Purist Mod List

[seefree]

So with all the great modding work out there, I decided to hunt down every component I could find and make a list of work that even a purist could enjoy. I myself am partial to the purist mindset, as I love a seemless and balanced game. That being said, a great deal of material seems open to use from the modding that has been done. For example, while Tactics and Gaider’s Tougher mods are for the tactically inclined (a euphemism for cheese if you like) there are a bunch of honest AI scripts that just make monsters smarter. And so on. Not everything is just a fix, some add realism
So for those of that inclination, I am listing all the mod work I am using for my current game. A few that aren’t listed even on the Pocket Plane Mod List, but more useful as a guide for the mod adverse to see that a ton of material exists that everyone should be taking advantage of. Certainly not definitive in terms of judgment, but a starting point for other perhaps.
And this is not about balance, a lot of mods are balanced, but add totally new material or introduce other issues (e.g. I use a small party and really wanted to use Item Upgrade, but not counting as magical items kills the purist in me who can’t accept the “its in the game, but just don’t use it” view.)

Patches:
1)TOB Patch, Baldurdash FixPack, Baldurdash TextUpdate
(no explanation needed)

Non WeiDu:
1)Xyx’s Beholder Hive Upgrade, Multicolored Beholders,
Smarter Beholders
- AI script is honest version (different fromTactics);
upgrade is Bioware intended
2)Kensai Ryu’s Smarter AI Scripts (Kangaxx, Golems, SOA
Dragons, Vampires)
- again, all honest scripts without added abilities or
force casting
3)Spork's Improved Irenicus (No Force Casting)
- another AI upgrade without add-ons
4)Lost Crossroads Improved Creatures
- adds casting animations to some spell casting monsters
5)Dwarven Thrower Blunt Damage Fix
- old Baldurdash tweak not packaged (and it is blunt)
6)Rastor's Better Looking VecnaHood
- pretty self explanatory, purely cosmetic
7)Carsomyr and Mace of Disruption Fixes from Weimer's
Item Upgrade Mod
- copy to override folder the files in “fix” folder of
the expanded download package

WeiDu:
1) Hlid’s Bagbonus
- adds cases, most common sense thing not in game enough
2) Avengers Rogue Rebalancing (DualWield Fix, Rogue
Shop, Thief & Bard Revision)
- some may stay away from the HLA revisions for Thieves
and Bard, but there are a lot of fixes backed in
here as well, and I think very well balanced)
3)SimDing's Tweaks (Enhanced Goodberries, Corrected
Summoned Demon Behavior, Corrected Demon Animations,
Tweaked Weapon Enhancements, Holy Symbol Fix, Smarter
Illusionary Clones, Additional Racial Enemies)
- pretty self-explanatory, a spell is modded only to
make it not worthless,and Enhanced Weapons is
logical and prevents bugs or effective obsolescene of
some abilities)
4)Kensai Ryu's Restored Drow Innate Abilities
- they should have them
5) Cirerrek's Detectable Spells, ESeries, GMinion,
Scriptable Spells
- I never use scripts for my characters, but this is
great, great work that at the very least makes your
summons and minions not fools
5)G3 Tweaks (SOA Map Fixes, Magic Weapons to Zero
Weight, Force Dialogue Pause, Valen/Solaufein
Interjections, Alter HP Triggers, Viconia Skin
Change, Weapon Animation Tweaks, 100% Learn Spells,
Max HP Level Up, +x/+y Weapons Consistent)
- all fixes in my mind, except the 100% spells and Max
HP, but just effectively eliminates re-loading (but
not full purist)
7) Improved Hell Trials
- more realistic; not every choice is black/white via
alignment, balanced rewards
8) Improved Horn of Valhalla
- another fix; Beserkers are Beserk
9) Oversight (Alignment Correction, Class Fixes, Altered
Spells, Improved Continuity)
- great and grueling fixes; Altered Spells again not
100% pure, but realism added
10) Item Value Tweaks
- straightforward, things of solid gold are not worthless
11) The Bigg ModPack (Imprisonment & Nature's Beauty Fix)
- just basic spell fixes
12) Victors BG2 Improvements (Wizard's Improved Lore
Component)
- this is as impure as this list gets technically, but
adds realism
13) Unfinished Business (All except: Kalah, Original
Portrait Restorations, New Kits)
- I personally think this is the best type of modding as
far as it can be done;restoring things removed from
the game that can be regained simply by fixing
scripts, properly assigning files, and working
faithfully with original material
14) Ease of Use (True Grandmastery, Shut Up "You Must
Gather...", Invisible Cloak of Mirroring, Multiple
Strongholds, Bonus Merchants, Imoen Dialogue Fix,
Female Edwina, Romance Bug Fixes, Happy NPCs, Low
Reputation Discount)
- Ok, I fall off the wagon with Multiple Strongholds and
Happy NPCs, but with the super charismatic paladins
and swashbucklers I play, I meekly offer that I have
roleplaying justifications…..
15) Tactics (Improved Crypt King, Improved Nymphs)
- I am not a fan myself of the mod in general, but these
are really fixes in my mind
16) BG2 Refinements (New HLA Tables, Shapeshifting Fix)
- shapeshifting fix is awesome and non-cheesy, HLA
tables very debatable, but are balanced and add
realism; something I think the Bioware programmers
would have done if time/money had allowed
Honorable Mention: Ascension
- such great work and made by a BG programmer no less,
but not for the feint of heart or force cast adverse

Again, I think some may disagree at points, but it is a start for some. I just think purists should still be aware of good work that is being done. If anyone thinks anything should be added, please do.

Note: Honest AI scripts were located through the yahoo group IEModders:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IEModders/
I love, love, love this type of work and wish more was done in this vein...

[Grandpa]

Yeah, that's a lot of stuff. . .

I think you know that purists see the word 'modify' in any form, and it becomes impure. Here's a purist's mod list:

Bioware Patch

That's it. That's all the developers felt needed to be fixed, so that's 'purist' style. You can go out on a limb and say they missed 500 other things by installing Baldurdash (or individual fixes from Baldurdash such as script fixes that are still mods but progress an otherwised missed interaction).

Mods are used for satiety of boredom. I think you are being anal, install 'em and have fun !

[nephtu]

Well..

The problem with being a purist, is that no two purists can agree on what a true purist is. Fortunately for me, I'm not a purist at all.

Good gaming!

[Baldursgate Fan]

Great list, nonetheless.

As Fable is saying in another thread, it is time the Crossroads thread gets updated.

Your list of mods would be a good start.

Cheers.