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Aranna advantages in Kingdom of Ehb campaign?

To avoid crashes on load a savegame after removing some mods, I’m planning to uninstall all, and reinstall it without LoA, the only mod I want is High Resolution Textures (and probably See Far, and some other with visuals, only if they don’t corrupt a savegame when I remove them).

My question is what I would miss in Kingdom of Ehb campaign only. Like additional interface functions, missing dialogues, bugfixes, etc.

Well, I have reinstalled DS1, with no Aranna, the differences I've noticed at first time are these two for now:

Resolution, fixable by editing the DungeonSiege.ini.

There isn't a way to hide the green selection marks (circles and triangles). In fact, I've installed the mod SeeFar, which changes that button to another section, and the button is there, but touching it does nothing.

Is there a fix for this last one?

Press Enter to enter chat mode, and prefix the code with "+" or "-"

-rings

That line above will disable the green rings under the characters.

Moros wrote:

Press Enter to enter chat mode, and prefix the code with "+" or "-"

-rings

That line above will disable the green rings under the characters.

You saved my day!

A question, cause I had that as "cheats codes" (being no cheat at all, in fact, it is in the LoA expansion in the options menu), but using those codes "marks" the game in certain way? For example, some games put you in the scores as cheater, or similar things. In my experience, if the game do not say anything like a "you are cheating" message, it does nothing in that way.

Vamrem wrote:

Moros wrote:

Press Enter to enter chat mode, and prefix the code with "+" or "-"

-rings

That line above will disable the green rings under the characters.

You saved my day!

A question, cause I had that as "cheats codes" (being no cheat at all, in fact, it is in the LoA expansion in the options menu), but using those codes "marks" the game in certain way? For example, some games put you in the scores as cheater, or similar things. In my experience, if the game do not say anything like a "you are cheating" message, it does nothing in that way.

Usually those "you are a cheater" things are made by people who crack or hack games, the cheat codes for DS1 and LOA were left in the game by the original game developers, you might ask why did they do that?, I don't know the answer to that and I suspect no one else does either.

Running Kingdom of Ehb campaign is better using the expansion. Access to better spells, improvements with the selling ui and mousing over weapons provides a much better idea of the weapons dps. There are backpacks for expanded inventory, but unfortunately they aren't available in Ehb campaign without a mod.

Backpacks are available early in the LoA expansion as a reward and sold at the magic shop. So that's nice.

I feel bad my fg skins mod for loa didn't work out. I was trying to be very accommodating. Mods don't corrupt saved games. That is the way the game handles resources and when some of those resources (mods) are missing, then the game can't find what it needs to function.

kathycf wrote:

Running Kingdom of Ehb campaign is better using the expansion. Access to better spells, improvements with the selling ui and mousing over weapons provides a much better idea of the weapons dps. There are backpacks for expanded inventory, but unfortunately they aren't available in Ehb campaign without a mod.

Backpacks are available early in the LoA expansion as a reward and sold at the magic shop. So that's nice.

I feel bad my fg skins mod for loa didn't work out. I was trying to be very accommodating. Mods don't corrupt saved games. That is the way the game handles resources and when some of those resources (mods) are missing, then the game can't find what it needs to function.

Thanks that is what I wanted to know, I think I will install LoA again.

And I know that mods don't corrupt savegames, I means that if a savegame needs a mod, and can't load without it, the mod will be linked to the game forever.

Moros wrote:
Usually those "you are a cheater" things are made by people who crack or hack games, the cheat codes for DS1 and LOA were left in the game by the original game developers, you might ask why did they do that?, I don't know the answer to that and I suspect no one else does either.
Those codes are generally useful to mod developers, and DS was alwaya a mod-friendly game.

You had the ability to set a brand new character to match the area of map you were testing, without having to build him up through the preceding zones, for example. There are codes to change the size of the character, so you can check the clearance for doorways, passages etc. as well as thing like toggles for UI elements that might obscure items you're testing. Making a character invulnerable is also useful when you're testing new animations for the monster attacks, as you can them play over and over without having to fight back. And so on ...

Vamrem, my theory is that save files do not save details of what characters look like, what they are wearing or what they are carrying: they save references, that is the names of the templates where the details come from. When a save file calls for a template that the game doesn't have this time round (because we have taken away a mod's resource file), then big trouble.

No need to re-install the game; when deleting a mod, just delete the save files from when you were using the mod, because they are useless without it (without some form of it - different versions of the extra templates should do).

My problem with playing Kingdom Of Ehb using Aranna is that then you also get items and spells from Aranna as well. So, if you later want to play Aranna then that campaign will have nothing new and will not be interesting. I made that mistake both times I played the game.

antrad wrote:

My problem with playing Kingdom Of Ehb using Aranna is that then you also get items and spells from Aranna as well. So, if you later want to play Aranna then that campaign will have nothing new and will not be interesting. I made that mistake both times I played the game.


Antard first not all of the items from Aranna are used in KoE. Second the games themselves are very different. I have played both for many years and still play them, each time with different results.
Elf

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you about that, antrad. Star If someone hasn't played the LoA campaign then my post will contain spoilers.

-----




You've been warned!

- Completely different story line. While the overall plot is similar "Random person rises from obscurity to become the a hero by defeating the big bad" yada yada there are different elements. For an example of the differences, the Utreans are barely mentioned, if at all, in the Kingdom of Ehb campaign, but are a chief focus of the Legends of Aranna campaign. I mean, neither story line is particularly deep, but was good enough to keep my interest.

- The Utreans story, as a people, as scientists as well as magicians, their arrogance and so on. Not all is negative about them, but they definitely tended to be jerks.

-KoE is for the most part a traditional "high fantasy" (Knights, Wizards, Dragons, etc) story. LoA has elements of science fiction as well as fantasy.

-The sentient animal races. I found them very sympathetic as victims of the Utreans. The experiments needed to create them is one of the elements that is more sci fi...at least in my opinion.

-Set items are unique to LoA. Backpacks! I really like those also as I am a complete pack rat.

-The option to have your party chit chat throughout the story. I turned that off after an hour or so, but that was just my personal preference.

I do understand what you mean about new equipment and spells introduced in LoA can be obtained in KoE so that takes some of the "shiny" off of the expansion. But as bare elf points out, the two games are different.

BTW, I adjusted my settings via my video card options panel as you suggested. That, plus your hi res textures makes a world of difference.

Er, I'm very accustomed to analyzing stuff and then writing about the results. Perhaps I was too enthusiastic?

Umm. What should I do....hmm. Erm. Wait!

Oh Look! A Kitty!

One question, those 'science fiction items' from Aranna in Ehb, are like those awful Clockwork Swords? I means, playing with out Aranna expansion, won't have those awful drops? Are so awful that I prefer a lower DPS gladius than those clockwork swords, haha. BTW, the clockwork hammer and mace are good, but those GATLINGS... seriously?

Who designed those stupid swords I wonder, lol

PS: also the crosswords are faster and with less damage than bows, just the opposite to how they suppose to behave, zero historical research for this game, lol

Vamrem wrote:

One question, those 'science fiction items' from Aranna in Ehb, are like those awful Clockwork Swords? I means, playing with out Aranna expansion, won't have those awful drops? Are so awful that I prefer a lower DPS gladius than those clockwork swords, haha. BTW, the clockwork hammer and mace are good, but those GATLINGS... seriously?

Who designed those stupid swords I wonder, lol

PS: also the crosswords are faster and with less damage than bows, just the opposite to how they suppose to behave, zero historical research for this game, lol

Vamren, you can always try starting a game using the original Dungeon Siege. Nothing from the expansion will drop so you won't get stuff like the Clockwork swords. You won't lose your progress in the game you have already started. Regular Dungeon Siege saved games are stored in a different folder. Then you can see which one you like better.


So, in my post, I didn't mean actual items or weapons from the game as being like science fiction. I was replying to antrad's post:

antrad wrote:
My problem with playing Kingdom Of Ehb using Aranna is that then you also get items and spells from Aranna as well. So, if you later want to play Aranna then that campaign will have nothing new and will not be interesting.

I was saying that the stories in each campaign were different from each other and so there actually would be new stuff to experience.

Think of going to a bookstore or library and choosing two different types of books.

People enjoy playing games in different ways. I like to think about what kind of story the game is telling. Other folks aren't interested in that. It's all good. We can all enjoy killing bad guys and taking their stuff, right?
Smile

I am not very happy with the Sci-Fi weapons either. That is why I do not use them. They may be there but I am old fashion and use bows and knives and magic staffs Smile
As Kathy was relating the story line is different for each map. There are landscapes that are identical but what happens in them will be different.

Have fun
Elf

To make a list:

-Better spells.

-Backpacks.

-More weapons.
--I assume more armors too?
--All new weapons are steampunk fashion? Or also are some new traditional ones?

-Adjustments in the plot.

-What is that thing about "The option to have your party chit chat throughout the story"?

Vamrem wrote:

To make a list:

-Better spells.

-Backpacks.

-More weapons.
--I assume more armors too?
--All new weapons are steampunk fashion? Or also are some new traditional ones?

-Adjustments in the plot.

-What is that thing about "The option to have your party chit chat throughout the story"?


There seems to be a misunderstanding. Your initial question was if there were any advantages in playing Kingdom of Ehb going through Aranna. For clarity let's break that down into labels.

1.) Vanilla Ehb - playing the Kingdom of Ehb campaign using the original Dungeon Siege.
2.) Expansion Ehb - playing Kingdom of Ehb using DSLOA.

Another poster gave his opinion:

antrad wrote:

My problem with playing Kingdom Of Ehb using Aranna is that then you also get items and spells from Aranna as well. So, if you later want to play Aranna then that campaign will have nothing new and will not be interesting. I made that mistake both times I played the game.


So he says there is nothing new once you begin to play the actual expansion Legends of Aranna because of the extra stuff you get while playing Expansion Ehb.. The extra stuff (clockwork swords and so on) that would not be available if you were playing Vanilla Ehb.

Bare Elf and I were disagreeing with him by pointing out that there were lots of differences between Expansion Ehb. and Legends of Aranna. We were not doing a side by side comparison of Vanilla Ehb and Expansion Ehb. The story line of Kingdom of Ehb is the same whether you play Vanilla Ehb or Expansion Ehb.

When I was talking about the stories being different I meant the story of Kingdom of Ehb vs the story of Legends of Aranna.

- There are several features that are exclusive to playing Legends of Aranna. The backpacks. There are some weapons and equipment that are only available in the expansion. The chit chat thing is another one of those features and isn't available in any other map. It's just a voice over option for your party members. I don't want to get into details about content that is unique to Legends of Aranna since that is going to get us sidetracked.

Right now, you are going to play the Kingdom of Ehb campaign, so basically it's going to come down to your personal preferences. Do you want the "Vanilla" experience or are you happy with the extra equipment and spells that come with playing Expansion Ehb, keeping in mind that you don't have to use weapons that you don't like. You can try both Vanilla Ehb and Expansion Ehb to judge for yourself. You don't lose anything doing this since the saved games are stored in two separate folders.

imagine if one editted the sword template and removed the clockwork swords and retanked it with new date higher threshold those clockwork swords would be gone.... thats the thing about the game, if there is things you dont like, just mod them out.
example=
/*

[t:template,n:clockworkswordblabla]
{
bla bla section
}

*/


Vamrem wrote:

One question, those 'science fiction items' from Aranna in Ehb, are like those awful Clockwork Swords? I means, playing with out Aranna expansion, won't have those awful drops? Are so awful that I prefer a lower DPS gladius than those clockwork swords, haha. BTW, the clockwork hammer and mace are good, but those GATLINGS... seriously?

Who designed those stupid swords I wonder, lol

PS: also the crosswords are faster and with less damage than bows, just the opposite to how they suppose to behave, zero historical research for this game, lol