Best way to play Baldur's Gate

[Joseph Stalin]

I like the EE for the most part, but it uses the inferior character sprites from BGII. It would be damn near perfect if not for that.

Spoiler

Mentioning balance in a Dungeons & Dragons game... someone here has nostalgia goggles thicker than a jar.

 

[Twizman]

BGTutu + BG1 Npc Project + SCS. These three are essential for me, huge improvement from the base game!
Have a look at Tweaks also to see if that interests you.
Use this for install order: https://www.gibberlings3.net/forums/topic/8122-tutu-mod-compatibility-and-order-of-install/

 

[Joseph Stalin]

BGTutu + BG1 Npc Project + SCS. These three are essential for me.
Have a look at Tweaks also to see if that interests you.
Use this for install order: https://www.gibberlings3.net/forums/topic/8122-tutu-mod-compatibility-and-order-of-install/

Dude, he's asking for the best way of a first playthrough, and here you "true vanilla/not EE shit" people throw a bag of mods at him. This is the exact opposite of what a newbie needs.

 

[Twizman]

This is what I recommend for first time playthrough from my experience. It's not hard to setup with those three mods, maybe takes 30 minutes.

 

[Joseph Stalin]

This is what I recommend for first time playthrough from my experience. It's not hard to setup with those three mods, maybe takes 30 minutes.

You're talking from the position of someone who had done this many times over. If the lad has no idea about modding, and just wants to play the game, EE is the way to go. It literally only adds a few companions, whom you can safely ignore, just like any other companion. The rest is basically the same.

 

[Twizman]

SCS is a massive boost to the games encounters by itself.

 

[Lilura]

BGTutu + BG1 Npc Project + SCS. These three are essential for me, huge improvement from the base game!

Wrong for people on maiden runs. Completely changes the nature of the game. Besides, my guide is better.

 

[hoothoot]

Play kotc

 

[DraQ]

BGTutu + BG1 Npc Project + SCS. These three are essential for me, huge improvement from the base game!

Wrong for people on maiden runs. Completely changes the nature of the game. Besides, my guide is better.

Q: What can change the nature of a man game?
A: Modders. Gonna mod.

 

[Lilura]

Play kotc

Why? ToEE is much better. Even a recent Codex poll backs that up (which surprised me!)

 

[Joseph Stalin]

SCS is a massive boost to the games encounters by itself.

You don't need those on a first playthrough, especially if you're not familiar with the system and don't know how to cheese.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

I guarantee everyone here bashing the EE actually played it and are doing so for cool kid points

 

[CaffeineConquistador]

^Yeah, I’ve played both original and EE. Just mod out the extra crap Beamdog put in there, ignore their own campaigns and what’s the effective difference? The EE already include the mods required to make the originals work properly on modern PCs, sans the trouble. I do miss the old UI, though.

 

[octavius]

BGTutu + BG1 Npc Project + SCS. These three are essential for me.
Have a look at Tweaks also to see if that interests you.
Use this for install order: https://www.gibberlings3.net/forums/topic/8122-tutu-mod-compatibility-and-order-of-install/

Dude, he's asking for the best way of a first playthrough, and here you "true vanilla/not EE shit" people throw a bag of mods at him. This is the exact opposite of what a newbie needs.

If he's a newbie to Baldur's Gate, but otherwise an experienced gamer, a minimum SCS install (better AI, but not buffing) may be a good idea. I know I found BG1 too easy the first time I played it.
The NPC Project changes characters too much and should be avoide on a first playthrough, though.

 

[Joseph Stalin]

^Yeah, I’ve played both original and EE. Just mod out the extra crap Beamdog put in there, ignore their own campaigns and what’s the effective difference? The EE already include the mods required to make the originals work properly on modern PCs, sans the trouble. I do miss the old UI, though.

You can mod the old UI in.

 

[Joseph Stalin]

BGTutu + BG1 Npc Project + SCS. These three are essential for me.
Have a look at Tweaks also to see if that interests you.
Use this for install order: https://www.gibberlings3.net/forums/topic/8122-tutu-mod-compatibility-and-order-of-install/

Dude, he's asking for the best way of a first playthrough, and here you "true vanilla/not EE shit" people throw a bag of mods at him. This is the exact opposite of what a newbie needs.

If he's a newbie to Baldur's Gate, but otherwise an experienced gamer, a minimum SCS install (better AI, but not buffing) may be a good idea. I know I found BG1 too easy the first time I played it.
The NPC Project changes characters too much and should be avoide on a first playthrough, though.

Most of those are barely characters, so changing them, or rather adding to them, never seemed a problem. Especially since their role in the series has ended, with the exception of Coran, whom we will almost certainly meet in the third game.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

I advise against the NPC project on a first time playthrough. Can't quite remember why, but I definitely regretted using it last time I played through.

 

[Tigranes]

^Yeah, I’ve played both original and EE. Just mod out the extra crap Beamdog put in there, ignore their own campaigns and what’s the effective difference? The EE already include the mods required to make the originals work properly on modern PCs, sans the trouble. I do miss the old UI, though.

You can mod the old UI in.

"Oh god, installing mods on the original? That probably takes years and years I don't have time for that shit, just install EE, and then mod out the stupid Beamdog crap, and mod in the original UI, and you're good to go!"

BG1 unmodded, with probably just Widescreen Mod, is easy, stable, fun, and just fine for a first-timer.

Imagine if the EE wasn't a paid product called EE, but some dude's overhaul mod. "Yeah there's a few cool QoL improvements and stuff, but it's also done by this dumbass modder with no taste who put in cringe ass NPCs and fugly UI and some other dumb shit." You might still think it's better, but it's not exactly a Must Install for Any New Player.

 

[d1r]

I advise against the NPC project on a first time playthrough. Can't quite remember why, but I definitely regretted using it last time I played through.

Imoen becomes even more annoying, but that's about it. BG1NPC project is a great addition to the base game.

 

[Lilura]

If he's a newbie to Baldur's Gate, but otherwise an experienced gamer, a minimum SCS install (better AI, but not buffing) may be a good idea. I know I found BG1 too easy the first time I played it.

Fake news. SCS in BG2 engine (only way to play SCS in BG) is easier than original, unmodded BG.

Original BG did not have Sorcerers. Did not have Barbs and Berserkers with blanket immunities. Did not have Rest Until Healed. You could not rest to cure poison and disease. Did not have Glitterdust and other BG2-only spells. Did not have Assassin poison. Did not have werewolves immune to mundane weapons. Did not have Familiars with 24 HPs and 2 ApR at first level. Did not have Detect Illusions or Set Snares. Spawns, waylays and hard-coded encounters are completely different to scripted ones. It goes on and on, which is why I posted a lengthy write-up about it which still isn't exhaustive.

 

[Thac0]

Well due to high demand you can find AntiBeamdog EE mods pretty easily. But if you have the patience to mod both games it doesnt matter terribly wether you choose EE or original, since you are fundamentally alterting the shit out of them anyway. For vanilla go EE.

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

1. EE has ugly UI and (completely skippable) shitty original content. On the other hand it offers quick loot (amazing QOL feature) and some minor, but nice things, like insta QS/QL and creating your own party without save juggling. I don't know about the bugs now, I'm sure there are some left, but the games is definitely playable (I made a complete playthrough of BG2 EE like two years ago with no problems).
2. Mods? Yeah, you'll be fine with vanilla original or vanilla EE, but if you really want then ease of use and tweaks (some options won't tell you much if you're going in blind, though). I would stay away from content changes, but again if you really need something then I can recommend Ascension, Rogue Rebalancing and Item upgrade for BG2. For BG1 I dunno. Widescreen for original BG will save you from blurriness, but in full hd the game looks a bit prosper as characters are like soldiers in 2d rts (and you absolutely need bigger fonts then). EE has built in scroll zoom, but otherwise it's the same as vanilla - blurry af when zoomed in, everyone looking like ants when zoomed out.
3. If you'll attempt a full playthrough with some megamod then I basically guarantee you'll get bored, probably before even finishing BG1. I would generally say just play BG2. Everything else in the series (including BG2 addon) will probably bore you. Ymmv, of course.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

If he's a newbie to Baldur's Gate, but otherwise an experienced gamer, a minimum SCS install (better AI, but not buffing) may be a good idea. I know I found BG1 too easy the first time I played it.

Fake news. SCS in BG2 engine (only way to play SCS in BG) is easier than original, unmodded BG.

Original BG did not have Sorcerers. Did not have Barbs and Berserkers with blanket immunities. Did not have Rest Until Healed. You could not rest to cure poison and disease. Did not have Glitterdust and other BG2-only spells. Did not have Assassin poison. Did not have werewolves immune to mundane weapons. Did not have Familiars with 24 HPs and 2 ApR at first level. Did not have Detect Illusions or Set Snares. Spawns, waylays and hard-coded encounters are completely different to scripted ones. It goes on and on, which is why I posted a lengthy write-up about it which still isn't exhaustive.

change your avatar back

 

[Lilura]

On the other hand it offers quick loot (amazing QOL feature)

Unneeded, casual feature.

like insta QS

Quick switch? Unneeded, casual feature.

and creating your own party without save juggling.

Makes game too easy. 6 Sorcerers.

I don't know about the bugs now

No one does. No one can keep up with all the patches/updates. Been what, 5+ years? Still no authoritative version to talk about. Meanwhile, original has been in authoritative state for 20 years.

EE injected bugs that have never been seen in Infinity Engine before, such as sprite overlap:

I've seen posts about the playing field itself being broken, too.

 

[Joseph Stalin]

On the other hand it offers quick loot (amazing QOL feature)

Unneeded, casual feature.

like insta QS

Quick switch? Unneeded, casual feature.

and creating your own party without save juggling.

Makes game too easy. 6 Sorcerers.

I don't know about the bugs now

No one does. No one can keep up with all the patches/updates. Been what, 5+ years? Still no authoritative version to talk about. Meanwhile, original has been in authoritative state for 20 years.

EE injected bugs that have never been seen in Infinity Engine before, such as sprite overlap:

I've seen posts about the playing field itself being broken, too.

Sprite overlap has been fixed years ago. There are no problems with the playing field. The rest of your arguments are empty rhetoric. The IP holder has the EE as canon games, so they are authoritative. Check your dictionary.