Regarding the hybrid skills mod, I apologize for not providing an update earlier. I lost all my progress on the mod a few months ago when my computer got fried and it took some time to build a replacement. I left the project for a while after that, but I've started working on it again recently. I don't have a timetable on its release, however.
Hi, I'm currently working on adapting your mod to my needs, and I've found that some of the same skills are duplicated with minor changes. For example, huntsman Pin Down, Acid Spores, and others. But I can not understand what is the point? Perhaps you edited the file several times and simply added the same skills several times by mistake, but it's more like not a mistake, but a regularity. I was wondering what was the reason?
Ah, then everything falls into place. And about others, it was my guess, that there are others, because I thought that for some reason you specifically decided to do it :) And yes, thanks for the mod
Edit: I found another error, values Stats_Infusion_Shadow, Stats_Infusion_Warp, Stats_Deflecting, which are located in the Object.txt file must be in the Potion.txt file, otherwise they will not work.
Hi, I started a new game with your mod and I seem to have a bit of a problem with playing an undead character type in general. Now, I haven't really gotten far in to the game on this playthrough/test because it looks like there is an issue with how defensive spells such as Armour of Frost and Fortify work and from what I can see they have not been altered by this mod.
Here's the exact nature of my problem: The default way Armour of Frost and Fortify function is detrimental to undead healing. Why? Because both buffs remove the poisoned status effect which is meant to save my undead, bony ass in a pinch.
So I wanted to ask how exactly did you do implement your skill changes? I couldn't find anything in the pak files unless I have missed some essential archive. Is there any way I could extract the original files, then remove the poison neutralizing effect from them, then simply add that poison neutralizing effect to the Restoration spell?
I didn't change anything with how Fortify and Armor of Frost work, so I'm at a loss as to the cause of your problem. You won't even find the spells for Fortify and Armor of Frost in my mod files.
Anyways, Armor of Frost and Fortify are both targeted spells, which have a parameter "CleanseStatus". You'd have to go into the editor and manually edit that to stop it from cleansing poison.
Could it be possible that your mod is in conflict with another skill mod in that case?
Edit:
I have been messing with all the files for hours in a totally chaotic and confused way much like a heedless chicken and I have discovered something unsettling...
I checked the tools for the skill files in the SkillData folder (since I have no idea how to modify the skills through DivinityEngine2, it is too much of a maze for me and I have no idea what to click once it loads up) and I have noticed that there is no such thing as a cleansing effect for Fortify...
In short Fortify has no CleanseStatus section, so perhaps something else is responsible for this effect like:
I double checked, and it's not my mod that changes anything; Fortify and Armor of Frost removed the Poisoned Status in the base game for all characters.
I didn't see this in the "CleanseStatus" parameter either, so I'm guessing it's hard coded like a lot of the other status overrides (Burning overwrites Chilled, Frozen overwrites Wet, etc).
But honestly, I don't think it really matters. The healing / damage from the Poisoned Damage-over-time is extremely minor, especially as you go up in level (since statuses don't scale with attributes), even for an undead character. Poisoned is also extremely easy to reapply, so briefly removing it doesn't matter when you can get it back just by walking over a poison puddle. You'd be fine ignoring this and just sticking with direct damage poison spells (AoEs like Contamination / Poison Wave) or Necromantic healing.
That is what I was pointing out from the start, Peach's Skill Rebalance is all about balance, right? So I thought you might have changed the way Fortify and Armor of Frost work for undead characters. It is a major pain the ass! Once you get first hit by Decaying while poisoned AND have Restoration cast on you... you're screwed! Why?
Because when you cast Fortify on yourself you remove all of the positive effects of poison and you still suffer from damage caused by Restoration or any normal healing for that matter. It makes the game EXTREMELY frustrating on Tactician and Honor. On a human or any living character you simply reverse the effects of decaying and poisons plus you get the enemy heal!
So what are the benefits of being undead? Death fog immunity? That's not much since you can simply send in Fane. Play dead? Doesn't really help you much either... when when you lay down on the ground you'll still suffer the DOT effects, so you still take damage and laying on the floor for a while means you can't do any damage or position yourself. So... that essentially leaves undead with just one decent benefit which is the immunity to bleeding, that's it, there's literally nothing else since poison healing is a double edged sword. And ye there's also the ability to pick locks without lock-picks but that doesn't work when you don't invest in this ability now does it?
That's why I thought that maybe I or you could make a decent change by simply editing how the defensive/cleansing spells work but I have no idea how to do that with the tools, there was some guide on making skills somewhere, I don't even know where it is since I lost it and it didn't show how to edit spells, the already existing ones that is. BUT... since the data is hard coded it can't be changed now can it?
I'm totally at a loss here! But I think I may have found a way to work around this if you could please help me balance this out?
I was thinking that logically undead (aside for zombies) can't really decay any more, can they? Nor should they be affected by diseases. There's no flesh, no tissue, no lungs and no udead should get sick since, well they are technically dead. Eventually I came across the Character.stats file in the tools and here's one of the interesting parts inside of it:
But how would I make this file work with a mod? Or make it in to a mod? This would literally solve ALL of the undead problems and put them on par with the other races, except for Elves and Dwarfs of course... their racial abilities/skills are absolutely insane!
At the very least maybe you could point me to a skill modding guide with the use of the tool? I also want to see this game become much more balanced.
I wouldn't know how to alter the base hero attributes for the Undead, you might want to look at some mods that alter basic character stats like AP recovery or attributes for that.Best of luck.
You'll probably be interested in this! I MADE IT! After sitting here late at night and spilling my guts I finally came up with a WORKING CODE! I cast Decaying Touch on myself several times in a row to be sure and it worked flawlessly. Anyway here is the part for male undeads:
new entry "_Hero" type "Character" data "Act" "1" data "Act part" "1" data "Act strength" "0" data "Strength" "0" data "Finesse" "0" data "Intelligence" "0" data "Constitution" "0" data "Memory" "0" data "Wits" "0" data "Reflexes" "0" data "Vitality" "100" data "MagicPoints" "3" data "APMaximum" "8" data "APStart" "6" data "APRecovery" "6" data "Movement" "500" data "Gain" "None" data "Sight" "0" data "Hearing" "5" data "Initiative" "0" data "FOV" "90" data "Weight" "50000" data "PiercingResistance" "0" data "PhysicalResistance" "0" data "CriticalChance" "0" data "MaxResistance" "100" data "FireResistance" "0" data "EarthResistance" "0" data "WaterResistance" "0" data "AirResistance" "0" data "PoisonResistance" "0" data "SingleHanded" "0" data "TwoHanded" "0" data "Ranged" "0" data "DualWielding" "0" data "Leadership" "0" data "PainReflection" "0" data "Perseverance" "0" data "WarriorLore" "0" data "RangerLore" "0" data "FireSpecialist" "0" data "WaterSpecialist" "0" data "AirSpecialist" "0" data "EarthSpecialist" "0" data "Sourcery" "0" data "Necromancy" "0" data "Polymorph" "0" data "Summoning" "0" data "Telekinesis" "0" data "Sneaking" "0" data "Thievery" "0" data "Loremaster" "0" data "Repair" "0" data "Barter" "0" data "Persuasion" "0" data "Luck" "0" data "Accuracy" "95" data "Dodge" "0" data "MaxSummons" "2" data "PathInfluence" "BloodCloudCursed,70;BloodCloudElectrified,100;BloodCloudElectrifiedCursed,100;BloodCursed,70;BloodElectrified,100;BloodElectrifiedCursed,100;BloodFrozen,30;BloodFrozenCursed,70;Fire,70;FireCloud,70;FireCloudCursed,100;FireCursed,100;Lava,700;Oil,30;OilCursed,70;Poison,70;PoisonCloud,70;PoisonCloudCursed,100;PoisonCursed,100;SmokeCloudCursed,70;WaterCloudCursed,70;WaterCloudElectrified,100;WaterCloudElectrifiedCursed,100;WaterCursed,70;WaterElectrified,100;WaterElectrifiedCursed,100;WaterFrozen,30;WaterFrozenCursed,70eathfog,200"
new entry "HumanUndeadMaleHero" type "Character" using "_Hero" data "Act" "1" data "Act part" "1" data "Flags" "BleedingImmunity;SuffocatingImmunityecayingImmunityiseasedImmunityrunkImmunity" data "Talents" "Zombie"
From this point it should be extremely easy to fix up all undead types both the playable and unplayable.
Update:
I'm no programmer but from what I can see, this part:
data "Act" "1" data "Act part" "1"
is not really needed and ye, it still works well.
Update2:
Actually... now it seems I just got the file working in the tools... wish someone told me that the engine could simply read files like Character.stats, I just copied it to the SkillData folder and bam! I can change it any way I want through the Stats Editor. Wish someone just told me about it... I thought the tools were useless.
While I like the skills you plan to introduce, I noticed that none of them are necromancer primary skills. The coloring heavily implies that necromancer dual-school spells will belong to the elemental schools, not the necromancy school.
It's also odd that necromancy spells don't inflict necrofire.
I'm not entirely sure where some of the dual-school spells will end up; so I wouldn't treat the spreadsheet as 100% set it in stone. I want to keep the damage types of the skills consistent with the ability tree they belong to; if it deals Water damage, it should be under Hydrosophist, and so on. That's also necessary to avoid some of the hard-coded quirks of how skill scaling is coded.That in mind, If I were to move any spells over to Necromancy, it'd be Gnarled Roots, Ennervate, and Reanimate.
It's an interesting point about Necrofire; I made that the secondary effect of Soulfire (alongside madness) since it seems quite thematically appropriate.
It was the actual idea, since otherwise it'd a very powerful buff with no drawback. It is experimental though, like some other changes, so I might roll it back if it's too much.
I've tried the mod, and it seems there's a problem with staff of magus (innate skill from staves).
Not only its icon is missing, but it also lacks description and usage effects (projectile, sound, etc).
I extracted the .pak file and inspected Skill_Projectile.txt, and the staff of magus entry is very small compared with another projectile entry right below it (Projectile_PoisonDartStart). I've made a quick test adding this skill icon as an extra line on staff of magus entry (data "Icon" "Skill_Earth_PoisonDart") and it seems to work ingame, although the other effects (soun, projectile traveling, etc) are still missing.
Removing the staff of magus' entry fixes the problem, but returns damage ratio to 90% instead of 100% of course.
I'm not used to DOS mods, but I suppose "new entry" overrides the game vanilla data. However I wasn't able to find where the original data is stored in the game files to suggest a fix to the issue.
I really like this. Just wanted to say thanks. I love being able to pin people for 2 AP on my Wayfarer. The turn cost is balance enough for many abilities IMO, the extra AP just feels unnecessary.
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If there are any others, let me know, but I couldn't find any.
Edit:
I found another error, values Stats_Infusion_Shadow, Stats_Infusion_Warp, Stats_Deflecting, which are located in the Object.txt file must be in the Potion.txt file, otherwise they will not work.
Here's the exact nature of my problem:
The default way Armour of Frost and Fortify function is detrimental to undead healing. Why? Because both buffs remove the poisoned status effect which is meant to save my undead, bony ass in a pinch.
So I wanted to ask how exactly did you do implement your skill changes? I couldn't find anything in the pak files unless I have missed some essential archive. Is there any way I could extract the original files, then remove the poison neutralizing effect from them, then simply add that poison neutralizing effect to the Restoration spell?
Anyways, Armor of Frost and Fortify are both targeted spells, which have a parameter "CleanseStatus". You'd have to go into the editor and manually edit that to stop it from cleansing poison.
Edit:
I have been messing with all the files for hours in a totally chaotic and confused way much like a heedless chicken and I have discovered something unsettling...
I checked the tools for the skill files in the SkillData folder (since I have no idea how to modify the skills through DivinityEngine2, it is too much of a maze for me and I have no idea what to click once it loads up) and I have noticed that there is no such thing as a cleansing effect for Fortify...
In short Fortify has no CleanseStatus section, so perhaps something else is responsible for this effect like:
<field name="SkillProperties" type="StringStatObjectFieldDefinition" value="FORTIFIED,100,3" />
But is that is the case... where are the files containing SkillProperties?
I didn't see this in the "CleanseStatus" parameter either, so I'm guessing it's hard coded like a lot of the other status overrides (Burning overwrites Chilled, Frozen overwrites Wet, etc).
But honestly, I don't think it really matters. The healing / damage from the Poisoned Damage-over-time is extremely minor, especially as you go up in level (since statuses don't scale with attributes), even for an undead character. Poisoned is also extremely easy to reapply, so briefly removing it doesn't matter when you can get it back just by walking over a poison puddle. You'd be fine ignoring this and just sticking with direct damage poison spells (AoEs like Contamination / Poison Wave) or Necromantic healing.
Because when you cast Fortify on yourself you remove all of the positive effects of poison and you still suffer from damage caused by Restoration or any normal healing for that matter. It makes the game EXTREMELY frustrating on Tactician and Honor. On a human or any living character you simply reverse the effects of decaying and poisons plus you get the enemy heal!
So what are the benefits of being undead? Death fog immunity? That's not much since you can simply send in Fane. Play dead? Doesn't really help you much either... when when you lay down on the ground you'll still suffer the DOT effects, so you still take damage and laying on the floor for a while means you can't do any damage or position yourself. So... that essentially leaves undead with just one decent benefit which is the immunity to bleeding, that's it, there's literally nothing else since poison healing is a double edged sword. And ye there's also the ability to pick locks without lock-picks but that doesn't work when you don't invest in this ability now does it?
That's why I thought that maybe I or you could make a decent change by simply editing how the defensive/cleansing spells work but I have no idea how to do that with the tools, there was some guide on making skills somewhere, I don't even know where it is since I lost it and it didn't show how to edit spells, the already existing ones that is. BUT... since the data is hard coded it can't be changed now can it?
I'm totally at a loss here! But I think I may have found a way to work around this if you could please help me balance this out?
I was thinking that logically undead (aside for zombies) can't really decay any more, can they? Nor should they be affected by diseases. There's no flesh, no tissue, no lungs and no udead should get sick since, well they are technically dead. Eventually I came across the Character.stats file in the tools and here's one of the interesting parts inside of it:
<fields>
<field name="Name" type="NameStatObjectFieldDefinition" value="HumanUndeadFemaleHero" />
<field name="Using" type="BaseClassStatObjectFieldDefinition" value="_Hero" />
<field name="StepsType" type="EnumerationStatObjectFieldDefinition" value="1" enumeration_type_name="StepsType" />
<field name="Flags" type="StringStatObjectFieldDefinition" value="BleedingImmunity;SuffocatingImmunity
<field name="PathInfluence" type="StringStatObjectFieldDefinition" value="BloodCloudCursed,70;BloodCloudElectrified,100;BloodCloudElectrifiedCursed,100;BloodCursed,70;BloodElectrified,100;BloodElectrifiedCursed,100;BloodFrozen,30;BloodFrozenCursed,70;Fire,70;FireCloud,70;FireCloudCursed,100;FireCursed,100;Lava,700;Oil,30;OilCursed,70;PoisonCloudCursed,100;PoisonCursed,100;SmokeCloudCursed,70;WaterCloudCursed,70;WaterCloudElectrified,100;WaterCloudElectrifiedCursed,100;WaterCursed,70;WaterElectrified,100;WaterElectrifiedCursed,100;WaterFrozen,30;WaterFrozenCursed,70
</fields>
I thought I could simply change the immunities to:
BleedingImmunity;SuffocatingImmunity
But how would I make this file work with a mod? Or make it in to a mod? This would literally solve ALL of the undead problems and put them on par with the other races, except for Elves and Dwarfs of course... their racial abilities/skills are absolutely insane!
At the very least maybe you could point me to a skill modding guide with the use of the tool? I also want to see this game become much more balanced.
=====================================================================================================
new entry "_Hero"
type "Character"
data "Act" "1"
data "Act part" "1"
data "Act strength" "0"
data "Strength" "0"
data "Finesse" "0"
data "Intelligence" "0"
data "Constitution" "0"
data "Memory" "0"
data "Wits" "0"
data "Reflexes" "0"
data "Vitality" "100"
data "MagicPoints" "3"
data "APMaximum" "8"
data "APStart" "6"
data "APRecovery" "6"
data "Movement" "500"
data "Gain" "None"
data "Sight" "0"
data "Hearing" "5"
data "Initiative" "0"
data "FOV" "90"
data "Weight" "50000"
data "PiercingResistance" "0"
data "PhysicalResistance" "0"
data "CriticalChance" "0"
data "MaxResistance" "100"
data "FireResistance" "0"
data "EarthResistance" "0"
data "WaterResistance" "0"
data "AirResistance" "0"
data "PoisonResistance" "0"
data "SingleHanded" "0"
data "TwoHanded" "0"
data "Ranged" "0"
data "DualWielding" "0"
data "Leadership" "0"
data "PainReflection" "0"
data "Perseverance" "0"
data "WarriorLore" "0"
data "RangerLore" "0"
data "FireSpecialist" "0"
data "WaterSpecialist" "0"
data "AirSpecialist" "0"
data "EarthSpecialist" "0"
data "Sourcery" "0"
data "Necromancy" "0"
data "Polymorph" "0"
data "Summoning" "0"
data "Telekinesis" "0"
data "Sneaking" "0"
data "Thievery" "0"
data "Loremaster" "0"
data "Repair" "0"
data "Barter" "0"
data "Persuasion" "0"
data "Luck" "0"
data "Accuracy" "95"
data "Dodge" "0"
data "MaxSummons" "2"
data "PathInfluence" "BloodCloudCursed,70;BloodCloudElectrified,100;BloodCloudElectrifiedCursed,100;BloodCursed,70;BloodElectrified,100;BloodElectrifiedCursed,100;BloodFrozen,30;BloodFrozenCursed,70;Fire,70;FireCloud,70;FireCloudCursed,100;FireCursed,100;Lava,700;Oil,30;OilCursed,70;Poison,70;PoisonCloud,70;PoisonCloudCursed,100;PoisonCursed,100;SmokeCloudCursed,70;WaterCloudCursed,70;WaterCloudElectrified,100;WaterCloudElectrifiedCursed,100;WaterCursed,70;WaterElectrified,100;WaterElectrifiedCursed,100;WaterFrozen,30;WaterFrozenCursed,70
new entry "HumanUndeadMaleHero"
type "Character"
using "_Hero"
data "Act" "1"
data "Act part" "1"
data "Flags" "BleedingImmunity;SuffocatingImmunity
data "Talents" "Zombie"
=====================================================================================================
From this point it should be extremely easy to fix up all undead types both the playable and unplayable.
Update:
I'm no programmer but from what I can see, this part:
data "Act" "1"
data "Act part" "1"
is not really needed and ye, it still works well.
Update2:
Actually... now it seems I just got the file working in the tools... wish someone told me that the engine could simply read files like Character.stats, I just copied it to the SkillData folder and bam! I can change it any way I want through the Stats Editor. Wish someone just told me about it... I thought the tools were useless.
It's also odd that necromancy spells don't inflict necrofire.
It's an interesting point about Necrofire; I made that the secondary effect of Soulfire (alongside madness) since it seems quite thematically appropriate.
Thick of the fight is giving the bonuses to everyone inside the AoE, regardless of being allies or enemies. Is it the actual idea or a bug?
Thanks!
Also can't wait for your new spells, they look great.
Not only its icon is missing, but it also lacks description and usage effects (projectile, sound, etc).
I extracted the .pak file and inspected Skill_Projectile.txt, and the staff of magus entry is very small compared with another projectile entry right below it (Projectile_PoisonDartStart). I've made a quick test adding this skill icon as an extra line on staff of magus entry (data "Icon" "Skill_Earth_PoisonDart") and it seems to work ingame, although the other effects (soun, projectile traveling, etc) are still missing.
Removing the staff of magus' entry fixes the problem, but returns damage ratio to 90% instead of 100% of course.
I'm not used to DOS mods, but I suppose "new entry" overrides the game vanilla data. However I wasn't able to find where the original data is stored in the game files to suggest a fix to the issue.
but would you mind that make to your mod be compatible with 'Scoundrel Unlocked mod' (by Rubim) ?
..just for me eager to use your masterpiece.
: )