I just want to say ...

[Domi]

Thank you for kind words about Kivan. I'll get Cam to update the web page to take out the 'first cut' line, since I guess that what made the 'it's a small mod' impression.

 

Anyway, I'm all with the crowd that hopes that evey bg2 mod comes out in SoA+ToB version. I know it's tough on the author, but the thing is, I think that all NPCs nowadays have the story that continues between SoA and ToB, so that artificial break is kind of tough on the player. There is also no real reason in our day and age not to do SoA and ToB in one shot. In a way I liked how Solaufein was developed with one continous string of dialogues. Though, yep, of course there were just not enough of them to last through the whole game....

[Silver]

Kivan is worth it but I think only if you have ToB otherwise... you won't get the good stuff

which rises a question will Aklon be for ToB or for the time being SoA only?

 

Well done Silver! You've nicely set this topic back on track!!

So, let me ruin it just for a second and say that yes, Kivan's worth it. Berelinde put it really nicely, so I don't think I've much more to add.

 

Back to Aklon: I've done my little research, and here's what I found out. If you check the main page of the mod here, you'll see the first line says "Aklon is a WeiDU mod that introduces a new male monk NPC, romancable by females of all races, for Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn and Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal." So unless BigRob changed his mind (please say you haven't, puuleeeease! ), yes, Aklon will have a SoA and ToB part.

 

Oh! hooray!! >_>; I didn't notice that!

 

and lol, I don't think anyone remembers what the original topic er.. topic was.

 

But as long as we're talking about mods it's on topic?

 

Thank you for kind words about Kivan. I'll get Cam to update the web page to take out the 'first cut' line, since I guess that what made the 'it's a small mod' impression.

 

Anyway, I'm all with the crowd that hopes that evey bg2 mod comes out in SoA+ToB version. I know it's tough on the author, but the thing is, I think that all NPCs nowadays have the story that continues between SoA and ToB, so that artificial break is kind of tough on the player. There is also no real reason in our day and age not to do SoA and ToB in one shot. In a way I liked how Solaufein was developed with one continous string of dialogues. Though, yep, of course there were just not enough of them to last through the whole game....

 

I agree! I always play SoA and Tob as a one, non-chopped game, it's rather artificial to stop midway...

 

Oh this wait is killing me...

 

but!

Waiting is a part of shopping so waiting is good.

[Guest Guest]

Umm, I think I'll give Kivan a pass. While he sounds interesting and well thought-out, I was too annoyed by Tsujatha to nursemaid yet another bf through a broken heart.

(actually, what annoyed me most about Tsujatha is that he felt like a self-indulgence on the modder's part who uses the same name as his unrequieted love. So the whole thing not only felt like I playing a marginal part in someone else's fantasy, but I had to be reminded as frequently as possible who Tsujatha really wanted to be with. So I ascended - no way would my Bhaaspan spend the rest of her mortal life listening to that)

 

ANYWAY, I'm hoping Aklon is a little less needy. But it seems he's a long way from being available? Do I check by here every week? Monthly? Annually?

[Eleima]

Umm, I think I'll give Kivan a pass. While he sounds interesting and well thought-out, I was too annoyed by Tsujatha to nursemaid yet another bf through a broken heart.

(actually, what annoyed me most about Tsujatha is that he felt like a self-indulgence on the modder's part who uses the same name as his unrequieted love. So the whole thing not only felt like I playing a marginal part in someone else's fantasy, but I had to be reminded as frequently as possible who Tsujatha really wanted to be with. So I ascended - no way would my Bhaaspan spend the rest of her mortal life listening to that)

 

I'm not familiar with the Tsujatha mod, I haven't played it (although I have now DL'ed it, so I guess it's on my list of installs to implement ), but I have played the Kivan, and let me tell you this: Kivan's not like that at all! Once you've melted the ice that surrounded his heart, a beautiful, flowery spring comes gushing forward (oh my, that sound kitschy! It's so awful, I'll leave it in so you guys can have a laugh from my awful comparison ).

As is my witness, one of my favorite "night flirts":

(Kivan kneels in front of you and embraces your knees. He presses his forehead, and then his cheek against your thigh.)

Sometimes, a'mael, I think that I would have been lost, if it was not for you.

I don't call that "playing a marginal part in someone else's fantasy".

'Nuff said.

 

ANYWAY, I'm hoping Aklon is a little less needy. But it seems he's a long way from being available? Do I check by here every week? Monthly? Annually?

Well, from the sneak preview we've gotten so far, I think I can safely say that Aklon won't be anything like that. Right, BigRob? As for checking, well, I've switched from monthly to weekly to daily, so it's really up to you. There's no telling when a mod will be finished, because there's so much to do, so many things to tinker, so many lines of code to verify. So, like we've said...

Waiting is a part of shopping so waiting is good.

PS, SOrry for hijacking your quote Silver, but I think it's so funny, I love it.

[Silver]

Well, from the sneak preview we've gotten so far, I think I can safely say that Aklon won't be anything like that. Right, BigRob? biggrin.gif As for checking, well, I've switched from monthly to weekly to daily, so it's really up to you. lol.gif There's no telling when a mod will be finished, because there's so much to do, so many things to tinker, so many lines of code to verify. So, like we've said...

QUOTE

Waiting is a part of shopping so waiting is good.

 

PS, SOrry for hijacking your quote Silver, but I think it's so funny, I love it. yeah.gif

 

Haha, that quote is what I once said when I was waiting for a lift in a mall XD ever since it was dear to me hehe.

 

feel free to use it XD

 

oh and hmmm

 

 

Well I played Tsujatha and yes - that's true it DOES feel like playing some little role in someone elses fantasy... never thougth about it like that but now I see it.

Kivan is NOT like Tsujatha that's for sure. Once he's in wuv with PC he shows commitment to only PC and doesn't mention his elven late-wife anymore.

 

Still, I'm the ones that don't like Kelsey as well - because I dont' support pedophilia >_>; He's so childish it's nearly killing me.

 

I'll stick to Xan and Kivan for the time being thank you hehe

 

but there's always Aklon and I do hope he comes around soonz!

[Minarvia]

Well I played Tsujatha and yes - that's true it DOES feel like playing some little role in someone elses fantasy... never thougth about it like that but now I see it.

Kivan is NOT like Tsujatha that's for sure. Once he's in wuv with PC he shows commitment to only PC and doesn't mention his elven late-wife anymore.

 

Still, I'm the ones that don't like Kelsey as well - because I dont' support pedophilia >_>; He's so childish it's nearly killing me.

 

I'll stick to Xan and Kivan for the time being thank you hehe

 

but there's always Aklon and I do hope he comes around soonz!

 

 

Heh! I felt the same about Tsu. I liked him a lot, but those things you mentioned bugged me, too. And his dying breath being someone else's name is something that I just cannot get past.

Kelsey is well done and great, but he was also one of the first romances I played. Now I generally cannot stand him unless he is only a friend. I even get evil sometimes and betray him to Ceara. His smart remarks get on my nerves sometimes!

Solaufein is too bland for me and his goddess and poetry ultimately get on my nerves. I think his upcoming flirt pack will make him much better, tho.

I haven't quite finished Kivan yet, but so far so good. Xan got better after his TOB came out. (I killed him myself at times!)

Edwin is my far and away favourite.

Aklon, tho, I am really really looking forward to. I don't think he'll be too needy for me, nor will he be as aloof and irritaing as I find Xan. It seems he'll have a healthy mix of the things that I like. And it seems that others here feel that Aklon will be a worthy lover for them, as well! I check here every day. It feels to me like Aklon is just around the proverbial corner.

[dragonjewel13]

Edwin is my far and away favourite.

 

Mmmmm, Edwin. He was easily my favourite mod romance (though I really liked the Anomen romance with the flirt pack et al installed). I had small (or large) issues with all of the other romances that are--eerily--exactly the same issues that Minarvia has already mentioned. I know Edwin doesn't and won't have any crossmod content, but I can't help but imagine his reaction to Kelsey if there was. ("You sniveling twerp! Why don't you do us all a favour and spontaneously fireball yourself?") And Sola, geez. So, Sola, ya love your goddess do ya? Yeah I know, you mentioned that already. You know, if you love her so much, why don't you marry her.

 

Which is why I'm so looking forward to Aklon--he's got it all, baby!

[BigRob]

Oh dear, such a welter of expectations... let's hope Aklon's up to them.

 

 

 

EDIT: sorry. I shouldn't be going on about Kivan on an Aklon forum, now, should I?

No worries. After all, Aklon's not even around yet, is he?

 

 

 

Kivan is worth it but I think only if you have ToB otherwise... you won't get the good stuff

 

which rises a question will Aklon be for ToB or for the time being SoA only?

 

Back to Aklon: I've done my little research, and here's what I found out. If you check the main page of the mod here, you'll see the first line says "Aklon is a WeiDU mod that introduces a new male monk NPC, romancable by females of all races, for Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn and Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal." So unless BigRob changed his mind (please say you haven't, puuleeeease! ), yes, Aklon will have a SoA and ToB part.

 

Yes, Aklon will be both in SoA and ToB, and I've already got the romance track for ToB pretty much worked out. Now, I was going to release the SoA portion first, to help cu down on the waiting, but it seems a lot of people want both parts together. I might put up a poll about that as I draw nearer to finishing SoA.

 

 

 

ANYWAY, I'm hoping Aklon is a little less needy. But it seems he's a long way from being available? Do I check by here every week? Monthly? Annually?

 

My initial advice would be to check for progress monthly... If my writing speed picks up sharply, you'll be pleasanly surprised, if not, you'll be alright. Still, conversation has picked up a lot this last couple of weeks.

 

 

EDIT: Oh, and in terms of neediness, Aklon won't be like the standard Bioware romances in that he needs you to solve his problems before he can love you, his romance is based on getting to know one another and falling in love. You will have to put in a little effort to get him though, he won't fall into the lap of just any woman that frees him from slavery (though that's a pretty good place to start).

 

That's not to say that there aren't issues to be found in Aklon's past, but your solving them is not a part of the romance. Some of these Aklon will tell you about, but others, you'll have to go looking for on your own. If you're curious enough.

[berelinde]

That doesn't mean you are obligated to respond to every post.

 

In case you didn't notice, there is a long cue of ladies who are patiently awaiting Aklon's appearance on the streets of Athkatla. It is a good thing that he can be downloaded as a complete entity, because if we were forced to share, I doubt I'd wind up with more than a few eyelashes and maybe a cuticle, and I'd be very unhappy about that.

 

Seriously, though, when he gets here, he gets here. If you took another 5 years, we'd still gobble him up.

[Kulyok]

It is a good thing that he can be downloaded as a complete entity, because if we were forced to share, I doubt I'd wind up with more than a few eyelashes and maybe a cuticle, and I'd be very unhappy about that.

 

Oh, I am all right with sharing: this way, we all can compare notes. (Man, wasn't that Shar-Teel episode about comparing notes hilarious!) Aerie excluded, of course.

 

*Considers a possibility:

1) PC wants Aklon and starts to notice she has competition;

2) PC starts to get tired of Aerie;

3) PC finally snatches a History of Nether Scrolls from Edwin, goes to a quest to find one and uses it to restore Aerie's wings;

4) Conveniently(Edwin is standing just behind the corner) the wind rises;

5) Aerie, still quite confused, gets blown away;

6) They live happily ever after.*

[berelinde]

Coolness! Edwin's story gets a new twist, Aerie finally stops whining, and she gets blown away to prevent recurrence. Not bad!

[Eleima]

In case you didn't notice, there is a long cue of ladies who are patiently awaiting Aklon's appearance on the streets of Athkatla. It is a good thing that he can be downloaded as a complete entity, because if we were forced to share, I doubt I'd wind up with more than a few eyelashes and maybe a cuticle, and I'd be very unhappy about that.

 

Forget queuing!! I've decided that I'm moving in the Copper Coronet until further notice! Anyone else wanna join me in the chanting: "We want Aklon! We want Aklon!"

 

Oh dear, such a welter of expectations... let's hope Aklon's up to them.

 

Nah! No pressure! Just do your best, try not to go crazy in the process (too much modding can do that to you, you know )

 

My initial advice would be to check for progress monthly... If my writing speed picks up sharply, you'll be pleasanly surprised, if not, you'll be alright. Still, conversation has picked up a lot this last couple of weeks.

 

That's because we're talkative ladies!

 

EDIT: Oh, and in terms of neediness, Aklon won't be like the standard Bioware romances in that he needs you to solve his problems before he can love you, his romance is based on getting to know one another and falling in love. You will have to put in a little effort to get him though, he won't fall into the lap of just any woman that frees him from slavery (though that's a pretty good place to start).

 

That's not to say that there aren't issues to be found in Aklon's past, but your solving them is not a part of the romance. Some of these Aklon will tell you about, but others, you'll have to go looking for on your own. If you're curious enough.

 

Good enough for me! One thing that bugged me back when I only had Anomen to romance, was that you ahd to go through the whole "Go back to the Delryn estate/find out Moira's dead/go to the government building/go back to the estate/get kicked out by Cor/mull over how Anomen's didn't defend Moira, blah/finally get knighted", and *finally* start telling PC how pretty he thinks she is. 'Bout time too! (Must say I've never romanced a plain old CN Anomen, just couldn't bring myself to letting him kill the Farrhads, let alone help him!)

So, what's all this blather about? To put it simply, from what you're telling us, I think that you're planning all this very nicely... *sigh*

 

At this point, I'm even considering offering myself up for translating Aklon, just in the hope of getting a sneak preview (ouch, that came out all wrong ). But I guess I've got enough on my plate. For now. *sigh*

[Guest Guest]

(with apologies to posting this in the Aklon forum - but there seem to be many likeminded folks here haven't even checked to see if there is a Kivan forum! )

 

Okay, I downloaded Kivan and started playing (got Kivan, Xan (friendship), Minsc, Anomen, still need Edwin for this one - I'll play a fighter with a really big sword)

 

So far so good, but the sound track is awful. Does he not have his own voice? Sounds like one of the default ones, unfortunately it's the one that sounds like Homer's boss from the Simpsons. The first time I talked to him he pretty much told me to get lost. (I think he said 'leave me alone' or 'what do you want now' or something like that.) Fine for someone like Edwin or maybe Xan, but for Kivan?

I'd rather not have a voice set all all. Can this be turned off?

 

re Aklon - he sounds very nice; I look forward to playing with him

I am deliberately staying out of some of the other threads because I really don't want to see any more specific info about him (i.e. flirt samples) . I wish I'd never found out that Tsujatha's modder was called Sillhara - would have helped to deal with the story line, I think.

[berelinde]

No, Kivan isn't voiced. Maybe the next version will be, if that guy who volunteered met her exacting standards.

 

As for the unfortunate choice of name for Tsujatha's lost love, I'm going to just chalk that up to just picking the first name that popped into mind. I've been in that situation myself. You sit there, staring at the screen forever, trying to come up with a name. You think over and over "I need a female name. It has to sound elvish. Argh!" And then in the end, you just pick something so that you can get over it already and move on. I just assume that she chose to name the female in the mod Sillara because it is a cool name and because she needed a name and got stumped. If my assumption is wrong, she'll never correct me on it, so I'll never know otherwise.

 

Bringing it back to Aklon once again, I wonder what his voice will be like. Will he be deep-voiced? Have a nice light tenor? Fun to speculate.

 

Have you got somebody lined up, BigRob, or are you going to voice it yourself? I'd advise against the latter unless you really can't get around it. Not because you don't have a good voice! I am sure you do. And I know it's easier to control how it sounds, because you already know what it should sound like. I lost track of how many lines I had to ask Matt to re-record, and how many times I had to give the line myself just so he'd know what I wanted. But you're going to be more critical of yourself than you would be of a stranger. That will add to your frustration, and Aklon will be delayed even more.

[Eleima]

(with apologies to posting this in the Aklon forum - but there seem to be many likeminded folks here haven't even checked to see if there is a Kivan forum! )

 

Actually, there is, it's right here, hidden in the Lands of Intrigue mod.

 

So far so good, but the sound track is awful. Does he not have his own voice? Sounds like one of the default ones, unfortunately it's the one that sounds like Homer's boss from the Simpsons. The first time I talked to him he pretty much told me to get lost. (I think he said 'leave me alone' or 'what do you want now' or something like that.) Fine for someone like Edwin or maybe Xan, but for Kivan?

I'd rather not have a voice set all all. Can this be turned off?

I was under the impression that he had his soundset from BG1. Am I mistaken?

 

You sit there, staring at the screen forever, trying to come up with a name. You think over and over "I need a female name. It has to sound elvish. Argh!" And then in the end, you just pick something so that you can get over it already and move on.

 

Gosh, that's eerily familiar... Déjà vu! *chuckle*

 

Bringing it back to Aklon once again, I wonder what his voice will be like. Will he be deep-voiced? Have a nice light tenor? Fun to speculate.

Now that you mention it, I'm curious too...