Baldur's Gate: BiG World

[Valikdu]

I think this merits its own thread.

Recently, I've installed a "tactical" assembly (that is, with a lot of mods) of the BG Trilogy using BiG World. If anyone else is doing this, we can share experience! Experience is magic.

I'm playing the BGI part right now.

There's some things that are better left unused:
-The "Chaos Knight mod": this is, for some reason, included in the default install list. It looks like a beta version; it adds an unskippable encounter in Beregost with some guys (named "Outlaw1-6") blocking the entrance to an inn; they'll kill you if you haven't leveled. The accompanying dialogue is bad (it looks like it's just a placeholder for the real dialoue, but that apparently didn't materialize in some time).
-"Dark Horizons": is supposed to be an epic story of some kind. It adds more unskippable encounters around the map; the enemies there are disproportionately high-leveled and have unbalanced epic loot. For example, some dwarves in the Nashkel mines have +2-4 armor and +3 weapons. It's insane. They will, of course, brutalize you if you don't grind levels first. Also, it's supposed to be a... um... La Femme Nikita crossover.   
-There's a part somewhere in the "tweaks" that moves some of the companions around to bring them closer to the player (for example, Kivan and Eldoth are on the road to Beregost). It may make them more useful, but kinda breaks flow.


I've tried a couple of mod-companions: Isra, a paladin, and Finch, a cleric. They're both well-written and even have nice sound sets, I recommend them.

[Formis_Fluttergod]

What exactly does the 'BiG World' project adds to the game?

I played it with BGT and all the necessary mods, fixes and tweaks + some hand-picked I wanted to try. Is this any better, or perhaps just a huge compilation of most of the common mods together?  

[Valikdu]

It's an installer for BGT, with a big selection of mods (probably "all of them"). It can download the selected mods for you on its own, too.
There's several presets for installing mods (editable, of course).

It also works with the enhanced edition, Icewind Dale and Planescape: Torment.

[Formis_Fluttergod]

Ah, I'll probably pass then. I might look up the selecton of content mods in case I want to play Baldur's Gate again with something new, but I'm quite happy with my setup.

Got Icewind Dale with mods set up and ready to play as well, still haven't got to it though. :D

[Valikdu]

Dark Horizons is:
-Horribly written. It's not noticeable at first, with the assassins. However, you start feeling it at the "main event" and afterwards.
-Unbalanced. Those things I'd mentioned earlier were just the beginning. You're pretty much equipped for ToB if you finish it. Also, enemies give huge amounts of XP for no reason (like 7500 for one trashmob).

So, if you're gonna install BWP, uncheck it.

[Valikdu]

Another well-written companion for the trilogy is Valerie (a sorcerer). Her dialogues aren't voiced, though.

Valerie and Isra will appear in both BGI and BGII.

[Valikdu]

Edit: no, Valerie actually won't. It's just plans, for now.

Currently starting the Never-Ending Journey campaign for BGII. It's accessed through the portal in Irenicus' dungeon (the one in the next room to your cage). It will entail a lengthy adventure in the Icewind Dale.

What I've seen so far is kind of nice. Although the writing could use an editor, and Hrothgar's voice is distracting [dude, either get a good microphone or don't voice stuff]. But the overall impression is okay, for now.

Lots of banter there, too.

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