MODDING BASICS (by a fellow amateur), PART 2
Installation Preparations and Process: Mod Install Types
The installation of a mod is usually a bit more technical than installing an application, but still very simple. When you download a mod from its web origin, you're not downloading a little mini-application- nor even the mod itself. Instead what you're downloading is an extractor bundle. What you're looking to obtain from that extractor bundle are the key mod elements, not a single "playable" item. The primary mod files to look for aren't hard to identify: they're generally the same for every mod. They should consist of:
'[mod name]"
(folder)"setup-[mod name].exe"
"[mod name in all-caps].tp2"
"[mod name].DEBUG"
(may or may not be there)First you'll need to get those unextracted mod files into your game folder. So what you download is the extractor, not the mod items themselves, and what you'll need in your game folder must come
from those mod extractors. Thus the first part of the "installation" is primarily just extracting files to the game folder. The second part is to initiate the actual mod element selection and insertion process which I'll discuss later.
The extractor generally comes in one of two forms: a .zip/ .rar file or an installer .exe. You don't get a choice: it's up to the mod designer to package their mod one way or another. The former type usually opens (with winzip or winrar) to present you with exactly the items you need, and I find these to be the most pleasant extractor type because you can now simply extract the necessary items directly to your game folder, and you're done. You'll know if it's one of those types of extractors because, when you open the .zip/ .rar file, you'll find inside precisely the file types mentioned above.
Those are the mod files you'll be looking for to simply drag-and-drop or copy-paste from the extractor to your game folder. Do that and you're done with the first part of the installation: the extraction. To begin the mod element insertion phase, you then just double-click the "[mod name].tp2" to open a command prompt that leads you through which elements of the mod you're going to install.
But not all extractors are so simple. Sometimes the .zip/ .rar will open up to give you an installer .exe- so after extracting the .exe installer type to your game folder from the .zip/ .rar extractor, the former extractor becomes the latter. Most are one or the other.
The .exe installer type ostensibly offers you an easy path of installation, doing both the extraction and element insertion all for you, but I find this to be the more complicated version for reasons I'll explain in a moment. Once double-clicked in the game folder, it first extracts the necessary mod files to a designated directory, and then auto-initiates the "[mod name].tp2" file- whether you're ready to start selecting mod items for insertion into the game or not...
One important thing to remember with .exe installers is that when it prompts you for a directory into which to install the elements, the default folder that the installer application presents is not necessarily (and most often isn't) the folder you want to install to. In other words, don't just click "OK." Check the directory it has listed. This is one thing that makes the .exe type of extractor more of a bother despite seeming to do everything for you: you now must navigate through all the acknowledgments and browse for correct folder selection every time. Some installer .exe's make the folder in which the .exe is currently sitting become the default install folder, so if the installer .exe is sitting in the game folder, that can be at least a little more convenient, but most will prompt you to install in some nonexistent folder in the Programs folder or elsewhere. So be wary when dealing with .exe extractors to pay attention to the destination directory.
Another issue with all extractors is the clutter they cause. Once their job is done and you've extracted everything, there's no need to keep that the .zip/.rar or .exe installer file around in the game folder. Thus they end up making it harder to sort through your game folder to find something. Thus I create a folder for every downloaded extractor, named accordingly with the version listed in the title, and then put all those mod extractor folders in their own folder called "Mod Extractors..." Not sure if this makes me an organization freak, but it certainly simplifies things...
Installation Preparations and Process: Streamlining with Copy/PasteI will also here mention a step that is not necessary, but once again, if you plan on doing multiple installs, this step will make the reinstall(s) that much easier, and if you start off doing this, it will make future mod adds a cinch. I've done many reinstalls by now, and- weary of the time it can take to go through each extraction one-by-one- I've sought the most streamlined, simplified, and swift way to manage it.
Similar to the advantages of creating and working with a "clone" folder, you can also utilize a "Mod Collection" folder that contains all the mod files you'd otherwise be laboriously extracting into the game folder with every new install. First you get all the necessary mod files into the "Mod Collection" folder. When you've copy-pasted all the contents of your "clone" game folder back into the emptied main game folder, you can simply then copy-paste all the contents of your "Mod Collection" folder into the main game folder as well. Having already extracted every needed mod file once into the "Mod Collection" folder, you can now bypass the extraction process altogether and simply copy-paste from then on.
Creating the "Mod Collection" folder becomes slightly more complicated because of those .exe installer type extractors. In the case of the .zip/.rar extractors you can just drag-drop or copy-paste directly to the "Mod Collection" folder, and you've got all you need. With the .exe installer types, first you have to set the destination directory for the "Mod Collection" folder and let it start attempting to install the mod there. Of course, there is no game in the "Mod Collection" folder, so it won't be able to complete the mod item selection process that it attempts to auto-initiate. That's fine because the .exe installers always start by extracting the necessary mod files first, so it will have already done all it needed by the time it gets to that part. As it enters that stage, it will open up a command prompt as if to start offering the mod item selections, but instead it will "ERROR" out due to a failure to find the game's "dialog.tlk" file. Simply enter the key to abort the command prompt and check the "Mod Collection" folder to see that the needed files were indeed extracted there regardless.
Creating the "Mod Collection" folder
is an extra step, but it saves time in the long run by simplifying subsequent reinstalls. Any new mods need only be extracted once into that main "Mod Collection" folder. A further time-saver that utilizes those mod files will be discussed later.
Of course, you could use the "clone" folder as the dumping ground for the mod files, first extracting to the "Mod Collection" folder to get the proper files and then copy-pasting those "Mod Collection" files to the "clone" folder. Thus when you copy-paste from the "clone" folder to the game folder, you'll be transferring both the game files and mod files from the "clone" folder all at once, saving one copy-paste step. But I prefer to micromanage at least that much, keeping segregated the mod files from game files until the final reassembly. If you accidentally start a mod's installer and "corrupt" your cloned game, you'll have to delete everything, segregating out the mod files anyway, and redo the game files. That's a bit more bother than I want to risk, so I just keep them separate. If you keep them separate and want to remove mod files from the group of them you have, you also run no risk of deleting main game files with them, and you can always distinguish mod files from game files that way. And it keeps the "clone" folder more of a perfect "clone."
You might also want to create two separate "Mod Collection" folders- one for EasyTutu, one for BGT- because the mod assortment will be different between them given that some mods work for one and not the other, or some mods have separate versions for each, but that will add more space to your hard drive. Note that the WeiDU.exe should be put into the "Mod Collection" folder with all the mods to be part of the copy-paste group transferred to the game folder.
Installation Preparations and Process: Hotfixes and PatchesOnce you've extracted everything you need to your game folder or "Mod Collection" folder, this would be the moment to apply hotfixes and patches to the mods that require it. These are the "fixes" that were offered by the mod creator due to issues with the mod that warranted immediate redress but aren't part of the official mod files. The "fixes" will usually be included in the next version release of the mod, but mod creators tend to release the official versions only after significant content has been added or changed rather than simply to address one issue, so the fix/ patch is usually a temporary remedy until that next version. Keep in mind that not all mods require such fixes. Out of 80 mods I've been experimenting with only a few required such "fixes."
You'll know if the mod you use requires a hotfix or patch by checking out the forum page of the mod where you're downloading it. It may also be listed on the download page. In order to be sure you're not missing a needed hotfix or patch, it's recommended to periodically check back at the official forum for each mod to ensure you've got the latest version and/ or hotfix and stay current with new developments. This isn't so much a chore, given that new versions of the mod mean potentially interesting new content and options. New versions may also have more or better features and/ or fix bugs in earlier versions or even address inter-mod compatibility issues. Plus it's better to get the hotfix or patch applied
before starting a game with the buggy version, especially since you may not know that it was that particular mod that's causing the bug, and in any case, it's better not to have to reach a "fatal" bug after hours of gameplay and have to "fix" it then and start over.
As an added plus, applying the hotfixes/patches to the mod files directly after extracting the mod files into the "Mod Collection" folder makes certain that the mod files being repeatedly copy-pasted with each reinstall are always up-to-date and free of issues. And this way once again you'll only need to apply them once.
The way most hotfixes work is by a simple drag-drop. After downloading the hotfix, you look in your mod files for the file that is identical to the one that has been hotfixed. It may be the "[mod name]" folder itself or a file inside that folder. You then simply take the downloaded hotfixed file or folder and drag-drop it wherever the original version is. You'll be prompted as to whether you wish to overwrite the existing files, and you should click "OK." That's it- hotfixed. A patch may come as an .exe which you simply run. It does all the patching by itself.
Installation Preparations and Process: Mod Item SelectionOnce you've extracted the necessary mod files and have "hotfixed" them, then copy-pasted them into your game folder (after copy-pasting the clone material), you then begin the mod element selection process with the double-click of the "[mod name].tp2" mentioned previously for each and every mod (or use the .bat process I describe later). You are presented with the command prompt where you'll be asked to make selections.
The first selection is universally language. English is a standard, but others do appear, depending on the mod. Then it follows with which mod elements you wish to have implemented in the game. You simply follow the questions to complete it, and it makes the necessary game alterations or additions with each selection you make at the command prompt until the selections are complete and it prompts for a finish. There are plenty of mods that have only one element, so there is only thing to choose- often simply to install it or not. Others have a large number of elements and you have to choose between different options for how that game element will (or won't) be changed.
Another consideration to take into account is that you can install only portions of a mod if that's an option. Even the mods that have a plethora of different components to choose from do not require you to approve any. You could even select only one of 50 that you like, though it is true that some mods have a main component that must be installed to enable any of the other components. One rule to apply when selecting components is to limit the installation of modding of a particular type- such as say, spell modding or item modding- to a single mod- i.e., rather than using several mods to change spells or avatar appearance. This can limit the possibility of one mod corrupting the same content being modified by another mod and causing bugs. The proper mod install order can often ensure such overwrites are done properly, but you're safer to simply stick to one mod for one particular element change. Also- as was mentioned before- you may need to install one component of a mod, then install components of other mods, and then return to the first mod for more components. The mod Item Revisions, for example, involves this, but that mod's readme explains this better than I will here.
Recommended Mods
Mods generally fit into one of several categories: NPC mods, item mods, store mods, quest mods, and rules and tweak mods. However, many mods incorporate several of those together, particularly the quest mods which often throw in an NPC of their own, an extra store, and plenty of items. I'm not going to discuss any particular quest mods because I've not yet found one that works well with the BG game. Most of them more or less work, but the majority tend to add an excess of overpowered magic items as well as unrealistically overpowered enemies that otherwise should not be cohabiting a world with the BG that was released by the developers. The only one worth mentioning at the outset is
Call of the Sirines because it is much smaller-scale and adds an otherwise reasonable amount of XP and treasure without detracting from the main game experience. (Of course, this is only my opinion.)
There will be plenty more mods that others will consider more worthy of recommending than I do below- or simply think should be added as essentials (and I may end up doing so later by editing this post) but for now I'm just going to limit myself to listing mods I consider most essential. Mind you that the mods I list are
not mentioned in proper mod install order (which will vary somewhat anyway between Tutu and BGT, mind you), but rather from the most popular and well-tested to more obscure but worth a mention. The ones I'll list are also among the more stable.
Preliminarily though I'll provide these links to the main BG mod download sites (or rather Infinity Engine sites) where these and many more mods can be found and downloaded- as well as the mods' forums be found and perused:
The Gibberlings ThreeSpellhold Studios (look for the "Infinity Engine Mods" tab on the left side)
The Pocket Plane Group (also a list along the left side and some down the center, but this
page is best)
WieDU Mods (from Weimar)
Team BG list (large list that also includes mods from the above lists)
Le Mods:
Sword Coast Strategems I &
IIThese mods by DavidW (aka "the SCS folks") are the best one I know given how well they address issues of creature AI in the game and provide related options for the game. Vanilla BG has some serious "cheese" regarding combat given that creatures will simply stand there stupidly while you kill the creature next to them simply because they don't see you. These mods make the fights more challenging, but not by adding extra magic items or superpowers to everything- such as a lot of quest mods do or the mod Tactics, but by simply making foes react more realistically to combat situations- which is in turn more challenging. The mods have many extra component options: several battles can be made more tactically challenging, and there are a number of other smaller components useful in this mod worth looking at, but everything is very easy to tailor to your own preferences. SCS I is for BG1, SCS II is for BG2, though both are used if employing BGT.
WidescreenThe screen size of Vanilla BG is very small. Your party in BG can see in an oval shape around it, but that oval exceeds the boundaries of the original screen size, so you can easily miss things. With a wider screen base you can utilize the benefits of your own widescreen and better resolution, able to see the entirety of the visibility oval. The original screen is also more square than a widescreen, so you won't be able to fill the screen without flattening the images, but you can expand the vertical borders to the max and have a significant improvement that way.
One Pixel ProductionsThere are a number of different mods involved in this project, but essentially you're able to get an improved appearance to both your moving game avatar and the static "doll" in your inventory screen. The BG dwarf and gnome female appearance is in vanilla BG the same as the male, but there is one mod in the bunch that creates a female dwarf/ gnome. Just beware that not all of those mods get installed together at the same time in a mod order- or at least the recommendations vary. There are a couple other avatar changers like Moinesse's Avatars which do work, but as I mentioned, it's best to limit yourself to one mod for each
type of change, even if you could actually combine such mods without issue.
BG1 NPC ProjectThe NPCs in BG1 aren't given the same amount of dialogue as those in BG2 by the original game designers. This mod does a very professional-looking job at providing interesting (or amusing) dialogues that emerge during gameplay both between the NPCs and your character and between one NPC and another- even between an NPC you recruit to your party and either another NPC you recuit or simply another NPC you meet up with- even an NPC enemy about to go hostile on you. The interactions could come as a result of an event that transpires, a change that occurs (like Reputation improvement), or an area the party enters. There is also a nice musical mod to accompany this one that plays specific tracks for each normal recruitable BG NPC, overlapping any normal BG music going on when you're speaking with them. Another component allows you to initiate the dialogue yourself if you're not content to let it occur by prompting..
BG2 Tweakpack (also known as BG2 Tweaks) and
aTweaksThe range of different components in these two well known mods is too great to detail here. They're essentially general mods to tweak or add to various aspects of the game- items, stores, map notes, game mechanics, area-related content, etc. The mods enable a wide variety of very specific game tweaking, ranging between outright cheats and cosmetic changes. Like a quest mod these two- especially the BG2 Tweakpack- affect many different game aspects and should be used with particular attention to the content of other mods. There are other tweak mods- plenty- some of which have been displaced by these two directly- but these are the most prominent (besides the ones mentioned earlier specifically for Tutu and BGT.)
Rogue RebalancingThis mod has different components that add extra class kits for thieves and bards, provides a new system for thief pickpocketing failures that replaces mortal combat with a reputation loss if you're caught, applies PnP DnD (paper and pencil Dungeons and Dragons) rules to thief skills, etc.
Item RandomizerWhen you know exactly where every major magic item is going to be, you end up playing differently than when you truly were discovering the game as you went along. This mod relocates a lot of the key magic items on a random basis to and from stores, enemy NPCs, easter egg spots, etc., so you'll have to search everywhere anew to find the magic items you'd otherwise grown accustomed to obtaining in the same encounter every time. You also have the option of randomly losing any number of those magic items or found scrolls from the game, not knowing until the end if they'd ever show up.
Spell RevisionsThis mostly just shakes up the whole spell system, providing better game balance and more reasonable spell limits and uses. It does have a
hotfix as of 3/2011.
Gavin NPC (for BG1... I haven't tested the
Gavin BG2 yet, but it's by the same modder, so it should be good, and if you're going to have him in BG1, you may as well include him in BG2)
I've had enough fun with this mod that I want to recommend it. It's a well-done extra NPC for BG1 which can also be introduced into BG2. There is plenty of dialogue, some questing involved, and even a romance option (though I haven't explored that one). It's probably one of the better NPC mods that you can use with both BGT and Tutu that's been around a while.
Hard Times for Tutu and
BGTPlenty of mods exist to make the BG experience more challenging. This one does so by nerfing or removing items that are typically overpowered in the early BG1 areas, relocating the early-on, easy-to-encounter items instead randomly to bosses, making the prices of the early stores much more difficult to afford, and increasing the items that can shatter due to the iron shortage to include armor and shields. It's supposed to reflect the economic crisis in the area and does indeed keep you struggling financially, but more than anything it simply removes the ability to use items (or at least BG-native items) to powergame through the story.
Item RevisionsThis is one of those mods that is best installed by putting one component in one part of the install order and others in another part of the install order. The main component goes fairly early on- everything else much later. In fact, you can simply leave out the main component altogether while still using everything else or visa versa, but for sure the main component affects game items in its own particular way, so it is probably best to use it without other item changer mods. The main component does a large overhaul of general BG1 & 2 items, tweaking for game balance and character, while the rest of the components have interesting options like allowing spellcasting in armor with penalties or chance of failure. This mod also has a
hotfix as of 3/2011.
Level1NPCsIf you like the NPCs but find their attribute points poorly distributed or would rather make, say, Jaheira a druid rather than fighter/druid, this mod makes it possible before you even meet the NPC in the game. There is also a component that enables you to open weapons proficiencies to all classes. BG's proficiency system is a very arbitrary, heavy-handed attempt at maintaining game balance between the classes- forcing clerics to not wield swords, preventing thieves from using longbows, etc.- and this is a chance to open that up. Note that as of 3/2011 this mod has a number of bugs, so the proficiency system doesn't work entirely well, and NPCs cannot be given all classes even though the option is there. Nevertheless smaller changes do work, and it is a popular mod.
Ashes of EmbersThere are a few components that constitute this mod, but the main one that the mod is used for is one that opens up proficiency options for all classes as the component in Level1NPCs. It does it in a different way (which I msyelf can't explain) and may be less bugged than Level1NPCs' version as well.
Unfinished Business for BG1My experience with BG2 is too limited to say anything about
UB for BG2, but this mod does add a number of quests both amusing and interesting to the BG1 world, particularly the earliest chapters, ostensibly modeled on content that was originally designed for the game anyway by the developers but left out in the release. It tends to shovel a lot of extra XP into one's coffer, however, so be forewarned.
Generalized BiffingI'm not certain that this is doing my game much good, but it has had proven results with others, and it's a good idea regardless. Essentially it just enables your game to function more smoothly by compressing sections that otherwise get pored over constantly in-game, potentially causing game slow-down. There is also an option to use it on your entire game, but since the mod was created by thebigg, and the install recommendation for a partial compression is also made by thebigg, I figured I'd do the partial.
TutuGUIAlthough it's got "Tutu" in the title, it works for either Tutu or BGT. If you use either Tutu or BGT you'll end up having the same game screen appearance and format as BG2- i.e., the brown window surrounds with the snaking vine-like decor. I prefer the original gray stone look, and this mod lets you retain it while using Tutu or BGT. There are other mods that create different GUI appearances, but TutuGUI is specifically for retaining the semblance of BG1.
Building and Using a Batcher
I've attempted previously to offer modding suggestions that make the reinstall process easier. There is another one which suttree introduced me to as well that requires a bit of preliminary work but which can help immensely toward simplification and time-reduction during the install process: batching. There is a webpage by ronin that explains the process
here, but I found that there is more to the process than mentioned there, so I'd rather do my own explaining.
Every time you start a new round of modding BG from scratch, you have to go through each mod install one by one. This means you end up seeing command prompt after command prompt, selecting between the same components that you already did in an earlier install, and it gets tedious and time-consuming, especially when you're going to select almost the same components every time anyway. The batcher enables you to open a single command prompt only and- ostensibly anyway- click start and simply watch the process be done for you. All the mods on the batcher's list will be installed automatically. It doesn't increase the speed of installs, but it shortens the time significantly because you no longer have to keep clicking "setup-[mod name].exe"'s and sorting through components one by one. For me this is a dramatic improvement since it reduces the process to a mere wait on an automated process rather than a lot of bother with reading through and selecting components.
To create a batcher file you simply create a regular .txt file (from Notepad, EditPad, etc.) and then replace the ".txt" suffix with ".bat". You'll be prompted with a warning about changing extensions, but just click ok. You can name the file anything, but since it tends to be used in conjunction with the WeiDU.log, I find naming it "WeiDU Batcher" puts the file where I can find and work with it most easily. (The "W" tends to put it right at the bottom of the folder next to WeiDU.) Keep in mind that a .bat file starts the install process when you double click it, so avoid doing so until you're actually ready to run it. In order to get into the .bat for editting you instead need to right-click it and scroll down the menu to "edit."
The ronin .bat has an elaborate initial section but it's all for show. All you need to include in the .bat initially is, first, a title line (which is actually also optional) that gets ignored by the install function by using "rem" at the start of the line; and, secondly, a "pause." The pause creates a prompt at the installation command prompt that asks "Hit any key to continue" or some such. Having one is important because you may end up double-clicking the .bat by accident after all and starting the .bat installation run before you want to- or in a location you didn't want. The preliminary pause gives you the chance to abort the process before it starts the actual installation.
The next section of a .bat is simply a list of every mod you're going to use in the order of installation, mentioning after every mod exactly which components you want it to install, separating each component number by a space. To populate the list you will need to consult the WeiDU.log you created when you made your first install. Thus you can't really populate a .bat file until you've already gone through the "setup-[mod name].exe" installs one by one at least once. Actually you could look off of the WeiDU.logs of others who have posted them since many mod component entries in those logs include a title and/or description that can identify the one you're looking for. Allegedly you could also look into the .tp2 file in case the modder included component numbers there somewhere, but I haven't been able to verify that, and the process may be even more time-consuming that way. The easiest process for me has been simply to install by the usual laborious method all the mod components I'll ever want once in order to generate the WeiDU.log list that ennumerates each component. Then I just use the populated WeiDU.log to obtain the component numbers found there.
To demonstrate, here is an example of a WeiDU.log after installing components of the mods Rogue Rebalancing, aTweaks, and some One Pixel Productions mods:
// Log of Currently Installed WeiDU Mods
// The top of the file is the 'oldest' mod
// ~TP2_File~ #language_number #component_number // [Subcomponent Name -> ] Component Name [ : Version]
~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #0 // Proper dual-wielding implementation for Thieves and Bards: v4.40
~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #1 // Thief kit revisions: v4.40
~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #2 // Thief High Level Ability revisions: v4.40
~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #3 // Proper racial adjustments for thieving skills: v4.40
~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #4 // Bard kit revisions: v4.40
~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #5 // Bard High Level Ability revisions: v4.40
~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #6 // Proper spell progression for Bards: v4.40
~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #7 // Additional equipment for Thieves and Bards: v4.40
~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #8 // Upgradeable Equipment: v4.40
~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #9 // Revised Thievery -> Use PnP thievery potions and prevent their effects from stacking: v4.40
~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #11 // Chosen of Cyric encounter: v4.40
~RR/SETUP-RR.TP2~ #0 #12 // Shadow Thief Improvements: v4.40
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #100 // Restore innate infravision to Half-Orc characters: v3.30
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #101 // Prevent skeletal undead from being affected by Illithids' Devour Brain attack: v3.30
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #115 // Allow Mages to scribe memorized spells onto scrolls -> Scrolls can be scribed everywhere: v3.30
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #120 // Restore innate disease immunity to Paladins: v3.30
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #125 // Rangers' Animal Empathy improves with experience: v3.30
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #200 // Allow Breach to take down Stoneskin effects applied by items: v3.30
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #201 // Instant casting for warrior innates: v3.30
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #202 // Revised Bhaalpowers -> Enhance the Bhaalpowers and standardize their casting time: v3.30
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #212 // Make alignment detection spells more accurate: v3.30
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #218 // Regain Bhaalpowers in ToB: v3.30
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #262 // Altered XP rewards from locks, traps and scrolls -> No XP rewards from locks, traps and scrolls: v3.30
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #301 // Change the appearance of Valygar's armor: v3.30
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #302 // Change the appearance of the Robe of Vecna: v3.30
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #303 // Give Shambling Mounds their proper soundset: v3.30
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #304 // Give Mariliths their Icewind Dale soundset: v3.30
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #310 // Distinctive creature coloring: v3.30
~ATWEAKS/SETUP-ATWEAKS.TP2~ #0 #600 // Expanded temple services: v3.30
~1PP_AVATARS/SETUP-1PP_AVATARS.TP2~ #0 #0 // 1PP: Avatar fixes * female elves w. leather armour [EFB2]
~1PP_AVATARS/SETUP-1PP_AVATARS.TP2~ #0 #1 // 1PP: Avatar fixes * female elves w. chain mail [EFB3]
~1PP_AVATARS/SETUP-1PP_AVATARS.TP2~ #0 #2 // 1PP: Avatar fixes * female elven cleric w. plate armour [EFC4]
~1PP_AVATARS/SETUP-1PP_AVATARS.TP2~ #0 #3 // 1PP: Avatar fixes * female elven fighter w. plate armour [EFF4]
~1PP_AVATARS/SETUP-1PP_AVATARS.TP2~ #0 #4 // 1PP: Avatar fixes * female human unarmoured [HFB1]
~1PP_AVATARS/SETUP-1PP_AVATARS.TP2~ #0 #5 // 1PP: Avatar fixes * female human w. leather armour [HFB2]
~1PP_AVATARS/SETUP-1PP_AVATARS.TP2~ #0 #6 // 1PP: Avatar fixes * female human w. chain mail [HFB3]
~1PP_AVATARS/SETUP-1PP_AVATARS.TP2~ #0 #7 // 1PP: Avatar fixes * female human cleric w. plate mail [HFC4]
~1PP_AVATARS/SETUP-1PP_AVATARS.TP2~ #0 #8 // 1PP: Avatar fixes * female human fighter w. plate mail [HFF4]
~1PP_AVATARS/SETUP-1PP_AVATARS.TP2~ #0 #9 // 1PP: Avatar fixes * female human unarmoured mage [HFW1]
~1PP_AVATARS/SETUP-1PP_AVATARS.TP2~ #0 #10 // 1PP: Avatar fixes * female human mage w. light robe [HFW2]
~1PP_AVATARS/SETUP-1PP_AVATARS.TP2~ #0 #11 // 1PP: Avatar fixes * fixed halfling progression [IFB1, IFB2, IFB3]
~1PP_AVATARS/SETUP-1PP_AVATARS.TP2~ #0 #12 // 1PP: Avatar fixes * fix frame error on cleric plate [IFC4]
~1PP_AVATARS/SETUP-1PP_AVATARS.TP2~ #0 #13 // 1PP: Avatar fixes * dwarves w. chain mail [DMB3]
~1PP_AVATARS/SETUP-1PP_AVATARS.TP2~ #0 #14 // 1PP: Avatar fixes * male elves w. chain mail [EMB3]
~1PP_AVATARS/SETUP-1PP_AVATARS.TP2~ #0 #15 // 1PP: Avatar fixes * male human w. leather armour [HMB2]
~1PP_AVATARS/SETUP-1PP_AVATARS.TP2~ #0 #16 // 1PP: Avatar fixes * male human w. chain mail [HMB3]
~1PP_FEMALE_DWARVES/SETUP-1PP_FEMALE_DWARVES.TP2~ #0 #0 // Separate Avatars for Female Dwarves -> Separate Avatars for Female Dwarves - Baldur's Gate II
~1PP_THIEVES_GALORE/SETUP-1PP_THIEVES_GALORE.TP2~ #0 #1 // 1ppv3: Unique Thief Avatars (patch) -> BGII - Unique Thief Avatars (patch)
~1PP_THIEVES_GALORE/SETUP-1PP_THIEVES_GALORE.TP2~ #0 #2 // 1ppv3: Unique Thief Avatars (content)
~1PP_THIEVES_GALORE/SETUP-1PP_THIEVES_GALORE.TP2~ #0 #3 // 1ppv3: Improved Improved Galactygon's Avatar Switching
This is a lot of information, but it breaks down a lot more easily into .bat format. You'll need to know how the "SETUP-[mod name designation]" is written because you'll be transferring that addressing exactly to the .bat in order to direct the .bat properly to the given mods. In this example you'd need to know that "RR" is what Rogue Rebalancing uses, "ATWEAKS" is for aTweaks, and "1PP_[whatever]" for all the different One Pixel Productions mods...
The first "#" number that appears after the .tp2 designation refers to the language you choose during the command prompt install- and in this case 0 = English. Unfortunately there is no universal numbering system between mods other than- it would seem- the 0 for English. One mod might designate #1 for Polish while another makes Swahili #1 and instead designates Polish as #2, so it will depend on the mod, but regardless that information is still transferrable to the .bat.
The second "#" number is the component number, and after that you see the name and sometimes description of the component so you can identify them properly, though that is there superfluously and does not go into constructing a .bat format.
And that's all the information you'll need. The .bat text to auto-install all of the above-mentioned mod components of that WeiDU.log becomes:
rem @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
rem @@@ Mod Batcher @@@
rem @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
pause
SETUP-RR.EXE --language 0 --skip-at-view --force-install-list 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12
SETUP-ATWEAKS.EXE --language 0 --skip-at-view --force-install-list 100 101 115 120 125 200 201 202 218 212 301 302 303 304 310 600
SETUP-1PP_AVATARS.EXE --language 0 --skip-at-view --force-install-list 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
SETUP-1PP_FEMALE_DWARVES.EXE --language 0 --skip-at-view --force-install-list 0
SETUP-1PP_THIEVES_GALORE.EXE --language 0 --skip-at-view --force-install-list 1 2 3
And that's it. To install it after deciding to do a re-install, all you need to do is create and save the .bat as described above, copy-paste the .bat in a separate folder (I have a "Batching" folder) or even the "Mod Collection" folder, save the WeiDU.log elsewhere also (for which I have yet another folder called "WeiDU Logs") so that you'll have it for future reference regarding component information, do the complete deletion and copy-pasting again for the main game folder (and "Mod Collection" folder), place the .bat in the fully-restored and mod-packed game folder (where it will be able to find the "setup-[mod name].exe" for each mod listed as well as the dialog.tlk of the game for those .exe's to be able to function), double-click the .bat to get it going, and this time hit any key to start the install.
But what if you want to remove something from your chosen mods? If from my .bat example you later decide that you'd rather not, say, make alignment detection spells more accurate, you can go back to your old WeiDU.log and search through to find that it was an aTweaks component: #212. In your .bat you simply delete the "212" after the aTweaks section, save it as such, and voila, no more accuracy in alignment detection the next time you use that .bat for an install.
Another issue that arises is that you might have
left out components in your original install that you now want in your .bat list- or a modder may even include a new component in a newly released version of their mod (as DavidW just did with SCS I). In that case, of course, those components won't show up in your WeiDU.log, so you won't know the component number to insert into your .bat. For this situation I use a sort of cheat by creating (alas) yet another folder called "BG2 Experimentation" into which I copy-paste another BG2 clone. Then I install into that unused BG2 whatever single mod I want to test, skipping all other components. The WeiDU.log for the "Mod Experimentation" folder will now show the information I need for that new component and I can just go to the relevant section of the .bat- in this case the SCS I section- and add that one number.
If after investigation I found that I'd left out a component of aTweaks that I'd wanted after all, for instance, and it turned out to be component #305 (perhaps finding it from my initial comprehensive WeiDU.log), I would then just edit the .bat to have a "305" after the "304." It's not necessary to put the components in order, mind you, but it's best to stay on the safe side since, again, components like mods installed in the wrong order have a tendency to overwrite essential content and can produce bugginess and crashes. This is not always the case, but there is often a specific coding or function reason why a modder will present their material in the order that they do.
Speaking of component order, it is also possible to construct the .bat to install single components from a mod to be installed at different times during the process. If , for instance, you want to install the aTweaks' change of the appearance of Vecna's Robe and Valygar's armor after all the One Pixel Productions installations, the .bat would instead look like this, simply moving components #301 and 302 ahead to the end:
rem @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
rem @@@ Mod Batcher @@@
rem @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
pause
SETUP-RR.EXE --language 0 --skip-at-view --force-install-list 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12
SETUP-ATWEAKS.EXE --language 0 --skip-at-view --force-install-list 100 101 115 120 125 200 201 202 218 212 303 304 310 600
SETUP-1PP_AVATARS.EXE --language 0 --skip-at-view --force-install-list 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
SETUP-1PP_FEMALE_DWARVES.EXE --language 0 --skip-at-view --force-install-list 0
SETUP-1PP_THIEVES_GALORE.EXE --language 0 --skip-at-view --force-install-list 1 2 3
SETUP-ATWEAKS.EXE --language 0 --skip-at-view --force-install-list 301 302
Generally you'll install all a mod's components in one go, but there are a few mods that are better installed with one or more of the components coming before other mods, and one or more coming after the same other mods. Item Revisions was one example mentioned earlier, but there are a couple more I've also experimented with differently through a .bat order change.
Again, it's a bother to alter a .bat, but it's a lot less bother than working through every single mod's command prompt and components in your install over and over each time you reinstall the game with new modding, especially if you only wanted a single new mod or component anyway.
Now, as to be expected, there is a complication. The line "--skip-at-view" is intended to tell the mod installer to skip the automatic opening of the mod's readme before installation of the mod. In most cases it works, but for a number of mods, especially a slew of older mods that add new NPCs to the game, the opening of the readme isn't an option and will come at the
end of the installation of the mod anyway. The ones that force open their readme with a web link simply create a nuisance by force-opening a new browser tab or window, and you then have to close it, but at least they don't halt the .bat's installation when they do it. But the mods that open their readme in .txt document format
do halt the .bat's installation, and you have to close that readme document in order for the .bat to resume the installation. I've not determined any way to bypass that bother, but fortunately those mods aren't the majority, and really it's only a minor nuisance.
Other mods will halt the .bat's progress for other reasons, typically by prompting you for something that cannot be pre-coded into the .bat (at least as far as I can determine with my skimpy experience in the matter). Examples of this would be (but not limited to) the prompt that BGT gives for you to identify in what directory your BG1 game folder is, the selection of timers for delays between dialogue interjections by NPCs in BG1NPCProject and Gavin BG1 NPC, the poor component delivery and NPC attribute assignment in Level1NPCs, the designation of specific screen dimensions in Widescreen, and needlessly for all prompts in Generalized Biffing. In all those cases the .bat installation will indeed halt, and you will have to key in the proper response(s) every installation in order to get the .bat going again at that juncture.
I simply think of how intensive each installation was having to key in every single component- and how I can now go make popcorn or even post on the Bioware Forum while I'm waiting for the bulk of the install to get to the next brief prompt. Instead of one long, involved delay where I pore through each choice I made, wrangling over numerous ones all over again, instead I have a less involved delay waiting for a readme close here or a command prompt selection there, and it all comes together in the proper order and as I'd wanted it automatically every time.
Post scriptJust as a disclaimer, everything I've detailed above has been from my experience using a 3 yr old IBM clone PC with Windows Vista. Your system may have all sorts of different experiences with it. You may also know ways around the issues I've experienced. A total of 3 months trying on my part probably won't enable me to cover it all. However, any criticism is welcome to improve or add to this. I'm fairly certain (though I haven't come across anything) that there are other attempts at making up a modding instructions primer, so I'd be happy to add links to those as well, particularly if they have nice tutorials or something.
Modifié par Bhryaen, 22 janvier 2012 - 08:51 .
above.
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