Install Order (The Perennial Question)

[Sempronia]

I could use some advice on my proposed install order. I've run this through once and due to mistakes on my part (attempting to add a custom kit) and probably through errors in the order itself, I'm seeing script mismatching (presumably from dialog.tlk errors).

 

Since I'm going to have to reinstall, I thought this would be a good time to seek pointers and corrections.

 

SoA

ToB

ToB Official Patch

G3 BG2 Fixpack

Ascension

Redemption

PnP Celestials

Spell Revisions

Song and Silence

Item Revisions

Item Upgrades

Underrepresented Items

Sorcerer's Place Item Pack [sans Kits]

Unfinished Business

Bigg Tweaks Pack - Nature's Beauty fix, Imprisonmeht Fix, Stone to Flesh Fix, Drop Weapons in Panic Effect Removal Fix

Questpack (With Workaround)

Xan (Kulyok)

Soulafein

Cross Mod Banter Pack

G3 BG Tweaks

 

I know this is a positive wad of modifications, and that there will inevitably be some conflict I'm just really hoping to minimize the mess for the next install.

 

Any help would be appreciated--thanks in advance!

[Jarno Mikkola]

Why not just get over oneself and use advanced amateur help... the BWS. It's a setup program, that downloads the latest versions(to a folder of your own making), unpacks and finally gives instructions to an installer program to install just the mods you choose.

 

Ascension

Redemption...

 

[sans Kits]

It's better today to use the fixed Ascension mod component that is in BPv179... and the 'Longer Road' mod, I believe, as there is more content. The BWS doesn't install any Kits for now, as there would bee too many to fill up the 10 limit... that has just few days ago been able to be passed.

Though the BWS might allow the Redemption... as you can choose the exact mods you wish to install by using the few determinants it gives, and then putting the mods setup-*.exe's to the game directory before the install.bat installs them.

[Demivrgvs]

Since I'm going to have to reinstall, I thought this would be a good time to seek pointers and corrections.

 

SoA

ToB

ToB Official Patch

G3 BG2 Fixpack

Ascension

Redemption

PnP Celestials

Spell Revisions

Song and Silence

Item Revisions

Item Upgrades

Underrepresented Items

Sorcerer's Place Item Pack [sans Kits]

Unfinished Business

Bigg Tweaks Pack - Nature's Beauty fix, Imprisonmeht Fix, Stone to Flesh Fix, Drop Weapons in Panic Effect Removal Fix

Questpack (With Workaround)

Xan (Kulyok)

Soulafein

Cross Mod Banter Pack

G3 BG Tweaks

 

Any help would be appreciated--thanks in advance!

Well, I can tell you few things that may help.

 

Ascension

If you're still using the old version I'd highly suggest you to use the one included within Big Picture. You don't have to install the whole mod, just take the Ascension component. You can find it here.

 

This "new" version patches instead of overwriting, and fixes a few quite noticeable bugs of the old non-weidu Ascension.

 

PnP Celestials and Spell Revisions

You don't need to install PnP Celestials, SR already includes a similar revision of celestials and will overwrite the changes from the former mod.

 

Item Revisions and Item Upgrade

These two are not 100% compatible. You shouldn't run into game-breaking issues, but some base items may not correspond anymore to their upgraded versions. I don't recommend to use IU with Item Revisions, and I actually hope IR can make the latter "redundant".

 

Underrepresented Items and Sorcerer's Place Item Pack [sans Kits]

I don't know much these two mods (I don't like games with 10 magical items in every area), just remember that optional components of Item Revisions should be installed after these mods to make sure IR can patch them.

 

Bigg Tweaks Pack

If you have Spell Revisions don't install these fixes. With SR:

- Nature's Beauty doesn't need to fixed anymore

- Imprisonment is already fixed in a almost identical way (patching it again may actually screw it)

- Drop Weapons in Panic Effect Removal is not necessary anymore because I've removed such effect from all fear effects

 

The only fix not included within SR is Stone to Flesh Fix, though I higly recommend to simply remove the gore option from the menu. Removing it you'll also fix another similar issue, "Death from Cold Damage" which causes almost the same consequences.

 

P.S Within SR not even Disintegrate cause issues, feel free to use it now.

[Sempronia]

My appreciation to you both for the suggestions/recommendations--I'm cutting quite a lot of chaff thanks to the notes about overlap in the mods that I had been installing.

 

I am going to give BWS a shot this time, but I'm still picking my way through the documentation and the forum. When I'm comfortable with what's there, I'll go ahead and fire it up for the install.

 

Some further questions for Demirvrgus (and anybody who'd like to chime in!)

 

You recommended going to BP for the improved Ascension, and I've got that queued to go. However, the compatibility thread in the BP forum is puzzling me a little.

 

1) Should the G3 Fixpack go before BP?

 

2) The forum thread suggests that if it's not listed, it ought to go before BP. I only intend to use the Ascension component of BP: is this advice still valid? (I assume so, but wanted to check.)

 

3) If yes to #1 & 2, then my install order will look like this:

 

SOA, TOB, TOB Patch

G3 Fixpack

Spell Revisions

Item Revisions - Main Component

BP [Ascension only]

Redemption [.tp2 corrected in advance]

Xan

Soulafein

Homebrew Lorekeeper Kit [utilizes SR spells]

Song and Silence [store, but not kits]

Dingo's Quest Pack [Hell Trials .baf corrected in advance]

Unfinished Business [sans Restored Minor Dialogs component]

Rogue Rebalancing

Item Revisions - Further Components*

G3 BG2 Tweaks*

 

*) I know that both IR and BG2 Tweaks allow casting and thieving in armor, given certain penalties, but is there a difference in the implementation that isn't apparent to me from the read-me files? I played through my last game with both installed, but I'm no longer sure which mod was in charge.

 

If there's no difference in the implementation, what impact will the overlap have, and what approach will provide the cleanest installation? (Install IR components, not install overlapping Tweak components? Vice versa? Allow Tweak to overwrite IR?)

 

Finally, I just wanted to say thank you, not only for the recommendations, but for the really excellent, stable and supported mods. I'm the same story as a lot of the community, I think: I played through SoA years ago, but lost interest when I went to replay. Feeling my way through these modifications (and getting to dig out my 2e books!) has revived my interest in the game and the setting. And knowing I can get help when I bork things hasn't hurt at all.

[Demivrgvs]

1) Should the G3 Fixpack go before BP?

 

2) The forum thread suggests that if it's not listed, it ought to go before BP. I only intend to use the Ascension component of BP: is this advice still valid? (I assume so, but wanted to check.)

 

3) If yes to #1 & 2, then my install order will look like this:

 

SOA, TOB, TOB Patch

G3 Fixpack

Spell Revisions

Item Revisions - Main Component

BP [Ascension only]

Redemption [.tp2 corrected in advance]

Xan

Soulafein

Homebrew Lorekeeper Kit [utilizes SR spells]

Song and Silence [store, but not kits]

Dingo's Quest Pack [Hell Trials .baf corrected in advance]

Unfinished Business [sans Restored Minor Dialogs component]

Rogue Rebalancing

Item Revisions - Further Components*

G3 BG2 Tweaks*

 

*) I know that both IR and BG2 Tweaks allow casting and thieving in armor, given certain penalties, but is there a difference in the implementation that isn't apparent to me from the read-me files? I played through my last game with both installed, but I'm no longer sure which mod was in charge.

 

If there's no difference in the implementation, what impact will the overlap have, and what approach will provide the cleanest installation? (Install IR components, not install overlapping Tweak components? Vice versa? Allow Tweak to overwrite IR?)

1), 2) & 3) your install order seems fine to me.

*) IR is only a little more "user-friendly" because it doesn't cause penalties to all thieving skills but only hide/move silently. There's no need to overlap the two components though, chose whatever you prefer and skip the other.

 

 

Finally, I just wanted to say thank you, not only for the recommendations, but for the really excellent, stable and supported mods.

You're welcome.

[Mike1072]

*) I know that both IR and BG2 Tweaks allow casting and thieving in armor, given certain penalties, but is there a difference in the implementation that isn't apparent to me from the read-me files? I played through my last game with both installed, but I'm no longer sure which mod was in charge.

 

If there's no difference in the implementation, what impact will the overlap have, and what approach will provide the cleanest installation? (Install IR components, not install overlapping Tweak components? Vice versa? Allow Tweak to overwrite IR?)

As a rule, install the global IR components after BG2 Tweaks. If you happen to try to install a similar tweak twice (Casting/Thieving in Armor) in both mods, IR will recognise the changes made by BG2 Tweaks and overwrite them if installed after it. If you install it the other way around, there's no guarantee Tweaks will know what IR has done. This won't be a problem if you pick one of the versions and ignore the other one, since they aren't designed to stack in the first place.

[Jarno Mikkola]

You recommended going to BP for the improved Ascension, and I've got that queued to go. However, the compatibility thread in the BP forum is puzzling me a little.

Yeah, it might, cause it was updated last 'in the year of our lord 2007', not in yesterday^TM like the BWS might have beeen. Things have changed and the v179 came out just a few weeks ago, but it has been around and it has been checked in multiple installs.

 

I am going to give BWS a shot this time, but I'm still picking my way through the documentation and the forum.

Hmm, I actually said to use the tool... and then read the documentation, not the other way around, this way you already know what it's all about and have the latest improvements, not 8 versions back lagging documentation that humongous.

[.tp2 corrected in advance]

And in BWS, these are not needed as the automatically used tools do all those things already.

[al the dumb]

I have an install order question as well (and a question about BWS, which I posted at Spellhold. It won't install...)

 

I have the following mods I'd like to install on my BGII/ToB:

Fixpackv8

Banterpackv11

Adalon's Bllod (from rosenranken)

Ajantis BG II (beta0220 Rosenranken)

Aurora v3

Bagbonus v1.0

DeArnise romance v2

Dungeon be gone v16

FR_ROV_weiduV3

Unfinished Businessv18

Weimer Item upgradev37

Cespy Audiov1 (for above)

BGII Tweaks v7

Level1 NPC's v1.2

 

 

I know the first is in the right place and the last two, but I am unclear about anything in between.

 

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer!

 

Al

[Shaitan]

Remember that you have to edit Quest Pack's tp2 more than that if you'll avoid errors. Look in PPG's forum.