Mod application order

[Toad]

Ok, I'm new to this site, but old to Baldur's Gate. I was an active member of the scripts forums on Yahoo and the author of the first tSeries scripts. (I think the more commonly known tSeries is for Torment, but mine were earlier and contemporary with Ciserek's.)

 

Anyway, in my opinion, each mod ought to include a list of what to apply to get in working and in what order. Also, if the mod will definitely not work with something, the something ought to be listed, which also means if it's stand-alone, it should so indicate.

 

Among other things, I'm looking for a starting platform to return to script-writing. My assumption is that the following is an appropriate base load:

 

Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn,

Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal,

Latest official patch (ToB patch version 26498),

BG2 Fixpack v6 from Gibberlings Three,

 

Also, I was looking for a mod called Unfinished Business for BG2. Is it here somewhere and I missed it, or has it been absorbed into something else?

 

Thanks,

Toad

[Bearwere]

UB: http://forums.pocketplane.net/index.php?board=19.0

[Icendoan]

Yes, your order is fine. Generally, there is confusion over some older mods (ones before the fixpack), and some people say before, some after. Honestly, it doesn't matter all that much for the bug-free (ish) ones like Ascension.

 

Icen

[berelinde]

Actually, it matters insanely much for an older mod like Ascension. Ascension overwrites scripts. No, this isn't condemnation. That's how it was done when Ascension was written.

 

Your "basic" order is fine, but when you want to install mods, you should install older mods, like Ascension, Turnabout, even Kelsey, before installing newer ones like Romantic Encounters, Quest Pack, Dungeon Crawl, etc.

[Nythrun]

Skip on the "Corrected Bams and Scripts" and "Minor Dialogue Restorations" components of Unfinished Business; get the patch from Pocket Plane Group if you're using the Minsc quest.

[Toad]

UB: http://forums.pocketplane.net/index.php?board=19.0

 

Every time I try to go to PPG, I get:

 

The connection has timed out

 

The server at forums.pocketplane.net is taking too long to respond.

 

* The site could be temporarily unavailable or too busy. Try again in a few

moments.

 

* If you are unable to load any pages, check your computer's network

connection.

 

* If your computer or network is protected by a firewall or proxy, make sure

that Firefox is permitted to access the Web.

 

It's not firewall, because I don't use one. It could be DNS, because I don't live in the US and use a Kosovaran ISP. Anybody got any other ideas?

 

Thanks,

Toad

[Toad]

I guess I should have also said that I am primarily interested in quests. I'm not particularly interested in extremely difficult combats, because I never played the current D&D and I don't know the spells. (I started playing D&D in 1975, and we made the game suit us, rather than suiting Gygax. He once said to us, "You can play however you want to, but that's not D&D." My response was, "Gee, how magnanimous of you to allow us to do whatever we want to. As far as what we call it, you can kiss my ass.")

 

I really enjoy the NPC interaction and always take Minsc and Jahiera with me. I generally play good characters, being Neutral Good myself. I play fighters mostly, because as said, I don't know the spells.

 

I saw a list which suggested:

 

G3 BG2 Fixpack

Dungeon Be Gone

Banter Packs

latest NPC Flirt Pack

Kivan

IEP Banters

Quest Pack

Unfinished Business v15

Dungeon Crawl

Tower of Deception

G3 BG2 Tweaks v6

 

What do you think? What I'm after is a single set of installs that will give me a consistent game lasting a few months.

 

Thanks,

Toad

[Bearwere]

Every time I try to go to PPG, I get:

 

The connection has timed out

try

http://dragonshoard.blackwyrmlair.net/download.php

or

http://america.iegmc.net/ub/

 

 

I guess I should have also said that I am primarily interested in quests.

G3 BG2 Fixpack

Dungeon Be Gone

Banter Packs

latest NPC Flirt Pack

Kivan

IEP Banters

Quest Pack

Unfinished Business v15

Dungeon Crawl

Tower of Deception

G3 BG2 Tweaks v6

I think it's a good list. I suggest considering Assassinations, Rogue Rebalancing, Ascension.

 

You can try to find mods you'd like at

http://modlist.pocketplane.net/

or

http://iem.rp-addict.com/index.php?

[Azazello]

Anyway, in my opinion, each mod ought to include a list of what to apply to get in working and in what order. Also, if the mod will definitely not work with something, the something ought to be listed, which also means if it's stand-alone, it should so indicate.

Most mods already do that -- the compatibility section of the ReadMe.

Actually, it matters insanely much for an older mod like Ascension. Ascension overwrites scripts. No, this isn't condemnation. That's how it was done when Ascension was written.

Agreed. Nothing wrong with Ascension, in of itself.

 

Ascension has 3 "features" which need updating due to today's type mod lists. These are being worked on. Until then, Ascension is one of the few mods that should go before G3 BG2 Fixpack.

 

I saw a list which suggested:

 

G3 BG2 Fixpack

Dungeon Be Gone

Banter Packs

latest NPC Flirt Pack

Kivan

IEP Banters

Quest Pack

Unfinished Business v15

Dungeon Crawl

Tower of Deception

G3 BG2 Tweaks v6

 

What do you think? What I'm after is a single set of installs that will give me a consistent game lasting a few months.

Following someone else's list is not a bad idea, but only if that person is maintaining the issues around using that list. There are quite a few threads on these forums and others that have good examples.

 

If you're going to build you're own list, be sure to do the normal dance: read the ReadMes of the mods, read the forums of the mods, search for and read the threads that talk about the mods.

 

The simpler the list, the easier the research.

[Icendoan]

Most games I play now are:

 

 

SoA/ToB

Patch

Ascension

Fixpack

QuestPack

SCSII

Tweakpack

 

Icen

[Miloch]

Anyway, in my opinion, each mod ought to include a list of what to apply to get in working and in what order. Also, if the mod will definitely not work with something, the something ought to be listed, which also means if it's stand-alone, it should so indicate.

Most mod readmes have a "compatibility" section to this effect, if their documentation is even halfway decent. Unfortunately, there isn't a definitive install order list for BG2, like there is for BG1 (or Tutu which gives it the BG2 engine). I don't know why. Yeah, there's more mods, but that shouldn't stop someone from doing it...

[Icendoan]

I generally look to this for a stable install, it attempts to get the most content out of mods;

 

Actual Games

Patch for the game

Pre-Fixpack mods

Fixpack

Item/store Mods

NPC mods

Quest Mods

Banter Mods

Tactical Mods //Unless stated they have to go after the tweakpack

Tweakpack

 

Icen

[Toad]

I appreciate all the comments. I'm a glutton for punishment and I've made a preliminary selection:

 

Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn,

Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal,

Latest official patch (ToB patch version 26498),

BG2 Fixpack v6 from Gibberlings Three,

NPC Flirtpack v102,

Angelo v2,

Beyond the Law v1.35,

Ghareth NPC v0.91,

Kelsey NPC v21,

Kelsey TOB v22,

Kivan v8,

Nikita v100,

Nina v101b,

Saerileth v13,

Xan v7,

Yasraena v8,

Fading Promises v1,

Improved Summons,

Mazzy the Paladin,

Morrow Gate v9,

Rolles v2,

Region of Terror v2.1, (requires putting tAR0602.BAF in RoTerror/SNIP/BAF folder)

Freedom’s Reign and Reign of Virtue v3.0,

Solaufein Mod v103,

Quest Pack v23,

Tower of Deception,

G3 Anniversary v5,

Unfinished Business v15 (Skip "Corrected Bams and Scripts" and "Minor Dialogue Restorations") (Also need the Minsc quest patch from PPG.)

Wiemer Item Upgrade v36,

Weimer Underrep v5,

G3 BG2 Tweaks v6,

Ding0 Tweak v20,

Bigg Tweak v2.10

 

I was not able to locate the Minsc quest patch fix on PPG. Other than that, I've read all the readmes and did not notice any other problems. I'm not sure about the load order, but that's the best I could determine.

 

I'd appreciate any comments regarding interoperability problems or regarding the order that I've listed them.

 

Thanks again. I'll let you know how it works when I get it loaded.

[Bearwere]

you do remember there's 6 pzrty member limit?)

[the bigg]

Mazzy the Paladin

I'm going to cry very hard.

 

this is me ---->