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Baldur's Gate Beamdog's Baldur's Gate 1 & 2 Enhanced Editions

Jason Liang

Arcane
Joined
Oct 26, 2014
Messages
8,336
Location
Crait
When I tried EE a few months ago, I couldn't get Ascension to install correctly, either via BWT or via self weidu. FWIW. But other than that and some other mod compatability issues, I am also in the pro EE camp.
 
Self-Ejected

Lilura

RPG Codex Dragon Lady
Joined
Feb 13, 2013
Messages
5,274
Why are you concerned about coherency in BG2? Anyway, unless your idea of a castle is a rundown fort, they go for a lot more than that.
 
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Lilura

RPG Codex Dragon Lady
Joined
Feb 13, 2013
Messages
5,274
[BG2] a fairly small world.

I don't see how its world is small.

shadows%2Bof%2Bamn%2Bworld%2Bmap.jpg

Of course, that doesn't show underground and hundreds of sub-ARs.
 

Lhynn

Arcane
Joined
Aug 28, 2013
Messages
9,823
Why are you concerned about coherency in BG2?
Because BG2 is mostly a coherent game, currency has a set value, its the reason resting at the tavern doesnt cost 5000 gold and you dont need to buy camping supplies for 4000 gold. Its the reason why even minor characters have even the simplest motivation. Why you get the quests you do. The world is internally consistent and coherent, and the game goes great lengths to keep it that way, even in the face of creating exploitable situations.
Its the reason why irenicus isnt just some dude, why bodhi isnt just some bodyguard, why saemon does what he does, why the two guilds are at war, why the iron crisis was a thing in BG1, why your weapons broke, why sarevok did what he did. It does a lot to keep that magic intact, its the very reason people love fallout or pst and its a common trait that the best rpgs share.
 
Self-Ejected

Lilura

RPG Codex Dragon Lady
Joined
Feb 13, 2013
Messages
5,274
Those are just game-play tweaks that seek to delay one's power and plot progression.

I don't see anything wrong with employing them in campaigns where the economy breaks as early as Chapter One.

By the way, my setup is such that you can't break the economy that early: the effects of the Potion of Thievery don't stack, and their bonuses scale down with lvl (i.e, in Chapter One Yoshimo's bonus is just 8% and that's it). In addition, theft in LoS triggers spawns of beef-up Amnish soldiers, who can't be beaten at that stage.
 
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Lhynn

Arcane
Joined
Aug 28, 2013
Messages
9,823
Uh, sounds more like making the game longer without making it more challenging, and also making the thieves extra useless, because knock and detect traps already does their class job better than they ever will.
Anyway, i have hundreds of potions of thievery and invisibility and healing that come from stratagems giving it to the npcs for them to have half a chance, i dont use them, dont even need to sell them when i can just steal all the inventory of a rich merchant and fence it at great price, then steal that from the fence and sell it again (or sell it to a different fence if you want to do it "legit"), money isnt an issue at mid/high level in AD&D, it shouldnt be, its part of the experience.
 
Self-Ejected

Lilura

RPG Codex Dragon Lady
Joined
Feb 13, 2013
Messages
5,274
Uh, sounds more like making the game longer without making it more challenging, and also making the thieves extra useless, because knock and detect traps already does their class job better than they ever will.

Knock is better than Open Lock but Detect Traps is no substitute because it doesn't remove them. Plus, round by round Detect Illusion that can't be dispelled is pretty powerful (Cloak of Non-Detection). Not to mention snares. Hardly useless in an SCS setup such as mine?

Anyway, i have hundreds of potions of thievery and invisibility and healing that come from stratagems giving it to the npcs for them to have half a chance, i dont use them, dont even need to sell them when i can just steal all the inventory of a rich merchant and fence it at great price, then steal that from the fence and sell it again (or sell it to a different fence if you want to do it "legit"), money isnt an issue at mid/high level in AD&D, it shouldnt be, its part of the experience.

That's the exploit I'm talking about. And you only have all those potions because you set them up to drop. No biggie, but that's the reason.
 

Lhynn

Arcane
Joined
Aug 28, 2013
Messages
9,823
Of course every enemy should drop what they are holding, why thats what DnD is all about, murdering people for their stuff! I honestly feel that every game that doesnt let me take the enemys stuff is deeply flawed.

As for using rogues for that? meh, never used it, may make life a bit easier on some fights, but not easier than having literally any of the good classes instead of it would. I carry a rogue around mostly for the exp. Installed the Fade Mod, gave her a portrait that makes her look more like a bard and she fits into the role nicely enough (not the bard role, the money generation machine stuff).
 
Self-Ejected

Lilura

RPG Codex Dragon Lady
Joined
Feb 13, 2013
Messages
5,274
Of course every enemy should drop what they are holding, why thats what DnD is all about, murdering people for their stuff! I honestly feel that every game that doesnt let me take the enemys stuff is deeply flawed.

Like I said, no biggie. It's just preference. I have them set to drop, too. But in my setup consumables are actually useful.

As for using rogues for that? meh, never used it, may make life a bit easier on some fights, but not easier than having literally any of the good classes instead of it would. I carry a rogue around mostly for the exp. Installed the Fade Mod, gave her a portrait that makes her look more like a bard and she fits into the role nicely enough (not the bard role, the money generation machine stuff).

DI is useful in prolonged arcane battles thrown at you by my setup. And Rogue Rebalancing makes rogues much more interesting and diverse.
 

Nuclear Explosion

Guest
I got Ascension to work using this guide, although I got a bug from using slayer form that I had to use console commands to fix.
 

ga♥

Arcane
Vatnik
Joined
Feb 3, 2017
Messages
7,587
Guys I am sorry if this has already been asked but 192 pages are a lot...

Is there a Mod that cuts all the added content? I am having some hard time with trying to make BG1/BG2 work on my crappy laptop so I am considering getting the EE versions but I really don't want ANY OF NEW THE CONTENT. Just the old game.
 
Joined
Feb 11, 2007
Messages
2,951
So I saw that BG games were on sale on GOG and thought, didn't play these in a long long time, why not have some good old degenerate fun. I haven't really been paying much attention to the differences between old games and EE version so far (or none at all really). I've installed BG1 and mods I've been interested in (Tweaks, SCS, UB, BG1NPC), started the game and promptly got a segfault. But I'm pretty sure I know what went wrong and can fix it.

My question concerns the extra EE stuff and the mod mentioned above that disables it. Is any of the new content worth being left in and doesn't feel like it's badly out of place (NPCs in particular)? Or should I just disable it all?
 

ArchAngel

Arcane
Joined
Mar 16, 2015
Messages
19,882
So I saw that BG games were on sale on GOG and thought, didn't play these in a long long time, why not have some good old degenerate fun. I haven't really been paying much attention to the differences between old games and EE version so far (or none at all really). I've installed BG1 and mods I've been interested in (Tweaks, SCS, UB, BG1NPC), started the game and promptly got a segfault. But I'm pretty sure I know what went wrong and can fix it.

My question concerns the extra EE stuff and the mod mentioned above that disables it. Is any of the new content worth being left in and doesn't feel like it's badly out of place (NPCs in particular)? Or should I just disable it all?
You can play without disabling it and then disable it afterwards if you want. Just don't do new NPCs quests, those are bad.
 
Joined
Feb 11, 2007
Messages
2,951
Thanks, if nothing of value will be lost I'll just disable new NPCs from the start and have their items in shops. Is there anything else that is added or are those NPCs and their quests it?

I really hope that if these guys actually get around to making a new D&D game they get some better writers on it. FFS, it's not like Baldur's Gate writing quality is some unreasonably high standard to measure against.
 

Sprout

Educated
Joined
Apr 5, 2013
Messages
67
I really hope that if these guys actually get around to making a new D&D game they get some better writers on it. FFS, it's not like Baldur's Gate writing quality is some unreasonably high standard to measure against.
David Gaider will be the new lead writer, so take that as you will. He worked on BG2, ToB, Kotor, DAO ,DAII, Inquisition, so I personally wouldn't consider him a bad writer per se, he wrote quite a lot of stuff I liked. But he has acquired a bad rep recently, mostly to do with silly romances and pandering Bioware style.
 

MediantSamuel

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Jan 14, 2016
Messages
628
Location
Institute of Tchort
Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Make the Codex Great Again! A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire
David Gaider will be the new lead writer, so take that as you will. He worked on BG2, ToB, Kotor, DAO ,DAII, Inquisition, so I personally wouldn't consider him a bad writer per se, he wrote quite a lot of stuff I liked. But he has acquired a bad rep recently, mostly to do with silly romances and pandering Bioware style.

Just out of interest, how many of those games would you consider well written? :M
 
Joined
Feb 11, 2007
Messages
2,951
That's not really encouraging. Stuff he worked on ranges from acceptable at best to bloody awful, and got worse with time. And those romances are a fucking cancer.
 

Sprout

Educated
Joined
Apr 5, 2013
Messages
67
David Gaider will be the new lead writer, so take that as you will. He worked on BG2, ToB, Kotor, DAO ,DAII, Inquisition, so I personally wouldn't consider him a bad writer per se, he wrote quite a lot of stuff I liked. But he has acquired a bad rep recently, mostly to do with silly romances and pandering Bioware style.

Just out of interest, how many of those games would you consider well written? :M
None of them, it's video game writing buddy, so I make allowances for that. Doesn't mean I didn't enjoy them, writing and all. Well, maybe not DAII and inquisition, but that had to do with more than the writing.

That's not really encouraging. Stuff he worked on ranges from acceptable at best to bloody awful, and got worse with time. And those romances are a fucking cancer.
And you'll get to enjoy this until enough people actually figure out how game writing works or the sun goes out. I'll bet on the latter, if you don't mind.
 
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ArchAngel

Arcane
Joined
Mar 16, 2015
Messages
19,882
Thanks, if nothing of value will be lost I'll just disable new NPCs from the start and have their items in shops. Is there anything else that is added or are those NPCs and their quests it?

I really hope that if these guys actually get around to making a new D&D game they get some better writers on it. FFS, it's not like Baldur's Gate writing quality is some unreasonably high standard to measure against.
One of the new NPCs (Drow Sorcerer) is actually fun and he does not have a sidequest.
 

Incantatar

Cipher
Joined
Jan 9, 2012
Messages
453
I would strongly recommend disabling EE NPCs and items, if you haven't played the game before at least! They both suck mostly and they are pretty in your face, like loot on Gorion, scripted cut-scenes, etc.
I thought I found a mod that removed the items too, but can't find it atm.
 

ArchAngel

Arcane
Joined
Mar 16, 2015
Messages
19,882
I don't remember any items being a problem. You are being autistic now.
Why don't you turn off additional subclasses as well.
 

Krivol

Magister
Joined
Apr 21, 2012
Messages
1,951
Location
Potatoland aka Prussia
Well, few items are useful - like gem bag, scroll tube and nice belt (which makes Kagain best warrior/tank in the game). But struggling through Raseed quest to get the last one - not worth it.
 

ga♥

Arcane
Vatnik
Joined
Feb 3, 2017
Messages
7,587
Guys I am sorry if this has already been asked but 192 pages are a lot...

Is there a Mod that cuts all the added content? I am having some hard time with trying to make BG1/BG2 work on my crappy laptop so I am considering getting the EE versions but I really don't want ANY OF NEW THE CONTENT. Just the old game.
http://www.shsforums.net/topic/58322-mod-disable-enhanced-edition-npcs/

Thanks but it just disables NPCs, am I right? Anything for all the new content (like new areas)?
 

ArchAngel

Arcane
Joined
Mar 16, 2015
Messages
19,882
Guys I am sorry if this has already been asked but 192 pages are a lot...

Is there a Mod that cuts all the added content? I am having some hard time with trying to make BG1/BG2 work on my crappy laptop so I am considering getting the EE versions but I really don't want ANY OF NEW THE CONTENT. Just the old game.
http://www.shsforums.net/topic/58322-mod-disable-enhanced-edition-npcs/

Thanks but it just disables NPCs, am I right? Anything for all the new content (like new areas)?
New areas only come with new NPCs. You cannot just find them.
 

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