BGEET Content Mod Review

[Thom Merrilin]

After spending significant time and playing with multiple install orders for my latest EET run, I finally got an install order for about 150 mods that has so far proven stable with no bugs or issues.  The WeiDU log is posted below for reference.

I've spent so much time working on the correct install order, that the quality and enjoyment of the actual mods was almost a secondary consideration.  There are a lot of resources and discussion on installation order and compatibilities, as well as extensive conversation on tweak, spell, item, UI, and kit mods, but surprisingly very little consolidated reviews of content mods (quest and NPC).  Googling that topic leads to a lot of posted opinions on Reddit, Beamdog, Steam or here on G3, that are either older (and may not reflect current release updates), or not very specific beyond "I like it" or "I don't like it", and consequently not very helpful.

These are the links that I've used that cover a wide range of BG1 and BG2 content mods, and all of these authors have posted within the last two years, and/or are still posting now.  I'm listing them in case it helps other players trying to wade through their mod choices.  If there are other posts I've missed, please let me know and I'll add them.

Ineth maintains a running summary of quest mods for both BG1 and BG2 on Beamdog, starting the post in 2019 and continually keeping it updated.  It is an excellent overview of content mods, sorted by original date of release, going back to 2000.  Ineth may or may not give an opinion on each mod, but does list components of each mod which is extremely helpful and these are excellent topics to follow:

https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/88635/mod-impressions-bg-ee-quest-mods

https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/75951/mod-impressions-bg2-ee-quest-mods

Llewren has created a web site for in-depth BG related content mods, starting the site in 2021 and continually adding new reviews.  These are highly in-depth pieces on each mod reviewed- they read like thoughtful movie reviews.  Llewren is generally a positive critic, respecting the work that each modder has put into their creative process.  If the mod you are considering is covered here, it is well worth the time to read the review.

https://smolderingmodsbar.com/

Sergio has been reviewing mods since 2019, starting on the SHS forums and since moving over to G3 in 2023.  There are new reviews being posted, but the majority of the mods reviewed occurred in 2019, so keep that in mind regarding anything that has been updated since then.  Sergio is generally a tough critic, rarely recommending a mod, although the flip side of that dynamic is that when a mod receives a very positive review, it catches your attention.

http://www.shsforums.net/topic/60457-reviews/

xiaoleiwen went through an extensive project to reviews as many content mods as possible in 2021-2022 during an EET run, posting both here on G3 and on Beamdog, although I don't believe has added any new reviews since that playthrough.  These reviews are helpful because the author listed letter grades on both overall play experience, as well as how well they fit into the overall story.

https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/81506/reviews-for-npc-and-quest-mods-for-my-2021-bgee-and-bg2ee-playthrough

My intention with my new EET run is to post thoughts on my installed content Mods as I play through them, separating them between BG1, SOD, SOA and TOB.  The reason for doing that exercise is that 1) there were about 30 content mods I put into my last install that do not currently have a review on any of the four sites listed above, and 2) since some of the reviews above were done in 2019 and 2020, I thought it might be helpful to take a fresh look at them in 2024.

I will post them as I hit them in my playthrough order, or roughly in gametime chronological order, starting with the Candlekeep prologue and working from there.

 

 

[ptifab]

Can't wait to see the results and thoughts of your playthrough ! amazing compilation of different reviews by the way, thank you for all that, it's really interesting !  

[Thom Merrilin]

Before starting on mods that are part of my current install, some notes on quest mods for BG1 that I did not install.  I am including Sergio's comments on these older mods as he is the only reviewer of the ones listed above who has posted comments on all of these.

Dark Side of The Sword Coast: one of the most iconic (and the first) megamod for BG1, first released back in 2000.  Has long had a reputation as being dramatically overpowered and unbalanced, but it has been significantly overhauled and perhaps those issues have been reduced.  Sergio did not recommend the mod and goes through each quest in detail, but that was in 2019 before the most recent revisions.  Due to the nature of the battles, Ineth calls this more of a tactical mod than a quest mod, "loosely-connected" to the main story line.  I have avoided this mod for awhile, primarily because it requires you to add a new NPC to advance the quest line, and I generally reject any mod that forces the requirement to add a very temporary NPC as a pre-requisite to playing.  Is currently being maintained and last update 3.01 was this year, so any older reviews that describe it as buggy are likely no longer accurate.  Note if you install that there is a spells component to this mod that should be installed separately from the rest of the mod, in the spell section of your install order.

The Grey Clan, Episode 1:  Mod originally by Baronius in 2005.  Originally part of a planned series that never materialized, Sergio's rating was "don't recommend at all", describing it as fight after fight with no payoff or resolution.  This is another mod that has been plagued by some bugs, but K4thos is now maintaining the mod, updating to v1.9 this year, so probably safe to install if you are curious.

The Vault: Another older mod, this one from 2006 by Josh Clue.  Like many older mods, had some issues with bugs and for a long time was not compatible with EET, although there is an EET compatible file by Beleg33 on Github from 2015.  A combination item and quest mod, and older mods that introduce a lot of new items I generally approach with caution for balance reasons.  Sergio's rating was "don't recommend", indicating he would consider installing some components if it was modular, but would not install the entire mod as is.

Dark Horizons: Originally released in 2009 by COM_Solaufein.  Another combat heavy older mega mod with a cool general concept- you are being hunted by a secret organization called "Section", but also another mod that potentially upsets game balance with new items, shops and NPCs on top of the quest line and combats.  Sergio gives this a "don't recommend' as well, describing this mod as good idea, poor execution.  This is another mod that is actively being maintained, with v3.01 being released earlier this year, so should not create any issues if installed.

Ascalon's Questpack: Originally released in 2009, from Ascalon.  This is probably a miss on my part, and some components of the mod will be included in my future installs.  I don't mind occasional light hearted interactions, but when quests and interactions slide into the goofier side, I find it immersion breaking, which is why I skipped it this install.  However, the reviews are very positive- Ineth describes it as featuring "well-written dialogue and interesting (and sometimes funny) situations".  Xiaoleiwen gives it an A- overall and an A+ for lore friendly, saying it will "add levity to your adventure".  Sergio gave it a "try it, I'm not going to reinstall it" review, but even a middling grade is better than the standard "not recommended".   Although this has several smaller mini-quests/interactions, it does have a larger quest, The Serpents of Abbathor, which I'd like to try.  This mod was updated in 2023 to v 5.2, and is currently being maintained by jastey.

Twas a Slow Boat from Kara-Tur: Originally released in 2013 by Corsymyr, it was originally shared in a zippyshare file drive that made it difficult to download and install.  Like many of the older mods, it also had some bugs that discouraged play-throughs, although ALIEN made a fix as recently as 2023, and Endarire updated the download link on the Beamdog forum shortly thereafter, so it should now be playable.  Sergio's review in 2019 was "not recommend for now, could be worth a play when fixed".  This is another mod that involves a quest that results in a new store and new items.  Of the six mods listed here, I would say that this one and The Vault are the most obscure in terms of on-line discussion, and neither are listed in Ineth's summary of BG1 quest mods.

Of the mods listed above, I have not played DSOTSC or Ascalon's Questpack in many years, and have never played the other four, so appreciate any comments or differing opinions from players who have installed and played the mods recently.

[Thom Merrilin]

Staring the mod walkthrough in BG1, Candlekeep Prologue, there is immediate mod content from the BG1 Mini Quests and Encounters and Romantic Encounters mods, which make the prologue a little less vanilla and repetitive.   I'll review those mods later, but I want to start with the mod by Jastey and Rabain, Grey the Dog.  If you have the Candlekeep monk tutorials enabled, you will get an introductory scene with Grey, but either way Imoen will bring Grey along at the very beginning of Chapter One.

I have never installed Grey the Dog mod before, and my sense is that this mod flies a little under the radar.  None of the reviewers that I have been referencing here cover or discuss this mod.  I had seen it on lists of mods for BG1, but without investigating it I previously thought perhaps it was a more humor focused mod, sort of like Wilson the Bear but for BG1.  That is definitely not the case- Grey is not a magical, talking dog, but a real dog trained as a Candlekeep guard dog who can accompany your PC throughout their adventures.  This mod has become the mod I never knew I needed but now don't want to be without in future runs.

The challenge on megamod installs is game balance.  Leaving the experience cap intact is not an option for me, as it becomes self-defeating to hit the cap in a large install and still have Werewolf Island, Durlag's Tower and Sarevok to go with no chance for incremental xp.  Since I remove the xp cap limitations, I self-enforce a number of "rules" to try and not overpower the game: improve all enemies and battles with SCS, reduce xp gains with Tweaks Anthology, slow down xp level progression with Stats Overhaul, play with no pre-buffing or potions (other than healing or invisibility where needed for thief quests) allowed, multiclass all NPC using NPC EE (makes at least the early game harder), and force myself to use all original and EE NPCs in the game.  This last component hopefully prevents power gaming party optimization when encountering tough battles with NPC like Garrick, Skie, Alora, Eldoth, etc. taking up 1-3 party slots at any point in the game.

Because this requires a lot of work with switching NPCs in and out of the party while trying to avoid conflicts and complete all NPC individual quests and content, I rarely add additional new NPC mods- I already have to deal with 46 NPCs as it is over the course of an EET run.  This means I have missed out on some NPC mods that I likely would enjoy- xiaoleiwen gives A ratings for Aura and Sirene, and Llewren has in depth reviews recommending Aura, Bristlelick, Indira and Vienxay.

This is the beauty of the Grey mod.  Grey has his own kit, wolfhound, and can level up, eventually gaining abilities that allow him to see through invisibility and illusions, prevent him from fear while causing fear and panic in enemies, and with this mod there is now a whole new section in Taerom's forge in Beregost that offers wolfhound upgradable armor, canine "caps" for greater attacks, etc.  There is also the chance to pick up Grey specific items along the way, such as a new item from the Ruffie and Albert quest.  In the very beginning chapter, when the party consists only of level 1 characters who are vulnerable to even the most mild enemy attack, Grey is actually the best potential melee fighter in the group.

But the mod also has a "7th party" dynamic that allows you to move Grey in and out of the party at will as you shuffle NPC members.  In the 7th party mode, while you won't be able to access his inventory, he can still be an effective pack mule for items that you do not need to immediately access.  He can be instructed to stay close, and he will trail the party of six at all times, including in and out of interior places, ready to be activated and join the party at any time.  While you can't direct his attack in this mode, if you click on all party attack, Grey will participate, and in 7th party mode he will defend himself if attacked.  Grey cannot be killed in this mode, but will become unconscious if HP drops to 1.

This gives you a NPC that has no party conflicts, does not care about party reputation, can carry incremental inventory, and can be dropped and added an infinite number of times.  While he doesn't have banter per se, he will bark at appropriate times (no Grey, we are talking about Greywolf, not you), and other NPCs will banter about him.  In the end, he is a "good dog", a potential PC protector and loyal companion, and offers tremendous party flexibility for an extended mod EET run.  I strongly recommend this mod and it will be a part of my future installs going forward.

[Nathan82]

@Thom Merrilin I played through the Vault on a recent oBGT run. I quite enjoyed it. It adds a lot of difficult battles (lots of stone golems and drow). I'm still trying to ge tthe balance right XP wise and my party was a bit over powered for that stage of the game but it came in handy with this mod installed.  I didn't notice any particularly over powered items either as upgrades for existing or new. I've got it installed on my current run, I'll try and pay more attention to what it adds and make some notes. Thanks for posting the links above, they're an interesting read. I hope your install turns out bug free.

[Thom Merrilin]

On to BG1, Chapter One.  I don't generally spend much time in Chapter 1 since there is nothing that needs to be done here than can't be done in Chapter Two, and I don't want the duos of Jaheira and Khalid or Xzar and Montaron nagging me about getting to Nashkel.

This is another endorsement for removing the dual flags in Tweaks Anthology and multiclassing using NPC EE- for Imoen, as example, I immediately changed her in Chapter One to a multi thief-mage (Arcane Trickster from the Artisan Kitpack), which is a fundamental game play change.  It removes the entire process of dualing Imoen mid-game while losing her thief skills for most of the remainder of BG1.  From a EET story perspective, if used together with Imoen4Ever, it also removes the need for Imoen to sit out SOD while training with Duke Jannath.  The flip side is that it will make game play with her in SOA far different since she will continue to gain thief skills but will not reach the same mage level as playing her in vanilla, which may or may not be a desired outcome depending on preferred playing style.

Chapter 1 in the Friendly Arm area offers more content for Romantic Encounters (yes, if desired you can have physical relations before you even complete your first game quest), and starts the content from Extra Expanded Encounters, the Vanishing of Skie Silvershield, Shades of the Sword Coast, as well as our first encounter from the BG1 NPC Project, when you meet "an old man" with a pointy hat on the Coast Way.

The BG1 NPC Project from 2004 and BG1 Unfinished Business from 2006 is how I got my start installing mods for BG1- in almost 20 years, I have never done a run without these mods other than an initial vanilla run when the new EE releases came out in 2012 to check out the new changes and NPCs.  The presence of the BG1 NPC Project has resulted in relatively few friendship and banter packs being developed for BG1 in comparison to SOA- Coran's BG Extended Friendship by Domi, Ajantis BG1 Expansion by Jastey, Xan's Friendship Path by Kulyok, and the two Neera mods- Neera Expansion by K'aeloree (for interactions with the PC), and Neera Banters for BGEE by AstroBryGuy (for interactions with other NPCs).  All of these mods are part of my standard install- in terms of reviews, the bottom line for friendship and banter packs is that they are highly subjective- if you already like the NPC, you'll probably enjoy the mods, and if you don't already like the NPC, these mods will not change your mind.

Xiaoleiwen has more in-depth reviews of the BG1 NPC-banter mod combos by character for those interested- giving them all A or High B letter grades.

For a completely opposing viewpoint on the BG1 NPC Project, Llewren on the Smoldering Mod site has an in-depth post on why the NPC Project should not be an automatic mod install, calling it overwritten, bloated, inconsistent and a mod that detracts from the original quality of writing and characterization of the vanilla product.  This is such a strong opposing take on a mod generally installed by default that it is worth a read.

With all respect to that opinion, the BG1 NPC Project will remain a part of my standard install, and I will continue to recommend it as a mod.  It is far from perfect, but neither was the original game.  We can't go back in time and experience the game as it was in 1998- the open world aspect of a game with lots of relatively empty spaces and low levels of party banter is more underwhelming now by today's standards, and there are plenty of BG players (and mod creators) who completely skip BG1 and focus only on SOA and TOB. 

In addition, the original BG1 is not the Mona Lisa under protective glass.  The very nature of what we are doing is modifying the game to help keep it alive and vibrant, and not all of those modifications will be successful, but collectively the modding community is pushing the game forward into interesting new places.

The writing of the Dynaheir romance in the BG1 NPC Project is IMO, top notch- quiet and reflective and slowly builds towards a deeper relationship, and a far cry from other romance mods where it is a sprint to immediate flirting and intimacy.  The writing here makes her a fully realized character, and in fact, I generally don't carry Dynaheir in SOD because it reverts her back to a one-note characterization by comparison, which is jarring on an EET run.

The Branwen and Shar-Teel romances are not as strong- not bad per se, but somewhat repetitive.  They are worth playing through once, if not repeatedly  Since I generally play a male PC, I haven't experienced the other side of the romance possibilities of Coran, Xan or Ajantis, so perhaps someone else can weigh in on the quality of that content.

The more substantial quests- Jaheira in the Cloakwoods, Coran in Firewine, Garrick in Ulcaster, Kivan and the bounty hunter- are generally interesting, have a couple of challenging encounters, and are always part of my runs.  There is not much to the Tiax, Dynahier or Kagain content, so it is overstating things to call them "quests".  It will be difficult to complete the Xzar quest if running a good party (and the choices will conflict with Garrick: Tales of a Troubadour, if installed), and I agree with Llewren that the Xan "white doe" quest is odd and feels completely out of place in the game.

The BG1 NPC Project is not a modular install, so all components will be added, but it is easy to play the aspects you like, ignore the rest, rather than eliminate the entire mod from your install order as Llewren has done.

[Thom Merrilin]

BG1, Chapter Two.  While I realize there is no functional difference between chapters 1-3 for most of this content, I like to compartmentalize the low intensity content of the Sword Coast  "I-95 corridor" of Friendly Arms to Beregost to Nashkel in this chapter.  There is a lot of mod content here from Shades of Sword Coast, Romantic Encounters, and BG Mini-Quests and Encounters.  In addition, Gorgon's Eye content can be started here and Illasera from Black Hearts makes her first appearance, intervening in the Marl Feldepost bar fight.  Since the area around Feldepost represents the epicenter for both the Gorgon's Eye and Black Hearts mods, that will be a core part of the Chapter Three play-through when I return from the Nashkel Mines.

Since I also have Garrick Tales of a Troubadour and the Vanishing of Skie Silvershield installed, party management is a challenge in this section, plus this is also the area where the primary three EE NPCs spawn who have to be dealt with one way or another.  I have never been able to get the Rasaad quest in BG1 to correctly spawn in Chapter 5 unless I relocate him from the Nashkel Inn prior to going to the Nashkel Mines, so at one point in this chapter I had Eldoth, Skie, Garrick and Rasaad all in my party.  Not exactly power gaming.

An example of how all this mod content overlaps is meeting with Firebeard in Beregost- the vanilla quest is straightforward- he wants a particular book, and in return he gives you a valuable scroll case.  But in a heavily modded game, there is an interaction with Garrick (from the Tales of a Troubadour mod) that leads to a valuable item, plus two Romantic Encounter tasks- one a delivery, and the other a collection.  While not required, to do this as efficiently as possible means completing the Garrick-Silke plot in Beregost and the Kagain Silvershield caravan plot in the Coast Way (to meet the halfling messenger) prior to entering the Firebeard home.

The largest mod content in this area of the game comes from Shades of the Sword Coast, by Lava.  A relatively new mod, released in 2020, this has a lot of mid to low level content for BG1- 35 individual quests and encounters are in this mod.  Xiaoleiwen gives this mod the highest rating, an A+, saying that the mod rekindles the passion for exploring vanilla areas of the game that have otherwise grown stale or boring, while Ineth praises the "beautiful custom-photoshopped area art" of the mod.  In the last few years, this mod has become a standard part of my EET installs, so I agree with the recommendations.

This is not really a tactical mod as the vast majority of the fights are low to moderate.  There are however, a few fights that ratchet up the intensity.  There is a demon knight fight that will occur later in the game, but it requires collecting multiple artifacts and generally will not occur until later in the game once the party has leveled up.  When exploring the

Spoiler

Mutamin Garden/Sharp Teeth

area there is a cave entrance that will lead to significant basilisk encounters that the party will need to be prepared for with the appropriate scrolls or potions.  The one tactical encounter in this mod that really feels like an odd, one-off is an encounter with a damaged golem in the

Spoiler

Peldvale

area that can be repaired and reactivated.  Since that leads to a battle with an enraged iron golem that has 100% magic resistance and can only be hit with +3 weapons, this battle is almost impossible to win until the end of the game and only when provided with higher level weapons earned from the various mods that introduce those items.

Shades does not really attempt to expand the overall story arc or BG lore- there is one peripheral quest in Baldurs Gate itself that has to do with

Spoiler

Sarevok

and a missing halfling, but generally this is a fill in the spaces mod that significantly adds to a BG1 playthrough with small and medium things to do.  It is not always intuitive- there are a couple of collection quests spread though out the game (skeletons, food items) where it is very likely that you will encounter some items before you actually receive the quest.  As always in BG, when an unusual item appears somewhere, best practice is always to pick it up, even if its present purpose is unknown.  There is an immediate quest given at the Friendly Arm Inn involving magic circles and a ring to find them- on my first playthrough I couldn't find any of these magical circles until I realized that my PC had to be the one wearing the ring at all times, rather than giving it to a NPC party member.

When I play Lava's mods, I generally expect highly creative content with quality art, but quirky in a unique way that makes these mods distinct from most other modders.  This is true here as well- among the basilisks and demon knights and golems are also encounters with a soldier who has a deep relationship with a myconid, a gardener upset that someone is urinating on their garden, and an old man who thinks he can see interdimensional beetles.  Lava is willing to color outside the lines in these mods, and I respect the individuality of the creative work.  I recommend Shades as part of any BG1 EET run and it is a standard part of my installs.

Edited September 27 by Thom Merrilin

[jastey]

Thank you for your reviews. They are well-phrased without spoiling too much content.

And thank you for giving Grey so much love.

 

[Thom Merrilin]

I posted before about trying to maintain balance through a number of gameplay restrictions, and so had to clear the Nashkel mines with a party of mostly level 2 NPCs and a PC who was still level 1 and with 11 HP on entrance.  The PC is using the agent kit from Might and Guile, an interesting triple-class hodgepodge of fighter, mage, thief and bard, so I'm suppressing level gain on purpose, but it did make clearing the mine much more difficult and tactical than normal. 

BG1 Chapter 3/4, with the open access to Cloakwood and Wilderness areas from Tweaks Anthology turned on, is one of the best sections of the entire EET run- the party can go anywhere and do any quests with the exception of the city of BG and the Cloakwood Mines.  My goal for these chapters is to clear much of the southern portion of the world map, while focusing on the first two megamods encountered in this install, Black Hearts and Gorgon's Eye.

One of the smallest mods in my install is Aerie in BG:EE, which goes back to 2015 and was created by Coutelier.  Coutelier was also the original author of the BG2 Aerie mod, Wings, although left modding some time ago.  The current Aerie in BG mod has since been cleaned up and maintained by JohnBob and GraionDilach- to find this more recent file look under the Gate Project on github, which is a repository of older and abandoned mods that have been updated by the community.  Note that this file is in a RAR format and not the typical zip, so you will need an app that can extract files using that format.

Aerie is a non-playable character who can be found in the Nashkel Carnival area- you don't have to look for her as she will come find you.  She has been inserted into the vanilla Zordal encounter, and after that has been resolved,  she will stay in that tent and set up shop as a friendly merchant.  Aerie has a small amount of banter and a small quest, and will provide some backstory on her wings and life in the circus.

This mod is really a little easter egg more than anything else, but it has no connection to story continuity and has no crossmod content.  I had Quayle in my party when I met her but neither Quayle or Aerie recognized each other, and it is a disconnect when Aerie talked about Quayle and how he was doing in Baldurs Gate when he was literally standing right next to her.  

There are a huge amount of mods that push NPC characters forward, generally BG1 into BG2, but almost nothing that pushes NPCs back before their original introduction and into BG1.  The reverse engineering required to try and make everything compatible seems like a huge lift- the only playable NPC mod that has tried to do this that I know of is Corwin for EET, which Llewren writes about on the smoldering mod website with a strong negative review.  I agree with that assessment- I tried Corwin for EET once and found it buggy and a mess and have never installed it again.  On the other hand, the mod Love Conquers All, which puts Corwin forward into BG2, sounds promising and is part of my current install and playthrough.

Depending on your settings for lore and identification, Aerie in BG1 may provide a valuable function, as she will assist you in identifying any items you bring to her tent.  Otherwise, unless you are a big Aerie fan and keep your expectations low, this mod will probably not be part of my future installs.

[Thom Merrilin]

When Baldurs Gate was originally released, the game developers spread the available NPC across the chapters, with the result that eight NPC were locked until either chapter 4 or 5- Alora, Coran, Eldoth, Faldorn, Quayle, Skie, Tiax and Yeslick.  The unintentional result was that these NPC became far less likely to be added to the player's party, and when BG2 came out, none of these 8 survived to become playable BG2 NPCs.  Coran, Faldorn, Quayle and Tiax at least had cameo appearances, while the other four disappeared from the story.  

Tweaks Anthology allows you to move Alora, Eldoth, Quayle and Tiax to more convenient locations, and if you elect to open Cloakwood early in Tweaks, you can also grab Coran and Faldorn earlier if desired.  That means that only Skie remains as the sole original NPC who cannot be recruited until chapter 5, even with Tweaks, due to her role in the blackmail and kidnapping storyline with Eldoth.

The Vanishing of Skie Silvershield by Lava corrects that problem, allowing both Eldoth and Skie to be recruitable form the very beginning of Chapter One.  Llewren on smoldering mods has an extensive review of this mod, calling it a mod "with an exceptionally simple goal, and it achieves it marvelously".

The solution to getting Skie early is definitely creative and elegant.  It moves Eldoth outside of the Friendly Arm wall in Chapter One (as long as you do not move him in Tweaks Anthology), and through a fool proof mini-quest that involves no combat or thieving skills, allows you to teleport in and out of the Silvershield estate with Skie in tow.  I've mentioned that I have this mod in a couple of earlier posts, and the execution of the basic plot is flawless.

This is a mechanism mod, not a quest or NPC expansion mod.  There is some additional banter, and an encounter with Entar Silvershield in Chapter 5, and that's about it.  While Lava also wrote the Skie: Cost of One Girl's Soul mod for BG2, these two mods do not really connect.  So should you install and play this mod?

If you have strong interest in playing with Eldoth and/or Skie, then absolutely.  There is no more character definition here beyond the vanilla- Eldoth remains the unlikeable con man taking advantage of a young girl, while Skie remains the spoiled rich girl with Daddy issues.  I've never bought the trope that these daughters of the elite would have thief as their default class, whether it be Skie or Nalia, unless you think that a life of boredom= thieving.  To me, it makes more sense that these characters would be highly educated in lore, arts, music, fencing, etc., which is why I converted Skie to the acrobat kit from Song and Silence.

Eldoth is a one-note character, with the mod or without, but using the Charlatan kitpack from Raduziel, with its enhanced charm and a interesting new ability, Impersonation, at least makes him more unique to play.

Skie has the potential to be a really interesting character, but in EET it is like a puzzle where all of the pieces do not exactly connect.  I have played with her and without her in the Silvershield caravan scenes involving her brother Eddard- you are not going to get any introspective dialogue about what may have happened to her brother.  There is also a slight incompatibility bug between Romantic Encounters and Vanishing involving a letter from Eddard- look in the Romantic Encounters forum where jastey provides a quick solution if Skie will not accept the letter.

 

If someone could take the Skie elements of the Vanishing mod, connect the Silvershield caravan scenes from Unfinished Business and Romantic Encounters, mix in the expanded Soultaker dagger material from NTOSC, fold in the core SOD plot, and then move on to her Cost of One Girl's Soul return in BG2, that would be an awesome mod and story arc, especially if it chronicled her journey from a young woman being manipulated by a charlatan, to a woman going to war to prove herself, to a rebirth as a strong independent woman and party member- that would be a story I would absolutely look forward to playing!

The Vanishing of Skie Silvershield is probably a mod I will continue to have as part of my install, although not necessarily for the right reasons.  Getting into the Silvershield estate in Chapter One also affords you an opportunity to loot part of the manor at a time when you are starting out with little to no money, allowing you to buy some badly needed immediate weapon and armor upgrades, regardless of whether or not you plan to have Skie remain in your party.

[jastey]

9 hours ago, Thom Merrilin said:

There is also a slight incompatibility bug between Romantic Encounters and Vanishing involving a letter from Eddard- look in the Romantic Encounters forum where jastey provides a quick solution if Skie will not accept the letter.

The incompatibility was solved in bg1re v10.

[Thom Merrilin]

Still in Chapter 3/4, lots of maps to clear.  Reading Sergio's review for The Lure of the Sirene's Call, he gives it a "not install" rating,  citing it as an unneeded change to vanilla BG1.

In the vanilla area of the Lighthouse/Seawatcher, you have an abandoned lighthouse where there is a low level encounter with worgs attacking a boy, Safana gives you a quest to find pirate treasure (but is not needed for the quest), and you have an encounter with sirenes and their leader, Sil.  Unfortunately, the Sil encounter is not well designed- there is an associated quest given by Cordyr in Baldurs Gate to deal with the sirenes, but in most runs you will encounter the sirenes well before you get the quest.

The Lure of the Sirene's Call is an older mod, originally released in 2005 by Ghreyfain.  It has been updated as recently as 2022, and is currently maintained by jastey.  This is a very small mod that does one thing- adds a mysterious man to the previously abandoned lighthouse area.  The man has an issue with Sil and the sirenes, which allows the player to get the quest without waiting for chapter 5, and creates a player choice- side with the man, the sirenes, or neither.  Depending on choice, battle will ensue.  Given that the vanilla scenario was not well designed, I recommend the mod and it is always part of my default install. 

In addition, this is where the power of collaborative modding comes in- siding with Sil allows for dialogue and a backstory with her from Romantic Encounters, and the BG MIni Quest mod makes a slight change to the Cordyr dialogue in BG that accommodates these alternative events.  All of these mods are compatible with each other, and in aggregate it creates a superior experience to the original vanilla  version.  

Moving on to High Hedge, this is another large map with almost nothing in it except the impressive estate of Thalantyr, the mage.  In vanilla BG1, this location is the endpoint of the Melicamp the chicken quest, and after that is concluded, a place to buy good magical items, and that's it.   Who is Thalantyr, and why has this powerful mage secluded himself here?  What was the source power of those bracers that polymorphed Melicamp?  What happened to Melicamp after he was cured?

Once again, collaborative modding takes an originally underdeveloped area and turns  into a series of interesting plot points.  The Calling, released by CamDawg in 2018, was originally intended to be a much larger mod, providing class specific quests in the BG1 game for all PCs.  As of 2024, that has not been developed, but the first quest, originally designed for mages but now open to all classes, extends the plot line of Melicamp and the cursed bracers.

The mod itself is relatively modest- a fairly linear series of tasks to locate the bracers before they can create more damage.  No combat is involved, and the quest can be completed by even low level parties (although not until chapter 3).  By itself, like Lure of the Sirene, this enhances the original quest and is always part of my default install.  What makes this mod even more of a must add is that an even newer mod, Reflections of Destiny, takes the Calling plot and significantly builds on it.

The BG NPC1 project adds an interaction between Kivan and Thalantyr, while Romantic Encounters has extended content for both Thalantyr and Melicamp.  Shades of the Sword Coast allows the player to sneak into Thalantyr's private chambers and get a small quest, and if Golem Construction for Spellcasters is installed, there will be a plot point here for that mod as well.

If the intention in BG1 is to get through these middle chapters as quickly as possible, then none of these mods are essential, but if the goal is to create a richer, more immersive experience, then I strongly recommend installing these mods, especially in these originally underdeveloped areas.

[jastey]

3 hours ago, Thom Merrilin said:

The Lure of the Sirene's Call is an older mod, originally released in 2005 by Ghreyfain.  It has been updated as recently as 2022, and is currently maintained by jastey.

Unfortunately, I passed down maintenance due to RL reasons.

[Thom Merrilin]

In the Irenicus dungeon in the beginning of SOA, a djinni asks you a version of the classic Prisoners Dilemma.  There is also a classic BG Players Dilemma- it takes an incredibly long time to go through an entire EET run from Candlekeep to the Planar Throne of Bhaal in a heavily modded install.  If along the way you see mods that you want to add to your install, do you push the button to blow up your current game and endure the pain of a new install, or do you not push the button, spend hundreds of hours of game time to try and complete the current run with the hope of still having the energy and desire to do a new, fresh install and playthrough afterwards?

Since I was only 1/3 of the way through BG1, I decided to push the button.  In terms of BG1, I will add Ascalon's Questpack, Candlekeep Revisited ( a mod by the Artisan that until recently I didn't even know existed that is a fundamental re-do of the Prologue), and Dark Side of the Sword Coast.  I have been heavily biased against DSOTSC from playing years ago, but a lot of work has been done to update the mod, so I feel I should at least remain open-minded to trying it again.

I already had in my current install almost everything quest related that possibly could be added for SOD and SOA/TOB, so not much to add there other than a couple of additional Lava mods which were omitted from the original install since there were already 10 or so Lava created mods, but while I am doing it, might as well as add those as well.

I've also been historically resistant to adding a lot of new NPC mods, but hey, new install!, so will add those that seem to get the highest positive reviews- perhaps Sirene, Isra, Foundling, Will O Wisps, Skitia's NPCs, Braegar, Bristlelick, Dvardadime.

I don't use Project Infinity but prefer manual installs- this will push my install from 150 or so mods to 175, it will be interesting to see how long it will take to reinstall SCS across all of these incremental creature files.

[Guest Mulahey]

Just to say thanks for the extensive mod review thread. There are never enough mod reviews, and especially never enough detailed reviews of quest mods which for whatever reason seem to get less attention - even though I find it's rather easier to play multiple quest than NPC mods myself!