Volunteers needed - Reactive Temple Mod

I like Gaer's idea about Lareth assuming defensive posture at those conditions is the best solution. I have always been against respawning so I'd not like to see the guards back there after a time.

My vote goes to Gaer's revision.

 

People love that sort of stuff, because that's what makes the world seem like a living, breathing gameworld, rather than just a string of combat encounters.

 

Just a heads up - I tested the Earth fight with a 'realistic' party to see where it lies in terms of balance. It's quite challenging, but doable with a 6 PC, level 6 party + Otis, and some scroll scribing.

The main challenge is in gunning down the Ogre Chief before he gets to wail on your party. This is made more difficult by Romag's spell 'Soften Earth and Stone' which can sometimes prevent your PCs from acting, and the mage-seeking bugbears of course. In fact, Romag's spell casting is just generally more effective when backed up by more serious muscle.

Anyway, the first time I tried it, it quickly became obvious I'm on my way to TPK: all my spellcasters were losing turns because of Romag's spell, the raging Ogre Chief critted Otis for 96 HP and killed him, I was getting surrounded by ogres and trip-happy bugbears... but this is partly because I got careless and didn't use enough crowd control spells and buffs.

The second time I was more cautious - scribed a couple of Fireball scrolls for my wizard, cast stinking cloud on the first round, used grease and glitterdust, hasted my party, etc. The fight went quite well actually. It's still easier than what it should be because not all critters became involved in the combat until I chose to approach. I think this can be solved by changing their standpoint to a more frontal position once I initiate combat with the sentries (san_enter_combat, and san_dying should they be insta-killed somehow)

Also, I think the AI, especially the spellcasting 'queue', could use a boost.
Currently, this is what is cast:
Romag (6th level cleric):
1. Soften Earth and Stone - target ranged
2. Prayer - target self
3. Inflict Serious Wounds - target threatend
4. Cure Serious Wounds - target friendly (x3)
5. Cure Moderate Wounds - target friendly (x3)
6. Divine Favor - target self
7. Command - target threatend (x5)
And that's it - next, the AI moves to melee.

Hartsch's cast queue:
1. Shielf of Faith - target self
2. Bless - target self
3. Guidance - target self
4. Cure Light Wounds - target friend hurt (x2)
He's a 2nd level Priest. Surely he can do better?

IIRC, the AI casts the spell according to the AI table, and doesn't move on to the next spell until the critter runs out of that spell.
Since the party is expected to fireball left and right, the first 3-4 spells they cast are the most important (given that they may not get the chance to cast more). What would you suggest then?

I think Romag's list should be more like:
1. Soften Earth and Stone (as it is now)
2. Command (change his spell allotment so he can only cast it once)
3. Cure Serious Wounds (self)
4. Prayer
5. Searing Light or Inflict Serious Wounds
6. More Healing

And Hartsch's:
1. Bless
2. Command
3. Bane
4. Cure Light Wounds

Also, they should be given the Livonya treatment, wherein their 'strategy script' is swapped as needed.

Any other suggestions for the AI?

 

I think the Ogre Chief is another example of the over-powered, out-of-place monster intended to make the game more difficult. When raged, it has as many hp as the level 4 great ogres. Game balance is way off with stuff like that. Lubash, the Assassin, etc are other examples. The skeleton priest is another. I know the idea was to make the game more challenging, but it's overboard, out-of-hand. 5 series game balance is all shot to hell and not getting any better.

 

I've set the conditions for setting off the Earth Temple alarm to one of the following:
1. Defiled Earth Altar
2. Killed any of the other high priests before completing 2nd Earth quest
3. Killed his troop commander
4. Killed over 55 of the KOS critters on his level (out of about a 100; the KOS critters are the ones who will attack you even if you're wearing Earth robes and are a member of the Earth Temple)
5. Killed over 20 of the Earth Temple critters (critters being defined as non-human NPCs who won't attack you if you wear the Earth robes; there are about 50 of those)
6. Killed over 10 human Earth troops (out of 34)

This will be aborted should you manage to kill Romag first, of course.

Also, I've tested the Air fight. It seems that even when you concentrate all of his troops at one place, and plop the party straight in the middle of them from the secret staircase exit, without any real preparation, Kelno's bugbears and gnolls and air elementals can still hardly be considered a real challenge.

Water fight is about the same difficulty as it used to be, except you can't use the old trick where you situate yourself in the adjacent room where the defecting bugbears are and snipe away at the Juggernaut with impunity. Also, the critters are more spread out, so you can't get them ALL with a single fireball/icestorm. As with Earth, I think the spellcasting can be improved as well. Currently, it's:

Belsornig (8th level Cleric):
1. Prayer - target self
2. Divine Power - target self
3. Cure Critical Wounds
4. Cure Moderate Wounds
5. Cure Light Wounds
6. Hold Person - target threatened
7. Sound Burst - target high AC
8. Searing Light - same target

It's a bit odd, because I'm sure I've seen him cast Searing Light, more than once even. Will probably have to experiment with the AI.

Nalorrem (3rd level Cleric):
1. Bane - self
2. Shield of Faith - self
3. Inflict Moderate Wounds - target theatened
4. Inflict Light Wounds
5. Bestow Curse
6. Cure Serious Wounds
7. Cure Moderate Wounds
8. Cure Light Wounds
9. Sound Burst

His AI is a bit rubbish, because some of these spells aren't even in his proto (as it should be, since he's only level 3).

Merrolan:
Shield of Faith
Bulls Strength
Hold Person
Cure Moderate Wounds
Cure Light Wounds


First thing that comes to mind is that Belsornig has access to Unholy Blight, the evil equivalent of Holy Smite. Does 4d8 damage and 1d4 rounds of sickness to good aligned critters. His scripting could be adjusted so he only casts that on non-evil aligned parties (his fabled network of spies should inform him as much). If we're feeling particularly sadistic, we could have him scribe a couple of such scrolls for his underpriests as well.

He can also prebuff with Freedom of Movement and Protection From Energy.

Next on the list... I'd do a dispel magic to remove the player's wards and buffs, then follow with sound burst, hold person, command, prayer, searing light x 2, divine power, and melee.

For the underpriests, I'd remove shield of faith and bull's strength, since they're weak fighters anyway. Actually, it'd probably be better to designate one of them to buff others, with Bear's endurance, and do healing duties, and the other one will command, bless, bane, hold person, and then heal as well. And like I said, they could be given scrolls of Unholy Blight, and some Sound Bursts as well. But the most important spells are their first two-three, since they probably won't get to cast much more than that...

@wizgeorge:

I don't feel bad about some encounters being tough. They're optional anyway, and you can scout them all out (except for the Assassin). And there are still plenty of easier fights you can use to level up before taking them on. Also, there is no shame in running away from a fight you can't win - that's exactly what the flee combat option is for. And if someone dies, you can easily resurrect them with Jaroo for 225 gold.

 

So, if I understand correctly, the Fire Temple has not been altered yet? Alrrem & co did not come to help Bassanio (I don't think I killed them first, or did I?)

 

There is a chance, yes, but I can't guarantee anything.

 

It spanked me and I helped design it! :twitch:

 

I would really love to see this done!

Keep it up, Sitra! :hug:

 

If you've ever played Jagged Alliance 2, in that game enemies would patrol the map and call for help when they encountered resistance (the sneak skill and silent weapons were important for preventing this). Sometimes they could call for reinforcements from adjacent maps.

Too bad something like this can't be done in ToEE. (Though Wonnilon does in fact mention that patrols *really* occur.)

-Mike

 

For Fire Temple, don't you help Allrem to capture some Ogres? It's be cool if you could add those to the Fire Temle troops depending on whether the player did the quest (rather than have them infinitely lie around their cave). Same'd go if you decide to let Oolghrist join Fire or Water, or have Water Bugbears join Air, etc. Not sure if that's technically possible though.

And yeah, good job on picking this mod back up, I've been intrigued by the idea long time ago when you were just starting the work on it with CMF 5.0.6 :yes: