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Slarti

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  1. Also, stunning often persists for more than one round. Like all status effects, it will weaken with each passing round. However, it's cumulative, so the more heavy hits you take, the more stunning you will accrue.

  2. *nod nod* It's very reassuring to hear you don't like the chitrachs, either.

     

    If you put more time into the graphics, though, the PC graphics should *really* be the first ones to work on. The nephil and slith graphics are nicely done -- but it's frustrating to see so many available for enemies and so few for the party. Particularly when nephils are almost categorically the most advantageous race -- 2 options leaves a lot to be desired.

     

    If nothing else, why not allow each race to choose any graphic? A nephil in a suit of armor is going to look more like an armored human graphic than a furry nephil graphic anyway.

     

    -- who you may want to ignore, since he's one of the silly people who still prefers pre-Exile III graphics. They created such a great atmosphere.

  3. Aaahh! Synergy, I should never have doubted you. Something foul is at play here. The manual is wrong.

     

    I added a line in the door script on my testing copy of A4 to tell me what my Unlock strength is. The result goes up 1 for every point of Tool Use, and goes up 2 for every 3 points of spellcraft/etc! Synergy was correct.

     

    It also gets a bonus of 1... or a bonus of 2, with 2 points in Unlock Doors. I don't know if this is really a +1 bonus, or just a +.66 bonus -- it was enough of a chore walking through walls to Formello to buy the first two levels (hey, it's a testing copy). However, it is definitely an UD level bonus and not a flat +0.75 like the manual says.

  4. Aaahh! Synergy, I should never have doubted you. Something foul is at play here. The manual is wrong.

     

    I added a line in the door script on my testing copy of A4 to tell me what my Unlock strength is. The result goes up 1 for every point of Tool Use, and goes up 2 for every 3 points of spellcraft/etc! Synergy was correct.

     

    It also gets a bonus of 1... or a bonus of 2, with 2 points in Unlock Doors. I don't know if this is really a +1 bonus, or just a +.66 bonus -- it was enough of a chore walking through walls to Formello to buy the first two levels (hey, it's a testing copy). However, it is definitely an UD level bonus and not a flat +0.75 like the manual says.

  5. I'm not so sure. I think the base .75 might just be referring to the .75 you get for the first point of Unlock Doors, which you must have if you're casting the spell.

     

    If you look at Synergy's excellent data here (you may want to ignore his slightly less excellent conclusions smile ) we see that a level 35 door was opened by

     

    Edit: See below. Synergy's conclusions turned out to be excellent as well.

  6. I'm not so sure. I think the base .75 might just be referring to the .75 you get for the first point of Unlock Doors, which you must have if you're casting the spell.

     

    If you look at Synergy's excellent data here (you may want to ignore his slightly less excellent conclusions smile ) we see that a level 35 door was opened by

     

    Edit: See below. Synergy's conclusions turned out to be excellent as well.

  7. I believe the bonus works the other way around, Aloreal.

     

    When picking a lock, you can open a lock of strength:

     

    = Tool Use

     

    When casting Unlock Doors, you can open a lock of strength:

     

    = Tool Use + ( (Mage Spells + Spellcraft + Magery + Unlock Doors level) * 0.75)

  8. I believe the bonus works the other way around, Aloreal.

     

    When picking a lock, you can open a lock of strength:

     

    = Tool Use

     

    When casting Unlock Doors, you can open a lock of strength:

     

    = Tool Use + ( (Mage Spells + Spellcraft + Magery + Unlock Doors level) * 0.75)

  9. The script files contain almost all information about item types, terrain types, creature types, and attack types (except for the graphics).

     

    They also contain combat scripts and dialog.

     

    They do NOT contain information on actual terrain placement, object placement, character placement, etc. and so on. That stuff is stored in non-text form. Good luck finding and/or editing it. You won't.

  10. 1. Open up the Scripts folder (preferably on a copy of your game, and not the original) and look for "av4itemschars.txt" -- this stores most information about items. Find the entry for an item you want to modify (say, a hatchet) and then find the entry for an item that does what you want it to do (say, a stick). Most of the parameters have pretty obvious names, so just change what you need to to make the hatchet function like the stick, and voila.

     

    (One important note: if you see "import = XX" that item will "import" the parameters from another item to use as a base. If you don't, it will import the parameters from the item right before it in the file.)

     

    2. Doubtful.

     

    3. Also doubtful. I don't think any characteristics related to PC race are stored in the scripts.

  11. It sounds like you may have played some of the Exile games? If that's the case, you'll be up to date on the story as the story is almost exactly the same in each of the original trilogy games.

     

    Avernum 4 tends to hit you over the head repeatedly with summaries of what happened in the older games, so you won't be confused. What you will miss out on are all the details of the world of Avernum. Avernum 4 tends to skim over many of these things. If you like intricately developed fantasy worlds à la Lord of the Rings, you might prefer to play Avernum 1 and 2 first -- the Sliths will seem less barbaric, the names of the powerful wizards you keep hearing about will mean a lot more to you, each city will have its own character, and (perhaps most significantly) the Vahnatai will seem like a real people and less like weird cartoonish supervillains.

  12. 1. A Bronze Halberd will do more damage if you have a high attack bonus (Str + Pole + Blademaster). If you don't, the Spear will. Try them out.

     

    2. While I like the new armor system very much, it does mean that the difference between different pieces of armor becomes very small, as far as protection goes. Given how easy it is to heal, an extra 10% protection is never really going to be significant unless you are stretched to your absolute limit fighting some powerful enemy. The protection you get from a Blessed Breastplate over a regular one is significantly less than the bonus from the Protection or Steel Skin spells, too.

  13. Update: As expected, getting past Almaria gave me a big boost in power, most importantly from the Cryos Spear allowing me a natural 10 AP, but also from Steel Skin and Divine Fire. The natural 10 AP is nice as it makes dealing with regular enemies much less of a chore.

     

    I went and mopped up Nociduas, who was pretty easy, although I did have trouble the 10% of the time that his demon pal hit me -- for the first time since the goblin caves, I had to use healing potions (an elixir, in this case) to stay alive. I probably should have cast my own Enduring Shield rather than using the fountain's Enduring Armor, which had a weaker dodge effect. Oh well. Sort of a pointless victory, since the Emerald Chestguard isn't useful for me.

     

    At the moment, I'm dealing with my frustration at finding ANOTHER big system of tunnels under the Great Cave. Those chitrach tunnels really made me hate tunnels forever. The Honeycomb didn't help, either. All these tunnel systems are making it increasingly unlikely that I'll play through the game a second time.

     

    Soon, I should be able to grab an Enchanter's Robe from the necromancer (I don't want to craft one, as that Mandrake is gonna turn into knowledge later), and then I'll have my +3 to Mage Spells earning me Dispel Barrier. Then I get to go loot my list of 26 unpierced barriers.

     

    Oh, yeah. The Sulfurous Flats dungeon didn't ruffle my feathers at all. I don't know what all the fuss is over. (Well, it didn't ruffle my character's feathers; I'll admit to being a little annoyed by all the Searing Geneforge Creature Clones... honestly, if you're going to copy the graphic, at least change the !@#$ adjective!)

  14. Update: As expected, getting past Almaria gave me a big boost in power, most importantly from the Cryos Spear allowing me a natural 10 AP, but also from Steel Skin and Divine Fire. The natural 10 AP is nice as it makes dealing with regular enemies much less of a chore.

     

    I went and mopped up Nociduas, who was pretty easy, although I did have trouble the 10% of the time that his demon pal hit me -- for the first time since the goblin caves, I had to use healing potions (an elixir, in this case) to stay alive. I probably should have cast my own Enduring Shield rather than using the fountain's Enduring Armor, which had a weaker dodge effect. Oh well. Sort of a pointless victory, since the Emerald Chestguard isn't useful for me.

     

    At the moment, I'm dealing with my frustration at finding ANOTHER big system of tunnels under the Great Cave. Those chitrach tunnels really made me hate tunnels forever. The Honeycomb didn't help, either. All these tunnel systems are making it increasingly unlikely that I'll play through the game a second time.

     

    Soon, I should be able to grab an Enchanter's Robe from the necromancer (I don't want to craft one, as that Mandrake is gonna turn into knowledge later), and then I'll have my +3 to Mage Spells earning me Dispel Barrier. Then I get to go loot my list of 26 unpierced barriers.

     

    Oh, yeah. The Sulfurous Flats dungeon didn't ruffle my feathers at all. I don't know what all the fuss is over. (Well, it didn't ruffle my character's feathers; I'll admit to being a little annoyed by all the Searing Geneforge Creature Clones... honestly, if you're going to copy the graphic, at least change the !@#$ adjective!)

  15. No, not at all.

     

    1) The only thing you actually *need* Tool Use for is getting past the "alarm" traps that make towns hostile. All other traps can be ignored, and any door Tool Use will help open can be opened without it.

     

    2) You won't get to 15. The most you can get out of the trait is 12 points, at level 60. Even a singleton is not likely to get more than 9 points out of it (levels 42-47) and for most of the game, you'll have significantly less. To be fair, you can buy two levels in Almaria if you really want to wait that long, and there is also the +3 from equipment which is timely enough. But even with those bonuses, you'll have to invest skill points to get up to 15 or 16.

     

    3) Even if you want to put points in Tool Use manually, do the math -- it's NOT a savings compared with the other traits. It costs 42 skill points to buy 12 points of Tool Use (40 if you wait till after Almaria). The trait will give you 9 levels (if you don't mind waiting till the end of the game to have use of all of them), so that's a savings of 38-40 skill points.

     

    That's the equivalent of about 7 levels of Priest Spells, or 6 of Mage Spells. Pure Spirit and Natural Mage increase those stats at the same rate as Nimble Fingers increases Tool Use. However, if you plan on using much magic, you are obviously going to want to buy more than 6 or 7 levels. Since trait skill bonuses don't increase the cost to buy skill levels, the skill points you save should essentially be calculated starting with the first level you don't buy. i.e., if I buy 6 levels of Priest Spells and get a bonus 4 levels, the bonus 4 levels are not worth (4 + 4 + 5 + 5 = 18) but (7 + 7 + 8 + 8 = 30).

     

    So basically, at ANY point in the game, unless you forego magic entirely, you are ALWAYS better off buying Tool Use manually and selecting a different trait. In the mid and late game, the magic traits outshine Nimble Fingers by truly ridiculous proportions.

     

    (Admittedly, I'd rather have the First Aid bonus than the Magical Efficiency, but even if you value M.E. at zero (which is unfair) First Aid is a cheap skill and the bonus to it is small (1 + 1 every 10 levels).

     

    Elite Warrior is also a better deal. Parry costs 3 to start with, I don't remember what Blademaster is -- I think 4, but it's effectively a lot higher since you have to waste a bunch of points in the hand-to-hand weapon skill you're not using in order to access it.

  16. No, not at all.

     

    1) The only thing you actually *need* Tool Use for is getting past the "alarm" traps that make towns hostile. All other traps can be ignored, and any door Tool Use will help open can be opened without it.

     

    2) You won't get to 15. The most you can get out of the trait is 12 points, at level 60. Even a singleton is not likely to get more than 9 points out of it (levels 42-47) and for most of the game, you'll have significantly less. To be fair, you can buy two levels in Almaria if you really want to wait that long, and there is also the +3 from equipment which is timely enough. But even with those bonuses, you'll have to invest skill points to get up to 15 or 16.

     

    3) Even if you want to put points in Tool Use manually, do the math -- it's NOT a savings compared with the other traits. It costs 42 skill points to buy 12 points of Tool Use (40 if you wait till after Almaria). The trait will give you 9 levels (if you don't mind waiting till the end of the game to have use of all of them), so that's a savings of 38-40 skill points.

     

    That's the equivalent of about 7 levels of Priest Spells, or 6 of Mage Spells. Pure Spirit and Natural Mage increase those stats at the same rate as Nimble Fingers increases Tool Use. However, if you plan on using much magic, you are obviously going to want to buy more than 6 or 7 levels. Since trait skill bonuses don't increase the cost to buy skill levels, the skill points you save should essentially be calculated starting with the first level you don't buy. i.e., if I buy 6 levels of Priest Spells and get a bonus 4 levels, the bonus 4 levels are not worth (4 + 4 + 5 + 5 = 18) but (7 + 7 + 8 + 8 = 30).

     

    So basically, at ANY point in the game, unless you forego magic entirely, you are ALWAYS better off buying Tool Use manually and selecting a different trait. In the mid and late game, the magic traits outshine Nimble Fingers by truly ridiculous proportions.

     

    (Admittedly, I'd rather have the First Aid bonus than the Magical Efficiency, but even if you value M.E. at zero (which is unfair) First Aid is a cheap skill and the bonus to it is small (1 + 1 every 10 levels).

     

    Elite Warrior is also a better deal. Parry costs 3 to start with, I don't remember what Blademaster is -- I think 4, but it's effectively a lot higher since you have to waste a bunch of points in the hand-to-hand weapon skill you're not using in order to access it.

  17. Update: Perhaps I should have named this thread "bum luck." Luck does not seem to increase resistance to any kind of magical attack, either. Sheesh!

     

    All the other stats and protective spells function about as expected against magical attacks. Resistance is very effective. Prismatic shield seems to vary randomly against each individual attack; I got results ranging pretty much from 0% ro 50%. Steel Skin and Protection were both a solid 25%. This was with a combined spell stat of 30.

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