Amber - The Baldur's Gate 2 NPC Mod
Project
Contents
This mod adds a joinable NPC for Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn. Amber is a tiefling rogue of a chaotic good alignment, possessed of a few special abilities. Despite being fairly intelligent, she can at times be rather blunt when communicating with other people. This trait rarely earns her friends among the people she meets, and the feeling of initial dislike is usually mutual. But underneath her prickly manners, she has a good heart and is prepared to go to great lengths to help those who she sees to be weak and in need of aid.
The mod features not only romance and friendship tracks for the protagonist, but also a romance track for a second PC in a multiplayer game (Player 2). This feature is also exploitable in a single player game if you want enjoy two concurrent romances without cheating. For more information, check out the discussion forum. In addition, Amber is lavishly voiced and has her own original musical theme.
The quest that leads to meeting Amber begins in the streets of Athkatla, and can take place before or after your journey to Brynnlaw.
This mod is designed to work with Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn with the Throne of Bhaal expansion pack. The mod should be compatible with other WeiDU mods. For more information on compatibility, check out the discussion forum.
Windows
This mod is packaged and installed with WeiDU, and is distributed as a zip-file. To install, simply unzip the file you downloaded to your main BG2 folder, double-click setup-amber.exe and follow the instructions on the screen. Please run setup-amber.exe in your BG2 folder to reinstall, uninstall or otherwise change components.
Mac OS X
If the mod was previously installed, uninstall it before extracting the new version. This mod is packaged and installed with WeiDU. To install, simply extract the contents of the mod into your BG2 folder. If properly extracted, you should have a amber folder, setup-amber, setup-amber.tp2, and setup-amber.command in your BG2 folder. To install, simply double-click setup-amber.command and follow the instructions on screen.
Linux
Extract the contents of the mod to the folder of the game you wish to modify. Download the latest version of WeiDU for Linux from WeiDU.org and copy WeiDU and WeInstall to /usr/bin. Following that, open a terminal, cd to your BG2 installation directory, run 'tolower' and answer Y to both queries.
You can avoid running the second option (linux.ini) if you've already ran it once in the same directory. To save time, the archive is already tolowered, so there's no need to run the first option (lowercasing file names) either if you've extracted only this mod since the last time you lower cased file name. If you are unsure, running tolower and choosing both options is the safe bet.
Run WeInstall amber in your game folder to install the mod. Then run wine BGMain.exe and start playing.
This NPC Mod's Shadows of Amn portion currently includes two components, that are available both in English and German:
- 1. Amber, a chaotic good tiefling fighter and thief (dual class)
as a joinable NPC with
- a customised portrait
- extensive voicing in the English version and soundset for Amber in the German version
- original music that plays during the conversations with the PC (due to its infinitely looping structure it occupies one of the 17 free slots in songlist.2da)
- custom made AI script (courtesy of Yovaneth)
- up to 13 casual interactions with the player character including one in-between talk if you can't quite decide whether you want to be friends or something else
- up to 10 chapter-specific interactions with the player character
- up to 13 player-initiated conversation topics to discuss about if the casual interactions left you wanting more
- one of these three relationship paths:
- a friendship path for the protagonist with
- up to 9 friendly interactions
- romance with a suitable male protagonist with
- 24 romantic interactions, of which 7 are 'floating' and 3
are kind of pick-up talks if things are about to go sour between
you and Amber
- a flirt pack with unique Amber-initiated flirts and an extensive
set of player-initiated flirts
- a romance conflict with Viconia, Jaheira and Aerie; Amber
will also react to Solaufein's romance
- the Bodhi abduction quest
- a romance with another suitable male player character in a multiplayer
game if the protagonist is not agreeable, with
- customised friendly interactions and lovetalks to replace
those suitable only to the protagonist
- 2 or 3 regular banters with all Bioware NPCs and
a set of scripted banters with Imoen, Viconia and Haer'Dalis
- up to 47 interjections and reactions to conversations between the
player character and non-party NPCs,
plus additional 24 interjections with minor citizens of Amn
- Tree of Life with different options depending on your relationship
with Amber
- special interjections, banters and more for the Underdark
- a string fixer (SHIFT-k) in case, for example, re-installation mixes
up her soundset and name strings in old savegames
- 3 mini-quests with copious dialogue, new areas (edited from original
game areas) and voicing for six non-party NPCs
- several brand new items, some more useful than others, along with
an upgrade to the Blade of Roses
- small tweaks including
- corrected spear animations: more stabbing and less swinging
- corrected Haer'Dalis' blades description texts: they're usable
only by Haer'Dalis, not by all tieflings
- corrected kit.ids and added ToB scripting
functions
- and a hilarious Easter Egg to boot! *Now includes singing and music!*
- 2. Multiplayer-friendly flirting for Amber
- Flirting with Amber will not pause the entire game. The other players
are free to do their shopping, adjust inventories of their characters
etc., and you can make out with your sweetheart without annoying your
co-players. This is an optional component that will be of use mostly
to multiplayers.
Special thanks CamDawg for hosting Amber at The Gibberlings Three and to all Gibberlings for their support.
Extra Special thanks to all testers, voice actors and actresses, Yovaneth (Amber's combat AI), and proofreaders who contributed to this project.
For inspiration we would like to thank: Jason Compton & co (Kelsey NPC and Bioware NPC banter/flirtpack -mods), Domi (idea of the 'bounty notice'-lovetalk, 'The Elegies of Elven Heart' fanfic), Ruslaka ('Losing Grip' fanfic), plus Uriah Heep, Nightwish and Rainbow.
On the technical side, we would like to thank: Westley Weimer (WeiDU),
TeamBG (providing tools, IESDP),
igi (maintaining IESDP),
Jason Compton & Jesse Myers (flirt tech), Avenger (DLTCEP),
Sim, Death and CamDawg (tutorials), CamDawg & Idobek (spear animation correction), CamDawg, Andyr and Grim Squeaker (ideas and WeiDU code for Amber's unusability stuff), Ghreyfain, Rastor, Idobek, hlidskialf, Sim, Caswallon, Zandilar, SConrad and many others (answering questions both technical and concerning the game world).
Tools and Resources Used in Creation
WeiDU by
Wes Weimer
IESDP maintained
by igi
Complete Scripting
Guide by SimDing0
DLTCEP by
Avenger
IETME by
TeamBG
BAM
Workshop I by TeamBG
Near Infinity (an Infinity
Engine Browser & Editor) by Jon Olav Hauglid
TextPad
Audacity (audio editor)
Kristal Audio Engine (multi-track
recorder, audio sequencer and mixer)
Steinberg Cubase
LE (multi-track recorder, audio and MIDI sequencer
and mixer)
Voxengo Redunoise
Voxengo r8brain
OggDrop XP
Corel PhotoPaint 9
The three-dimensional character model (as presented in "Characters in Computer Games: Toward Understanding Interpretation and Design" by Lankoski, Petri; Satu Heliö & Inger Ekman (2003))
This mod was created by Meira and Darios.
You can visit The Gibberlings Three for
information on this and any other mods on which we may be working.
Authors:
- Meira Erviälä - original character concept, dialogue writing, dialogue and script coding, sound editing
- Ville Marttila (AKA Darios) - tools research, creature, item and area editing, text editing and proof-reading, dialogue and script coding, graphics, sound and music production, website design
Cast:
- Amber - Celissa (English voicing and soundset)
- Amber - Ines (German soundset)
- Girl - Irenicus Knightingale
- Boy - Harry
- Lorraine - Sheryl Mason AKA Silk
- Demon - Ville Marttila AKA Darios
- Gabriel - Ville Marttila AKA Darios
- Ymmyrt - Ville Marttila AKA Darios
- Ghost boy - Grim Squeaker
Testers, proof-readers and other help:
- Mac OS X packaging by Gorilym.
- English proof-reading by Threadspinner, Sheryl Mason AKA Silk,
Celissa and Haucusuchus
- German translation by Nadja Sommerfeld AKA Fey
- German proof-reading by Erian and Lilith
- Amber's AI by Yovaneth
(Based on the work of Greg Hodgson AKA Sarkyn,
with some edits by Darios & Meira)
- Lorraine's portrait edit by Sirick based on a still image of Michelle
Yeoh from the movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"
- Alpha-testing by Denise Voskuil-Marré AKA Xiao
- Beta-Testing by Baeus, Celissa, Domi, Haucusuchus, Jolyth, Jyzabyl, Bert
Van Hertum AKA Lord Ernie, Lord-Jyssev,
Miss Sakaki, Necrofim, Noctalys, Sevariat, Sleigh, Sp101 and Rafal Undertaker
Krajnik
This mod may not be sold, published, compiled or redistributed in any form
without the consent of its authors.
Amber - The Baldur's Gate II NPC Mod
Project is ©2006 Meira Erviälä, Ville Marttila.
Amber - The BG2 NPC Mod
Project website design ©2004 Ville Marttila.
Unless otherwise specified, all content is the property of its author.
Poem "Hymn To Beauty" by Charles-Pierre Baudelaire
Poem "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell
Anglo-Saxon riddles from the book Voices by Geoffrey Summerfield
Abyssal Pipe's description and inventory icon from the game "Planescape:
Torment" ©1999 Interplay Entertainment Corp.
Amber's portrait edit by Ville Marttila based on character portrait from
the game "Icewind Dale II" ©2002 Interplay Entertainment Corp.
Ymmyrt's portrait is a reframed version of a character portrait from the
game "Icewind Dale II" ©2002 Interplay Entertainment Corp.
Amber's musical theme composed, arranged, programmed and performed by Ville
Marttila.
Version 1 (4.7.2006)
Version 1.1 (5.7.2006)
- Fixed compatibility issues with Weimer's Item Upgrade (see the discussion
forum for more information).
Version 2 (29.8.2006)
- Added dialog options to prison personnel to enable the continuation of
Jan's quest while Amber's quest is underway.
- Added dialog options to prison personnel for enquiring the current whereabouts
of the prison keeper while he's away.
- Fixed the problem of Amber choking on install if action.ids has a SoA version
of the action Shout().
- Added a missing link to Amber's joining dialogue (after Anomen's comment)
- Added Trademeet-specific comments to Amber's third quest.
- The third quest can no longer begin from Imnesvale.
- Removed extra backslashes that prevented Amber's music from installing
on older Windows versions.
- Foolproofed setting of Amber's romance timer.
- Fixed typos in the code related to setting some non-critical variables.
- Corrected logical inconsistencies in dialogue related to Amber's second
quest.
- Added InParty checks to Amber's Tree of Life dialog.
- Added more opportunities to make Amber like you :).
- Replaced the POISONED shout in Amber's combat script with its numerical
equivalent in order to enhance compatibitlity with other mods.
- Set the post-vampire talk to occur sooner than it did before.
- Chapter talks no longer occur if Amber is upset.
- Added customised Waterdeep talks for Player 2.
- Amber is no longer compatible with earlier versions (v.32 or earlier)
of Item Upgrade, unless IU is installed
after Amber. Please use v33 of Item Upgrade, which will work regardless
of the installation order.
- Amber's scripts and dialogs now use the correct death variable for Bodhi.
- Corrected a critical typo in the trigger of an Amber-initiated Player
2 flirt.
- Corrected "Loacals" to "Locals" in some local variables.
- Shifted critical script blocks from the bottom of baldur.bcs to the top
to ensure that they fire when supposed to.
- Changed the file Amber uses to check for the presence of ToB.
- Added a See(<player 1 or 2>) check for all flirts and love talks.
- Fixed some miscellaneous typos in various dialogs.
- Removed remaining references to Player 2 character being a Bhaalspawn
from some P2 flirts.
- Fixed the issue with the Bath lovetalk triggering for Player 1 although
Player 2 is romancing Amber.
- Added a click-talk option which lets the player know what's going on
with Amber at the moment.
- Updated the patching routine for the prison cell door to be more secure
and compatible with other mods.
- Added voicing to the Easter egg!
Version 2.1 (18.9.2006)
- Lorraine's talk now triggers correctly even if you have used holding
or mind-altering spells on her.
- Added dialogue checks for Player2 not being dead.
- Amber's comment after the pit fight in Ust Natha is now more logical,
regardless of who fought in the pit.
- Fixed a dead end in the "How are you doing, Amber?" force talk option.
- Removed an accidental time restraint from Amber's third quest.
- Fixed the conditions that determine which line Amber uses in the "I'm
sorry" talk.
- Removed a whole bunch of empty reply options from various dialogues.
- Fixed a couple of empty SAY lines in Amber's P2 romance
talks.
- Amber's voicing, music and tilesets are not installed in the middle of
the WeiDU installation
instead of after it.
- Some references to Player1 were removed from Player2's romance talks.
- Fixed the Tree of Life once again (it should now actually work).
- Fixed a typo in the Phaere flirts that could cause dialogue to get stuck.
- Added a slight delay so that the map text willl display for a while longer.
- Amber's dialogues and scripts have been traified, making her ready for
translation.
- Fixed a non-fatal typo in the script which determines Lorraine's level.
Version 2.2 (2.11.2006)
- OSX version available for Macintosh users.
- Replaced the script trigger that crashed game in Mac under certain conditions with another, more stable, trigger.
- Amber's buckler is now worth more than 1 gp.
- Amber should now be compatible with Spell Refresh mod.
Version 2.3 (4.11.2006)
- Fixed the fatal bug in the Government area script introduced by version 2.2 that prevented Amber from joining.
Version 2.4 (21.1.2007)
- Added a German translation.
- Added a German soundset for Amber.
- Fixed the problem in the batch files of the Mac OSX version.
- Added extra lines to Max and Ed.
- Doubled the braclet quest's timers.
Version 2.5 (24.4.2008)
- Added a Linux version. Thanks, the bigg!
- Updated German translation.
- Improved the way talks occuring when party rests are triggered.
- Fixed some timer issues with Rashryn the tailor.
- Fixed the issue with unwanted subtitles.
- Fixed some miscellaneous typos in various dialogs.
- Fixed two instaneces in Player 2 romance where the dialogue could get stuck.
- Fixed typos in variables.
- Corrected inconsistieces in dialogue
- Cam modified the item restriction script for the tp2 file.
- Moved the additions to Haegan's script to the slaver area file.
- Upgraded to WeiDU version 204.
- Updated the new contact information to the read-me and tp2.