How to enjoy Baldurs Gate: Enhanced Edition without the extra content?

[Tavernking]

I played the original BG1 several years ago, but stopped after about 10 hours in.

I'm really enjoying the Enhanced Edition because of: Mac support, health bars, screen resolution compatability, zoom in-out feature, bug fixes, etc.

What I don't like is Beamdog adding new areas/story/character content. Adding quality of life features is great, but altering the world/story is a big no no, I can't stress enough how much I don't like this. So how should I avoid such content? Please no mods, I've already started my playthrough and don't want to restart

Tl;dr: Tell me what areas/stories/characters EE adds, so I can avoid them

 

[Antigoon]

Wild Mage, Blackguard and the Monk are the new companions. Besides their quests, I don't think they have added more content.

 

[Gargaune]

Wild Mage, Blackguard and the Monk are the new companions.

Neera, Dorn and Rasaad, respectively, and there's also the sorcerer Baeloth. You can see them listed separately on the BG Wiki (scroll down), including their starting areas, so if you don't want to play Beamdog's added content you can just ignore them when they pop up.

 

[Tavernking]

EE doesn't add any dungeons or quests?

 

[Krivol]

Only NPC related.

There are mods to remove EE content, but no idea if it works on Mac.

 

[Tavernking]

I've decided to use the EE NPCs as cannon fodder.
The way I've decided to play: I can only have 5 'essential' companions that I'll reload saves for in the case of their death. The canon party Imoen, Khalid, Jaheria, Minsc, Dynaheir. When the other companions die I don't reload saves. So far I've lost Kagain and Xzar

 

[rusty_shackleford]

https://github.com/Argent77/A7-NoEENPCs

In terms of new companions in the EEs only(excluding SoD), I found Dorn and Hexxat to be unbearable. Rest were mostly fine.

 

[kangaxx]

I don't think you can avoid Neera, and you're highly likely to run into the other idiots they added just by playing the game.

Just kill them off as soon as you meet them.

 

[Gargaune]

I don't think you can avoid Neera, and you're highly likely to run into the other idiots they added just by playing the game.

Just kill them off as soon as you meet them.

You don't have to take any of them with you even if they force-greet you, there's no point going to the trouble of modding them out. Even Neera, when she starts bleating at you, you can just tell her to fuck off. Though I prefer to take her Gem Bag and then tell her to fuck off.

 

[kangaxx]

Of course you don't have to take any of them, but I thought the OP was talking about avoiding them altogether.

 

[NecroLord]

What's the matter? Can't stand the sight of a strong Nord woman?

 

[rusty_shackleford]

bg2ee adds a bear companion that I assume 99% of people miss because it's rather easy to do so and nobody ever discusses him
he's just a bear, he doesn't have much dialogue at all, high fighter stats
https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Wilson

 

[normie]

bg2ee adds a bear companion that I assume 99% of people miss because it's rather easy to do so and nobody ever discusses him
he's just a bear, he doesn't have much dialogue at all, high fighter stats
https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Wilson

omg, it's the bear!!

 

[Shaki]

bg2ee adds a bear companion that I assume 99% of people miss because it's rather easy to do so and nobody ever discusses him
he's just a bear, he doesn't have much dialogue at all, high fighter stats
https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Wilson

omg, it's the bear!!

Who would've thought, the biggest mistake Beamdog made was half-assing the bear companion. If only he had romance like the other EE chars, Beamdog would be Codex's favourite company now.

 

[Jarpie]

There's also mod which puts back the original cutscenes and videos into EE.

 

[skaraher]

bg2ee adds a bear companion that I assume 99% of people miss because it's rather easy to do so and nobody ever discusses him
he's just a bear, he doesn't have much dialogue at all, high fighter stats
https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Wilson

A bear there was a bear, a bear, all black and brown and covered in hair

 

[Melcar]

There is a mod to disable the new NPCs and another one that restores the cinematics and cut-scenes.

 

[Vyadhis]

Like what everyone else is saying: mod to remove the npcs and the extra shit beamdog added. You can customize the mod so the npc's never appear but their special items appear in the shops. There's also a mod to bring back the old stone UI along with some of the paperdolls. The recreation is not 1:1 but its much nicer looking than how stuff looks out of the box.

Since you said you like "quality of life" changes I'd look into cdtweaks as well. It can potentionally change the location of npcs that don't appear til the game's second half and makes Viconia/Shar-teel appear on far easier maps. You can also change ammo stack sizes among other stuff. I personally don't care for mods like this but won't begrudge you for using them. Everyone has fun in different ways.