Rattledagger

Well, starting on the SoS-part, after having paid 100k walked to Umar Hills and everything seemed to progress as it should...

...until selected to take a carriage-ride, where 2 of my party was left-behind in Umar Hills.  

Re-loaded the auto-save, but this seemed that was taken after the bandit-cut-scene, but this seems to have been taken a little bit too soon, since wasn't possible to get-back status-messages and player-portraits and so on, except by going into inventory or similar.

Re-loaded again, didn't take carriage-ride, and landed by river...

When this was finished and wanted to continue, Sime triggered the dragon so again left me without any status-messages and so on...


Since atleast one of the problems was due to Sime, it's possible none of these problems was due to SoS but TS instead...


But anyway, landed in Soubar, and 1st quest went without any problems. Trying to start 2nd quest on the other hand doesn't work...

... since ar4232.tiz isn't being de-tizzed by sos-tisoggbiff.bat and is therefore not installed as it should...

Well, didn't see any TDD-specific forums, but the weidu-version it's Horred's re-packaging so guess the BP-forum is a good starting-point.


It's a long time since last played BG, but at last started re-installing and taking a look for improvements. Since haven't really been any BP-improvements released is trying the parts in other combinations for now...

1st try was with the new BGT-weidu, TDD-installing no problem, SoS refused. After stumbling over a small note on the SoS-forums fixed this and re-started with TDD and SoS. TS on the other hand crashed into missing musiclist.ids, so by-passed. Since NeJ is also apparently beta, didn't try this either, but went directly on BGT.

Well, it's much smaller download-size, but it's still basically the same bloated install-size as before, since everything is being copied over from BG1...
Anyway, started a game, but after a couple of battles my nice armour went up in smoke, and together with the other (bad) design-desisions desided to nuke this install...
... well, currently being short on disk-space also helped a little in this decision...



So, started again, but was steering clear of BGT, and instead opted for bg1tutu. Since wanted to play one of the TDD-kits, tried to install only the TDD-kits, just to be hit by an install-error due to a missing directory... After fixing this problem put tutu on top, the fix-pack and some of the other packages. Since have learned to export a character, the only is "missing" by going this route instead of the bloated install-size and (bad) design-choises of BGT is really the helm against intelligence-drain, and without the souped-up mind-flayers in BP it's not so important to get this helm.
Started to play, no problem selecting the TDD-kit, and didn't see any problems. But, after leveling-up some times and having been in numerous battles, took a closer look on my Dragonslayer, since he did sometimes run away scared...
This revealed, that while the kits was installed, any innate abilities or spell-files to accompany the kits had not been installed...
Well, some unusual combinations not working shouldn't really be unexpected, so can't really blame anyone else for this problem.
Anyway, after a little digging, fixed this so he did get his powers, and finished BG1, and exported him.



Starting 3rd time on install, full TDD, and continued with SoS just to be hit with the same bug as before.... Ok, had forgot to fix the TDD-install-file as mentioned on SoS-forums so rolled-back, and tried again, crashed again... and again... Rolled back once more and tried installing SoS but again crashed...
Hmm, after a little testing found the problem, my base-bg2 is normally including Baldurdash... Hmm, no, it doesn't mentions anything that SoS-weidu doesn't work with Baldurdash...
Anyway, next step, TS, just to be hit with same bug as last time, but now fixed it.


Since TDD + SoS + TS is the "standard" in the bottom of any BP-install, the failure to install these means one or more of these packages is at best alpha, more likely pre-alpha-stage, since any beta-testing would mean the installation had been tested, and this very clearly haven't been done since it's impossible to finish the installation without multiple changes.


Well, imported my character and landed in my cell, and zig-zagged out of Irenicus Dungeon. Took shortest-possible route, and actually sold Kachikos katanas to immediately get money. As paladin working for Bodhi was completely out of the question, and in shortest-possible time was heading for TS, not even talking to the SoS-girl that wants her Brynnlaw-money.

In the TS-part hit 1st serious problem except the multiple install-bugs, tt0305.are crashed due to greater mummy or something, so these was removed...
Also, in pit-battle, when 1st fight was won, the bastards went hostile for some reason.
So, had to kill them, this didn't seem to have any other effects...

Anyway, since the romance with Sime for once kicked-in, had to clear-out atleast part of the Umar-hills-ruins...
Hmm, when entering this map, the game crashed again, this time due to the Shade Lord...

Fixed this, cleaned out part of the ruins, killed Bodhi and cleaned Suldanesselar, and landed in hell.
After becoming a fallen Paladin killed-off Irenicus...

... and landed in ToB

Now... no, can't see any readme, so wft does it stand the main TDD-quest is "missing"...


Anyway, after a little digging, and fixing cut100a.bcs and cut100b.bcs and re-killing Irenicus a couple times, came a little closer to re-enabling. After grabbing suelle2.dlg from a "real" TDD-install, even the text was now gibberish at last landed in Easthaven.

Back in Amn, headed of course immediately to Windspear Hills, to get back my Paladin-powers.

After doing many of the normal BG2-quests, and after grabbing some loot for Ribald, found out it's a good time to also re-visit Suldanesselar to trigger the continuing of TDD's main quest.

But, again the game crashed...

After a quick digging, it shows that while arpo*.are and arpo*.bcs is present, gremlins must have stolen arpo*.wed, arpo*.tis, arpo*.mos and arpo*.bmp

So, have anyone seen any gremlins running-around with these missing TDD-files?


BTW, interesting-looking "cyclops" outside example Nalias keep...

Oh, and long time since last time.

Lol, "too many emoticons"

After at last cleaned some room for BP, is also back to playing a little... B)

Appart for the NeJ-part of s&h v4 doesn't work, either refusing to install, or totally screwing up dialogues if digs up the "missing" file, haven't had any unexpected insidents except Jaheira wasn't in her cage... but this probably is my own fault since she didn't survive BG1...

Anyway, after zig-zagging my way, came at last to Nalias Keep. Good, the door is back as it should, and entered. The trolls inside is still not my favourites, but anyway, collected all pieces of the flail and went outside opening the gate... and after clearing everything out found out it was time to sleep...

crash.

Appart for a couple of times suddenly being back at the desktop, this is actually 1st crash there had to "close" the game afterwards since started playing again. Re-tried, even worse, had to start TaskManager to actually have an opportunity to kill the game.

Thinking back, crashing outside Nalia's keep was the same problem as happened before the door was "lost" by the v3.13-patch or something, and digging a little also found the solution for the crash.


To fix the buggy Nalia's keep, dig out a non BP-install (actually you only need the chitin.key) and extract ar1300.are from AREAS.BIF...

For v5 of the patch, distribute original, working version instead of all the buggy supplied by BP...
Since all the "extra" BP-monsters is part of ar1300.bcs, there isn't really any reason to not use the original, especially since this version isn't buggy.