Aerie, Haer'Dalis Romance Bug?

[DavidNowlin]

Is there anything in the romance cheats portion of the Tweak pack that would cause Haer'Dalis not to try to woo Aerie? I've spent a lot of time with the two of them together in the party and I've gotten to the right stage of the Aerie romance, but HD just won't make his move. Any thoughts?

[berelinde]

Any of the Happy Patch variations will block the Aerie-Haer'Dalis romance.

[DavidNowlin]

Any of the Happy Patch variations will block the Aerie-Haer'Dalis romance.

 

Ahhh... yes. The happy patch. The same thing that kept Dynaheir from frying Edwin. <sigh>

 

Happy Patch, I will be avenged!

[DavidNowlin]

Addendum:

 

I really liked everything else that came with this mod, but the happy patch sort of screwed me on two things I wanted to do (watch my little NPCs dance the dance of death, and get rid of Aerie and Haer'Dalis... while still getting to tell myself they're happier for it). Which is depressing because I really like the main thing the happy patch does. Ie, allow me to get a 20 rep without losing Vicky or Sharteel, or whoever.

 

Does anyone know if there's an easy way (with near infinity or something) to change the reputation break point to like 21 or something? You know, so it'll never happen? ...without, btw, affecting the other stuff, like NPC on NPC violence and the HD/Aerie romance?

[berelinde]

I'd like a happy patch that would disable reputation-based desertions, but would leave NPC conflicts alone, myself. I've modified the happy patch tweak to allow this locally, but that involves tp2 editing, and I'm not sure you want to do that. If I'm wrong, and you do, I can tell you how. Mind you, if you go this route, Keldorn and Viccy are going to come to blows, unless you use the version of IEP Banters that allows alternate resolutions for intraparty conflict.

[DavidNowlin]

...that involves tp2 editing, and I'm not sure you want to do that. If I'm wrong, and you do, I can tell you how.

 

I have just begun my first foray into the fast-paced and exciting world of tp2 editing (I'm writing my own portrait pack). So I may be able to handle it. Mind: I'm a total noob at this stuff, so speak slowly and use small words.

 

And I'm fine with Keldorn and Viccy fighting. I really don't mind when NPCs have problems with each other. I just don't like it when they have problems with me. If I know a fight is coming, I can plan for it. And if I want to avoid it, I'm not terrible at finding the right variable or timer and tweaking it with SK.

 

So say on, dear lady (or.. uh... sir. I'm going by the avatar image here) and I'll give it a go.

[berelinde]

Lines 8088 and 8089:

 

// remove NPC conflicts
INCLUDE ~BG2_Tweaks/lib/happy.tpa~

 

Comment out the second line

// remove NPC conflicts
//INCLUDE ~BG2_Tweaks/lib/happy.tpa~

 

Reinstall the mod.

[the bigg]

Alternatively, you can make a component that removes the real conflicts but leaves the Haer Dalis romance (as it is NOT a party breaking conflict).

[Gorilym]

Alternatively, you can make a component that removes the real conflicts but leaves the Haer Dalis romance (as it is NOT a party breaking conflict).

Sounds like something for a future version of the Tweak Pack - if there ever is one.

[DavidNowlin]

Comment out the second line

// remove NPC conflicts
//INCLUDE ~BG2_Tweaks/lib/happy.tpa~

 

Reinstall the mod.

 

That seems easy enough. I was hoping that by looking at the code I could see something I could sort of read... at least well enough to know that it was going to do what I want it to, but it's greek to me. You're sure that this happy.tpa is the problem and not something in the rest of the code in there? I guess I can try it and then run and get Dynaheir and Edwin and test it out.

 

Then again, I still don't really understand what's going on with these conflicts at all. I read a webpage about them at Sorcerer's Place (which was the only one I could find) and all it tells me is something to the effect of "if you have x and y in your party, there's a chance that they'll fight each other". I've spent all day at it and I can't figure out how to increase or decrease that chance or even how to tell what goes into it.

 

I looked at the Jaheira/Khalid vs. Xzar/Monty stuff till my eyes crossed and I still can't get them to fight, no matter how much I AdvanceRealTime or hold down ctrl-t to advance the game clock. I'm just about to give up on them (except the Dynaheir vs Edwin conflict, which I think is the only one that's 100% certain to occur eventually).

 

...sigh.

 

The other thing I was hoping to do (if I could figure out how reputation checks work) was modify the Shar-Teel romance so that you can start and complete it without having to randomly kill a peasant every couple days. I think I'm making progress on it... sort of. I found out, using Infinity Explorer, that there's a script called "Sharteel" that has the following code:

 

IF
!Global("endofbg1","GLOBAL",2)
Global("X#SharMatch","GLOBAL",0)
CheckStatGT(Player1,10,CHR)
CheckStatGT(Player1,10,STR)
Gender(Player1,MALE)
!Alignment(Player1,MASK_GOOD)
!Alignment(Player1,LAWFUL_NEUTRAL)
!Race(Player1,HALFLING)
ReputationLT(Player1,10)
THEN
RESPONSE #100
	RealSetGlobalTimer("X#SharInterestTime","GLOBAL",TWENTY_MINUTES)
	SetGlobal("X#SharMatch","GLOBAL",1)
END

 

I'm pretty sure this code means:

If it's still BG1

If x#sharmatch is zero

If the PC has a charisma of 10 or above

If the PC has a strength of 10 or above

If the PC is male

If the PC is not good aligned

If the PC is not lawful neutral

If the PC is not a halfling

If the PC has a reputation between 1 and 10

then start the romance.

 

Easy.

 

Seems like all I'd need to do is change the line about reputation to make it 1,20 instead of 1,10 and I'm rollin' in puppies. But I can't figure out how to find (much less edit) this file in near infinity, and I don't know if infinity explorer actually edits anything.

 

Again I say... sigh.

 

Anybody care to take a newbie by the hand?

 

//////EDIT//////

 

Doncha just hate it when you spend ten minutes typing out a question on a forum and then you find the answer ten seconds later?

 

I now know that the script is a .bcs file and I can find the correct code using DLTCEP. I'm still just a little bit scared to modify it though. Do I have a pretty good understanding of what this code is doing here? If I change that one digit (making it a 20 instead of a 10), that is going to do what I want it to, right? Just make it so that the romance starts no matter what your rep is?

 

And another thing: What if I wanted to do this romance as a lawful neutral character (if I have to pick between Shar-Teel and my ferret, I'm picking my ferret)? Could I just take out the "!Alignment(Player1,LAWFUL_NEUTRAL)" line? Would that remove the condition?

[berelinde]

The only thing worse than typing out your question only to find it already answered is typing out your answer only to find that the question has changed. (looks for foot-tapping smiley)

 

Yes, I suppose you could do that with DLTCEP, though I never tried it. Usually, I just make the changes to the code and reinstall the mod.

 

That isn't the only script block that controls the romance, though. There's going to be another that puts the romance on hold if ever your romance rises above 10. I don't know where that is in DLTCEP.

 

And that would probably work with the LN thing, though you really are romancing her with an unsuitable character. When you get to know her better, you'll see what I mean.

 

As for what's contained in happy.tph or whatever it was, it's probably just a lot of code that looks like this:

 

 

DECOMPILE_BCS_TO_BAF

REPLACE FOO etc, etc

 

It probably won't make much sense unless you're used to working with code.

[DavidNowlin]

The only thing worse than typing out your question only to find it already answered is typing out your answer only to find that the question has changed. (looks for foot-tapping smiley)

 

Sorry. (looks for embarrassed sm... oh, here it is)

 

Usually, I just make the changes to the code and reinstall the mod.

 

I think I'll give it a try and see if it works. Worst case scenario is I have to reinstall, and since I'm not very far along, and I'm getting pretty close to finally getting the game the way I want it, I probably won't mind.

 

 

That isn't the only script block that controls the romance, though.

 

Yeah, I know. But I figure I can search for all the instances of "reputationlt(1,10)" and get pretty close. If the romance stalls, I'll know I missed one.

 

...you really are romancing her with an unsuitable character. When you get to know her better, you'll see what I mean.

 

I'm sure you're right. But it's the only romance I haven't done at this point and I really just wanna see how it goes. I've never been able to stomach playing an evil game, though, so this is my work-around. I've tried playing evil several times, but I always realize I'm really playing a good game anyway and I end up just stopping in the middle.

 

Anyway, thanks for the advice and thanks for that original fix with the happy patch.

[berelinde]

If you are looking through the uncompiled script, you should look for

 

ReputationLT(Player1,10)

 

and

 

!ReputationLT(Player1,10)

 

Script looks different after it's compiled.

[DavidNowlin]

I'm really not sure what compiling means. I do know that after I edited and saved the script with DLTCEP it said it was compiling and then it wouldn't open or read it anymore. That seems like it might be a problem.

 

Also, it didn't work. As near as I can tell that first love-talk when you rest in Mutamin's Garden (or whatever that area's called) triggers with same conditions as before. Low rep. No lawful neutral. Etc.

 

I think it's time to resign myself to the sad reality that Shar-Teel and I just aren't meant to be.

 

I mean, I can use SK to change my PC to one that works, but that seems like a huge chore to have to do over and over again for every lovetalk and starting a new game with a 'suitable' PC is worse.

 

I quote Commodus from Gladiator: It vexes me. I'm terribly vexed.

 

But I can live with it. She probably wouldn't have been happy in my party anyway and as far as I can tell all I'm missing out on is some funny dialogue and a get-outta-jail free card with Angelo.

 

I just checked. Near Infinity and Infinity Explorer won't read the Sharteel.bcs file either. Did I screw it up somehow? Do I need to do a reinstall?

[DavidNowlin]

Here's what bothers me about these NPC conflicts that I can't ever seem to trigger: They deliberately (it seems) make them attractive, and then at the same time they make them hard to do.

 

Here's what I mean.

 

All the people who have conflicts are either people I don't care about killing people I don't care about, or people I do care about killing people I don't care about. Like, Ajantis fights Viconia: Who cares. Make sure Vicky wins and you get rid of one really obnoxious paladin. Yeslick fights Kagain: So what? Nobody wins because they're both losers. Just kick out the one that's still standing and move on with your life. Dynaheir fights Edwin: This one I actually want to see because not only do I not mind losing Edwin, I actively want him to die. Same with Jaheira and Khalid vs. Xzar and Montaron. As long as Jaheira wins, I don't care that the other two get the axe. Shar-Teel v. Eldoth: again I have no preference. Tiax fights Quayle: Again, who cares? The only reason to avoid this one is because they both make cameos in SoA. See what I mean? As far as I'm concerned, as long as I make sure that the right person wins, there's no conflict (except perhaps Kivan v. Viconia) that costs me someone I want to keep. So I think they're a fun and amusing part of the game.

 

But at the same time, the thing that makes them cool, makes them untenable. First off, they appear to be random, which bothers me because I can't plan for it, and it looks like I can't even use cheats to accelerate it. And they take forever. So I have to walk around, map to map, quest to quest with a character I don't like, waiting for a chance to see a character I do like whack him.

 

And this isn't the only place where that happens. Everything NPC-dependent just takes forever. It's worse in SoA where you really have limited space in your party because something like 40 percent of the quests have an NPC that's required to complete them (or, at least, that might as well be required from a realistic RP perspective).

 

It's like the game designers just assume that you're going to start off with five NPCs and stick with those guys, through thick and thin, till the end of the game. If that's what you're supposed to do, why did they make so much NPC content that you'd never get to see?

 

I mean, am I crazy, (don't answer that), or does it seem like they actively decided to make it impossible to do everything (or even close to everything) in a single run-through?

 

Let's take a simple example. Let's say I want to end my game with the party that goes to Irenicus's Dungeon (Jaheira, Khalid, Imoen, Dynaheir, Minsc and the PC) so I decide to play the game the way the designers almost force you to play it. Get out of Candlekeep and pick up Imoen. Head to the Friendly Arm Inn (the last wish of your dead father) and pick up Jaheira and Khalid. Head to Nashkel (because Jaheira keeps nagging at you to do that) and run into Minsc. Minsc threatens you with violence if you don't pick up Dynaheir, so you head to the Gnoll stronghold.

 

I now have a full party. I can stick with those guys for the rest of the game, but if I do, I miss out on the Dynaheir/Edwin conflict, Coran's Wyverns, Eldoth's 'Rescue' of Skie, Branwen's Revenge on Tranzig, Kivan's Revenge on Tazok, etc, etc, etc, ad infinitum. So I say, Okay, well, I'll drop someone to have space for those things. Who are you gonna drop? Your childhood best friend and (apparently) half-sister? The guardians who swore to your foster father that they'd stick with you and protect you? The simple, but good-hearted Minsc (who happens to be one of my favorite characters, and I don't think I'm alone here)? The Rashemi witch who's pledged her life to your cause after you rescued her from certain death at the hands of the gnolls?

 

I suppose it's the mark of a good game that I care enough about the characters that I have trouble doing those things. But jeez. It would have killed them to let us have a seven-person party?