OBC detail descriptions

[Greenhorn]

I apologize if this is discussed before but I can't find detailed descriptions of OBC components, specifically giants receive penalties when attacking small folk ( I guess that is -4 THACO ), corrected summoned demon behavior, additional scrip fixes, additional alignment fixes and improved spell animations ( just when I looked in BG2 fix gallery I noticed that it changes burning hands to area spell ). I tried looking bg2fixpack/docs.php under OBC components but it just repeat it readme summary generic text. Full Optional But Cool documentation link under additional scrip fixes just point me at the beginning. Maybe those descriptions are listed in red in docs.php but I thought that it refers only to BETA Core fixes?

[Jarno Mikkola]

You perhaps were looking at the wrong document, here's a link for the correct.

 

Baldur's Gate II Fixpack Documentation: Optional But Cool
Party Gets XP for Sending Keldorn to Reconcile With Maria

In Keldorn's personal quest, if you go with Keldorn when he reconciles with Maria the party receives XP. However, if you send him alone to reconcile you do not--this component gives you XP for sending him alone to reconcile.
Improved Spell Animations

This component alters the animations of several spells, including Maze, by addressing subtle errors in their animation cycles.
Cromwell's Forging Actually Takes a Day

When Cromwell forges an item for the party, he says it will take a day but no actual time passes. This component changes the upgrades to actually take a day.
Mixed-Use Dagger Fixes

Daggers that can be used in melee and thrown are an irresolvable bug: when thrown, daggers should get an extra attack per round, but there's no way to apply this bonus without also granting it when he dagger is being used in melee. This component grants the extra attack but at the expense of removing melee abilities.
Ghreyfain's Holy Symbol Fixes

Basically, it makes the granting of Holy Symbols in the game a bit more logical. Aerie gets the symbol of Baervan, Viconia gets the symbol of Shar, and Anomen gains the symbol of Helm even when lawful good (he used to get Lathander's).
Additional Hero Quests in Trademeet Wait Until Hero is Officially Named (DEPRECATED)

This was confirmed by BioWare as an actual bug and has been moved into the core fixes.
Giants Receive Penalties When Attacking Halflings, Dwarves, and Gnomes

This component gives giants their P&P penalty when trying to attack undersized (halflings, dwarves, gnomes) foes.
Remove Dual-Classing Restriction from Archers and Stalkers

In Throne of Bhaal, archers and stalkers can't dual-class to clerics as normal rangers and beastmasters can; for consistency Core Fixes adds this restriction to SoA-only games as well. This component will remove the restriction.
Remove Second Attribute Bonus for Evil Path in Wrath Hell Trial

If the protagonist selects the 'evil' option when speaking to Sarevok in the Hell Trials, the PC gets rewarded twice with attribute bonuses. There are several factors that suggest one of the bonuses is leftover junk in the script, but there's not enough evidence of developer intent to include it in the Core Fixes.
Corrected Summoned Demon Behavior

This component alters the AI of summoned demons, causing them to behave less predictably, but at the same time, more realistically (i.e. Baatezu will attack Tanar'ri).
Additional Script Fixes

There are several additional scripting errors which can't be fixed by the core fixes. While clearly bugs, what was intended by the developers is more towards speculation and, as such, these fixes have been moved into their own component. Most of the bugs are missing checks in spellcaster scripts for memorized spells (or casting spells). A more detailed account of the changes can be found in the full Optional But Cool documentation.
Bard Song Fixes

The manual describes bard's Battlesong as granting "morale and luck improvement for the party." And then goes on to describe a luck bonus for the party as though it were a luck penalty for opponents. And then in-game battlesong grants only immunity to fear (without preventing the additional effects that can accompany fear) with no morale or luck effects at all. Our best educated guess at developer intent adds a +1 luck bonus to battlesong, which improves to +2 at 15th level and improves again to +3 at 20th level. Blade's version of battlesong in this component still does not improve with levels (as the class disadvantage states) and Skald and Jester songs (which already vaguely match their descriptions and work) are untouched.
Wizard Slayers Cause Miscast Magic on Ranged Attacks

The original kit description of the Wizard Slayer states as a kit advantage: "For each successful hit on an opponent, 10% cumulative spell failure penalty is applied". However, it was only applying this effect on melee hits. The Core Fixes do not change this and the Game Text Update clarifies the kit description to specify melee-only. This component allows players to extend the ability to both melee and ranged attacks and updates the kit description.
Additional Alignment Fixes

As part of the Core Fixes, the Fixpack addresses many creatures who either lack alignment, have conflicting alignments between their creature files, or have an alignment completely at odds with their behavior. These changes underwent a great deal of scrutiny in an organized review, and it was decided that some of them should be moved into an optional component as there was no general consensus for the new alignments of these specific creatures.
Change Free Action to Protect Against Stun

BioWare was very inconsistent about whether free action should protect against stun or not. The spell did not protect against it, but most items that grant free action did. However, per David Gaider, free action is not supposed to protect against stun. For players who think this overpowers stun (particularly mind flayer psionics) this component will extend free action to protect against stun.
Paws from Shapeshifting Can Not Be Dispelled

Windows-only, requires TobEx
Dispel magic will no longer remove the paws of shapeshifted creatures.
Remove Thieving Start Bonuses from Bard and Ranger Skills

All thieving skills use one lookup table to determine their racial bonuses for their abilities. However, the table is actually a combination of racial bonuses and initial thieving abilities. This component seeks to remove the initial thief bonuses from non-thief classes. Specifically, bards will no longer receive a 15% bonus to their pickpocket skills, and rangers will not receive the 7% bonus to stealth.

 

[Greenhorn]

But, umm... that is exactly document that I'm talking about. In which way exactly is demon AI altered ( like detailed and accurate description of demon P&P component of aTweaks ), where is more detailed account of the changes that can be found in the full Optional But Cool documentation of Additional Script Fixes ( not under OBC documentation I assure you ), what creatures are modified by Additional Alignment Fixes? Maybe these details are lost on some dead link?

[Jarno Mikkola]

In which way exactly is demon AI altered

The vanilla scripts are changed by compiling altered ones that "causing them to behave less predictably, but at the same time, more realistically (i.e. Baatezu will attack Tanar'ri)."

Aka they check if there's other kinds of demon/devil kin and attack them if they are not the same kinds as the priority target.

 

 

what creatures are modified by Additional Alignment Fixes? Maybe these details are lost on some dead link?

Nope, they are just in the .tp2 file. You can open it with any text editor, like the Notepad for example.

 

// alignment corrections from Oversight

COPY_EXISTING ~garkid01.cre~ ~override~ // Iltha

~garkid02.cre~ ~override~ // Taar

~alex.cre~ ~override~ // Sir Beverus

PATCH_IF (SOURCE_SIZE > 0x2d3) THEN BEGIN // protects against invalid files

WRITE_BYTE 0x27b 17 // alignment: lawful good

END

BUT_ONLY_IF_IT_CHANGES

 

// alignment corrections from Oversight

COPY_EXISTING ~acolyte3.cre~ ~override~ // Watchknight Aabir

~bdact05.cre~ ~override~ // Zaren

~bdhigg01.cre~ ~override~ // Higgold

~gftown01.cre~ ~override~ // Commoner

~gmtown02.cre~ ~override~ // Commoner

~helmbyr.cre~ ~override~ // Acolyte Byron

~helmkni1.cre~ ~override~ // Shield Knight

~helmpr.cre~ ~override~ // Sir Lothtyran

~prophelm.cre~ ~override~ // Shield Knight

~sctelwyn.cre~ ~override~ // Guardian Telwyn

PATCH_IF (SOURCE_SIZE > 0x2d3) THEN BEGIN // protects against invalid files

WRITE_BYTE 0x27b 18 // alignment: lawful neutral

END

BUT_ONLY_IF_IT_CHANGES

 

// alignment corrections from Oversight

COPY_EXISTING ~amtgen01.cre~ ~override~ // Jamis Tombelthen

~bounha.cre~ ~override~ // Bounty Hunter

~bounha04.cre~ ~override~ // Bounty Hunter

~jade2.cre~ ~override~ // Thenry

~jade3.cre~ ~override~ // Jeremon

PATCH_IF (SOURCE_SIZE > 0x2d3) THEN BEGIN // protects against invalid files

WRITE_BYTE 0x27b 19 // alignment: lawful evil

END

BUT_ONLY_IF_IT_CHANGES

 

// alignment corrections from Oversight

COPY_EXISTING ~jarev1.cre~ ~override~ // Harper

PATCH_IF (SOURCE_SIZE > 0x2d3) THEN BEGIN // protects against invalid files

WRITE_BYTE 0x27b 50 // alignment: chaotic neutral

END

BUT_ONLY_IF_IT_CHANGES

 

// alignment corrections from Oversight

COPY_EXISTING ~priss.cre~ ~override~ // Priss

~rumar.cre~ ~override~ // Rumar

~victown1.cre~ ~override~ // Commoner

~victown2.cre~ ~override~ // Commoner

~victown3.cre~ ~override~ // Nobleman

~drow07.cre~ ~override~ // Drow Priestess

PATCH_IF (SOURCE_SIZE > 0x2d3) THEN BEGIN // protects against invalid files

WRITE_BYTE 0x27b 51 // alignment: chaotic evil

END

 

[Greenhorn]

So, i.e. stands for " in another words " , not " for example" . One more valuable lesson in english. As for other questions I'll open .tp2. Thanks.

[Jarno Mikkola]

So, i.e. stands for " in another words " , not " for example" . One more valuable lesson in english.

Heh, it's actually Latin "that is( to say)"... not that I know the significant difference in the use of the three. ... other than I usually use: "in another words, for example" as a transition...

 

You probably were just a little over looking the fact that the "fix" doesn't need to be a huge one, and you might overlook all of these unless something specific happens. And the Optional But Cool components were build from the bases of opinions made by the Fixpack coders(yes, plural)... some that are based on opinions that can't strictly be justified by some merit to all the mod makers. Or some such history. And so some of them can be argued to be more like tweaks instead of fixes.

[Greenhorn]

 

 

You probably were just a little over looking the fact that the "fix" doesn't need to be a huge one, and you might overlook all of these unless something specific happens. And the Optional But Cool components were build from the bases of opinions made by the Fixpack coders(yes, plural)... some that are based on opinions that can't strictly be justified by some merit to all the mod makers. Or some such history. And so some of them can be argued to be more like tweaks instead of fixes.

 

Yes, that seems to be the case, judging from what I see in tp2. file, I was driven by the curiosity for future references, right now I plan to install BG2 fix and some chosen OBC components before Epic endeavors TC. I'm just itching to see what that uber Reaver kit can do and is it too much unbalanced for normal BGT playthrough. Still, it wouldn't hurt that these things are little better documented for guys like me who like to see what exactly they are installing, especially because I'm almost sure that these things were listed in detail in earlier versions of BG2 fixpack...