[Mod List] BG1EE, BG2EE and EET Companions: The Party Menu

[Taladay Rune]

Hello, modding community!

It’s time to give something back after enjoying the fruits of your labor. Since I have no idea how to code but love to collect information, I have created a WIP Google Sheet based on my notes. The goal is to have all BG EE/EET compatible NPC companions listed in one place, including active download links and plenty of information to help you choose your party. Thanks go to Ranadiel for inspiring me to create a modern version of his/her excellent list. Someday, I plan to release it to all of you to edit as you please. If I ever disappear without releasing control feel free to copy the document and create your own version. For now, I will add any edits myself but you are free to comment here or on the spreadsheet if there is something to add. Please, English-only NPCs for my own sanity. This thing will be big enough even with these limits.

Beware: here there be spoilers. The sheet is set up so the most general information is on the left. Adjust your use accordingly - the zoom level is probably the easiest way. 200% shows the basics, 150% cuts the worst spoiler sections after the mod conflict info (at least on my computer). Vanilla Baldur's Gate spoilers may still be visible - I recommend experiencing the original game before diving into mods!

And I guess I have to address mod respect. This is a (mostly ) neutral database with a priority on official releases. If an unofficial modder has the only significantly updated version for EE/EET compatibility it may be included but will be clearly marked. 

Thank you all for the decades of love and camaraderie around these incredible games!

Baldur's Gate EE/EET Companion Party Menu

Edited February 19, 2022 by Taladay Rune
clarification, renaming

[The Artisan]

This could be a useful resource albeit I see some gaps. Aura-BG1 and Sirene-BG2 are not present despite there being parts in the notes that acknowledge they exist. 

In addition it makes me very uncomfortable to see any interactions with my work and Roxanne’s to be listed as crossmod as I was neither given notice nor input and therefore I would not call it crossmod given it is entirely their creation and I do not want to be associated with a level of writing which would be lucky to be called juvenile at best. Personal bias though, and I cannot define what constitutes crossmod.

Edited February 17, 2022 by The Artisan

[Lava]

Sometimes I wonder wouldn't it be easier if such gathered information were just included as a part of BG Wiki, as it already includes some mods. Funny, it's mostly Roxanne's stuff, hah. But I know it would require work and it's been discussed more than once that it would mean someone had to maintain it. I just think these Google Documents quite often get swamped and, after a while, quite... invisible.

And another funny thing, I released ~30 NPCs and NCP Expansions but only like 2 or 3 of my mods are included in the document, so... huh. Even if you exclude IWD NPCs, there are still like ~17 missing.

Your work is impressibe, I just wish at least some more of my project were ther, heh.

Edited February 17, 2022 by Lava

[jastey]

It's an impressive amount of work. I, too, would suggest you remove the crossmod notes from the lines of the NPC mods the crossmod is not included, i.e. all "Sandrah" references if it's content in the Sandrah Saga, because drama. "MattyGroove" is indeed one of the GitHub repos Roxanne puts her inofficial mod versions into. Also, I would suggest you remove the "abandonded" notes from the mod descriptions where you link to the inofficial updates. The word "abandoned" was used a bit too frequently in the past to upload inofficial expansions to mods without permission. And also, mods in IE modding are only on hiatus, never abandoned, unless the author explicitely states otherwise, which is really rare.

What is the note "may not use both with EET" supposed to mean? If there is BG1 and BGII NPC mod packages (like for Gavin), then yes both would be needed and have to be installed for EET. I guess it's the same for Isra.

[Taladay Rune]

5 hours ago, The Artisan said:

This could be a useful resource albeit I see some gaps. Aura-BG1 and Sirene-BG2 are not present despite there being parts in the notes that acknowledge they exist. 

In addition it makes me very uncomfortable to see any interactions with my work and Roxanne’s to be listed as crossmod as I was neither given notice nor input and therefore I would not call it crossmod given it is entirely their creation and I do not want to be associated with a level of writing which would be lucky to be called juvenile at best. Personal bias though, and I cannot define what constitutes crossmod.

There are many mods to be added, that's for sure. I intended this to be a tool to help decide which NPCs to put together in a party, for good or for bad - meaning that if I decide to try out Sandrah for the quests this would help me limit her reported, ah, aggressive inter-party reaction. Like I said, I'm trying to stay somewhat neutral. I mean, I'm not into underaged or incestual romance either...

So currently it lists crossmod from either interacting mod. Perhaps it would be better to limit it to crossmod included in the mod on that line?

[Taladay Rune]

5 hours ago, Lava said:

Sometimes I wonder wouldn't it be easier if such gathered information were just included as a part of BG Wiki, as it already includes some mods. Funny, it's mostly Roxanne's stuff, hah. But I know it would require work and it's been discussed more than once that it would mean someone had to maintain it. I just think these Google Documents quite often get swamped and, after a while, quite... invisible.

And another funny thing, I released ~30 NPCs and NCP Expansions but only like 2 or 3 of my mods are included in the document, so... huh. Even if you exclude IWD NPCs, there are still like ~17 missing.

Your work is impressibe, I just wish at least some more of my project were ther, heh.

Yes, it would be nice to have Wiki listings for all the mods! I am not comfortable trying to create or maintain such pages, though I am trying to make something that the community can update. For me, Ranadiel's old list was very useful in the way it presented key information in a compact format. That is my goal.

And - I LOVE your work! I have yours in my 'to be edited' list. I was just looking at your Skie mods and deciding to go the thorough route and include Skie Redone or not. You've said before you wish people would forget it exists but also that it holds a special place in your heart. And, I can't think of any other Skie romances. What do you think? 

[jastey]

16 minutes ago, Taladay Rune said:

Perhaps it would be better to limit it to crossmod included in the mod on that line?

That's what I suggested, but in the end it might not be the best approach, either. At least for the real crossmod that was written as modders' collaboration, it would be nice to see directly which NPCs a certain mod NPC interacts with. As for Sandrah Saga: I'd be not so thrilled if people would look what mods e.g. my Ajantis BGII mod has crossmod with and - oblivious to the history - install Sandrah Saga and then get to see that content. In the end, "crossmod" contained in Sandrah Saga is like all other inofficial content Roxanne added to other people's mods - something one knows about and tries to make players aware of, but otherwise try to forget in favor of one's blood pressure.

[Taladay Rune]

1 hour ago, jastey said:

It's an impressive amount of work. I, too, would suggest you remove the crossmod notes from the lines of the NPC mods the crossmod is not included, i.e. all "Sandrah" references if it's content in the Sandrah Saga, because drama. "MattyGroove" is indeed one of the GitHub repos Roxanne puts her inofficial mod versions into. Also, I would suggest you remove the "abandonded" notes from the mod descriptions where you link to the inofficial updates. The word "abandoned" was used a bit too frequently in the past to upload inofficial expansions to mods without permission. And also, mods in IE modding are only on hiatus, never abandoned, unless the author explicitely states otherwise, which is really rare.

What is the note "may not use both with EET" supposed to mean? If there is BG1 and BGII NPC mod packages (like for Gavin), then yes both would be needed and have to be installed for EET. I guess it's the same for Isra.

I can do that. So much drama, sigh.  I was trying to make crossmod easier to see but that's what search is for! "Abandoned" is only when I really, really feel that is the case - like if a mod has not been touched since before EE. So, you think just noting 'unofficial update'?

Thank you all for replying. I have so much respect for the work you do. You are amazing moders!

[jastey]

7 minutes ago, Taladay Rune said:

you think just noting 'unofficial update'?

Yes, I would prefer it. After all, Amber and some of Kulyok's mods where proclaimed to be "abandoned" as well (which wasn't true).

Concerning crossmod, I posted another post in the meantime.

Thanks for the kind words!

[Taladay Rune]

3 minutes ago, jastey said:

Yes, I would prefer it. After all, Amber and some of Kulyok's mods where proclaimed to be "abandoned" as well (which wasn't true).

Concerning crossmod, I posted another post in the meantime.

Thanks for the kind words!

Done! I will continue to cross reference crossmod in both mods but if there are objections I will limit it to the mod writing it. And I have removed any abandoned reference. Certainly, if a mod updates to be EE or EET friendly that is preferred anyway and I will happily remove unofficial versions. 

[jastey]

Great, thanks!

[Taladay Rune]

1 hour ago, jastey said:

What is the note "may not use both with EET" supposed to mean? If there is BG1 and BGII NPC mod packages (like for Gavin), then yes both would be needed and have to be installed for EET. I guess it's the same for Isra.

I found forums stating that using BG1 and BG2 halves together would cause naming overwrite problems but could not find that it had been addressed anywhere.

[jastey]

26 minutes ago, Taladay Rune said:

using BG1 and BG2 halves together would cause naming overwrite

This is not the case for Gavin. Isra was taken by several EET players so I guess it's not true for her, either. To put it this way: I've never heard of it for the more known mods (Gavin, Isra, Sirine, @Skitia's mods, my Ajantis, most BG1 NPC-in-BGII mods). EDIT: and me not having heard about it means it's either a bug noone bothered to report where it would be noted by modders or it's a (false) rumor.

[Taladay Rune]

13 minutes ago, jastey said:

This is not the case for Gavin. Isra was taken by several EET players so I guess it's not true for her, either. 

Thank you for confirming, I have updated the file.

[Lava]

2 hours ago, Taladay Rune said:

And - I LOVE your work! I have yours in my 'to be edited' list. I was just looking at your Skie mods and deciding to go the thorough route and include Skie Redone or not. You've said before you wish people would forget it exists but also that it holds a special place in your heart. And, I can't think of any other Skie romances. What do you think?

The character has a special place in my heart, the old Skie mod is crap. The new one (Skie: The Cost of One Girl's Soul) is 10000 times better and I am working on making it even better. So forget the old mod and I would rather you only included the new one. It is way better and the next update will be quite special. Old one is outdated, it's not lore friendly, has story mistakes...

The update of "Skie: The Cost" will still take me a moment, though, as the mod is being proofread and then I'll need to do some additional fixing.