NPC Generator ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Version: 1.5 Author: Argent77 Download: https://github.com/Argent77/A7-NPCGenerator/releases Discussion: https://www.gibberlings3.net/forums/topic/31809-npc-generator-npc-creation-made-easy https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/80057/mod-npc-generator-npc-creation-made-easy Overview ~~~~~~~~ Have you ever regretted that the game only allowed you to create an initial party consisting of the protagonist and (with some effort) a small number of additional characters? Not anymore! This mod allows you to install any number of pregenerated or exported characters as regular NPCs. They can be met at predetermined locations where you have the chance to invite them into your party or have them tag along without occupying party slots at any time in the game. Kicked out NPCs can be instructed to wait or return to the original meeting place. The mod isn't registered in the WeiDU.log and can therefore be called at any time and as often as you like to install or remove NPCs to or from the game. The mod supports the following games and game variants: - Original BG2 - Tutu/EasyTutu - BGT (Baldur's Gate Trilogy) - BG:EE - SoD (Siege of Dragonspear) - BG2:EE - EET (Enhanced Edition Trilogy) - IWD:EE The mod is currently available in English, German and Russian. Installation ~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is a WeiDU mod, that means it is very easy to install. Simply unpack the downloaded archive into your game directory and run "setup-A7-NPCGenerator.exe". Follow the instructions and you are ready to start. The mod provides options for manual and automated installations. See "Components" below for more details. Components ~~~~~~~~~~ *** 1. Add custom NPCs to the game (for BG2, Tutu, BGT, BG:EE, SoD, BG2:EE, EET and IWD:EE) *** With this component it is possible to install any number of individual characters or all available characters at once. For each game there are one or more meeting places available. BG1: - The Friendly Arms Inn - First floor Siege of Dragonspear: Characters can be met at different locations since the game prevents you from visiting some of them at one point or another. Characters will move automatically to any of the locations at first visit. - Elfsong Tavern (Baldur's Gate) - First and second floor - Coast Way Crossing - Flaming Fist Encampment - Troll Claw Woods - Flaming Fist Encampment - Coalition Camp - Spread over southeastern parts of the camp BG2 - Shadows of Amn: - Copper Coronet in the Slums of Athkatla BG2 - Throne of Bhaal: Characters can be met at different locations since the game prevents you from visiting some of them at one point or another. Characters will move automatically to any of the locations at first visit. - Saradush Tavern (Tankard Tree) - Amkethran Inn (The Zephir) IWD: Characters can be met at different locations since the game prevents you from visiting some of them at one point or another. Characters will move automatically to any of the locations at first visit. - "Winter's Cradle" Tavern and Snowdrift Inn (both Easthaven) - Root Cellar Tavern and Evening Shade Inn (both Kuldahar) - The Whistling Gallows - first and second floor, in Lonelywood (HoW campaign only) Note: Since the Winter's Cradle Tavern in Easthaven is used as the starting area NPCs will gather at this place only after the party leaves the tavern to avoid interference with the opening cutscene. This component provides two installation modes: Manual installation: A character selection menu allows you to select one or more characters for installation. The mod scans the "characters" folder for exported character files and/or characters in the game resources (depending on selected option) and lists available characters with a short summary of gender, alignment, class/kit and level. To select a character, enter the number of the menu entry. A selection can be reverted by entering the number of an already selected character again. Enter 'A' to install all available characters at once. Otherwise, enter 'X' to finish selection and start the actual installation process. If one or more characters have been selected for installation you can also decide whether these characters should automatically adapt their experience to the level of the protagonist when they join up. XP adaptation works in both directions. Experience of a high-level NPC may be reduced to match the XP of a low-level protagonist. Automated installation: This mode is controlled by the file "settings.tpa" which can be found in the mod's base folder. Installation requires no manual input and is therefore the best choice for mod managers or scripted mod installations. By default it will install all available characters from the "characters" folder and enable XP adaptation. See the settings file (settings.tpa) for more detailed comments about individual settings. NOTE 1: NPCs in companion mode have the spell effect "Clear Fog of War" applied, so that they don't vanish into the fog of war when they move out of party range. However, this effect is supported for only up to 8 characters by the game engine, party members included. Additional followers can still be selected while in the fog of war, but don't clear it. Because of technical limitations this effect can be dispelled via Ctrl+R cheat in the original BG2 engine if cheat keys are enabled. The NPC has to be kicked out and invited again to have the effect re-applied. Enhanced Editions are not affected. NOTE 2: Unlike regular party members NPCs in companion mode do not automatically gain experience from killing monsters or completing quests. The former issue has been worked around by granting an approximated amount of XP for monsters killed by the NPCs themselves. The level up process is still only available when the NPC is a regular party member. NOTE 3: For BG2, BGT, BG2:EE and EET it is possible to create custom epilogues for individual NPCs which are shown at the end of the game together with the epilogues of regular game NPCs. To enable epilogues for a character you have to create a text file with the epilogue text in the same folder as the character file. The file has to be saved under the same name as the character file but with the file extension ".EPI". To allow the game to show different epilogues depending on the choice made by the protagonist at the end of the game you have to create two text files which are, again, saved under the same name as the character file but using file extensions ".EP1" if the protagonist choses to ascend and ".EP2" if the protagonist chooses a mortal life. Exported character files can be found in the "characters" subfolder which is located in the directory containing the "baldur.ini" or "baldur.lua" configuration files. For classic games this is usually the game installation directory itself. For the Enhanced Editions this is a folder in the user-specific Documents folder of the system. Example: MYCHAR.CHR: The character file created and exported by the game. Option 1: MYCHAR.EPI: A text file with the epilogue that is shown regardless of the protagonist's choice. Option 2: MYCHAR.EP1: A text file with the epilogue that is shown when the protagonist chooses ascension. MYCHAR.EP2: A text file with the epilogue that is shown when the protagonist chooses a mortal life. Option 2 takes preference if both epilogue options are detected. *** 2. Enable/Disable alignment checks for custom NPCs (not available for IWD:EE) *** By default installed NPCs won't always join or follow the party right away. If their goals don't align with the party's they might ask for a fee or outright refuse to join. This check is only performed when asked to join or follow the first time. Subsequent requests are always accepted. With this component it is possible to toggle this check on or off. When disabled then every installed NPC will automatically join or follow your party when asked. NPCs in IWD:EE will always join or follow your party when asked. The requirements for NPCs are as follows: Good-aligned NPCs: - Join for free if reputation is between 9 and 12 and the protagonist's charisma is 14 or higher. - Join for free if reputation is 13 or higher. Neutral NPCs: - Join for free if reputation is between 5 and 16 and the protagonist's charisma is 14 or higher. - Join for 250 gold if reputation is between 5 and 16 and the protagonist's charisma is 13 or lower. - Join for 250 gold if reputation is 17 or higher and the protagonist's charisma is 14 or higher. - Join for 500 gold if reputation is 4 or lower and the protagonist's charisma is 14 or higher. Evil NPCs: - Join for free if reputation is 8 or lower and the protagonist's charisma is 14 or higher. - Join for 250 gold if reputation is 8 or lower and the protagonist's charisma is 13 or lower. - Join for 250 gold if reputation is between 9 and 12 and the protagonist's charisma is 14 or higher. - Join for 500 gold if reputation is between 9 and 12 and the protagonist's charisma is 13 or lower. - Join for 1000 gold if reputation is between 13 and 16 and the protagonist's charisma is 14 or higher. NOTE: This option is set on a per NPC basis as soon as the party enters the respective area. Toggling this check later won't have an effect on these NPCs unless you load an earlier save. Alternatively you can enable or disable the check manually for selected NPCs in the debug console of the game. To disable the alignment check of an NPC execute this code while the mouse cursor is placed over the NPC's selection circle (replace "CLUAConsole" by "C" for the Enhanced Edition games): CLUAConsole:SetGlobal("A7CHR-SKIPCHECK","LOCALS",1) To enable the alignment check of an NPC execute this code while the mouse cursor is placed over the NPC's selection circle (replace "CLUAConsole" by "C" for the Enhanced Edition games): CLUAConsole:SetGlobal("A7CHR-SKIPCHECK","LOCALS",0) *** 3. Remove custom NPCs from the game *** This component allows you to remove installed characters from the game. You can choose whether to uninstall selected characters individually or all installed characters at once. NOTE: Because NPCs are stored in saved games this option has only an effect if you haven't visited any of the meeting places of the characters yet. However, some options won't work anymore if these characters have been uninstalled (such as returning to the original meeting place or moving from one meeting place to another). Credits ~~~~~~~ Coding and testing: Argent77 Russian translation: yota13 Copyright Notice ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The mod "NPC Generator" is licensed under the "Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License" (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). History ~~~~~~~ 1.5 - Added support for custom epilogues at the end of BG2:ToB for installed NPCs - Custom biography text is assigned to installed NPCs if available - Show explanatory message if NPCs are not available for installation - Fixed NPCs turning hostile when hit by friendly fire in follower mode 1.4 - Added Project Infinity metadata - Added German translation for WeiDU prompts - Fixed potential display issues with component names in WeiDU.log and Project Infinity - Compatibility improvements 1.3 - Added NPC/follower removal at the end of SoD campaign - Properly deal with followers during SoA Spellhold dream sequence - Fixed missing IDS symbols in IWD:EE 1.2 - Added Russian translation (thanks yota13) - Internal optimizations 1.1 - NPC followers gain experience from killing creatures. - Invalid character data (kits, spells, items, etc.) is automatically fixed when NPCs are installed. - Fixed typos in readme. 1.0 - Initial release