ideas for a less difficult version of Smarter Mages

[Ineth]

Recently I played through SoA with most SCSII AI Enhancements components installed.

(I think all except for Smarter Beholders / Smarter Mind Flayers / short-term pre-buffing.)

 

My impression was that enemy warriors and priests were not much tougher than their vanilla versions, but enemy mages became a lot more powerful (even without the short-term pre-buffing component installed). Maybe I'm just a crappy player, but I found it virtually impossible to win battles against enemy mages in the early parts of SoA (e.g. the government district mage I encountered during Cernd's quest; and even a single nameless yuan-ti mage in the sewers forced me to empty half my spellbook). In the later parts of the game, once I had good anti-magic spells and ample spell slots, it became much easier - but it was a pain to get there.

 

On the other hand I don't want to go back to playing against the vanilla AI either, because it makes enemies behave stupidly in cheese-provoking and immersion-breaking ways.

 

Thus let me express my wish for an optional "Intermediate Difficulty" setting for SCSII Smarter Mages, that makes magic battles more tactically challenging and less cheesy than they are in the unmodded game, but at the same time not quite as difficult as the "full" (that is, currently only) version of Smarter Mages.

 

Of course it would be a shame to nerf the smart combat-decision-making AI that SCSII is famous for, but luckily I don't think that would be necessary to noticeably decrease the difficulty. Instead, for example, you could:

• Randomly remove spells/contingencies/prebuffs from enemy mages
   
  If I understand correctly, SCSII aims to make fights fairer and more symmetrical by giving enemy mages and player-controlled mages roughly the same opportunities.
  However, there is one way in which their respective situations are radically different: The player-controlled party usually has to survive a series of many separate battles in between resting, and carefully ration their spell usage accordingly - whereas enemy mages can always go "all-in" and use up their entire spellbook on the one battle they fight against the party.
   
  "Evening the odds" a little by randomly withholding critical buffs/contingencies/spells from enemy mages, might be an effective way to lower the difficulty level without making the AI dumber. In addition to making mage battles a little easier, it would also make them more varied and less "routine".
   
  Rationalization:
  Maybe the enemy mage already depleted his Stoneskin in an earlier battle the same day?
  Maybe he already used up his Invisibility to hide from his visiting in-laws?
  Maybe he accidentally stubbed his toe, thus setting off the "on damage taken" Contingency prematurely?
  
  

• Decrease (some) enemy mage levels
   
  Does an upper-class townie with whom your party might have a run-in early on, really need to be able to cast multiple incantations of "Gate"?
   
  I'm not sure what gameplay consequences it would have to categorically nerf all mages by, say, two levels... Maybe it would be better to only modify mages whom the party can meet early on? Or make it dynamically scale with the party level?
  In any case, it might be an option worth exploring.
  

[DavidW]

You can do the second of these yourself, actually. Before installing SCS, edit the file "stratagems.ini" using Notepad or similar. You'll find this line:

Mage_Level_Add 0

If you change it to

Mage_Level_Add -2

then every mage will be lowered by two levels.

[kreso]

In the later parts of the game, once I had good anti-magic spells and ample spell slots, it became much easier - but it was a pain to get there.

I agree. The hardest part of the game is the beginning, prior to high-level AoE and anti-magic spells. One thing I always liked about AI mods are "custom" battles where enemies don't obey the game rules strictly - Ascension, Tactics Irenicus and the similar. I prefer tipping the scales into enemies favour.

 

The player-controlled party usually has to survive a series of many separate battles in between resting, and carefully ration their spell usage accordingly - whereas enemy mages can always go "all-in" and use up their entire spellbook on the one battle they fight against the party.

It's the only way they can survive, I'm afraid.

 

"Evening the odds" a little by randomly withholding critical buffs/contingencies/spells from enemy mages, might be an effective way to lower the difficulty level without making the AI dumber. In addition to making mage battles a little easier, it would also make them more varied and less "routine".

I'm not sure about this...triggers and the like are very important for AI.

 

 

Decrease (some) enemy mage levels

Does an upper-class townie with whom your party might have a run-in early on, really need to be able to cast multiple incantations of "Gate"?I'm not sure what gameplay consequences it would have to categorically nerf all mages by, say, two levels... Maybe it would be better to only modify mages whom the party can meet early on? Or make it dynamically scale with the party level?

• In any case, it might be an option worth exploring.
  

You might wanna take a good look at the SCS Readme file....this option already exists .

[Ineth]

You can do the second of these yourself, actually. Before installing SCS, edit the file "stratagems.ini" using Notepad or similar. You'll find this line:

Mage_Level_Add 0

If you change it to

Mage_Level_Add -2

then every mage will be lowered by two levels.

 

Interesting.

 

If I install the mod with Mage_Level_Add -2, then play half-way through the game, then re-install the mod with Mage_Level_Add 0 and continue with the same save-game - would that work?

[bholland]

So something that might help you honestly is to start off your chars in Anm at 250,000. I actually have been finding this much more enjoyable. Yes it is cheating but I also consider spam-casting chaos when I don't have CC yet to also be cheating. At 250k, your mages have breach, your priests have 1 or 2 CC and your saving throws are not utter crap. I have been playing with max settings.

 

Oh also, do NOT do any of the huge side quests outside of Amn. You will die a horrible and tragic death if you start to go into places that you went in vanilla BG but once you come back in ch6 you have a lot more XP and you can start wrecking mages.

 

Also, you should have 2 mages/sorcerers with relatively similar spell sets. Power Word becomes your BFF. If you have Spell Rev then you don't have that as an AoE but you can still dispel invis with your druid or priest, whack them with Power Word from a mage and breach from your second one. That typically shatters a mages defense except for a contingency SS which you then either breach, or wack like mad. I actually LOVE SCS with Spell Rev. Jahira becomes unbelievably important. It might also be useful for you to install a few NPC mods. I love Xan actually because it provides me an NPC sorcerer which I think is required to play SCS.

 

I promise you that this is very doable, but you have to figure out the right combinations and don't expect a no-reload challenge any time soon.

 

Oh, another thing which changes is the need to get Skeleton Warriors from a cleric. Their almost 100% magic resist becomes a boon against critters that can't cast Death Spell. You want to get 5 of them at all times once you have a lvl 15 cleric or mage, or both. This spell is fantastic. The next best (and very late) is anything that you can gate in and won't kill you. That basically means Planars.

[DavidW]

For what it's worth, personally I've never had a sorcerer and always do the big quests before ch.6 - there are lots of different ways to play SCS.For what it's worth, personally I've never had a sorcerer, never summoned undead, and always done the big quests before ch.6 - there are lots of different ways to play SCS. Having said which, possibly "max settings" means Insane difficulty? I don't do that and SCS isn't really designed with it in mind.

[kreso]

Oh also, do NOT do any of the huge side quests outside of Amn.

I guess you use "Always spawn toughest spawns". You do understand that the diffculty is quite self-imposed here? I skip that component since I don't find it fun when a Lich spawns in Umar Hills while I have level 10 characters. I use HLA's for everyone and full prebuff, 5x dragon HP and it gives me a very nice challenge. Changing spawns to uber enemies I don't really dig - otoh, I'm completely fine with Lavok having HLAs. To each his own I guess.

 

You will die a horrible and tragic death

I'd expect that from a level 10 party vs Liches.

 

I actually LOVE SCS with Spell Rev

Yeah, it kind of "fills the gaps".

 

NPC sorcerer which I think is required to play SCS.

I would disagree here. Last time I finished BG2/SCS I didn't even have a mage apart Jan.

 

I promise you that this is very doable

It is, even without cheating!

 

Oh, another thing which changes is the need to get Skeleton Warriors from a cleric. Their almost 100% magic resist becomes a boon against critters that can't cast Death Spell. You want to get 5 of them at all times once you have a lvl 15 cleric or mage, or both. This spell is fantastic. The next best (and very late) is anything that you can gate in and won't kill you. That basically means Planars.

I agree on Planetars, but don't on Skeletons. I find them useful in some Underdark battles, but otherwise nothing extra, moreover since enemy clerics will turn them.

[Wisp]

moreover since enemy clerics will turn them.

There is a Tweaks for that

[kreso]

moreover since enemy clerics will turn them.

There is a Tweaks for that

Lol. I got so used to the idea that they will be turned so I never summon them if clerics are involved.

Tnx for the reminder!

[DavidW]

I think even in clean-installed SCS Skeleton warriors get their turn immunity, actually. It's an interesting question whether SCS clerics know that; probably not. Another point for v29...

[Demivrgvs]

I think even in clean-installed SCS Skeleton warriors get their turn immunity, actually. It's an interesting question whether SCS clerics know that; probably not. Another point for v29...

If that's the case I'll make sure SR's Skeleton Warriors are immune to turn as well, which is a good thing considering with the next version both clerics and mages will get them via 6th level spell. SCS already uses Create Undead (aka spwi623), isn't it?

[polytope]

Oh also, do NOT do any of the huge side quests outside of Amn. You will die a horrible and tragic death if you start to go into places that you went in vanilla BG but once you come back in ch6 you have a lot more XP and you can start wrecking mages.

 

I find most quests normally done in chapter 2 too easy post underdark, I'm not using HLA's for enemy casters (or my own casters, for that matter) but beyond a certain level you can almost certainly debuff and interrupt enemy mages before they cast anything especially if you have more than one arcane caster - which you do - and especially if you didn't choose short term prebuffs - as you didn't - unless you have multiple enemy mages like Shangalar and friends...

 

Jahira becomes unbelievably important. It might also be useful for you to install a few NPC mods. I love Xan actually because it provides me an NPC sorcerer which I think is required to play SCS.

 

I would disagree here. Last time I finished BG2/SCS I didn't even have a mage apart Jan.

 

For what it's worth, personally I've never had a sorcerer, never summoned undead, and always done the big quests before ch.6 - there are lots of different ways to play SCS. Having said which, possibly "max settings" means Insane difficulty? I don't do that and SCS isn't really designed with it in mind.

 

Honestly I think a BG2 sorcerer is to a mage what a berserker is to a regular fighter; an overpowered variant that makes the former redundant. In the same way that the berserker's supposed disadvantage of being unable to specialize in ranged weapons is negated by the existence of magic throwing axes the sorcerer's "disadvantage" of limited known spells is negated by their ability to use wizard scrolls.

 

A plain mage will do fine though, if you have a full party and are not using Edwin because of NPC conflict I'd be inclined to take Nalia instead of Jan (in spite of her horrible thieving skills) simply for early access to the Ruby Ray spell (though the scroll is not a guaranteed find prior to the underdark).

 

I definitely prefer clerics to druids - I'd rather have access to remove fear, free action, chant and aerial servants than the insect spells. Ofc that doesn't mean druids are a weak class, just that they don't suit my playing style. I also don't use multiclass spellcasters in a party larger than three because of the slow leveling.

[kreso]

Honestly I think a BG2 sorcerer is to a mage what a berserker is to a regular fighter; an overpowered variant that makes the former redundant. In the same way that the berserker's supposed disadvantage of being unable to specialize in ranged weapons is negated by the existence of magic throwing axes the sorcerer's "disadvantage" of limited known spells is negated by their ability to use wizard scrolls.

 

Very interesting concept you got there. What imo makes berserker the beastly kit that he is :

1) in BG1 there's no characters that can rival him in terms of sheer power/immunities

2) Rage fatigue is irrelevant since not much will survive 60 seconds bashing

3) with any kind of Free Action item equiped, the only way to at least partially stop him is Blinding him

4) and this is the most broken part of all - he has amazing dual-class potential.

 

Even if he could be prevented from using throwing weapons, it wouldn't really matter - a dualed Berserker makes any mage/cleric kit redundant, apart roleplaying reasons

Sorcerer is just so damn convinient to have, in addition to not being bothered to find/scribe scrolls. In BG1 he's a bit limited (slower progression for spell levels), but nothing prevents use of Wands which are far better for Fireballs than spells are anyway.