12 replies to this topic

[ShadowTek]

Ok, can someone in plane English clearly say what the different mega mod installs are?

I can start..

BWP - Big World Project: The mega installer I know and understand after many trials and errors.. I made a guide for this. As far as I know the only up-to-date mega installer.

BWS - Big World Setup: Outdated.. as I understand, it did what BWP did but also downloaded the mods for you.. but is outdated as I read it.

Tute(?sp) - I have no clue what this is.. its mentioned allot.. I dont know where to get it.. what it does (other then a mega install) or how its different from say BWP, the only mega install I understand.

BP - Big Picture: where it all began.. it spawned all the current MM installers.. I used it like 5 years ago, and it was what did the mega install.. (I made the install guide that got stickied as the official guide.. but it was right before they shut down, I cant remember the site name.. but it was THE main BG/BP site.. it was around for ever, and as far as I know.. the longest most upto date site anywhere til they folded, now its spellhold) what confuses me is it seems its still active, but it no longer is a mega mod installer.. its for tactics and AI stuff now (?) yet much BP stuff is for BWP.. so I have no clue what this megamod does anymore from 5 years ago..

MISC - Am I missing one? (A mega mod installer)

I like to help on sites like this, so the more I learn and know.. the more I can help others. (and learn personally)

EDIT: TeamBG was the site I believe

Edited by ShadowTek, 03 January 2012 - 07:13 PM.

[Lollorian]

Megamod -> any mod combination which includes ATLEAST 2 out of RoT/TDD/CtB/TS-BP (all huge quest mods that - usually - have no interference with the vanilla BG2 story )

BP -> Proverbial "glue" that makes all those above mods play well with each other by standardizing scripts and maybe fixing compatibility Besides that, it also includes an AI system that improves on vanilla (If you know the Oblivion modding scene - you might think of BP as BGII's Cobl )

TuTu -> Mod that lets you play BGI using the BGII engine (like BGT but the key difference being that BG1 and BG2 aren't connected in TuTu So you play from Candlekeep to Baldur's Gate in one game, and import that to your BG2 game to play from Amn to Bhaal Fountain )

BWP -> set of tools to make #^@@loads of mods play well together 'nuff said! (as you noted, this is just an installer and not actually a mod or megamod ) The BWP can be used to create megamod games but that's not obligatory

BWS -> Downloader-extractor-installer all rolled into one awesome thingamajig Outdated just because its download links use the links of an OLD BWP (v9.10) while the current BWP is TONS advanced and stuff (v10.3.5 or something)

That's all I understand about the BGII megamod scene right now (and I'm relatively new around here btw )

[ShadowTek]

Thank You! Thats exactly what I wanted to know

Edited by ShadowTek, 03 January 2012 - 07:54 PM.

[dabus]

The BWS may act as a tool to prepare the install with the BiG World Install.bat (select/download/extract), but it may also install all the components that you want - so no editing of the batch is needed. If you want a few tactic-mods but not all - no problem. It also has different options to handle errors (halt and ask or continue) and you can exit/pause and resume an installation later. It also will not install a component that already is installed - would be easy to add though. To do that, it has much more different informations than the batch so you should be able to select without the pdf.

[William Imm]

Don't forget about the fact that I'm working on a BWS-revival:

www.shsforums.net/topic/53415-bring-back-the-big-world-setup/

You can also make a installation of NeJ or SoS and one other mod and it will still be a megamod.

There is one other megamod type - SMM Installer, which is the simpliest mega mod instllation method, but is outdaded and put on hold due to real life issues. The IEMI would be the custionizer and linklist equilvant for the SMM. Basically I'm going to give the BWS and linklist similar functionality to SMM and IEMI, using them as inspiration resources.

[dabus]

The title is about mega-mod installations but it's rather about methods if it comes to comparing BWP installpack and BWS. Since the difference was not really defined as much as I see it, I just wrote that post. And it seems like I like to pad my ego - just a little bit.

No disrespect: I did not mention your's because it's not public and maybe never will. There were a handfull of guys that said: ... I'll do it in java / .net / make it run on all OSs that WeiDU supports / use SVN / client-server models ... and then nothing came after it since it takes time and maybe the fun was lacking and nothing gets released.

I hope that you'll make a release and (still) have fun.

BTW: If you want to publish your BWS a little more, maybe you could talk to Leonardo Watson. He liked to stick with his PDF and the batch-files back when I did work on my tool, but maybe you can make something that is easy to change when he wants to add something new. Just an idea.

Edited by dabus, 04 January 2012 - 10:32 AM.

[William Imm]

The title is about mega-mod installations but it's rather about methods if it comes to comparing BWP installpack and BWS. Since the difference was not really defined as much as I see it, I just wrote that post. And it seems like I like to pad my ego - just a little bit.

No disrespect: I did not mention your's because it's not public and maybe never will. There were a handfull of guys that said: ... I'll do it in java / .net / make it run on all OSs that WeiDU supports / use SVN / client-server models ... and then nothing came after it since it takes time and maybe the fun was lacking and nothing gets released.

I hope that you'll make a release and (still) have fun.

BTW: If you want to publish your BWS a little more, maybe you could talk to Leonardo Watson. He liked to stick with his PDF and the batch-files back when I did work on my tool, but maybe you can make something that is easy to change when he wants to add something new. Just an idea.

I haven't got the new BWS developed at all, it's just an idea in my head at this stage. I will start developing it when I get back from the cruise. I will start the Git repo for the project however - I will post in the BWS thread when I have it.

I'll also talk to Leo about this project - probally PM him. If any Java developers are on this forum, it would be really helpful to join.

[ShadowTek]

The BWS may act as a tool to prepare the install with the BiG World Install.bat (select/download/extract), but it may also install all the components that you want - so no editing of the batch is needed. If you want a few tactic-mods but not all - no problem. It also has different options to handle errors (halt and ask or continue) and you can exit/pause and resume an installation later. It also will not install a component that already is installed - would be easy to add though. To do that, it has much more different informations than the batch so you should be able to select without the pdf.

Yes but its outdated, and wont download the latest versions, nor added mods since it was updated, at least thats how I understand it?

Don't forget about the fact that I'm working on a BWS-revival:

www.shsforums.net/topic/53415-bring-back-the-big-world-setup/

You can also make a installation of NeJ or SoS and one other mod and it will still be a megamod.

There is one other megamod type - SMM Installer, which is the simpliest mega mod instllation method, but is outdaded and put on hold due to real life issues. The IEMI would be the custionizer and linklist equilvant for the SMM. Basically I'm going to give the BWS and linklist similar functionality to SMM and IEMI, using them as inspiration resources.

Theres a few like this going on, IF BWS was updated to latest.. It would IMO be reccomended as long as the install scripts were as up to date as the BWP install.. if that ever happens.. BWS would be the thing to use without question.. but I think its far from that point as updating the downloads would be great.. but would have to use BWP's install.bat.. or is that what it will (does) do?

Edited by ShadowTek, 05 January 2012 - 05:28 PM.

[ShadowTek]

The BWS may act as a tool to prepare the install with the BiG World Install.bat (select/download/extract), but it may also install all the components that you want - so no editing of the batch is needed. If you want a few tactic-mods but not all - no problem. It also has different options to handle errors (halt and ask or continue) and you can exit/pause and resume an installation later. It also will not install a component that already is installed - would be easy to add though. To do that, it has much more different informations than the batch so you should be able to select without the pdf.

Yes but its outdated, and wont download the latest versions, nor added mods since it was updated, at least thats how I understand it?

Don't forget about the fact that I'm working on a BWS-revival:

www.shsforums.net/topic/53415-bring-back-the-big-world-setup/

You can also make a installation of NeJ or SoS and one other mod and it will still be a megamod.

There is one other megamod type - SMM Installer, which is the simpliest mega mod instllation method, but is outdaded and put on hold due to real life issues. The IEMI would be the custionizer and linklist equilvant for the SMM. Basically I'm going to give the BWS and linklist similar functionality to SMM and IEMI, using them as inspiration resources.

Theres a few like this going on, IF BWS was updated to latest.. It would IMO be reccomended as long as the install scripts were as up to date as the BWP install.. if that ever happens.. BWS would be the thing to use without question.. but I think its far from that point as updating the downloads would be great.. but would have to use BWP's install.bat.. or is that what it will (does) do?

Also, does it have to be updated everytime a new version of a existing mod is added? If so.. it would require constant updates to provide the latest mods..

EDIT: Opps hit wrong button, ment to edit my post above not reply making a new one.. my bad..

Edited by ShadowTek, 05 January 2012 - 05:32 PM.

[10th]

@ ShadowTek
The difficult part of the BWS is not the creation of the program, it's the maintenance part (links, mod dependencies, install order and adding new mods).

10th

[ShadowTek]

Thats what I thought.. I'll go with BWP for now.. as I figured due to the maintenance a new updated BWS would take, I figure as there are new BWS or similar mods in the works it seems, and I'll wait til I see a new updated version come out, and wait to see that what ever author is the creator or updater, that they are dedicated to keeping it updated, as thats the strength and weakness of BWS.. it has to be maintained..

Thanks 10th

[Lollorian]

Hence, ideally, the maintenance part should be done by the community rather than a single guy/private group/African warlords

[ShadowTek]

Hence, ideally, the maintenance part should be done by the community rather than a single guy/private group/African warlords

Agreed 100%