Mods Options

[Shadan]

Since I don't want to play BG2 over and over (I am not able to do due to my time limit), I would like to put into my game as much content as I can with mods. I am searching, checking mods since 2 weeks while I am playing BG1 still. I would be crazy if I would find my game screwed due to incompatibility at middle or end of my game. So I made a mod list from wanted ones in installation order. I would like to ask Sikret and/or any mod expert player to check my list and pls inform me about any possible incompatibility, wrong installation order, or anything what is a somekind of cheat in game balance.

1. TOB Official patch
2. Baldurdash TOB fixpack-1.12 (Non-weidu version)
3. Herbs and Potions
4. Ribald’s Genie
5. Tower of Deception
6. Banter Packs
7. BG2 Tweak Pack
Cosmetic Changes
Viconia Skin Color Change
Avatar Morphing Script
Commoners Use Drab Colors
Icon Improvements
Force All Dialogue to Pause
Content Tweaks
More Interjections
Alter HP Triggers for NPC Wounded Dialogues
Improved Athkatlan City Guard (Andyr)
Breakable Nonmagical Armor, Helms, and Shields
Improved Kick-out Dialogues (Weimer)
Add Bags of Holding
Exotic Items Pack
Add Map Notes
Stores Sell Larger Stacks of Items
Gems and Potions Require Identification
Multiple Strongholds (Sabre, Baldurdash, Weimer)
Bonus Merchants (Baldurdash, Weimer)
Rule Changes
Two-Handed Bastard Swords
Two-Handed Katanas
Weapon Styles for All
Change Experience Point Cap
Expanded Dual-Class Options
Wear Multiple Protection Items
Shopkeepers Have Limited Identification Ability
Multi-Class Grand Mastery (Weimer) ???
True Grand Mastery (Schumacher, Weimer)
Change Magically Created Weapons to Zero Weight
Make +x/+y Weapons Consistent
Description Updates for Make +x/+y Weapons Consistent Component
Un-Nerfed THAC0 Table
Un-Nerfed Sorcerer Spell Progression Table
Alter Mage Spell Progression Table
Alter Bard Spell Progression Table
Alter Cleric Spell Progression Table
Alter Druid Spell and Level Progression Tables
Triple-Class HLA Tables
Convenience Tweaks and/or Cheats
Higher HP on Level Up
Maximum HP Creatures (the bigg)
Easy Spell Learning
Bottomless Bags of Holding
Remove Fatigue from Restoration Spells
Shut Up "You Must Gather Your Party ..." (Weimer)
Change Effect of Reputation on Store Prices
Unlimited Ammo Stacks
Unlimited Jewelry and Gem Stacks
Unlimited Potion Stacks
Unlimited Scroll Stacks
Faster Chapter 1&2 Cut-Scenes & Dreams
NPCs change
Adjust Evil Joinable NPC Reactions
ToB-Style NPCs
Change Jaheira to Neutral Good Alignment
Make Montaron an Assassin (Andyr)
Change Korgan to Neutral Evil Alignment .
Give Kagain A Legal Constitution Score of 19
8. Victor's Improvements Pack
Victor's Wizards Know Better (have more Lore) component
The Djin Merchant (Are these lvl 9 spells and new items somekind of cheat?)
Lydia's Scroll
Special Encounters
Improved Irenicus Dungeon (only if I find Improved Ilyich too hard.)
Grandpa's Shield quest
9. NPC Kitpack
Anomen will gain the Priest of Helm kit on passing his knighthood test.
Imoen & Nalia get an Adventurer kit and/or specialist mage kit.
Minsc's kit title to be changed to Rashemaar Ranger.
Sarevok gets a proper Deathbringer kit, instead of the one ability he has now.
10. Tactics:
Improved Ilyich
The Ritual
Improved Sahuagin City
Improved Bodhi
"Kuroisan", the Acid Kensai
"Red Badge" Poison-Based Encounter
Gebhard Blucher's Improved Mae'Var
Gebhard Blucher's Lich in the Docks
Kensai Ryu's Gnome Fighter/Illusionst in the Docks
Kensai Ryu's Improved Crypt King
Ishan's "Always Toughest Random Spawns in Dungeons"
Gebhard Blucher's Random City Encounters
Kensai Ryu's Random Wilderness Encounters
Improved Undead
Improved Golems
Gebhard Blucher's Improved Mind Flayers
Smarter Beholders
Kensai Ryu's Smarter Vampires
Göran Rimén's Improved Nymphs
Kensai Ryu's Improved Copper Coronet
SimDing0's Improved Oasis
Mike Barnes' Improved Small Teeth Pass
Mike Barnes' Improved North Forest
Mike Barnes' Improved Marching Mountains
Slightly Tougher Demons
Tougher Druid Grove
Tougher Fire Giants
11. Unfinished Business
The Kidnapping of Boo, by Cliffette
Kalah and What He Was Promised, by Andyr
Cat and Mouse: Bodhi Hunts You in Spellhold, by Ghreyfain
Gorje Hilldark and the Extended Illithium Quest
Restored Crooked Crane
Restored Encounters
Artemis Entreri in Bodhi's Lair
Corrected "Xzar's Creations"
Gorf the Squisher Fix, by Gebhard Blucher
Item Restorations
Yoshimo's Original Portrait
Anomen's Original Portrait
NPC Portrait Restorations
Corrected BAMs and Scripts
Corrected Character Names
Restored Minor Dialogs
Restored Bhaalspawn Powers, by David Gaider
Extended Throne of Bhaal Item Descriptions
Throne of Bhaal Minor Restorations
Sarevok's Remorse for Yoshimo and Tamoko, by Sovran and Winterine
12. Quest Pack
Additional Shadow Thieves Content
Alternative Xzar/Harpers Plot
Extended Fallen Paladins Material
Intrigue In The Copper Coronet
Rahul Kanakia's Potion Quest
Saving Sanik In Brynnlaw
Burglary Of The Bookkeeper
The Tragedy Of Besamen
Sending The Solamnic Knights Home
Nazarial The Lich
Reward Negotiation
Infernal Thievery
13. Improved Anvil
14. Auramaster
15. Tortured Souls ???
16. Never Ending Journey ???

Thanks in advance!

[muddymissfit]

Improved Irenicus Dungeon (only if I find Improved Ilyich too hard.)

Well I did have a recurring crash bug with that component

At the time i had the following installed


- Baldurdash TOB fixpack-1.12 (Non-weidu version)

"Ease of use" :
- True Grand Mastery (Recommended)
- Wear Magical Armor AND Magic Rings (Recommended)
- Un-Nerfed THAC0 Table, Saving Throws, ... (Strongly Recommended)
- XP Cap Remover (Recommended)
- Bonus Merchants (Recommended)
- PC access to all stronghold quests
TOD
and
aura master kit

then the victors BG improvements
and finally IA

and my game crashed each and every time i ran into the first umber hulk at the start of the dungeon - removed the component and - plain sailing from thereon in

there is also a detailed compatibility note in the install readme

http://forums.blackwyrmlair.net/index.php?...ost&id=1437

This post has been edited by muddymissfit: Jul 6 2007, 09:13 AM

[leonidas]

Mo' mods mo' problems, as biggie would say.

You install that many mods and I can almost guarantee there will be conflicts, usually unforseen. Especially with a mod like IA that alters most parts of the original game already.

But, if you're insistent (i've been there; i can relate). I've got extensive experience with having tactics and IA 3 installed (sucked for the most part btw).

These are the parts of tactics I wouldn't install. Some of them are just plain incompatible, others you can install but mess up the game in other ways.

The Ritual (not incompatible, just introduces a ludicrous item into the game)
"Kuroisan", the Acid Kensai (again, fine, but the acid katana he drops is bugged)
Gebhard Blucher's Lich in the Docks (fine but she drops a duplicate ring of air control that one of IA's more powerful recipes use (the ring of air control has been moved from ribald's store in IA): may be imbalancing)
Gebhard Blucher's Random City Encounters (30 superior healing potions whenever you kill the highest level of the random city encounter spawn, plus it happens over and over again, which is boring (not incompatible though))
Smarter Beholders
Göran Rimén's Improved Nymphs
Kensai Ryu's Improved Copper Coronet
SimDing0's Improved Oasis
Mike Barnes' Improved Small Teeth Pass (not sure about this one, but the dragons it adds are bugged anyway)
Slightly Tougher Demons
Tougher Druid Grove
Tougher Fire Giants (sikret's script and this one actually combine fairly well, it just depends on how you feel about mass lower fire resistance spam being added to his improved versions)

[coaster]

Unlimited bags of holding causes slowdown problems to the game and is not recommended.

Sikret has added an extra bag of holding to the game to address the need for extra storage; but you can always CLUA in additional ones if you need them (and don't mind a bit of minor cheating).

[rbeverjr]

I play with improved small teeth pass and unlimited bags of holding (among other things) and it works for me (but I do have a fast computer with lots of memory). I also use several Tactics components and The Four. I will sell the twinky stuff rather than use it. So, I don't think game balance is too disturbed in that regard.

This post has been edited by rbeverjr: Jul 6 2007, 01:29 PM

[Sikret]

Plus, BG2 Tweakpack is incompatible with IA. Use the original (Wiemer's) Ease-of-Use.

Also, read the installation document attached to the readme file in the forum.

[Shadan]

Thanks all, I will use yours advice. I skip BG2 Tweak Pack then, I will use Ease-of-Use. I read that installation manual, Sikret, at least 4 times, but there is no mention about BG2 Tweak Pack. I passed all components what you wrote in it.
Also I will skip Tactics components suggested by Leonidas.

[Sikret]

1- If I remember correctly, there was already a note about one of the BG2Tweakpack's components in IA v4.2's readme (which you still had in your list above), but at the time I was writing the document I was not aware of other conflicts. It will be in the list of incompatible mods in the next version of IA. Don't use any of its components and use Ease-of-Use, instead.

2- Don't install the following thing either (quote from your initial list):

9. NPC Kitpack
Anomen will gain the Priest of Helm kit on passing his knighthood test.
Imoen & Nalia get an Adventurer kit and/or specialist mage kit.

[rbeverjr]

In my install, the banter pack, flirt pack, and tower of deception each prevented the install of Improved Anvil. I did try each of these components alone (ie apart from the other two but with the rest of the components that I install). I have no idea why they didn't work for me, because I know other people use ToD and IA together, for instance. I decided that I didn't care about these components enough to go through a bunch of trouble shooting. I hope you don't have that problem. As someone else said, the more mods you apply, the greater the likelihood that something will go wrong.

This post has been edited by rbeverjr: Jul 6 2007, 01:36 PM

[coaster]

On my last run through BG2 I had quite an extensive mod list, with no real problems. After the official & Baldurdash patches, I had:

Ease of Use and a couple of components from the G3 Tweak Pack
Banter Pack & Flirt Pack
Quest Pack, Unfinished Business & Tactics (a selection of my preferred components, all of which were listed as compatible by Sikret)
Tower of Deception
Oversight (alignment corrections)
Slightly Improved Illych
Ascension
Turnabout
1 Pixel Productions (improved graphics)
Blucher's level 1 NPCs (non-Weidu, so I put this first)
Improved Anvil

I had no apparent problems with any of the above.

Of course as IA expands, the list of compatible mods will diminish. eg. the only bits of Tactics I installed were the Mae'var and Druid Grove components; as I understand it Sikret is making his own changes to Faldorn in 4.3, so I will probably not bother with any Tactics components next time.

[Baronius]

Tower of Deception shouldn't cause any problem -- all it "changes" directly on the original game is adding a character to the Crooked Crane Inn in the City Gates district. All other content (99%) can be found on its own custom areas. (Though I heard rumours that a villain in ToD is the subject of IA's changes and thus becomes even more dangerous )

Additionally, shadan, as Ryel advised on RPG.hu, I wouldn't experiment with IA, TS and NEJ at the same time. Believe him, you will have many weeks of fight and fun with IA.

I understand that your time is limited, but let's examine it: the content and experience IA adds is many times bigger that any of the other mods (and most likely even their total sum, except TS and NEJ), so the bonus you get for additional mods is too little compared to the risk they cause. I hope you know that I want the best for you, because I've seen many players installing many mods and then getting disappointed due to the constant incompatibilities that made the game unplayable. So it's really wise that you ask for advice in these forums.

[muddymissfit]

Though I heard rumours that a villain in ToD is the subject of IA's changes and thus becomes even more dangerous )

whoo boy - yep - that he is

you can get around that by installing TOD after IA , but I hear this is not too recommended

I haven't run into any problems as yet , however

[coaster]

I agree with Baronius. eg. for NEJ Vlad recommends installing Baldurdash-Weidu, whereas Sikret recommends the non-Weidu version for IA. I am not sure what the differences are but it is one example of where problems could potentially arise.

Another consideration is additional XP and game balance - with too many quest related mods installed, or those with additional enemies who yield high XP (eg. Tactics random encounters) the party will accumulate huge amounts of XP and thus make many of the mods too easy. A similar issue obviously also arises with overpowered items added by certain mods.

[Baronius]

NEJ and TS are optimized for Baldurdash-WeiDU, while IA is based on Baldurdash.

And, shadan, don't forget the most important: it isn't generally true that you can finish (and thus enjoy) more content if you install more mods at the same time: while banters may happen simultaneously, new quests and similar content is sequential. In other words, you can't finish IA+NEJ together more quickly than playing IA in a game and then NEJ during a different game. The overhead is perhaps just a few minutes: uninstalling mod combination 1, and installing mod combination 2. (And if used together, the compatibility risk is high.)

[Stu]

Though I heard rumours that a villain in ToD is the subject of IA's changes and thus becomes even more dangerous biggrin.gif )

whoo boy - yep - that he is

Even with IA the last guy in ToD is significantly easier than any of the IA enemies - as long as you have a +3 weapon or two you'll be fine (having said that I did ToD straight after beating Torgal with a lv8-11 party, so it might just have been comparatively easy)

[Sikret]

Oversight (alignment corrections)

I trust you meant to write "Alignment corruptions". Anyway, it shouldn't be installed with IA v4.3 and will be in the list of incompatible mods.

More info:

In IA v4.3 more creatures are coded to behave according to their alignments. Evil clerics control undead and turn paladin, good clerics are coded differently, etc...; if any creature's alignment need to be changed, Improved Anvil handles it itself, there is no place for any other mod which tampers with creatures' alignments as that can easily break IA's scripts.

I have always believed that the Oversight mod's changes to alignments are incorrect even before IA v4.3, but, as you can see, I didn't put it in the list of incompatible mods in the previous versions. In IA v4.3, however, the situation has changed and creatures' alignments play a more important role in their behavior. Now, any mod (including Oversight and BG2 Fixpack) which tampers with alignments is incompatible with IA. In other words, I don't say not to install them just because I don't like them (I have never liked them but I didn't list them as incompatible in previous versions of IA); now I say that they are incompatible because they really are incompatible.

This post has been edited by Sikret: Jul 9 2007, 09:35 AM

[coaster]

I trust you meant to write "Alignment corruptions". Anyway, it shouldn't be installed with IA v4.3 and will be in the list of incompatible mods.

I take it from this you don't agree with the changes to alignment which Oversight makes?

This doesn't make a huge difference to me, so am happy to drop it, but will it reduce the effectiveness of Protection from Evil? Does IA make it's own changes to creature & NPC alignment?

[Sikret]

coaster,

When you were posting, I was editing my previous post and adding more info to it. See it again, please.

[coaster]

OK thanks for the added info Sikret.

[Shadan]

I really appreciate your replies, Sikret. Now I am installing mods, and I have some questions about BG2 Tweak Pack. You wrote this is not compatible with IA.
I would like these components:
- Force All Dialogue to Pause
- Stores Sell Larger Stacks of Items (I am leisure.)
- Higher HP on Level Up and Easy Spell Learning (I hate to reload or change difficulty always.)
- Maximum HP Creatures (the bigg) (I want NPCs to get max. HP also.)
- Remove Fatigue from Restoration Spells (I hate to rest when I am full with spells and I have max. HP.)

Others are not ipmortant from there, or I can find them in Ease-of-Use. Can I install these components from G3 or BG2 Tweak Pack, or shall I forget them completly?