Game News Circle of Eight ToEE fixpack version 5 out

[Mefi]

It was the dialogue of the children (added as halfling models), I believe they were not part of the Co8 patch proper, but some mod packaged with Co8. Problem is, there was no option to exclude that mod.

Ah ok. Liv's mod which is what most of the recent Co8 stuff is based on. You can't really hack out parts of her work because she interlinked everything and hacking something out could then fubar other parts of her work. Her work included stuff like sorting out all the combat scripts for NPCs and monsters (they'd all been given the same one in vanilla). It's a kind of take it or leave it thing with Livonya's work.

The little boy's trance dialogue has been tidied up a bit. It's certainly not quite as 'busy' as it used to be - although in fairness Livonya's mod was still in testing when it was released, we never got to see her real final version - but looking at it now, there are still a couple of things I'd want to change in it, primarily Americanisms (eg 'dialog' and 'get advantage') and a couple of unnecessary commas.

Have another try as if you stopped before getting past Kent last time, you missed out on the really great stuff which was done. Like the combat scripts.

 

[Deacdo]

What, in short, does this mod do (and is there any point in installing it now or will a better version be along soon)? I'm not refering to the new area, but if there are any balance tweaks, AI tweaks, battle scripting tweaks, new spells etc. Is it worth picking up TOEE again for it? TOEE had a lot of potential, but the design was so stunted that it never came close to it.

 

[Spazmo]

It fixes tons and tons of bugs and adds a lot of things to make gameplay smoother. But ultimately, it's still ToEE. If you didn't like ToEE in the first place, some bugfixes, better combat scripts and easier access to masterwork items probably won't change that.

 

[Mefi]

If you mean specific changes to v5, the readme is linked in the OP.

If you mean Co8 in general, again the readme is linked in the OP - Co8 has been around for a few years now so there have been a lot of changes.

Cerulean worked hard at making it as comprehensive as possible although I'm sure there are things done in the early days of Co8 not fully documented.

Co8 mod for ToEE is a continual thing. There will not be a new major mod for ToEE itself released for some time to come (Keep on the Borderlands will probably come before it). There will always be a continual process of changing glitches, errors and general bugs as and when they are fixed - v5.0.1 has already begun. I'm currently working on fixing the 'Cleaning the Moathouse' quest so that it functions properly and that will get in eventually.

From vanilla, the changes are dramatic. Many, many of the bugs have been fixed. Many new spells and items have been added. The AI scripting has been changed from vanilla (spellcasters now cast spells...) but it is still not perfect due to limitations in how they can be scripted.

Balance remains an issue - the Co8 mod, in the main, follows the module with regards to encounters and loot but it is impossible to totally rebalance the game. What has been done has been to properly realise almost all the monsters and NPCs according to 3.5 rules. This has increased the difficulty level dramatically in places, and reduced it slightly in other places. The game now supports PCs past level 10 - but this is also problematic as more hacking is required for certain classes (rangers and sorcerers especially). In any game with the ability to craft according to AD&D rules, there will always be problems of balance.

There are still the same flaws in design which the game shipped out with - many of them flaws in design which are present in the D&D module. The main story line remains a rather weak excuse to play with the game's engine and go on a massive dungeon crawl.

It's still a game of 'might have beens'. But I do think Co8 is moving ever closer to how Troika wanted the game to be had they had the time. If you can pick up ToEE for a few pence or even a couple of pounds/dollars, then it's well worth it if you want to see how 3.5 AD&D rules can be realised in a CRPG.

Hmm. That's the long answer. I'll shut up now

 

[Deacdo]

Thanks.

I enjoyed TOEE to an extent, but it was definately a game of "might have bins". I'd just love see that combat system used in another D&D RPG (a GOOD one). It would have been great if NWN2 had something like that (modders could do the rest).

 

[Roqua]

Thanks for making a great game even better Mefi.

 

[Mefi]

Thanks for making a great game even better Mefi.

Not me - it's people like Cerulean, Livonya, Agetian, Shiningted, Allyx, Cujo, Dhoom, Darmagon, Moebius, Morpheus etc. etc. etc. (edit: not going to list everybody heh) who do/have done the real work. I fart about with the odd dialogue fix which a 5 year old could do and benefit far more than I put into Co8

 

[Exmit]

6.1.0 is out.

After playing KOTC turn based DnD is not so bad after all.
Any tips for first time TOEE C8 player ?

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Druids are cool (good source of natural AC with barkskin), plus an animal companion like jackal can be a good help at very low levels. They have fantastic summoning in this game. The engine is a bit shoddy, going around in Hommlet will take a long time. If you have enough of it just go to the moathouse, it's very possible to do without fedexing Hommlet first. Plus being lower level nets more XP so you really won't miss out anything in the long run.
However some quest require social skills, like sense motive, gather info, diplomacy, intimidate, bluff. Maybe you should have someone in the party who can handle this. Half-elf bard would be ideal, but I've found out that a rogue 2/sorcerer x can work too provided you don't use point-buy but roll for good DEX, INT and CHA and at least decent WIS. Rogue-level first for the skillpoints. This char can do the talking, disarm, unlock plus being a sorc he will carry his weight in combat later on.
It's 3rd edition, so clerics rock. Fighter 2/ Cleric X or even Fighter 1/Cleric X. Crafting your own weapons and wondrous items is benefitial as in KotC.

 

[Exmit]

I'll probably end up with cleric x / wizard x party