18 replies to this topic

[WithinAmnesia]

 

Looking for someone to open the all the content files (.ITM, .BAM, .CRE, .SPL, .WAV .TIS, .ARE, .BCS, .DLG etc.) up to the public / be able to use them for Baldur's Gate projects. Near Infinity does not work on the old CHITIN file (maybe an ancient 1998 tool relic from the old TeamBG might work). I sent this to Sam eons ago, I wonder if he had any more progress. There are a few things that I am looking for in the early / alpha / beta builds of Baldur's Gate. The glowing sword wielded by 'Kivan'. That white bow in the Nashkel mines pit scene, the 'Marek' NPC, early versions of NPCs (Fighter Xan and Mage Imoen) the Gnolls with the swords (which you can still see an inventory sprite B.A.M. of if you cheat command control+Q a gnoll into your party), the early spell effects, any extra voice over files that might be in there etc. Here is more information on early builds of Baldur's Gate: https://forums.beamd...uilds-any-exist . Also does anyone have the playable demo of 1998? I played it before, it had its own disc.

 

Baldur's Gate non-interactive demo download link: https://archive.org/details/BALDUR

[Sam.]

Look, this is really not that hard to do.  Your original topic you linked to contains the modified CHITIN.KEY file you need to access the files.  Here are two different options to have full access to the contents of the BIFs:
 
1) Using fearless's WinBif utility

• Install the NID from you link above
• Download the modified CHITIN.KEY files from this post and overwrite the one in the same directory as Baldur.exe from the NID
• Download and install fearless's WinBif utility, and use it to open and extract the files from the two .BIF files from the NID.

2) Using NearInfinity

• Install the NID from you link above
• Download the modified CHITIN.KEY files from this post and overwrite the one in the same directory as Baldur.exe from the NID
• Copy ANY file and rename it to config.exe.  Place it in the same directory as Baldur.exe from the NID.  This is to trick NearInfinity into thinking this is the original Baldur's Gate game.
• Download NearInfinity and place it in the same directory as Baldur.exe from the NID
• Run NearInfinity and use it to extract the files from the two .BIF files from the NID.

[Creepin]

Made it work (thank you Sam.!), sadly there's no funny assets I was hoping for, no cut content or anything.

[WithinAmnesia]

Hello thanks Sam although I got it in Near Infinity although I cannot view any of the assets; it just gives the error "null" when clicking on a file. Also it cannot export any of the files for it just says 'cannot read file'. As in the case for the .WAV files in that it does not work although I can see the list of files. There must be animations and some type of character files in there for it is not a movie. There has to be colour palettes for items and character sprites as well. It is so close but I cannot view anything x.x. That white bow and glowing sword are really intriguing for you do not see them in Baldur's Gate. Also if we can find a way to look at the original Non-Player Characters like (Xan is a fighter in this before he was changed to the only neutral mage) we can make un-cut material like N.P.C. quests and such to add more content to the game.

Edited by WithinAmnesia, 29 November 2017 - 04:28 AM.

[Creepin]

Hello thanks Sam although I got it in Near Infinity although I cannot view any of the assets; it just gives the error "null" when clicking on a file. Also it cannot export any of the files for it just says 'cannot read file'.

That's weird as it worked for me flawlessly. Have you changed chitin.key as Sam said?

Edited by Creepin, 29 November 2017 - 05:02 AM.

[WithinAmnesia]

Hello thanks Sam although I got it in Near Infinity although I cannot view any of the assets; it just gives the error "null" when clicking on a file. Also it cannot export any of the files for it just says 'cannot read file'.

That's weird as it worked for me flawlessly. Have you changed chitin.key as Sam said?

Yeah I did:S, the same thing happened last time I think. I could see the files but not open them. Are you able too see and play files?

Edited by WithinAmnesia, 29 November 2017 - 06:14 AM.

[Creepin]

Mostly. BCS and MUS/ACM refused to work but all the rest (bam, bmp, chu, mos, mve, tis, wav and wed) are perfectly readable. As I've said - nothing interesting though, other than few gems like this:

Spoiler

Edited by Creepin, 29 November 2017 - 07:10 AM.

[WithinAmnesia]

What have I done, what have I done! Nearly 650 files exported one by one via winbiff; 1 straight hour of click click click click x.x. Winbiff would not extract multiple files at once for myself so I did the insane thing like any person wouldn't do and did it all by hand; good lord what have I done. Here is the .zip file of my exporting exhaustive 'adventures'. I hope this goes to some-type of good use and to at least spare any poor sod in a similar position like myself bent over a barrel due to their own curiosity; you are welcome!

Attached Files

•  Demo.zip   20.19MB   343 downloads

[WithinAmnesia]

How are the .mos files opened? I cannot find a program to open them up. They were made by some some type of company back in the dinosaur days that made a compressed file type for pictures but now they are never used. Photoshop is said to open them but my old computer died with photoshop on it. Ah never mind near infinity opens it lol.

Edited by WithinAmnesia, 29 November 2017 - 10:06 AM.

[WithinAmnesia]

Woah! This is cool. Alpha Candlekeep. No interesting cut content my elven arse lol XD! Look at the different buildings like the blacksmith and temple with roofs(the blacksmith might have actually had content!) The bunkhouse and barracks were moved! So much work tossed out! The clown gardens of 'clowndlekeep' do look at bit 'off' though if a bit silly. Also there is the top half of candlekeep's bailey wall.

[WithinAmnesia]

Still I wonder where the character sprite data is stored. I have looked through every file one by one in the .biff files and there is just nothing but sprite B.A.M.s and .BCS scripts saying 'NID special' (non-interactive demo special). I wonder if the .exe file has more data in it or the BALDUR_files.xml and BALDUR_meta.xml and BALDUR_meta.sqlite files.

[Sam.]

MOS files are opened with NearInfinity or DLTCEP. Or if you want to go oldschool then MOSWorkshop. There are no CRE or ARE files in the BIFs so they must be built into the Engine.

[WithinAmnesia]

MOS files are opened with NearInfinity or DLTCEP. Or if you want to go oldschool then MOSWorkshop. There are no CRE or ARE files in the BIFs so they must be built into the Engine.

I figured out that Near Infinity can open the .MOS files after downloading 4 or 5 programs that did not work X-P. There are the 'broken' tile sets, all the 'scenes' are just one big map where the camera and characters teleport around. Hmm what options are on the table to get to see those characters and area files and maybe even items and spell files? What about those BALDUR_files.xml and BALDUR_meta.xml and BALDUR_meta.sqlite files? What is in those files and what about the .exe file? I am not in my element here but I am very curious about those items and spells! That Xan death gargle sound though XD.

 

Also I am thinking about creating a Non-Player Character via Big Jim, or possible renamed to 'Mig'Bji a.k.a. Big Jim':

It looks like he uses a ~something... 'Ax' although it is hard read on the bottom right 'squiggle text'.

 

Also Minsc is missing his Boots of Striding and Springing:

Edited by WithinAmnesia, 04 December 2017 - 11:53 AM.

[modron]

Ah, just found my old login again. With "it", I mean the "interactive" Baldur's Gate 1 Demo.

[modron]

PS: Kudos to WithinAmnesia for extracting the nid demo contents! I was asking as well about extracting the demo files in a German BG Forum decades ago and was being laughed at -.-'

[WithinAmnesia]

Hello, I am also kind of interested in alpha builds of my favorite games. I have uploaded it here for the public (420 MB):
 
http://www.share-onl...dl/66G2308P4SSQ
 
PS: could anybody share an upload of this Baldur's Gate Chapters 1 and 2 disc?

Not to be a hassle but can you please upload your demo files to mega.nz? It is free and if you need you can make another account if one is full. Also share-online is being a right cunt and noncompetitive and might go tits up due to antiquated business policies (it is frustrating to wait 10 minutes through refreshes and recatcha just to have a invalid ticket).

Edited by WithinAmnesia, 03 July 2018 - 07:36 PM.

[WithinAmnesia]

Also I took some cut content 'data mined' up from the non-interactive demo and made some new 'restored' content from it (while taking advantage of the improved Baldur's Gate engine):

 

https://mattwow3.wor...i-a-lost-n-p-c/

 

Here is a Non-Player Character that I developed from 'Big Jim'. He is a True Neutral Human Berzerker that specializes in dual wielding war hammers.

[modron]

Ok, I reuploaded the files to Mega:

 

Baldur's Gate Interactive Demo

 

https://mega.nz/#!zm...cCmkUr_Pa7ZxIX4

 

 

And the Chapters 1 & 2 Disc, I aquired them in the meantime:

 

https://mega.nz/#!P7...dvBeZeABNuhQvRE