It's mostly new content, written by me, but it does also restore some original content, Chris Avellone approved of the overall plot, and Colin McComb (original designer of the area most of it takes place in) gave the dialogue and plot strong approval. (Quote: "Holy crap, good work!"). And if you want a combat challenge, you'll get it!

Unfinished Business has tons of cool stuff, and it will make the game fresh and new right from the mortuary. Wait till you hear Morte's 27 fully voiced flirts with female zombies

Qwinn

 

[David Xachaturian]

Must. Download. Mods.
Must. Install. Planescape: Torment.