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Thread: Baldur's Gate general
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2013-05-07, 09:35 PM (ISO 8601)
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Baldur's Gate general
Edit: Renamed the thread, because it appears to have gone so far off topic. Do we need a snappy name for this thread too?
The Baldur's Gate series is, to this day, still my favourite series of games ever. Once or twice a year, every year, I'd start up a new game at lvl 1 and play all the way through..until I moved out of home and never had time. I had the discs there on my desk to install, but never got back to it. A few days after I FINALLY did, I er...had an accident..and accidentally snapped some of them in half...
BG:EE never really filled that hole in my heart..probably because it lacks the NPC pack, and it doesn't include BG2 (yet). I could never find a reliable download either, or just never got to it. Well it's my birthday this weekend and I asked my husband for the BG compilation which sells pretty cheap these days. Anyone know of good mods for BG1/2? I know there was a pretty expansive mod community for this game, as dated as it is. I'm pretty excited to play this game again, if I can make a decision on if I want to play a fighter/mage again or something new for a change.
My favourites that I recall were the NPC packs (obviously), Unfinished Business and the Kivan BG2 mod.Last edited by Sajiri; 2013-05-19 at 02:36 PM.
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2013-05-08, 12:54 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
I'm partial to Weidu's mods for BG2, namely Ascension, Item Upgrade and Ease of Use. Haven't tried Tactics, but been hearing good things about it as well.
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2013-05-08, 07:12 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
Gamers Gate has the entire compilation, as well as the D&D Master Compilation, which is Baldur's Gate 1, 2, the expansions, Icewind Dale 1/2, Temple of Elemental Evil and Planescape: Torment. It's an awesome deal.
Anyway, Ascension is the best mod for making the game harder. I don't play BG2 without it. I also use the Item-Upgrade pack, the e-Series Scripts, Tashia Companion, Dungeon-B-Gone (It's an optional way through and I played a lot more BG2 than BG1, so I got tired of going through it.), Planar Sphere Teleport, which lets you teleport back there from anywhere, even in TOB. I also use Ease-of-Use, though mostly the stuff that shuts up Gather your Party and allows better stacking.
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2013-05-08, 07:51 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
The only mod I ever kept was DungeonBeGone.
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2013-05-08, 08:12 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
Just a question, have you played with the BG Trilogy or similar mods? If not, they're the obvious choice.
Apart from that, I think that there are some decent mods with class kits, so it might be worth it to sift through them and see if you find something interesting.My FFRP characters. Avatar by Ashen Lilies. Sigatars by Ashen Lilies, Gullara and Purple Eagle.
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2013-05-08, 09:57 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
I picked up electronic copies of the entire series from Good Old Games. I love being able to download and install them on any computer.
Item upgrades and Ease of Use are wonderful things. I also made fairly heavy use of GateKeeper and ShadowKeeper to tweak NPCs to what I felt they should have been (such as converting Minsc from a ranger into a barbarian/berserker). If you use TuTu or Trilogy, you can even apply kits in BG1.
I also recall a mod called Cromwell's Forge (or something along those lines) that allows you to design your own custom items. Like, say, an upgrade for the Silver Sword so that it's still useful when you get it and into ToB (I like to bring the enchantment up to +5 and remove the save versus insta-death, but bring the effect down to a 10% chance like the Ravager so it's not too good).
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2013-05-08, 11:29 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
PocketPlane.net has a really comprehensive mod list for all variations of the BG series.
I always enjoyed the Baldur's Gate Trilogy, combines everything in a nice neat package.
I use pretty much any bugfix/annoyance reducer mods I can find, as well as anything that can expand the characterization of party members I intend to recruit. This includes the Imoen Romance (friend track), Banter Pack, BG1NPCs, Flirt Pack (if Charname's LI is a vanilla one), and a character-specific mod if I'm planning to use the character (Using Imoen is a non-question).
Enhance Edition comes with most of the utility stuff pre-packaged. It's just a pity that vanilla BG1 is frankly a really boring game.
If you're interested, I could go into some detail on NPC mods I found worthy.Last edited by Calemyr; 2013-05-08 at 11:30 AM.
Spoiler: My inventory:
1 Sentient Sword
1 Jammy Dodger (I was promised tea)
1 Godwin Point.
Originally Posted by Kairos Theodosian
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2013-05-08, 11:50 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
I've always lamanted the inability to befriend Imoen. I tried that mod before but it always seems to cause issues with my BGT install. Something about the character files of Imoen being altered. In a BG2 only install, I've had no issues.
Do you know if they've fixed that particular issue?Last edited by Eldonauran; 2013-05-08 at 11:54 AM.
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2013-05-08, 12:07 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
Spoiler: My inventory:
1 Sentient Sword
1 Jammy Dodger (I was promised tea)
1 Godwin Point.
Originally Posted by Kairos Theodosian
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2013-05-08, 02:38 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
I used to always play with TuTu. I had an extensive amount of mods back then, but I can't remember them all, and I wasn't sure which mods added which (and frankly, I don't want them all again, I think I screwed my game up sometimes so just the ones I really want this time)
Bonus story, one time when I was reinstalling BG2, I was going through downloading a bunch of mods I'd used in the past just going by the name. I installed the Romantic Encounters mod, because for some reason I thought it was the one that added extra talks to the original LIs. It was also the first time I played with Unfinished Business I think, so when I first got out of Irenicus' dungeon and Ribald started hitting on me, I was confused, but thought it must be part of UB. There were a few more npcs hitting on me that went on before I started to wonder wtf was going on. I think it was around when I had both Yoshimo and Edwin wanting to come to my room the same night I had enough and started going through every mod to find out which one was doing it.
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2013-05-08, 02:51 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
Yeah, that mod caught my attention as well, because anything that adds to the story catches my attention and the LI (if one exists) is a major part of the story. Then I read what it did. Maybe it's just my personal dictionary, but a large number of unrelated potential one night stands hardly qualifies as "romantic" in my book.
Spoiler: My inventory:
1 Sentient Sword
1 Jammy Dodger (I was promised tea)
1 Godwin Point.
Originally Posted by Kairos Theodosian
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2013-05-08, 02:55 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
I always use Improved Hell Trials with BG2 to add neutral options to each of the trials. The Unfinished Business mod is worth getting too, it adds back in a whole range of cut content. I also tend to use the Solaufein romance mod, especially if I'm playing a female character and don't feel like giving therapy to Anomen.
Tactics and Ascension are nice, but also much harder than the basic game.Allergy advice: posts may contain traces of sarcasm
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2013-05-08, 03:04 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
I started reading through what encounters it added I remember. I saw Cyric and Sarevok in there...that one made me uncomfortable...I uninstalled the mod before I got that far with it though lol. Although some were amusing, like the return of Noober. (or was that UB..I know he *attempted* to hit on my character...didn't work out well)
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2013-05-08, 03:13 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
Spoiler: My inventory:
1 Sentient Sword
1 Jammy Dodger (I was promised tea)
1 Godwin Point.
Originally Posted by Kairos Theodosian
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2013-05-08, 03:16 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
I will admit, they weren't BAD or smutty. From what I recall and the 'adult content' warning on some of them in it's description, most of them were either just innocent flirting or fade to black. I just got annoyed about how many encounters there were in it. I suppose I wouldn't have seen so many if I didn't make it a habit of having every npc in my party at least once, and talking to every other npc I saw. I guess if you are okay with that, and you aren't playing a female character and dont want to see whatever the scene with your EVIL BROTHER was...it'd all work out well.
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2013-05-08, 03:24 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
Spoiler: My inventory:
1 Sentient Sword
1 Jammy Dodger (I was promised tea)
1 Godwin Point.
Originally Posted by Kairos Theodosian
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2013-05-08, 03:37 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
If you're adding character addition mods into the mix and don't mind playing evil (and staying inside during the day), Valen is a lot of fun.
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2013-05-08, 03:45 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
To quote George the Ogre from Yu Yu Hakusho: "I'm a purist, sir. Heroes all the way."
Now, I love being a bit of a troll, of course. If I have a choice between a smart a...leck remark and a heroic one, I will take it. If I can be sardonic or sarcastic or cynical or just plain sick of the game's fertilizer, I will do it. But when it comes to actually acting rather than talking, there's just no option.
There are a lot of good and/or interesting Mod NPCs for BG2, though. They just happen to be predominantly women, so my character is meant to balance the books somewhat.Spoiler: My inventory:
1 Sentient Sword
1 Jammy Dodger (I was promised tea)
1 Godwin Point.
Originally Posted by Kairos Theodosian
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2013-05-08, 09:11 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
I find the prescence of a Sarevok Romance Mod slightly disturbing. He and Anomen both end up with a serious case of Flesh to Stone in the second area of the Pocket Dimension, which I refer to as the Statue Garden.
I'm a big fan of Tashia because she's remarkably well written, and she's quite potent and the only sorceror companion I know of. Plus her tiger is cool.
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2013-05-09, 10:06 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
Kelsey is also a sorcerer and a very well written one. The fact that he's a merchant as well (as in he works for the family trading business when not adventuring, he doesn't sell you stuff) is a really good touch, because it colors his conversation and world view - he's professional, polite, and has a number of friends in Trademeet. It's just nice to see a character who's not just one thing. He's not just a sorcerer, he's a sorcerer with an actual life.
Spoiler: My inventory:
1 Sentient Sword
1 Jammy Dodger (I was promised tea)
1 Godwin Point.
Originally Posted by Kairos Theodosian
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2013-05-09, 12:23 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
I've played a few of those mods. UB is one of my favorites. The one where you can redeem Irenicus was good too.
One of my most memorable journeys through the game, I had Sarevok, Imoen, Minsc, Aerie and Viconia in the group. Main character was a Lawful Neutral Barbarian / Thief (shadowkeeper ftw). I made Imoen a Bard with a mod I had (level 1 npc, i think?). I think Skald fit her pretty well.Last edited by Eldonauran; 2013-05-09 at 12:25 PM.
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2013-05-09, 04:19 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
I did not realise you could change their class? I thought it was just kits and never bothered with those mods o_o wow, I remember I could never have my perfect party because the classes werent right, or doubling up...I'll have to look into that
Edit: Ahh I'm looking over the mod right now, how did I never know it existed like this?! I could finally build the party with npcs I LIKE and just give them little class changesLast edited by Sajiri; 2013-05-09 at 04:23 PM.
3DS friend code: 0748-2783-1667
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2013-05-09, 07:52 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
I always thought Kelsey was a woman. I guess I'll have to give him a go once I reach BG2.
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2013-05-10, 08:29 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
You should. He's one of the very few NPCs where there really isn't a downside. He's solid, well written, better voiced than half the vanilla NPCs, available early, has content all the way through to the end of ToB, manages to be suitably interesting without a lot of drama, and has a halfway decent personal questline.
Perhaps the most interesting thing, however, is that he can get into a romance with Imoen if Charname is male or simply not interested. I always find that adds to the story.
Frankly, I rank him with Imoen and Minsc - solid, fun, interesting characters that are just in my party by default and only ever removed for an explicit reason.Spoiler: My inventory:
1 Sentient Sword
1 Jammy Dodger (I was promised tea)
1 Godwin Point.
Originally Posted by Kairos Theodosian
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2013-05-10, 08:58 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
I'm sort of a purist towards keeping the classes that every NPC has, though that mod would make Nalia and Haer'Dalis something other than completely outclassed loads.
I myself have only played BG2 vanilla at this time, but I am looking into mods. Unfinished Business and BG Trilogy are the obvious ones. Ascension is also interesting for expanding ToB but I am turned off by the greatly increased difficulty. The original ToB was brutal enough for me!
Wow, I recall reading about that NPC before, but I didn't know he had content all the way through BG2 and it's expansion. I actually might give him a try next time I play.Last edited by Starsign; 2013-05-10 at 09:00 AM.
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2013-05-10, 09:38 AM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
I've you've ever used the DungeonBeGone mod to skip the intro level, the voice of Jasper St. Baird is JCompton, who wrote and acted Kelsey. The guy is good. Very good.
As for modding NPCs with different classes, I really like Level1NPC for two reasons:
1) They start at... you guessed it... level 1. With all the experience they would have had. That means you get to pick their evolution and late-game recruitments aren't crippled due to moronic auto-leveling.
2) A lot of the characters never really felt like they were given an appropriate (or effective) class. Some of them make sense even if they are not great (a bard kit focused on showmanship and flashy swashbuckling, Haer'dalis in a nutshell), but a lot of them are wasted opportunities. Imoen should either be a swashbuckler or a bard, depending on party balance, for instance, and Nalia should definitely be a swashbuckler (because I just don't see her being big on backstab). Also some mod NPCs, like Fade, should really have kits. A single-class, kit-less thief in BG2 is just a waste in my book.
Allowing the characters to be more in line with their actual nature doesn't strike me as damaging the purity of it, at least it doesn't to me. Now turning Edwin into an axe kensai/mage with 18s as far as the eye can see, or turning Minsc into a monk... that would just be wrong.Spoiler: My inventory:
1 Sentient Sword
1 Jammy Dodger (I was promised tea)
1 Godwin Point.
Originally Posted by Kairos Theodosian
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2013-05-10, 12:12 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
Why exactly *should* Imoen be a bard or Swashbuckler? This isn't like Mazzy where the character is clearly aimed at being a class they can't actually be mechanically (Minsc is also an example of this to a degree). I don't see anything in Imoen's character that suggests bard, and precious little that says swashbuckler.
Also, nothing wrong with Blades.Last edited by Mx.Silver; 2013-05-10 at 12:12 PM.
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2013-05-10, 12:25 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
I agree completely
2) A lot of the characters never really felt like they were given an appropriate (or effective) class. Some of them make sense even if they are not great (a bard kit focused on showmanship and flashy swashbuckling, Haer'dalis in a nutshell), but a lot of them are wasted opportunities. Imoen should either be a swashbuckler or a bard, depending on party balance, for instance, and Nalia should definitely be a swashbuckler (because I just don't see her being big on backstab). Also some mod NPCs, like Fade, should really have kits. A single-class, kit-less thief in BG2 is just a waste in my book.
Originally Posted by Mr.Silver
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2013-05-10, 12:53 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
Ah, so that's the voice of Jasper. Definitely have to try that.
And you're correct, a kit-less thief is pretty useless. A Single-class Assassin however, is death incarnate. Especially one proficient in Longswords. Why? The big pink Dragon killer. Double Damage and x7 backstab? Good bye.
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2013-05-10, 01:00 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: Baldur's Gate Mods?
Nothing wrong with Blades, I suppose, but they are quite frustrating, sacrificing their lore and pickpocket skills for some very good melee talents. I'd rather a plain bard, as they provide useful features beyond being able unhittable and being able to whiff ten times a round rather than 1.
As for Imoen, the question is about her personality, interests, and quirks. She is quick, clever, nice, and adores stories (particularly in BG1). She's just not bloodthirsty enough to be a backstabber, but would be playful, intelligent, and nimble enough to be a swashbuckler. A bard, on the other hand, combines her intelligence, magic, talent for mischief, and role as the focus of morale for the party, plus some additional weapon options. Either way she maintains consistency with her character, while being a little more interesting. If she'd ever been anything more than a dark horse stand-in, she would have been given a kit or some sort of trait. Even Tiax gets his ghast.
Mazzy, on the other hand, is stubbornly forcing the world to realize that halflings can be paladins - if not in name, then in deed. Making her a paladin tarnishes that awesomeness.
And a single-class swashbuckler is pretty awesome to, especially once you get "use any item" as a High Level Ability. High dex, kit-based AC bonus, a ring of protection, and red dragonscale armor? Yeah, try and hit me. I dare you. A really nasty fighter/thief in one fast-leveling class.Last edited by Calemyr; 2013-05-10 at 01:05 PM.
Spoiler: My inventory:
1 Sentient Sword
1 Jammy Dodger (I was promised tea)
1 Godwin Point.
Originally Posted by Kairos Theodosian