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EDIT: This guide is quite similar to this one by xenobrain. In fact xenobrain's may be better, so go there first, and check here if something is not clear.

I previously posted a mod guide for BG1 that used engine conversion (running BG1 in the BG2 engine). However, it turns out the game conversion itself alters the BG1 game play quite a bit. I am aware of three things:
- New spells etc. from BG2 alters the balance
- Spawns are not quite right (BG1Tutu/EasyTutu v4 always spawn max number of enemies, and as far as I understand BGT uses preprogrammed fixed spawns, which is not how it works in BG1)
- At least in EasyTutu weapon proficiencies of some team members have changed.

Hence, I set out to instead fix up pure BG1, without doing the engine conversion. My goals are the same as in my previous guide: modernize the UI and fix bugs, but not add fan-based content, except for "unfinished business", i.e., fan-fixed content that was planned to be included and was still present in the game files (but not enabled, probably because it was not finished for release.)

WARNING: Playing BG1 in its original engine feels quite a bit more "bulky" than in the more modern BG2 engine, you may find that doing the engine conversion through my earlier guide, or GoJays2025's guide, is still "worth it".

1. Install GOGs BG1. IMPORTANT: In the GOG installer you need to click 'options' and select a different install directory that is in the root and don't contain spaces or other special characters. I use: C:\BG1

2. Download and install Baldurdash's fixpacks from here: http://www.baldurdash.org/BG1/bg1fixes.html. The two files you want are BG1FixPack11.exe and BG1TOSCGameTextUpdate11.exe. Install them both (FixPack first).

3. Somewhat optional: Download and install BG1 unfinished business from here:http://www.pocketplane.net/bg1ub. The file you want is: BG1UB_v12.exe. (It may *look* like you need BG1Tutu or BGT for this mod, but if you check the readme, that isn't true.) This re-enables content not in the game, but present in the game files (unfinished), that fans have recovered and "fixed". There are also some fixes included in this.

4. Get and install the widescreen mod here: http://www.gibberlings3.net/widescreen/ . The file you want is: widescreen-v2.60.exe. Make sure to enter the resolution of your screen when asked for "x" and "y".

5. With this game and others for Win 7 (possibly also Vista): if the game flickers and minimizes itself when you start it, right click on the desktop icon, chose select properties, go to the tab "compability" and check the boxes "Disable visual themes" and "Disable desktop composition". This makes Win 7 turn off some graphic gimicks while the game is running, and re-enable them when the game ends.

6. If you plan to play at high resolutions, the font will be too small. Sadly, the font mod from here: http://www.shsforums.net/topic/38626-bigger-fonts-for-bgiitob-and-other-ie-games/ doesn't work for BG1. I'm still looking for a font mod that works. The ToTSC readme talks about an override font that apparently was distributed along with the official expansion CD, but sadly it doesn't seem to be included in GOGs package :( Until we find a fix for this, entering a lower resolution in the widescreen mod install is probably the only way to go. (You can change settings for the widescreen mod by running setup-widescreen.exe in your BG1 install directory.)

NOTES:
- Widescreen mod and the UI: The UI in the BG1 engine is much less flexible than in BG2, meaning that videos and many dialogs will be up in the top left corner if you play with a larger resolution than 800x600.

- Graphical glitches: Apparently on nvidia cards there is a problem with graphical glitches. This is easily circumvented in the BG2 engine by enabling 3D acceleration, which works well. However, the BG1 engine does not support 3D acceleration. The best fix I have so far is: inside the game go to graphic settings (in the save dialog), change to 16 bit color and play with the different "bit" settings until the graphics look ok.
Post edited November 21, 2010 by rartino
Great guide for those of us who wish to play the "original" Baldur's Gate. Thanks rartino.
Why did you say that you need to install in a non-default directory that doesn't have spaces in the name? I installed all of the patches you linked to using the default directory and had no problems at all.
This pretty much covers the same ground as my guide, but you clearly put a bit of effort into yours as well and some people will appreciate the alternative take. I'll provide a link in my guide to yours as an additional resource.
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xenobrain: This pretty much covers the same ground as my guide, but you clearly put a bit of effort into yours as well and some people will appreciate the alternative take. I'll provide a link in my guide to yours as an additional resource.
You are right, somehow I missed your guide when digging through the old posts (that one should really have been stickied...) thanks for pointing this out, I added a link to your guide. I see you found a GUI mod; I will try that out to see if it helps me thinking the font is too small.
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Lokathor: Why did you say that you need to install in a non-default directory that doesn't have spaces in the name? I installed all of the patches you linked to using the default directory and had no problems at all.
It didn't work for me until I did this.

Here is what I *think* happens: if you are running a 64 bit system (I am), your GOG program files folder is 'Programs (x86)', and the parenthesis screw up the Baldurdash installs.
Post edited November 21, 2010 by rartino
Could be it, I'm using ancient old WinXP 32bit.
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rartino: 6. If you plan to play at high resolutions, the font will be too small. Sadly, the font mod from here: http://www.shsforums.net/topic/38626-bigger-fonts-for-bgiitob-and-other-ie-games/ doesn't work for BG1. I'm still looking for a font mod that works. The ToTSC readme talks about an override font that apparently was distributed along with the official expansion CD, but sadly it doesn't seem to be included in GOGs package :(
The TotSC font increase only increases the size of text in the dialogue box, everything else is still super tiny.
bump for utility
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rartino: However, it turns out the game conversion itself alters the BG1 game play quite a bit. I am aware of three things:
- New spells etc. from BG2 alters the balance
- Spawns are not quite right (BG1Tutu/EasyTutu v4 always spawn max number of enemies, and as far as I understand BGT uses preprogrammed fixed spawns, which is not how it works in BG1)
- At least in EasyTutu weapon proficiencies of some team members have changed.
For those of you that want a vanillish experience but aren't willing to give-up the myriad of benefits of EasyTutu, there are some ways to assuage these differences:

1. Use the BG1Tutu fix pack to remove spells that weren't in BG1.
2. Use EasyTutu's Spawn Randomizer to make the spawns more like vanilla.

I also recommend not choosing a kit: don't play a Blade, Bounty Hunter, Inquisitor, etc., just choose one of the base classes.

Thanks for your guides, rartino, they were a big help in setting-up my own installation.
It's probably worth mentioning that despite its reputation, BG1 Unfinished Business doesn't seem to really stand up under close scrutiny: http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/baldurs-gate-baldurs-gate-ii-mod-thread.73121/page-14#post-2442031

Only a few parts seem to be actually worth activating.