Deekns awesome summoning

[Legacy_Habelo]

               So the scenario is as follows:
I like to have deekin in my party becuse of RP reasons, he generally sucks as a combat companion but i do not like such facts get the better of my gaming experience.

However, now he have started to cast summoning spells that gimps my XP from mobs, which is something i curse aloud at. Is there anyway for me to make him stop doing that (besides talking to him and says that he shall not casts spells at all)? Or do i have to be contended with him dying quickly and doing imba dmg with his crossbow?

Also do you know if companions uses items in their inventory that casts spells (like luts, harps etc.)?

EDIT: any1 know some fixes or tip to avoid bugs or improve gameplay?
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Habelo, 23 novembre 2010 - 10:23 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_HipMaestro]

               If you elect to let him cast uncontrolled, expect the unexpectable (or undesireable, take your pick) from Deekin.  One way to limit his offensive casting is to have him buff your full party (use the "all members" option to make the process less tedious) until all are expended.  He'll have little left to conjure or cast (he's a bard after all, not a mage).

I've gotten Deekin to use certain scrolls and wands (he has his favs, of course).  I've never gotten him to use any divine scrolls, possibly due to low UMD I guess. He's never used any casting from other category items, and never any he's got equipped.  That's one way to limit his repertoire (stock him with certain scrolls only), I suppose. Be forewarned, though:  Giving Deekin a Wand of Lightning (for example) is like giving a loaded gun to a child.  He will exhaust the entire wand in just a few combats if you don't intercede in his "fun".

One other thing I've noticed is that if you remove any melee weapons and shields from his inventory, he is less likely to cast to cast, for some reason, and will stick to his xbow.  Don't ask me why, but his AI changes slightly.

Deekin just requires some experimentation and patience.  Of all the caster "types" he seems to be the easiest one to manage (for me, anyway). He is primarily a buffer so take advantage of his strongest attributes and you will be able to coexist more amiably.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par HipMaestro, 21 novembre 2010 - 11:26 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Habelo]

               Ah thanks mate. I also noticed that he did go wild with that wand of lightning. Its a pity that he doesnt use everything else i throw into his bp '>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_HipMaestro]

               

Habelo wrote...

Ah thanks mate. I also noticed that he did go wild with that wand of lightning. Its a pity that he doesnt use everything else i throw into his bp '>

NP.

Yeah, he loves those wands for some reason. '>

My biggest problem with him was his tendency to use that Balagarn's Iron Horn constantly.  It's a level one bard spell so he's usually got a bunch of them slotted specifically to annoy his partner.  With a high Str class, like fighter, it's not much of a problem. but with dexers and casters it can get real interesting trying to stay on your feet.  Fortunately, he usually KDs the enemies as well so you have time to recover and get back to action but it turns an easy combat into a hard one. 

Keep track of his bard level and then check out all the spells that he could slot himself for that bard level.  If any of the spells in that range appeal to you, buy a stack of them in scroll form, place in his inventory and notice if he starts using them.  If not, try a different spell, rinse and repeat. The selection AI is a bit strange so it takes some practice but that's a good use of the reload method, no?

Deekin seems to ignore any scroll that is beyond his normal bard casting ability even though he can use all arcane scrolls. Your guess is as good as mine why it's written that way, but there it is.

One method you can use with unwanted summons is to go invis (via potion or other), retreat away a bit and force Deekin to follow you after shoving a potion down his throat and then just let the summon try to solo.  Normally, in crowds summons will fall quickly and then you will only lose the few that it happens to kill.  Once it is dead, resume the combat with the now smaller party and things will go back to status quo.

RPing with Deekin is worth putting up with his casting idiosyncasies IMHO.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par HipMaestro, 22 novembre 2010 - 05:39 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_MrZork]

               As I recall the issue of summoning is easy to deal with using the dialog
interface. Just click on Deekin and tell him that you want to adjust his tactics, then
change how he uses combat spells, then tell him not to summon help.
Done.

Oh, wait! You're not using Tony K's AI?!? Guys, this is the exact sort of thing in which the AI really shines. After playing the OC once with henchmen and no AI overrides, I pretty much gave up on the use of henchmen. I liked the idea of a party, for the most part, but it became too frustrating to micromanage the henchies When I was most of the way through another run through the OC, to "freshen up" some skills before starting HotU (having gone through almost all of SoU alone with a different character), I stumbled on Tony K's AI and figured, "Why not? If it doesn't work, I drop off Sharwyn at Aarin Gend's daycare center and continue on my way." But, with the new AI, henchmen were fun again! Not perfect, of course, but playable without being endlessly frustrating. Just install it and do as recommended above. Sooooo much better... :-)

During HotU, I had Deekin with me through most of chapters 2 and 3 and I asked him not to use spells except for pre-battle buffing I manually asked for when I thought we were about to

BTW, as an aside related to the other question, one of the first things I discovered with Sharwyn was to tell her not to summon help. I had given her a Harp of Haunting that we found, thinking that the Fear spell might keep some of the mobs from swarming us. The first thing she did was summon a tyrantfog zombie. For one thing, that's disgusting! Don't summon "help" that I think the hostiles are doing us a favor by killing off. Second, GIVE ME BACK MY XP, YOU WALKING GARLIC FERMENTATION FACTORY! :-)
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Habelo]

               Yea maybe i will install that. Becuse now my new assasin companion will not engage in combat if she have a invis buff on her

And i have also noticed that deekin uses his other items now. He uses his Dove's harp, good boy!

Edit: jesus ****ing christ this game is buggy! I cant see his wings now '>
Hope they have fixed that bug in last chapter with companion conversations atleast. havent played for like 2-3-4 years but this game seems way buggier now then what it was back then :S
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Habelo, 22 novembre 2010 - 11:54 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_kittycatArcane]

               Can't see his wings eh? Did you put a cloak on him?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Sarielle]

               Lol, this thread makes me happy. You guys have me all nostalgic.

Deekin is the worst companion ever...I almost think the AI is purposefully wonky because it suits him. I kinda miss the "WTF Deekin??!" feeling I had 90% of the time with him.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Sarielle, 23 novembre 2010 - 04:25 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Habelo]

               Got his wings to show, just changed armor on him :>



Is it good to make him go melee or should he use Xbow through all chapter 3 too?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_HipMaestro]

               His wings seem to appear and disappear at random.  Perhaps it has something to do with how the game loads the equipment.  Dunno, but I have also experienced a similar phenomenon on this machine.  I could have sworn I heard Deekin mumble something about me getting a better video card so his wings show up all the time... but I may have been mistaken. '>

He seems to cast more with a melee weapon equipped (or in inventory), but then again he screams the bone-chilling kobold war chant more often in melee so it's a trade-off.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par HipMaestro, 23 novembre 2010 - 05:51 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Habelo]

               Ah well i just had to uninstall my patch and make it 1.68. Since it seems that there was a major conversation bug for me in chapter 3. And now i cannot start where i last saved so i have to do all hordes of underdark all over again! :>

Do any1 know if i should also install some CEP or some Mod that improves gameplay? Cause i dearly do not want to meet any bugs that will ruin my game again '>
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MrZork]

               Any game modification you install for use with the OC, SoU, or HotU will have to be an override (like Tony K's AI, Amethyst Dragon's recolored icons, etc.) mod. At least if you want to work without changing the campaigns themselves. For the most part, CEP is an addition using HAKs (which are non-override) to provide content that module builders use to add things to their work. It has some very cool stuff, but most of it won't impact the Bioware campaigns without some effort.

Take a look at jmlzemaggo's "Add-ons and tips" thread for a nice list of suggestions (with links), most of which are overrides whose effects will be usable in the Bioware (and many other) campaigns just by installing them.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Habelo]

               Yea i have been looking there but not found anything. Do do you know if 1.68 is less buggier then 1.69?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Vansen Elamber]

               In my humble oppinion anything he does can be forgiven because of his comic relief, like the time he told me he wanted to write a low fat diet cookbook for dragons, or the time he started singing "fame", I don't think I have ever laughed so hard from something a character has done in a game before. Plus his, for the most part, undying loyalty to "the boss". '>
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Vansen Elamber, 26 novembre 2010 - 02:46 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Countn Coup]

               where can I get  the Tony K AI?