Which mods would you use?

[Flame Outlaw]

Hello, I was hoping to get your guys help on this. I'm currently deployed to Iraq, and a bunch of guys and I decided to play through Baldur's Gate 1, and 2 with expansions. This will be a first play through for a couple of them, and since I've been out of the scene for a while I was hoping to get your guys opinion. Also, we will be using different operating systems.. XP, Vista and 7.

 

If you were able to play through Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 for the first time again.. Which mods would you use for the best game play?? I'm talking about a fun and challenging play through. With maybe download links??( This would be great for a sticky )

[Jarno Mikkola]

Also, we will be using different operating systems.. XP, Vista and 7.

You need to know this bit...

 

If you were able to play through Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 for the first time again.. Which mods would you use for the best game play?? I'm talking about a fun and challenging play through. With maybe download links??( This would be great for a sticky )

Well, I'll tell you your options.

1) Vanilla. Plah... don't do it.

2) With minor alterations.

3) EasyTutu, with this mod you can use this as the install guide, install what you want in the BG2'ed BG1, and then make a second game with the normal BG2... this is somewhat more advanced alternative.

4) BWSbeta... the real sharks gage, if you are returning to the BG2 moding... you might not want to spend the first 10 hours downloading stuff and without being able to install a thing, 5 hours installing them, and then find out that you made a small mistake and you'll have to install the mods first 10 times to find where you made the mistake.

 

2) ...The minor alterations to the original game:

Install the BG1 & TotSC to a directory and patch it to the (v1.3.)5512 patch.

Then install the SoA, ToB, ToB patch 26498 to another directory and start both games with a new character and play until the game autosaves or you can save, exit the games and then install the BG2Fixpack, BGT-WeiDU, BG2 Tweakpack, Worldmap(we assume you use English). Installed in that order. Then you should copy the game to the different computers, and then install the Widescreen mod. The game can be started via the BGMain.exe even if it's not "installed", but you need to have the ToB CD in each, or make an image from one and mount that. Yes, there's also a no-CD crack.., but I cannot quarantee it's safety, or that it even works.

The BGT will copy the BG1 game content so it can play it in the BG2's engine. The EasyTutu can do the same... but it cannot play the BG2 games in it.

[Flame Outlaw]

Well, #2 definitely sounds the best. Thank you for that info, I was a bit overloaded with all the different mods and fixes.. I can't wait for the 4 in 1 pack to et here. I plan on ripping them into iso's so I won't have to use the crack. It sounds abit unstable.

 

Although, I'm a bit curious is BGT-WeiDU just a better version of EasyTutu? And why do they call it a trilogy if it's 2 games and 2 expansions?

[Dakk]

is BGT-WeiDU just a better version of EasyTutu?

 

IMO, yes.

 

And why do they call it a trilogy if it's 2 games and 2 expansions?

Oh tricky one I think ToB is considered a part of the sage in itself..?

[Jarno Mikkola]

Although, I'm a bit curious is BGT-WeiDU just a better version of EasyTutu? And why do they call it a trilogy if it's 2 games and 2 expansions?

Well, technically it depends on what you seek... to me it is the better version, but it's just a dependent on the point of view, on what one seeks.

 

The Tales of the Sword Coast was an official add on, but you don't need to pass it to continue playing to SoA, or you could even start in TotSC, SoA or ToB, in the original games, as you can import from any place after you create the character in BG1, the same can be said in SoA->ToB import. The same can be said in BGT-WeiDU, if you count the TotSC save as a start option, the others can be started if you know where to look.

... but partially I think the "Trilogy" just sounded best.

[Aion]

Although "regular" BG1 has something special to me, I do prefer to EasyTutu it now. It's quick and easy, and it works like a charm. I've never tried BGT and I'm not too interested to start it. I'm fine with keeping BG1 and BG2 seperate, and I probably wouldn't play all the way through BG1 and BG2 in one playthrough anyway. I'm not much of a fan of the Megamod/BWP installs...too massive, too much hassle. I haven't read up on it, but it seems like nowadays they include an install order or something for smaller mods as well, instead of Megamod strictly being things like Check The Bodies, Shadows Over Soubar, Tortured Souls, Never Ending Journey, etc ALL in one game...like it used to be back when I was paying attention to developments. But that's just how I understand it. I don't care much to look it up, because I won't do that kind of install anytime soon, if ever.

 

They're right. It depends on what you're looking for.

 

I could give recommendations for mods, but it all depends on what you enjoy in the game. Do you like new joinable NPC's with dialogue and/or romances? Or perhaps additions to existing NPC's? Do you mainly want new quests, items, kits? Is your main concern fixes, alterations and rule changes? Or perhaps you're one who views Baldur's Gate as a tactical combat RPG and want more of a challenge, and thus mods that provide this?

 

Tell us that, and we can recommend better.

[Jarno Mikkola]

I'm not much of a fan of the Megamod/BWP installs...too massive, too much hassle. I haven't read up on it, but it seems like nowadays they include an install order or something for smaller mods as well, instead of Megamod strictly being things like Check The Bodies, Shadows Over Soubar, Tortured Souls, Never Ending Journey, etc ALL in one game...like it used to be back when I was paying attention to developments. But that's just how I understand it. I don't care much to look it up, because I won't do that kind of install anytime soon, if ever.

Today you can choose the mods by components, when you use the most uptodate version, the BWSbeta, the 1000+ components, and only the few fixmods are the nessasary to install... so there's no need to install any of the above mentioned mods you don't like to, or even BGT...

 

PS:the NeJ is not really compatible with the mods, so it's in the eXpert configuration, meaning that you'll run into bugs.

[Flame Outlaw]

My main concern is fixes, compatability, and balance. New items/characters/dialogues are fine, but not the most important. If something is slightly changed to make the story better, or add on to it, that's fine.

[phordicus]

My main concern is fixes, compatability, and balance. New items/characters/dialogues are fine, but not the most important. If something is slightly changed to make the story better, or add on to it, that's fine.

Then definitely go with Jarno #2.

[PetrusOctavianus]

For BG 1 Use Tutu or BGT + Widescreen Mod.

Must mods IMO are the NPC Project and Sword Coast Strategems.

With these installed BG 1 is a vastly much better game, and I personally would never dream of playing BG without them.

Other good mods are Unfinished Business and Hard Times.

[Flame Outlaw]

For BG 1 Use Tutu or BGT + Widescreen Mod.

Must mods IMO are the NPC Project and Sword Coast Strategems.

With these installed BG 1 is a vastly much better game, and I personally would never dream of playing BG without them.

Other good mods are Unfinished Business and Hard Times.

 

 

Are those mods compatible with the ones in #2???

[Jarno Mikkola]

Are those mods compatible with the ones in #2???

Well, lets see, the Tutu is not

The (BG1) NPC Project, is compatible with BGT-ed BG2 game, I would put it before the BG2Tweak mod...

 

SCS mods are strategy mods that makes the game significantly harder, especially if you install more than the AI updates. From: BiG World v10 english.pdf

Sword Coast Stratagems II v19

 

SCS (II) adds more than 90 optional components (substantially upgraded general AI, upgraded enemy challenges, NSC management and general improved gameplay). This mod however is not to compare with other tactics mods, as it makes combats more interesting and tactically challenging, rather than just making it harder by brute-force methods like tripling all the damage rolls. SCS also includes a few ease-of-use features and tweaks.

SCS II should be installed after other mods (Virtue is probably an exception, as is the BG2 Tweak Pack)

The Widescreen mod is of course the exception to that.

...SCS II has slight compatibility issues with Divine Remix. Divine Remix rearranges the spellbooks of some potentially-hostile mages and SCS II, not knowing this, will fail to use their spells effectively. This is unlikely to have any significant effect on play, though.

 

Because many changes effect all installed mods and mostly thousands of files are to be changed, the single steps may last for a while. Because all the changes are accumulated in the internal memory until you press enter, it may lead in consideration of the amount of the installed mods to problems with computers of low efficiency (computer crash). In this case, I recommend to install this mod category for category, that means at the first request "Would you like to display the components from [###]?" to press [Y]es, then to skip following ones with [N]o and to quit the installation after the first category. Afterwards install the next category in the same way as individually.

Now there's actually two mods, the SCS and the SCSII, the first was made to the Tutu, but got converted to the BGT's BG1 portion too, later. And the SCSII was made for the BGII, but it works with the BGT too in the BGII portion of the game... in BGT, you can install them both, and the SCS is optimized for the BG1 portion, were the SCSII is optimized for the BG2 portion. Now the thing is that the SCS and SCSII use the same bases for most of the files, if you use the latest versions in BGT, so you need to do that. Now, even though the mods should only effect one portion of the game, if you have the BGT installed before you install the SCSII, the SCSII will in few portions alter the BGT's files... so don't be surprised if the BG2 mages use the same actions the BG1 did even when you didn't install the SCSII at all.

Ah, a lot of text for one mod.

 

The Unfinished Business, is too a combination of two mods, the UBforBG1 and the UB, as you'll notice the general principle, you'll be installing them both BG2 tweak pack.

 

The Hard Times mod, is compatible with the BGT in the "Hard Times for BGT", but I don't know how good it actually is.

25.4aa. Hard Times for BGT v2.4

~SETUP-HARDTIMES.TP2~

This mod will reflect the severe economic pinch caused by the iron crisis. Almost all of the stores will charge substantially more for their wares and sell far less magic items. Renting rooms at an inn will cost more than a mere pittance. Many of the exceptional or magic items that are just lying around the game world will be replaced with less valuable items.

This is the BGT version only.

Hard Times must be installed after Aurora, otherwise Aurora will multiply what Hard Times has set as prices.

 

My install order recommendation:

Install the BG1 & TotSC to a directory and patch it to the (v1.3.)5512 patch.

Then install the SoA, ToB, ToB patch 26498 to another directory and start both games with a new character and play until the game autosaves or you can save, exit the games and then install...

BG2 Fixpack,

BGT-WeiDU,

BG1 NPC Project

UBforBG1,

SCS,

BG2 Tweakpack,

Unfinished Business,

SCSII,

(Aurora's Shoes and Boots + it's patch)

Hard Times for BGT,

Worldmap,

SCSII component 4020; "Make Watchers’ Keep accessible between SoA and ToB"

The setup-gui.exe; that comes out from the BGT when it's being installed,

Generalized Biffing, -this is here to speed up the game with that many mods,

Widescreen mod.

 

Just a minor notice, the more mods you install, the harder it becomes to say the proper order, or if there is even one... that's why most of the BG2 moding community shouldtries to supports the BiG World Projects BWS tool, which is a Setup tool to install all the mods together.