Mod help request for my current game

[xiaoleiwen]

Decided to play as fighter druid

Decided to include:

BG1:

- Vienxay

- Ntosc

- Endless BG1

BG2:

- Vienxay

- Sellsword

- White Queen

- I Shall Never Forget

- Back to Brynnlaw

- Ascension

 

As I have decided on my party members, I won't bring Tamoko this time.

Vienxay is a good option for my current playthrough, I tried talking to her in game and she seems fun to bring a long.

With 3 npcs follow me through the whole saga (Verrsza, Vienxay, Edwin), it is something I prefer such as my current playthrough.

With 3 mod npcs in SOD (Verrsza, Vienxay, Shar-teel), I should be able to enjoy some new experience in SOD.

 

I checked back the readme and found that the bad experience I remember is mainly from DSOTSC, not NTOSC. NTOSC has some mini quests and encounters that could be fun to play again. So I included for extra exp / loot in case I get too low exp after reducing the exp.

I enjoy Sellsword very much. Vanilla feeling and lot of interjections from Imoen. To play again.

I like the items from ISNF and WQ. Install again.

The selections of MODs should be considered as almost finalized unless there are other recommendations that I like. Will try to draft the install order later.

 

New Question:

I would also like to ask for advice on how much exp I should reduce for BG1 if I want to finish  BG1+SOD with around 500-600k exp. This is something I really don't know how to estimate...

Same question for BG2. 

Initially I think I may cut to:

-50% exp for quests

-50% exp for kill

-0% exp for learn from scroll

-0% exp from disarm trap / unlock chest

I'm not sure if this will cut too much as I will play SCS on hardcore difficulty. Around 2 levels higher than usual for vanilla quests is still enjoyable (not too hard or too easy) for me.

----

To read more and consider the following:

https://www.pocketplane.net/quest-pack/

https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/80271/mod-enhanced-edition-cosmetic-enhancements-v1-0-1-released#latest

Edited March 1, 2021 by marcnivar

[xiaoleiwen]

Added the following to confirmed list:

Spoiler

 

16. The Stone of Askavar for Totsc, Tutu, BGT and BG:EE
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/42168/mod-the-stone-of-askavar-for-totsc-tutu-bgt-and-bg-ee/p1

24. Fishing for Trouble 3.2.7
http://www.shsforums.net/files/file/1084-fishing-for-trouble/

 

Added the following to hesitating list:

Spoiler

Enhanced Edition: Cosmetic Enhancements - v1.0.1
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/80271/mod-enhanced-edition-cosmetic-enhancements-v1-0-1-released#latest
- not sure if I should use this, as I totally have no idea for its category (install order) using PI. Installed in a fresh game and really like the changes. The clouds are
so beautiful.

Added the following to save for future list:

Spoiler

Tales of Anegh
http://www.shsforums.net/topic/42996-tales-of-anegh/
- Looks cool addition to TOB but not sure I can tolerate the translation. Read something saying it's like google translate..
Questpack
https://www.pocketplane.net/quest-pack/
- Looks great to have alternative solution, but I think it will make my MOD npc interject less, so I will leave it for future playthrough when I use more vanilla npc.

 

I start to have more worries on the installation order now after having more mods under the same category, especially those under Quest category. I read somewhere saying generally the older one first, newer one later, but how can I know how old a mod is?

And some quests MODs have quite a lot components, like the UB, restoration projects, romantic encounters etc, which seems like there is a possibility to modify the same npc. I'm not sure whether I should read all components content closely and decide for myself, or just install everything so that I can avoid spoilers but there may be incompatibilities...

 

[jastey]

5 hours ago, marcnivar said:

but how can I know how old a mod is?

Ask the forums.

[xiaoleiwen]

Finished SOA BG2 for my current game, starting TOB. It's time to prepare for my next BG1 playthrough, start with reading all readme and prepare for an installation order.

---

1. A question for The Stone for Askava. I saw this in the readme but I don't quite understand:

Spoiler

 

If you have the Siege of Dragonspear installed then you need to extract the contents of the mod archive to the Siege of Dragonspear main directory.

I thought dlc merger will make BGEE and SOD into one game. How to install TSFA with Project Infinity if I have to extract the contents to SOD directory?

 

2. Question for installing romantic encounter via PI:

Spoiler

 

I know that if I select "teen version and skip warning components" when installing directly (without using PI), that is the only option I have choose, the other things will be installed automatically.

However, if I use PI, it seems like I have to tick all components individually? or I can still just tick component 100 and ignore the componenets 1-44 such as how I did in my screenshot:

 

 

Edited March 3, 2021 by marcnivar

[Jarno Mikkola]

1 hour ago, marcnivar said:

I thought dlc merger will make BGEE and SOD into one game. How to install TSFA with Project Infinity if I have to extract the contents to SOD directory?

See the answer is in the question, you install DLC Merger... yes, it's a mod that does this. You can always rely on the readme's being out of date. See there was a Modmerge mod before the DLC Merger, and it wasn't a mod weidu could see, so ... the readme recount on this thing.

[xiaoleiwen]

29 minutes ago, Jarno Mikkola said:

See the answer is in the question, you install DLC Merger... yes, it's a mod that does this. You can always rely on the readme's being out of date. See there was a Modmerge mod before the DLC Merger, and it wasn't a mod weidu could see, so ... the readme recount on this thing.

Sorry for confirming again, I hope I understand you correctly, so can I ignore the readme instructions and install TSFA using PI if I have merged BGEE and SOD with DLC merger MOD previously?

[xiaoleiwen]

 BG1EE+SOD Load order draft: (kindly advise me)

Spoiler

0. DLC Merger

UI:
1. Dragonspear UI++ v2.41

Quests:
2. BG1 Unfinished Business v16.3
- Install all components
3. The Stone of Askavar V2.2
- Default Version
4. Northen Tales of the Sword Coast 4.2.0
- Install all components
5. Baldur's Gate Mini Quests & Encounters V23
- Install all components
6. Ascalon's Questpack V3.0
7. Balduran's Seatower
8. Endless BG1 6.1
- Install all components
9. Baldur's Gate Romantic Encounters 6.0
- Teen version and skip components with warnings
10. Lure_Of_Sirines_Call V16

NPC:
11. The BG1NPC Project V25
12. White 2.11
13. SharTeel NPC v1.4
14. Verrsza 5.3
15. Vienxay 1.62

Tweak:
16. The Tweaks Anthology
- Several components
17. EET_Tweaks v1.12
- Disable xp cap
- xp for killing creatures 50% (can it be too low?)
- xp for quests 75%

AI:
18. SCS
- All AI components

19. Portrait:
Artaport 4.0

20. Enhanced Edition: Cosmetic Enhancements - v1.0.1

 

The parts that I have highlighted in red color means I'm very unsure whether they are "parked" correctly in the order...

Kindly help me.

Edited March 3, 2021 by marcnivar

[Jarno Mikkola]

17 minutes ago, marcnivar said:

so can I ignore the readme instructions and install TSFA using PI if

Well, ... I don't give a cheese if PI can use it, but you can definitely manually install the mods this way, so I would expect the PI to be able to... but like I said, I don't give a flying monkey ... if the tool can do it.

And expecting a mods own readme to be updated to even 1/100 of the information gathered in the moding community is a way too much to ask. So everyone of the readme's that say they know install info is, by default, wrong in every one of their points just for principle, that things change.

[xiaoleiwen]

2 hours ago, Jarno Mikkola said:

Well, ... I don't give a cheese if PI can use it, but you can definitely manually install the mods this way, so I would expect the PI to be able to... but like I said, I don't give a flying monkey ... if the tool can do it.

And expecting a mods own readme to be updated to even 1/100 of the information gathered in the moding community is a way too much to ask. So everyone of the readme's that say they know install info is, by default, wrong in every one of their points just for principle, that things change.

Thanks for explaining.

I tried installing TSFA in a fresh game (with DLC merged) without following the readme, and loaded a save, it seems like the MOD contents are there. Should be safe to install with PI then.

[jastey]

8 hours ago, marcnivar said:

I know that if I select "teen version and skip warning components" when installing directly (without using PI), that is the only option I have choose, the other things will be installed automatically.

However, if I use PI, it seems like I have to tick all components individually? or I can still just tick component 100 and ignore the componenets 1-44 such as how I did in my screenshot

The reason why it sufficces to choose the install choice if you install the mod by hand is that the weidu installer asks what to do with the components: "ask about each one, install all, or skip them". That all components will be installed directly is because you chose "i"nstall all - if you press "a"sk about each one instead, you will have to confirm every one individually.

So, no, just ticking the choice from the first component in PI won't be enough, you'll have to tick all components you actually want, too.

[jastey]

6 hours ago, marcnivar said:

Quests:
2. BG1 Unfinished Business v16.3
- Install all components
3. The Stone of Askavar V2.2
- Default Version
4. Northen Tales of the Sword Coast 4.2.0
- Install all components
5. Baldur's Gate Mini Quests & Encounters V23
- Install all components
6. Ascalon's Questpack V3.0
7. Balduran's Seatower
8. Endless BG1 6.1
- Install all components
9. Baldur's Gate Romantic Encounters 6.0
- Teen version and skip components with warnings
10. Lure_Of_Sirines_Call V16

I sorted some of the mods a bit differently in a list for "my" mods but the only hard rule in there is Endless BG1 before bg1re which you considered so it should be ok.

 

 

[xiaoleiwen]

42 minutes ago, jastey said:

The reason why it sufficces to choose the install choice if you install the mod by hand is that the weidu installer asks what to do with the components: "ask about each one, install all, or skip them". That all components will be installed directly is because you chose "i"nstall all - if you press "a"sk about each one instead, you will have to confirm every one individually.

So, no, just ticking the choice from the first component in PI won't be enough, you'll have to tick all components you actually want, too.

So, let use the following as example.

1.  Bardolan's Briefing, by berelinde (mature content / teen version)

I see it has mature / teen version in the readme. If I want to install the teen version, what should I do? It seems like no option to tick mature or teen version under number 1 in PI.

[xiaoleiwen]

On 3/3/2021 at 5:50 PM, jastey said:

I sorted some of the mods a bit differently in a list for "my" mods but the only hard rule in there is Endless BG1 before bg1re which you considered so it should be ok.

 

 

Thanks for confirming

May I also ask for your opinion on the install order for EET tweak (to change xp cap and xp gained). I'm not sure whether it should be installed before / after SCS and Tweaks anthology...

 

Edited March 17, 2021 by marcnivar

[jastey]

2 hours ago, marcnivar said:

So, let use the following as example.

1.  Bardolan's Briefing, by berelinde (mature content / teen version)

I see it has mature / teen version in the readme. If I want to install the teen version, what should I do? It seems like no option to tick mature or teen version under number 1 in PI.

Ah, I see your problem.

1. tick the "teen version" choice for main component.

2. tick all components' boxes you want to have.

Then, components you ticked that have a teen version will install the teen version (that's what the main component is for).

A little elaboration:

-components you did not tick will not be installed due to PI restricting the install, no matter whether they are/have a teen version.

-components you ticked but do not have a teen version will not be installed due to the restrictions inside the mod )if you chose teen version in the main component). I do not know how PI handles this, whether there will be an error/warning message or whether PI will just execute the mod install once it's running.

So, in short: with main component ticked at "teen version", only mods you chose will be installed if they have a teen version. Hope that makes it clear.

[jastey]

2 hours ago, marcnivar said:

May I also ask for your opinion on the install order for EET tweak (to change xp cap and xp gained). I'm not sure whether it should be installed before / after SCS and Tweaks anthology...

No idea, sorry. There should be a main rule about tweak mods and SCS, I would assume SCS comes last but I am not sure. For the two tweak mods I guess it doesn't matter, but that's a wild guess as I'm not even sure what exactly EET Tweak does.