7 replies to this topic

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Hello
I'm an old long-time BG fan (since 97 !), and just returning . I've found the incredible BiG mod/utility and just put back "Super-BG" with a ton of mods/extensions, and now I find this : CA, the mythical p&p modules I played 30 years ago with friends !!

So I'd really want to play it, but how can I put it "in addition" to the rest (no way I deinstall all the stuff it took hours to install !) ?
Can I use the old multi-install utility ? Or maybe tweaking a couple registry entry will do it ?

And BTW, I can't find on the CA site what is really in the current v0.49 - do we have A1 to A3, as the screenshots suggest ? Some more ?

Thx

[agnar]

Hello
I'm an old long-time BG fan (since 97 !), and just returning . I've found the incredible BiG mod/utility and just put back "Super-BG" with a ton of mods/extensions, and now I find this : CA, the mythical p&p modules I played 30 years ago with friends !!

So I'd really want to play it, but how can I put it "in addition" to the rest (no way I deinstall all the stuff it took hours to install !) ?
Can I use the old multi-install utility ? Or maybe tweaking a couple registry entry will do it ?

And BTW, I can't find on the CA site what is really in the current v0.49 - do we have A1 to A3, as the screenshots suggest ? Some more ?

Thx

Hi, im not the one to answer your first questions on the install. But i think i can answer the content question.

Currently you start off choosing between the sunless citadel module or palace of the silver princess module. After finishing that, you move on to saltmarsh were you do the U1 module, then can choos between doing the rest of the U series, U2 and 3, or doing UK2 and 3 and i think C2 is also a default part of that path.

You can then go through a couple of adventures i'm not sure if they're from modules or original creations, before hitting the A1-4 series of modules or going straight to the A series (though skipping adventures can make the A series tough as hell).

So on the "features" page i think the only ones not currently included are the G series, the lost caverns of tsojconth, and maybe X2 (castle amber, though the mistmoor adventure available between the U/UK series and the A series does resemble the description, but not sure if it's based on amber or not).

So while it's far from complete, vision-wise and content-wise, there's a ton of game time/real time play already available. One thing to think about though is, it's a complete rebuild, all the bhaalspawn stuff is totally absent. If you're in the midst of a BG bhaalspawn play through and tend to prefer focusing on one game, finishing it start to end first, then you may want to hold off on downloading CA until you're ready to play it. The amazing speed these guys seem able to put out updates/new versions/fixes, it may be on a new version by the time you finish the BiG playthrough.

i know they've already put out a second huge new update and mulitple patches in the short time i've been playing CA. But if you like to play mulitple games at the same time and someone here cna tip you on how to do a multi-install safely, then it's well worth the download as is.

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Thanks Agnar
After some searches I found posts at G3 for making a simple clone install, worked so far (the clone os working with vanilla BG2), now I'm installing the big CA stuff (damn 1.5 GB compressed files, ouch !).

Thanks for the content, I also get some info at the mod site (but it's a bit hidden and maybe not up to date). I think I'll soon start a game with the U modules, will put me back in time 30 years ...

[Jarno Mikkola]

Well the best way is to use the BWP's backup copied to yet another folder and then adjust the baldur.ini file so it's current with the game directory(the [ALIAS] header), and then install CA049 and CA049a to it.
As you should know, the BWP says to make a backup from the game for a reason, alike this.

Now, if you do not have a working backup, it gets trickier, but can be done with ease... it's just hard.

You have three options.
1) Copy the entire BWP game to another directory/folder, uninstall the original game, and then remove the game directory so it's clear when you reinstall to that directory and then install the game back(remember the patch too) and install the CA's. The BWP game will work as long as the baldur.ini in the game folder directs itself the game folder and you start the game from the BGMain.exe, not from the baldur.exe!!! -just like the CA from there on out.
2) Use the multi install tool... if it can be done, I do not know.
3) (Perhaps the safest)Synthesize the original game from the BWP directory, by copying it to a folder, then deleting all the mod files and the override folder(the backup folder includes all the folders that need to be deleted before it is applied), then getting the "ToB Backup" files from here and extracting it to the game folder... and installing the CA mod and the patch.

[Sir BillyBob]

It really isn't all that hard folks. I have about 10 versions of BG2 installed. Each one is in a different directory under the Black Isle folder. Only 1 can actually be played at a time. You just rename the folders as needed. So CA v050 is currently my active game folder, BGII - SoA. I rename it to BGII - SoAv50 and then rename another folder to BGII - SoA. Simple.

To get all of these, just install a clean SoA/ToB game, copy that folder to a "Master" folder and use the active game folder for installing mods into. Rename that folder, copy the "Master" back to the active game folder and install the mods you want into that game.

[agnar]

It really isn't all that hard folks. I have about 10 versions of BG2 installed. Each one is in a different directory under the Black Isle folder. Only 1 can actually be played at a time. You just rename the folders as needed. So CA v050 is currently my active game folder, BGII - SoA. I rename it to BGII - SoAv50 and then rename another folder to BGII - SoA. Simple.

To get all of these, just install a clean SoA/ToB game, copy that folder to a "Master" folder and use the active game folder for installing mods into. Rename that folder, copy the "Master" back to the active game folder and install the mods you want into that game.

i think for me the hard part is just remembering to make that master copy before installing anything else. Because i have a memory made of swiss cheese, i always seem to forget to make that backup, clean copy of the game. Like, when you put out .49a, i had removed the .49 install and begun playing a bg2 version with the normal setup and a few new (to me) character mods. When i saw .49a available i decided i wanted to play CA again. This time i copied my BG2 modded directory and put it in a renamed directory so i could go back and pick the game up from where i stopped, then ran an uninstall and reinstalled clean to put CA on. Of course i still f'ed up because i forgot to keep a clean copy for any future such needs and just installed CA .49 and .49a.

Ah well, i tend to focus on 1 game until i get through or get bored. Though i know in the case of modders like yourself you'd need lots of versions, for testing and for personal down time both. Thanks for clarifying it really is that easy.

[Jarno Mikkola]

It really isn't all that hard folks. I have about 10 versions of BG2 installed. Each one is in a different directory under the Black Isle folder. Only 1 can actually be played at a time. You just rename the folders as needed. So CA v050 is currently my active game folder, BGII - SoA. I rename it to BGII - SoAv50 and then rename another folder to BGII - SoA. Simple.

Yeah, but that takes, like so much space that...

The easier way to do all this is to have a "master", yes, but not do anything but keep it as clean patched master copy with as much media files in it as usually needed(character sounds, portraits etc.), I always copy the whole directory to a different folder, open up the baldur.ini in the new folders files, and rename the first two [Alias] -headers to what the folder I copied it into("HD0" and "CD1"). This way, one can start the game from the BGMain.exe and delete the 1.5 Gb's of space that the CD3, CD4, and CD5 folders take as they will be loaded from the "master" copy directory and still have a clean full game... Take note that I always delete them after I have installed any and all mods, cause they might be used in the "creation" of the mods files.
So ok, I also have about 5Gb extra space there cause I have forgotten to delete everything, but it's a principle that it can be done. And yes, I too have more than 50Gb's of the one game files.

[PDF]

BiG had the good idea to make a clean install backup, so all I had was to copy it and install CA. Not even need to rename anything to specific names, I put it in a BG2-CA folder, and the normal BG2 folder was untouched.
So far so good, everything works nicely !
Thx