1. SPS Accounts:
    Do you find yourself coming back time after time? Do you appreciate the ongoing hard work to keep this community focused and successful in its mission? Please consider supporting us by upgrading to an SPS Account. Besides the warm and fuzzy feeling that comes from supporting a good cause, you'll also get a significant number of ever-expanding perks and benefits on the site and the forums. Click here to find out more.
    Dismiss Notice
Dismiss Notice
You are currently viewing Boards o' Magick as a guest, but you can register an account here. Registration is fast, easy and free. Once registered you will have access to search the forums, create and respond to threads, PM other members, upload screenshots and access many other features unavailable to guests.

BoM cultivates a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. We have been aiming for quality over quantity with our forums from their inception, and believe that this distinction is truly tangible and valued by our members. We'd love to have you join us today!

(If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you've forgotten your username or password, click here.)

POLL: Randomizing program!

Discussion in 'BG2: Throne of Bhaal (Classic)' started by Sikret, Oct 29, 2006.

  1. Sikret Gems: 13/31
    Latest gem: Ziose


    Joined:
    Apr 21, 2006
    Messages:
    573
    Likes Received:
    4
    As you have read in the Robe of Vecna topic, I have randomize the robe's location in the game, which means that each time you start a new game the robe may be with a different enemy randomly. Here is a poll to see if the majority of players like this idea to be extended to other items or not. And if yes, which items they prefer most to be taken for this program. Some good items are already very well defended by improved enemies in Improved Anvil mod. Hence, I mostly prefer to concentrate on some good items which are too easily available in the game (mostly in shops). Since accopmplishing this randomazation program is a time-consuming modding task, I won't do it for all and every item in the game. I will pick a few items which will have the most votes in this poll. Every voter can vote for five items.

    Poll Information
    This poll contains 1 question(s). 38 user(s) have voted.
    You may not view the results of this poll without voting.

    Poll Results: Randomizing program! (38 votes.)

    Randomizing program! (Choose 5)
    * Aeger's Hide - 11% (4)
    * Armor of the Hart - 21% (8)
    * Belt of Inertial Barrier - 37% (14)
    * Blade of Roses - 37% (14)
    * Defender of Eastheaven - 29% (11)
    * Fortress Shield +3 - 34% (13)
    * Girdle of Hill Giant Strength - 47% (18)
    * Rod of Smiting - 5% (2)
    * Scarlet Ninja-to - 18% (7)
    * Short sword of Mask +4 - 39% (15)
    * Sling of Everard - 21% (8)
    * Staff of Rynn - 32% (12)
    * Tansheron's Short Bow +3 - 39% (15)
    * Forget it! I don't like this randomization idea at all. - 16% (6)
     
  2. Silverstar Gems: 31/31
    Latest gem: Rogue Stone


    Veteran

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2005
    Messages:
    4,050
    Likes Received:
    17
    Gender:
    Male
    I like the randomising idea! The more you do randomise, the better IMHO, it will give us a fresh air and we will have to devise new strategies and tactics. Not so-item dependent anymore! It is not their items what makes great heroesi you know?
     
  3. Decados

    Decados The Chosen One

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2006
    Messages:
    2,428
    Media:
    4
    Likes Received:
    18
    Oh, I don't know about that. My so-called heroes refuse to leave the inn if someone has misplaced their Girdle of Hill Giant Strength.

    And you should see the temper-tantrum that Anomen throws when someone hides his Flail of Ages.

    'Tis terrible, I tell you!
     
  4. Silverstar Gems: 31/31
    Latest gem: Rogue Stone


    Veteran

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2005
    Messages:
    4,050
    Likes Received:
    17
    Gender:
    Male
    Ofcourse it will hurt and weaken heroes when they do not have their best equipment, but...any commoner can wear the Girdle of STR and benefit from it. This does not make them a hero, though. It is not enough. So, it can be fun to play without some items we are used (or addicted to) to try something different.
     
  5. Sikret Gems: 13/31
    Latest gem: Ziose


    Joined:
    Apr 21, 2006
    Messages:
    573
    Likes Received:
    4
    @Decados

    What's your vote, then? Did you vote for last option or do you like this program in its generality?
     
  6. Decados

    Decados The Chosen One

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2006
    Messages:
    2,428
    Media:
    4
    Likes Received:
    18
    Hmm, I suppose it may have been difficult to pick up my true feelings from my rather ambiguous post.

    I can no longer remember exactly which 5 I selected, but I am in favour of randomisation- 'twould increase my interest in more play-throughs.
     
  7. Shaitan

    Shaitan Always forgive your enemies; it annoys them so

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2005
    Messages:
    1,323
    Likes Received:
    5
    just to get this poll on the top again
     
  8. Sikret Gems: 13/31
    Latest gem: Ziose


    Joined:
    Apr 21, 2006
    Messages:
    573
    Likes Received:
    4
    Yes, with this small number of voters (only 25 votes so far), I will not probably bother to pick more than two items to randomize their locations.

    Ah, and please note that adding this feature to the mod (though a great thing) will make it mandatory to start a new game, even if you already had a previous version of the mod.
     
  9. Silverstar Gems: 31/31
    Latest gem: Rogue Stone


    Veteran

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2005
    Messages:
    4,050
    Likes Received:
    17
    Gender:
    Male
    So the mod will not work properly if you do not start a game, OR only random item compnent will be botched?
     
  10. Sikret Gems: 13/31
    Latest gem: Ziose


    Joined:
    Apr 21, 2006
    Messages:
    573
    Likes Received:
    4
    Yes, only the random items feature of the mod will not work properly if you do not start a new game. (You will not find the picked items in their original places in the shops and you will not find them anywhere else in the game either.)
     
  11. Sikret Gems: 13/31
    Latest gem: Ziose


    Joined:
    Apr 21, 2006
    Messages:
    573
    Likes Received:
    4
    I will check this poll only for another three days. Then, I'll start coding it. So, if anyone wants to vote, please do it on these days.

    And please note that this poll is for those who actually intend to play IA v4.0; if someone doesn't intend to play the mod at all (for reasons independent of this randomizing feature), there is no need and no point in voting. Such votes will only distort the poll's final result, because all I am looking for is to know what players of the mod think and want.
     
  12. nataben1314 Gems: 10/31
    Latest gem: Zircon


    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2004
    Messages:
    356
    Likes Received:
    6
    Well I'd say it would be out of Scarlett Ninja-to, Staff of Rhynn, Defender of Easthaven, and Girdle of Hill Giant Strength.

    I don't think they should ALL necessarily be randomized though: it would be nice to have at least one "top level" item be for sale.
     
  13. Sikret Gems: 13/31
    Latest gem: Ziose


    Joined:
    Apr 21, 2006
    Messages:
    573
    Likes Received:
    4
    Sure! I don't intend to randomize the locations of all of them. Some of them will be randomized and some others will have higher prices in the shops. The higher price is also a good thing, especially because cheesy methods of gaining easy money have been blocked.
     
  14. nataben1314 Gems: 10/31
    Latest gem: Zircon


    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2004
    Messages:
    356
    Likes Received:
    6
    OOOH you block cheesy money making methods? Awesome! You think of everything. Despite my best efforts I can rarely resist the temptation to sell-steal. I am looking forward to a much more dynamic game now!

    It's interesting to see the comparative ways of modding by a philosophy professor (sikret) compared to a computer science professer (weimer) :lol:
     
  15. Marceror

    Marceror Chaos Shall Be Sown In Their Footsteps Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

    Joined:
    May 3, 2003
    Messages:
    2,770
    Media:
    226
    Likes Received:
    236
    Gender:
    Male
    Glad to hear that some of the nicer items in the game will still be available for purchase, as a city as large as Athkatla seems like it would have some of these waiting for those with large sums of coin.

    But the effect that randomizing several key items will have on the game is sure to add an element of newness and uncertainty for the seasoned BG2 player. I'm really looking forward to checking this out.

    I'm going through NWN2 at the moment, but once I've completed that I think it will be time to give improved anvil a whirl for the first time!
     
  16. Sikret Gems: 13/31
    Latest gem: Ziose


    Joined:
    Apr 21, 2006
    Messages:
    573
    Likes Received:
    4
    I accomplished the randomizing program. Do you want to know which items I finally chose or do you want it to be part of the surprise? In other words, do you think that it's better to include the list of these items in the mod's readme or is it better to let players check the shops during the game to know which items are not there to be bought?

    Perhaps, it makes little difference, because most of the picked items can be more or less quickly identified by checking the stores, though some of the stores (like the one in Trademeet who sells Belt of Inertial Barrier) are not accessible at the beginning of the game.

    PS: I'm sure that you don't want to know anything about the possible random recipients of each of the items. The information will surely spoil the fun of the game and is completely in contradiction with the main idea behind this program.
     
  17. Marceror

    Marceror Chaos Shall Be Sown In Their Footsteps Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

    Joined:
    May 3, 2003
    Messages:
    2,770
    Media:
    226
    Likes Received:
    236
    Gender:
    Male
    Personally, I'd rather not have the list given up front. I say let the players figure it out on their own. It won't take too long for users to determine which items these are and post the list on message boards. So the users who just have to know will have to do a little homework to find out. Or bite the bullet and play the game with a new sense of uncertainty--which I think is the major goal of the randomization concept!!
     
  18. Silverstar Gems: 31/31
    Latest gem: Rogue Stone


    Veteran

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2005
    Messages:
    4,050
    Likes Received:
    17
    Gender:
    Male
    Coolness, Sikret. Please do not spoil the fun for experienced players! :roll:
     
  19. Sikret Gems: 13/31
    Latest gem: Ziose


    Joined:
    Apr 21, 2006
    Messages:
    573
    Likes Received:
    4
    Ok, I will not give the list of the picked items in the mod's readme. Thanks, everyone! :)
     
Sorcerer's Place is a project run entirely by fans and for fans. Maintaining Sorcerer's Place and a stable environment for all our hosted sites requires a substantial amount of our time and funds on a regular basis, so please consider supporting us to keep the site up & running smoothly. Thank you!

Sorcerers.net is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products on amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.