Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition Trilogy (EET)

A Gibberlings Three Mod
Author: K4thos

On the web: Home page and discussion forum

Version 13.4
Languages: English, Polish, Spanish, German, French, Czech, Russian
Platforms: Windows, Mac OS, Linux (case insensitive partitions)

Table of Contents

  1. Overview
  2. Compatibility with other mods
  3. Installation
  4. Frequently Asked Questions
  5. Troubleshooting
  6. Credits
  7. Legalese
  8. Version History

Overview

Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition Trilogy (EET) is a modification for Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition that merges whole saga into one game and provides continuity between the events of Baldur's Gate, Tales of the Sword Coast, Shadows of Amn, Throne of Bhaal and Siege of Dragonspear expansion (also for both Black Pits adventures). The name of this this modification probably rings a bell to those who have been following IE modding scene, thanks to the classic mod that inspired this project, called Baldur's Gate Trilogy (BGT), developed by Bardez and Ascension64. While EET remains mostly faithful to the premise of the BGT, it shouldn't be considered a direct continuation of that project. In fact both mods share little to no common code and took different design decisions in many aspects.

Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition Trilogy has two main goals:

1. Uniting of the Baldur's Gate series into a single, continuous world that doesn't feel like 4 separate campaigns

2. Becoming a mod friendly platform with additional modding possibilities that comes with fulfilling the first goal

Compatibility

This mod has been designed to work with BG2:EE game.

EET offers two types of compatibility with mods:

Installing mods that are not compatible with EET can break your game or prevent installer from working. Please visit this forum topic for an up to date list of compatible mods and hints regarding installation.

Installation

Windows users planning to install other mods should consider using Project Infinity or EE/EET Mod Install Tool to download, extract and install EET and other mods (just select "Baldur's Gate II: EE / Enhanced Edition Trilogy" option and the tool will handle both BG:EE and BG2:EE mods installation). This approach will save you a lot of time and ensure that selected mods are compatible with EET and installed in the correct order.

Linux support is experimental and currently works only on case insensitive partitions. In future EET will be adopted to support case sensitive system natively.

EET core (setup-EET)

Core EET component requires "clean" BG2:EE installation with latest patch (currently v2.5.16.6). Translations and voice-overs are of course allowed but installing other (especially larger) mods that changes DLG and BCS files, before EET, may cause problems with later patching, so it's better to keep the installation as clean as possible.

The BG:EE + Siege of Dragonspear installation with latest patch (currently v2.5.17.0) should be either "clean" installation or with any combination of mods mentioned in section 1 of this list.

NOTE: If you use Steam or GOG version of Siege of Dragonspear, first you need to install Argent77 DLCMerger mod in your "BG:EE + SoD" directory to allow proper installation of any other mod. It only affects Steam and GoG platforms - you don't need to use it if you bought the game on Beamdog store.

SoD installation contains all BG:EE resources, so if you have expansion installed in separate directory, you should point to it during EET installation, rather than BG:EE.

At least 4.66 GB free space is needed during installation. For virtual memory purposes, at least 500MB-1GB+ (depending on your operating system) more free disk space is recommended during installation. Once the installation is complete EET modification occupies at least 2.55 GB. Mods installed on BG:EE previous to installing EET on BG2:EE obviously increase free disk space requirements.

It is recommended that you disable virus scanners, spyware scanners, and other background on-the-fly file scanners during the installation. These programs have been known in some cases to interfere with the WeiDU installation process.

Installation within Program Files or Program Files (x86) is not recommended due to the potential for O/S related issues (e.g. UAC trouble). Unless you are sure that you have full UAC permissions consider moving BG:EE and BG2:EE outside this directory (the game is DRM free, so there are no problems with doing so).

EET is packaged and installed with WeiDU and is distributed as a compressed archive. Extract the contents of the archive and move them to your BG2:EE game folder (directory with chitin.key file). Your game folder should then contain a EET folder and setup-EET.exe file. To initialize installation, double-click setup-EET.exe and follow the instructions on screen.

Create desktop shortcut (setup-EET)

This optional subcomponent creates an EET shortcut on the desktop. It is available for Windows and Linux platforms.

This is NOT the end of installation - please read the below section.

EET end (setup-EET_end)

After the core component is installed, your game folder should then contain additional setup-EET_end.exe file, which is REQUIRED to be installed AFTER ALL OTHER MODS.

Once the component is installed and you decide to integrate more mods, you can safely uninstall it by running setup-EET_end.exe and than install it again once you are satisfied with your mod selection. No problems with reinstalling it too.

Optional alternative GUI (setup-EET_gui)

This component installs optional Siege of Dragonspear GUI. You can install it before other GUI mods.

Auto-installation (for expert users)

Instead of directly starting the installation go to the command line, navigate to your installation directory, and execute installers using the construction below. Alternatively, place the construction in a batch file or the Run... dialog in the Start menu.

Initialise EET (setup-EET)

setup-EET.exe --force-install 0 --skip-at-view --language X --args-list [flags] [path]

Parameters:

X

0 - English
1 - Polski (Polish)
2 - Spanish
3 - French
4 - Czech
5 - Russian
6 - Deutsch (German)

[flags]

Any combination of below flags should be typed as one string (no whitespaces)

m or M - suppress failed installation message that normally shows up if BG:EE installation contains mods not listed on EET BG:EE mods compatibility list (not recommended unless you really know what you are doing)

b or B - skip biffing, all files will be copied to override

s or S - EET desktop shortcut won't be created

p or P - pre-define the full path to the Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition directory; if the path is invalid, setup will prompt for a valid path

[path]

the full path, in quotes, to your Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition installation directory, used in conjunction with p or P in [flags]

Example:

setup-EET.exe --force-install 0 --skip-at-view --language 0 --args-list sp "C:\Program Files (x86)\BeamDog\Games\00806"

This construction will install EET with the English language, skip desktop shortcut creation and pre-define the Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition directory as C:\Program Files (x86)\BeamDog\Games\00806.


Finalise EET (setup-EET_end)

setup-EET_end.exe --force-install Y --language X

Parameters:

X

0 - English
1 - Polski (Polish)
2 - Spanish
3 - French
4 - Czech
5 - Russian
6 - Deutsch (German)

Y

0 - Standard installation
1 - Also update saves

Example:

setup-EET_end.exe --force-install 0 --language 0

This construction forces WeiDU to use English language and installs REQUIRED component that finalises EET installation.


Optional alternative GUI (setup-EET_gui)

setup-EET_gui.exe --force-install 0

Frequently Asked Questions

How to start the game?

You can start the game from the main menu, just like in vanilla games. By default the BG1 campaign is selected which allows you to play through whole Baldur's Gate saga from start to finish. There is a way to skip part of the story by using "Select Campaign" button in the main menu. Both Black Pits adventures and Tutorial are also available there.

What are the differences between EET and the original Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition?

Nothing significant, at least in the way you're going to experience it. Technically there are some minor adjustments to make the BG1 portion of the game compatible with BG2 resources but it's not something that you will notice in game. Obviously the game won't be over after the BG1 end movie. Whole game is also using a new Worldmap.

What are the differences between EET and the original Siege of Dragonspear expansion?

Vanilla SoD blocks access to areas after moving from chapter to chapter which is against EET goals, so it's no longer a case here (areas always remain open). SoD worldmap has been merged with EET Worldmap. After finishing the story you will be automatically migrated into BG2. On top of that EET restores extended SoD ending (for some reason vanilla SoD has cut out playable part of the final scene).

What are the differences between EET and the original Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition?

For the most part everything remains the same. There are however few new features:

What should be the general install order?

The general mod install order looks like this:

  1. Mods installed on BG:EE
  2. Initialise EET (setup-EET) installed on BG2:EE
  3. Mods with native EET support installed on top of EET
  4. Finalise EET (setup-EET_end) ends the whole EET installation

You can make an exception for GUI mods (including setup-EET_gui) and install them at the very end, even after setup-EET_end.

What mods can be installed on BG:EE previous to installing EET on BG2:EE?

EET does the conversion of all BG:EE resources present in game "on the fly". That is why it provides limited support for mods installed on BG:EE previous to installing EET on BG2:EE. The compatibility list is available here.

What mods can be installed after EET?

A list of mods that already supports EET natively is available here. It's not recommended to install any BG2:EE mods that are not present on the list. We are trying to keep it up to date, so please let us know in this topic, if a mod with native support is not listed yet.

How to add EET compatibility for other mods?

Adopting existing mods to conventions and technical features used by EET is relatively easy and intuitive thanks to modder's resources and tools included in EET package that can be used to drastically reduce time needed for such conversion. Explanation of the scope of needed changes as well as guides on each step of accomplishing particular modding tasks without breaking compatibility with other platforms are available in Modder's Notes.

What about compatibility with saves?

Saves in EET behave exactly the same as in vanilla games which means you won't encounter any save problems when it comes to BG:EE, SoD and BG2:EE vanilla content (same is true for IWD:EE and IWD2 content, if you install IWD-in-EET mod), regardless of language chosen during installation and mod selection. It's also possible to share saves between different players without issues. Like in vanilla games this functionality is not extended to mod added content (mods not related to EET don't use persistent TLK entries). There is however an option to update mod added string references in saves via optional setup-EET_end component, if files needed for update from previous installation are available within saves directory. Saves updating can't be uninstalled, so manual saves backup is recommended before component installation. Depending on how many saves exist, this step may be quite lengthy. Keep in mind that if you didn't use other mods that add text to game than there is no need to update saves between different installations at all.

Save games from original BG:EE, SoD and BG2:EE are not directly supported - you need to start a new game.

How does NPC continuity work in EET?

BG1 to SoD migration works like in vanilla SoD (all of your party moves with you to Korlasz Family Tomb).

Character migration to BG2 starts at the end of SoD. Some characters are not continuous (those without BG2 content) and are disabled immediately, whereas others appear in Shadows of Amn and so continuity is required. Continuity only occurs when a joinable NPC was in your party at any point during BG1 or SoD (even if you didn't had that character in your end-game party he/she is still valid for transition) and is not dead. After character is moved to appropriate area some adjustments are being made if applicable (alignment, soundset, items, XP, dialogue and script updates). Otherwise, the appropriate level of the Shadows of Amn-resident joinable NPC is created or character doesn't show up at all if NPC has been killed during BG1 (except Imoen and Edwin due to plot requirements).

Like in vanilla game at the end of BG2 your party migrates to ToB. What has been changed is Fate Spirit old party member summoning mechanics. It no longer spawns new versions of creatures but moves characters from BG2 areas to Pocket Plane. Fate Spirit summoning NPC list is created dynamically depending on who you met during your BG1 and BG2 travels. For continuity sake NPCs that you don't know won't even show up on the list. During Fate Spirit dialogue you can receive one of 3 responses to your request:

What's the point in lifting restriction for travelling back to old areas?

Maybe it's just me, but I've never accepted BGT as a true seamless experience because the game still felt to me like 3 completely separate campaigns with BG1->BG2 transition added on top of it. As you can read in the beginning of the readme, the main goal of EET is not simple merging of the games, but actually to make it feel like a one, continuous journey. In order to achieve it EET lifts restrictions in travelling to old areas, provides continuous journal and chapter system, uses the same worldmap during whole game, and offers seamless transitions between story arcs. The second goal of EET is becoming a mod friendly platform with additional modding possibilities that comes with fulfilling the first goal. Currently there is nothing interesting in old areas but we hope that modders will be interested in creating new adventures and surprises designed for higher level parties during BG2 and/or ToB portion of the game. In other words it can be treated as a playground for modders to add new stuff to the game.

Can you jump ahead in the story, like go to Athkatla and grab some NPCs like Keldorn or Aerie before doing Nashkel, etc.?

No, you're still locked to the natural progression of the games, i.e. you can't access the BG2 areas before you actually reach that far. You could use the console to get there ahead of time of course, but it would be quite likely to break something.

Can I play EET in cooperative multiplayer?

Yes. EET supports up to 6 people in cooperative, cross-platform multiplayer from start to finish. Let us know if you notice any problems.

Troubleshooting

Fatal Installation Errors

I have Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition installed, but the installation does not accept the directory that I type in.

The most likely scenario is that your installation is broken or that you use GOG or Steam version of SoD and didn't install Argent77 DLCMerger mod. SoD resources presence is verified with "movies/sodcin05.wbm" file within BG:EE directory. Try reinstalling Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition and install DLCMerger. You can also try parsing the BG:EE+SoD directory using command line as described in the installation section.

"(...) BG:EE mod is not recognized by EET, so it can't be imported to BG2:EE with EET"

Due to reasons specified in FAQ, EET limits "on the fly" BG:EE resources conversion to vanilla BG:EE installation and mods listed in the compatibility list. Adding other mods is fast and easy, so the list will grow over time.

"TLK for language: (...) not found in BG:EE directory"

Check the selected BG:EE language directory if the TLK file is indeed there

ERROR: COPY (...) FAILED: cannot open target

WeiDU fails when trying to modify hidden files. Disable "Hidden" attribute.

WeiDU stopped the installation because of error.

You may not have a clean installation of Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition or some resources are corrupted

Minor Installation Errors

The mod finished installing successfully, but the message is "Installed with Warnings".

There are several additional precautions added into EET installation code to inform the player if something went wrong. Open up SETUP-EET.DEBUG located in your Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition installation directory and search (ctrl+F) for the word "warning". If you can't figure out how to fix the problem post this debug file in the mod forum. Playing with installation that showed warnings is not recommended.

In-game problems

The game has noticeable lag during Siege of Dragonspear areas with many NPCs.

It has been reported that some low end graphic cards (integrated Intel HD3000 for example) are not beefed enough to handle such scenes well with Linear scaling. It's not related to EET in any way. In order to fix it go to Options -> Graphics and enable "Nearest Neighbour Scaling". Also update your GPU drivers if you don't use latest ones.

Fog effect starts at the top-right of the map and expands in the shape of an anchor.

It's a known engine bug. Hopefully it will be fixed in the next patch.

The game crashes to desktop (CTD) after opening worldmap screen.

According to Roxanne the source of the problem is not the game but occasional CPU overload of the graphic card. It's more likely to happen with the big worldmap image added by BP-BGT Worldmap. Try to disable background programs before starting the game. Also have you tried turning the computer off and on again?

Credits

Kudos (in alphabetical order)

Translations

Polish: Etamin, K4thos, Cahir, morgan

Spanish: Saemon (previously used one by El Dunadan)

German: jaydee2k, Shai Hulud and Weigo

French: Chevalier Noir, Isaya, Jazira33

Czech: Vicq

Russian: NightLionG

Legalese

2012 - 2014 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Baldur's Gate, Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, the Forgotten Realms, Baldur's Gate, Wizards of the Coast and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. Hasbro and its logo are trademarks of Hasbro, Inc.

1998 BioWare Corp. All Rights Reserved. BioWare, the BioWare Infinity Engine and the BioWare logo are trademarks of Bioware Corp. Black Isle Studios and the Black Isle Studios logo are trademarks of Interplay Entertainment Corp.

2012 - 2018 Beamdog. All Rights Reserved.

USE THIS MODIFICATION AT YOUR OWN RISK. This modification is not developed, supported, or endorsed by BioWare Corp., Hasbro, Beamdog.

This is a community modification, created as a hobby for free. You can distribute among your peers as much as you like. My code is open sourced and released under the GNU General Public License version 3. Parts of code not written by myself belongs to respective authors.

Tools distributed with this package are under following open licenses:

This modification is available as an open repository on GitHub, which allows everyone to add new commits. Feel free to suggest improvements and fixes by directly modifying the code on the site. Any help on improving the mod is appreciated.

Version History

All notable changes to this project are documented on GitHub.