Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

In Progress LP Big World BGT

Archwizard Hank

Learned
Joined
Mar 8, 2017
Messages
94
I'm a masochist at heart. I relish in self-inflicted pain. So when I found out some maniac (or group of maniacs?) had compiled every goddamn mod ever made for BG2 into a giant installer to make the biggest retard-fest in all the west, my curiosity was piqued. But there's a limit to how much I'm willing to suffer before it becomes personal.

And this has now become an ordeal which I must share with the world. You're all going down with me. The world must know of the full extent of the travesties unleashed by this "tool."

gRmfnLY.png

Look upon it and despair.

And don't get me wrong, I'm well aware of the endeavors of other LPers to document the atrocities of the modding community; but none have been able to capture just how *truly terrible* the experience can be. Audiovisual elements were missing. Mods were left out of the coverage. I will bring you the full experience - it's coming. The train has left the station.

KsFEPto.png
This is our main guy. In an ideal world, I'd be anything else. But in Big World, nothing matters, and the cheese factory is hiring with an equal opportunity policy. The basic mechanics of the game will still give him hell at the start, but it'll quickly dissipate.

AJ7OVMZ.jpg
Things start innocently enough, though we're already getting feedback from arcane mods tucked away in Big World's interminably long installation order. Some mods are familiar enough to where it's obvious what they're fucking with, and others...

NQWL0m1.jpg
Not as much. This spawns in our inventory whenever a new game is launched. Examining it summons a modder from a list of modders, who promptly spouts an in-joke and/or casts a random particle effect. We'll get to that when the time comes, because there's something more important to gawk at.

3eifaAA.jpg
This potion is one of several which gets added to every merchant in the game. We get three for free at the start, and they aren't prohibitively expensive. I really hope I don't have to connect the dots for you on this.

d10cHdw.jpg
Also, we get to pick a subrace. We're going with Aasimar because Tieflings are overrated and I prefer the bonuses to WIS and CHA. The stat bonuses stack if you keep importing the same character, but the XP penalties also stack.

And after all that rigamarole we can finally, y'know, walk around.

THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN

Things are different... things are scary.
Have these people ever read any Fearun lore? Will you find the other staves made at the ~*Dawn of Time*~ in the LP? Can you combine them Pantaloons-style into some sort of quarterstaff voltron?
Very surprised you still haven't given up

THE TABLE OF INFINITE SUFFERING:

UPDATE 1

UPDATE 2A
UPDATE 2B
BONUS 1
UPDATE 3
UPDATE 4
UPDATE ???
UPDATE 5
UPDATE 6
UPDATE 7
UPDATE 8
UPDATE 9
UPDATE 10
BONUS 2
UPDATE 11
UPDATE 12
UPDATE 13
UPDATE 14
UPDATE 15
 
Last edited:

d1r

Busin 0 Wizardry Alternative Neo fanatic
Patron
Joined
Nov 6, 2011
Messages
3,576
Location
Germany
Call me intrigued. Do you by chance have a weidu.log of your horrible mod install, or do you want to keep it a secret? :D
 

Archwizard Hank

Learned
Joined
Mar 8, 2017
Messages
94
Saerileth?

I wish I could say I didn't.

Call me intrigued. Do you by chance have a weidu.log of your horrible mod install, or do you want to keep it a secret? :D

I do have the .log file, but uh

tvmR1Ht.png


it's better left a surprise, I think. Anywho here's some more buggery

KiJ3PCe.jpg
Where we last left off, we had just finished examining the various bits of mod debauchery dumped on us after character generation. Since I didn't get a chance to post the full descriptions of the two items that were added in our inventory, here they are now...

Amulet of Sigil said:
This strange amulet is made from unknown grey metal. At first you can see a lot of runes engraved in it.
In the center of the amulet there is engraved the biggest rune of all, stylized in the shape of www.sigil.cz. You cannot remember where but you are sure you've seen this rune before - maybe in "google" or "yahoo". The rune symbolizes certain portal.
Apart from the middle part the amulet contains twelve other parts. Each is marked by unique rune and a short notice. The runes probably points to some unknown gods related to Sigil. If you want, you can examine each of those twelve parts.
-------------​
Potion of Refreshment said:
After (or during) a close fought battle, most adventurers take several steps - drinking a healing potion, looting treasure from fallen foes, resting to regain strength and spells and so on. This potion eliminates the need for several of those steps; the highly concentrated restorative juice heals wounds, removes tiredness and fatigue and also refreshes the mind, causing cast spells to be re-memorised.

STATISTICS:

Special: Heal HP
Special: Remove fatigue
Special: Regain cast spells
Special: 15% chance of 1 pt CON penalty (24 hour)
Special: 10% chance of 1 pt STR penalty (24 hour)
Special: 5% chance of 1 pt DEX penalty (24 hour)

Expect to see these quote dumps quite a lot in favor of screencaps (except on special occasions when the description screens hold visual fuckery.) It'll save us all on sanity, bandwidth and vertical scrolling because Big World does not hesitate to vomit gear all over us. The gag reflex has been fully emancipated, and the floodgates are open. The express train to the vomitorium is in full throttle.

Also, since I promised I'd demo the functions of the amulet, I can think of no better time to do that.
afn9NTI.jpg
When examined, you're given this menu. Each option summons a member of the website listed in the description (which seems to have been active as of 2019, but isn't in English and therefore isn't relevant to this conversation. Big World tries to translate a lot of mods, but some of its translations aren't complete. We'll get to those.)
BqbUOWG.jpg
I seem to have been talking shit when I declared the amulet's summons to be "useless." I never really used this thing outside of a few curious test runs during heavy combat. They're almost all free buffs, though because the NPCs have to be in range, it's possible they were useless at the time because I was in combat back then and... Liches got in the way? Fuck if I know. This one casts Draw upon Holy Might for free.

Anyway, we're saving the Inn for last. It's the denouement of the whole tutorial area - everything else is a pale fart in comparison. So let's ride that goddamn fart wind and check out what the rest of this fort has to offer.
MKdu3n9.jpg
Many of the .CRE models are randomly replaced with models from other IE games (mainly Planescape.) I'm pretty sure this is the work of One Pixel Project. It's not terrible, but the models look kind of wonky when they're outside their native resolution and they're way too animated for BG2. I'd rather see it than blood in my urine, I'll put it that way.
ZTSH1fW.jpg
Alright. Shank: here we go. Let's do this.
kymt60S.jpg
I decided to try conserving my potions for this. Not because I actually need to conserve them - by the powers, no. It'll become evident soon that any semblance of conservation is a farce and Big World laughs at you for even considering it. I just wanted to try to pretend this was still an RPG and there was strategy involved. So I tried summoning my Sigilian friends instead.
4WLnCdN.jpg
...Which would've been a sound strategy if I had memorized who they were and what they did.
JaW8ZNZ.jpg

vrS6TFn.png
YOU MOTHERFUCKER

He deathspelled me!
pKId3DK.jpg
That's it. Fuck conservation. The kid gloves are off. Shank can eat missiles.
X0DXNcV.jpg
The rest of Candlekeep is pretty bog standard, if I'm being honest. But this NPC stands out.
vhIVPT7.jpg
This NPC stands out like a clown in a denim competition. This is Finch, the first in a long, bloody and painful line of mod NPCs. I'll let the audio speak for itself.

Not the worst mic quality we'll have to put up with, but the leveling isn't great. I'll leave the other "qualities" up to you to judge.

Dialogue said:
cuw8KwR.png
: Ooh! I'm sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going!
BRqKgvy.png
: I suggest you start watching, squirt.* Haven't I seen you wandering around Candlekeep the past tenday? Who are you?
QlquGX7.png
:*(NPC mods will occasionally get creative and offer many satisfying methods of shooting a character down, but they are merely paths of temptation away from the highway of pain.)
cuw8KwR.png
: I am Finch, Finch Bloomwhiffler. So grand to make your acquaintance! I must say I am truly envious of you having the good fortune to live here in Candlekeep.
BRqKgvy.png
: I cannot imagine why. I am a lucky man, yes,. But my time here in Candlekeep is coming to an end. I have recently gotten word that I must soon take a trip away from here.
cuw8KwR.png
: Not as soon as I, I wager. I have dallied in Candlekeep longer than I should have in service of my temple, though I am certain Deneir would understand. Anyhoo, I leave with all haste. I have a list of works needed to establish a new library on the Amnish border. I located a likely seller of one volume in Beregost, so off I go! Perhaps we shall meet again. I bid you a fair journey!

In any case, that's about it for the exterior of Candlekeep. The Priest of Oghma has a modded item table, but most of what he has isn't worth noting. It's all stuff shared by everyone else.
t0MwUkI.jpg

Also, special shoutouts to this fucking guy. I don't remember him being here and I'm suspicious.
Right then. The inn. Its all been leading up to this. And frankly, after getting deathspell'd out of nowhere, I'm not sure it'll live up to the expectations. I wasn't anticipating that. Kind of killed my groove, if I'm being honest with you.
0I9Pq0S.jpg

YhRpPhA.jpg
Immediately, we're greeted with this goonery.
Dialogue said:
7jrjEKt.png
: Please, finally calm down thyself! My goodness! How many times must I tell you that I do not know where this stray is floating?
jtG4a4g.png
: Buzzurk! Gorschabarmarzabuldarvel!
7jrjEKt.png
: Cursing will not help you, my friend. Either you start searching for him, or you wait here.
jtG4a4g.png
: Hrmpf. Give me another one, barkeeper.

Braegar is a German mod. We could talk to him and get hints about his quest, but I don't speak Schnitzel and his dialogue in Candlekeep is the only part of the mod Big World bothered to translate. It has something to do with retrieving Mithril and a scroll or something. We'll run into bits of it down the line, or what I can only assume are bits of it.

Before we can move, a wolf approaches us.
8DcmpYh.jpg
All three options put "Haiass's Whistle" in our inventory, meaning we're getting ass wolf whether we want it or not. The first option gives us a chew toy which we can't remove without Shadowkeeper. It's the most painful option, and we have elected the way of pain. (We pick the first option.)
PzIQzSk.jpg
The wolf acts like a familiar, or summon or whatever. The difference is that he's ludicrously, mind-numbingly broken. The key is in Biotic Charge. You might not have noticed it, but your brain did. It's an ability added by a mod kit, which ass wolf just *has* for some unfathomable reason.

Insane Nether-Crunch said:
BIOTIC VANGUARD: By digesting a substance known as Red Sand, these warriors benefit from increased speed, and have developed the ability to forcibly slam their bodies into their enemies, damaging them while healing themselves. However, such a fighting style imposes several sacrifices on the warrior himself, as he can no longer wear armor, and can use single-handed weapons, but only clumsily so.

Advantages:
- Bonus -1 to speed factor and +1 movement speed for every 4 levels (starting at 1st level)
- Bonus +1 to hit and -1 to AC for every 6 levels (starting at 3rd level)
- May use the 'Biotic Charge' ability once per 18 seconds (no daily limit). The warrior is launched at full speed at an enemy, while his wounds are closed and nearby foes are damaged and briefly stunned by the force of the impact:
- The warrior gains 6 hit points, plus one for every level (up to a maximum of 44 hit points at 20th level). If the warrior goes over his maximum hit point total with this ability, he loses it after six rounds.
- Enemies in a 15' radius from the selected target suffer the following effects:
- 1st level: 2d4 crushing damage, stun for 1 second. Save vs. breath at +4 halves the damage and avoids the stun
- 5th level: 4d4 crushing damage, stun for 1 second, Save vs. breath at +3 halves the damage and avoids the stun
- 9th level: 6d4 crushing damage, stun for 1 second, Save vs. breath at +2 halves the damage and avoids the stun
- 13th level: 8d4 crushing damage, stun for 1 second, Save vs. breath +1 halves the damage and avoids the stun
- 17th level: 10d4 crushing damage, stun for 1 second, Save vs. breath at +0 halves the damage and avoids the stun
- May choose the 'Lift Grenade' High Level ability, which creates a much stronger explosion than 'Biotic Charge': enemies in a 15' radius suffer 20d4 crushing damage and are stunned for 6 seconds. A save vs. breath at -2 halves the damage and avoids the stun.

Disadvantages:
- May not use missile weapons
- May not wear armor
- May not wear gauntlets or bracers
- Cannot specialize in one-handed weapons
- Cannot become proficient in any fighting style other than two-handed weapons

If you were paying attention, literally none of those disadvantages apply to ass wolf because he isn't humanoid and has no use for weaponry.
IuzjclJ.jpg
Oh right, the game.

Haiass's Whistle said:
During your last years in Candlekeep, you taught Haiass how to answer to your call with this whistle.

STATISTICS:

The whistle can be used to call Haiass, as long as he is in the same area as you.
-------------​
Haiass's Chew Toy said:
After a year with a very high rabbit population growth, a large increase of the wolf population in the region inevitably followed. Faced with the growing fears of the villagers and peasants, several groups of hunting parties sprung up all over the southern Sword Coast. You accompanied one of these patrols when, on your return, you heard weak moans under the dead corpse of a big female wolf that had fallen down into a ravine. Crushed in its body were several unborn pups, except for one, that had miraculously been born. When in the citadel they realized you had been secretly raising a wolf puppy, it had already grown so loyal to you that not even the gathered Candlekeep guards could separate it from you.

Haiass: Stage 1

Level 4: HP 15, AC 5, THAC0 16
Main weapon: bite
1d3 damage, 1 attack per round
STR 15 DEX 14 CON 14
INT 9 WIS 9 CHA 9
10% Resistance to Fire and Cold
One wonders how the Candlekeep Guard stood their ground against wolves trained in the ways of the Biotic Vanguard. Maybe we've been snorting the red sand this whole time and decided to put it to a better use.
jrtRVnF.jpg
He made short work of Carbos. You might even say... He made him his bitch.

Or you might not, because that's a horrible pun. Anyway, you know how the rest of it goes.
dLPPhnl.gif

rJX73WL.jpg
That was the longest tutorial ever, gahdamn.
 
Last edited:

Baron Dupek

Arcane
Joined
Jul 23, 2013
Messages
1,870,765
World of Baldur's Gate is bigger - all of the above + Icewind Dale+addons+IWD2.

world won't survive to the end of this LP
 

Dayyālu

Arcane
Joined
Jul 1, 2012
Messages
4,465
Location
Shaper Crypt
This is fascinating.

Endure as much as you can. Reading the horror and poor design is marvelous.

Through the failures of others, wisdom.
 

Archwizard Hank

Learned
Joined
Mar 8, 2017
Messages
94
It's been a while. How's everyone doing? Me, I've been trapped in a world made of dripping, oozing insanity. A world where voices from the past scream through a veil of shitty microphones, and heaps of metal rain through a hole in someone's pocket into a boundless null-space. I've been trapped in Big World, and I think it's about time I had some guests.

nkYRDnf.png
Last time, we just barely made it out of Candlekeep, because progress is for the weak. But to all the hypothetical progressives in the audience, don't worry! You and your hypothetical friends will get plenty of progress this time around... At your own peril.

Oh yeah, we have an NPC now. Let's check that out.

qY1yhlN.png
What the fuck is this shit
Kit Description said:
ADVENTURER: A jack-of-all-trades, not so much a thief as a character who takes advantage of the general thiefly skills on adventures. An Adventurer is preferred by many adventuring parties, because he is much less likely than other thieves to betray or steal from his own companions. The successful Adventurer knows the value of trust and cooperation, while many a "street thief" has been raised on duplicity and (sometimes literal) backstabbing.

Advantages:
- +20% to Open Locks and Find/Remove Traps

Disadvantages:
- No backstab multiplier

This is a far cry from last update's "Biotic Vanguard," but I just want to let the description sink in for you. Does that really sound "fitting?" We ended last update with Imoen complaining about the lack of decent loot in Candlekeep. I know she's kind of a blank slate in the original game, but that's not exactly a detail that perfectly jives with this kit description. I don't... Y'know what? Whatever, fuck it. As you'll soon see, this is the least annoying thing happening here.
dveCoXU.png
Looting one's own dead foster parent is always a good idea. One of the mods in the installation makes all NPCs and creatures drop their equipped items, meaning we get to steal Gorion's clothes. He also drops a "Bronze Scroll Case," which uses the same generic description as the scroll case in the vanilla game. (So, you know, I'll spare you the grisly details.)
wblUwXX.png
I haven't really been keeping tabs on the inventory, but I figured now would be a good time to take one last look at this beautifully cluttered mess before it turns into a hellscape of numbers filing in and out of a nether portal.
mLgTJkz.png

What fresh hell is this?
Dialogue said:
Tqe1WBE.png
: *push the body with a toe of your foot* Right. The *great* mage Gorion! Could not even stand his ground against a couple of ogres and a scare-crow!
QlquGX7.png
: (The "hubris" option is the obvious bad option in this scenario, but it will rapidly become evident that Gorion stood no chance in this race. Not that he ever did in vanilla, but we can pretend.)
cxF43u2.png
: Hey! You were hiding yer butt under a bush while he was fighting all these monsters, weren't ya? Don'tcha even know what attacked you? Whatever it was, looks like it was vicious.
QlquGX7.png
: This is effectively a pop quiz. Only one dialogue option describes the cutscene in detail - the other options are two variations of "I shat my pants in fear" and one flavor of "I saw Sarevok, he scary!" So unless you checked out to get a drink or something every time Gorion got ganked and literally have no idea what happens, this is the only valid option ---v
Tqe1WBE.png
: Ogres, some girl with a mace, and a huge man in spiked armor. I did not stick around long enough to take a closer look, you know. With Gorion shouting at me to run, that man demanding my head and all...
cxF43u2.png
: I see. Hmm... so he wasn't after Gorion, but you. I don't like this, Archwizard Hank, don't like it at all.
Tqe1WBE.png
: Have I asked your opinion, brat?
cxF43u2.png
: Nope, 'cause you're so stupid!
Phew. Now that we're done with that, I think it might be prudent to check on our stats, since those're going to fluctuate quite a bit.
NCBuDpV.png
The subrace mod is a little fucky in the way it applies its stat bonuses, and I couldn't tell you the exact specifics of it without doing some rigorous testing (which I might do offscreen at some point just to self-flagellate myself some more.) The big takeaway here is that our mental stats (INT, WIS, CHA) are fantastic. Our physical stats (STR, DEX) are lacking, but that won't be a problem for long. Our CON is okay but it's going to take a hit soon.

The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that Imoen's race was listed as "adventurer." This is because of the way the subrace mod handles applying the effects to the main character. I wish I could tell you what exactly in the code is wrong about this, because this isn't the only mod with this problem; probably because they're all made with the same tool or coding tutorial. In multiplayer, if you have two people in the game with these mods active, only the host (which the game treats as CHARNAME) can receive these effects, and anyone else who wants them has to import a character from single player.

The main takeaway is that all NPCs (aside from the vanilla BG2 NPCs, who have their races/subraces manually applied by the subrace mod) are now just physical manifestations of their classes and kits instead of people.
N6cv71H.png
Oh for the love of... Help me, ass wolf! Don't just stand there!
Dialogue said:
Tqe1WBE.png
: I've been better. Do *you* have something on your mind?
cxF43u2.png
: Not really. Was wonderin' how you were feeling. Seeing if you were okay and all. You don't talk much lately... all quiet and stuff.
QlquGX7.png
: Bitch I've only been playing this loaded save for four minutes!
7xdczXG.png

Seriously!
Tqe1WBE.png
: Gorion is dead, mysterious assassins are after me, and I can't even start imagining how to survive another day. It all happened so suddenly!
cxF43u2.png
: I'd hate to see this eat away at ya. We'll get him, ya know. That guy, whoever he was, who killed your dad. We'll find out who he is, and pay him back good! And don't even think of ditching me, either. I know what I'm doing, and I'm in this as much as you. I liked Gorion, and you're my best friend. I'm your best friend too, whether you know it or not. You can count on me, and don't you forget it!
Tqe1WBE.png
: I can't make any promises, Imoen. I intend to assemble the most efficient group possible. Your skills may end up being redundant.
cxF43u2.png
: Redundant? I'll show you redundant! You need me, no matter what you think. You won't be able to get rid of me so easy! Eh, don't mind me. I'm just mad, that's all... mad, sad and a little worried, I guess. I'll get over it. Heh. I was trying to make you feel better, and now I'm all worked up. Come on, let's go find an evil dragon's lair or something to loot. Um, on second thought, a hobgoblin cave is more your speed. Or maybe a xvart village? Hmmm. I'll have to think about this one...
This is the work of the BG1 NPC project. It's a good idea on paper: The problem? The original BG1 NPCs are mostly blank slates who don't really contribute a ton in the way of interactive banter. The solution? Use BG2's updated engine to give them banters just like in BG2. Again, it's an interesting idea on paper.

The problem is that they never shut the fuck up. Imoen in particular was given a simply ludicrous amount of banter and interjections. Imoen, a character who spends most of the first game saying next to nothing and most of the second game trapped in an insane asylum. Just... Just internalize that.
n1DZcvJ.png
In any case, it's about time we moved on. On the way, we're assaulted by ass wolf's distant cousins.
fNWEbb1.png
He makes mincemeat of these genetic rejects, for they have no place in his canine imperium. The sleeper must awaken! The red sand must flow!

...Lost myself for a bit there. Anyway, this update's going to get split into parts because my internet's being a piece of shit as I write this and can't handle the sheer volume of vomit. So until my connection stabilizes (hopefully later today,) enjoy these messages from our "sponsors."

 
Last edited:

vazha

Arcane
Joined
Aug 24, 2013
Messages
2,063
Methinks this wont last long, but so far, so good. Neatly done.
 

Archwizard Hank

Learned
Joined
Mar 8, 2017
Messages
94
I'm a man of my word; I promised more of Update 2 when my internet stabilized, and stabilized it has. Loose threads will be stitched. Context will be filled. This is it: the real Big World starts here.

ZezOp10.png

Here, these gentlemen look trustworthy.

Dialogue said:
cWL2b7Y.png
: Hold Montaron, this young wayfarer is in need. Someone has set about thee, stranger, and you have barely escaped with your life.
3yiMz6y.png
: Aye Xzar, looks to have been roughed up quite well.
cWL2b7Y.png
: Indeed. I can offer you healing potions, if you wish, as a token of good will.
poZCjOv.png
: Psst, Archwizard Hank, the mage speaks like he's layin' honey on bread, but I dunno... I don't like his eyes a single bit!
latest

I'm not sure his eyes are the only thing I'd be drawn to but okay
wpVapSf.png
: I'd be grateful for any assistance.
cWL2b7Y.png
: Nothing to fear from these simple potions, and I'll not even hold you in debt, though your conscience knows otherwise.
3yiMz6y.png
: Just like all good people.
cWL2b7Y.png
: Perhaps as payment you would go with us to Nashkel. It is a troubled area and we mean to investigate some disturbing rumors surrounding the local mine. Some acquaintances are very concerned about the iron shortage. Specifically, where to lay blame in the matter. You would be useful, though I'll not hold you to it. We are to meet the mayor of the town, a man named Berrun Ghastkill, I believe.
3yiMz6y.png
: Your conscience be your guide.
wpVapSf.png
: There is little else for me to do. I may as well go with you.
cWL2b7Y.png
: Goody good good! We should make haste to Nashkel, just a short ways south of here. Onward intrepid friends.
poZCjOv.png
: Um. Archwizard Hank, shouldn't we go to the Friendly Arm Inn first? We should probably find Gorion's friends, like he wanted you to.
3yiMz6y.png
: Rein it in, wizard! I canna stand the way your senses flit about. Could we just travel in peace?

I love how the NPC project's lack of any sort of extra dialogue for these two if you have Imoen makes Montaron accidentally prescient at the end.

Anyway, Xzar is still a necromancer. Montaron on the other hand...

YQGE9eS.png

Is an assassin? Okay. I guess it's fitting, but not really as useful as fighter/thief. Now he just has a bunch of STR which is only useful for carrying shit and occasionally stabbing things with ineffective weapons.
bFtxvle.png

There's not much else in the starting area, aside from this fat bastard hiding behind a tree
5Pms5Sm.png

and a courier. There's no way talking to him will be a horrible idea.
Dialogue said:
nsS5hDK.png
: Sorry chum, but I can't stop to chat. There's been another caravan raided northeast of Beregost and I must report of these dire straits to the Grand Dukes. A messenger's work is never done.
poZCjOv.png
: Another caravan raided! Wow, that's no good! Remember those Flamin' Fists passin' by Candlekeep last week? They said there was at least two missing! I think we should keep our eyes peeled, or we'll be killed by bandits fer nothin'! Excitin' though... Caravans, bandits, road... like an adventure from a book!
nsS5hDK.png
: Just keep your heads down and your weapons handy.
Mmmm, spicy. Imoen's commentary for this man is easily the exact length of his dialogue plus more. Moving on, we're taken to the world map.
tmdwPgt.png

Those of you who used Baldur's Gate Trilogy instead of TuTu as your go-to mod of choice to unite the two games are probably familiar with this map, but I'd just like to take this moment to point out that this map is huge.

vV9gScs.jpg
Mind-bottlingly, earth-shatteringly, insanely huge.

The majority of the eastern-central sections of this map are vestigial, there for modders who never used them. The entire western end of the map, however, is ours to plunder. Yes, even Icewindale. This map doesn't include any installation option for just the relevant sections of the map; instead its helpful options are "large" (this map) and "huge" (a map of all of Faerun, which is presumably almost entirely for looks.)
Y1X49zW.png

As we continue onward, we're assaulted by Ed Greenwood!
Dialogue said:
poZCjOv.png
: Heh, I... Or do I need ta say "Ti"? I mean if "you" is "thou"... or was it "thee"? Uhm... in any case I'm not desperate and not deranged. I'm excited! I am going to be a famous adventurer, like Elminster!
w5EP4d6.png
: *smiles from behind his moustache* Thou art a spirited girl, Imoen. Now what of thy companion?
poZCjOv.png
: Wait, wait! How d'ya know my name?
w5EP4d6.png
: One can acquire such knowledge in more ways than one, child. But let the quiet one speak.
wpVapSf.png
: Not to imply anything, but how do you measure up to your own standards? Pestering strangers about their mental state doesn't seem all that well-adjusted to me.
w5EP4d6.png
: Point well taken. (You know the rest.)
XeKjgJu.png

Ed fucks off, and we're immediately assaulted by bandits!
5VlUi4e.png

I try to make a break for the exit. Maybe I can raise Imoen at the Friendly Arm? Not that I'd, y'know, want to.
hBXGBds.png

It immediately becomes clear that retreat was never a card on the table. That icon on our portrait is the "dying" status effect, added by "Game Over on Party Death." We lapse into it when our health gets critical, but only if we have NPCs. It makes us immune to damage for the duration, but we can't do anything because we're basically dead.
SKwM9uO.png

If at least one NPC is left alive once combat is over, we enter cutscene mode and "stand up." Then we get this journal update which seems to have the update name and entry text reversed. This effectively means we're invincible as long as we have NPCs, with the tradeoff that there's no way to heal the dying status and we have to endure this every time we get to critical health.
bIriHZL.png

ass wolf takes care of the rest of the scum single-handedly (pawedly?)
400dSvF.png

On the way out, we're accosted by a man who's made himself blissfully ignorant of the true extent of the bandit scourge.
NgdsQuE.png

Right then, the Friendly Arm. It's just an inn. Nothing can go wrong there.

Right?
XsBR10h.png

Oh hey look it's the Ring of Wizardry. This time it's the original BG1 version that doubles all of your 1st level spells.
dgxdFsZ.png

Everything's fine so far, honestly. I don't see how this could possibly be turned into a shit show.
pHQQGHn.png

Wait, who the fuck is this?
YqSM0lR.png

Who? Why? How?
ByRatVS.png

:despair:
I've been teasing at this the whole LP. This is it, the moment when Big World violently rips the cable out of your hands, cranks the distortion on its amp all the way past eleven to "provolone" and starts blasting its worst rendition of "Metal Squad" from Thunder Force IV.

It doesn't have to be now. I don't have to do this. But even if I delay the inevitable, it'll happen anyway. It could be later in this game, or in BG2. There's no sense or use delaying it.

I tried to rationalize *why* these items are here at these prices, so early in the game. I put a great deal of thought into this list.
  1. It's pure LARP background clutter. We're supposed to look at the merchants with their exotic warez in awe and feel like a peasant.
  2. The modders assume you'll be running so many other mods that you'll accumulate enough quest gold to afford these.
  3. The modders assume you'll be running so many other mods, you'll accumulate enough artifacts to pawn off and afford these.
  4. You have to grind gold for these. (See point 1)
  5. Other merchants in the early game (Candlekeep, Ribald Barterman's) will stock shit you can't afford (See points 1 and 4)
  6. The modders assume you'll be running so many mods, you'll have the console open to debug their shitty code.
So that's it. You win, game. You want to get goofy?
SVj01kF.png

LET'S GET GOOFY!

EDIT: fucking christ, I hit enter too many times. Looks like we're splitting this again.
 
Last edited:

d1r

Busin 0 Wizardry Alternative Neo fanatic
Patron
Joined
Nov 6, 2011
Messages
3,576
Location
Germany
Don't go full retard already. He is the best arms dealer along the Sword Coast after all!
 

d1r

Busin 0 Wizardry Alternative Neo fanatic
Patron
Joined
Nov 6, 2011
Messages
3,576
Location
Germany
It's not ONE mod, but a lot of different mods installed together.

Look up Big World Setup + Baldurs Gate and you will find the tool for an easier installation of the whole thing.
 

Baron Dupek

Arcane
Joined
Jul 23, 2013
Messages
1,870,765
World of Baldur's Gate is bigger - all of the above + Icewind Dale+addons+IWD2.

world won't survive to the end of this LP

mayhaps you have link to this mod? I can't seem to find anything about it.
downloads
http://baldur.cob-bg.pl/wobg-work?pg=1,3

components (some titles were translated to Potato)
also - it might not say that you need IWD or IWD2 but you surely can put them as additional components
they took sweet time to finally update that part, it's on the bottom
http://baldur.cob-bg.pl/wobg-work?pg=1,2
 

InD_ImaginE

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Aug 23, 2015
Messages
5,365
Pathfinder: Wrath
It's not ONE mod, but a lot of different mods installed together.

Look up Big World Setup + Baldurs Gate and you will find the tool for an easier installation of the whole thing.

Yes I know. I did installation for BGT using BWS before. I was referring the mod that combines BG and IWD.

World of Baldur's Gate is bigger - all of the above + Icewind Dale+addons+IWD2.

world won't survive to the end of this LP

mayhaps you have link to this mod? I can't seem to find anything about it.
downloads
http://baldur.cob-bg.pl/wobg-work?pg=1,3

components (some titles were translated to Potato)
also - it might not say that you need IWD or IWD2 but you surely can put them as additional components
they took sweet time to finally update that part, it's on the bottom
http://baldur.cob-bg.pl/wobg-work?pg=1,2

Ah yeah its in Polish. I did found a post in Beamdog Forums but it was in Polish as well. Thanks!
 

Archwizard Hank

Learned
Joined
Mar 8, 2017
Messages
94
I haven't combined BG and IWD with this thing, unless there's another realm of horror awaiting me in the stygian depths. I really hope not. I've looked at the world map with all the locations filled in with NearInfinity, and none of the expected IWD locations are where you think they'd be. Then again, a lot of mods like to send you to maps via dialogue teleports. So y'know, take that as you will.

You should have noticed already how stupidly OP that wolf is.

Don't go full retard already. He is the best arms dealer along the Sword Coast after all!

Your words of encouragement are moving - you're absolutely right. I shouldn't let this damn mod installation break me so easily! We were only 20 minutes into the 2 hours of prerecorded footage I had to work with though, so I'm going to have to go back and record twice as much. Just for you!

Also, you don't know the half of it. The weapons dealer has both variations of the Mace of Disruption.

vDAXnlz.png


In the mean time, though, here's a little glimpse at what abysses we might've gazed into had we taken the other route...

eMmrObs.png

The Friendly Arm is now populated with a variety of merchants. We've already seen Maltz, but there's also this wizard merchant and several others. I won't be detailing everything we'd have gotten from them since I'd rather it be a surprise, but I think this is worth mentioning.
PwPtfWz.png

Al-Mustafa's wand stocks are infinite, and all have maximum charges of 200. This means we can summon trash mobs and call down flamestrikes as much as we want.
9FxaSjO.png

This is made especially devastating because the summoning cap has been removed. The game still whines at us about it, but it doesn't actually do anything to limit our attempts to summon armies upon armies of ogres and hobgoblins. The only limit is the engine's own rendering limits in tandem with your hardware, which in the early game is usually "the entire screen."
VsDNOcg.png

Tarnesh stood no chance. But that's a story for another time - we've collectively decided to play by our own rules, not Big World's. So it's time to shift our focus to another brave adventurer, called forth from the nether realms to trace back our progress and point out things I've overlooked.

STUFF I'VE MISSED - PART 1
RsPiRVf.png

Since I skipped straight to Sorcerer for this LP, I missed a lovely little feature added by TobEx: Scroll bars. These allow us to consume all the kit mods ever made, because we can scroll past the hardcoded limit. This also in theory allows us to scroll down on the Sorcerer spell selection menu and benefit from modded spells, but that feature is broken for me. We'll get to that later.
3w2CJTi.png

This is our hero of the hour, a master of Clown Bushido. Only he has the finesse to retread the incredibly important garbage we've yet to imbibe with our eyes. (We'd do it with our main guy, but then everything would get all tangled and fucked up and just not very great to manage. Nobody wants that.)
ixZ87dh.png

First up: Linda here in the Candlekeep Inn.
Dialogue said:
xTz5Uix.png
: You look very pale indeed. Aren't you feeling well?
CWC9V1e.png
: I... had a terrible adventure. For me, as well as for the man I love. *sigh*
xTz5Uix.png
: That sounds horrible. Do you want to talk about it?
CWC9V1e.png
: You are Gorion's foster child, aren't you? Yes, I think I want to talk with you about it. Have you been to the infirmary? My fiance is recovering there from the injuries he got in his last fight.
xTz5Uix.png
: No, I haven't spoken to him yet.
CWC9V1e.png
: He has an obvious injury: he lost an arm. But the wounds that are still troubling him are his memories of what happened during this fight, and the conditions under which he lost that arm. I... I am troubled by it too. You see... I cut off his arm. It... it was the only thing to do.
xTz5Uix.png
: I beg your pardon? That, I don't understand.
CWC9V1e.png
: We were on our way to Candlekeep, when suddenly a portal started opening near us. Monsters came out and started attacking. It was horrible. Sir Trun defended us, and it looked as if he would win easily. Then one of the creatures bit into his arm, dragging him toward the portal. He lost his sword... There was only one possible way to save him, and I used it. Otherwise, he would be dead by now.
xTz5Uix.png
: That is horrible. So what now?
CWC9V1e.png
: I don't know... Maybe it will all resolve by itself... No, it is not that easy, Sir Trun proposed to me, what seems a long, long time ago, and we went on this educational journey to Candlekeep. You have to understand, I am the daughter of a noble family, and never touched any kind of weapon. His... his gaze upon me when he realized what happened... Forgive me, but I do not want to talk more about it. I need to be patient, and hope that he will overcome his feelings. Poor Sir Trun... he is so brave. He grimly tries not to attribute any importance to the matter, but doesn't succeed in overcoming his feelings of horror. He is bound to his proposal to a woman he now fears, and is trying to convince himself it is nothing to worry about. I still see that look in his eyes... I decided not to go to the infirmary until someone brings the news of his recovery, or until he approaches me himself.

The goal here is to reunite Linda and Sir Trun, if you were paying attention to any of that.
fKwFNF2.png

I glossed over Winthrop in the first update, under the logic that his modded items are "shared with most of the other merchants." While this is true, it would have been a perfect opportunity to introduce just how silly some of the items added to the merchant tables are.
1F6vBQB.png

For example, he has a bag of holding which we could buy for every last GP we have, and a selection of "beer potions" which restore "thirst points" and make you intoxicated if you drink them enough.
eh1Trth.png



ROT9sMS.png

We skipped past this guy in the first update because he's mostly irrelevant. He still is, but he ties back in to someone familiar...
Dialogue said:
xTz5Uix.png
: I just wanted to know if I can do something for you, sir.
QIkRCr8.png
: Good, that's more like it. This foolish dreamer Adam, this pathetic excuse for an errand boy, has my book and is floating around somewhere here! I'm cooling my heels here and his lordship does not consider it necessary to appear! I should... Buzzurk! Come on, check if you can find him and bring me my book!
xTz5Uix.png
: I'm on my way, sir.
QIkRCr8.png
: That was about time. Come on, what are you waiting for, boy?
I like this dwarf's style. It's a shame this quest is the only part of the mod they cared to translate.
OAJqAyF.png

You might remember this fucking guy. Turns out I was right to suspect him.
Dialogue said:
Fhm1IaT.png
: Hey there, Mondo Clownage! How are you? It's a lovely day, isn't it? The sun is shining, the flowers bloom and everything is just right.
AvH6fe6.png
: Hey Adam. I've been looking for you. You know, at Winthrop's there's a pretty angry dwarf...
Fhm1IaT.png
: A dwarf? And what does that have to... oh. Now I remember why I am having this great tome with me. Damn, Mondo Clownage, that's really uncomfortable. He is going to tear off my head, huh?
AvH6fe6.png
: Not if you hurry. Go, bring him his book.
Fhm1IaT.png
: Yes... yes. You're right. I'm on my way!
I like to imagine this guy's head got ripped off anyway. Don't fuck with a dwarf's light reading material!
HXWhpQq.png

The infirmary is down here. I'm reasonably certain it's a new thing.
Afnt3JT.png

Dialogue said:
xTz5Uix.png
: Are you Sir Trun? I talked with your fiancee. The poor woman doesn't feel well at all.
1iGHe2K.png
: *sigh* I know, and it tortures me that I am incapable of helping her. It... it is like I am paralyzed... My injury is no reason for my behavior toward her. I... I fell in love with a beautiful young maiden and proposed to her, and now...
xTz5Uix.png
: Does it seem as if the whole world's gone crazy?
1iGHe2K.png
: I... In a way, yes. *sigh* Since she already talked to you, it won't hurt if I do so, too. Actually I feel a great urge to talk about this with someone who cares to listen. We got into an unexpected fight. Everything was going well. Then all of a sudden, one of the creatures sunk its teeth into my arm. I wasn't able to free myself, and it was dragging me toward the portal... There was a pain at my shoulder, and next thing I knew, I was lying in front of the portal, watching it close behind the last of the monsters. Linda was standing beside me, pale as a ghost, my sword in her hands. She saved my life the only way it was possible in that moment, by chopping off my arm. I am not talking about the loss of my arm. That was lost the moment the monster bit into it, I... What I mean...
xTz5Uix.png
: What bothers you is her sudden foresight and prowess. Not only did she understand the only way to save you, she also *did* it in what must have been a timeframe of mere seconds. And all that despite the fact the she is *only* the daughter of a noble house.
1iGHe2K.png
: That... yes... yes, that's it! That is what keeps troubling me. She is completely inexperienced, if it comes to fighting, yet she... acts like a long-established knight! I couldn't have done it better, had I been in her position. The... the sensible detachment she showed by cutting off another's arm, if it was the only way to save him... How much experience must one gain, how many friends must one lose in battle before developing this insight? She... she just did it, when it was necessary. My poor Linda! Surely she is terribly frightened. But... how should I confront her, after being so distant toward her... All she did was save me!
xTz5Uix.png
: There is only one possibility. Linda has to learn how to fight, so you will have to teach her. Take her as your squire.
1iGHe2K.png
: I beg your pardon? That is absurd. She is a young maiden, innocent and frail...
xTz5Uix.png
: And she shows the fighting prowess of an experienced knight. There is more to your fiancee than you thought, Sir Trun.
1iGHe2K.png
: Wait... I... I see, what you mean. It is hidden inside her, isn't it? The gift shows differently in different people. Some know from early childhood where their path will lead. For others, the revelation comes all of a sudden, as a great surprise. Yes, it seems the only way to go forward, and leave this horrible memory behind us. She made the first step onto this path. To expect her to return to her former life would be cruel... and unrealistic. I will go to her now. I'll be approaching her with an unusual present for a woman of her origin: my sword. My body recovered a long time ago. It was my mind that felt injured and wouldn't come to rest. You dragged me out of my thoughts of despair, and I thank you deeply! We are in your debt. Now I will go to her... I am eager to see how she will react. Is she really ready for this? I am also bothered as to what I will tell her parents, who imagine their daughter on an educational journey to Candlekeep... *weary smile* Farewell, in case we don't meet again. May Tyr protect you.
Holy hell, this guy is mouthy. Anyway, talking to him finishes the quest and wraps up just about everything we've missed so far.

So until we meet again, here are some more words from our "sponsors."

 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom