BG2 Fixpacks

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hello, i just wanted to check in with you folks before i start my bg2 games, since for some reason the IE games are touchy on my computer.

i'm looking to play BG2 as close to the "original spirit" of the game, so the only mods i'm interested in are bugfixes and such. basically, i just am looking for a pure BG2 experience, but without inconsistencies, crashes and such.

in light of this, is the only non-official mod needed in this regard the fixpack by the gibberlings3? it seems to be pretty comprehensive. or is the SP-fixpack and the baldurdash ToB fixpack(i will be playing a new game, but with everything installed) needed as well?

thank you!

 

Baldurdash TOB fixpack and G3 site's BG2 fixpack should not be installed together. You should install only one of them.

If you want pure fixes, Baldurdash is recommended, but if you also want additional changes in the game which depend on the modders' tastes, then you can go for BG2 fixpack.

 

I feel I should make some clarifications:

The G2 Fixpack is designed to supersede all previous fixpack. It fixes all bugs fixed by other fixpacks, including Baldurdash and the SP fixpack. In addition to the "core fixes" component, there are a few optional components which are more subjective fixes. As I mention these are optional--if you feel they're valid fixes then use them; if not then simply install the core fix component and your game is already more fixed than Baldurdash.

Baldurdash itself included some dubious "fixes"--which I won't mention here to avoid spoilers, since it appears you are a new player--spuriously altering a quest, suggesting connections not hinted at in the unmodded game.

The G3 fixpack does not include this change, and the core component really is fixes. The fixes are documented, and as the fixpack is actively maintained and clearly documented if people disagree with the definition of a fix it is possible to move it out of the core component and into one of the optional ones (something which, I believe, has already happened: discussion is welcome). The G3 fixpack "core component" is more "pure fixes" than Baldurdash, and is cleaner from a code point of view.

In summary you should use the G3 BG2 Fixpack, and you won't need any others. More information is given on the mod's page: http://www.gibberlings3.net/bg2fixpack/

 

Well, changing pirates' alignments form Neutral to Lawful Evil is not something I would call "pure fix", nor is it something I would agree with. (and it's not optional in the fixpack)

 

If alignment changes which have been made are thought to be unsuitable, then the Fixpack team are happy to hear your suggestions. And as I've mentioned, changes which people have disagreed with have been reverted in the past--it is an entirely open process.

Would you not expect a murderous pirate to take damage from a Holy Smite spell, or be revealed by Detect Evil?

Would you expect Irenicus to be Chaotic Good, as some version of his files are listed as in the unmodded game?

[ September 27, 2006, 18:42: Message edited by: Andyr ]

 

thank you both for the clarification.

i will be using the gibberlings fixpack, although i couldn't resist the description of the anniversary mod "pub crawl" even though i'm trying to keep the game as "pure" as possible.

beyond the G3 fixpack (and anniversary mod), might there be any other mods i should keep an eye out for, keeping in mind that i'd rather experience the game as close to the original as possible (without the bugs, oversights, etc.?)? or am i pretty much set to experience the world of bg2?

thanks again!

 

Not all pirates (or people for that matter) that commit murder are (aligned) evil. And pirates, imo, I wouldn't label as Lawful anything.

Unfinished Business, found about halfway down the link page, is supposed to put in things that were cut from the game.

 

Try Unfinished Business over at PPG. It aims to restore a number of quests, items, etc. that the developers cut due to time constraints. I should mention not to install the 'Restored Minor Dialogues' component of UB, as it currently has an incompatibility with the Fixpack. It's slated to be fixed for the next (UB) release. Outside of that, it'll work dandy.

 

... and the next UB will hopefully come soonish, when Cliffette and I get free time back.

 

Question for Sikret:

I just finished reinstalling everything from scratch (I was running into a few minor glitches which I think were a result of too many mod uninstall/reinstalls). I used the G3 Tweakpack (which includes the G3 Fixpack) rather than Baldurdash. (And a big "thank-you" to CamDawg for your answers to my questions on the G3 forums ).

I'm still toying with the idea of installing Improved Anvil, but I just noticed that it requires Baldurdash, and is incompatible with the G3 Fixpack. WTF? Are you planning on making changes to IA to ensure compatibility with G3? Or is this the result of basic unresolvable programming issues?

 

Err. Tweaks and Fixpack are distinctly different projects, and there's no overlap of content between them.

Sikret listed IA as incompatible with Fixpack because the release at that time (Beta 2) was consuming the Symbol of Amaunator as a door key. The Symbol is an IA upgrade component, hence the listing. Beta 3 (current FP release) no longer does this.

It's my understanding that Sikret lists the old BD as recommended because it's what he has tested IA against. I do not believe there's any IA-FP incomatibility (and I know at least one player who's using both without incident). If there are any issues, I can help resolve anything from the Fixpack end.

 

@Splunge:
As CamDawg said, the new version of BG2 fixpack is most probably compatible with Improved Anvil. See the last two posts on this topic as well.

 

Thanks CamDawg; I think I didn't explain myself very well (or maybe I'm a bit confused). I thought Tweak Pack included Fixpack, plus a number of other components. So I was assuming that if something was incompatible with Fixpack, it would also be incompatible with the Fixpack component of Tweakpack. But now I've just re-read the Tweakpack description, and I think I may have been wrong in thinking it included the Fixpack (there was a reference to the Fixpack that I think I misinterpreted, plus it refers to “fixes” which I took to mean the Fixpack.) So, assuming that I don't have the Fixpack installed, can I install it now? Or should I start from scratch again (based on your answer to my question in in G3 forum, I think I know the answer - :groan.

@Sikret - thanks!

 

A handful of the components from G3 Tweaks were removed in the transition to BG2 Tweaks, as they were incorprated into the Fixpack (i.e the fixed SoA worldmap). This may the source of confusion. The net result is that there shouldn't be any overlap between them, i.e. Tweaks is now really just Tweaks and Fixpack is really just fixes.

We drew upon a number of mods from the folks involved in creating it--Romance Fixes from the (now deprecated) Ease of Use, fixes from Kish's Oversight, bits from SimDing0's Tweaks, etc. etc.

As for install order, Fixpack should be your first WeiDU mod, i.e. wedged between the official patch and your other mods. (I'd mention non-WeiDU mods, but are there any left that haven't been converted?) Tweaks, OTOH, likes to be last. As it seems like you've only got WeiDU stuff involved, you cold try uninstalling all your mods and reinstalling them in the correct order. However, you know what fun re-ordering can do if you're trying to play from a saved game.