Greetings to everyone in the Black Wyrm community. I am the new kid on the block. I want to congratulate the site for the excellent security code i was asked to type ie: Icewind Dale. Even the security around here has something to do with the modded games! Bravo!

Here is my question. Below is a list of all the mods i will install in this my *th time of playing BG2+TOB.



Is it possible to also add "The Darkest Day" and/or "Shadows Over Soubar" and or "Improved Anvil"? Only if it is possible to combine fully with the above list. I was just wandering if it is possible to combine my list of mods with these 3 (or anyone of them) in one BIG game experience? Whoever answers, you should keep in mind that my prime concern is only for the list. If it is possible to put also Shadows Over Soubar, The Darkest Day, Improved Anvil, it's all for the better. If not and because i have already played TDD and SOS on separate occasions, will i have to not use a lot of the above in order for the rest to be compatible with Improved Anvil, and if yes, which will i be forced not to use?.

In the past I have crashed the game with improper combinations and/or order of installation of mods. Please have a look at my list and tell me if it is doable, along with your thoughts.

I haven't included an Xpcap remover in my list because i have another question to ask you about it. I want to put also the weimer spell50 mod. I was thinking of trying this time to not use the safe Xpcap remover that puts the limit to 40th level, but another that puts the limit to 50. I am confused though from what info i have found on the web, something to do with turning the xp to -1 and warping the characters
Is it safe to use the 50 level Xpcap, or not?

Thank you.

Welcome, quinlan!

I don't have much experience with many of the mods in your list, especially in this combination. It isn't easy to avoid incompatibilities, so I wouldn't suggest SoS and TDD in the same installation with Improved Anvil.

I suppose you've already read more information on Improved Anvil, but some important points anyway:

(1) It's known as the most difficult tactical BG2 mod (and thus the most difficult BG2 mod, I suppose). You have to find and learn new tactics, and give up the good old cheesy ones. At the beginning, you might have more failures and reloads, but as you advance in the game, you will improve a lot. So this mod is only recommended to very experienced players

(2) It modifies very many aspects of the game, so several other mods can't be installed together with it (or there would be serious incompatibility). There is a document that tells what mods you can install with it. Compare it with your list. For example, you will definitely have to install the Baldurdash fixpack. However, I suppose that the following mods (and possibly other mods as well in your list that aren't listed as incompatible in IA's installation document) can also be installed:

However, if you decide to try Improved Anvil, I think it's best to visit its forum at BWL and ask Sikret what he thinks about your list (but only after you've compared it with IA's installation document and removed the incompatible mods from your list).

(3) To my knowledge, Improved Anvil v5.0 will be released soon. It contains a lot of novelties and new content, but you have to start a new game to play it, and it also has different installation conditions (If you want, I can find the updated installation document of the unreleased v5.0). So you can use v4.2 to practise and to get yourself prepared for v5.0, if you don't want to wait for v5.0 (I don't know exactly when it will be released). Again, v5.0 will require you to start a new game.

By the way, Improved Anvil alone adds as much new content as most (or all) of the mods in your list altogether, so if you decide to try it, I think you won't miss SoS, TDD or any of the incompatible mods.

However, again, you were "warned": IA requires a different approach, a different viewpoint from the player than other mods. And -- at the beginning -- much hard work to improve tactical skills and get familiar with the new paradigm.

Hopefully, someone will reply to your general questions, such as the one regarding the 50 level XP cap. Unfortunately, I don't know the answer. If you go with Improved Anvil, though, then you won't need too many other mods at all, I guess.

QUOTE

It's known as the most difficult tactical BG2 mod (and thus the most difficult BG2 mod, I suppose). You have to find and learn new tactics, and give up the good old cheesy ones. At the beginning, you might have more failures and reloads, but as you advance in the game, you will improve a lot. So this mod is only recommended to very experienced players

As a king in Middle Earth said, a long time ago in a galaxy far away, "Let them come"!
I have been playing P&P role play for more than 7 years. I grew to dislike simplicity and always sought through house rules to improve the experience. I have played BG1+TOTSC, BG2+TOB, IWD1+HOW, IWD2, and TORMENT countless times. Great games, but after repeated use, they loose their relevance. At the same time they are the closest thing to live role play, so they'll never become obsolete. After years i have the need to play BG2+TOB again, but i want to see something new, something more sophisticated. After my first post i downloaded the current version of IA and read the installation document. It seems you are right that most of the mods in my list are small and they won't combine with IA. The good thing is that you seem to be right that IA brings many changes, so it is worth the try on its own. I will try my combo with TDD or SOS for now and will wait for the new version of IA to be published. I don't think i will need to play the previous version for a warming up. I don't mind failures and reloads (A Holy button, ReLoad. ) and i have great patience. The more difficult, the more rewarding. One clarification i want from you. The changes IA implements are mainly in tactics, or are there going to be new things to do -major/minor quests - in the game?

The current version of Improved Anvil adds new quests and tactical challenges, improves battles and encounters, new types of monsters, has a so-called Randomization program for items, adds many new powerful items, and installs a new Ranger kit as well. The AI is controlled by Improved Anvil's own scripting system, Polygonal Scripting System. Since there isn't yet a (more or less) complete, technically reliable fixpack available as a standalone mod, Improved Anvil has to apply its own fixes, i.e. it aims to fix what Baldurdash missed. (Contrary to the common (mis)belief, G3 BG2 Fixpack can't be considered a standard mod at all, because it makes too many unnecessary changes and causes incompatibility risks to many mods, not just to IA.) Improved Anvil also adds its own tweaks, these are in harmony with its tactical encounters and all the balance it creates.

You can find more information here:
http://forums.blackwyrmlair.net/index.php?showtopic=1739

Improved Anvil has an entire forum, full of useful information:
http://forums.blackwyrmlair.net/index.php?showforum=99

Just to make sure: Fixpacks (only one, of course, if you decide to use one) would go first, Tweak packs last on the install list. Virtue should be installed at the end, too, as far as I recall. Best if you read the mods' readmes, most of the times there should be a note about install orders, if they are essential. Have a look at other's WeiDU lists of hopefully stable installs here: http://forums.pocketplane.net/index.php/topic,24033.0.html
For the non-WeiDU mods I have no experience concerning compatibility.
If you chose Improved Anvil, there was incompatibility with some components of Tweaks, I think. The readme of IA should state compatibility concerning this.
Anyway, have fun!

Thanks to all of you for your replies

Hey Quinlan and welcome! If you are looking for a great tactical challenge with AI then Improved Anvil will be a nice addition. Regarding some quest mods that would be compatible, I think, then you may try the full versions of Neverending Journey and Tortured souls. Giant quest mods with lots of its own tactical challenges, NPC's, spells, weapons and a great role playing storyline. You name it and they got it. Check out the Neverending Journey forum and look at the pinned topics, you will see some installation possibilities. They (NeJ2v6.91 and TS v611) are not compatible with other megamods such as TDD and SoS. The Tortured Souls BP 610 version that you may see discussed over at Spellhold Studios is compatible with their hosted mods (RoT,TDD, SoS, BP), so it can get a little confusing. However, I don't know of planned compatibility of Improved Anvil version 5.0 with NeJ2 and TS. Also, if you install NeJ and TS then you may have to drop some of the other mods/tweaks due to incompatibility or you can take a chance.

You know, IA was my original thought. Then i learned that a new version will come out, so i decided to try something else in the meantime. Perhaps i will try this NEJ along with some others. I have played Tortured Souls and it was great in terms of story.

I'm also new and would like some help eliminating mods from my Big Picture Installation. I don't know a whole lot about it and am trying to set the game up for my brother before his birthday... with the most possible mods I can jam into it. I have only the most recent downloads and was able to eliminate a lot myself, but I'm starting to miss entirely too many things as the more I work with it the more frustrated I get. Here is a list of some of the things I wanted. I was only able to find step by step instructions for Bpv1.61 which really wasn't any help. And the files that only come with applications were a lil much for me to get without a detailed readme.

BPv177
BPv177 TOB fix
The Darkest Day v1.12
Ajoc's MiniMod Weidu v16
Shadows over Soubar v1.12
Tortured Souls BPv6.10(I noticed a TS611 but I'm guessing it's stand-alone)
Tower of Deception
Return to Trademeet
Region of Terror (Kit issues, but they seem to be optional?)
Planar Sphere Mod 2.2
Check the Bodies v1.9 and TDD fix
G3AnniversaryModv5.0

Dialogue-
NPC Flirt v101
Banter Packs v7
CrossmodBG2 v7

Items-
Exnem's Vault v5
FR_ROV_Weiduv3
RUADv19
Unfinished Businessv19
WeimerItemUpgv32
WeimerUnderRepv5

Kits-
ArcaneArcherv4(if there is a way to switch kits... it's my brothers favorite dnd mini)
CrusadeV4
Hellionv3
Riskbreakerv8.0
ModKitRemoverV2

NPC's-
Amberv2.4
AurenAsephv5.0
FadeSOAv3
KariTheKoboldv1.3b
Kiaria-Zaiyav1.6
Longer Road v1.5.1
Chloev12
Iylosv1.[1].1
LuxleySOAv.1
TashiaRemixv1[1].0
Tsujatha Melalor v.10
Yasraena v8.0

Random
Baldurdash165
Victor's Bg2 Imrpovements

Kit Editing might be too much for me. So any NPC's or conflicting major mods with tdd due to kits(that don't have an automatic install option like region/tdd) should probably be eliminated. Sorry for such a long list, but any and all help will be appreciated.