269 replies to this topic

[taltos]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I used an xml editor to take a closer look at the file bigmoshi mentioned and I can see now how it works. I think I can tweak it now without breaking it too much as I only wanted to add a couple of other smaller mods. Again great work with the install procedure.

taltos

[zodden]

bigmoshi

I just wanted to say that this is a great idea. I remember when I did my last mega install in Feb 2007 it took me about 12 hours. Then at the end I realized I made a fatal mistake and had to do the whole thing over again. I like where you are going with this as it makes life very easy for people who find this whole process daunting. Following erebusant's general install is also a very very good idea as I found when I varied from it too much I had trouble, sometimes where I could not continue.

I love the idea of the Big World Project and I hope it one day gets to a fairly bug free state, but its just too much of a risk to play 200+ hours in a game and then find you can't continue. I have found with Erebusant's install order and selection of mods I didn't have this problem. I have been away from this scene for almost a year but I am going to use your install method and give it a shot as I have a few weeks off.

I noticed that in your current game you have not made it to BG2 yet correct? Have you heard of anybody who has played through the entire series yet using your method? Or close to the end of TOB? Maybe its too soon as I see you only recently released this.

Anyway thanks for your efforts. On a side note has anybody heard from Horred of late? Has he been on?

[bigmoshi]

Hi Zodden!

Thanks, I share your sentiments exactly. That was why I couldnt think of any reason not to follow his mega-install. It made sense for me to start playing a game that was well-tested. To me, error-free installations doesn't equate to a stable game. There is still a risk in this install, but I hope its going to be manageable. End of the day, I just want to have some BG fun with my favourite party .

I noticed that in your current game you have not made it to BG2 yet correct? Have you heard of anybody who has played through the entire series yet using your method? Or close to the end of TOB? Maybe its too soon as I see you only recently released this.

Anyway thanks for your efforts. On a side note has anybody heard from Horred of late? Has he been on?

Yep, right now I'm in BG1 city, finishing it and started part of GreyClan. Planning to release the documented guide before heading for Ulgoth Beard. I wanted to be transparent about the playability of the mega-install, which is why I started a completely new game from BG1 recently, and tried to document things, good or bad. Haven't made it to BG2, though I did play a quick game to make sure the starting BG2 dialogues were fine before playing BG1.

After finishing off Sarevok in BG1 & TOSC (expected in mar/apr), I plan to update the autoinstaller before moving on to the BG2 saga. Hopefully the big mods like TDD, SoS etc would have released the next version around the same time.

I havent heard about anyone finishing the game, cos you're right about it being recent. But I think that erebusant may have finished his game till the end. Come to think of it, I'm not sure how many dozens of times he probably did that. Why does he have so much time??!

Last time Horred posted was here http://www.shsforums...403#entry365403. He seemed quite upset. But I hope he'll be back.

[bigmoshi]

Updated walkthrough to v0.3, bug reports & patches.

[OverKilL.]

Wow this is grate!!..i'm enjoy to play..how long playing in something not given me so much))) Baldurs gate true ... with mods this is god damn makes me mad(in good)..
but the mega mod is superb!!..
howewer i have trubles in game...it's apears in "Restenford Town" i'm(chars)) can't go on major areas...easy to say that i only can go to Restenford Castle, and to the north to old barraks and any where alse(not houses,they work) areas(west,east) they are all trow me on Map(global) and i can go to beregost and other nearest areas the temple of bla, bla^_^
also i can go in caves and sewers...then apear in Temple area, but cant go to east,south(may be by quest) and to Tri-Top(with all same problem trow me to global map)

can be fixed?)

Edited by OverKilL., 15 January 2008 - 02:04 PM.

[Hoppy]

Hi OverKilL.
The town of Restenford has a worldmap access to the West if you go over the bridge. The areas of Tri-Top, Temple, Bonehill and maybe the thieves area have specific exit points to go to next areas. When in those areas mentioned, try looking at your area map (not worldmap) and look for the star markers and that may be your answer.
Hope that helps
Hoppy

[billy3]

hi!

bigmoshi, SSM auto-installer question:
does MOD_SOURCE have to be a folder containing all relevant mods, or can it be a shortcut?

i'm asking because the drive with BG2 on it doesn't have much space, and i already have all of the mods downloaded and on another drive. i was thinking i could just make MOD_SOURCE a shortcut to the folder containing them.

please let me know if it's possible. if not, i guess i'll just have to shuffle some files/folders around.

thanks!

[billy3]

btw, anyone happen to have a modified SMM XML file for the updated mods listed on the manual page?
# Weidu v2.03 - dated Dec 21 2007
# BG2 Tweak Pack v6 - dated Dec 16 2007
# D0Tweak v20 - dated Dec 24 2007
# DEF JAM v6 - dated Dec 24 2007
# RR_V382.EXE - dated Dec 24 2007
# BGT-WeiDU v1.05b - dated Dec 27 2007
+ BGT-WeiDU v1.05b Patch
# BGT Tweak Pack, Version 7 - dated Dec 29 2007

These ones on the website are mostly just language updates:
# Sword Coast Stratagems, V 8 - dated Dec 2007
# Oversight, v11 - dated Dec 2007
# BP v177a - dated 1 Jan 2008

thanks!

[billy3]

does the worldmap v6 consolidated patch have to be applied to the SMM install?

http://www.shsforums...showtopic=30662

it was posted before dec. 8th 2007 but isn't listed as a download for the SMM.

edit:
I just replaced the files in BP-BGT-Worldmap-v6.6.1.rar with the files in WM6_Consolidated_Patch.rar. Hopefully nothing breaks

Edited by billy3, 18 January 2008 - 12:20 PM.

[kovarex]

Hello, there seems to be lot of good work done in the walkthrough.

1) Do you have the walkthrough in text form, or is it generated from some database?
2) I can see there is only BG1 part of the game described, are you planning to extend it to bg2 ?
If you don't have the bg2 part and you want someone to help you doing it I can offer this. but You would give me the permission to use it in my autoinstall project in exchange.

I would store it in database, so the walkthrough would be generated according to the set of mods installed.

[billy3]

I'm installing the SMM.

In the beginning, the auto installer gave me a warning about some mods which are "packaged differently" and thus would require interaction, after which it would run on its own. It also warned me that I may see errors regarding "dialog.tk" and that I can ignore them.

However, some of these "differently packaged" mods (I think it was the Quest Pack and one other) gave CMD prompt pop ups which said that WeiDu has been updated and that I should restart the installer. Did the install get messed up? Is there a way to fix this?

[bigmoshi]

I'm installing the SMM.

In the beginning, the auto installer gave me a warning about some mods which are "packaged differently" and thus would require interaction, after which it would run on its own. It also warned me that I may see errors regarding "dialog.tk" and that I can ignore them.

However, some of these "differently packaged" mods (I think it was the Quest Pack and one other) gave CMD prompt pop ups which said that WeiDu has been updated and that I should restart the installer. Did the install get messed up? Is there a way to fix this?

Hi Billy

Thats fine, it was done to prevent them from installing themselves the moment they were extracted.

Hello, there seems to be lot of good work done in the walkthrough.

1) Do you have the walkthrough in text form, or is it generated from some database?
2) I can see there is only BG1 part of the game described, are you planning to extend it to bg2 ?
If you don't have the bg2 part and you want someone to help you doing it I can offer this. but You would give me the permission to use it in my autoinstall project in exchange.

I would store it in database, so the walkthrough would be generated according to the set of mods installed.

Hi Kovarex

Have sent you a pm on this.

does the worldmap v6 consolidated patch have to be applied to the SMM install?

http://www.shsforums...showtopic=30662

it was posted before dec. 8th 2007 but isn't listed as a download for the SMM.

edit:
I just replaced the files in BP-BGT-Worldmap-v6.6.1.rar with the files in WM6_Consolidated_Patch.rar. Hopefully nothing breaks

Hi Billy,

I remember that patch was required if CtB was not installed, with Drizzt Saga being installed. SMM has CtB & no DrizztSaga, so it's not really required.

btw, anyone happen to have a modified SMM XML file for the updated mods listed on the manual page?
# Weidu v2.03 - dated Dec 21 2007
# BG2 Tweak Pack v6 - dated Dec 16 2007
# D0Tweak v20 - dated Dec 24 2007
# DEF JAM v6 - dated Dec 24 2007
# RR_V382.EXE - dated Dec 24 2007
# BGT-WeiDU v1.05b - dated Dec 27 2007
+ BGT-WeiDU v1.05b Patch
# BGT Tweak Pack, Version 7 - dated Dec 29 2007

These ones on the website are mostly just language updates:
# Sword Coast Stratagems, V 8 - dated Dec 2007
# Oversight, v11 - dated Dec 2007
# BP v177a - dated 1 Jan 2008

thanks!

Hi! I'll be doing an update before going into BG2.

hi!

bigmoshi, SSM auto-installer question:
does MOD_SOURCE have to be a folder containing all relevant mods, or can it be a shortcut?

i'm asking because the drive with BG2 on it doesn't have much space, and i already have all of the mods downloaded and on another drive. i was thinking i could just make MOD_SOURCE a shortcut to the folder containing them.

please let me know if it's possible. if not, i guess i'll just have to shuffle some files/folders around.

thanks!

Helo!

Actually its probably better to leave it in the same directory. Remember it will extract those files, some of them are quite big, you need about 10gb of space in all after installation. I never really factored space in as a concern, but perhaps will do so in the next release.

Wow this is grate!!..i'm enjoy to play..how long playing in something not given me so much))) Baldurs gate true ... with mods this is god damn makes me mad(in good)..
but the mega mod is superb!!..
howewer i have trubles in game...it's apears in "Restenford Town" i'm(chars)) can't go on major areas...easy to say that i only can go to Restenford Castle, and to the north to old barraks and any where alse(not houses,they work) areas(west,east) they are all trow me on Map(global) and i can go to beregost and other nearest areas the temple of bla, bla^_^
also i can go in caves and sewers...then apear in Temple area, but cant go to east,south(may be by quest) and to Tri-Top(with all same problem trow me to global map)

can be fixed?)

Hi! Did you manage to find the locations? I left the x,y coordinates in the walkthrough on the first post


PS to all: Sorry for the delayed response. Had to rush some stuff.

[billy3]

Thanks for the reply!

I've been trying to install, but I've been running into a weird stall.

During the install of BGT, it comes to a point where it's processing some bifs and saying how many areas they have, etc, then it stalls at some point. Have you ever encountered such an error? This was using the auto install. I ended up endtasking the installer and recovering, but after recovering trying to reinstall gave me an error about making sure the path for BG1 and Winrar were correct (I made sure BGMain.exe was in the BG1 folder, so it's not that).

Also, I noticed that 2 processes: "wowexec" and "find" are running after I started the auto install. wowexec I can understand because of .net, but could the find process be what was messing up my install?

Thanks!

[Ascension64]

Thanks for the reply!

I've been trying to install, but I've been running into a weird stall.

During the install of BGT, it comes to a point where it's processing some bifs and saying how many areas they have, etc, then it stalls at some point. Have you ever encountered such an error? This was using the auto install. I ended up endtasking the installer and recovering, but after recovering trying to reinstall gave me an error about making sure the path for BG1 and Winrar were correct (I made sure BGMain.exe was in the BG1 folder, so it's not that).

Also, I noticed that 2 processes: "wowexec" and "find" are running after I started the auto install. wowexec I can understand because of .net, but could the find process be what was messing up my install?

Thanks!

If you are using Windows XP or newer, can you attach your Setup-BGTDOS.DEBUG found in your BGT install directory? Also check that you haven't run out of disk space and that you simply haven't waited long enough.

Edited by Ascension64, 19 January 2008 - 07:27 PM.

[billy3]

If you are using Windows XP or newer, can you attach your Setup-BGTDOS.DEBUG found in your BGT install directory? Also check that you haven't run out of disk space and that you simply haven't waited long enough.

Unfortunately (or fortunately), I started to manually install. It went well until I started to install TDD, then it stalled again during the "bif processing". I checked and the wowexec and find processes were still in task manager. I rebooted and started installation (manual) from scratch. I've just successfully finished installing TDD and am going to continue.

However, now I'm in bit of a dilemma: should I restore my data/ override/ etc and try auto installing again or just continue to install manually... The thing is, I'm using BGT 105b instead of 105a from the standard SMM, and I'm also installing Longer Road. So I don't know how useful whatever bugs I run into would be for the SSM.

[Ascension64]

If you are using Windows XP or newer, can you attach your Setup-BGTDOS.DEBUG found in your BGT install directory? Also check that you haven't run out of disk space and that you simply haven't waited long enough.

Unfortunately (or fortunately), I started to manually install. It went well until I started to install TDD, then it stalled again during the "bif processing". I checked and the wowexec and find processes were still in task manager. I rebooted and started installation (manual) from scratch. I've just successfully finished installing TDD and am going to continue.

However, now I'm in bit of a dilemma: should I restore my data/ override/ etc and try auto installing again or just continue to install manually... The thing is, I'm using BGT 105b instead of 105a from the standard SMM, and I'm also installing Longer Road. So I don't know how useful whatever bugs I run into would be for the SSM.

Do you have virus scanning enabled when you are installing? It might be stalling the process, since what is happening to you appears to be random. The choice of auto or manual is really up to you. If you the stalled BIFFing screws things up, manual might be the way to help diagnose the problem. If 105b vs. 105a is the only change, there shouldn't really be any new problems.

[billy3]

I tried auto installing again, same prob (different point). I disabled my anti virus this time too. I checked task manager and again some "find" process was running. It seems like the auto installer's hiccuping for some reason on my system.

I've started manually installing again and am installing CtB now. Question:
Can CtB Fast Forward be installed in the SMM as well, if so, at what point? Right after Ctb, after a certain mod, not at all? It's not mentioned in the manual install guide at all.

Thanks a bunch!

edit:
There's also a CtB-Chores. Do we install that as well?

edit again:
The XML file says "install=0" for both Chores and Fas Forward. Does they cause a conflict if installed?

Edited by billy3, 19 January 2008 - 10:11 PM.

[Usurper]

I have a question about this install. Is the wild mage class supposed to be unable to use magic items and scrolls after this install is done? And unable to write new magic to his spellbook? So far I have been unable to equip the Ring of Sorcery from BG1 and I have been unable to write any new spells to my spellbook.

[bigmoshi]

Thanks for the reply!

I've been trying to install, but I've been running into a weird stall.

During the install of BGT, it comes to a point where it's processing some bifs and saying how many areas they have, etc, then it stalls at some point. Have you ever encountered such an error? This was using the auto install. I ended up endtasking the installer and recovering, but after recovering trying to reinstall gave me an error about making sure the path for BG1 and Winrar were correct (I made sure BGMain.exe was in the BG1 folder, so it's not that).

Also, I noticed that 2 processes: "wowexec" and "find" are running after I started the auto install. wowexec I can understand because of .net, but could the find process be what was messing up my install?

Thanks!

Hey Billy, when installing BGT there will be a point when it looks like its stalling, but actually it's still running some tasks, except that there won't be updates on the command screen. Leave it to run, it can take anywhere from 15-20mins just for that mod. Btw, you are not alone, I did end task on my first try at BGT in my first megainstall as well

"error for path for BG1 and Winrar" - sorry about this, me bad didnt save it back to xml. if you change it and apply settings just before installation, it would work again.

I don't recall having a find process. I may be mistaken, but for your own safety, its a good idea to have some virus scan once in a week/fortnight - at least thats my own practice. I have tried installing with norton antivirus auto-protect running and it worked, though it seemed significantly slower.

If you are using Windows XP or newer, can you attach your Setup-BGTDOS.DEBUG found in your BGT install directory? Also check that you haven't run out of disk space and that you simply haven't waited long enough.

Unfortunately (or fortunately), I started to manually install. It went well until I started to install TDD, then it stalled again during the "bif processing". I checked and the wowexec and find processes were still in task manager. I rebooted and started installation (manual) from scratch. I've just successfully finished installing TDD and am going to continue.

However, now I'm in bit of a dilemma: should I restore my data/ override/ etc and try auto installing again or just continue to install manually... The thing is, I'm using BGT 105b instead of 105a from the standard SMM, and I'm also installing Longer Road. So I don't know how useful whatever bugs I run into would be for the SSM.

Yes that could happen, but probably more likely if the installer was terminated first before the weidu.exe was terminated. In any case, I'd really suggest to just click on that recovery button before doing another auto-install. A manual installation is seriously boring. BGT1.05b shouldn't have a problem, as nothing was patched before installing it.

Just make sure that particular line in the xml config file shows the following:
** size doesn't really matter for v0.10a

<Mod srcFile="BGT105b_Install.rar" fileSize="XXXXX" qExtract="0" autoExtract="1" extractTo="" modName="BGT" modFolder="" install="1" exists="1" components="0" args="" url="http://moddy.forbesnetwork.com/moddy121.php?mod=02"/>

I tried auto installing again, same prob (different point). I disabled my anti virus this time too. I checked task manager and again some "find" process was running. It seems like the auto installer's hiccuping for some reason on my system.

I've started manually installing again and am installing CtB now. Question:
Can CtB Fast Forward be installed in the SMM as well, if so, at what point? Right after Ctb, after a certain mod, not at all? It's not mentioned in the manual install guide at all.

Thanks a bunch!

edit:
There's also a CtB-Chores. Do we install that as well?

edit again:
The XML file says "install=0" for both Chores and Fas Forward. Does they cause a conflict if installed?

When you wrote "same prob (diff point)", did you mean that it stalled again on your system, but at another mod? If so, which mod & how long did it stall for? Since, at least BG2_FIXPACK was installed, since it comes before BGT, I'm quite sure your system has the required v1.1 dotnet framework.

Well I can't comment on Chores and Fas Forward, as I haven't played with those two mods yet. With the current installation, bg1 is already taking many hours off me Now what abt Bg2

[bigmoshi]

I have a question about this install. Is the wild mage class supposed to be unable to use magic items and scrolls after this install is done? And unable to write new magic to his spellbook? So far I have been unable to equip the Ring of Sorcery from BG1 and I have been unable to write any new spells to my spellbook.

Hi Usurper!

I'll try to create a char for this and see what happens. Thanks for reporting that!