Ascension Mod
Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2001 5:02 pm
I posted this topic under SoA originally, not realizing that the new mod was ToB-specific. Let's start off discussion with Quitch's repost of the mod's contents:
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I have been testing Ascension while running the Baldurdash ToB fixpack, and have had no problems.
It makes changes to the Pocket Plane, the Balthazar battle and encounter, and the Throne of Bhaal. It also replaces the dialog.tlk file.
I sent the news to Buck, and having worked on the MOD myself I think I about covered everything, but if you want to know *detailed* information about the MOD. Here is a bit from the readme.
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******MOD SPOILERS*****
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3.0 What Does 'the Ascension' Do, Exactly?
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The mod mostly affects the end part of the game, starting at the very end of Chapter 9 when you meet with Balthazar and climaxing at the site of the ascension in the Throne of Bhaal. In case you are planning on re-playing the whole expansion, you should be aware of a couple of things that affect the game beyond this section:
1) The Slayer form that the player picks up in Spellhold all the way back in BG2 now upgrades. It does so when you exceed 2 million, 4 million and 6 million XP. The upgrades get considerably stronger and deadlier, and one big change you will notice is that occasionally you will lose control over yourself. The Slayer can sometimes go berserk and will attack the nearest target...this can last one round or go on for several...although there will always be a respite in the very last round before you take too much damage. The last upgrade gives the player the option to become the Ravager...the ultimate incarnation of murder...which is incredibly powerful but also the most difficult form to control. Once the mod is installed, these upgrades are available in both BG2 and ToB.
2) Imoen and Sarevok have some dialogues with the PC in ToB that are fairly important. For Imoen, it involves her growing taint and she gets some Bhaalspawn abilities. For Sarevok, it involves the chance of him changing alignment. In ToB these were completely random...but since their stories come up in the Ascension, I thought it was important that these be seen. There are now event-based timers that will spur Imoen and Sarevok to speak their dialogues if they haven't already done so. If you play through the game, you will get them all very naturally. If, however, you load up the mod and you have played through the game and NOT gotten them here's the warning...if you wait a minute they will start speaking all of their dialogues with about 15 seconds in-between. It might seem a bit rapid-fire, but at least you'll have seen them.
3) For those who have picked up the mod where the Bhaalspawn powers that the player obtains after the challenges in ToB were put back in, this mod contains them as well. After each challenge in the pocket plane you will receive extra abilities. If you're loading up a saved game from before you installed, this will not occur. If you don't want it, it's not really a big deal: delete the AR4500.bcs file from your Override directory.
4) This mod replaces in full the Improved Balthazar mod. The new Balthazar is probably just as powerful...but a lot smarter and less cheesy...that is, if you fight him.
If you have an appropriate save game, the best place to start up the mod is right before you go into Balthazar's stronghold in Amkethran (after completing both Sendai's and Abazigal's enclave). If you're using your Final Save right before you go into Chapter 10, that's OK too...but you won't see any of the new dialogue with Balthazar from earlier.
The highlights of the Ascension, itself, are:
* extended Balthazar sequence: Balthazar has a lot more to discuss with you when you meet him in his stronghold. He's a Lawful Good monk determined to destroy Bhaal and his evil essence forever, even in himself...but, depending on your own nature, you may be able to talk him into forgoing a battle or even fighting Melissan at your side. This is, however, not an easy thing to do.
* Irenicus & Bodhi: if you've read the 'thanks' column, you may have come across mention of Irenicus and Bodhi and thought 'what the?!'. Don't worry, it will all make sense. And for those of you who wouldn't think of pairing up with a goody two-shoes pansy like Balthazar, there's another opportunity for an ally in the final battle here, as well.
* a totally redone final battle: the battle at the Throne of Bhaal has been completely redone, from start to finish. Gone are the Elemental Princes and the multiple battles with Melissan and her Slayer Shadows. Melissan has been completely re-done, and the allies she brings to bear against you make this a whole new fight.
* scaleable AI: I wish I could remove the things where the Difficulty slider actually changes the rules of the game. Easy still makes everyone do half damage, and Insane still makes everyone do double damage. Nothing I can do about that. What I have done, however, is scaled the AI more according to the difficulty level. Core is about as difficult as one can get and still have the true D&D rules. If tough battles aren't your thing, set it to Normal or Easy...you will face less opponents and they will have access to less of their powers and spells (or use them less often). If you want a bigger challenge, try Hard or Insane...it will set you against more opponents who do greater damage and less resources to work with.
* better AI: a lot of work has gone into the AI of the opponents you'll face. You can often disrupt their spells, but they'll work at preventing you from being able to. They are still immune to stuff that's appropriate, but the stuff they aren't immune to they will try and deal with when you use it on them. They'll target appropriate opponents with the appropriate attacks and generally use their abilities wisely. Melissan is still a power-house...but she's practically a demigod...the fight against her this time is much more tactical and you've got to figure out how to weaken her before you can take her down.
* some new epilogues: not all of the epilogues have changed, but some of them have been lengthened to what they had been originally written as. A couple have changed completely, and a few new ones have been added.
************************************
I have been testing Ascension while running the Baldurdash ToB fixpack, and have had no problems.
It makes changes to the Pocket Plane, the Balthazar battle and encounter, and the Throne of Bhaal. It also replaces the dialog.tlk file.
I sent the news to Buck, and having worked on the MOD myself I think I about covered everything, but if you want to know *detailed* information about the MOD. Here is a bit from the readme.
*
*
*
******MOD SPOILERS*****
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
3.0 What Does 'the Ascension' Do, Exactly?
------------------------------------------
The mod mostly affects the end part of the game, starting at the very end of Chapter 9 when you meet with Balthazar and climaxing at the site of the ascension in the Throne of Bhaal. In case you are planning on re-playing the whole expansion, you should be aware of a couple of things that affect the game beyond this section:
1) The Slayer form that the player picks up in Spellhold all the way back in BG2 now upgrades. It does so when you exceed 2 million, 4 million and 6 million XP. The upgrades get considerably stronger and deadlier, and one big change you will notice is that occasionally you will lose control over yourself. The Slayer can sometimes go berserk and will attack the nearest target...this can last one round or go on for several...although there will always be a respite in the very last round before you take too much damage. The last upgrade gives the player the option to become the Ravager...the ultimate incarnation of murder...which is incredibly powerful but also the most difficult form to control. Once the mod is installed, these upgrades are available in both BG2 and ToB.
2) Imoen and Sarevok have some dialogues with the PC in ToB that are fairly important. For Imoen, it involves her growing taint and she gets some Bhaalspawn abilities. For Sarevok, it involves the chance of him changing alignment. In ToB these were completely random...but since their stories come up in the Ascension, I thought it was important that these be seen. There are now event-based timers that will spur Imoen and Sarevok to speak their dialogues if they haven't already done so. If you play through the game, you will get them all very naturally. If, however, you load up the mod and you have played through the game and NOT gotten them here's the warning...if you wait a minute they will start speaking all of their dialogues with about 15 seconds in-between. It might seem a bit rapid-fire, but at least you'll have seen them.
3) For those who have picked up the mod where the Bhaalspawn powers that the player obtains after the challenges in ToB were put back in, this mod contains them as well. After each challenge in the pocket plane you will receive extra abilities. If you're loading up a saved game from before you installed, this will not occur. If you don't want it, it's not really a big deal: delete the AR4500.bcs file from your Override directory.
4) This mod replaces in full the Improved Balthazar mod. The new Balthazar is probably just as powerful...but a lot smarter and less cheesy...that is, if you fight him.
If you have an appropriate save game, the best place to start up the mod is right before you go into Balthazar's stronghold in Amkethran (after completing both Sendai's and Abazigal's enclave). If you're using your Final Save right before you go into Chapter 10, that's OK too...but you won't see any of the new dialogue with Balthazar from earlier.
The highlights of the Ascension, itself, are:
* extended Balthazar sequence: Balthazar has a lot more to discuss with you when you meet him in his stronghold. He's a Lawful Good monk determined to destroy Bhaal and his evil essence forever, even in himself...but, depending on your own nature, you may be able to talk him into forgoing a battle or even fighting Melissan at your side. This is, however, not an easy thing to do.
* Irenicus & Bodhi: if you've read the 'thanks' column, you may have come across mention of Irenicus and Bodhi and thought 'what the?!'. Don't worry, it will all make sense. And for those of you who wouldn't think of pairing up with a goody two-shoes pansy like Balthazar, there's another opportunity for an ally in the final battle here, as well.
* a totally redone final battle: the battle at the Throne of Bhaal has been completely redone, from start to finish. Gone are the Elemental Princes and the multiple battles with Melissan and her Slayer Shadows. Melissan has been completely re-done, and the allies she brings to bear against you make this a whole new fight.
* scaleable AI: I wish I could remove the things where the Difficulty slider actually changes the rules of the game. Easy still makes everyone do half damage, and Insane still makes everyone do double damage. Nothing I can do about that. What I have done, however, is scaled the AI more according to the difficulty level. Core is about as difficult as one can get and still have the true D&D rules. If tough battles aren't your thing, set it to Normal or Easy...you will face less opponents and they will have access to less of their powers and spells (or use them less often). If you want a bigger challenge, try Hard or Insane...it will set you against more opponents who do greater damage and less resources to work with.
* better AI: a lot of work has gone into the AI of the opponents you'll face. You can often disrupt their spells, but they'll work at preventing you from being able to. They are still immune to stuff that's appropriate, but the stuff they aren't immune to they will try and deal with when you use it on them. They'll target appropriate opponents with the appropriate attacks and generally use their abilities wisely. Melissan is still a power-house...but she's practically a demigod...the fight against her this time is much more tactical and you've got to figure out how to weaken her before you can take her down.
* some new epilogues: not all of the epilogues have changed, but some of them have been lengthened to what they had been originally written as. A couple have changed completely, and a few new ones have been added.
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