Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition

[Squark]

How backwards compatible is the game with mods, by the way?

[Cespenar]

Yeah that's true. But I never seemed to have that much more trouble with them than with Mulahey.

Luck and party composition differences, I'd think. I have a friend who claims to have breezed through that mage in front of the Friendly Arm so fast that he doesn't even remember her. I, on the other hand, had to make 5-6 tries.

[The Glyphstone]

I'm rather depressed Edwin's voice didn't change when I gave him the Belt of Gender-Changing.

[Avilan the Grey]

I'm rather depressed Edwin's voice didn't change when I gave him the Belt of Gender-Changing.

Well when she started working as a waitress in Dragon Age: Origins it did change...

[Calemyr]

How backwards compatible is the game with mods, by the way?

It's not perfect, but it's surprisingly good (with a little tweaking). BG2Tweaks works fine, and BG1 Unfinished Business loaded without any errors. BG1NPC failed completely, as did Level1NPC. If you include all the lesser ones I tried, I'd say I had a roughly 70% success rate. UScript works, as well, which is nice because I'd forgotten how useless the normal AI scripts are.

The tweaks you have to do is a little frustrating, though. A walkthrough can be found here.

At the moment, it looks like you're going to have to redo this every patch Beamdog releases, which is annoying, but it will also allow me to use a different set of mods each time without having to redownload the whole game or copy the whole folder, which is handy.

[Triaxx]

Supposedly they're working on a new installer to fix the issues, but as with all such things it might take time.

[Squark]

Hrmm... BG NPC mod feels like the most important mod for BG1 for me, so I don't think I'll purchase the Enhanced Edition yet.

[Mx.Silver]

I killed them by chance, mostly. Their lead cleric threw a Glyph on my melee guys, and it killed her own team as well as my men, leaving herself alone. Which then I promptly corrected by spamming Chromatic Orb and Magic Missile.

Admittedly, I got three people dead, but I just shrugged and paid 1k to raise them all back.

Also, on unrelated news, I had a bug with Mulahey, where he summoned his goons both at the start of the battle, and when he surrendered. (6 skeletons + 8 kobolds) x2 + Mulahey = Fun battle.

I recall that happening back in the original game as well (tutu/BGT anyway), so I doubt it's actually a bug. I think the idea is he's only 'surrendering' as a stalling tactic.

[Morty]

I wonder what proficiencies Ajantis has in the Enchanced Edition. I already have one +2 Longsword and one +1 Longsword, but noone in the party who can use them - I respecialized Kivan to use axes. I guess I'll sell the weaker one and keep the stronger one in case Ajantis uses longswords rather than bastard swords.

[Calemyr]

Hrmm... BG NPC mod feels like the most important mod for BG1 for me, so I don't think I'll purchase the Enhanced Edition yet.

I absolutely agree. BG1 NPCs are incredibly weak, plotwise. The new kids add a lot, but they cut short so abruptly (at least their romance tracks) that it feels like you screwed something up.

Fortunately, I hear that CMorgan, the hardy soul responsible for BG1NPC was a beta tester for the Enhanced Edition and supposedly is already in the process of working out what he needs to do to get it to work.

Now all I need to figure out is how (if at all) it is possible to mod the game when I buy it for the kindle. I'm now wondering if I'm going to, now that I think of that...

I wonder what proficiencies Ajantis has in the Enchanced Edition. I already have one +2 Longsword and one +1 Longsword, but noone in the party who can use them - I respecialized Kivan to use axes. I guess I'll sell the weaker one and keep the stronger one in case Ajantis uses longswords rather than bastard swords.

Ajantis starts with Bastard Sword proficiency. Which makes it a pity Ajantis can't stand Dorn. Dorn's capstone quest includes a pretty nifty bastard sword (not great enhancement bonus, but pretty good features), but that means that he's also able to use Balduran's Blade.

[Animastryfe]

By the BG1 NPC mod, are people referring to this?

Will that mod work for a game already in progress? Also, is it safe to install that mod for BGT after the Unfinished Business mods, BG2tweaks and Sword Coast Stratagems?

[Morty]

Ajantis starts with Bastard Sword proficiency. Which makes it a pity Ajantis can't stand Dorn. Dorn's capstone quest includes a pretty nifty bastard sword (not great enhancement bonus, but pretty good features), but that means that he's also able to use Balduran's Blade.

Alright. I'll sell the other longsword, then. Thanks.

[ZeltArruin]

Alright. I'll sell the other longsword, then. Thanks.

I never sell Varscona

[The Glyphstone]

So I ran into a weird bug with Dorn yesterday...it was in Nashkel Mines, I think. He initiated a conversation about party members betraying you and what to do about them - I asked if he was referring to anyone specific, Viconia got defensive, and he pretty blatantly stated that drow only serve their dark goddess...but the conversation bugged there and only gave me 'NO VALID RESPONSE 001' as my reply. Nothing happened and it ended the chat.

[Mx.Silver]

By the BG1 NPC mod, are people referring to this?

That's the one. Even if you aren't big on the conversations they've, it does actually let you recruit some of the late game NPC earlier (so you might actually see some use out of them).

Will that mod work for a game already in progress?

I don't think so. The read me will probably be able to answer that for definite.

Also, is it safe to install that mod for BGT after the Unfinished Business mods, BG2tweaks and Sword Coast Stratagems?

It should be, yes.

[Johnny Blade]

By the BG1 NPC mod, are people referring to this?

Yes. In case you missed it, there's a separate music download to go along with it.

Will that mod work for a game already in progress? Also, is it safe to install that mod for BGT after the Unfinished Business mods, BG2tweaks and Sword Coast Stratagems?

It should work with a game in progress, but I personally wouldn't risk installing it over existing mods. I know there are some conflicts between a quest added by the NPC Project if you bring Jaheira to the Cloakwood and SCS' Shadow Druid component, which cause the quest to break. You can fix it with console commands, but it's still annoying.
I can't think of anything else that could cause problems, but I don't exactly know every mod component by heart, so that's not saying much. Like I said, I wouldn't risk it.


In general, I recommend this for any kind of multi-mod games. It is intended for the absolutely horrible Big World Project, but you don't need to go with that (and really, you shouldn't) and can instead customize which components of which mods are installed and let the program take care of spotting conflicts and determining installation order.


EDIT: Aaaand partly ninja'd.

[Starbuck_II]

I've grown to like Nerra, I ran into a basilik do I had Nerra cast Protection from Petrification with Reckless Dweomer spell (I don't prepare that spell regularly so only way to cast it is with Reckless) but her surge? Everyone in party got the buff.
Right after Mutamin attacked (arcane caster with 2 pet basiliks), he was only tough guy with his acid arrows.

Without thier stone gaze, the basilik isn't that bad.

[Squark]

Aren't that bad? Without their petrification, Basilisks are fantastic for grinding. All you really need is a 3rd-5th level melee character to quaff a potion of protection from petrification, and they can clear the entire basilisk graveyard themself.

[Winthur]

Aren't that bad? Without their petrification, Basilisks are fantastic for grinding. All you really need is a 3rd-5th level melee character to quaff a potion of protection from petrification, and they can clear the entire basilisk graveyard themself.

Korax good dog, yes, good dog

[Scorpina]

I just got to the bottom of Nashkel mines, and recruited Xan. The past bajillion or so times I've got so far in Baldur's Gate I've done so in BGTutu with BG1NPC Project installed, and so I was able to send people I ditched from my party to wait in an inn.

It turns out in BG;EE I can't do that.

So now I have to leave someone at the bottom of the mine, never to be seen again, or start the whole game over.

Argh.

[Mx.Silver]

I just got to the bottom of Nashkel mines, and recruited Xan. The past bajillion or so times I've got so far in Baldur's Gate I've done so in BGTutu with BG1NPC Project installed, and so I was able to send people I ditched from my party to wait in an inn.

It turns out in BG;EE I can't do that.

So now I have to leave someone at the bottom of the mine, never to be seen again, or start the whole game over.

Argh.

Yep. Welcome to the original Baldur's Gate experience. Still, you can actually go back into the mines to get them again later. Whereas if you'd been trying to recruit Yeslick things can well end-up being a bit more... final. as Garrik found out the hard way when I first played the game. Poor boy.

[Scorpina]

Yep. Welcome to the original Baldur's Gate experience. Still, you can actually go back into the mines to get them again later. Whereas if you'd been trying to recruit Yeslick things can well end-up being a bit more... final. as Garrik found out the hard way when I first played the game. Poor boy.

Really? I thought the Nashkel Mines were one of the areas where NPCs who were left there vanished after you left the map; I know the Gnoll Stronghold is that way, as I ended up losing Minsc and Dynaheir forever in one of my early playthroughs.

[Mx.Silver]

Really? I thought the Nashkel Mines were one of the areas where NPCs who were left there vanished after you left the map; I know the Gnoll Stronghold is that way, as I ended up losing Minsc and Dynaheir forever in one of my early playthroughs.

I think you can anyway, although bear in mind I haven't really played original BG in over a decade so I may just be remembering it wrong.

[ThiagoMartell]

Well, leaving people behing in BG1 is hardly worth anything. The characters are mostly plain, unfortunatelly.

[Kish]

Really? I thought the Nashkel Mines were one of the areas where NPCs who were left there vanished after you left the map; I know the Gnoll Stronghold is that way, as I ended up losing Minsc and Dynaheir forever in one of my early playthroughs.

The gnoll stronghold is not that way. No area in the game is that way; if you can go back to an area, you can retrieve anyone who left the party on good terms there.

On the other hand, if you tell Dynaheir when you first meet her that you don't want her to join you, without her ever actually being in your party, she (and Minsc if he's with you) shrugs and goes...Elsewhere. Maybe back to Rashemen, but certainly nowhere you'll see her again.

Similarly, if you take Xan in your party and dump (say) Garrick for him, and Garrick's not already unhappy with you, Garrick will just hang around at the bottom of the mine. If you tell Xan you don't want him to join you, he'll take his moonblade and walk out of your life.

[ThiagoMartell]

The gnoll stronghold is not that way. No area in the game is that way; if you can go back to an area, you can retrieve anyone who left the party on good terms there.

On the other hand, if you tell Dynaheir when you first meet her that you don't want her to join you, without her ever actually being in your party, she (and Minsc if he's with you) shrugs and goes...Elsewhere. Maybe back to Rashemen, but certainly nowhere you'll see her again.

Similarly, if you take Xan in your party and dump (say) Garrick for him, and Garrick's not already unhappy with you, Garrick will just hang around at the bottom of the mine. If you tell Xan you don't want him to join you, he'll take his moonblade and walk out of your life.

You know, the moonblade animation is so freaking cool! I initially kept Xan just because of it, but then I grew increasingly fond of the guy. Really wish he was in BG2.

[Mx.Silver]

You know, the moonblade animation is so freaking cool! I initially kept Xan just because of it, but then I grew increasingly fond of the guy. Really wish he was in BG2.

Yeah, I still remember him fondly from my very first BG playthrough, the way he would periodically make fun of Adjantis and his sniping at Edwin during the Gnoll Stronghold. Good times.

[Squark]

You know, the moonblade animation is so freaking cool! I initially kept Xan just because of it, but then I grew increasingly fond of the guy. Really wish he was in BG2.

Enough people agreed with you that there's a mod for that, complete with Romance arc for Female Elves and Half-Elves. You can either continue the romance arc started in BG1 NPC Project, or there's a romance arc that starts in BG2 and assumes you didn't romance him in BG1.

EDIT: Link to aforementioned mod.

[Johnny Blade]

I have never seen it, but I can only imagine a Xan romance to be a horrible train wreck.
I mean, I like him, but it's a joke character, why even write a romance?

It's almost as weird as one for Minsc would be.



By the way, you can get the Moonblade animation for all kinds of flaming swords from the One Pixel Productions mod. 1PP is great in general.

[Starsign]

It's almost as weird as one for Minsc would be.

Well for the protagonist maybe, but why not one for Aerie or Nalia (Ugh, Nalia... ) in BG2? I think that would make more sense and I wouldn't be surprised if there's a mod that expands on their relationships.