UltraMegaGiga Baldur's Gate 2

Lum · 10-23-2006, 11:55 PM

This is how I spent tonight. Hopefully by my leaving this post, if you follow in my wake, you will spend somewhat less sleepless hours pounding at install scripts.

My mission: to install what the Infinity Engine community calls "The Big Picture" - how to install EVERY major third party mod created for the Baldur's Gate series. Because, well, the original 100+ hours of content wasn't enough.

Note: I didn't actually install the FULL MEGA GARGANTUA HUGEOLA, because it's part of the integration of Baldur's Gate 1 into the BG2 engine and I personally hate low-level D&D and didn't want to have nail biting encounters with kobolds and large rats again. But if you want you can install that as well and play from level 1 to level AWESOME. I'm sure it'll only take you a few hours of tweaking ini files. If you're like me and don't want to replay BG1, follow the steps below.

Install Baldur's Gate 2
Install Throne of Baal
Install latest patch for Throne of Baal (http://www.bioware.com/games/throne_...patches/#patch)

Download the following to your BG2 directory, run and/or extract them, then run the file listed:

BG2 Fixpack (nitpicky balance-type fixes): http://www.camagna.net/g3mirror/BG2_Fixpack-Beta4.exe
Run the file Setup - BG2 Fixpack and install.

Shadows over Soubar (huge module): http://america.iegmc.net/sos-weidu/SoSv1.11.rar
Run the file Setup - SoS and install, including the Remorhaz Walking Fix, whatever the hell that is. Maybe they were quadroplegic remorhaz.

The Darkest Day (omgz huge module): http://america.iegmc.net/tdd-weidu/TDDv1.11.rar
Run the file Setup - TDD and install, including the TDD Character Kits, because you do actually want 50 extra character classes to choose from.

Check the Bodies (only a moderately huge module, slackers): http://america.iegmc.net/ctb-weidu/CtBv1.8.rar
Extract, then extract the following files in the directory as well before running:
http://america.iegmc.net/ctb-weidu/C...ixPack_Fix.rar
http://america.iegmc.net/ctb-weidu/C..._CtB_v1.8_.rar

Run Setup - CtB and install. It will prompt you to install Chores as well. Yes, as part of the new user experience YOU WILL BE DOING CHORES. Dear God, I'm not making this up. In fact I wasted three hours trying to uninstall this misbegotten idea before finding the fix below. Anyway, you do actually want to install Chores as welll. Then run Setup - CtB_FF. This adds a menu option to Gorion that lets you say no, I don't particularly want to make every bed in Candlekeep. (No seriously, they make you do that. You also have to milk cows. In return you get a special ability, I guess from the smallpox.) Anyway the mod itself is good, but whoever thought making you do household chores in an RPG was a good idea needs to either be shot or work for EA on the Sims 2 expansions.

ANYWAY. You think we are done? No we are not!

Tortured Souls (mod with even more character development - go find Yoshimo's parents and stuff)
http://america.iegmc.net/ts-bp/TS-BPv6.09.rar
Unpack and run Setup-TS-BP

The Big Picture (combines all of the above mods into one OMG GIGANTICUS package)
http://america.iegmc.net/bigpicture/BPv177.rar
http://forums.spellholdstudios.net/i...e=post&id=3901

Download both and extract. The second is a recent post that is a fix to BP 177 that unbreaks Throne of Baal pathfinding. Yes, they're still developing this, years later. Anyway, run Setup-BPv177 (it will take a while) and then run Setup-BPv177-TOBfix.

Worldmap (Gives you a map with all of the above in-game)
http://america.iegmc.net/worldmap/BP...ldmap-v6.3.rar

Download, extract, run Setup-BP-BGT-Worldmap. Select the Megasuperjujumix option, not the Tutu option (which is BG1). Go ahead and install the TOB map too, go nuts.

Finally, at some point where I lost count because I began drinking heavily, one of the above packages (I think Big Picture) included a GUI switcher for when you launch the game (each megasuperwhizzy mod has its own launch screen). Run Setup-GUI and pick the Tortured Souls option, because it lets you install the easier-to-read Icewind Dale font. Plus it puts Lulu in the game's splash screen, but I really don't know why, unless you save Lulu from Squall somewhere in CD 3.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure all of the above works, because I spent a good two hours of my life doing menial chores in Candlekeep.

Lum · 10-24-2006, 12:08 AM

Oh, and disable 3D support. At least on my current generation ATI card, BG2 hated it and flickered like a banshee wailing about FOUR DAYS OF ENFORCED CHORES. Disabling 3D support it ran fine.

Hans Lauring · 10-24-2006, 12:15 AM

Man, I loved BG2 but I still haven't finished Throne of Bhaal (it's on my todo list but those bastards keep making new games...) so doing this seems absolutely daunting.

no kids, I take it?

Lum · 10-24-2006, 12:36 AM

Beats me, they're fan-made mods so it's not like they care what the game's rating is. A lot of the skeevier BG2 mods (which I skipped on purpose) add "romance mods" so you can sex0r up different members of your party. Including your sister. Because the Internet? Has no shame.

I'd recommend at least finishing ToB, it's pretty good.

DrCrypt · 10-24-2006, 12:41 AM

"Including your sister. Because the Internet? Has no shame."

Different mothers, fathered by a deity. I seriously doubt there's any shared blood between them.

SqueakyFoo · 10-24-2006, 12:43 AM

So this thing is what, exactly? Play the BG1 story line through the Throne of Bhaal storyline with a few hundred thousand million side storylines in between all in the BG2 engine? If so, sounds intriguing...

Alan Au · 10-24-2006, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SqueakyFoo

So this thing is what, exactly? Play the BG1 story line through the Throne of Bhaal storyline with a few hundred thousand million side storylines in between all in the BG2 engine? If so, sounds intriguing...

I would totally do this is if I had, you know, an extra hour to play BG-TotSC-BG2-ToB every night for the next 2 years.

- Alan

SqueakyFoo · 10-24-2006, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Au

I would totally do this is if I had, you know, an extra hour to play BG-TotSC-BG2-ToB every night for the next 2 years.

minor details...

RepoMan · 10-24-2006, 01:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lum

Beats me, they're fan-made mods so it's not like they care what the game's rating is.

Um, I think he meant "you don't have kids, do you, Lum?"

I do and I get about 4 gaming hours PER WEEK. Actually, lately it's even less than that. And what am I doing? Obsessing about what NWN2 character I'm going to create. FUCK! I haven't even closed ONE Oblivion gate yet! (despite being like level 16 or something...)

Hans Lauring · 10-24-2006, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lum

Beats me, they're fan-made mods so it's not like they care what the game's rating is. A lot of the skeevier BG2 mods (which I skipped on purpose) add "romance mods" so you can sex0r up different members of your party. Including your sister. Because the Internet? Has no shame.

I'd recommend at least finishing ToB, it's pretty good.

I was trying for a quip.
I know about Lum's Other Half but I've never heard of the Spawn of Lum the Mad... so I'm assuming you have no kids what with a fulltime job and the 200+ hours needed to replay BG2, expansion and all those mods.

But I want to finish ToB (and Fallout 2 and ToEE and Vampire and KoTOR 1 + 2... but I just got Sid Meier's Railroads, Medieval: Total War 2, Company of Heroes, BF2142 and Caesar IV... and I still play CivIV and the expansion. Right now is not a time to have a life outside gaming)

Edit: And after hitting 'Post Quick Reply' I unpacked the envelope containing NWN2 (can anybody babysit my kids... and wife?)

foogla · 10-24-2006, 02:49 AM

I am sad. No love for Westley Weimer makey the foogla cry. :(

More stuff + harder battals + even harder battals.

HRose · 10-24-2006, 03:47 AM

Yeah, you miss a bunch of other critical BG2 mods (Ascension, Baldurdash).

I basically did the same, but the other way around.

BG1+BG2 seamless integration, along with a few BG2 core mods. And no user created content directly.

But I would be really interested if someone wrote impressions about those content mods, because I hate integrating stuff if I'm no sure it totally sucks (hence the decision to keep them out of my humongous game).

Lum · 10-24-2006, 05:30 AM

Ascension is built into the "Big Picture" mod, and the "BG2 fixpack" is the latest version of "Baulderdash".

Jamie Madigan · 10-24-2006, 05:38 AM

Man, I spent 150 hours or more on just BG2. Not even Thronw of Bahl. It was time well spent, but the thought of doing it all again PLUS humongous user created content makes me dizzy.

AndrewM · 10-24-2006, 05:54 AM

I recently started playing BG2 for the first time, but the thought of having to wade through all of that, just the base game, was too intimidating.

Aeon221 · 10-24-2006, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RepoMan

Um, I think he meant "you don't have kids, do you, Lum?"

I do and I get about 4 gaming hours PER WEEK. Actually, lately it's even less than that. And what am I doing? Obsessing about what NWN2 character I'm going to create. FUCK! I haven't even closed ONE Oblivion gate yet! (despite being like level 16 or something...)

Okay, this is sad. Just go buy a damn invisibility spell and DO THE DAMN THING. Just keep it up the entire time with recasting.

It works just like chameleon'd armor, but at 1/10th the cost and 1/10000 the feeling of lameness!

Rollory · 10-24-2006, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lum

The Darkest Day (omgz huge module):

You misspelled "suxx0r megabig module made by grammatical incompetents who think quantity replaces quality". Hope this helps!

bmp · 10-24-2006, 07:41 AM

I missed the boat on BG2, but noticed it is part of my new Gametap subscription, and feel it is time, especially since people call it one of the all time greats.

My question to those with Gametap, are you able to patch and mod like normal? Does it create a file structure and executables identical to the retail game or is it all obfuscated by some crazy proprietary nonsense? Or should I not even care on my first time out and just go with the vanilla?

RichVR · 10-24-2006, 08:15 AM

Just finishing ToB for the umpteenth time (this time as a blade). So I won't be playing BG2 again for quite a while...

...um...

What were those links again?

jeffd · 10-24-2006, 09:05 AM

amazon has BG2 + expansion for about 9 bucks.

Marcus · 10-24-2006, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffd

amazon has BG2 + expansion for about 9 bucks.

Both expansions?

Matt Perkins · 10-24-2006, 09:20 AM

As a D&D nerd, I can't go back to BG1 or 2. Why? Because it doesn't use the extremely superior 3.x ruleset. I know, it's a silly thing, but after playing with D&D as it is now, it's hard to go back to the broken version of D&D. :)

Kool Moe Dee · 10-24-2006, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus

Both expansions?

There was only one expansion for BG2.

MatthewF · 10-24-2006, 10:47 AM

Indeed.

RepoMan · 10-24-2006, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hanzii

Edit: And after hitting 'Post Quick Reply' I unpacked the envelope containing NWN2

<Kyle's mom>WhatwhatWHAT???</Kyle's mom>

Oh yeah, you're a reviewer, right? The rest of us have to wait until a week from now?

Kryten · 10-24-2006, 11:04 AM

We've had a release here of BG1+expansion & BG2+expansion on the same DVD - despite already owning BG2 it seems to be a pretty cheap way of acquiring the whole lot.....

unbongwah · 10-24-2006, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Perkins

As a D&D nerd, I can't go back to BG1 or 2. Why? Because it doesn't use the extremely superior 3.x ruleset. I know, it's a silly thing, but after playing with D&D as it is now, it's hard to go back to the broken version of D&D. :)

Yeah, I always hated 2nd edition D&D mechanics, so I could never get into the BG games, despite their merits. IWD 2 was the only Infinity Engine game to use the 3.x rules, IIRC. Now if someone made a mod to play BG using 3.x rules, that would get my attention... :-)

Matt Perkins · 10-24-2006, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unbongwah

Yeah, I always hated 2nd edition D&D mechanics, so I could never get into the BG games, despite their merits. IWD 2 was the only Infinity Engine game to use the 3.x rules, IIRC. Now if someone made a mod to play BG using 3.x rules, that would get my attention... :-)

It's all right, you only hated those mechanics because they were horrible, broken, and limited. Hence how the battles goes in most of BG2. :)

And yeah, I still go back and play IWD2 from time to time, even though BG2 was a superior game in many ways.

worm · 10-24-2006, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrCrypt

"Including your sister. Because the Internet? Has no shame."

Different mothers, fathered by a deity. I seriously doubt there's any shared blood between them.

It's a simple question. When you're the divine being in charge of all murder that happens in the realm, is bagging your sister that twisted? I mean it seems like what you'd expect.

I've meant to work towards getting past BGtutu, I'm not sure if I deleted it or not. The Shar-Teel romance was buggy if not interesting. I guess I'll try to export whatever the hell I was playing (skald?) into this mess of stuff Lum's posted. Sounds fun.

I do like that the geezers could bitch about how little time they have for fun now before the thread even took off.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rollory

You misspelled "suxx0r megabig module made by grammatical incompetents who think quantity replaces quality". Hope this helps!

lol rpgcodex

Bill Dungsroman · 10-25-2006, 12:29 AM

If you decide to play all those expansions there L00m, be advised: a lot of the lewt is pretty effing weak and you'll burn through most of your magic arrow/stone supplies if you're big on ranged weapons (and you'd better be, mister!).

Also, big expansions like TDD and SOS re-use old maps and I found their storylines sort of boring. It felt a little too same-same, IMO. With the largesse of gameplay available in BG2, I'd lean toward mods that improve the game in other ways.

10-23-2006, 11:55 PM	#1
Lum New Romantic Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Delirium, Texas Posts: 7,695	UltraMegaGiga Baldur's Gate 2 This is how I spent tonight. Hopefully by my leaving this post, if you follow in my wake, you will spend somewhat less sleepless hours pounding at install scripts. My mission: to install what the Infinity Engine community calls "The Big Picture" - how to install EVERY major third party mod created for the Baldur's Gate series. Because, well, the original 100+ hours of content wasn't enough. Note: I didn't actually install the FULL MEGA GARGANTUA HUGEOLA, because it's part of the integration of Baldur's Gate 1 into the BG2 engine and I personally hate low-level D&D and didn't want to have nail biting encounters with kobolds and large rats again. But if you want you can install that as well and play from level 1 to level AWESOME. I'm sure it'll only take you a few hours of tweaking ini files. If you're like me and don't want to replay BG1, follow the steps below. Install Baldur's Gate 2 Install Throne of Baal Install latest patch for Throne of Baal (http://www.bioware.com/games/throne_...patches/#patch) Download the following to your BG2 directory, run and/or extract them, then run the file listed: BG2 Fixpack (nitpicky balance-type fixes): http://www.camagna.net/g3mirror/BG2_Fixpack-Beta4.exe Run the file Setup - BG2 Fixpack and install. Shadows over Soubar (huge module): http://america.iegmc.net/sos-weidu/SoSv1.11.rar Run the file Setup - SoS and install, including the Remorhaz Walking Fix, whatever the hell that is. Maybe they were quadroplegic remorhaz. The Darkest Day (omgz huge module): http://america.iegmc.net/tdd-weidu/TDDv1.11.rar Run the file Setup - TDD and install, including the TDD Character Kits, because you do actually want 50 extra character classes to choose from. Check the Bodies (only a moderately huge module, slackers): http://america.iegmc.net/ctb-weidu/CtBv1.8.rar Extract, then extract the following files in the directory as well before running: http://america.iegmc.net/ctb-weidu/C...ixPack_Fix.rar http://america.iegmc.net/ctb-weidu/C..._CtB_v1.8_.rar Run Setup - CtB and install. It will prompt you to install Chores as well. Yes, as part of the new user experience YOU WILL BE DOING CHORES. Dear God, I'm not making this up. In fact I wasted three hours trying to uninstall this misbegotten idea before finding the fix below. Anyway, you do actually want to install Chores as welll. Then run Setup - CtB_FF. This adds a menu option to Gorion that lets you say no, I don't particularly want to make every bed in Candlekeep. (No seriously, they make you do that. You also have to milk cows. In return you get a special ability, I guess from the smallpox.) Anyway the mod itself is good, but whoever thought making you do household chores in an RPG was a good idea needs to either be shot or work for EA on the Sims 2 expansions. ANYWAY. You think we are done? No we are not! Tortured Souls (mod with even more character development - go find Yoshimo's parents and stuff) http://america.iegmc.net/ts-bp/TS-BPv6.09.rar Unpack and run Setup-TS-BP The Big Picture (combines all of the above mods into one OMG GIGANTICUS package) http://america.iegmc.net/bigpicture/BPv177.rar http://forums.spellholdstudios.net/i...e=post&id=3901 Download both and extract. The second is a recent post that is a fix to BP 177 that unbreaks Throne of Baal pathfinding. Yes, they're still developing this, years later. Anyway, run Setup-BPv177 (it will take a while) and then run Setup-BPv177-TOBfix. Worldmap (Gives you a map with all of the above in-game) http://america.iegmc.net/worldmap/BP...ldmap-v6.3.rar Download, extract, run Setup-BP-BGT-Worldmap. Select the Megasuperjujumix option, not the Tutu option (which is BG1). Go ahead and install the TOB map too, go nuts. Finally, at some point where I lost count because I began drinking heavily, one of the above packages (I think Big Picture) included a GUI switcher for when you launch the game (each megasuperwhizzy mod has its own launch screen). Run Setup-GUI and pick the Tortured Souls option, because it lets you install the easier-to-read Icewind Dale font. Plus it puts Lulu in the game's splash screen, but I really don't know why, unless you save Lulu from Squall somewhere in CD 3. Anyway, I'm pretty sure all of the above works, because I spent a good two hours of my life doing menial chores in Candlekeep.

10-24-2006, 12:08 AM	#2
Lum New Romantic Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Delirium, Texas Posts: 7,695	Oh, and disable 3D support. At least on my current generation ATI card, BG2 hated it and flickered like a banshee wailing about FOUR DAYS OF ENFORCED CHORES. Disabling 3D support it ran fine.

10-24-2006, 12:15 AM	#3
Hans Lauring How To Go Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Gamertag: Japrufrock Posts: 10,204	Man, I loved BG2 but I still haven't finished Throne of Bhaal (it's on my todo list but those bastards keep making new games...) so doing this seems absolutely daunting. no kids, I take it?

10-24-2006, 12:36 AM	#4
Lum New Romantic Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Delirium, Texas Posts: 7,695	Beats me, they're fan-made mods so it's not like they care what the game's rating is. A lot of the skeevier BG2 mods (which I skipped on purpose) add "romance mods" so you can sex0r up different members of your party. Including your sister. Because the Internet? Has no shame. I'd recommend at least finishing ToB, it's pretty good.

10-24-2006, 12:41 AM	#5
DrCrypt Social Worker Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Dublin, Ireland Posts: 3,934	"Including your sister. Because the Internet? Has no shame." Different mothers, fathered by a deity. I seriously doubt there's any shared blood between them.

10-24-2006, 12:43 AM	#6
SqueakyFoo Neo Acoustic Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 1,716	So this thing is what, exactly? Play the BG1 story line through the Throne of Bhaal storyline with a few hundred thousand million side storylines in between all in the BG2 engine? If so, sounds intriguing...

10-24-2006, 02:49 AM	#11
foogla Mad Chester Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Hamburg, Germany Posts: 1,278	I am sad. No love for Westley Weimer makey the foogla cry. :( More stuff + harder battals + even harder battals.

10-24-2006, 03:47 AM	#12
HRose Social Worker Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: http://twitter.com/MrSkimpole Posts: 4,529	Yeah, you miss a bunch of other critical BG2 mods (Ascension, Baldurdash). I basically did the same, but the other way around. BG1+BG2 seamless integration, along with a few BG2 core mods. And no user created content directly. But I would be really interested if someone wrote impressions about those content mods, because I hate integrating stuff if I'm no sure it totally sucks (hence the decision to keep them out of my humongous game).

10-24-2006, 05:30 AM	#13
Lum New Romantic Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Delirium, Texas Posts: 7,695	Ascension is built into the "Big Picture" mod, and the "BG2 fixpack" is the latest version of "Baulderdash".

10-24-2006, 05:38 AM	#14
Jamie Madigan Social Worker Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: St. Louis - Gamertag: hjmadigan Posts: 4,471	Man, I spent 150 hours or more on just BG2. Not even Thronw of Bahl. It was time well spent, but the thought of doing it all again PLUS humongous user created content makes me dizzy.

10-24-2006, 05:54 AM	#15
AndrewM Social Worker Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 4,121	I recently started playing BG2 for the first time, but the thought of having to wade through all of that, just the base game, was too intimidating.

10-24-2006, 07:41 AM	#18
bmp Good Shape Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 78	I missed the boat on BG2, but noticed it is part of my new Gametap subscription, and feel it is time, especially since people call it one of the all time greats. My question to those with Gametap, are you able to patch and mod like normal? Does it create a file structure and executables identical to the retail game or is it all obfuscated by some crazy proprietary nonsense? Or should I not even care on my first time out and just go with the vanilla?

10-24-2006, 08:15 AM	#19
RichVR Mad Chester Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 1,470	Just finishing ToB for the umpteenth time (this time as a blade). So I won't be playing BG2 again for quite a while... ...um... What were those links again?

10-24-2006, 09:05 AM	#20
jeffd New Romantic Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Bothell, WA Gamertag: S Holt Posts: 5,985	amazon has BG2 + expansion for about 9 bucks.

10-24-2006, 09:20 AM	#22
Matt Perkins Social Worker Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: wzrd on Steam/XBLA Posts: 4,410	As a D&D nerd, I can't go back to BG1 or 2. Why? Because it doesn't use the extremely superior 3.x ruleset. I know, it's a silly thing, but after playing with D&D as it is now, it's hard to go back to the broken version of D&D. :)

10-24-2006, 10:47 AM	#24
MatthewF New Romantic Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 5,923	Indeed.

10-24-2006, 11:04 AM	#26
Kryten Mad Chester Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Middle Earth GamerTag:Kryten NZ Posts: 1,385	We've had a release here of BG1+expansion & BG2+expansion on the same DVD - despite already owning BG2 it seems to be a pretty cheap way of acquiring the whole lot.....

10-25-2006, 12:29 AM	#30
Bill Dungsroman World's End Supernova Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Summit of Mt. Sexy Posts: 15,597	If you decide to play all those expansions there L00m, be advised: a lot of the lewt is pretty effing weak and you'll burn through most of your magic arrow/stone supplies if you're big on ranged weapons (and you'd better be, mister!). Also, big expansions like TDD and SOS re-use old maps and I found their storylines sort of boring. It felt a little too same-same, IMO. With the largesse of gameplay available in BG2, I'd lean toward mods that improve the game in other ways.

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UltraMegaGiga Baldur's Gate 2