This guide will go through the process of patching GOG version of The Temple of Elemental Evil with two main community-created patches.

The idea is to transform a rough diamond into a polished, brilliant gem.


#1 INSTALL YOUR GOG COPY OF ToEE

Please avoid using the default "programs" directory as some versions of Windows can have problems with this. One recommendation is C:\GAMES\ but it can be in any custom directory on any standard drive.

The GOG version is DRM-free and pre-patched with the official patches, GOG are pretty great like this. Forget what you might read about "Official Patch #1 and #2 and Unofficial Patch #3." You don't need any of them - the GOG version has the first two patches, the Co8 mod has the third built-in.

So hopefully you've got the basic GOG game installed. But it's SO buggy it's close to unplayable. It's more like a late Alpha or early Beta build, and the bugs were some of the most persistent criticisms of the original game. So let's fix that.


#2 ENSURE YOU HAVE JAVA INSTALLED

The mod installation process requires Java on your system. You can check if Java is on your system in the Add/Remove programs, if it is not get it and install it.

http://java.com/getjava


#3 INSTALL MOD "CIRCLE OF EIGHT" (Co8)

This is a massive community bug-fix, first release October 2003 final release September 2013. Let that sink-in; TEN YEARS of development over 44 separate releases, large and small.

There are two "editions" of this mod STANDARD and NEW CONTENT.

The STANDARD EDITION is bug fixes, lots and lots and lots of them.

The NEW CONTENT EDITION has all the same bug fixes but additionally contains "New Content". The readme gives full details but it includes a massive amount of new monsters, items, magic items, scrolls, spells, shops, NPCs, interactions, traps, portraits, encounters; more "uses" for skills like Intimidate or Pick Lock, and several new level-appropriate quests.

Because the New Content Edition contains all the Standard Edition bug fixes you only need to download ONE OR THE OTHER, not both. This boils down to your personal preference: do you want a conservative, vanilla, as-the-developers-made-it game, or do you want to go expanded & enhanced? Make a choice and download one of them. I chose the New Content Edition because I'm a greedy little pot-bellied piggy.

http://www.co8.org/community/index.php?forums/download-central.90/

When prompted choose the correct location of your ToEE installation, confirm it, and let it install. Be patient! This can take a LONG time so don't quit.

After installation it must be Activated. When the front-end launcher of the Co8 mod comes up, click the "Circle of Eight Modpack" tile at the top then click the ACTIVATE button at the bottom. Again, be patient as this takes ages. Do not quit until it has Activated.

Technically you can play right away. Look in the Options menu, you will see resolution options, Hit Point options, Level Cap remover, options for Attribute "buy points". You could launch the game right now. But our modding quest continues, so QUIT the "Circle of Eight Modpack" front-end utility for now.

NOTE: it is quite possible to install both Editions, obviously you only play one or the other. By all means download the other and install if you wish. You switch between them via the Activate facility.


#4 INSTALL A PORTRAIT PACK (OPTIONAL)

Some users have created additional character icons to use in the game, these add but do not replace the existing game's icons. There are currently FIVE portrait packs, however due to engine limitations only ONE may be active at any one time. The packs are: Obviously three of these (1,2,4) are from existing games.

CUSTOM is interesting as it give sets of blank tiles with the correct technical specifications (size, bit depth, alpha channel), you modify these tiles in a paint program or replace them with ones with the correct technical specifications, and they become available for use in-game. Otherwise creating custom portraits is a *real* PITA. See the relevant Readme files for more details.

The final Pack is art from Luis Royo; his style appears to be 1980s fantasy barbarian lady in heavy makeup, cultivating a high-maintenance hairspray hairdo with highlights, with her massive-yet-pert tits hanging out of half-armour; and the males seem to be auditioning for the cover of a Conan the Barbarian fanfic erotic novel before heading out on GRINDR dates. Basically... I cannot imagine a circumstance in which these would not be my default Portraits. But fair warning they do contain partial nudity: boob-nipple & thong-butt, no bush.

Download any or all of these Portrait Packs from this thread:

http://www.co8.org/community/index.php?threads/co8-portrait-packs.7735/

For each Pack there are three variants: Standard Edition, New Content Edition, and Keep on the Borderlands. "Keep" is a separate mini-campaign that does not integrate into the main game so we're ignoring it for now, but if you finish ToEE it might be worth checking out. Anyway, grab any or all of the Portrait Packs for your installed "Edition".

Each Pack is wrapped with an EXE installer, run it and when prompted put the correct directory of your ToEE installation. You may install as many Packs as you like without conflict.

Once your Portrait Packs are installed launch the Co8 front-end, probably from the Desktop shortcut, and click the "Portrait Packs" button. You will be given options of <Default> and a list of the Portrait Packs you installed. Select the one you want to use and click OKAY. Once again, this installation can take a LONG time; let the program run its course and do not quit. When you finally get the dialogue informing you of a successful install, QUIT the front-end.

Unless you play "The Keep on the Borderlands" at some point in the future, or want a change of Portraits, this might be the last time you use this front-end!


#5 INSTALL MOD "TEMPLEPLUS"

As much respect is due to the Circle of Eight, as much as it has achieved, it is now over. A ten-year project of that size is nothing to sniff at, but it ended in 2013. A decade of development, half a decade of stagnation.

The legacy has been continued by a different modder with active community support. He has made various further fixes and updates, not least of which are technical fixes, better AI pathfinding, fixes for AI Listen checks, custom screen resolutions, etc. Best of all his mod is completely compatible with Co8 and his "extra" stuff is optional; you'd be crazy not to get it.

Download it from:

http://www.moddb.com/mods/temple1

Install it, again ensuring to input the correct ToEE game directory. Two icons should be created on the Desktop. Run "TemplePlus Config"

At the top it should show the correct installation directory, the current patch version e.g. mine says DLL Patch2 (Co8) and a green tick to confirm correct installation.

You have some technical options such as screen resolution, anti-aliasing and software shadows. Hovering over options gives some handy tool-tips. You probably want the Max Levels to be 20 (the engine maximum).

Now click the "House Rules" button. Here I recommend:

[x] Tolerant Townsfolk
[x] Disable Door Re-Locking

To access the new content of the mod you should click

[x] Non-Core Materials
[x] Prestige Classes

Also a good idea is "HP on Level-Up" either AVG or MAX, rolling a few 1s for a Fighter's HP is depressing.

"Point Buy Points" is how many points you have for character creation if you choose not to Roll.

You can choose any amount but for fun I've drawn up a few example lists to help you select a suitable number: These following list is the points required to create the historic AD&D character with the highest attribute requirements, assuming attributes without a minimum value are left at the ToEE default value of 8: Well-known mod & fan site Sorcerer's Place (sorcerers.net) has an "ideal" example party in their Walkthrough section, he made quite a few rolls per character, these are the points required to purchase each of them: Moving on, if you click on "Lax Rules" a new menu opens up with various options depending on how much flexibility you want. For more experienced players a "Slower Levelling" option gives more challenge.

When you have finished click the OK button to exit the config program.


#6 CRITICALLY IMPORTANT FINAL STEP

Run ToEE from the TEMPLE PLUS icon (NOT the Co8 launcher). The loading screen should show two lines of text reading: That confirms your Co8 pack is installed correctly. Immediately go to: Ensure AUTOSAVE ON MAP CHANGES is *NOT* checked. This is a vital thing to do.

Exit the OPTIONS menu and you should be good to go!

In future loads of the game, always use the TemplePlus shortcut.

Cool, thanks!

Just a heads up that the upcoming Temple+ release will support modular portrait packs, so you'll be able to have them all at once. Should be out this weekend.

Thank you Darth__KEK for this guide.

Will it require a restart or will existing saves be fine?

All Temple+ updates are backward compatible.

Hey, the new version is out now, featuring support of modular portrait packs.

I've converted the Co8 portrait packs to the Temple+ modular format and uploaded them here:

http://www.moddb.com/mods/temple1/downloads/co8-portrait-packs

Just download and unzip to your ToEE folder.

This includes the 4 portrait packs mentioned above (BG, IWD, JA2 and Royo) plus another couple of fan-made ones (Pillars of Eternity and Game of Thrones).

Note that if you install these, you shouldn't activate the Co8 portrait packs via the front end, since it'll create duplicates.

If you want to create your own modular portrait pack for use with Temple+, see more info on the wiki:

https://github.com/GrognardsFromHell/TemplePlus/wiki/PC-Portraits

How is this thread not a sticky?

Temple+ is crashing on me.... Grrr!



Got it working on third try - so maybe flaky for my PC setup!

Thanks for that. My problem was always windows error. So my main problem for me it whether it will run everytime. So far it 3 in 5! But if it does start, it plays fine! Maybe I should just play it 6 hours at a time! :)

If you're on a laptop turning off Hibernate can work well too. Good advice generally at that.


For reference, that's Command Prompt (under Run as Administrator) and powercfg.exe /hibernate off

Hi, Temple+ generally produces a crashlog and log file for analysis. See more info at
http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/temple-support.98897/

Hi,

I think you no longer have to do the #6 step. Temple plus will desactivate "the autosave on map" option automaticaly.

I have a correction to make of your nice post.

The first time you launch and configure TemplePlus Config it's a "Launch" button and not a "Ok" button you'll have to exit the config program.

Thank you Darth__KEK, your post deserves a sticky.

Great procedure doc here. Thanks a lot!

2 things: 1) templeplus did not make a shortcut for me and I don't see an exe for it in my game directory. (got a search running now but I'm only guessing on the exe name).

2) TOEE options look different from what you describe in your step #6. I assume that templeplus changed things.

-edit- found and created links on my desktop. files are TemplePlus.exe and TemplePlusConfig.exe both found in C:\Users\<myname>\AppData\Local.

Thank you!