Good Mods for BG2?

[sheek]

So far I've got Baldurdash (created by Gaider) and BGTutu to play through from the beginning. I looked for some mods and most of what I found was NPC mods and I don't know if they're any good.

Also the story/setting kinda sucks - any TCs based on this engine?

 

[Lonely Vazdru]

I only know of two.

The first is Epic Endeavors. It's a series of tactical battles. Pretty much like Fallout Tactics compared to Fallout. Almost no roleplay. It's described as a partial conversion, but it fits in the Total Conversion category, since no part of the original game remains, except the engine and some maps layouts. There are other mods you might want to check on the site. Here's the link :

http://www.spellholdstudios.net/mods/ee/


Next there is GLory of Ishtar, a new campaign thats shifts the setting to the Dragonlance universe. All is new, every map was drawn by the team (i'm talking new drawings for houses, trees, etc...). New skills added, cleverly implemented using the dialogue interface. Really an impressive job, very good work, but unfortunately it seems stuck forever in demo phase. Still the demo is impressive so you might want to give it a try :

http://www.dragonlancetc.com/?page=download

And I add a link to Never Ending Journey, it is not a total conversion but what it does is add a very difficult version of Icewind Dale, that you reach and have to complete before exiting Irenicus' starter dungeon. Be aware that the fights are a nightmare so it's almost impossible to win without constant reloads or decreasing the difficulty settings (and even then...). I think the new version requires Baldur's Gate Trilogy installed (BGT WeiDU is way better than TuTu to play thru both games at once btw, you'll find info and downloads on the Spellhold site in the first link). If you're a sucker for punishment it's definitely worth a try :

http://forums.blackwyrmlair.net/index.php?showforum=79

As far as Total Conversion go, that's all I know. Hope you can find something to your liking.

 

[aweigh]

Could you post a step-by-step on how to use BG Trilogy?

 

[jefklak]

I recently wrote an article about infinity engine mods Including download links etc

here you go

 

[Human Shield]

What is the difference between "Baldur's Gate Trilogy" and "BG1Tutu". How solid is the conversion?

How does this mod

Sword Coast Stratagems

Work with the tactics mod? What is the best way to improve AI through the whole series?

 

[Jasede]

I heard good things about the Solaufein NPC mod. You can romance him regardless of gender. [Which is realistic, elvenkin are mostly bisexual in the FR]

 

[aweigh]

Yes. Realistic.

 

[Jasede]

Well.... tell me a better word I should have used in this context.

Wait, here:

Which is adhering to the world laid out in the FR rulebooks and described by Gary Gygax and co; elvenkin are mostly bisexual in the FR

 

[Lonely Vazdru]

Could you post a step-by-step on how to use BG Trilogy?

Unfortunately no. I used a step by step guide myself, from a french site, and I would have translated it, but the site has been down for some weeks now.
Still, here's a link to the info on BGT WeiDU, including installation info, that seems to be pretty complete :

http://mirror.spellholdstudios.net/bgt- ... Readme.htm

What is the difference between "Baldur's Gate Trilogy" and "BG1Tutu". How solid is the conversion?

There are many differences, the main being that you can go straight through both games. Afaik, BG1 Tutu lets you play BG1 with BG2 engine, but then, when BG1 is over, you need a regular BG2 install to play BG2. Here you can play both on one install. As for the conversion, I'm currently playing BGT for the first time and I'm not too far into the game, but it seems solid enough.

How does this mod

Sword Coast Stratagems


Work with the tactics mod? What is the best way to improve AI through the whole series?

I don't know if Tactics is compatible with BGT, but Sword coast stratagems is. It's a difficulty improving mod, for BG1, just like Tactis is for BG2. Even the old geezers on the french site hadn't tried it yet, so I can't tell you how good or bad it is. I'm playing it myself, but not being far into the game, I didn't notice a lot of difference yet (a couple of enemies were tougher, using potions and such, casting less stupid spells). I don't know if there is a mod to really improve the AI, mods like Tactics and SCS do, but in a very limited way. They mostly improve the enemies equipment, characteristics, resistances and saving throws, turning them into Uber-enemies. That's what Tactics does anyway, SCS is supposed to be a bit more subtle, so I'll see.

I heard good things about the Solaufein NPC mod.

So did I. But be aware that it adds an "impossible" fight, à la Tactics, which many a player found slightly annoying. :evil:

 

[TalesfromtheCrypt]

Try out the incest mod for Imoean...

 

[aweigh]

She's only your half-sister, you know...

 

[Jasede]

Oh, I can also personally recommend the Rakshasa, Lizardmen and Kobold romance NPC mods.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

She's only your half-sister, you know...

That's something I never got from people complaining about that mod, that it was incest. Imoen was as much of a sister to the PC as any other female Bhaalspawn. Same father, different mothers, but they're not blood related. I suspect divine parentage works differently in the FR.

 

[no]

BG2 Quest pack also has some very subtle AI improvements, and it's a must-have mod for BG2 in any case, since it adds some very well written extra content, quests with multiple solutions and even more choices for existing quests in BG2.

I'm not a big fan of Tactics-style mods, because they try to fix the common design flaw of the player character being overpowered by making your enemies cheesy and overpowered. Some of the improved battles can be real fun, but most of them also make you rely on reload knowledge and can be overall very frustrating if you're not powerplaying. Experience fixer is much more subtle way of making BG more interesting. Basically, it allows you to set a procentual value that will decrease the amount of XP points you get (the XP rewards in BG were generally insanely high). My preference is around 50% for all except for learning scrolls, which I set to 0%(removing the stupid metagame XP wankery of learning lots of useless spells). This makes me finish BG1 around lvl 4-6 and ToB at around 20 (this also balances the insanely powerful high level abilities nicely, since you'll be only getting a couple of them). Great stuff, but it might not be your thing if you enjoy powergaming.

I haven't had time to try SCS yet, but it looks very promising. I think the author is also working a BG2 version, so you might want to wait for that.

Concerning the NPC mods, I'm personally not a big fan of them. Kelsey is perhaps the only one that didn't feel like a personality-forced-up-your-ass. Solaufein & Valen are ok, but they're also both insanely overpowered gamewise. Saerileth? Well, see for yourself.

As for fixpacks, Baldurdash is a must(actually, there's a new fixpack that is supposed to replace Baldurdash, but I haven't tried it). Also, get all the fixes on this page.

 

[jefklak]

Kelsey > all other NPCs
Saerileth's voice acting gets irritating after 4 minutes, and her quest is laughably bad

 

[no]

The whole concept of Saerileth is laughably bad, along with her all-too-obvious target audience. I mean, come on:

Saerileth is a 15-year-old human paladin of Tyr. She hails from Mount Celestia in the Outer Planes. She is young, romanceable (for good-aligned humans, elves, and half-elves), and beautiful. She is complete through ToB, and she has quests and a flirt/chatpack. She brings with her three new areas for SoA, two SoA quests, and a ToB quest. Saerileth is a young woman of deep religious conviction and certainty. She has extensive voicing, banters, and interjections. And Saerileth will love you like no other. We hope you will play her mod repeatedly.

:D

- edit -
Oh and jefklak, you forgot to mention Ascension in your website(nice site, by the way).

 

[Cthulhugoat]

Hmm, what about Solafein/Valen? Any good?

 

[Admiral Rimjob POOBUM]

I used the Xan mod because of the hideous lack of spellcaster NPCs both in the original game and mods. His dialogues were annoying and his personality ridiculously over-the-top, but that just helps him fit in with LOL HAMSTAR Minsc and I R RIGHTUES AN SHIT Anomen.

And Saerileth will love you like no other.

Is it me, or is this person desperately sad?

 

[Human Shield]

Are NPCs effected if you import your character from BG1 to BG2, I've never done it before, do you keep inventory? Does the Trilogy mod do it differently then importing, or just save time (any real benefits?)? Does Tutu import correctly with the added kits it has?

Would it be more compatible to use Tutu and then import then mess with mixing BG1 and BG2 mods under Trilogy?

Mods I'm thinking of:

BG1:
EasyTutu (unless Trilogy can be as combatible?)
Sword Coast Stratagems (will this be alright with lower XP? Any way to get AI with buffs?)
BG1 NPC Project, any good?

BG2:

Quest Pack
Experience Fixer
BG2 Fixpack
This is supposed to include:
Baldurdash
Ding0Tweak
G3 Tweaks
Oversight
Ease of Use (what did this do?)
aVENGER's Rogue Rebalancing (what did this do?)

Is Bigg Tweak Pack recommended? It fixes imprisonment and petrification but it looks like it can mess up other areas. Is it already on the G3 Tweaks?

Unfinished Business, is this any good or recommended? BG1 Version, any good? Which parts should be used in these?

 

[Admiral Rimjob POOBUM]

Unfinished Business was decent.

 

[no]

Haven't tried BGT, so can't comment on that.

Are NPCs effected if you import your character from BG1 to BG2

No.

do you keep inventory?

No, except for the pantaloons needed for the stupid Bioware easter egg in ToB.

Does Tutu import correctly with the added kits it has?

I'm quite sure it does.

Sword Coast Stratagems (will this be alright with lower XP? Any way to get AI with buffs?)

I haven't tried SCS but I suppose it should be balanced.

BG1 NPC Project, any good?

Haven't tried this one either. More dialogue doesn't hurt, I guess, but can't comment on whether it's any good.

G3 Tweaks, Oversight, Ease of Use, etc.

Note, that you can choose which components to install, so never use the "install [a]ll components" option. Some of the tweaks are nearly cosmetic changes but some streamline the game system quite a lot, so read the documentation and pick the ones that appeal.
If you're going to install Ascension(recommended), install the "Tougher Sendai" component from Oversight to make her more in line with the other baddies. I think the "Aligment correction" component is mandatory if you're going to use Virtue, a supposedly good RPG elements enchancing mod(which I'm yet to try). I'm personally not very keen on the new high level abilites. Shoryuken!

aVENGER's Rogue Rebalancing (what did this do?)

I've only heard of this. I think it's quite an old mod, so there's a risk it might conflict with the newer ones.

Is Bigg Tweak Pack recommended? It fixes imprisonment and petrification but it looks like it can mess up other areas. Is it already on the G3 Tweaks?

No idea. You shouldn't have to worry about the imprisonment/petrification bug, unless you're planning to slog through the romances (and you shouldn't, if you're a healthy person with a balanced emotional life ).

Unfinished Business, is this any good or recommended? BG1 Version, any good?

I think the BG1 version is not compatible with TuTu, so skip it. Haven't tried the BG2 version yet, but it's supposed to be good.

Major conflicts between mods can really break your game, so be careful with the order you install them. You should be able to find a good guide for that at the pocketplane.net forums.

- edit -
http://forums.pocketplane.net/index.php/topic,17556.0.html

 

[aweigh]

Are there any mods that eliminate town fog-of-war in BG2? I detest fog-of-war in non-dungeon areas, and thankfully a mod like this was made for PS:T. Must-have IMO.

 

[no]

Town fog of war was disabled in BG2 by default. For BG1, it's tweakable.

 

[Human Shield]

Is BG1 + Sword Coast supposed to be patched before Tutu? Which is the lastest patch?

 

[Cthulhugoat]

Is BG1 + Sword Coast supposed to be patched before Tutu? Which is the lastest patch?

That depends of the version. If you have the original version (lots of CDs) plus the separate version of Tales of the Sword coast, you'll have to patch it. If you have the three-CD version, no need to apply it because it's already patched.

http://www.bioware.com/games/baldurs_gate/support/patches/

then

http://www.bioware.com/games/tales_sword_coast/support/patches/