Warden
Arbiter
Original topic on the NWN2 SoZ forum:
Rob McGinnis:
" Hello everyone,
Aside from Multiplayer, please name up to 5 (please, do not list more than 5) things you would like to see improved/fixed with the game. I cannot guarantee we can fix them all with SoZ, but we can see what can be done.
Thanks."
***
I'd like to introduce this topic here as well - maybe some more good ideas can be thrown in.
I'll start and I'll be as specific as possible and evaluate the how-doable vs. how-needed aspect.
1) Animations:
Zombies: They are concepted so that they can wield weapons/shields.
The problem is if they do wield a weapon it floats inside their leg. Since they're not incorporeal that shouldn't happen.. There are other clipping issues - but this one is horrible.
Solution: Turn the hand/wielding direction a bit outwards.
There's also this glitch when zombies jump when in combat.. hm, that's not exactly a jump.. more like just going up and down once per round or so.. can you eliminate that, please?
Also, there's this constant dodging animation (which is also a problem for all other slow moving monsters like mummies for example) - it's perfectly right they should have high AC; due to tough skin, natural armor, deflection and what you have. But please, make the animation a tad more realistic than a zombie dancing around and avoiding every blow.
Solution: Instead of constant dodging- the blow should hit but be percieved as a miss (because it hit a very tough part of the body for example) - or if you have more resources make an additional animation; the zombie/mummy raising their hands like if blocking the blow with some dust bursting out when the blow hits (i.e. misses). That combined with some sporadic dodge animations would look much better.
I'd like skeletons to be "more" undead as well.. than to be just like a fresh human fighter jumping from leg to leg like a living fighter would. Eliminate some animations from them and make them more static. Especially the right-left leg swinging stance .
Oh and yes... please.. no liches/skeletons (undeads) roundhouse kicking, please. Hey, they're not Chuck Norris!
I know it would be too much work to make shields or weapons actually block blows so I won't ask that. :p
2) It has been mentioned that you start at level 3 because level 1 chars are too fragile. Why not fix the root of the problem instead and let people play from start, from lvl 1 - how it should be.
Solution: Modify lvl 1 starting hit points. It should be 10 + half class hp + 1 + constitution modifier.Thus a wizard with 14 constitution would start with 15 HP (10 + 3 + 2).
I'd advise to not give max class hp on level up, but half + 1 as well.
Speaking of game mechanics - spell buffs are overpowered. Especially AC buffs. Changing them all would be a problem. But, there's a simpler solution; script it so that a character cannot benefit from more than 1 ac spell buff type (items NOT included in the equation) at a time. This means there would no longer be +3 deflection +3 natural +3 ac etc spell buffed characters.. They could benefit just from ONE type at a time.
It's simply ridiculous how powerful you are with such AC buffs - I'd suggest to nerf combat expertise as well to 2/4... and power attack - should also be 2/4.
I suspect implementing a variable damage reduction for armors (instead of the ac bonus - should also be used for monsters) and weapon penetration for weapons would be too much..? :p So I won't ask that.. but I wrote the details in another topic.
At least - it would be cool if you gave variable damage reduction to some enemy monsters, instead of a static one..for undeads and outsiders especially.
For example, damage reduction: 2d6 (Material resistance 3d4) Damage reduction bypassed for half if the following dice rolls higher than the material resistance of 3d4 -> Enchantment: if it's e.g. +3 you add +d3 for your weapon penetration roll + your dex modfier (e.g. +3) + d3 + your str mod (e.g. +4) + d4. If 1d10 (3 + 3 + 4) rolls higher than 3d4 you halve the damage reduction of 2d6 for that hit.
3) Bugs:
Spell resistance is drained after the first attempt to resist a spell (for both creature hides and items). Fixed by custom files - you should implement that.
Do not use "damage resistance" for physical damage because it does not work for physical damage. Use damage reduction instead.
Do not auto-heal/auto-rest players on area/module transitions, please. (buglike!)
Do not force party members even for brief periods of time, please. (buglike)
Implement Tony K AI, please. (the default AI is buggy)
Monster's AC is generally too low. Check twice if the no-natural-ac-bug has resurfaced!
Hm, this is it for now.. my brain is exhausted. I wrote a bit more than 5 but that's because I'm 1st! :p The important parts (the resumes) are in bold.
If I remember something more...
Rob McGinnis:
" Hello everyone,
Aside from Multiplayer, please name up to 5 (please, do not list more than 5) things you would like to see improved/fixed with the game. I cannot guarantee we can fix them all with SoZ, but we can see what can be done.
Thanks."
***
I'd like to introduce this topic here as well - maybe some more good ideas can be thrown in.
I'll start and I'll be as specific as possible and evaluate the how-doable vs. how-needed aspect.
1) Animations:
Zombies: They are concepted so that they can wield weapons/shields.
The problem is if they do wield a weapon it floats inside their leg. Since they're not incorporeal that shouldn't happen.. There are other clipping issues - but this one is horrible.
Solution: Turn the hand/wielding direction a bit outwards.
There's also this glitch when zombies jump when in combat.. hm, that's not exactly a jump.. more like just going up and down once per round or so.. can you eliminate that, please?
Also, there's this constant dodging animation (which is also a problem for all other slow moving monsters like mummies for example) - it's perfectly right they should have high AC; due to tough skin, natural armor, deflection and what you have. But please, make the animation a tad more realistic than a zombie dancing around and avoiding every blow.
Solution: Instead of constant dodging- the blow should hit but be percieved as a miss (because it hit a very tough part of the body for example) - or if you have more resources make an additional animation; the zombie/mummy raising their hands like if blocking the blow with some dust bursting out when the blow hits (i.e. misses). That combined with some sporadic dodge animations would look much better.
I'd like skeletons to be "more" undead as well.. than to be just like a fresh human fighter jumping from leg to leg like a living fighter would. Eliminate some animations from them and make them more static. Especially the right-left leg swinging stance .
Oh and yes... please.. no liches/skeletons (undeads) roundhouse kicking, please. Hey, they're not Chuck Norris!
I know it would be too much work to make shields or weapons actually block blows so I won't ask that. :p
2) It has been mentioned that you start at level 3 because level 1 chars are too fragile. Why not fix the root of the problem instead and let people play from start, from lvl 1 - how it should be.
Solution: Modify lvl 1 starting hit points. It should be 10 + half class hp + 1 + constitution modifier.Thus a wizard with 14 constitution would start with 15 HP (10 + 3 + 2).
I'd advise to not give max class hp on level up, but half + 1 as well.
Speaking of game mechanics - spell buffs are overpowered. Especially AC buffs. Changing them all would be a problem. But, there's a simpler solution; script it so that a character cannot benefit from more than 1 ac spell buff type (items NOT included in the equation) at a time. This means there would no longer be +3 deflection +3 natural +3 ac etc spell buffed characters.. They could benefit just from ONE type at a time.
It's simply ridiculous how powerful you are with such AC buffs - I'd suggest to nerf combat expertise as well to 2/4... and power attack - should also be 2/4.
I suspect implementing a variable damage reduction for armors (instead of the ac bonus - should also be used for monsters) and weapon penetration for weapons would be too much..? :p So I won't ask that.. but I wrote the details in another topic.
At least - it would be cool if you gave variable damage reduction to some enemy monsters, instead of a static one..for undeads and outsiders especially.
For example, damage reduction: 2d6 (Material resistance 3d4) Damage reduction bypassed for half if the following dice rolls higher than the material resistance of 3d4 -> Enchantment: if it's e.g. +3 you add +d3 for your weapon penetration roll + your dex modfier (e.g. +3) + d3 + your str mod (e.g. +4) + d4. If 1d10 (3 + 3 + 4) rolls higher than 3d4 you halve the damage reduction of 2d6 for that hit.3) Bugs:
Spell resistance is drained after the first attempt to resist a spell (for both creature hides and items). Fixed by custom files - you should implement that.
Do not use "damage resistance" for physical damage because it does not work for physical damage. Use damage reduction instead.
Do not auto-heal/auto-rest players on area/module transitions, please. (buglike!)
Do not force party members even for brief periods of time, please. (buglike)
Implement Tony K AI, please. (the default AI is buggy)
Monster's AC is generally too low. Check twice if the no-natural-ac-bug has resurfaced!
Hm, this is it for now.. my brain is exhausted. I wrote a bit more than 5 but that's because I'm 1st! :p The important parts (the resumes) are in bold.
If I remember something more...
