As you have read in the Robe of Vecna topic, I have randomize the robe's location in the game, which means that each time you start a new game the robe may be with a different enemy randomly. Here is a poll to see if the majority of players like this idea to be extended to other items or not. And if yes, which items they prefer most to be taken for this program. Some good items are already very well defended by improved enemies in Improved Anvil mod. Hence, I mostly prefer to concentrate on some good items which are too easily available in the game (mostly in shops). Since accopmplishing this randomazation program is a time-consuming modding task, I won't do it for all and every item in the game. I will pick a few items which will have the most votes in this poll. Every voter can vote for five items.

Poll Information
This poll contains 1 question(s). 38 user(s) have voted.
You may not view the results of this poll without voting.

Poll Results: Randomizing program! (38 votes.)

Randomizing program! (Choose 5)
* Aeger's Hide - 11% (4)
* Armor of the Hart - 21% (8)
* Belt of Inertial Barrier - 37% (14)
* Blade of Roses - 37% (14)
* Defender of Eastheaven - 29% (11)
* Fortress Shield +3 - 34% (13)
* Girdle of Hill Giant Strength - 47% (18)
* Rod of Smiting - 5% (2)
* Scarlet Ninja-to - 18% (7)
* Short sword of Mask +4 - 39% (15)
* Sling of Everard - 21% (8)
* Staff of Rynn - 32% (12)
* Tansheron's Short Bow +3 - 39% (15)
* Forget it! I don't like this randomization idea at all. - 16% (6)

I like the randomising idea! The more you do randomise, the better IMHO, it will give us a fresh air and we will have to devise new strategies and tactics. Not so-item dependent anymore! It is not their items what makes great heroesi you know?

It is not their items what makes great heroesi you know? Oh, I don't know about that. My so-called heroes refuse to leave the inn if someone has misplaced their Girdle of Hill Giant Strength.

And you should see the temper-tantrum that Anomen throws when someone hides his Flail of Ages.

'Tis terrible, I tell you!

Ofcourse it will hurt and weaken heroes when they do not have their best equipment, but...any commoner can wear the Girdle of STR and benefit from it. This does not make them a hero, though. It is not enough. So, it can be fun to play without some items we are used (or addicted to) to try something different.

@Decados

What's your vote, then? Did you vote for last option or do you like this program in its generality?

Hmm, I suppose it may have been difficult to pick up my true feelings from my rather ambiguous post.

I can no longer remember exactly which 5 I selected, but I am in favour of randomisation- 'twould increase my interest in more play-throughs.

just to get this poll on the top again

Yes, with this small number of voters (only 25 votes so far), I will not probably bother to pick more than two items to randomize their locations.

Ah, and please note that adding this feature to the mod (though a great thing) will make it mandatory to start a new game, even if you already had a previous version of the mod.

So the mod will not work properly if you do not start a game, OR only random item compnent will be botched?

Yes, only the random items feature of the mod will not work properly if you do not start a new game. (You will not find the picked items in their original places in the shops and you will not find them anywhere else in the game either.)

I will check this poll only for another three days. Then, I'll start coding it. So, if anyone wants to vote, please do it on these days.

And please note that this poll is for those who actually intend to play IA v4.0; if someone doesn't intend to play the mod at all (for reasons independent of this randomizing feature), there is no need and no point in voting. Such votes will only distort the poll's final result, because all I am looking for is to know what players of the mod think and want.

Well I'd say it would be out of Scarlett Ninja-to, Staff of Rhynn, Defender of Easthaven, and Girdle of Hill Giant Strength.

I don't think they should ALL necessarily be randomized though: it would be nice to have at least one "top level" item be for sale.

Sure! I don't intend to randomize the locations of all of them. Some of them will be randomized and some others will have higher prices in the shops. The higher price is also a good thing, especially because cheesy methods of gaining easy money have been blocked.

OOOH you block cheesy money making methods? Awesome! You think of everything. Despite my best efforts I can rarely resist the temptation to sell-steal. I am looking forward to a much more dynamic game now!

It's interesting to see the comparative ways of modding by a philosophy professor (sikret) compared to a computer science professer (weimer) :lol:

Glad to hear that some of the nicer items in the game will still be available for purchase, as a city as large as Athkatla seems like it would have some of these waiting for those with large sums of coin.

But the effect that randomizing several key items will have on the game is sure to add an element of newness and uncertainty for the seasoned BG2 player. I'm really looking forward to checking this out.

I'm going through NWN2 at the moment, but once I've completed that I think it will be time to give improved anvil a whirl for the first time!

I accomplished the randomizing program. Do you want to know which items I finally chose or do you want it to be part of the surprise? In other words, do you think that it's better to include the list of these items in the mod's readme or is it better to let players check the shops during the game to know which items are not there to be bought?

Perhaps, it makes little difference, because most of the picked items can be more or less quickly identified by checking the stores, though some of the stores (like the one in Trademeet who sells Belt of Inertial Barrier) are not accessible at the beginning of the game.

PS: I'm sure that you don't want to know anything about the possible random recipients of each of the items. The information will surely spoil the fun of the game and is completely in contradiction with the main idea behind this program.

Personally, I'd rather not have the list given up front. I say let the players figure it out on their own. It won't take too long for users to determine which items these are and post the list on message boards. So the users who just have to know will have to do a little homework to find out. Or bite the bullet and play the game with a new sense of uncertainty--which I think is the major goal of the randomization concept!!

Coolness, Sikret. Please do not spoil the fun for experienced players! :roll:

Ok, I will not give the list of the picked items in the mod's readme. Thanks, everyone! :)