BG caltrops bug/feature?

[AJ]

I've been playing BG with 1.0 (from about a week before the release). One oddity I've noticed is that caltrops that were invisible in the original are now all visible! Is this a bug or a "feature"? It sure makes the dungeons easier! Haven't checked other invisible items or SI.

[Aerick]

I noticed the same thing in the 1.1 branch. Also, when I try to edit the caltrops in ExultStudio it shows them as being an Egg??

[drcode]

They are eggs. But maybe you're right about them being invisible in the original.

[wjp]

Yeah, a lot of caltrops were invisible in the original. Not sure if it was all of them, but most were.

[Morg]

If memory serves, which it normally doesn't, they weren't invisible but they were often the same color as the floor so you couldn't really see em

[Neutronium Dragon]

Yes, there were only a few that were actually invisible in specific places. Otherwise they were generally just well-camouflaged.

Neutronium Dragon

[artaxerxes]

They were invisible but a bug makes them visible.

Now you have to differenciate eggs from shapes. There is a shape for caltrops in shapes.vga,
but there is also an egg with a caltrops look to symbolize a trap.

Artaxerxes

[MV]

Caltrops were always invisible in the original unless you cast a reveal spell. They wern't blended in, they were actually invisible white, which did blend in with the dungeon floors, but you pick them up, and they are translucent white. And if you knew what to look for, they could still be easily seen anyway.

I also notice they still are visible, I thought I brought it up ages ago. ??

[SB-X]

Invisible white? That isn't invisible. I always thought they were metallic. I do clearly remember finding them in several dungeons, very easy to see unless they were hidden behind a wall. Even when I first played I could see them many times and pick them up...

[MV]

Yea, the're white. Well, if you stack them up heaps they are.

Singluraly they are very faint white, I suppose grey-ish.

[Kristoph]

There is both invisible calltrops ( ones draw like they are in the effect of an invisible spell ) and normal calltrops. The normal calltrops just happend to blend very well with the rock floor

[Zosite]

Well, since almost all caltrops are actually invisible in the original, I´m going to submit a bug report if nobody complains about.

[Kristoph]

Not all caltrops were invisible in the original ! Else why would they go to such lengths to make them blend with the ground. I think in BG most of the caltrops were visible and in SI, they may some invisible to accomodate to the new ground tiles.

[Darke]

An easy way to test should be to look in the cave on one of the islands at
the bottom of the main contenient of britannia. It's the island just to the
right of the one with the mage & pirates house. The cave is about
(04BC,0B0A) and had invisible caltrops in the original, and doesn't have
invisible caltrops in exult at the moment with 1.1.0cvs, so it looks like we
may have a bug. *grin*

[MV]

Hopefully this should settle the arguement that caltrops were invisible in the original, and not in exult.

Caltops in exult in destard in the small tunnel after the first dragon chamber:

http://users.bigpond.net.au/mveleff/exultcaltrops.jpg

Caltops in the original game in destard in the small tunnel after the first dragon chamber:

http://users.bigpond.net.au/mveleff/origcaltrops.jpg

[MV]

Oh yea, any other places where you think they are not invisible in the original, let me know, I'll prove you wrong.

[drcode]

Were they invisible or translucent (and hard to see). Maybe the bug is that we're not painting them with translucency.

[MV]

They are actually invisible.

Here is a shot of some invisible just after the unicorn chamber. They are where the mouse cursor is.

http://users.bigpond.net.au/mveleff/origcalbefore.JPG

Now, the next is after I cast a reveal spell.

http://users.bigpond.net.au/mveleff/origcalafter.JPG

[Trevor_Clim]

hmm very interesting

i know some more places with visible caltrops!

there are 4 small islands in the west of Serpent's Hold. On the south-east island of these four there's a very small cave in the south of the island, you have to walk arround from the east to get into it.
there you can find:
-2 or 3 visible caltrops
-7 GOLDBARS!!!
-2 Powder KEGS!
-some flaming OIL
-some Glass-Swords
-some magic armor
-a water source
-a dead pirate
-some magic rings
-invisible powder
-and some nasty GHOST attacking you

my favorite cave ever, it's the smallest and coolest one
the player is happy to find these great items, but all the time putting them into his backpacks his party members get hurt by the "invisible" caltrops... after all, you have all the cool items and your whole party dead ^_^

[MV]

Sorry dude, those are all invisible in the original.

Outside the cave. Pretty obvious where they are.

http://users.bigpond.net.au/mveleff/tcaveoutsidecal.JPG

Inside the cave, you can see one just to the right of the cursor.

http://users.bigpond.net.au/mveleff/tcaveinsidecal.JPG

IMO, this is a better place:

http://users.bigpond.net.au/mveleff/FOV.JPG

You got a deathscythe, a firedoom staff, an altar with lots of blood, and that half skelton with all those glass swords.

I also like that other little cave on the isle above jeholm (spelling?). It's got a musket in it.

[Kristoph]

When I think about that, it was probably Serpent Isle that invented the caltrops that blend with the background and not BG.