2012-10-12

Baldur's Gate modding using EasyTuTu

Now for something a bit different. Let's have a break from visual novels and enjoy some oldies goldies...

I know that there are a shitload of guides how to mod your Baldur's Gate to hell and back for a better modern experience, but majority of them deal with BGT or BWP. I have never played BG before and before starting the game I ascertained, that I want nothing to do with the previously mentioned three letter combinations. Instead I chose EasyTuTu and this guide is based on that.

1.Acquire "Baldur's Gate" and "Baldur's Gate II"
I'm sure that GOG or GamersGate will be sufficient toward your needs.
Baldur's Gate on GOG / GamersGate.
Baldur's Gate II on GOG / GamersGate.
Alternatively you might sail to a certain bay to get the games in a different way.

2. Install the games
If you got the games from the aforementioned sites, they come with their expansions, are already patched to the latest official version and will do a full install.
If you got older versions, you will have to make sure that you do a full install of both, you will have to install expansions ("Tales of the Sword Coast" and "Throne of Bhaal") and will have to apply the latest official patches.
If you have your hard disk partitioned, both games must be installed into the same partition.

3. Download and install EasyTuTu
Go to the official EasyTuTu page and download file "EasyTutu_ToB.zip". Unzip the files within the archive into any temporary folder and launch the executable. The program will demand to know where BG and BGII are installed (it will usually find the directories automatically) and will ask for a folder where you want to install the "tutued" version of "Baldur's Gate".
Create a permanent folder called, for example, "BG1 EasyTuTu" and point the program to it. Start the installation.
Once the program finishes its work, exit it and you can delete the temp folder where you extracted EasyTuTu. For that matter, you can uninstall "Baldur's Gate" too - you won't need it anymore. "BG1 EasyTuTu" is your real game now, from here on I will call it core directory.

4. Decide your rendering
There is a thing with TuTu that makes all the water appear green during the game and you can solve this problem one of two ways.
If you don't want 3D rendering within your game, just turn it off by launching a configuration utility. I chose this path as apparently 3D rendering doesn't do much with BG.
If your absolutely want it, download the Degreenifier into your core folder and launch it. Note: this path will need an additional space of about 1.5 GB and must be done before any other fixing or modding is done to the installation.

5. Apply BG1Tutu Fixpack
Download the correct file, extract it to the core folder and install the desired components. At the time of writing the fixpack is at v18.

6. Apply the restoration of BG1 Casting Sounds
Download, extract, install. At the time of writing the restoration is at v4.

7. Install "Baldur's gate Mini Quests and Encounters" (optional)
As the title says, this mod adds some mini quests to the game so complete purists might not want it. I, on the other hand, installed it.
You know the routine: download, extract, install. I won't even mention such obvious actions with other mods.

8. Install "Grey Clan Episode I" (optional)
This is a fan created quest that was never finished as only the first episode was created. Still, it's held in high regard and you might want to install it. Note, that it's considered quite hard and the installation gives two options for normal or easy gameplay.

9. Install "The Lure of the Sirine's Call" (optional)
Another fan created adventure with pirates... because everything is better with pirates. At the time of writing it's at v11.

10. Install BG1 NPC project
Vanilla BG doesn't have much going on in NPC interactions. NPC project gives liveliness to the characters and even adds romances that were absent from the game. I consider it a must. At the time of writing it's at v20.

11. Install BG1 Unfinished Business
This mod restores the material that was coded but for some reason not enabled within the game. At the time of writing it's at v13.
BG1 UB detects The BG1 NPC Project and automatically skips incompatible materials if you install it second instead of first.

12.  Install the BG1 NPC Project Music Pack
An add-on to BG1 NPC project inserting music that plays during character interjections. Currently at v5.

13. Install Xan's BG1 Friendship Talks
Another add-on for NPC project that adds more characterization for our depressed mage. Currently at v6.

14. Install Coran's BG Extended Friendship Talks
And yet another add-on with more characterization for Coran. Currently at v3.

15. Install "One Pixel Productions" (optional)
This is a HUGE mod changing and tweaking many things with a complex installation with many options. It's purely optional and might not be to everyone's taste. Currently at v4.1.0.
NOTE: Currently the component #400 "Core updates and item patches" is either broken or has compatibility issues with my previously installed mods and will cause crashes throughout the game. Do not install it.

 16. Install SimDing0's Miscellaneous Tweak Pack
This tweak pack is mostly not for TuTu and only four components are compatible with it. Still might be worth a look at those components. Currently at v20.

17. Install Baldur's Gate II Tweaks
Despite the name, this tweak pack is compatible with TuTu as it runs on BGII engine. You'll definitely will find something of interest within it. Currently at v9.

18. Install Sword Coast Stratagems
A very useful mod with many tweaks to the game's AI, making it more challenging. It should be installed almost at the very end of the modding. Currently at v21.

19. Install High Quality Music
The original BG1 music was of low quality 22.05 kHz and so, the same girl who created "One Pixel Productions" made a patch that brings it up to 44.1 kHz. The installation of this mod is more complex than any other:
a) Download, extract and install the mod.
b) Go into the folder 1pp_hq_music_ToSC -> convert and launch the application "acm_upsample". Point it to the "music" folder and wait until the upsampling is complete (this way, any music that was added by mods will be upscaled to 44.1 kHz).
c) Go into the folder 1pp_hq_music_ToSC and copy the "music" folder into your core directory. Do a "replace all".

20. Install the Original BG1 GUI
In order to make your tutued BG1 actually look like BG1, install this mod. Currently at v1.8. The mod has two small graphical problems. In order to repair them, extract this fix into your override folder within the core directory.

21. Install BG1 fonts
An add-on to the GUI mod that restores the original fonts.

22. Install Widescreen Mod (optional)
Might be useful if you have a widescreen monitor. If you still have a 4:3, there is not much reason to use it as at resolutions higher than 800x600 BG1 cutscenes and graphical interface become very small. Currently at v3.05.

23. Apply Generalized Biffing
There is a TuTu specific lag in some areas (for example Nashkel) that might make the game nigh unplayable. Generalized Biffing will get rid of the problem. The catch is, that you have to apply it the very last as you won't be able to install any fixes or mods after biffing your game.

24. Find a portrait for your character
Find and add the portrait for your character into the "portraits" folder (if the folder doesn't exist, create it). Remember that you have to add both a large and a small version.
You will find many portrait packs on the internet; here is one of them.

And... that's it! Just sit back, launch the game and enjoy yourselves.

For those interested I attach my WeiDU log, showing what components I have installed from every mod:
» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «
Posted by beliar at 21:17
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2 comments:

  1. beliar5/1/13 13:11

    Giberlings3 has been down for some time now, use an emergency mirror for now:
    http://www.camagna.net/g3mirror/index.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous31/1/13 04:34

    Just to throw my 2 cents in, install the Finch NPC mod to add a really colorful character to the group. Her group banter is wonderful and the character quest is unique. http://www.pocketplane.net/mambo/index.php?option=content&task=blogcategory&id=134&Itemid=94

    ReplyDelete

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