How To Enhance Your Edition of Baldur's Gate

After the release of the latest patch for Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition (version 2014) I finally shelved it. The most recent patch ended up introducing several more bugs, so until that game finally gets all the issues ironed out, I went back to my GOG.com copies of Baldur's Gate 1 & 2. In all honesty, I've come to conclusion that BG:EE isn't really worth the $20 admission cost. Baldur's Gate is a very long game with a massive amount of content to experience, so do we really need yet more content? Because three new characters, a handful of new areas, and an arena mode are the only features that BG:EE adds that cannot be found through mods (which, I might add, are completely free).

So here is my own personal list of modifications that I use for Baldur's Gate 1 & 2, and the order in which I install them:


1: First, install Baldur's Gate 1 & 2, which you can get off GOG.com for a combined price of $20 (which is how much you'll pay for BG:EE, which only includes the first game)

2: Install EasyTutu. This mod runs BG1 on the BG2 engine, effectively copying the necessary data from both games and creating an entirely new installation. This adds several conveniences, such as being able to use the Tab key to highlight all selectable objects. However, it does make several changes that can alter the "flavour" of the original Baldur's Gate:

- Access to BG2 kits. Some of these can make certain encounters much easier, such as the Cavalier kit, which makes the user immune to Poison and Fear effects (both of which can be incredibly debilitating in a low-level campaign such as BG1)
- Increased spawn rate. Thanks to a quirk of the BG2 engine, Tutu will have enemy spawn points producing many more enemies than in the original BG1. For example, in the area just outside Candlekeep, a player in BG1 might encounter a pair of Gibberlings, whereas a Tutu player might encounter six or seven. This can make the game a fair bit harder at low levels.
- Faster walking speeds: Since characters in Tutu move faster than in the original BG1, this makes "kiting" enemies, or simply fleeing from them, a fair bit easier.
- Thieves have access to traps: By abusing traps, Thieves can trivialise certain encounters, e.g. seven traps (the maximum any Thief can lay in one area) can kill Drizzt, who is normally an incredibly difficult opponent.

3: Install the EasyTutu Degreenifier which will remove the green tint of water from BG Tutu.

4: Install the TutuFix, which, as you might guess, is a collection of various bug fixes and tweaks for EasyTutu. Note: Do NOT install the BG1 Walking Speeds fix. There is an issue where characters who are hasted will permanently move at a greatly reduced speed after the Haste effect wears off.

5: Install the Restored BG1 Casting Sounds (which also includes the BG1 combat sounds)

6: Install the Restored Textscreen Music mod, which adds in the background music to various cutscenes (such as the dream scenes that occur after every chapter). Note that you also have to install one of the language packs along with the core package.

7: Install Unfinished Business, which restores some BG1 content that was cut from the final release.

8: Install One Pixel Productions, a complete graphical overhaul for things like paper dolls, avatars, and spell effects. Note: Do NOT install item [400] Core Updates and Item Patches.There is a bug where Icharyd (a Skeleton Warrior in the Ulcaster Ruins) will cause the game to crash the instant he appears on-screen.

9: Install the BG2 Tweak Pack. Don't let the name fool you; it includes several tweaks for BGTutu as well. Whichever particular tweaks you wish to install is up to you. Again, do NOT install the Walking Speeds fix, as it has several issues with Haste and Slow spells.

10: Install the Widescreen Patch. My monitor's resolution is 1920x1080, and I find that running Baldur's Gate at this resolution makes everything look a bit too tiny. 1280x720 looks better, in my opinion.

11: Install Generalized Biffing. What this does is run through BG's Override folder (where most mod files go) and collect all graphic and sound files into. BIF files, the native file archive used by the Infinity Engine. Not only does this greatly reduce loading times, it's also a flat-out necessity when using One Pixel Productions, otherwise spell effects will cause a large amount of slow-down and stuttering.

And as for Baldur's Gate 2, several of the above mods, such as the BG2 Tweak Pack, One Pixel Productions, and the Widescreen Patch will also work. In addition, I use the following BG2 mods:

- The BG2 Fixpack. As the name implies, this is a general collection of bug fixes.

- BG2 Unfinished Business. As with the BG1 Unfinished Business mod, this re-introduces several quest lines that were cut from the finished game.

As you might have guessed, I generally go for a "pure" Baldur's Gate experience, without introducing any substantial gameplay changes, NPCs, or quests. But with the mods above, you can get much of the Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition experience through 100% free mods, and for the price of that game (which only includes BG1) you can get both BG1 and BG2. I'll leave it up to the reader to determine which is the better deal.