Homecoming

[Azhrei]

I've been a BG player since the first release. Along the way, I've done some minimal tweaking and made minor additions in the way of mods.

 

Now, I would like to travel 'the whole nine yards' and add things like the Solufein mod, the Weidu Ascension, some of the NPC mod-packs, new stores, and many other things.

 

I have the original CD set for all three sagas and TotSC. I've read through the installation order list at Baldurdash, Dudleyville, and Weidu.org and a few things still aren't clear (if there's a previous discussion for this, please point me in the right direction).

 

1. If I use Baldurdash fixes, are Dudleyville fixes necessary?

2. After installing BG1, should I install the BG1 patch or install TotSC and the patch for it? (I always had a problem with the final battle in BG1 in that the movie that played upon entering the temple repeated in an endless loop and didn't allow me to fight the battle. However, if I played the entire game and then installed TotSC after having fought the final battle, I could refight the battle with the new ending.)

3. What are 'the' NPC dialogue fixes to use? There are several and it's a bit confusing (to me, at least) which one(s) fix all the problems especially the Jahiera Romance glitches.

 

I will more than likely have further questions but these are the important ones, for the moment. Thank you.

[grogerson]

Are you looking to play vanilla BG1 then BG2, Tutu/Easy Tutu or BGT? I'm getting mixed messages from your post.

 

If you're playing vanilla BG1, I've had no problem with stuttering movies with the 3-disk Original Saga except with a heavily modded game, and I'd done a lot of installing and uninstalling Tweaks components... Baldurdash and DudleyFix work together, but there are some arguments about some of their fixes being more tweak than fix.

 

If you are going to use Tutu or BGT, check the forums at Pocket Plane Group (Tutu) and Spellhold Studios (BGT) for Baldurdash and DudleyFix since your are actually playing a mod for BG2. They will also tell you the requirements for each.

 

I'm sure others will be along shortly with better information.

[Azhrei]

Never played BGT. It's advantages/disadvantages?

 

Up to now, I've just played each part (BG1-TotSC; then SoA; then ToB) and imported my character from the preceding.

 

My BG1 disc-set has 6 CD's not 3, with TotSC being the 6th. My question regarding the cut-scene before the final battle is probably not clear enough. I've always installed the official patch for BG1 before installing TotSC, but I wasn't even aware there was a patch for TotSC itself. So question #2 in my original list should have been: do I need the official patch for BG1 if I install TotSC and the TotSC official patch?

 

Thank you!

[Guest Guest]

Install main game+expansion+patch expansion. Fixes for the vanilla or original games are included with the expansions. I'm not sure, but I believe that this site's Fixpack is the newer, tidier version of the Baldurdash/Dudleyville fixes, so it's a better option. Also, before installing ANY mods (including unofficial fixes) and after installing the official patches, make a clean backup of your game as detailed here, and check out the suggested mod install order

 

BG2 Tweaks on this site has a few dialogue fixes, I believe. A lot of them are solved by the latest ToTSC/ToB patches. The NPC IEP at Spellhold Studios also has several dialogue fixes.

[Azhrei]

That answers #2....thanx.

 

I suppose I will simply have to try out the "fixes" & "tweaks" to see if I like them....

 

I always make bkups when modding games...and I've read through the suggested order list. But thank you for pointing them out..........

[Azhrei]

Okay.....I've spent hours sifting through pages & pages of fixes, patches, mods, etc. I have one overriding question, and a few minor ones, still, and a humble request.

 

First the questions:

 

1.There doesn't seem to be any general consensus on the use of Baldurdash fixes vs. Dudleyville vs. the ones found here. I'm inclined to go with one or the other as it just seems counter-intuitive to use multiple fixes even though one might address a few things that another does not. Anyone have thoughts or opinions as to which they prefer (not necessarily what is "best")? (last poster 'guest' suggested the G3 Fixpack....I'm just looking for a few more suggestions and why)

 

2.I've read through a lot of stuff concerning Tutu, but I'm still a bit confused as to what it's real benefits are over Weidu.

 

3.I've also seen folks here post a Weidu "dumplog" that lists all the mods, fixes, patches, etc that are applied to their game. How is this done?

 

Now to my humble request:

 

As I said in my first post, I've been playing BG since it's first release with only minor "tweaks" like banterpaks, portraits, and the like. For the first time I'm trying for some major changes....the Tactics Mod being first and foremost. I would also like to add a little variety. There's only so many times one can play a typical "evil" or "good" party [insert your appropriate characters here ]

 

I would like to add a few new items and/or stores [but nothing that grossly imbalances the gameplay]; one or two new characters; and perhaps a refreshing new side-quest or two.

 

I've added many MB's to my HDD with d/l's but frankly I'm hesitant to just add this stuff willy-nilly without asking some opinions first. So please feel free to recommend your favorites

 

Thank you all.

[Jarno Mikkola]

1.There doesn't seem to be any general consensus on the use of Baldurdash fixes vs. Dudleyville vs. the ones found here.

The reason is clear, nobody really uses them anymore... because they use the BG2 engine to play the BG1 part of the game... the BGT or the BG1Tutu EasyTutu.

 

2. The Tutu is a mod that uses the WeiDU.exe to install itself... just like the BGT does.

 

3. You mean the content of the "WeiDU.log"? You first install the mods, then you open the WeiDU.log file (the installations make it) with Notepad and copy paste the info.

 

Now, if you really wish to go the 9 yards and on, you'll be using the BiG World Setup to make the whole setup for yourself... Here is a FAQ I made that might clarify a few things if you are going to go to make a Megamod install.

[Azhrei]

Yikes!!!

[grogerson]

Now, if you really wish to go the 9 yards and on, you'll be using the BiG World Setup to make the whole setup for yourself... Here is a FAQ I made that might clarify a few things if you are going to go to make a Megamod install.

Whoa, there, Jarno! You don't want to scare him off, do you? Oh, that's right, your an imp, it's your nature to cause mischief...

 

Yikes!!!

That's only if you want to go the "whole nine yards." I prefer your way, BG1 then import into BG2.

 

BGTutu/Easy Tutu and BGT are both WeiDU mods, and both require that BG1 be installed for them to install. They take the resources directly from BG1 and import them into BG2. Tutu tries to be as faithful to the original as possible. BGT takes some liberties with BG1 to create one continuous story.

 

Either way, you don't need BWP if you don't want to load up BG2 with oodles of mods...

[Daulmakan]

I'll never understand why people suggest doing a megamod install to game-mod newbies...

[Jarno Mikkola]

I'll never understand why people suggest doing a megamod install to game-mod newbies...

Because if the user is going to try something, they usually fail because they have bad info, or not enough of it... If you follow the link I gave, you should arrive into a destination that suits you, no matter what kind of installation you wish to make... 1 mod, or the 300+ one. See, the BWS is full setup program, not just installer for one kind or one sort of mod combination... along with the other advice I give in the Frequently Answered Questions.

 

Of course there is usually the problem that people don't read the _{fine print} of everything and miss facts, or don't bother to read the whole thing, but that's why there are forums.

[Daulmakan]

Because if the user is going to try something, they usually fail because they have bad info, or not enough of it...

It might surprise you, but people were (and still are) getting into playing mods long before the BWS came along, so the "usually fail" doesn't seem to fly. I figure you also don't think that having to deal with such copious amount of information at once might discourage someone?

[Azhrei]

First of all, thank you Jarno. There is certainly nothing wrong with knowing what one is up against when modding, and there is definitely a lot to chew on here....much more than I figured on. However......

 

.......I mod almost every single PC game that I play from war games to rpg's and BWP and BWS, while scary to an IE n00b like me, don't look insurmountable.

 

Those might be a bit much for me to take on until I learn IE basics. I still have questions, though, about playing the whole saga from BG1 to ToB as a single entity: do NPC's in BG1 that you can recruit in SoA retain their primary stats they might have gained from being a party member or do you have to accept what's given? I suppose one could always edit with ShadowKeeper

 

At any rate, BGT looks to be interesting so perhaps I'll go with that for the time being

 

BGT takes some liberties with BG1 to create one continuous story.

 

And these liberties would be [and point me to an old or ongoing discussion if that's better]

 

Thanx for the replies, and no, I haven't been scared off.............yet

[Jarno Mikkola]

Do NPC's in BG1 that you can recruit in SoA retain their primary stats they might have gained from being a party member or do you have to accept what's given? I suppose one could always edit with ShadowKeeper

Yes, in BGT. No on BG1Tutu/EasyTutu, and there is a BGT Tweaks component that allows you to set the basics to either BG1 or BG2 starting levels... And if you wish to use the ShadowKeeper and make Misnc a Abjurer in BG1 part, he'll be an Abjurer in BG2 part too...

That is if the NPCs are in the party when you talk to the NPC that transfers you from BG1 -> BG2 (his name is Belt, he is the Grand Duke of Baldur's Gate, you'll meat him in the primary part of the game).

 

And these liberties would be [and point me to an old or ongoing discussion if that's better]

Well, it shows 'a version' of the things that happen between the two games... the kind that it takes a less than a day between the two games. And no, you can't return to the BG1 part...

 

It might surprise you, but people were (and still are) getting into playing mods long before the BWS came along, so the "usually fail" doesn't seem to fly. I figure you also don't think that having to deal with such copious amount of information at once might discourage someone?

No body said you had to read all of it.

At least the first time...

And ... ah, I lost the trail of though here.

[Azhrei]

And if you wish to use the ShadowKeeper and make Misnc a Abjurer in BG1 part, he'll be an Abjurer in BG2 part too...

 

Minsc...an Abjurer? Never! What would Boo say?

 

I've only ever used Shadowkeeper to tweak a few numbers...never anything as absurd as granting 18's across all categories, but to change a few proficiencies more in line with what one might expect for the class, and bump a few numbers a bit for Shar-Teel, Viconia, and a few others.

 

No body said you had to read all of it. lol.gif

At least the first time...

 

I like to be thorough.....so I read all of it

 

Like I said...it's daunting for an IE n00b like me, but I like challenges. So much so, that my hope is to one day create my own mods. I've so enjoyed playing other people's creations [mostly for NWN], and have a lot of my own ideas, that it's natural to want to make them myself.

 

But......little steps first.

 

Now....in BGT, what would be a good mod for adding a few more items/shops? I'm not looking to unbalance things with uber-stuff, just a bit more variety.

 

Next on the to-do list is adding one or two new NPC's. I tend to like the evil side of things and would like to create a party different than my 'usual suspects.' I'm also one of those compulsory types that tries to optimize equipment and skills for each party member and carry them from SoA all the way to the big showdown with Mel. Too bad the ToB mod for Tyris isn't ready yet. She'd fit right in for my style of play

 

The other major to-do is perhaps adding a few new quests, or a new area to visit. This is not so critical, I guess, because the Tactics mod is going to add a whole new dimension to the existing ones [Firkraag snorts in the distance and licks his chops ]