Is now a good time to start a EET playthrough?

[Lilaina]

I stumbled on this project a couple of days ago and was wondering if now is a good time to start a full playthrough from Candlekeep to ToB (after the PID issue mentioned here: http://gibberlings3.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=28579 has been fixed, that is).

 

My understanding is that full playthroughs have already been done and most remaining issues like inventory lag and ugly fog need to be fixed by Beamdog 1st, which might take a while. So is this mod playable as it is?

 

I haven't played mega mods b4 and was planning on trying out the Sandrah NPC mod along with big mods that it requires + SCS. Anyone know if those work together without issues with EET?

 

Sorry if these are stupid questions. I'm not familiar with the modding scene.

[Roxanne]

I stumbled on this project a couple of days ago and was wondering if now is a good time to start a full playthrough from Candlekeep to ToB (after the PID issue mentioned here: http://gibberlings3.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=28579 has been fixed, that is).

 

My understanding is that full playthroughs have already been done and most remaining issues like inventory lag and ugly fog need to be fixed by Beamdog 1st, which might take a while. So is this mod playable as it is?

 

I haven't played mega mods b4 and was planning on trying out the Sandrah NPC mod along with big mods that it requires + SCS. Anyone know if those work together without issues with EET?

 

Sorry if these are stupid questions. I'm not familiar with the modding scene.

The current EET version is a fully playable version as it is. Your description above adequately reflects the status of this megamod install. I have played it several times from Candlekeep to ToB (even beyond that with Sandrah). Since new mods are constantly added, you will always find minor bugs (BGT for the old game still has them after over a decade) but there is very good support here and at SHS for the BWFixpack and BWS.

 

Being not too familiar with modded games, it may be a good idea to use the BWS tool to create an install.

 

About SCS - I have installed it on my mega game for the first time just a few days ago (I have not tested with it in EET before to avoid too much interacting factors) and thus cannot comment on it yet. It has a dedicated thread here on this forum which provides further information (installing it may require some patience, depending on the components you select). Unless you use BWS, make sure you have read carefully about the dependencies and compatibility issues between mods.

[Lilaina]

Yeah, I'm definitely going to use the BWS tool. I've been learning how to use it for two evenings now and did a quick test run today. SCS seemed to be working seeing how Tarnesh and one of the assassin's in Candlekeep murdered me. The only issues I encountered were somewhat sluggish map and inventory lag with Sandrah but I'm hoping that switching to my gaming PC next week from my current craptop will alleviate those. Liking your NPC so far btw.

[Roxanne]

Yeah, I'm definitely going to use the BWS tool. I've been learning how to use it for two evenings now and did a quick test run today. SCS seemed to be working seeing how Tarnesh and one of the assassin's in Candlekeep murdered me. The only issues I encountered were somewhat sluggish map and inventory lag with Sandrah but I'm hoping that switching to my gaming PC next week from my current craptop will alleviate those. Liking your NPC so far btw.

That lag....

We did a thorough analysis and it seems it is not caused by my mod but is a vanilla issue of the game. There are reports at bean dogs even if the is not installed. Sandrah (due to her plot) appears to be be the first NPC that makes the issue visible - thus the new girl gets the blame (such is life).

 

Otherwise, I am still waiting for that EET_end fix for the PID issue. Without it, Sandrah is not playable, you often need to initiate talks with her to start/solve quests. It can be fixed locally, e.g. using Near Infinity:

http://www.shsforums.net/topic/59011-sandrah-saga-for-eet-bug-and-support-forum/page-19?do=findComment&comment=593637

[Lilaina]

 

Yeah, I'm definitely going to use the BWS tool. I've been learning how to use it for two evenings now and did a quick test run today. SCS seemed to be working seeing how Tarnesh and one of the assassin's in Candlekeep murdered me. The only issues I encountered were somewhat sluggish map and inventory lag with Sandrah but I'm hoping that switching to my gaming PC next week from my current craptop will alleviate those. Liking your NPC so far btw.

That lag....

We did a thorough analysis and it seems it is not caused by my mod but is a vanilla issue of the game. There are reports at bean dogs even if the is not installed. Sandrah (due to her plot) appears to be be the first NPC that makes the issue visible - thus the new girl gets the blame (such is life).

 

Otherwise, I am still waiting for that EET_end fix for the PID issue. Without it, Sandrah is not playable, you often need to initiate talks with her to start/solve quests. It can be fixed locally, e.g. using Near Infinity:

http://www.shsforums.net/topic/59011-sandrah-saga-for-eet-bug-and-support-forum/page-19?do=findComment&comment=593637

 

Think I'll just wait for the PID fix. Still need to decide on what kind of character and party I'm making anyway.

 

I wasn't blaming your mod. I also read the reports about the issue on Beamdog forums. I actually loaded an old BG 2 save with 6 characters and full inventories with lots of custom/NPC specific gear and the same lag was there, just not quite as bad as with Sandrah. After I kicked Neera and Keldorn the lag was gone too.

[Lightbringer]

Welcome to EET Lilaina!

 

I also stumbled upon this, though it was about a year ago. My current EET build is using an older version, pre PID issue, so I'm trudging along. I'll second that BWS comes highly recommended. From what I've read it really streamlines what formerly was apparently a highly involved manual setup process. I've used it several times as I tweaked my modlist. One thing to keep in mind about EET, BWS, and really BG modding in general, is that adding mods into an install after starting a game tends to mess things up. Best to pick a modlist and stick with it, or start over from scratch.

 

I highly recommend the Sandrah Mod. What I've seen of the content only makes me want to see more. It is beautifully and thoughtfully written. Be sure to read its readme and posts on the Sandra Saga forum page to know what to expect. You may actually want to consider a slightly more "vanilla" version of EET, depending on how much of Baldur's Gate you've played. Clearly you're quite experienced with the game.

 

Sandrah changes a great many things in the content and adds a great deal to the story. It wondefully weaves many of the big content mods together into a cohesive narrative revolving around the Bhaalspawn, and his/her dedicated companion, Sandrah. Roxanne did a fantastic job with a great comprehensive mod.

 

Roxanne herself has said that the Sandrah Saga is not recommended for one's first full playthrough of BG1/SoD/2/ToB. This is because the game as a whole (especially with EET) has its own flow and balance and story. Sandrah modifies much of that, and it may be better to have a baseline experience -- in both content and power level -- first.

 

Of course, Roxanne knows far more about her mod than I do, and I of course defer to her as to interpretations or recommendations (Feel free to confirm or refute, Roxanne )

 

Personally, what I am doing is a run with all the content mods except Sandrah, to get something of a baseline feel for content. I've played through 1, 2, and ToB, with different characters, but never as a single character -- let alone with EET continuity. I'm going to get that baseline first. Later, I plan to do a second run through with Sandrah as the flagship. I also plan to do this second run once IWD-in-EET is ready to go. I consider my current run to be something of a "test", and that later run to be the "official" one, so to speak.

 

You'll want to figure out where your experience, time, and interest levels lie in regards to all of this. In short, EET is fully playable. Many of the potential supporting mods are still being worked on, or are available in a very rough form (I'm looking at you, NTotSC), but the core of EET is solid.

[Lilaina]

@Lightbringer

 

Thanks.

 

I've played through the games twice, both times with a single character + once through BG1 + SCS with no reloads so I'm kinda tired of the vanilla game. Sandrah should keep things interesting this time. She seems a bit OP for early BG1 at first glance but SCS and minimal reloads approach should keep things interesting + I'm more interested in the mid - high level gameplay anyway.

IWD in EET sounds neat too but I'm too impatient to wait for that.

[Roxanne]

@Lightbringer

 

Thanks.

 

I've played through the games twice, both times with a single character + once through BG1 + SCS with no reloads so I'm kinda tired of the vanilla game. Sandrah should keep things interesting this time. She seems a bit OP for early BG1 at first glance but SCS and minimal reloads approach should keep things interesting + I'm more interested in the mid - high level gameplay anyway.

IWD in EET sounds neat too but I'm too impatient to wait for that.

I made a small patch for the PID problem - however, it repairs only Sandrah. I have not gone into analysis of other NPCs because I still hope EET_End will solve the problem by itself pretty soon (K4thos seems to be hindered at this moment, every now and then his real life becomes real demanding...).

For such a large game, it may still be better to wait until a major bug is thoroughly fixed.

 

She seems a bit OP for early BG1 at first glance

At least she pretty much tries to give you the impression, just like she tries to make you believe she knows more than she does, and other weird things. Maybe there is some intention behind all of that? Or it is just a poorly done Mary Sue mod.

[Lilaina]

@Roxanne

Yup, your patch fixed her. Still can't talk to followers from BG1 NPC Project though, so I'll keep waiting.

 

Kinda off topic, but will I get a chance to identify Sandrah's items somewhere down the line? Or are the stats supposed to stay hidden? The powergamer in me wants to know what she's wearing.

[Roxanne]

@Roxanne

Yup, your patch fixed her. Still can't talk to followers from BG1 NPC Project though, so I'll keep waiting.

 

Kinda off topic, but will I get a chance to identify Sandrah's items somewhere down the line? Or are the stats supposed to stay hidden? The powergamer in me wants to know what she's wearing.

 

1) You can use the patch to fix others as well, I would think. You simply need to open the tp2 in an editor, make a copy of Sandrah's block and change the filename in the copy to the other NPCs file. (Unless the BG1NPC are different). I have Kivan and Imoen in my game (just started) and I can talk to them without a fix, so maybe there are different issues in the end.

 

2) The items change over time or interact with specific quests, i.e. their behaviour is not static, Also they behave slightly different with certain mods installed. This is why I made them myst(ra)erious, instead of giving inadequate information.

[Lilaina]

Turns out I didn't have the PID option for BG1 NPC mod enabled in BWS.

I'll do one more test run together with your fix and if NPC:s from both mods work I'll start playing.

The PID issue only affects BG1/SoD, right?

[Roxanne]

Turns out I didn't have the PID option for BG1 NPC mod enabled in BWS.

I'll do one more test run together with your fix and if NPC:s from both mods work I'll start playing.

The PID issue only affects BG1/SoD, right?

It may as well affect ToB depending on how a mod is originally coded, only there are few mods that add PID contents to that part at all. Sandrah is one of them, but my fix cares for that. I cannot say who else may be bugged.

[Lightbringer]

@Lightbringer

 

Thanks.

 

I've played through the games twice, both times with a single character + once through BG1 + SCS with no reloads so I'm kinda tired of the vanilla game. Sandrah should keep things interesting this time. She seems a bit OP for early BG1 at first glance but SCS and minimal reloads approach should keep things interesting + I'm more interested in the mid - high level gameplay anyway.

IWD in EET sounds neat too but I'm too impatient to wait for that.

Sounds like you're in exactly the right place for Sandrah. Charge ahead!

[Kaliesto]

Don't mind me asking, but how does EET do the transition with BG1 to SoD? Reason being I want to avoid doing SoD until I beat Durlag's Tower & Island Quest Line.

 

This is going to be my first real trek through the EE games, so I'm very unsure how things play out.

[Roxanne]

Don't mind me asking, but how does EET do the transition with BG1 to SoD? Reason being I want to avoid doing SoD until I beat Durlag's Tower & Island Quest Line.

 

This is going to be my first real trek through the EE games, so I'm very unsure how things play out.

You go into SoD right after Sarevok's dead. But you can return and do the quests later, after SoD. In EET you can revisit all explored parts of the game later (except during some SoD chapters or while in UUnderdarl/Brynlaw.