Pseudo 3E mod!?

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Well I got Pseudo 3E mod for IWD, which converted some rules into 3E, like stat bonuses, bonus spells etc.

I was happy as it was a mod, I am a total mod addict you know? But one component really bugged me:

3E XP tables. Now this is a joke. My characters were MC and had 200K+ XP in their classes. I only had 2 characters, mind you, and I am in the Severed Hand. When I got the mod, everything was fine, my 8STR gave me -1 penalty to THACO and damage, and my 12 DEX rewarded me with +1 AC and ranged attack. My mage also got bonus spells for his highest INT. But...

My characters immediately leveled up. They all became level 24+ characters, as 3E XP tables required less XP. WTF?

I deleted THAT component and everything was fine. It is so pointless to use 3E xp tables in a 2E game as XP rewards for monsters and quests are way far too much for 3E game.

Did the mod also reduce XP gain for 3E XP tables? I don'T know.

What do you think? Have you ever used this mod or plan to use? Any bugs you found?

PS:I am a total and loyal 2E lover. I only installed this mod as it was a change, and a mod. Plus it is not like total 3E, THAC0, saving throws, proficiencies, MC/DC works still like good old and pure 2E. Just so you know.

 

If it doesn't, then that's seriously bad modding, methinks. I mean seriously, if I played any of the pre-IWD2 IE games using the 3E exp tables, but kept the exp rewards... You would be beyond godhood in IWD, let alone BG2: ToB .
Just compare this: A lvl 20 3E character has 190k experience. by end-game IWD you have, what, a million? two millions? (Never finished this game).
Even more so, consider this: a lvl 1 character in IWD, using 3E character tables but keeps IWD exp rewards, can net himself a couple of levels by slaying a single creature (regarding whether he could even kill this creature is another case).

 

^Yes that is what I tried to say. I didn't test it though, I was horrified to have level 24/24 characters all of a sudden! Can someone clarify things for me?

And one component also allowed 3E HP progression, max HP dice even after level 9, for all classes. This is horribly unbalanced too, for a 2E game, so I didn't bother. What do you think?

 

Well, if the game changed the experience tables to those of 3E and you installed that component while currently in the midst of a game, and continued that game, then it's only natural that they would gain the adequete number of levels. The mod probably changed the exp values in the 2DA file associated with classes, levels and experience, and as such you would level up so that your level would match the experience you have.

 

^I thought that too. Maybe you are right. I didn't bother to try a game from scratch.

Even if it was true, then how can I calculate the correct XP value for my characters in Severed Hand? It is hard and there is no guarantee that with 3E xps, they will still be the same levels. Or accumulate XP worth same levels. Or I am confused. BAH!

And 3E XPs are tricky, with auto-balancing and all, I don't think the mod has it as readme only says that 'it changes the 2E XP tables to 3E ones'; never mentionin reducing XP gain from monsters/quests etc., how they do it or even if they ever did it. Argh!

 

As far as I know (which ain't much) exp rewards for killing a monster is associated with the mosnter itself; which would mean that in order to change the rewards for killing monster they would have to make changes in all the .cre's, which would be a tedious and boring thing to do ( ). There's no easy way to calculate what lvl you would be if you were using 3E rather than 2E (afaik, anyway). I'd say that you should just drop that component altogether, it doesn't sound like it was very well-crafted (though I would have to see the mod to be able to truly say that).

 

Well, take a look at SP's IWD mod list then, you may like it! Why don'T you give me your own invaluable feedback? Huh?

 

Well I've looked at the files, and it doesn't change experience awards only the 2da table used for experience and level.

As far as I can see you will max out at lvl 37(780.000 exp).

 

OK I will ignore the component for now. But other components look nice enough eh? Except that HP one too I guess.

 

Earned experience was not altered. It takes less than 1 million experience to reach level 40 with the mod installed and hit point progression will never slow. A level 40 fighter with 18 constitution will have at least 200 hit points. Assuming 5 hit points per level, that fighter will have 360 hit points.

 

Then what good is this component? Ohters seem nice enough but this is a serious hit to game-balance isn'T it?

 

I have tried this mod (last time i playe the game).

Yes the change from 2E to 3E xp tables is useless. It is completelly unbalancing, and downright wrong for the game as is. It was probablly only added to put in as many changes as they could easilly make (it is a rather easy mod to make). And i guess some of the ... uhm fresh players that have no problems with cheating themselves throug a game would have loved it. Anyone making a somewhat serious attempt however would not.

I Have to admit i kinda liked it in my last game. i was starting to get bored anyways. so it made the rest of the game faster hehehe.

 

This has got to be one of the most redicilous mods I have ever heard of. Fine way to make a game much more easy to finish though. Especially with the XP and HP stuff in htis mod. And the bonus points as well. Still not as bad as that BG2 mod that had Buffy the vampire slayer show up in it though.

 

^BG2 mod with Buffy the Vampire Slayer? You mean Valen eh? Yes Valen mod is kinda unbalanced, BUT Valen always manages to put you in deep troubles so I guess it balances itself out.

BTW Thanks for the feed-back guys!

 

I have to admit i dont really worry so much about the 3E style HP progression, but then again i dont play with characters all of Constitution 16 etc. And dont play with max HP at levelup.

 

That's why they're optional components, so you can install them on your game if you want to.

 

That beeing said Grog, I do think that the 3E XP tables should be "off by default", considering its quite gamebreaking.

 

^You are quite hard-core than eh Raptor?

The most game-breaking feature of the 3E HP progression is the fact that PCs will continue to gain HPS as per their HDs after level 9. In 2E, all classes will get a fixed amount of HP after level 9 (fight-3, priest/rogue-2, spellcaster-1); howver with this component, all will continue to gain HPs according their HDs. A fighter can continue to get 10HP (max) even after lvl 9. Add 18 CON, and this fighter will have 14X level HP!

Game-breaking; simply.