Hi Vlad been a while. I gave up on BP due to so many bugs and problems that have never been fixed.

Of all the mods though, TS has been the best IMHO, so what I am looking for is decent sized mod TS with a few SOLID mini mods to install. Nothing crazy of course, but something that has been proven to work without destroying any of the core BG quests.

After looking up a lot of posts everywhere, it has been suggested that this install might work best. Please let me know if I am correct and if not please help me out.

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Baldurdash-WeiDU v1.6.5 then install TS v7.01
or
G3 BG2 Fixpack then install TS-BP v6.10. (though I realize this is King Diamonds)


Tower of Deception

Freedoms Reign/Reign of Virtue

Solaufein : v103

Weimer's item upgrade

Assension v 111/Redemption

Unfinished Business

NPC Flirt Packs or Romantic Encounters

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If you have any suggestions, please help, also mod install order would also be helpfull!
Thanks Vlad

The issue is, so many opinions vs unclarity as to which mod works with which mod.

Hopefully Vlad and/or Senka will agree with me.




BDash+TS 7.01

ToD 85 % can be installed

Sola can be installed, but see my topic here, what should you do with the Sola mod. There is also my weidu.log, which is one (or) two from them is incompatible (Imoen's TOB fix, and maybe multistronghold)

IU, and Ascension is fine

Why would you install NPC Flirt pack? You wouldn't Romance Valygar or/and Sime???



I haven't experience with the other mods

TS v7.02 and Baldurdash-WeiDU v1.66 are close to completion. I hope, next week, you'll get both of them. There is one essential fix in BD 1.66 - Copper Coronet is restored to what it should be! TS v7.02 incorporates all fixes as regards the bugs reported by Trufa, Senka and others so far.

TS has already hit v7, so there is no sense to continue playing v6 anyway.



Very good. I like it. Thanks to Valiant.

Please don't install the following mods (from you list) together with TS and Baldurdash-WeiDU:

Like Trufa said,

With respect to Item Upgrades, I have my own reservations. I would not install this mod either. Moreover, I don't see a reason to install such mods together with TS. Do you think there are no custom items in TS, which would be to your liking? Please think what do you expect from your game. You have new items, new romances/flirts, new quests, new old NPCs, new banters. So why do you need such mods like Item Upgrade or NPC Flirts? Believe me, your party will be well stocked, and you'll have no space for other companions. By the way, Sikret is working on IA-TS compatibility, so I hope the next TS version will be fully compatible with IA. And if you have IA, you can definitely forget about other script-spell-item mods.

The installation order I'll post when I release TS v7.02.

Good Luck!

Thank you so very much Vlad. Awesome work buddy, I really mean it!

What exactly will this do, will it make others currently incompatible, compatible? If so which other ones?

The TS&IA combo compatibility patch (after being released) will make TS and IA fully compatible with each other; however you will still need to read IA's readme file and the "Installation" document attached to it very carefully and avoid installing any other mods which are incompatible with IA or with TS.

IA introduces essential tactical and other changes to the game. Enemies become smarter, quests - more difficult, items - better etc. It requires more consideration, tactical challenges and more time. Having IA, you normally don't need other item, script, and spell mods, not because of incompatibility (although there are compatibility issues) but mainly because of its new spirit.

Sounds excellent and exactly what I have been looking for.

What about these;

Towers and check the bodies, will they be still compatible?

It has been mentioned many times over, but still - Tower Of Deception is compatible almost with every mod, because it uses only generic scripts and its own scripts. Also when it comes to animations, again it uses only ingame animations together with its own mod´s anims... Same thing about area art and areas in general - mod´s own...

The only exception was Unfinished Business, but incompatibility between these two mods has been solved already.

So in general it should be 100% compatible with Tortured Souls...

And Unfinished Business,, very cool, can't wait for Vlad next version and IA update. I so hope it works.

Next question is about this new installer. I have never used it but apparently it installs all games in the same folder much like a batch file could. Is that all it is, and how safe is it to use?

What Valiant meant was that the incompatibility problem between Unfinished Business and Tower of Deception has been resolved. Unfinished Business is incompatible with IA and with TS.

So, you can't install Unfinished Business if you intend to install TS or IA (or both even after the release of the TS&IA combo patch). As I wrote before, the forthcoming patch will only resolve the compatibility issues for players who want to play TS and IA in the same installation; the player will still need to read the installation guides/documents of IA and TS carefully and avoid installing other mods which are incompatible with any of them. I gave you the link to IA's readme file. Did you check it?

Thanks for the Clear up,, as you can see, I'm rather antsy about playing again, lol.

Yes I read the installation thanks Sikret, one question though!

You recomend installing Baldurdash TOB fixpack v1.12, I am assunming this is not the G3 Fixpack (is that right).
Also, Ease of use (in the terms as above with v1.12 Baldurdash) is this because Vlads new Baldurdash won't be compatible or will it be?

PS,, sorry thats two questions,,,:-)

ok Three....UB is also on the list as not compatible but according to Vlad the new IA will be, I suppose this will be an acception right?

Too bad about Solaufein NPC though, I really like him!

Sorry to say that, but Sola can MAYBE installed together with IA only using the buffing scripts in the mod, rbeverjr tested it far ahead in Anvil, and I used it also during I have played, but it is sayed, the Sola-battles didn't work together with IA (correct me pls Sikret, if I said something wrong)
With TS:The buffing scripts is again fine, except one encounter, but when you reach Sola, it is worth to recruit him? Because you shouldn't rush to Ch4, you will have Sola very late, and that time, your party will be very shaked down together. And also you will have an excellent Fighter-Mage, much better than Sola, even with his extremelly high MR. Also you will have Yoshimo, perhaps Imoen, and Sime or Valygar. Only two charachterplaces are left,Protagonist included, which depends on the PC-s Class, it should be some sort of Warrior, and a Warrior-Priest. Here can you read my most brutal TS party buildup, but the PC shouldn't be the archerized FIghter-Mage, because SPOILER!
if I am correct,and to have Kachiko the upgraded Dak'Kon blades, you must install Bdash 1.65, or higher



About itemupgrades.
First of all it is fully incompatible with Anvil, so if you will play Anvil, you should forget it.

And if not, you should think over it, because in my many BG2 plays, I played with ItemUpgrades with/without TS, hopefully I am an expert in the subject of ItemUpgrades (Sikret remembers, I am tried to convince him put some items in Anvil unsuccesfully...),so I can said, I have almost every Itemupgrade items removed in TOB, Preservation Rings excluded. (Staff of Ram+6 is better then Impaler +4 (Jaheira) Spectral Brand is better than Water's Talon (Kachiko),Storm Star is better than Skullcrusher+5, and Fulcrum/Pitchwife, in a TS party you wouldn't need Incarnadine Elven chain,Klograth Axe is better than Azuredge +4, etc.
So the point is, hard to say, ItemUpgrades helps only in SoA, and to the most difficult Battle without Anvil(Improved Irenicus in Hell /Tactics mod/), when you needs every help, ItemUpgrade items didn't helps except Preservation Rings, but they can be substituted with Invulnerability and regeneration potions.



About TS items...
Hard to say Vlad, but they are also substituted almost all of them in ToB
Giant killer Sling,and Three white doves mace(Sime) is selled in the beginning. Ring of Holiness II didn't passed after Watcher's keep to a Priest PC, to Sime, and to Jaheira. Scarab of goodwill is substituted for Amulet of Master Harper, Girdle of Stromnos is substitued to Fire Giant Strength Belt,Kiss of Gloomfrost is substituted to Angurvadal (Kiss should be good to an additional sword to a Single Class Warrior, preferably fighter, using its additonal skill, bat I didn't had one)Boots of Forgotten ones worked only as a boots of Speed in TOB (damned 22 WIS). Only Selune's Promise, and Edion's Ring of Wizardry was by the party until the end.

Na,, sounds like way too much trouble and risk just to play 1 NPC. I can leave Sol. where I leave him lol.
I'm a strong believer, in mods, but when you try to infinitely change something more often than not (just look at the past 7 years of modding this game, and all the SUB-intelligent suggestions "ahem" ie. *lets have Boo actualy crawl up Minsc's ass*) you get a rather big mess.

Right Trufa?

I know, I know, bad example, but still pretty funny!

Trufa, in my opinion, it should be so. There is no sense in powerfull items you get in the beginning of the game. The items you get in TS, SoA should be replaced with better items at the latest stage of the game. I'm glad that you can get better items in ToB. In TS v7.02, there will be a couple of new items, you probably find to your liking. Also, according to your previous request, I degraded several items to make the player's life harder. In addition, the TS dungeon is stocked with more enemies, which are more powerfull. And, eventually, if you install the new optional component of Baldurdash "Restored Copper Coronet", which restores the original CC area script, previously removed by installation of Bonus Merchants, you'll feel the wrath of the Slavers.

Yes, it's different.

If you intend to play Improved Anvil without TS, you should install the non-WeiDu version of Baldurdash fixpack (that is the v1.12) and not the WeiDu version recommended by Vlad.

For now (and before the release of the TS&IA combo patch) you can't play IA with TS. You may play TS or IA, but not both together.



IA will be compatible with TS once we release the forthcoming compatibility patch. UB will remain incompatible.

In short, you should forget UB if you intend to play IA alone, TS alone, or TS + IA; in all three cases, UB should not be used.

Once IA and TS are compatible, I reckon they both install onto the WeiDU incarnation of Baldurdash?

Most probably, yes.

I have asked Vlad for some more information about the new optional component he has added to the WeiDu Baldurdash, namely, the "Restored Copper Coronet" to see if it is compatible with IA by default or it will require some work to be done in the compatibility patch.

IA has improved the slavers there; I don't know whether the new component of the WeiDu BDash will just stack with IA's changes to that area (just leading to even a more difficult battle) or will conflict with it.

Fortunately, Vlad says that the new component will be "optional" which means in the worst case we can ask players not to install it. I also think/hope that the "upgradable Dak'kon's Blade" component of the WeiDu BDash is optional as well.

Thanks a bunch so far guys!

Hey Bereth, have you thought about NeJ2 the 691 version? I hope that is compatible and may be to your liking for other quests and NPC adventures.

I'm looking at that as well, but I hope Baldurdash with new IA wont conflict. Apparently it works best with G3 fixpack 2, so I need to be careful!
I'll scrutinize it though to so if certain aspects can b left out during the install!

No. IA works best with the non-WeiDu Baldurdash. It won't work with G3 Fixpack at all. As I mentioned before, you need to read the documentations more carefully, because this is the third time you are misunderstanding it.

I hope that the WeiDu Bladurdash (required for NeJ2) will also work fine with IA, but it's safer if you skip the "Upgradable Dak'kon's Blade"component of the WeiDu Baldurdash.

By the way, why did you assume it worked the best with G3 Fixpack? Just wondering (it happens often with other players too, and I would be interested)

No I mean with NeJ + G3. After someof the other boards told me these two work best togehter I already decided it wouldn't most likely work with TS + IA + ToD.. That's ok though, so far I'm liking the sonud of this mix more and more. If it works out as expected, you should solidify it and give it a name on it own guys. Your doing a fabulous job!

Ya according to Sorcerersplace and Megamoding install lists I've seen, most suggest using G3 with NeJ, SoS, TDD etc. My whole problem has been with not neccesarily with the modders but rather the loose aproaches many of them have with the differences of break it first fix it later, which is ok, but then continue to add way too much to fast creating even more problems. Forcing us to wait even longer to play.
I always believed in a step by step project, and if the organization were a little better for some of the other modders, then most of the mods should have already been accomplished years ago. Too bad realy, some of the content was realy well done.

Horred, bless his soul, meant well, but I think he bit off more than he could chew! Keep in mind the other coloberaters (some of them) only half fixed some issues. Lots of reason as always of course.

But hey, we'll get'er done sometime soon right! You see you might have even caught some of my rants from before, but keep in mind, this just shows, how much of a fan I realy Amn (hehe) of this game. It's my favorite of all time!

I'm glad to hear your enthusiasm And thank you for sharing your thoughts here at BlackWyrmLair.


As far as I know, NEJ has an (older) version which is used in the "megamod" installations (BGT-NEJ and similar). Vlad doesn't support that version. I suppose they referred to the "megamod" installation when they recommended G3 Fixpack. Very many modders accept G3 Fixpack as a standard for their mods, so they recommend it, but G3 Fixpack actually can cause a lot of technical problems (that's why most of us here at BWL doesn't support or recommend it).

Exactly, and worse still, there are way to many suggestions for megamods (worldmap take over) that it can make your headspin. It's getting to the point on that site where they are having a very difficult time isolating the bug problems.

If on the other hand what I suggested to Horred, was to take the best recorded working versions of TDD, SoS and TS,, and maybe CTB, and work it out himself using "maybe" one or two simple addons like his Ease of use. If I remember, the best versions with the least bugs were made about 4 years ago.

We'll have to see what he does! regardless, I have no more chickens left, the Gibberlings ate them,,,,,,,,,know what I mean??

The complexity of building certain mod types as well as managing big mod installations has grown to such a size that causes difficulties in its control. At the moment, the only way to improve the situation is precise modding combined with conscious compatibility policies (this is what many modders don't realize or simply refuse to realize, including the current developers of G3 Fixpack). I'm working on a long-term solution as well, but due to my little free time, it may take years to finish.

I here that. The strange thing is, it started out so well years back at teambg with Dark Side!
Everyone was working to build on that, and it's compatability. The IE changed with he release of SoA this is true, but instead of intitial colaboration, a lot of off shoots started with the loss of a centrallized community.

In short, letting Black Wyrm grow is a great aim, and in the end you may be the last ones standing at this rate.
I am not much of a programer but instead my forte is with sound and art. I could always learn the graphics engine with and master it like I have with any graphics engine I have ever tried. This is the least I could do to help things along.

Good. Except for all the other sites' traffic coming this way, of course. Imagine all of it going through one website/forum. x.x



Sound and graphics art is always welcome. =3

I agree the community's been quite "every man for himself" for a while now, with a lot of (unnecessary) rivalry. Of course, there will always be a few individuals you don't like and don't want to be in touch with, let alone work with, but it could be far more like a unity. Even most collaboration-oriented/general community mods (e.g. fixpacks, Crossmod) are selective in who the authors/moderators allow to join in.

It's a pity people hardly work together anymore (with the exception of certain groups of "friends"), but things will always be that way, I suppose... There will always be something someone wants to do differently. That's why there are at least 3 fixpacks out there, as well as 3 Kivan mods at some point (Domi's Kivan of Shilmista, Nightmare's Kivan and StarDragonMaiden's Kivan), and various additional content for existing NPC's (two BG1 Branwen Romances, NPC IEP adding Aerie content, as does my Aerie Relationship mod).

Alas, far from perfect, but that's the way things will be.
Of course, there's little problem in the case of multiple versions of the same NPC (new or addition to existing). No one's can claim them as "their" character, so the player can install which version they prefer (if there was a different version of the Alora NPC mod where there's at least better grammar/spelling, I'd prefer that one. The author could probably drink my blood for saying that, given she's already banned me once for making my own improvement of the dialogues and others were interested in it, but 'tis the truth.).

But in the case of fixpacks, for example, it causes a lot of confusion, especially for new players. I don't blame the creators of the different fixpacks for wanting it their way, for developing the thing -they- feel comfortable with. However, it will make certain mods incompatible because they're built on a different "platform". Growth of a community is good, I suppose, but during my absence in 2006-2007, things have gotten a lot more complicated.



Hence why I never use megamod-installs!
I've only touched TS and NeJ, in a seperate install. It's far too much trouble to install everything together. Even BG1Tutu doesn't work as well as it's intended, back when I tried it (it's still the same version to this day).

Create, thorough test, then release...and fix a.s.a.p. ...don't ignore bug reports. Some authors seriously have little time (sadly), yet others seem to prefer joking/insulting around on various forums, rather than fixing their own mod's issues.



That's...bad.

Ah well, I ramble... No need to reply, 'tis not important...and we're going rather off-topic as well.

You know what I love about this game. The idea for modding with it, was groundbreaking in many ways. and if done right, the fun can go on and on.

Like I said, I can try to help. I am going to be packing my opera I made into one file and uploading it. When I'm finished, I'll post it here and a sticky can be put on it!

I must have missed that, but thanks for that clear up. I here it also works with Ease of use, but obviosly I won't be installing that. My only Q is what about some of the items. Will any of them clash with IA?

I know this installation business is mind boggling as I spent three days to get a giant megamod installed with minimal errors. As far as TS and NeJ2, it should be noted that the current (most complete) version 691 with the 694 patch will work with Bdash-weidu. I installed NeJ691 with Bdash 1.6.4 with IA (4.x) and TS (the last version) along with BGT. Has some minor things with BG1 parts and I still have the files saved, but maybe not the debug to check. Everything installed well but I never got to BG2 part.

I strongly think you will be good with Bdash (1.6.6?),IA, TS, NeJ2 (691) and ToD but let Vlad and Sikret give the best order.

Maybe you were thinking of the old Bp conversion of NeJ that required G3 fixpack? Version 691 is the best as the old 4.2b is "out of print". You get much more content with NeJ2691 anyway.

Hoipe some of that helps.