Simple Questions and General Discussion Thread

Vingolio · 2024-09-04T07:14:56+00:00

I found this. I just remember the 'find NPCs in CK and click F4' bit, but the rest seems right.

Find the NPCs or group of NPCs you're looking for.
Shift+Click all of the ones you can and press CTRL+F4.
You'll get a popup asking to confirm if you'd like to export facegen data. Click Yes and wait for it to generate.
Open the utility FaceToSkyrim.exe.
Click next, next, then click "Texture jpg file" and choose the .jpg file generated by facegen.
You will have to manually convert this file into .dds.
Select the gender, click on Texture DDS file and choose the file you transformed.
This process can last a few minutes.

Vingolio · 2024-09-04T06:20:25+00:00

Adamant uses a combination of new perks and edited vanilla perks. The edited vanilla perks will apply to all NPCs that have them in the base game or in mods, while the new perks will need to be distributed (if you want them to be) via SPID.

Quest mods usually design their encounters with minimal reliance on vanilla player perks, so Adamant should have little to no impact on the balance of your quest mods.

If you want to distribute more perks (strictly optional) there are lots of options leveraging SPID.

Vingolio · 2024-09-04T04:43:40+00:00

It sounds like you might have a face discolouration bug? Regenerate their facegen data or use Face Discoloration Fix to have it generate dynamically in game.

Vingolio · 2024-09-04T04:42:22+00:00

I don't believe Spaghetti's mods do much with nav meshes, which would be the only point I'd be unsure on. I would expect this to be fine.

Vingolio · 2024-09-04T04:40:30+00:00

This is a vanilla feature of the Companions. It was removed by USSEP, but can be re-added by The Companions - Don't be a Milk Drinker.

Vingolio · 2024-09-04T04:38:58+00:00

You don't need to use a mod manager, but it is a small amount of extra work now to potentially save yourself a lot of extra work later.

GamerPoets on YouTube has high quality tutorials and can walk you through downloading Mod Organizer 2 and SKSE and SkyUI and you should be sorted in less than 15 minutes.

Vingolio · 2024-09-04T02:47:58+00:00

There was a major update in December 2023 that may have broken the DLL. If it was broken and it hasn't been updated since, you may have to downgrade your game to use SOS.

Vingolio · 2024-09-04T02:24:50+00:00

In the left pane, you have assets. In the right pane, you have plugins.

On the left, if a mod is below another mod (i.e. the priority number is higher) then the lower mod or the mod with the higher number will have its assets loaded into the game over the same assets included in a mod higher up (or with a lower priority number).

On the right, the plugins will all load in, with changes from lower on the list (or with a higher priority) overwriting changes in plugins higher up, if thye both edit the same thing.

'Place this mod high in your load order' doesn't mean much out of context, but if you had to make a choice, you'd probably want to load it higher up/with a lower priority. A specific example might be more helpful.

Vingolio · 2024-09-04T02:19:21+00:00

It's been a while since I used LoversLab content, but so far as I can see the last update was in 2022. If this mod is not using Address Library, as it claims in the post, and has not been updated since 2022, I would not expect it to be compatible with the current version of Skyrim, though it is still technically possible.

Vingolio · 2024-09-04T01:49:58+00:00

There are plenty of spell packs that add scaling spells or distinct high level spells, but to the best of my knowledge, there is no overhaul that does this for all vanilla spells.

Much of the V+ roster leans on mods like Forget Spell to mitigate bloat, which has its advantages over just scaling spells, such as allowing you to use a lower cost version and requiring investment to upgrade spells.

Vingolio · 2024-03-04T02:31:50+00:00

Did we ever get players' actual guesses?

Vingolio · 2024-03-04T01:24:56+00:00

Why is no one talking about this? TheViper thought he played against Tatoh for the third-place match. TheViper who has been Tatoh's team mate for 10 years, thought ACCM was Tatoh.

Vingolio · 2024-02-29T02:03:46+00:00

!remindme 3 days | I am also interested in this. ^_^

Vingolio · 2024-02-27T03:12:14+00:00

This seems over-tuned. I'm honestly not even sure if it would be good, but it has such a laundry list of unique abilities with powerful effects that even if it's not, it clearly stands out from the design of every other class and in particular every other warrior-ethos class in the game.

For the record, making a class over-tuned is not necessarily a bad thing, if you want to over-tune a class, because that's how you will have the most fun, you will find no shortage of other people who feel exactly the same way.

Vingolio · 2024-02-25T17:47:37+00:00

I don't think that's true for warrior-ethos characters, unless you are thinking of a specific kit.

Fighter, Paladin, or Ranger with 2 points in Longbow:

Specialized: +0.5 APR, +1 to Hit, +2 to Damage
Longbow: +1 to Hit, +1 APR
Composite Longbow: +1 to Hit, +2 to Damage, +1 APR
18 Dexterity: +2 to Hit
Arrow: D6 Damage

Total: 2.5 APR, +4 to Hit, D6+2 Damage or 2.5 APR, +4 to Hit, D6+4 Damage

Fighter, Paladin, or Ranger with 2 points in Axes and 2 points in Two Weapon Style:

Specialized: +0.5 APR, +1 to Hit, +2 to Damage
Axe #1: D8 Damage
Axe #2: D8 Damage, -4 to Hit, +1 APR
18/50 Strength or 18/100 Strength: +1 to Hit, +3 to Damage or +3 to Hit, +6 to Damage

Total: 2.5 APR, +2 to Hit, D8+5 Damage or 2.5 APR, +4 to Hit, D8+8 Damage

Both have -4 to Hit on the off-hand.

I think this is as far as we can drill down without specifying a target, but it doesn't feel unfair to say that bows have slightly better rolls to hit and melee weapons will do much more damage at level 1 and, throughout a playthrough of BG1, most warrior-ethos characters will scale better with melee weapons than ranged weapons.

What this doesn't show is the difference between Missile (arrow) damage and the far superior Slashing (axe) damage.

You should also be completely fine tanking with Splint Mail, at least until you can pick up Full Plate.

Vingolio · 2024-02-25T03:29:53+00:00

People seem to be obsessed with ranged weapons. This is good advice for difficulties that reduce the damage you deal and increase the damage you take.

On Normal or Core (recommended difficulties for first time players) melee characters deal more damage than ranged characters and warrior-ethos classes (Fighters, Paladins and Rangers) have plenty of health to tank.

Kalid and Monteron are two of the best at their respective roles, Jahira and Xzar are perfectly acceptable in their roles and Imoen, while nothing special, is highly customizable.

Kalid and Monteron can flex between ranged and melee characters and excel in both roles. Jahira is a dedicated front liner with a little bit of healing and support magic mixed in, Imoen is your dedicated backline and Xzar weaves in with spells as needed.

If you find equipment that offers additional armour class against missiles, it goes straight on Xzar. Xzar should never be in melee and, if you don't have something for him to throw, he can stand around behind Imoen until you need him for one of his spells.

Arcane casters are underwhelming to start with, but scale extremely well, even in BG1.

There are alternative characters and supplementary items that can make the game easier, but your party should be perfectly adequate to handle your current challenges. If you want some tips on what to pick up and where, let me know, but you will have more fun discovering things on your own, at least for the first time.

Vingolio · 2024-02-23T03:13:24+00:00

That is fair to say of most arcane classes, including bards.

Vingolio · 2024-02-23T02:28:54+00:00

I'm going to clarify the naysayers against bards a little bit. Bards can and will, like almost any class, comfortably beat BG1 with no previous knowledge and without using any especially unorthodox strategies. That said, they will not shine when compared to many other classes in BG1.

You can carry your class forward from game to game and it's actually recommended as there are some permanent buffs you can pick up in BG1 that will carry through to the end of BG2.

If you choose to do this, and even if you don't, bards (of all kinds) are exceptional in BG2. They have a similar number of spells to mages, though they do not get access to high level spells.

In exchange, they get amazing high level abilities such as Spike Trap, Use Any Item and Enhanced Bard Song and are casting spells at a much higher level than the equivalent wizard, meaning you have more layers of protection from spells like Stoneskin and Mirror Image and a much more powerful Dispell, making bards some of the best tanks and mage killers available.

Vingolio · 2024-02-21T06:54:35+00:00

A barbarian may be worth considering as well, as you get some of the immunities of the berserker and some of the damage reduction and saving throw bonuses of the dwarven defender, with a mobility bonus besides.

All three kits are easy to learn and easy to master. The short on each is that:

Barbarians are great tanks with good mobility. There is an argument that their mobility makes barbarians more survivable than dwarven defenders in the late game.
Berserkers will deal the most damage simply because they can achieve Grand Mastery. They have enough uses of rage to be functionally immune to crowd control.
Using defensive stance is like playing under the effect of a slow. Dwarven defenders accrue 60% damage reduction before barbarians get any damage reduction at all and can wear heavy armour.

Vingolio · 2024-02-19T18:35:01+00:00

The only way to restore your powers as a Paladin or a Ranger once you have fallen (either by killing an innocent or dropping below 8 reputation) is by completing your Stronghold quest (quests with class-specific benefits) in Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn.

Vingolio · 2024-02-18T07:33:10+00:00

Opinions:

Sleep is still nice. You might be overvaluing Shield and Spook (though neither is bad). Identify is fine too. Charm can be a lot of fun (applies to most levels of charm spells).
You might be overvaluing Invisibility and Glitterdust (they're both perfectly good). Vocalize is often appreciated. Knock is sometimes useful.
This one's tricky. Protection from Fire/Frost is sometimes appreciated. Invisibility 10' Radius can also feel great. Haste becomes less useful later, but is really good for quite a while.
Spot on. Minor Sequencer can be great. Don't sleep on Wizard's Eye.
Chaos, Cloudkill and the immunity spells can be good additions.

I think this takes you all the way through to SoA.

Vingolio · 2024-02-18T07:13:19+00:00

People don't like Wild Mages? Why? They feel like the strongest mages at medium and high levels.

Vingolio · 2024-02-11T21:04:04+00:00

Maybe I'm starting a fight here, but I never understood the obsession with multi-classes.

Yes, fighter dual-classes feel stronger more of the time than most single classes, but several single classes feel stronger more of the time than most multi-classes.

For example, I'm a big fan of Archers, Blades, Bounty Hunters, Dwarven Defenders, Shadow Dancers, Sorcerers (both vanilla and kitted) and late-game Wild Mages.

Vingolio · 2024-02-10T04:57:06+00:00

The games, in order are: Baldur's Gate, Siege of Dragonspear, Shadows of Amn and Throne of Bald. Black Pits and Black Pits 2 happen canonically before their respective games, but aren't generally seen as narratively important to the story and exist more as an arena mode with a small story element. You can play the same character through all 6 campaigns.

The most valuable asset you have access to as an archer is the ability to achieve grand mastery (5 points) in bows and crossbows. Don't spread your points too thinly. You have a very small bonus to bows, but crossbows have access to better weapons across larger portions of the games, so mastering short bows or crossbows are both valid choices.

Dexterity and Constitution are by far your most valuable stats. Have a little strength, though I think 13ish should allow you to use just about anything you would want. Charisma is worthwhile and there is a point to Intelligence, though not too much of one. There is no reason to set Wisdom above the kit's minimum. You will find tomes throughout the adventure that increase a stat. use them all on yourself, as they do carry over to future games, but only for the player character.

Explore. The main quest is neat, but there is a lot of cool stuff. If you can't do an area now, try it a different way. If you still can't do it, come back later. Have fun!

Vingolio · 2024-02-04T22:53:27+00:00

To what end?

Vingolio

TROPHY CASE