Opinions on The Fields of the Dead?

[Miloch]

I thought I had made it clear that I subscribe to P&P as far as FotD is concerned. If your history lessons and rulebook quotations are attempts to make me change my mind about the easter egg items, do not bother.

Well, the good thing about mods is you can separate the install into as many components as you like, including a separate one for item removal, for example. But that is also your choice. I tend to favour user flexibility rather than monolithic installs, even if I (as modder) don't agree with all the options flexible install choices provide.

 

Some folks have objected to items like diamonds, magical rings, in trees etc. as unrealistic. Not so at all - in medieval and prehistoric times, people would often stash their valuables in hidden caches if they thought they might be in danger from banditry etc. Well, it turns out they were in danger from banditry and often killed in the process, so the stashed items stayed where they were until someone found them by chance. Other times, "votive deposits" were made similarly as offerings to local deities (we could explain, perhaps, a pearl stashed in a farmer's field thus). I do think such items could be randomly placed within narrow parameters, since it *is* unrealistic that you'll always know where they are - not sure if something like Item Randomiser deals with it for the early (pre-BG2) game.

[Wisp]

not sure if something like Item Randomiser deals with it for the early (pre-BG2) game.

Only as far as addressing the sentiment that finding diamonds in trees (etc.) is unrealistic.

[Miloch]

Only as far as addressing the sentiment that finding diamonds in trees (etc.) is unrealistic.

Meaning what? Do you remove them or redistribute them? (I'd have to guess the latter, since it's called "Randomiser" not "Remover.") If so, then I guess you have in fact addressed it.

[chuft]

Realism in fantasy, lol.

 

Who's to say diamonds aren't found in trees? This is a world with Dryads. Where else would they keep their treasures?

[Echon]

Huh. I had subscribed to this thread but no emails were sent to tell me about the last posts here.

 

Anyway, Chuft, your account at PPG was approved the 6th this month. Are you sure you are using the right password?

 

FotD has been criticized before for not having optional components. I still believe that everything related to the P&P changes should be mandatory since this is the core of the mod. The next release will have optional components, though, most of which will be various tweaks. I might also make those early items optional.

[chuft]

Huh. I had subscribed to this thread but no emails were sent to tell me about the last posts here.

 

After the first one or two, I never got any emails from this site about discussions I am subscribed to. Seems to be a problem with this site software.

 

Anyway, Chuft, your account at PPG was approved the 6th this month. Are you sure you are using the right password?

 

I never received a followup email from PPG saying it was approved. Also I am copying and pasting the password from the original registration attempt email I received, so it should be the right password. Otherwise the email sent me the wrong password. Since it's the password I chose, it ought to be the right one. Login still doesn't work.

[Echon]

I have deleted the account. Try to register again.

[chuft]

Incidentally most of my P&P experience is with 1st Edition, which I like a lot more than 2nd edition, so to me, tweaks like "no restrictions on combining protection items" are actually P&P rules - they are just 1st edition P&P rules. In 1st edition, a magic ring or cloak of protection was always valuable, regardless of your armor, as magic items should be. A high level archmage could overcome a monster's magic resistance. A 20th level fireball did 20 dice of damage, it was not artificially capped at 10. Same with Magic Missile - an archmage and a mere wizard trading Magic Missiles was not just a contest of who had the highest Constitution/hit points, since the archmage could fire 9 or 10 missiles to the wizard's 5 or 6. In my opinion it was a better rules set and I wish there were more mod options that allowed 1st edition style play.

 

Even in BG1 I had monsters hitting Viconia (who had a -10 armor class) every round, not to mention killing Kagain (with 115 hit points and a -7 AC) in melee, so clearly the higher armor classes are needed even at the lower levels of the game. In BG2 AC is often irrelevant because you can't get it high enough for the monsters to ever miss you, due to the 2nd edition restrictions. I don't think 2nd edition works particularly well compared to 1st edition, so I like the choice to use what are essentially 1st edition rules to make the game more like it should be.

 

Does anyone know if they ever fixed Shield in BG2 so it blocks Magic Missiles? It was an essential defensive spell in a mage duel in P&P, since Magic Missiles would automatically go first and interrupt any higher level spells the superior mage would try to cast, due to their longer casting time.

[Echon]

If the 1st edition propaganda is directed at me you are wasting your time.

 

Yes, Shield protects you from Magic Missile.