This batch of tweaks generally changes the look and feel of the game, without making general rule changes or altering the underlying mechanics of the engine.
Remove Helmet Animations
All games except PsT, PsTEE
Many don't like how any of the helmets look on the character avatars. Now they can't be seen at all - just like ioun stones. This component will affect all helmets in the game, including helmets introduced by mods.
Change Imoen's Avatar to Mage
BG2EE, EET, BG2, BGT
This component will change Imoen's avatar from a thief to a mage. A preview is available.
Change Nalia's Avatar to Thief
BG2EE, EET, BG2, BGT
This component will change Nalia's avatar from a mage to a thief. A preview is available.
Change Viconia's Skin Color to Dark Blue
BGEE, BG2EE, EET, BG, BG2, Tutu, BGT
A fan request, this component will change Viconia's in-game avatar to have dark blue skin to match her default portrait. A preview is available.
Avatar Morphing Script
BGEE, BG2EE, EET, BG2, Tutu, BGT, IWD-in-BG2
This script allows you to select whatever PC avatar you wish for your character or any joinable NPC. Assign this script to the character whose avatar you wish to change. To change the avatar return to the game screen, ensure the party AI in on (and the game is not paused) and press 'S'. This will take you to the avatar selection screen. Once the morph is complete re-assign a combat script to the character. Please note that this component can cause slowdowns on older systems.
Weapon Animation Tweaks
All games
By default, spears in BG2 use 33% overhead swings, 33% backhand swings and only 34% thrusting attacks. Wouldn't it make more sense to use the pointy end?
This component adjusts the attack animation balances of various weapons classes: spears, staves, short swords, and one-handed blunt instruments such as clubs and maces. Spears and short swords now primarily use thrusting attacks and staves are more consistent as a class and use more swinging attacks. A handful of clubs and maces were using thrust attacks; they now only use swinging attacks like all other one-handed blunt weapons. This component also changes morningstars to use a mace animation when attacking, instead of the flail-like ball-and-chain animation. Morningstars are depicted in inventory icons and description pictures as being closer to spiked maces. This component will affect all items in the game, including items introduced by mods.
Icewind Dale Casting Graphics [Andyr]
BGEE, BG2EE, EET, BG2, BGT, Tutu, IWD-in-BG2
Also available in the IWDification mod
When your character casts a spell, you get a pretty sequence of colors swirling around their hand depending on the school the spell cast came from. A necromantic spell, for example, looks quite different from creating an illusion. The Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale games use different sets of animations for the schools. This component allows you to use the Icewind Dale graphics on the Baldur's Gate series of games. Screenshots for comparison are available in the Tweaks gallery.
Baldur's Gate Casting Graphics [Andyr]
IWDEE, IWD, IWD2
This is the inverse of the previous component for the Icewind Dale series of games. Screenshots for comparison are available in the Tweaks gallery.
Restore SoA Load Screen Logo
BG2 (requires ToB)
This component will change the logo on the load screen from the ToB logo (the symbol of Bhaal) to the original Shadows of Amn logo (elves in opposition). This component will not work if you have biffed your override folder, a common practice for many large mods. Screenshots for comparison are available in the Tweaks gallery.
Restore IWD Loading Screens [icelus]
IWD (requires HoW)
This component will change the logo on the load screen from the HoW logo (a white dragon) to the original IWD logo (Kuldahar's tree). Screenshots for comparison are available in the Tweaks gallery.
Disable Portrait Icons Added by Equipped Items
All games
This component will prevent items from displaying the small icons (fire resistance, protection from charm) that appear on the character portrait and record screen while equipped. This will not affect the actual effects of the items, only the display of the icon. It will also not affect icons added by spells or other means.
Commoners Use Drab Colors
BGEE, BG2EE, EET, BG2, BGT, Tutu
Also available in the IWDification mod
Unlike Icewind Dale, commoners in the Baldur's Gate series wear brightly colored clothes. This tweak changes the random selections of colors for commoners to a drab palette. The dress of noblemen and noblewomen are not affected.
Icon Improvements
All games except IWD2, PsT, PsTEE
This component uses a combination of BG, IWD, and BG2 icons to better differentiate armor when it is on the ground. It also restores the inventory icon to the Case(s) of Plenty. Screenshots for comparison are available in the Tweaks gallery.
Force All Dialogue to Pause Game
All games
This component will change all dialogue to pausing. No longer will bandits attack in the middle of a conversation. This component will affect all dialogues in the game, including ones introduced by mods.
Fix Boo's Squeak
BGEE, BG2EE, EET, BG, BG2, BGT, Tutu
When you click on Boo in Minsc's inventory you're treated to a terrible, sped-up sound of someone saying 'squeak'. This component replaces this awful noise with an actual Boo squeak pared from one of Minsc's sound files.
Remove "+x" From Unique Item Names
BGEE, BG2EE, EET
The Enhanced Editions change the name of a number of items to match their given, unique name from their description, e.g. the "Bastard Sword +1,+3 vs. Shapeshifters" was changed to "Kondar +1". However, the +1 that was added to the names has always bothered me: "Kondar +1" implies, to me at least, the existence of "Kondar +2" or other Kondars. This component simply removes the "+x" from uniquely named items, turning "Kondar +1" into "Kondar". Note that this will not affect items with actual variations: "Carsomyr +5" will not be renamed because it can be upgraded to "Carsomyr +6".
Make Magic Shields Glow [plainab/grogerson]
All games except PsT, PsTEE
For those who don't like that magic shields either mimic the primary color of the wielder or are a dull wood brown, this little component changes the magic shields so their panels now glow with their protective enchantments.
Unique Icons [Lava]
BGEE, BG2EE, IWDEE, EET, BG, BG2, Tutu, BGT, IWD, IWD-in-BG2
Icewind Dale, and to a lesser extent Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II, has a frustrating habit of using the same icon for multiple items, making them difficult to tell apart from one another. Lava has created unique icons for about 200 items in Icewind Dale and about 140 in the Baldur's Gate series. For example, the dozen or so items that all used the icon for the Ring of Protection +1 in IWD now use unique icons. A full display of the icons changed is available in separate documentation.
There are two options, based on whether you want to replace icons for items which may have been given a unique icon from another mod. For example, if another mod has already given the Robe of Vecna a unique icon, you can choose to override it with the one from this component, or leave it as-is, depending on which option you select.
Unique Containers [Miloch]
BGEE, BG2EE, IWDEE, EET, BG2, BGT, Tutu, IWD, IWD-in-BG2
Originally a standalone mini-mod from Miloch, this mod has been incorporated into Tweaks. There are three options; all three incorporate minor fixes (some for default stores in Tutu, some for other store mods). You can choose to install just the fixes, fixes plus unique containers, or fixes plus unique containers and names. You can see example icons in the Tweaks gallery. From the original readme:
"This mini-mod assigns unique icons to all containers in the game. Containers include standard and mod-added bags of holding, gem bags, scroll cases, potion cases and ammo belts. The tweak allows you to identify containers at a glance by color and use them for a particular type of storage. Or it just makes your character's accessories color-coordinated. Optionally, you can assign unique names (based on the color) to the containers to differentiate them further.
"The mod will also fix various issues with stores and containers in both the unmodded (and Fixpacked) games, as well as with mods. Some of those mods include BP, CtB, NEJ2, RoT, SOS and UB. Most significantly, it fixes some issues with Lost Items v2, including containers with duplicate stores attached and other mod usability issues pointed out by Bursk and SixOfSpades. You don't need to have any of these mods installed to use the main feature though."
Note: While the mod has been expanded to cover IWD/IWDEE/IWD-in-BG2, it will use BG2-style container icons instead of IWD-style ones.
Use Character Colors Instead of Item Colors
All games except PsT, PsTEE
In the original Baldur's Gate, shields and helmets generally took on the major/minor colors of the character wearing them. In Baldur's Gate II, most shields and helmets instead set fixed colors so that the paperdoll and game screen would always match the item icons. You can see a comparison in the Tweaks gallery. This component allows you to use the BG behavior to allow helmets and shields to use character colors. The component allows you to select changing shield, helmets or both; and for choosing to alter all or just non-magical ones.
Remove Annoying Visual Effects from Equipped Items
This component comes with three options which will affect graphical animations which constantly play when items are equipped. None of these options will interfere with items that provide visual effects for creatures such as ghosts or from time-limited effects from spells or limited-use items.
- Remove blur effect will remove the blur effect from items such as the Cloak of Displacement and The Claw of Kazgaroth.
- Remove spell trap and reflection effects will remove the huge glowing white wiffle ball animation for the ToB Cloak of Mirroring as well as the glowing disc for physical mirror effects (e.g. Balduran's Shield, Shield of Reflection).
- Remove all of the above will cover both of the above options, disabling blur, spell trap, and reflection animations from equipped items.
The second option has been in Tweaks as a standalone component known previously as Invisible Cloak of Mirroring or Turn Off The Hideous Cloak-of-Mirroring, Spell-Trap, and Physical Mirror Animations before being rolled into this.
Separate Resist Fire/Cold Icon into Separate Icons [Angel]
All games except PsT, PsTEE
This component will replace any instance of spells or items that use the Resist Fire/Cold portrait icon with separate Protection from Cold and/or Protection from Fire icons, as appropriate.
Enhanced Overlays for Colorblind Players [Fouinto]
All Enhanced Edition games
This component alters the color overlays for items to allow colorblind players to better distinguish the icons. The red overlay, now supplemented with an X, denotes unusable items for the character. A blue overlay, supplemented with ?, denotes an item that needs identification. A green overlay, exclusive to scrolls and supplemented with an O, denotes that the character can learn the spell on the scroll. You can see a preview in the Tweaks Anthology gallery.
Due to the differences in how the engines build these overlays, this component is only available for the Enhanced Editions of the game.