Change BG:EE install location on Steam

[Guest Ebonair]

I fired up Stratagems-34.3.exe, and it says:

"If you are using Windows Vista, Windows 7, or a newer operating system, you should be aware that mods may not function correctly if your game is installed within the Program Files directory. If that's the case, we recommend reinstalling the game elsewhere before proceeding."

How should I do that? I've got the Steam version, which installs to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition

Should I just copy that directory to a different location? Can I copy it back after installing Stratagem?

[Bartimaeus]

IIRC, you can cut and paste the game directory to your e.g. C:\Users\(Username)\Downloads folder and install there, then move it back. Don't quote me on that, though - I've never had to do this personally, since it double doesn't apply to me as I use a registry tweak to fully kill UAC and auto-run everything in admin mode PLUS I always install my games on a secondary drive.

Edited October 21, 2021 by Bartimaeus

[CamDawg]

The EEs don't have any copy protection, so just copy the whole folder somewhere else and make a new shortcut. The actual game will in your Steam folder, inside /steamapps/common.

You'll miss the absolute pinnacle of gaming experience, though: achievements.

[Graion Dilach]

6 hours ago, CamDawg said:

You'll miss the absolute pinnacle of gaming experience, though: achievements.

Wrong. If Steam is running in the background and you're playing the versions from there, it picks up you're playing the game even when it's bypassed. My current EET run using the Steam executable/assets outside Steam folder unlocks BG2 achievements and is counted in my BG2 play hours. And I also get the Steam overlay and FPS counter (which I have permaenabled due to other games).

Ofcourse this only works with that version, the GoG version remains ignored by Steam.

Edited October 22, 2021 by Graion Dilach

[CamDawg]

Oh thank goodness. I can't imagine anything more important to the BG experience than achievements.

[Guest Morgoth]

1 hour ago, CamDawg said:

Oh thank goodness. I can't imagine anything more important to the BG experience than achievements being EET compatible.

Are achievements EET COMPATIBLE?

[Guest Ebonair]

Thanks, setup-stratagems.exe is busy patching my files. I'll see if I can achieve anything with it.

[Guest Ebonair]

So. If you're copying your BG:EE folder to another location to run Stratagems on it, and you think that your Documents folder is a good place, be warned: it's the same place that Baldur's gate puts its save game files.

It's not safe to delete that folder at a later date, because your save game files will be blown away. You'd think they'd be in AppData\, but no. On my machine, restoring from the recycle bin didn't work, it just showed an endlessly spinning cursor but the files were not recovered. Even winfr couldn't salvage anything.

AND, I just have to add this, AND I rolled a goddamned 98 on my ability score. I didn't even think that was possible.

*ahem* So be warned by my example.