New Baldur's Gate 2 EE-style English Game Text Update available!

[Salk]

Hello!

I have decided to release to the public the work I have been doing on the game text for the classic Baldur's Gate 2 game. I have in the past done a similar work for Baldur's Gate as well as part of the scarcely known  BG1 Fixpack project (which unfortunately could never be properly polished due to how little popularity it gained, leading to lack of feedback).

While it is my hope that this game text update will become a third alternative inside the next version of the G3's BG2 Fixpack, I realize the focus of the maintainers have been, is and will be producing modifications for the EE versions of the Infinity Engine games. This means we have no idea when a new version of the BG2 Fixpack will be out. So until that time comes I am making this available to the public. I don't expect much popularity and visibility for it but it is nice to have it completed and ready for use for those that still enjoy playing the classic Baldur's Gate 2 game.

There are two components:

1. The main component replaces every string of the original BG2 dialog.tlk file. It requires the installation of the G3 BG2 Fixpack.
2. An optional component (which will eventually be included in skellytz's Infinity Sound) adds additional voice overs for three NPCs for which there is strong indication Bioware originally intended  to provide voice for. Three actors were hired to record those lines. The NPCs in question are: Mateo, Countess Santele and Captain Samand. They are actors in Saradush's quest "Betrayal at the Gates".

The first component tries to remove every game text typo ever reported by the community and then some. At the same time it tries to introduce several appreciated stylistic elements introduced in the BG2 EE game off which this game text update is based.

Bartimaeus here at G3 is offering support for this GTU in his master versions of IRR and SRR modifications (the latter requiring at the moment to set spell_description_style to 2 in the settings.ini). Installing other modifications for the classic BG2 game that introduce new text is of course going to cause an inevitable stylistic clash. Mostly noticeable when it comes to items and spells text format. Unfortunately there is not much I can do about it (although locally I started adjusting the text of few such modifications which I personally use to be stylistically consistent with the GTU). It would require an update from the original authors or current maintainers. While this is a possibility, of course, much depends on what kind of popularity this GTU will gain and honestly I don't expect it to be much.

And now, without much further ado, here is the link to download it. Link removed pending probable imminent change.

Feedback is always appreciated and I will be available to answering questions, if there will be any.

Cheers!

Edited September 1, 2023 by Salk
Updated link to latest version (2.3)

[Andrea C.]

Really cool stuff!!

[Guest Morgoth]

Thanks for the release.

I've got a question that will annoy you: did you change the Viconia lines? (discussion here: 

)

[Salk]

Hello, Guest Morgoth.

Your question does not annoy me at all. The answer is yes. I did change two things in that dialogue. One is an outright bug (it is mentioned there). I quote myself:

@27524  = ~How could I refuse your wish?~

No matter what solution we go for, there is still a line that needs fixing in the English text. It is string 27530:

@27530 = ~I do.  Come to my arms out of view of prying eyes...place your hand against my darkly trembling heart and I will show you the boundaries of passion as only I can...~

"I do." needs to be removed because this line can be spoken after reply 27524.

Eventually both #27524 and #27530 were changed slightly:

@27524  = ~How could I refuse your wish if that is what you truly want?~

@27530 = ~It is. Come to my arms, out of view of prying eyes; place your hand against my darkly trembling heart, and I will show you the boundaries of passion as only I can...~

I also changed the contested line as announced there:

@27512  = ~It sounds like you're asking for more than simply my company tonight.~

My reason to change was principally due to the fact that I believe that Viconia's reaction to the original line is out of character and that the original line itself (if it was meant to be a heavy taunting) would color the protagonist's personality in a way that would be, in my opinion, too prominent/heavy. I went for a more neutral attitude that pretty much naturally invites Viconia to tell more about her intentions.

This is one of the very few arbitrary changes I made to the game text but while I understand the objection of "purists", I operated under the principle that what I eventually believed to be a clear improvement over the original dialogue could be an acceptable change. I repeat again though: such instances are extremely rare (I think we can talk about less then 5 among literally thousands of lines).

Unfortunately due to the fact that I have also made a myriad of small punctuation changes (they are by far the most number of changes in the GTU), I never documented each and every one change I made because it was honestly a massive work I didn't feel for doing, considering that this project has pretty much been a one-man job.

I hope my answer (if not my decision) was satisfactory.

Edited October 31, 2022 by Salk

[CamDawg]

9 hours ago, Salk said:

I realize the focus of the maintainers have been, is and will be producing modifications for the EE versions of the Infinity Engine games.

Oi! I may be working on EEFP currently, but I'm circling back to BG2FP and IWDFP right after. And yes, I still plan on making this a GTU option.

Congrats on the release!

[Salk]

Hello, Cam!

14 hours ago, CamDawg said:

Oi! I may be working on EEFP currently, but I'm circling back to BG2FP and IWDFP right after.

Great to hear that! I don't know if what I wrote might have come through as a complaint but that was not my intent. I think it's fair and acceptable that IE modders' focus lies now on the EE versions. It has to take priority for obvious reasons. I will be glad for the day I will see update to some of my fav modifications like the BG2 Fixpack, of course. In the meantime, I wish you godspeed for all you are currently working with. I know your plate is always full.

Cheers! 

[Salk]

The GTU has been updated (1.1) to fix an original VO issue with two NPCs.

Spoiler

Change-log:

1.1 - Fixed four typos in the original game text that prevented four voiced lines to be spoken (DELVSV01 -> DELSV01, DELVSV02 -> DELSV02, GANTO01 -> GANDL01, GANTO02 -> GANDL02)

1.0 - Initial release

 

Edited November 9, 2022 by Salk

[Guest Morgoth]

Thanks for your explanation, Salk.

[Salk]

Version 1.5 is out.

There has been further polishing and adjustments. There are no more major revisions planned now. This is likely to be the version that might be selected in the future as part of the BG2 Fixpack GTU offers.

The download link has been updated.

Feedback is always welcome.

(e) The version uploaded first had a typo. Now everything should install properly.

Edited May 23, 2023 by Salk

[Salk]

Okay, for those few interested, I have uploaded the latest version of my revised EE-style GTU for the classic Baldur's Gate 2. 

In the latest version (2.0), one of the VO has been replaced with one from another artist.

The download link is in the OP.

Edited July 14, 2023 by Salk

[eyre]

Many thanks for releasing this!

I have a question regarding a few particular text changes with respect to creature names:

Spoiler

The GTU changes the names of the ogres summoned by Cythandria from "Arghh" (strrefs 20409 and 20410) and "Ughh" (strrefs 20412 and 20414) to "Arghh!" and "Ughh."  Is the appended punctuation intentional?  It struck me as odd since I cannot recall punctuation being used as the last character for names of any other creatures in the game.

I was curious about this and performed a search of all CRE names using NearInfinity.  It appears that the GTU also appends punctuation to strrefs 21299 and 21300 used as the name for various creature definitions for Islanne as well, which I assume is not intentional.  These string references are used by the following CRE resources:

D2ISL.CRE
DOPISL.CRE
DOPMAG01.CRE
DOPMGR01.CRE
ISLA.CRE
ISLANN.CRE

 

[Salk]

Hello, eyre!

Those cases are mistakes to correct. I have used the BG2:EE text as starting base so I imported the (wrong) punctuation used in those strings. There should not be any.

I'll upload a new version with the correction.

Thank you very much for reporting this.

(e) And done...

Edited July 16, 2023 by Salk

[eyre]

Hi Salk,

I've noticed an issue with the usage of various protagonist-specific string tokens (<PRO_HESHE>, <PRO_HISHER>, <PRO_HIMHER>, <PRO_MANWOMAN>, ...) that the GTU utilizes in the class descriptions.  The text associated with these tokens is absent in the descriptions during character generation, though it does render properly when the user views the class descriptions after a game has begun.  For the sake of consistency it may be best to revert to the wording used by the originals in these cases.

EDIT: This is true for spell descriptions viewed during character generation as well.

EDIT 2: Other strings appearing in character generation are affected as well, such as @9588.

As an example I've attached images of the character generation vs. in game descriptions for the Totemic Druid, though other classes/kits are affected as well:

Spoiler

Character generation:

In game:

 

Edited July 28, 2023 by eyre

[Salk]

Thank you very much for your precious feedback, eyre. I must admit I'd never thought something like that could happen.

I could revert to the original oBG2 text pronoun choice for strings used at character generation of course but I'd like to know why this is happening because it doesn't really make much sense to me.

Do you have some idea, @CamDawg?

 

Edited July 29, 2023 by Salk

[CamDawg]

I would guess none of these tokens work because the main character hasn't been generated yet. They/them/their would be OK for the pronouns; substitutions for man/woman would have to be case-by--case.