Top 15 annoyances in ToEE

Discussion in 'The Temple of Elemental Evil' started by Sitra Achara, Sep 19, 2013.

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  1. Sitra Achara

    Sitra Achara Senior Member

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    If you could fix 15 things about ToEE, including hard-coded issues, what would you pick?

    Myself:
    1. Make Charm Person conform to RAW (when cast in combat, the enemy is supposed to get a +5 to their save, and you have to win a charisma check to give them a command they wouldn't ordinarily do, LIKE ATTACKING THEIR FRIENDS).
    2. Stinking Cloud - it's bugged in that it persists even after you leave the cloud (i.e. you continue making saving throws, and usually eventually fail). -Fixed in Temple+
    3. The AoO bug for Scather / Fragarach / Greater Invisibility -Fixed in Temple+
    4. Autosave / Quicksave
    5. Reading from scrolls doesn't invoke AoO and can be used while silenced
    6. NPC looting done right
    7. Faster sneak speed
    8. Protection from Evil acting like Protection from All Spells Ever -Fixed in Temple+
    9. Magic Circle Against X not working right
    10. The Ready vs. Approach bug (where it drains the next character of move distance) -Fixed in Temple+
    11. Better faction controls, so you can have allies in combat, dynamically switch allegiances around, and not be forced to pain stakingly create customized summons for the AI
    12. Inability to dynamically transfer NPCs across maps (barring workarounds)
    13. AI activation distance in combat
    14. Lack of explicit command for the AI to walk somewhere -Fixed in Temple+
    15. Charmed party NPCs are effectively permanently charmed


    (note: you can go over 15 if you want :) just don't go completely overboard)

    edit: a summary of what you said:


    Top annoyances - mentioned at least 3 times:
    Mentioned twice: (some of them I bumped myself ;) )

    Other issues mentioned: (many are 'pet peeves', but not all)
     
    Last edited: Oct 23, 2016
  2. Shiningted

    Shiningted I changed this damn title, finally! Administrator

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    Is that whats doing that?? I've been hit by that a lot lately.
    This also explains a lot....
    Modder :p But agreed.
    Absolutely! This is my biggest bugbear in games in general: the whole 'everyone against the player' attitude. Completely destroys immersion when it happens, and absolutely glorious when it doesn't (eg in BG when you get attacked by one of those assassins early in the game, and the Guards come to your aid).

    My own suggestions:

    - the charge-causes-non-lethal damage bug. It bugs me.
    - NPCs auto-sneaking (as per #7)
    - lack of movng light-sources, darkvision etc (there are light sources in the game but they don't affect the game mechanic!)
    - no simple 'drop' command from script.
     
  3. zugschef

    zugschef Established Member

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    It doesn't stop there. It actually doesn't work out of combat since you can't talk to NPCs you've charmed. You should be able to charm someone, make a DC 20 Diplomacy check, getting this someone from friendly to helpful, and then this dude should tell you everything you want to know. As it is, Charm Person can't be used for conversational purposes. If you'd include the +5 bonus in combat to the save without making it usable out of combat, then it becomes a spell you will probably never cast.

    Two issues which immediately come to my mind:

    Monk's Belt: This item should be useable by anyone.
    Improved Grab (Ex) and Trip (Ex): I hate it that a wildshaped druid and his summons are gimped due to the lack of implementation of these two extraordinary abilities.
     
  4. sirchet

    sirchet Force for Goodness Moderator Supporter

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    Actually, Stinking Cloud is supposed to effect you after you leave the cloud, here's what the SRD says.

    Stinking cloud creates a bank of fog like that created by fog cloud, except that the vapors are nauseating. Living creatures in the cloud become nauseated. This condition lasts as long as the creature is in the cloud and for 1d4+1 rounds after it leaves.
     
  5. Sitra Achara

    Sitra Achara Senior Member

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    Yes, but in ToEE it lasts for the entire duration, instead of 2-5 rounds.
     
  6. Forgalz

    Forgalz Established Member

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    Here are three that bug me:

    - Reach weapons not working right.
    - Animations of lasting AoE spells not coinciding with actual radius (I don't know how often I got tripped or entangled in my own spells).
    - The rng that gives me always 1s and the other guys always 20s. :p
     
  7. Daryk

    Daryk Veteran Member

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    Trolls and the juggernaut always seem to do non-lethal damage on their first hits.
     
  8. Gaear

    Gaear Bastard Maestro Administrator

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    I'll submit the Big Five: lag, jerkstop (now gone!), spell permanency, answering swords death, and secret door doom. Oh, and apparently mode-switching. :bored:
     
  9. zugschef

    zugschef Established Member

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    Ehm... Read again. It says "in the cloud become nauseated". The term "this condition" refers to the "nauseated" condition. If you fail your save (which makes you nauseated), the nauseated condition lasts for as long as you stay in and another 1d4+1 rounds after you leave the cloud, but you don't have to make any more saves if you made your save and got out of the cloud's area in the same turn (unless you walk back into the cloud of course).
     
  10. blakdeth

    blakdeth Member

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    My pet peeve is when the bodies of fallen enemies are behind doors or walls, and even under water in places.
    It makes it very tedious to loot them, since they're virtually invisible almost all of the time, even using TAB to highlight the stiffs doesn't help.
    I usually try to plan my battles so no one dies behind obstacles where I won't be able to see the bodies, but it doesn't always work.
    You cant always pull the bad guys far enough.
     
  11. sirchet

    sirchet Force for Goodness Moderator Supporter

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    Right zugschef, if you get sick in the cloud you're reduced to just a move action and can hopefully leave the area of effect, but you still suffer the sickness for 1d4+1 rounds.
     
  12. Zoltec

    Zoltec Pгōdigium

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    Absolutely this one.

    And this. :)
     
  13. Daryk

    Daryk Veteran Member

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    One other that I was just reminded of today: when extraplanar chests are slightly overfull, they dump things in a pile on the ground when you summon them.
     
  14. Gehennis

    Gehennis Established Member

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    1. CTD for any reason- especially when using spells like Spiritual Weapon and Spike Growth/Spike Stones.

    2. the lack of more monster spellcasters and a variety of spells for them

    3. feats and spells that are not implemented properly or that have no real use in the computer version of TOEE

    4. the lack of higher level undead- mummies and vampires would be a nice change of pace (Valhalgen(?) Graveyard anyone?)...
     
  15. Shiningted

    Shiningted I changed this damn title, finally! Administrator

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    I think this thread is morphing from a "Top Annoyances" thread to a "Things I want Different" thread. Which is cool :)
    "Bah, no higher level undead again today! If this happens just one more time, I'm uninstalling!" :poke:

    My own direction for the thread: what annoys me about ToEE (tangentially) is no-one uses the full gamut of emoticons any more. Once upon a time, everyone used everything.

    It makes me mad! :rant: If I find the culprit, well.... :punch: :chairshot: :chainsaw: :tombstone

    But Gehennis is right, Hommlet has been crying out for that vampire for ages. :yes:
     
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