Baldur's Gate #BaldurGate: Siege of Dragonspear

[Grunker]

Nope. Larian Studios are also bad. DOS I played about 3/4 and lost the will to finish. DOS2 I didn't even try to play and BG3 looks stupid. I would rather have Beamdog make BG3 in IE engine than this shit Larian are making.

While not great, D:OS and D:OS 2 have far-better constructed stories than Dragonspear. Hell, Pillows has a far-better constructed story than Dragonspear. Utterly dimwitted writing.

Nope. Larian Studios are also bad. DOS I played about 3/4 and lost the will to finish. DOS2 I didn't even try to play and BG3 looks stupid. I would rather have Beamdog make BG3 in IE engine than this shit Larian are making.

While not great, D:OS and D:OS 2 have far-better constructed stories than Dragonspear. Hell, Pillows has a far-better constructed story than Dragonspear. Utterly dimwitted writing.

Lol no. Stories and the "we are all hilarious" tone of DOS was terrible. Freedom was kind of cool but then the combat system made is so it was just forcing you to do areas based on your level. In IE games at least you could take your low level party and go tackle higher level content and be able to win. And then of course all the focus on stupid gimmicks and shit. From what I read DOS2 also fucked up basic stuff like armor and from what I have seen of BG3 so far it is also full of gimmicks now. Pillars is miles beyond anything Larian made.

Larian stories were utter trash. To be worse, they'd have to be full of nonsense and grammatical errors. They pretty much mark the bottom of RPG writing

Guys we all know WotC cared about none of that. It's all the sales numbers

not sure how my post indicates anything else

 

[Roguey]

Guys we all know WotC cared about none of that. It's all the sales numbers

Sure, but you have to consider why the sales numbers were a disappointment, when, writing aside, it was a fine expansion.

 

[AwesomeButton]

Guys we all know WotC cared about none of that. It's all the sales numbers

Sure, but you have to consider why the sales numbers were a disappointment, when, writing aside, it was a fine expansion.

I mean when WotC considered between Beamdog and Larian.

 

[Roguey]

I mean when WotC considered between Beamdog and Larian.

Of course any new game would significantly outsell an expansion limited by owners of the original title. They could have given BG3 to Beamdog and let Larian do any other D&D game they wanted or vice versa. Instead they cancelled Beampup's Planescape game because their performance was not up to expectations.

 

[yes plz]

The tepid reception and sales of SoD seemed to dash whatever hopes Beamdog had of doing more than just 'enhancements'. Gaider joined and then left two years later after having worked on nothing that got released, and leaked artwork showed they had plans for their own IP that went nowhere.

The schadenfreude of their failure is pretty nice, at least.

 

[Mary Sue Leigh]

BG2 itself is the problem here because it has nothing to do with BG1.

This is the crux of the problem. From a narrative perspective there is nothing to connect BG1 and BG2.

There are multiple Bhaalspawns, BG1 could be a story of one of them and BG2 the story of a totally different one, and it would change nothing. In fact, that would probably improve the narrative of BG2.

Yeah, but are there multiple Imoens? Huh? HUH?!

Imogen changed so much in BG2 that it would actually have made more sense to give her a new name and treat her like an entirely new character, now that I think about it..

 

[Lady Error]

Bumping this prestigious thread that someone wrote a literal Ph.D. thesis about:

https://rpgcodex.net/forums/threads/some-eurocuck-wrote-his-masters-thesis-on-rpgcodex.144803/

 

[Lacrymas]

A master's thesis isn't a PhD, it's something they force you to write to graduate. But yeah, funny shit.

 

[Grunker]

Ph.D. thesis

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Ph.D. thesis

Probably took a Ph. D. to grade it though.

 

[The Jester]

I was looking at The Gibberlings Three and it seems that there have been attempts to flash out some parts of story.

Jastey's SoD Tweak Pack​

1. Ending Independent on PC Replies​

This component prevents the "assassin escape" ending to trigger if the deeds of the PC qualify for the "ducal release" ending, independent on whether the PC lists all of his/her deeds at the final hearing. This is also for players who don't want to click through more reply options than necessary.

Note: with this tweak the "ducal release ending" will have precedence always if the deeds enable it, without the possibility to trigger the "assassin ending" by the reply choices in the trial. Do not install this tweak if you want to be able to see the "assassin ending" (depending on the PC's behavior at the trial).

2. Do Not Miss NPC-PC Dialogues​

This component deals with the way the lovetalks are triggered in SoD, where they are not timered via time but triggered by area regions when the PC steps on them while the NPC is in the group. If one is missed, the following dialogues will not trigger, either. (Exception for Glint where the first dialogue can trigger in three areas).

This means that the player is forced to visit the whole area with the PC as the lovetalks will not be activated by another NPC if he/she is used to scout the area. Plus, the respective NPC has to be in the party in this moment, or the lovetalks will not trigger.

This can lead to the situation that swapping around the NPCs along the campaign in the expectation to see as much dialogues as possible, the player might end up seeing none.

This component also triggers non-romance dialogues of NPCs if they are triggered by area triggers (one for Corwin).

This component does not change the way the romances are killed by one another.

Note: For Neera, some of her lovetalks are meant to trigger during her active quest and will be skipped if the quest is already finished (as per original design).

This component has two install options. Note that component "3" includes the changes made by "2", also.

2.A For NPCs in Party Only​

This changes the trigger of the lovetalk activations from "Player1" to something more general, so that they are also activated by the presence of any party NPC and not the PC, only. i.e. enabling the possibility to scout the area with any NPC and still get the lovetalks. This component is the one that interferes less with the original design than the following one. It does not change the fact that the dialogues are only activated if the according NPC is in the party at the time.

2.B Activate All NPC-PC Dialogues Always​

With this component, the romanceable NPCs do not have to be in the group in specific areas for the romance dialogues to be activated. If a romance dialogue was supposed to trigger in an area, it will be triggered later as soon as the NPC rejoins the group. Also, it is sufficient that any party NPC steps on the area trigger. Only exception: When going into the portal in Dragon Spear Castle, the romancing NPC has to be in the group to give the final pep lovetalk.

NPCs not in party with new dialogue will show a textline once if the PC is close to them, indicating that a new dialogue can be experienced if the NPC rejoins the party.

Note: Almost all NPCs have one dialogue each that start with a reference to being in a dark cave which might be a bit out of place if triggered somewhere else. If an NPC wasn't in the group for a longer time, the dialogues will cue and fire one after another after rejoining.

3. Skip Korlasz's Dungeon​

This component adds a non-4th wall breaking possibility to skip the dungeon and head right on to the Duchal Palace. As soon as Imoen finished her introduction to Korlasz' Dungeon, Arkanis from Candlekeep (or, in case he's dead Biff the Understudy!) will approach the PC and offer to do it instead. The PC can accept either with the request of Korlasz being killed or spared, or can tell Arkanis/Biff to wait. If told to wait, Arkanis/Biff will remain at the dungeon's entrance and the player can play on as normal and ask him again later. Once the help is accepted, the original game's transition to the Duchal Palace will trigger including Imoen's dialogue about "it's finally over". All useful items from the dungeon will be transferred to the bedside table in the PC's quarters in the Duchal Palce. There will be no gold transferred.

Note: The transfer of items will happen after Imoen woke the player and left. This will take a few minutes during which the game might lagg heavily. Once the item transfer is done, the game will be back to normal. From the bedside table, the transferred items will not be moved with the PC's possessions along the campaign. They need to be put into the PC's chest by hand for this to happen.

Also: After accepting the help and Arkanis/Biff telling it's done, there is a short moment before Imoen initiates the final "it is over" dialogue which will transfer to the Duchal Palace. In this moment, the player has full control over the game since some original game scripts are executed to initiate the transfer. Starting a dialogue with one of the characters should be ok and not break anything at this moment but best you are patient and just let it play out. The final dialogue with Imoen leading to the area transition will start by itself after Arkanis/Biff reported their success.

The transition from the items from the dungeon into the Duchal Palace is done using slightly adapted code from Argent77's "Skip Chateau Irenicus" mod with many thanks!

4. More Dialogue Choices & Prevent Dead Ends​

This component either adds more reply options or dialogue lines of quest characters to either prevent the player to miss that one possibility to ask for something quest relevant or to prevent the PC to have to say something out-of character to be able to proceed with a quest. The component tries to preserve the original game ideas: e.g. if an information could only be received by bullying someone in the original game, added reply options will still reflect this while giving the possibility to proceed without having to act like a total brute.

So far, the following instances are considered:

• In Ducal Palace Dungeon, the PC will have more reply options that will lead to quest relevant information about the other prisoner.
• For the "Traitors in Camp" quest, Miszena doesn't need to be bullied with the brutal physical threats needed currently to provide the needed information.

5. Use Imoen's BG1 and SoD Portrait for BGII in EET & BGT​

This component will change Imoen's portrait to the SoD one at the beginning of BGII. The component is only compatible with BGT and EET. It will also change the portrait for a newly started BGII game in BGT or EET, though.

Note: The portrait is changed by assigning a different portrait (i.e. different file name) to Imoen at the start of BGII. It will not be reversible by simply deinstalling the component in your running BGII game. It is therefore not compatible with any other mod that might change Imoen's portrait during BGII (also not temporarily).

The changed portrait file names are: BGT: small portrait: c#stimos; medium portrait: c#stimom. For the ToB epilogue, the original portrait nimoenl.bmp will be replaced by a SoD version with this name.

EET: small portrait: c#stimom.bmp, large portrait: c#stimol.bmp

The portraits are taken from CamDawg's "Continuous NPC Portraits" mod to save me the time of adjusting the sizes to the old engine format.

6. Restore scripted Abduction Scene Fight​

This component will enable the deactivated "unwinnable fight" scene at the end of SoD. The scene was not altered to what is already (hidden) in the original game. The scene will play after the abduction movie and includes an unwinnable fight and the final cutscene with the unknown figures taking away the unconscious group. After that, the game ends and the final credits are shown. This component is only compatible with SoD, as EET already restores this scene by default.

Thanks to k4thos for the template how to restore the scene(s), which was taken from EET.

7. Adjust PC's Starting XP at Beginning of SoD, by subtledoctor​

This component lets you chose the PC's starting XP at the beginning of a new SoD game. The choices are:

• 65,000
• 90,000
• 125,000
• 161,000

Thank you to subtledoctor for providing this tweak.

8. SoD Ending: jastey's Tweaks​

This component gives 4 install choices, which all change the ending of SoD, with Bence Duncan starting his dialogue after he found the PC and Skie on the floor after the "slayer cutscene".

All options use as much original (voiced) lines as possible.

Option 1: "Revised Full Version"​

This option changes the overall public perception of the PC's role in what happened to Skie. It always bothered me that in the original, the PC is seen as the culprit although they are clearly laying on the floor when Bence Duncan enters, there is no weapon, and the whole scene can be played as such that the PC doesn't hit the "slayer" monster once.

My revised ending keeps all key moments, but the atmosphere in this revised ending is changed in so far, as it is not the whole world, but only some people blaming the PC. Duke Silvershield being one of them, but also Bence Duncan's hatred for the PC and Corwin's strange request to take the blame were not changed.

Option 2: "Revised Streamlined Version"​

This option has all the (changed) content of my revised ending in option 1, but all intermediate cutscenes are removed: no walk through the masses, no cutscene at the public hearing of people walking to and fro. It's basically a series of dialogues and fade-to-blacks until the PC is in prison. There the normal flow (of Option 1) kicks in, with all visits by the Hooded Man, Corwin, the romance interests, and Duke Belt.

Option 3: "Original Streamlined Version"​

This option keeps all the original dialogues as they were, but removes all intermediate cutscenes. No walk through the masses, no small cutscenes at the public hearing of people walking to and fro one has to sit through. It's basically a series of dialogues and fade-to-blacks until the PC is in prison. There the normal flow kicks in.

This also means, that like in the original game, to activate the nice ending with Duke Belt coming into the prison, you will have to klick through the repy option at the public trial or install component 1 of this tweak pack.

Option 4: "Skipit Version"​

This option makes the ending really short. It's meant for players that did or are planning to play through the ending a lot of times. It jumps from Bence arresting the PC to Duke Belt explaining the situation in prison. Duke Belt will always come, no assassin ending with this option. After walking to the table were the items are, going through the trap door will bring the PC directly to the exit of the sewers were Imoen is.



9. Make Portal Close from Dragonspear Castle (Aun Argent survives always)

This component makes it so the blood of Belhifet has to be applied from Toril's side to close the portal at Dragonspear Castle, which will be done by Aun Argent. This gives the possibility that Aun Argent can be rescued even if Caelar died in the battle with Belhifet.
Caelar will remain in Avernus to guard the place in case she survived, so this tweak should be compatible with any Caelar NPC mods.



10. Hephernaan takes Dragonspear Vault Key

This component eliminates the question why De Lancie would have a key to that vault door, which doesn't make sense to me.
With this component, the story is changed so that there is only one vault door key which first is in possession of Caelar. Hephernaan will then take the key with him into Avernus, locking the door to give his master more time to prepare his attack and also to lock Caelar and the PC in so they'd have to follow him to Belhifet or fight each other.
Thus, De Lancie doesn't lock the PC in to fight the fiends of Avernus on their own. Instead, the coalition officers can't open the door at that time even if they wanted to.
This is a small tweak which doesn't have any real influence on the game. It will still be either Caelar or Aun Argent who will hand the key to the PC after the fight before teleporting back.

Road to Discovery v1.3

This Tweak Mod is for the SoD campaign (also with native EET compatibility).
For players, this mod aims to make the coalition forces aware of Caelar's and Hephernaan's plans with focus on the actual important aim and danger of the crusade, and give reply options with which the PC can inform the coalition forces about what is going on.

For this, all bits and pieces of information the PC can gather along the campaign are tracked and evaluated.
Journal entries give an overview on what information the PC already gathered.
All in all, this mod is supposed to connect the dots so the PC is able to tell about all the inside info they gathered as well as have the coalition officers acknowledge and react to the actual danger(s).
The following lists the information from the SoD campaign this mod is considering. The detailed description of the used variables and the exact definition of the tracked infomation is inside the readme:

• What is the main purpose of the crusade - what is Caelar proclaiming, and what is it really?
• What truth lies in Caelar's proclamation - and her crusaders' belief - that Caelar protects the crusade with "divine powers of the pantheon"?
• What is the background of Caelar's life and family, and how does it influence her motives?
• Is Caelar a Bhaal Spawn?
• Caelar is being betrayed? By who?
• What are Hephernaan's plans?
• The Hooded Man is stalking the PC, and why?
• What does Caelar and Hephernaan want with the PC?
• What was the attack in the palace with the weak poison for?

The Boareskyr Bridge Scene 5

This mod is for the SoD part (also for EET).

It gives more impact to the important scene at Boareskyr Bridge in SoD. Like Gorion's letter and the PC's dreams in BG1, the transformation into the slayer in SoA, and the trials in ToB, this scene is an important part of the PC's journey to godhood (or rejection of it). This mod tries to place emphasis on this important scene by giving it more depth as well as deeper inclusion into the story by reactions of NPCs and other game characters.

There will be more warnings before going to the bridge and NPCs will react to what happens on it, and depending on the installed components the actual scene will also be extended with description text and choices for the player how the PC will deal with the erupting divine energy including resulting stat changes.

As usual, my mod uses as many original content as possible.

The mod consists of 4 components which are optional but build up in each other:

1 Scene at Boareskyr Bridge will be Acknowledged: Add NPC Reactions​

This component adds reactions from game characters before entering the Boareskyr Bridge and after the scene on the bridge: comments from Bence Duncan and Corwin make it clear that the PC should not be seen on this route, Jaheira or Khalid explicitly warn the PC not to linger on the bridge to avoid political tension. Immediately after the scene, all the original NPCs and the Flaming Fist soldiers comment before the Hooded Man can talk to the PC about what happened. At the main coalition camp the officers comment on what happened to once again illustrate the impact this scene will have throughout the game.

The actual cutscene on the bridge remains unchanged.

2 Add Description Text to Original Scene at Bridge​

This component adds additional description texts to the scene on the bridge, based on the style of the key scenes in BGII (descending to the Tree of Life, transformation into the Slayer).

The actual cutscene on the bridge has been slightly changed to accommodate the flow between cutscenes and description texts but stays true to the happenings ind the original scene.

3 Bridge Scene has Different Choices​

This component adds reaction possibilities to how the PC deals with the energy released on the bridge. There are three possibilities:

1. the PC absorbs all the torment to protect the bystanders. In this case, the cutscene proceeds like in the original (with slight changes to accommodate to the interruptions by description texts): the PC briefly loses consciousness, the bystanders are unharmed.
2. The PC diverts the energy away from everyone on the bridge. In this case, those close by will be struck from their feet and receive some damage.
3. the PC channels the energy to the bystanders. In this case, all party members receive damage and most of the Flaming Fist soldiers who are on the bridge will die.

The cutscenes for options 2 and 3 have been altered accordingly.

4 Add Stat Changes to Choices at Bridge​

This component adds stat changes to the three choices of component 3:

1. when the PC absorbs the pain, his Wisdom increases by 1 permanently.
2. when the PC directs the energy away, his Dexterity increases by 1 permanently.
3. if the PC directs the energy to the bystanders his constitution increases by 1 permanently.

Another Fine Hell

The mod uses as many original lines and situations as possible. Also, the event that leads to the fall in the original game is still in and still plays an important role for the PC to regain the favor of the Dukes of Baldur's Gate. It just isn't the reason the PC has to leave the town any more.

For EET, install the mod directly to your EET game.

Please note: this mod is in alpha and does *not* include any BGII content yet. SoD part is finished.

In a later version, there will be the possibility to finish a quest given by the Dukes of Baldur's Gate to regain redemption - and to help the Sword Coast to get rid of a constant threat from the nine hells.

The mod consists of three components:

1 Another Fine Hell - Optional Ending for SoD and (planned) BGII Closure​

This is the main and required component of the mod. It changes the ending of SoD, with Bence Duncan starting his dialogue after he found the PC and Skie on the floor after the slayer-dream-sequence.

Public's perception of the PC being a child of Bhaal together with returning unscathed from Avernus is what leads to the riots in the city's streets. Skie's death will be noted but only plays a side role that adds to the overall hysteria.

This revised ending keeps all key moments: Bence Duncan and Corwin find the PC and take them back to Baldur's Gate, there is a public scene were the PC's Bhaal heritage is announced publicly, turmoil and chaos in the streets spread so the PC has to retreat to their quarters inside the palace. The visit of the Hooded Man, Corwin, and any romance interests will trigger as normal, although the Hooded Man will only appear after the PC went to bed. Murder accusations in the romance interests' dialogues were removed or altered appropriately.

Basically, the atmosphere in this revised ending is changed in so far, as it is not the single event of Skie's death, but what the PC did and where they went in combination with their Bhaal heritage that triggers the ambiguous chaotic reactions of the city's people. Also, reactions at the public scene make it clear that there is haters and followers to the PC both.

Bence Duncan's hatred for the PC and Corwin's request to take the blame are still in.

There is no interrogation and the player doesn't have to click through any responses to trigger some nicer ending. Duke Belt will always come and explain the situation to the PC. Players who want to have a look around the sewers and fight off Bence Duncan and Corwin at the waterfall can still do so, just tell the guard who is supposed to lead the PC to the exit that the PC will go on their own.

In a later version, this component will also offer a short closure in BGII (for EET) to the Soultaker dagger in case no other mod that covers this is installed. Note: no such closure is included yet.

2 Get the Hells Out - Quest Adaption with (planned) Extended BGII Content​

This component gives a deeper quest to the changed ending of the main component: the portal at Dragonspear Castle will not be closed completely, but only set back to "dormant". Any divinely touched blood like the PC's could reopen it again, posing an imminent threat to the Sword Coast!

With this component, the PC will get a quest which will make it necessary to seek the help of a meta mage - an Incantatrix - in Amn. It will also feature the possibility to revisit the Dragonspear Castle area to complete the quest.

Note: This quest is in development. SoD content is finished but no BGII content is included so far.

3 PC's and Imoen's chest in Palace should have their content​

This component will move the PC's chest content from the SoD camp chests back into the PC's chest on the (custom) third floor of the palace. In case the player has means to visit the big coalition camp area bd3000.are in BGII (for EET), the content will be moved back there so it won't be lost in a custom mod area.

It will also move Imoen's chest content from the original palace third floor to the custom one the mod uses. Imoen's stuff will be moved back into the original SoD palace 3rd floor in case the player has somehow access to it in BGII for EET.

With component "Imoen's chest moves with the campaign, too" from Imoen4Ever, Imoen's stuff will be moved from the last SoD camp (bd3000.are) to the custom palace area, and vice versa, accordingly.

 

[ArchAngel]

I recently finished it 2nd time on modified Insane difficulty, this time with evil character. I do not ever plan to play it again after two full runs, these mods are too late for me..

What I would love is some mod that fixes pathfinding for all IE games..

 

[Roguey]

When the writing's so dumb that a modder has to improve it.

 

[The Jester]

I recently finished it 2nd time on modified Insane difficulty, this time with evil character. I do not ever plan to play it again after two full runs, these mods are too late for me..

What I would love is some mod that fixes pathfinding for all IE games..

Bubb's Revert Pathfinding Tweak
Not for ALL IE games but good enough for BGEE & BGEE2.

 

[ArchAngel]

I recently finished it 2nd time on modified Insane difficulty, this time with evil character. I do not ever plan to play it again after two full runs, these mods are too late for me..

What I would love is some mod that fixes pathfinding for all IE games..

Bubb's Revert Pathfinding Tweak
Not for ALL IE games but good enough for BGEE & BGEE2.

Sounds like something that tweaks some of the official changes, not something that fixes pathfinding completely. Fucking JA2 had better pathfinding than IE games and EE version didn't do much to fix it.

 

[Gargaune]

Sounds like something that tweaks some of the official changes, not something that fixes pathfinding completely. Fucking JA2 had better pathfinding than IE games and EE version didn't do much to fix it.

It was a pathfinding bug that popped in some version of BG EE, 2.5 I think, that could cause party members to stack together. I'm not sure whether it's received an official fix since, but that's what Bubb's mod was meant to address, it's not a general pathfinding upgrade.

 

[agris]

Bubb’s mod only makes it less bad, the pathfinding still results in characters getting stuck, seemingly ignoring clicks, in ways that the non-EEs never did.

I know there are some that say this is EE-driven mania and the Bubb-ified is the same as vanilla, but it isn’t. It may come down to how much you micro your units or the formations you tend to use, though.

 

[AwesomeButton]

The Warlockracy guy reviews BG1's expansions. It's a good youtuber when it comes to RPGs, especially niche ones. Dealing with a mainstream title like Baldur's Gate is an exception for the channel:

 

[The Jester]

For Siege of Dragonspear most of its best parts (encounters, AI, items, dungeons) were all designed by aVENGER, a prominent BG modder responsible for Rogue Rebalancing.

Interesting, I didn't knew that.

 

[ArchAngel]

For Siege of Dragonspear most of its best parts (encounters, AI, items, dungeons) were all designed by aVENGER, a prominent BG modder responsible for Rogue Rebalancing.

Interesting, I didn't knew that.

Encounters are also best parts of this BG1 stand alone expansion.

 

[Lacrymas]

Only the writing is bad in SoD, everything else is decent to great.

 

[Grunker]

Only the writing is bad in SoD, everything else is decent to great.

Sort of. There’s a little too much faffing about in some spots, but otherwise yeah

 

[Lacrymas]

If you managed to endure the faffing about in the base game, SoD's is nothing.

 

[Average Manatee]

The lack of companion selection is the other big flaw

 

[Dorateen]

The inclusion of a party creation interface, when starting as a standalone game, was one of its strengths. Played more like an Icewind Dale expansion.