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Talk to me about essential Baldur's Gate mods.

The_ScarabThe_Scarab Registered User regular
edited April 2010 in Games and Technology
Recently picked up the Baldur's Gate 4 pack for an obscene $10. It is quite tender. It contains Baldur's Gate 1 + Tales of the Sword Coast, and Baldur's Gate 2 + Throne of Baal. All on nice shiny, high capacity DVDs, with no disc swapping during installs or during play (though if I'm honest, I kinda miss the 'insert disc 4 of 5 messages during installation', pure nostalgia)

The last time I played these games to completion was, quite literally, at their launch nearly twelve years ago. I intend to remedy that.

I don't consider myself to be a particularly fervent graphics whore. I don't mind playing vintage games 'as is', but in this case - as I understand it - there are a whole suite of modifications and tweaks that improve the games significantly with no real downside. A cursory Google search has yielded pages of mods, everything from widescreen tweaks to entire homebrew patches. I don't know where to begin.

The only mod I already knew about was the one for BG2 that removed the starting dungeon. I do not want this mod, but I do want others that improve the resolution, fix bugs and bring back the partially cut content. That sort of material. Can anyone assist me in this or direct me to somewhere credible to get the lot? As I said, usually I would just Google this shit, but when you're going back to the internet of the late 90s it's hard to tell what is legit and more importantly, what is up to date. I've had a lot of 'Warning, this web page will fuck you over' messages from Chrome during my search.

Plus, with no actual knowledge of the mod community, I don't know which of the ten widescreen mods works, or which bug fix pack is the right one etc etc. It's a lot to digest.

I have no doubts the fine Penny Arcade Forums community will be able to assist me in this endeavor. In return I offer a cute puppy.

Note: I may or may not be lying about the puppy.

The_Scarab on

Posts

  • RenzoRenzo Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Where did you get the Baldur's Gate set?

    Renzo on
  • GrisloGrislo Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Stay far, far away from all those 'tactics' mods designed to increase the challenge of the game, unless someone you know to be a sane and rational person recommends one by name.

    They're usually incredibly poorly made, simply giving a lot of boss/minor boss type characters a bunch of magical buffs that you need to break down with a mage.

    So basically, they're anything but tactical and more, oh, tedious and repetitive?

    /rant over

    Grislo on
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  • AstnsAstns Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    I have that same boxed set, such a great deal.

    It's been awhile since I played but when I did the mods I used were:

    Dungeon Be Gone

    Because Irenicus dungeon at the start of BG2 gets really old really fast., the mod lets you skip it whilst retaining all of the items, gold and xp you would get from doing it normally.

    Ascension
    Makes all the boss fights in TOB much more difficult and restores a fair bit of cut content, mostly at the end of the game. It was actually made by one of the developers (David Gaider I think but I can't recall) and it shows. Be warned though, the final boss fight is teeth grindingly hard with this mod.

    Tutu
    Essentially allows you to use all the new features from BG2 in BG1 (new classes, races and spells, dual wielding and improved resolution). Makes doing a complete playthrough of the whole series (if you are so inclined) feel like less of a chore.

    Astns on
  • The_ScarabThe_Scarab Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    This Tutu mod does intrigue me. Mainly because I do intend to run through the whole lot, both games and expansions, in one go. I had forgotten that you could have a legacy character in this thing. Something that attracted me to Mass Effect and Dragon Age : Awakening. I wish more games did that.

    Is it better to only have the bare minimum of mods? Am I going to have mod conflicts where some prevent others from working etc? Like I said in the OP, I presumed there would be a catch all 'mod pack' that puts in all the tinier fixes and tweaks.

    The_Scarab on
  • BlackjackBlackjack Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Tutu and Dungeon Be Gone are the only really "essential" ones, as far as I'm concerned.

    Blackjack on
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  • DisruptedCapitalistDisruptedCapitalist I swear! Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Well supposedly the "EasyTutu" should give you a basic install with no conflicts among the mods.

    Somehow I still managed to screw up and I got a difficulty Mod with 3 times all the monsters in every encounter. I've been meaning to try again, but I've been stuck on some of my Steam sales lately. ;)

    So where did you get this 4 pack? I've been looking for one myself too (since I've only got the original games and none of the expansion packs.)

    DisruptedCapitalist on
    "Simple, real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time." -Mustrum Ridcully in Terry Pratchett's Hogfather p. 142 (HarperPrism 1996)
  • A Half Eaten OreoA Half Eaten Oreo Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    I bought this same pack last week on amazon.

    A Half Eaten Oreo on
  • Vi MonksVi Monks Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Weidu and Dragon's Hoard are the websites I visit for mods. There is a flood of awful BG2 mods, but there are some real gems mixed in there as well. For a first run (or the first run after a long time away), I suggest a pretty vanilla game. Ease of Use has some good features, but some that make the game significantly easier too (which is bad). Luckily, you can choose which features to install. I prefer things like infinite potion/arrow stacks and stack away from things like un-nerfed THAC0 tables.

    For cut content, you need Unfinished Business. I've only played the BG2 version, but there's an early BG1 build as well. This mod includes primarily cut content or content created by the designers (as far as I remember anyway). It's very good.

    The Item Upgrade mod is fun, but without some difficult-enhancing mods, the items you can make are just too powerful. Personally, I'm a big fan of Tactics and Ascension (both can be found on Weidu). Though only download these mods if you enjoy extremely difficult battles. They aren't generally well-received on these forums -- and probably for good reason. They definitely are not for everyone. But the vanilla game is an absolute cakewalk, so I really enjoy these mods. If you find the vanilla game too easy, give them a shot (and prepare for lots of reloading).

    Also, make sure you install the official patch and the Baldurdash FixPack before installing any mods.

    Vi Monks on
  • PancakePancake Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    I'd recommend the Imoen Romance mod. The site is dead, but I can send it to you if you want. :D

    Pancake on
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  • AriviaArivia I Like A Challenge Earth-1Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Blackjack wrote: »
    Tutu and Dungeon Be Gone are the only really "essential" ones, as far as I'm concerned.

    Note that if you install Tutu, you want to install Gibberlings3's BG*2* Fixpack on top of it, because it populates the world with some BG2 stuff you'd otherwise have to use the console to spawn (ie: bags of holding, adding scrolls of new spells to merchants, etc etc)

    Arivia on
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  • Vi MonksVi Monks Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Pancake wrote: »
    I'd recommend the Imoen Romance mod. The site is dead, but I can send it to you if you want. :D

    Just had to open that can of worms, didn't you? :P

    Vi Monks on
  • AkilaeAkilae Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Pancake wrote: »
    I'd recommend the Imoen Romance mod. The site is dead, but I can send it to you if you want. :D

    For all the poopoo-ing surrounding Imoen romance, the mod itself is actually quite well written and executed.

    The site, however, seems very much alive. I haven't been keeping up, but it even has a new layout compared to when I last saw it a few years ago.

    Not a mod, but I would highly recommend the "collector's pack" bonus merchants who sell some pretty sweet equipment.

    Akilae on
  • FiarynFiaryn Omnicidal Madman Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Pancake wrote: »
    I'd recommend the Imoen Romance mod. The site is dead, but I can send it to you if you want. :D

    Goddamn it Pancake.
    Akilae wrote: »
    Pancake wrote: »
    I'd recommend the Imoen Romance mod. The site is dead, but I can send it to you if you want. :D

    For all the poopoo-ing surrounding Imoen romance, the mod itself is actually quite well written and executed

    Although to be fair your bait worked so

    Well played.

    Fiaryn on
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  • NylonathetepNylonathetep Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Vi Monks wrote: »
    Pancake wrote: »
    I'd recommend the Imoen Romance mod. The site is dead, but I can send it to you if you want. :D

    Just had to open that can of worms, didn't you? :P
    Imoen is your sister! OMG Incest!!!

    Nylonathetep on
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  • PancakePancake Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Vi Monks wrote: »
    Pancake wrote: »
    I'd recommend the Imoen Romance mod. The site is dead, but I can send it to you if you want. :D

    Just had to open that can of worms, didn't you? :P
    Imoen is your sister! OMG Incest!!!

    That's seriously not why it's creepy.

    On another note, Scarab! Use this widescreen mod. It works really well.

    Pancake on
    wAgWt.jpg
  • Vi MonksVi Monks Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Pancake wrote: »
    Vi Monks wrote: »
    Pancake wrote: »
    I'd recommend the Imoen Romance mod. The site is dead, but I can send it to you if you want. :D

    Just had to open that can of worms, didn't you? :P
    Imoen is your sister! OMG Incest!!!

    That's seriously not why it's creepy.

    On another note, Scarab! Use this widescreen mod. It works really well.

    In all fairness, the mod has an absurdly large amount of content compared to other romance mods, and the writing is a good bit better as well. Whether or not you want to actually dive in to that content is a totally different matter.

    Vi Monks on
  • FoefallerFoefaller Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Pancake wrote: »
    Vi Monks wrote: »
    Pancake wrote: »
    I'd recommend the Imoen Romance mod. The site is dead, but I can send it to you if you want. :D

    Just had to open that can of worms, didn't you? :P
    Imoen is your sister! OMG Incest!!!

    That's seriously not why it's creepy.

    o_O

    I'm... curious... I'll get to that just as soon as I finish Act II of The King in Yellow.

    Foefaller on
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  • The_ScarabThe_Scarab Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Thanks for the links. Not going to touch that Imoen romance mod with a barge pole.

    My heart belongs to another, you see.

    Yoshimoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo :(

    Furthermore, I'd be surprised if Lewie hasn't brought it up in the UK bargains thread, but I got the BG 4 pack from GAME. They had it, and a whole wall of classic PC games, all for under 10 pounds. I wrote dollars in the OP because I'm dumb and the 3 is right next to the 4 on my keyboard.

    Picked up the Warcraft 3 battlechest, all the quake games that matter (1, 2 and 3 arena) and Unreal tournament 2004 too. I guess it's that time of the year where they clear out stock.

    The_Scarab on
  • PancakePancake Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Foefaller wrote: »
    Pancake wrote: »
    Vi Monks wrote: »
    Pancake wrote: »
    I'd recommend the Imoen Romance mod. The site is dead, but I can send it to you if you want. :D

    Just had to open that can of worms, didn't you? :P
    Imoen is your sister! OMG Incest!!!

    That's seriously not why it's creepy.

    o_O

    I'm... curious... I'll get to that just as soon as I finish Act II of The King in Yellow.

    The incest thing is a red herring. There's no biological relation.

    The real creepiness comes from the whole "preying on a girl's emotional trauma to get sex" vibe the mod has going for it.

    Pancake on
    wAgWt.jpg
  • Vi MonksVi Monks Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Pancake wrote: »
    Foefaller wrote: »
    Pancake wrote: »
    Vi Monks wrote: »
    Pancake wrote: »
    I'd recommend the Imoen Romance mod. The site is dead, but I can send it to you if you want. :D

    Just had to open that can of worms, didn't you? :P
    Imoen is your sister! OMG Incest!!!

    That's seriously not why it's creepy.

    o_O

    I'm... curious... I'll get to that just as soon as I finish Act II of The King in Yellow.

    The incest thing is a red herring. There's no biological relation.

    The real creepiness comes from the whole "preying on a girl's emotional trauma to get sex" vibe the mod has going for it.

    That's definitely there, though you can play it without there being any sort of romantic or sexual relationship whatsoever. There are quite a few options available as far as what sort of relationship you develop. It gives you the option to be pretty twisted, but it's not forced upon you. I think the mod gets more flak than it deserves, in other words.
    Yes, I've played it. :oops:

    Vi Monks on
  • XagarathXagarath Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    The mod has decent writing on the "good" options, and excruciatingly horrible writing on the "evil" options.
    That's not a well-written mod.

    Xagarath on
  • Vi MonksVi Monks Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Xagarath wrote: »
    The mod has decent writing on the "good" options, and excruciatingly horrible writing on the "evil" options.
    That's not a well-written mod.

    True enough. I suppose I shouldn't say it's well-written, but parts of it, when compared to a lot of other mods out there, are not the absolute worst words ever written.

    The bar is pretty low.

    But to keep this thread a bit closer to on topic: steer away from the romance mods and you'll be better off!

    Vi Monks on
  • BlackjackBlackjack Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    If you're going to get one horrible, soul-rending romance mod, that's the horrible, soul rending romance mod to get?
    I still am a fan of the horrible, soul-rending gay romance mod!

    Blackjack on
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  • Vi MonksVi Monks Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Blackjack wrote: »
    If you're going to get one horrible, soul-rending romance mod, that's the horrible, soul rending romance mod to get?
    I still am a fan of the horrible, soul-rending gay romance mod!
    Soulafein? :P

    Vi Monks on
  • BlackjackBlackjack Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Vi Monks wrote: »
    Blackjack wrote: »
    If you're going to get one horrible, soul-rending romance mod, that's the horrible, soul rending romance mod to get?
    I still am a fan of the horrible, soul-rending gay romance mod!
    Soulafein? :P
    Nathaniel

    Blackjack on
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  • Vi MonksVi Monks Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Blackjack wrote: »
    Vi Monks wrote: »
    Blackjack wrote: »
    If you're going to get one horrible, soul-rending romance mod, that's the horrible, soul rending romance mod to get?
    I still am a fan of the horrible, soul-rending gay romance mod!
    Soulafein? :P
    Nathaniel

    Guess I never got around to that particular gem. I'll have to save it for a rainy day.

    Vi Monks on
  • FiarynFiaryn Omnicidal Madman Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    What was that one hilariously terrible combination romance/new companion mod that is just the most amazing Mary Sue ever? It was like, a lesbian romance only female demigod character or something.

    I remember it being sheer comedy gold in how awful it was.

    Fiaryn on
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  • Vi MonksVi Monks Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Fiaryn wrote: »
    What was that one hilariously terrible combination romance/new companion mod that is just the most amazing Mary Sue ever? It was like, a lesbian romance only female demigod character or something.

    I remember it being sheer comedy gold in how awful it was.

    Oh I remember that one. Man, that one was horrible. And for anyone who thinks he's exaggerating: he's not. She really was a lesbian demigod Kensai with 25 strength. If you didn't pursue a romance with her, she'd seduce Imoen. Glorious.

    Vi Monks on
  • PancakePancake Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Vi Monks wrote: »
    Fiaryn wrote: »
    What was that one hilariously terrible combination romance/new companion mod that is just the most amazing Mary Sue ever? It was like, a lesbian romance only female demigod character or something.

    I remember it being sheer comedy gold in how awful it was.

    Oh I remember that one. Man, that one was horrible. And for anyone who thinks he's exaggerating: he's not. She really was a lesbian demigod Kensai with 25 strength. If you didn't pursue a romance with her, she'd seduce Imoen. Glorious.

    Chloe!

    She was especially great because "I am awesome and also a lesbian" was pretty much her whole character.

    Pancake on
    wAgWt.jpg
  • Eat it You Nasty Pig.Eat it You Nasty Pig. tell homeland security 'we are the bomb'Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Hah, I tried that one. At first I thought it was maybe supposed to be some sort of homage to Fall-From-Grace and that it might actually be compelling. So much for that.

    Anyway, the only mods that I really would say are critical are the fan bugfix and high resolution patches, and tutu if you are going to be playing BG1. Ascension is okay but wasn't terribly interesting for me, and kind of sucks if you want to use a less-than-optimal party.

    There's another mod called UnfinishedBusiness that's worth a look, too. It's nothing terribly important but it restores some sidequests that were cut from BG2 and makes some existing sidequests end a little more coherently.

    Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
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  • Vi MonksVi Monks Registered User regular
    edited April 2010
    Pancake wrote: »
    Vi Monks wrote: »
    Fiaryn wrote: »
    What was that one hilariously terrible combination romance/new companion mod that is just the most amazing Mary Sue ever? It was like, a lesbian romance only female demigod character or something.

    I remember it being sheer comedy gold in how awful it was.

    Oh I remember that one. Man, that one was horrible. And for anyone who thinks he's exaggerating: he's not. She really was a lesbian demigod Kensai with 25 strength. If you didn't pursue a romance with her, she'd seduce Imoen. Glorious.

    Chloe!

    She was especially great because "I am awesome and also a lesbian" was pretty much her whole character.

    Pancake's summary of her character has more depth than her actual entire persona. I just want to be sure we're clear here.

    I'm trying to think of some fan-made character mods that I actually enjoyed, but nothing's coming to me. I know I tried a ton of them. The originals are just so great that the modders can't really compete.

    Vi Monks on
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