Any hope on character editor?

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With the first patch out of the way and the very good Co8 patch.. and a 2nd patch on the horizon.. does anyone think that there might be a good working character editor developed soon..for those of us who are programming challenged and maybe make a mistake on our characters?

[ March 01, 2004, 09:21: Message edited by: Taluntain ]

 

Very good question...I would like them to release something akin to 'Dale Keeper'. I have a simple one that you can use but it only goes as far as feats and skills. No complete editor, But its pretty good for the beginning of a new game or party.

 

I could program one, if there was enough interest, but then the game isn't as popular as the BG2/IWD ones or even Neverwinter Nights, so I'm not sure it's worth the effort.

Incidentally, what would you prefer - plain Win32, Java or .NET?

 

You mean the current character editor that is there? Nothing wrong with it except that its incomplete...(and it only works with the generated characters) it might be handy to have one that would allow you to edit the save games and the characters in them.


@anduin I really liked the keeper character editors for the BG series.. if something like that could be done it would be great.

@drowling I have no preference for run type. Maybe NOT .net though.. not everyone has that installed..
(I had downloaded something the other day that required it and I had to go through the 20+ mb download to get all the required files to run it)
I think it would be a safe bet that pretty much anyone who uses the net has java runtime files installed... they've more then likely gone to a site requiring them by now. But if you really want ot be on the safe side then win32 would be the safest bet I suppose.
Should you feel ambitious though, i'd take it in any form

[ January 24, 2004, 04:27: Message edited by: kellinjar ]

 

Win32, Java's too slow.

 

@kellinjar: Don't tempt me, or it'll be in DirectX (or, worse, OpenGL)!

No, I figure WTL will do. But what features do you all actually want, in addition to the ones provided by the editor here at SP? (a list would be nice)

 

well i'm sure you've seen the ones that were available for the BG series...
But basically I want to be able to edit a save game... a levle 1 character I can always reroll...
I'd like to be able to modify all stats, HPs, exp, level, spells, feats, skill point allocation,
maybe even race of character unless it would cause crashes or something because an avatar has already been generated.
I don't think inventory is an absolute necessity or anything, since most items are crafted and not found. For me the big deal is feats and skills, but the rest of the things would help flush out the editor so it'd be more useful to everyone.

 

I too am eagerly awaiting an editor for TOEE! Or even just a money cheat that works would help!

 

BG/IW series are (were) popular BECAUSE the use(d) the latets DnD rules.
all RPG players are skipping the old games that are using old rules.

only thing i want from a editor is a way to edit spell lists.

 

what are YOU babling about?
yes, TToE uses 3.5 rules.
yes. TToE uses the latest rules.
no, NWN/BG dont use the latest rules.
no, they are not popular in hard core players because they use old rule sets.

let me try again

BG/IW series were popular BECAUSE the used the latets DnD rules but now TToE uses the latest rules (well at least it tries).

 

Actually the BG series were popular because it has a brilliant storyline, well developed characters, intelligent combat, easy(ish) to mod engine and well known world setting.

The rules for Baldur's Gate play a minor role, people still play the game despite the outdated rules because of the storyline and modding community.

The IWD series were popular for their hack'n'slash gameplay, interesting story set in a famous part of Faerun, reliable game engine and being strong links to the Baldur's Gate staff (who had a good reputation from the BG series). IWD2 was interesting because it was the first Infinity Engine game to use 3rd edition rules and people were looking forward to enjoying the hefty level 30 cap, subraces all in their favourite dangerous winter-wonderland.

ToEE lacks all of those. It's strong point is the 3.5e rules and maybe the shiny 3d graphics. Hardcore, oldschool D&D players might enjoy the nostalgia brought on by the setting and title.

Also, Tal never said that NWN/BG use the 'latest' rules set, he said they used the 3e/2e (respectivly) rules sets.

Tal never said anything about the games being popular or the reasons for their popularity.

 

the story is limited only by game mechanins, the hack'n'slash is build up game mechanins, character are made by the game mechanics rules, the game engine is build around game mechanics rules but it can still be full of bugs as it is now.

so base of the line.
game mechanics set the maximum you can give by the game, while coders try to fill up this hole.

NWN, BG all lack of the true DnD rule following.
they all are freaky combos about old DnD rules and click-feast.

the stories of the games are realy not that fancy.
TToE has the best story but it is the worst playable.

TToE is the most closest thing there is for a RPG gamer and that is something that all have been waiting for.
if someone could just kill the bugs and improve the game to fill more the 3.5 DnD rules, it would be a abolute hit.

play DnD when every YOU want and not have to hagle with 3-7 other person about their time table.
TToE comes closest to this but is bit far still.
but not as nearly far away as NWN and BG.

 

Sadly I must disagree with many of your comments.

Story is limited by development time and effort placed on plot.
Hack'n'slash is a combat oriented game.
Characters are developed with the story and plot. Well made characters fit the plot and storyline.
Rules and bugs have next to nothing in common. A bug can occur when a developer does not impliment a rule in the correct way. Most bugs were screwups with the engine, graphics and shutdowns.

BG was a great game (check the reviews, sales and the fact that people still play it and make mods for it years after its release) and was not a click-fest since there are no advantages that can only be gained by having a steady mouse hand.

ToEE has a pathetic story. Adventurers form a party. Arrive at town that's plagued by nasty happenings. Find out old temple is cause of happenings. Run in, kill people inside temple, stop bad things happening to town. Game over.
BG's plot and storyline spanned 4 games because it was so developed and it was set in a world that many people enjoy far more than Greyhawk.

ToEE does have the closest connection to current D&D rules but I doubt fixing the bugs will make it a great game. People enjoy playing higher levels, having a more developed storyline and playing a character that isn't your 'run-of-the-mill' adventurer with no history.

 

I am certainly no D&D expert but I would have to support Abomination's comments purely on my(not overly scientific but reasonably effective) analysis that all of the Baldur's Gate message boards here are full of people playing and commenting on the Baldur's Gate games, whereas the Temple of Elemental Evil board is sparsely populated with a few people who are mostly just complaining about the game. That tells me that Baldur's Gate is a popular game with the people here and Temple of Elemental Evil is an unpopular one. Plus, I'm not sure who these 'hard-core gamers' are that would really love ToEE, but I know there are some serious D&D experts floating around these Boards (whose wisdom I defer to in these matters) and they all seem to agree that ToEE is an inferior piece of software.

Without the support, you are unlikely to get a large community of people continually updating mods and editors for it.

 

well the hardore DnD players are at boards1.wizards.com talking about the real game and commenting at the metagame side about TToE.

BG/NWN was build following loosely DnD rules, resulting to diablo like players to absorb the game easier thus having huge player crowd.

TToE was build from the DnD rules by following them much more than any BG or NWN resulting to that you could not just start the game and play it trough without saving (been there, done that).

i dont realy know how to out this in to words.
BG was nice click-fest that was made like bad DnD rule cloning rule mechanincs.
TToE follows so to-the-letter DnD rules that you realy have to think while playing thus it propalby won't get as big success from players that are used for much simpler gaming but HC DnD players are waiting mods and stuff to get max out of it.

strange that you can say BG has better story as it has longer story line and it was "set in a world that many people enjoy far more than Greyhawk".
First of all, TToE is the FIRST part of the story just like BG is the FIRST part of the story. you can't compare four different games stories against one.
Secondly, FR is BASED on Grey. not the otherway around.

and personally the whole BG story was like a 13 year olds first DnD story. "ok you are son of baal and have some neat abilites like cure light wounds and stuff but you dont know it. next your "dad" is killed and you go see some friends of him while leaving your dad to die. next you should go to there and there to do that and this if you want to get on in the story".
your character is a damn half-god and it appears as a cure or inflict spells? Rriight. What a character turn out. what a story twist.
you realy could feel the freedom to choose at those story twists.
no, i'm not saying TToE is much better in this part but at least it tries.

i would realy see those "Experts" comments beucase majority at DnD forums are saying that TToE is the best DnD rules based game there is.
BG/NWN migth be nice _games_ but they real hit the crap when talking about DnD rule _following_ games.

btw:
talk was about character editor, drowling said he would do one but only if the game was more popular, i pointed out that it is but you might not see it as majority of the TToE players are not talking about the game here but at official game mechanics forum on witch the game is based on.
so there IS demand for a charcter editor and for mods, thus drowling could make a one, resulting to that there is hope for character editors.
so where is the off-topic?

[off-topic]
bah.
seems that im fighting against windmills here as i value much more that the game follows the rules and you can realy play max out of the character, than the game looks like SOTA or it can be played wihout reading the manual.
what_ever.
i have all BG's and NWN's at bookselve waiting for a mod that would change them to 3.5 rules.
why im waiting them?
let me quote WizO_Catoblepas from the official boards: "3.0 is thing of the past. get over it."
why would i play a character that i cant convert to/from 3.5 rules? to geting history trips? no way...
i get back to Ultimate 3.5e Sorcerer Spell Thread and get back here after my walktrough in TToE is ready.

Edit: typo

 

Thanx, maybe you could delete those junk posts so we could focus on the matter at hand?

[Just ignore them. I'd have to delete all the ones referring to his as well if I did that.] -Tal

[ March 01, 2004, 09:19: Message edited by: Taluntain ]