how to keep Yoshimo for the entire saga

[Lemernis]

I've kept Yoshimo from dying post-Spellhold by dropping him from the party in Brynlaw, and upon return from Spellhold using the following CLUA command before readding him:

 

CLUAConsole:SetGlobal("ButtPluggingCumBubble","GLOBAL",1)

 

I'm aware that Yoshi is hardcoded to die upon entering Suldanesselar. But I'm going to see if I can get around that by creating a new .cre file for him. I'll be working from a saved game just before entering Suldanesselar.

 

I would appreciate a little assistance in using an editor to accomplish this. I still have DLCTEP installed on my computer, hopefully that will work just fine for something like this.

 

What I want to do is

 

* copy Yoshimo's .cre file

* rename that file

* change the death variable

* recompile scripts?

 

Is anyone willing to walk me through this?

[Lemernis]

Hmm. Okay, well this is unexpected... Yoshimo did not die upon entering Suldanesselar. At least not instantly. I'll see how this goes. Maybe the buttplug variable alone will do the trick.

[Lemernis]

Actually, come to think of it if he is scripted to die in Suldanesselar it is probably going to be when he encounters Irenicus on the Tree of Life, right? I'll report what happens when I get there, and may still ask for some help.

 

(Apologies, I overlooked that there's a DLTCEP forum. Maybe there's enough general interest in what happens here to warrant it being in General Discussion though.)

[Lemernis]

Yoshimo did not die when the party encountered Irenicus on the Tree of Life. Surprisingly, the developers even gave Yoshi a comment to make upon arriving in Hell (given that he's supposed to perma-die at Spellhold).

[Miloch]

All of what you want to do would probably be more easily achieved with about 10 lines of WeiDU code, but I'm assuming it's unnecessary now.

 

Is that like a real Bioware variable name? Doesn't really surprise me, given some of the item and CRE names.

[Lemernis]

Heh, the game removed Yoshi from the party at the start of ToB. And I was unable to bring him back via the Fate Spirit, as in the regular game.

 

So according to the strategy I had laid out, I guess one would have to replace original Yoshi with his .cre file copy from a save just prior to the final battle with Irenicus, i.e., before placing the last tear of Bhaal in one of the five eyes on the wall.

 

Since I did CLUA the global "buttplug" variable, I guess I could try CLUAing in Yoshi. I tried

 

CLUAConsole:CreateCreature("Yoshim")

 

but the game didn't recognize that file name. What's the code for Yoshi? I doubt CLUAing him will work, but if I have the correct code to conjure him I'll try it and see.

 

As far as this particular game goes it's okay if I don't get him back. I was planning on replacing Yoshi with Sarevok once ToB started anyway. I was just curious to see if this could be done, ie., if Yoshi could remain in the party all the way to the end of ToB (except for the run through Spellhold).

[Lemernis]

Um, just for the heck of it, I'm still curious to see if this whole idea works. I'll try it from the save before the final battle and see if the game still yanks Yoshi's copied .cre file. Again, if anyone is available to walk me through using DLCTEP to accomplish this (or another editor, I guess), I'd appreciate directions on what to do.

[Miloch]

Just launch DLTCEP and go to Edit > Creature (or click the same button on the main screen). Scroll to near the bottom of the pop-up that will (eventually) appear and you'll see a list of YOSHIs. The game uses a table (forget which one offhand) to spawn the Yoshi of the appropriate level to you. So yoshi7, 8, 10, 11 or yoshi12. If you're higher or lower, you use the closest one I guess.

 

To change the death variable, click on the Icons & scripts tab and change the Scripting name to something else. Scripting is a little more complicated to get into the whole modding of here, but if you just want to change one script to another existing one, you can do that here too.

 

When you're done, just click Save Creature As... and give it a new filename. If you save it in your override, you should be able to spawn it like any other CRE. Also, the default game scripts won't react to it if it has a different name and DV, which might be good for some things you have in mind, but bad for others.

 

(Now that I'm here... Yoshimo has "peach" skin?)

[Lemernis]

Thanks!

 

Okay, I did this and it worked, except when I picked the highest version of the .cre file, YOSHI18, it spawned him at level 10. He speaks the introduction lines from when you meet him in Irenicus dungeon. I mean, that will work, though, since I can now CLUA him up to level 31 (where he was prior to the battle with Irenicus). (Note: after getting his XP back up to where it was, he remains in the party in the pocket plane. He seems good to go.)

 

Now, I decided to do this for the save for the very start of ToB, when the party has just arrived at the elven glade with the stone faces. So the whole matter of Yoshi being hard-coded to perma-die shouldn't even be an issue, right? Because Irenicus is dead and gone. I.e., there shouldn't be anything from this point on in the game to trigger Irenicus' geas.

 

So come to think of it, maybe I could just CLUA in whatever the game gives me for the original Yoshi?

 

What file name should I use to try that? When I try CLUAConsole:CreateCreature("YOSHIMO") or "YOSHIM" the game says it doesn't recognize that file. Does Yoshimo have a different file name?

 

Or is that why I had to rename his death variable and .cre. file at this stage? I.e., because ToB is hardcoded to remove Yoshi?

[Lemernis]

Just in case anyone ever wants to try this themselves, here's the summary for keeping Yoshimo throughout the saga for a scripting/editing njoob like me:

 

For a game of this type you'll need to install the BG2 Tweaks component "Improved Kick-out Dialogues." You will also need cheats enabled.

 

1) Take Yoshi with you to Brynlaw. But drop him from the party in Brynlaw before going to Spellhold. Tell Yoshi to stay put. This is best done indoors. (I left him inside the Vulgar Monkey.)

 

2) Upon return from Spellhold, before encountering Yoshi again use the console command

 

CLUAConsole:SetGlobal("ButtPluggingCumBubble","GLOBAL",1)

 

to prevent Yoshi from perma-dying. (I gave that CLUA command with the party standing outside the door of the Vulgar Monkey.)

 

Then have Yoshi rejoin the party.

 

3) Yoshi will remain in the party through the final battle with Irenicus to the end of SoA. IIRC he is present for the celebration ceremony given by the elves. However, you can't pause the game after you kill Irenicus once and for all. So from a save right before the final battle, i.e., before placing the final tear of Bhaal on the wall in Hell, jot down Yoshi's XP and note his thieving proficiency base scores and HLAs.

 

5) At the very start of ToB, when the party is placed at elven glade with the talking stone faces, the game removes Yoshi. Make a save here. Quit the game.

 

6) Use DLTCEP as follows to recreate Yoshi's .cre file:

 

a) Ignore the warning pop-up that the application can't load the file MORALEAI.ids, click ok.

 

b) At the bottom left of the screen click the 'Set up' box. The setup = 'SoA/ToB', and game type is 'Baldur's Gate II/ToB'. Click the 'Save and Back' box.

 

c) On the right side among the 'Edit' boxes, click the 'Creatures' box. At the bottom of that screen click the 'Load Creature' box.

 

d) It takes a while, but a pop-up screen eventually appears with a long list of creatures. Scroll down and pick the version of YOSHI with the number after it closest to the level of your PC. Click ok. (Note: I found that all versions of Yoshi were level 10.)

 

e) Click on the 'Icons and Scripts' tab at the top. At the bottom right in the 'Scripting name (Death variable)' box, enter a new name instead of 'YOSHIMO'. (I spelled his name backwards, i.e., 'OMIHSOY'.) Click on 'Save Creature As...' and enter this new name for the file.

 

That's it for DLTCEP, exit. This new .cre file (OMIHSOY.cre) should appear in the game's Override folder.

 

f) Playing the game again, open your save at the beginning of ToB, where Yoshi had been removed. Give the CLUA command

 

CLUAConsole:CreateCreature("OMIHSOY")

 

to spawn Yoshi via the new .cre file name. Have him rejoin the party. (Note: he gives the same dialogue for when you first encountered him in Irenicus' dungeon.)

 

Now use the CLUA Console to level Yoshi back up to where he was at the end of SoA. I increased his XP one level's worth at a time (character record sheet tells you XP required for next level-up) to assure that there were no problems with getting the proper number of HLAs. With Yoshi selected use the command

 

CLUAConsole:SetCurrentXP("xxxxxx")

 

And once you have him properly leveled back up, that's it. Give him his gear back and carry on.

[Miloch]

I picked the highest version of the .cre file, YOSHI18, it spawned him at level 10.

I don't have a yoshi18 in my unmodded game, but I noticed yoshi7 and yoshi8.cre both are level 10. Not sure if that's a bug or how it's supposed to be.

[Azazello]

Lemernis (and Miloch), beautiful work.

[Lemernis]

Thanks!

 

I like thieves so I am really enjoying having him along for the whole journey. He's now wearing a strength belt and wielding the Staff of the Ram + 6 and he's definitely earning his keep with backstabs.

 

Unfortunately, I just ran into my first bug with Yoshi in ToB. Shortly after entering Yaga-Shura's camp Yoshi keeps facing toward the PC. I can still control him, but as long as he is in perception range of the PC he turns to face in his direction. Sometimes he won't respond immediately when I try to move him.

 

The PC as well continuously turns to face Yoshi.

 

Is there an easy fix for this?

[Lemernis]

I've tried removing him from the party and having him rejoin, killing and raising him--no good. Darn, this game looks buggered. I was having such fun with it too.

 

***

 

Edit: I guess in the worse case sceanario, i.e., if no one can diagnose this and tell me how to fix it, in the pocket plane I can kill Yoshi off (stone to flesh and shatter) and respawn the OMIHSOY.cre file, then level him up again.

 

I'd be happy to email the game to anyone with the wherewithal to inspect it with an editor and figure out what's casuing the bug.

 

***

 

Edit: In order to continue the game I petrified/shattered the existing Yoshi copy, respawned OMIHSOY.cre, then leveled him up again.

[Lemernis]

It happened again right after completing the third trial in the pocket plane. I had to remedy it as before.

 

Maybe some kind of variable is being added to each party member after that, that's causing a conflict for OMIHSOY.cre? Weird how both the spawned Yoshi copy and the PC both do this, i.e., turn to face one another.

 

It looks the same as when an enemy target is invulnerable to backstabbing, and when a party member is attempting to backstab them and then the target always turns to face the party member wherever they move. It seems like something is triggering that script, and it is happening for both Yoshi and the PC.