@Stoltverd it's an upgrade because PI is a tool that will exist and continue working, because it doesn't require 24/7 maintenance from volunteers. Several people burnt out over maintenance of BWS. Player need to put in a little more work but even that (install order) is being worked on to give automated help as much as possible - PI is still in beta and improved by @ALIEN , thank you for your work, ALIEN.
If some site was hosting an install order file repository (there is one by cahir, one by 4udr4n, one by subtledoc as far as I know, but you gotta look for them all across the G3 forums) and project infinity could access a list of these files (sorted by date of last modification, with short description added by the people who compliled them), the program would at once be much friendlier to casual users. And if those build files include a list of where to download missing mods, you could once again start your installation with a few dozen clicks and be done within a day.
I for example played BGT with BiG World setup a couple of years ago and had a vague idea of what I wanted, and yet, after first installing PI, I too went and used Roxanne's tool to make my first EET build, because it's much easier, automates the downloading and warns the user about the conflicts. It's drawbacks obviously are that it is outdated and has no way of introducing new mods into the list, so here I am, back at PI and learning how to do an own build.
Also, many thanks to @ALIEN for reacting so quickly to any kind of criticism or requests. It is an outstanding job he is doing.
@Stoltverd please specify where the FAQ to install EET is wrong, so it can be corrected. Thanks.
The EET readme file says this:
NOTE: In case you want to do a manual install read this carefully (The install tools listed above will do this step for you automatically):
If you use Steam or GOG version of Siege of Dragonspear than you first need to use modmerge or DLC-Merger tool in your BG:EE + SoD directory (...)
The "install tools listed above" are PI and Roxanne's. To me as a user, this text suggests that I don't need to download DLC-Merger as PI will do what DLC-Merger does automatically. I somehow doubt that this is in fact true. So yeah, it's a bit misleading.
@Stoltverd please specify where the FAQ to install EET is wrong, so it can be corrected. Thanks.
The EET readme file says this:
NOTE: In case you want to do a manual install read this carefully (The install tools listed above will do this step for you automatically):
If you use Steam or GOG version of Siege of Dragonspear than you first need to use modmerge or DLC-Merger tool in your BG:EE + SoD directory (...)
The "install tools listed above" are PI and Roxanne's. To me as a user, this text suggests that I don't need to download DLC-Merger as PI will do what DLC-Merger does automatically. I somehow doubt that this is in fact true. So yeah, it's a bit misleading.
This is indeed misleading, I will propose changes to this dialog to not cause confusion in the future.
EDIT: The fact that you have 'modmerge or DLC-Merger' in this dialogue indicates that you have an outdated EET version (or the readme itself), please update.
EDIT: The fact that you have 'modmerge or DLC-Merger' in this dialogue indicates that you have an outdated EET version (or the readme itself), please update.
Okay, I spend the entire weekend trinkering with my build and if I had one request, it would be being able to save my selection of checked boxes, or making him check the boxes from the sorting file I created (by copying Set-InstallationSequence into a notepad).
Because it's much more convenient to work with a checklist rather than manually looking up what to add to it, or what to remove using a notepad text file.
The sorting instructions are super confusing... After going through the trouble of pasting and copying texts and text files from one place to another, to finally putting it into "Sorting order file", It just won't work.
The UI is SUPER confusing. The mods won't be downloaded in the present categories. At first I thought the mods were missing. It's not clear how to put them into the right category.
The instructions on the FAQ to install the EET are wrong or confusing. I can't find the mod anywhere on the download section, doesn't matter if I change websites.
I have still no idea how to use this even after reading the OP and the wiki.
@Stoltverd is mostly right. This is not an intuitive tool at all. That's OK, not all programs need to be at Microsoft's Office level. However, a program that is not intuitive needs to have proper instructions, otherwise it's useless to all except those that have a PhD in modding. I consider myself an advanced power gamer, and still I really struggled and took me an awful lot of time to make it work for me. My educated guess is that most players get discouraged and give it up after a few tries, but very few bother to say anything, like @Stoltverd has. I think his feedback is very valuable.
If you want this tool to be useful for the wider community, you need proper documentation. Otherwise it will remain only useful to a handful of super advanced gamers. Once again, I offer my writing skills to get that documentation written, but I cannot do it alone.
EDIT: I was using the term power gamer in a way that was generating a misunderstanding.
I want to add more details as a new post, so it's clear exactly what I find confusing and how I have dealt with that:
1. I thought G3 was a website... Since I know of no G3 .exe and google didn't help, I just ignored that since I was able to see the green "Mods" button.
2. I was already running PI so I just ignored the first part. The second part was irrelevant since I already had ran it.
3. Same as the 2nd point. I suggest putting this as #1, the #2 still as #2 and what currently is #1 as #3 with clarifications.
4. No issue here.
5. Perfect.
6. Ok.
7. Ok.
8. Alternatives to what? The mods I want to install? I guess this is a writing error so I ignore it and use my common sense to guess it's referring to the alternatives to get the install sequence. Since I have no previous installation I ignore Weidu log. I guessed my only option was to get a generated install data. No information on how to get one is given here or before, so I do some research and find the hellish and troublesome Instructions. I follow them and end up with 3 'EET-temp#.txt' files. I guess it goes here so I put it here:
9. All seems to be in order, at least for misc mods.
10. So here were the instructions... I suggest moving this up.
11. I guess this means to hit 'Apply-SortingOrder' and then 'Start-Installation'? But then... Nothing happens after hitting 'Apply-SortingOrder'! Did I mess something up?
Still not clear on what to do to get EET installed. Off to the FAQ!
Hmmm... Ok, the game is selected. By reading it, my guess was that the mod was downloaded by PI. But of course it wasn't so I clicked on 'Mods'. It's not there. In fact, many mods I remember are not in any of those websites. I guess they are yet to be added. But now I'm stuck... 'usual mod installation'? Usual for EET? should I install EET manually then? Just that before ending the installation I should use PI? Usual for PI? should I treat it as any other mod then? A guide just for EET, fixes, unfinished business and other "essential" mods may be great. Essential like the pathfinding mod, and the spell fix mod, etc.
After this, I have still no Idea how to Install EET using PI and after reading the wiki and FAQ, I have no Idea how to organize the mods.
8. Alternatives to what? The mods I want to install? I guess this is a writing error so I ignore it and use my common sense to guess it's referring to the alternatives to get the install sequence.
No, what point 8 means is "In the mods panel check the box of each individual component you want to install for each mod". The part about the alternatives is there because selecting each component manually can be very tedious if you are installing mods with many components, so you can use instead those two suggested methods to select automatically the components you are interested in and save a lot of time.
But you're right, the way it's written is very confusing, no wonder you can't make it work. I attach a document that I wrote last year which explains some things a bit better. The actual instructions are in the sections "Program Setup" and "Installing Mods". That's all I can help you with, though, regarding your other questions I've no idea.
@ALIEN: @Stoltverd's post illustrates very well how useless PI is without proper documentation for most people. Even a veteran power gamer like him that has taken the time to read carefully all the instructions available can't manage to make it work. Just imagine how confused and frustrated a regular gamer might be. But of course not many people are going to take the time and effort to give high quality feedback like Stoltverd's has, most will just decide that PI is useless and give it up. So... are you sure you still don't want to have proper documentation?
@Alonso@Stoltverd
Guys, I'm grateful for your feedback. I'm currently busy with developing important upgrades for modders so improving docs will have to wait.
Don't get me wrong, I would like to improve docs as much as I can. But I also think that no matter how well-written instruction can be, nothing beats a video tutorial.
I have to choose: spending hours on creating docs which sill will be 'confusing' for someone or add new features for PI.
@Alonso@Stoltverd
Guys, I'm grateful for your feedback. I'm currently busy with developing important upgrades for modders so improving docs will have to wait.
I guess a simple sentence like: "These mods available via Github. Many other mods are not. As of now, you will need to download most mods manually. If you want your mod to appear on this list, you need to do this and that." over the mod download menu would clarify this thing (and perhaps incentivize modders to make their mods more compatible with the download function).
I understood that most mods aren't in the menu pretty much from the start, but then I was actively looking for some specific mods. A way to automatically download at least EET itself (if the program offers a whole option to install EET already) would be great and save a lot of time for casual users. Ideally, a person using PI wouldn't need to visit any modding website in order to assemble a rough build with only a few mods. The more mods can be downloaded via the tool, the better: accidentally downloading the wrong version of some mod is what may ruin quite a few builds.
@AntonII
Don't you think that If someone comes to this forum and download PI, he already knows that there are many mods across the various forum threads?
If you miss certain mods at the 'Download' section, you can reach the modder itself with the request. The modder simply needs to host his mods at the GitHub and make a request to add its account to PI.
@AntonII
Don't you think that If someone comes to this forum and download PI, he already knows that there are many mods across the various forum threads?
Nah. We've been all leeching off the work made on the BiG World Setup over many years. We're used to "if it's not on the list, then clearly it's neither compatible, nor maintained, nor recommended". And as making the build is complicated as it is, the first thing most people will do is download all 150 mods and then start trying to pick components by reading the readme files, maybe try to put them into some kind of order and then (if they even get as far as actually compiling a build) wonder why the result is not EET and then go download Roxanne's tool.
I know it because that's what I did. And then I went back and sunk a great deal of time into learning how to use your tool, which mods work and which ones don't. I could do it because I have the luxury of time, as I have a rather well-paying part-time job. People who spend two hours a day for they computer gaming leisure can't do this. Anyhow, I'm not complaining. It's your tool and you can do what you want. I'm glad that you're doing it. I just tell you about my experience using it.
Having difficulty figuring out how to do an install order, but would it be a good idea to set all the components I want up, setting install sequence and then copying it to a text file and then finding other people's install orders and then editing mine to be like them work? And if so, any thing else I should do?
@Alonso@Stoltverd
Guys, I'm grateful for your feedback. I'm currently busy with developing important upgrades for modders so improving docs will have to wait.
Don't get me wrong, I would like to improve docs as much as I can. But I also think that no matter how well-written instruction can be, nothing beats a video tutorial.
I have to choose: spending hours on creating docs which sill will be 'confusing' for someone or add new features for PI.
As I said, I will be happy to write the docs myself. You don't need to spens hours writing. All you have to do is answer my questions about PI.
Having difficulty figuring out how to do an install order, but would it be a good idea to set all the components I want up, setting install sequence and then copying it to a text file and then finding other people's install orders and then editing mine to be like them work? And if so, any thing else I should do?
That's exactly what you should do. PI can now assist you by presenting install order rules for mods that provide them.
Having difficulty figuring out how to do an install order, but would it be a good idea to set all the components I want up, setting install sequence and then copying it to a text file and then finding other people's install orders and then editing mine to be like them work? And if so, any thing else I should do?
That's exactly what you should do. PI can now assist you by presenting install order rules for mods that provide them.
Thanks, I got it working. But had to nuke my install the first time, I somehow borked it to mix in Spanish into an English version. If it wasn't just me accidentally installing Spanish versions of mods (somehow), it might have had something to do with how I uninstalled and reinstalled mods after making a mistake.
If you think it might have been something more than a mistake, and might have been a bug or user induced one I can always dig through my logs and provide them for you.
So, finally getting around to another playthrough, and using this tool this time.
A little confused for sure, firstly:
Game:
I installed BG1 and 2 complete. I added the directory paths for them, BUT it asks for BGT dir path. I plan to install that, but it's not done yet.
So, do I need to select "BGT" from the game to mod? Do I just point it to the BG2 dir?
Second question:
After i've selected all the mods, and hit "Set-InstallationSequence", then what? The instructions are quite a bit over my head, but I'm not seeing a way to get the sorting / install order ready without this.
@Mbolism
- You don't have to provide 'BGT' path, the text says 'BG2:ToB for BGT' so it's just cosmetic and offers the possibility of modding two BG2 games, one without BGT one with.
- You should save the window with component numbers and their names, then, if you install order is correct, click 'Start-Installation'. If not, refer to FAQ on how to set an install order. If you are a newcomer, you can ask the community for help with setting up proper install order for your mods.
If anyone has an idea why it isn't working please let me know.
It doesn't work because Project Infinity is too difficult to use for the vast majority of gamers. You will only make PI work if you are a super advanced power gamer (preferably with programming knowledge), and even then it will be very difficult. If that's not your case, don't waste your time with PI, it will not work for you.
EDIT: I was using the term power gamer in a way that was generating a misunderstanding.
If anyone has an idea why it isn't working please let me know.
It doesn't work because Project Infinity is too difficult to use for the vast majority of gamers. You will only make PI work if you are a super advanced power gamer with programming knowledge, and even then it will be very difficult. If that's not your case, don't waste your time with PI, it will not work for you.
"Don't waste your time with PI"
That's not a very nice thing to write...
I think it's a fantastic tool. I'm no advanced power gamer engineer and with a little bit of time and commitment I was able to install my mods.
Definitly not a waste of my time !
Thanks Alien for your time and efforts on this tool !
If anyone has an idea why it isn't working please let me know.
It doesn't work because Project Infinity is too difficult to use for the vast majority of gamers. You will only make PI work if you are a super advanced power gamer with programming knowledge, and even then it will be very difficult. If that's not your case, don't waste your time with PI, it will not work for you.
It's not true. I'm neither a power gamer (even less advanced) nor I have particularly vast programming knowledge, and I was still able to set PI up and running. True, that learning curve might look a bit steep, but this is a more a consequence of lack of proper Readme, that would be clear all user's doubts, than the complexity of the PI itself. So please stop spreading around the notion that PI is a crap of a tool. It's totally untrue and unfair to @ALIEN.
It's not an install tool for people in a hurry. You basically have to study for weeks how to use it, what each and every mod does and what it alters, then wade the many BG mod forums for any suggestions on in which order to install them, on where there are bound to be conflicts and on which build happened to work a few months ago. The forums don't know everything either and often disagree on whether element a conflicts with element b, and on how so, and people who do know stuff don't want to answer your questions because it's your fault you haven't read page 34 of 62 of some particular thread from two years ago (you will have read much of the 400 pages of Leonardo's specifically non-EE Big World Setup guide by then). And that doesn't even go into the peril of downloading either an outdated or a recently-bugged version of some mod and therefore messing everything up. In short, we are now to be our own burned-out BWS curators.
What the tool does is provide a checklist for mod components to preselect, log your installation and mods selection and automate launching the many mod setups one after the other. That's pretty much it, and yes, it does save you many hours on installing a build, which is good, because you will have to install about 10 builds (each of which taking about a day to assemble) until you make yours work in any satisfactory manner. My current build ctd'd on me after selecting some girdle in the inventory screen, and I have no idea what could have possibly cause it. I'll probably make a leaner build, and one day, I'll learn which mod makes several divine remix kits disappear and which mod causes characters like Angelo, Gavin and several others to be not summonable by the fate spirits.
But then, it's not like we have any alternative thereto. There is Roxanne's selection, and that's it, pretty much. Roxanne still attempts a BWS-ish install order and patches uncooperative mods herself, which puts her at loggerheads with the mods' actual creators (and there was lots of forum drama around this person). Anyway, if there is to be a PI EET installer for casual users, it needs to put all the mods it uses and their install order in a torrent file, and add a brief documentation. If I ever achieve a satisfactory build, I might do just that.
(I have zero programming knowledge beyond knowing that if you want to find out which combination of mods causes a bug, you have to add/remove mods one by one and try to replicate the bug time and again, and I am certainly no advanced powergamer, seeing how I haven't even completed SOA even once.)
@AntonII
The only thing which you have missed is that as of 0.8.0, there is a 'Dynamic Install Order' feature which is used by modders to set install order for their own mods. Not every modder uses it, it's not like one big install order list for 200+ mods but it doesn't require 24/7 maintenance.
"Don't waste your time with PI"
That's not a very nice thing to write...
It's not meant to be nice, it's meant to be helpful and accurate. And I think it's nicer than telling players that PI will work for them when that's not the case.
I'm no advanced power gamer engineer and with a little bit of time and commitment I was able to install my mods.
Definitly not a waste of my time !
Thanks Alien for your time and efforts on this tool !
I'm glad PI worked for you. It also works for me and I'm also grateful to ALIEN for that. But I am an advanced power gamer. And the fact that in other posts you talk about things like the Bartle taxonomy of players strongly suggests that you also are an advanced power gamer, whether you know it or not.
EDIT: I was using the term power gamer in a way that was generating a misunderstanding.
I'm neither a power gamer (even less advanced) nor I have particularly vast programming knowledge
OK, this made me smile. You've been playing BG for ages, you have in depth knowledge of every other IE mod, you have thousands of posts here and hundreds in places like G3, and you are not a power gamer...
It's not an install tool for people in a hurry. You basically have to study for weeks how to use it, what each and every mod does and what it alters, then wade the many BG mod forums for any suggestions on in which order to install them, on where there are bound to be conflicts and on which build happened to work a few months ago. The forums don't know everything either and often disagree on whether element a conflicts with element b, and on how so, and people who do know stuff don't want to answer your questions because it's your fault you haven't read page 34 of 62 of some particular thread from two years ago (you will have read much of the 400 pages of Leonardo's specifically non-EE Big World Setup guide by then). And that doesn't even go into the peril of downloading either an outdated or a recently-bugged version of some mod and therefore messing everything up. In short, we are now to be our own burned-out BWS curators.
What the tool does is provide a checklist for mod components to preselect, log your installation and mods selection and automate launching the many mod setups one after the other. That's pretty much it, and yes, it does save you many hours on installing a build, which is good, because you will have to install about 10 builds (each of which taking about a day to assemble) until you make yours work in any satisfactory manner. My current build ctd'd on me after selecting some girdle in the inventory screen, and I have no idea what could have possibly cause it. I'll probably make a leaner build, and one day, I'll learn which mod makes several divine remix kits disappear and which mod causes characters like Angelo, Gavin and several others to be not summonable by the fate spirits.
But then, it's not like we have any alternative thereto. There is Roxanne's selection, and that's it, pretty much. Roxanne still attempts a BWS-ish install order and patches uncooperative mods herself, which puts her at loggerheads with the mods' actual creators (and there was lots of forum drama around this person). Anyway, if there is to be a PI EET installer for casual users, it needs to put all the mods it uses and their install order in a torrent file, and add a brief documentation. If I ever achieve a satisfactory build, I might do just that.
(I have zero programming knowledge beyond knowing that if you want to find out which combination of mods causes a bug, you have to add/remove mods one by one and try to replicate the bug time and again, and I am certainly no advanced powergamer, seeing how I haven't even completed SOA even once.)
Thank you for your post, it essentially proves my point. If someone who knows all of this is not an advanced power gamer, then I don't what is. The fact that an advanced power gamer like you has struggled so much with PI illustrates very well how useless it is for the average player.
At any rate, I'm glad someone has managed to make PI work without having programming knowledge. I have updated my post accordingly.
EDIT: I was using the term power gamer in a way that was generating a misunderstanding.
Comments
If some site was hosting an install order file repository (there is one by cahir, one by 4udr4n, one by subtledoc as far as I know, but you gotta look for them all across the G3 forums) and project infinity could access a list of these files (sorted by date of last modification, with short description added by the people who compliled them), the program would at once be much friendlier to casual users. And if those build files include a list of where to download missing mods, you could once again start your installation with a few dozen clicks and be done within a day.
I for example played BGT with BiG World setup a couple of years ago and had a vague idea of what I wanted, and yet, after first installing PI, I too went and used Roxanne's tool to make my first EET build, because it's much easier, automates the downloading and warns the user about the conflicts. It's drawbacks obviously are that it is outdated and has no way of introducing new mods into the list, so here I am, back at PI and learning how to do an own build.
Also, many thanks to @ALIEN for reacting so quickly to any kind of criticism or requests. It is an outstanding job he is doing.
The EET readme file says this:
The "install tools listed above" are PI and Roxanne's. To me as a user, this text suggests that I don't need to download DLC-Merger as PI will do what DLC-Merger does automatically. I somehow doubt that this is in fact true. So yeah, it's a bit misleading.
This is indeed misleading, I will propose changes to this dialog to not cause confusion in the future.
EDIT: The fact that you have 'modmerge or DLC-Merger' in this dialogue indicates that you have an outdated EET version (or the readme itself), please update.
I have this one, which is the one they link on the g3 forum: https://github.com/K4thos/EET/releases/tag/v1.0RC12.2
The readme in there still mentions modmerge. The current readme they link to (https://rawgit.com/K4thos/EET/master/EET/readme-EET.html#installation) doesn't mention modmerge anymore but still suggests that PI does plenty of stuff that it in fact doesn't do.
Because it's much more convenient to work with a checklist rather than manually looking up what to add to it, or what to remove using a notepad text file.
If you want this tool to be useful for the wider community, you need proper documentation. Otherwise it will remain only useful to a handful of super advanced gamers. Once again, I offer my writing skills to get that documentation written, but I cannot do it alone.
EDIT: I was using the term power gamer in a way that was generating a misunderstanding.
1. I thought G3 was a website... Since I know of no G3 .exe and google didn't help, I just ignored that since I was able to see the green "Mods" button.
2. I was already running PI so I just ignored the first part. The second part was irrelevant since I already had ran it.
3. Same as the 2nd point. I suggest putting this as #1, the #2 still as #2 and what currently is #1 as #3 with clarifications.
4. No issue here.
5. Perfect.
6. Ok.
7. Ok.
8. Alternatives to what? The mods I want to install? I guess this is a writing error so I ignore it and use my common sense to guess it's referring to the alternatives to get the install sequence. Since I have no previous installation I ignore Weidu log. I guessed my only option was to get a generated install data. No information on how to get one is given here or before, so I do some research and find the hellish and troublesome Instructions. I follow them and end up with 3 'EET-temp#.txt' files. I guess it goes here so I put it here:
9. All seems to be in order, at least for misc mods.
10. So here were the instructions... I suggest moving this up.
11. I guess this means to hit 'Apply-SortingOrder' and then 'Start-Installation'? But then... Nothing happens after hitting 'Apply-SortingOrder'! Did I mess something up?
Still not clear on what to do to get EET installed. Off to the FAQ!
Hmmm... Ok, the game is selected. By reading it, my guess was that the mod was downloaded by PI. But of course it wasn't so I clicked on 'Mods'. It's not there. In fact, many mods I remember are not in any of those websites. I guess they are yet to be added. But now I'm stuck... 'usual mod installation'? Usual for EET? should I install EET manually then? Just that before ending the installation I should use PI? Usual for PI? should I treat it as any other mod then? A guide just for EET, fixes, unfinished business and other "essential" mods may be great. Essential like the pathfinding mod, and the spell fix mod, etc.
After this, I have still no Idea how to Install EET using PI and after reading the wiki and FAQ, I have no Idea how to organize the mods.
But you're right, the way it's written is very confusing, no wonder you can't make it work. I attach a document that I wrote last year which explains some things a bit better. The actual instructions are in the sections "Program Setup" and "Installing Mods". That's all I can help you with, though, regarding your other questions I've no idea.
@ALIEN: @Stoltverd's post illustrates very well how useless PI is without proper documentation for most people. Even a veteran power gamer like him that has taken the time to read carefully all the instructions available can't manage to make it work. Just imagine how confused and frustrated a regular gamer might be. But of course not many people are going to take the time and effort to give high quality feedback like Stoltverd's has, most will just decide that PI is useless and give it up. So... are you sure you still don't want to have proper documentation?
I'll give those instructions a try and report tomorrow.
I'll also try and tackle EET with PI.
Guys, I'm grateful for your feedback. I'm currently busy with developing important upgrades for modders so improving docs will have to wait.
Don't get me wrong, I would like to improve docs as much as I can. But I also think that no matter how well-written instruction can be, nothing beats a video tutorial.
I have to choose: spending hours on creating docs which sill will be 'confusing' for someone or add new features for PI.
I guess a simple sentence like: "These mods available via Github. Many other mods are not. As of now, you will need to download most mods manually. If you want your mod to appear on this list, you need to do this and that." over the mod download menu would clarify this thing (and perhaps incentivize modders to make their mods more compatible with the download function).
I understood that most mods aren't in the menu pretty much from the start, but then I was actively looking for some specific mods. A way to automatically download at least EET itself (if the program offers a whole option to install EET already) would be great and save a lot of time for casual users. Ideally, a person using PI wouldn't need to visit any modding website in order to assemble a rough build with only a few mods. The more mods can be downloaded via the tool, the better: accidentally downloading the wrong version of some mod is what may ruin quite a few builds.
Don't you think that If someone comes to this forum and download PI, he already knows that there are many mods across the various forum threads?
If you miss certain mods at the 'Download' section, you can reach the modder itself with the request. The modder simply needs to host his mods at the GitHub and make a request to add its account to PI.
Nah. We've been all leeching off the work made on the BiG World Setup over many years. We're used to "if it's not on the list, then clearly it's neither compatible, nor maintained, nor recommended". And as making the build is complicated as it is, the first thing most people will do is download all 150 mods and then start trying to pick components by reading the readme files, maybe try to put them into some kind of order and then (if they even get as far as actually compiling a build) wonder why the result is not EET and then go download Roxanne's tool.
I know it because that's what I did. And then I went back and sunk a great deal of time into learning how to use your tool, which mods work and which ones don't. I could do it because I have the luxury of time, as I have a rather well-paying part-time job. People who spend two hours a day for they computer gaming leisure can't do this. Anyhow, I'm not complaining. It's your tool and you can do what you want. I'm glad that you're doing it. I just tell you about my experience using it.
That's exactly what you should do. PI can now assist you by presenting install order rules for mods that provide them.
Thanks, I got it working. But had to nuke my install the first time, I somehow borked it to mix in Spanish into an English version. If it wasn't just me accidentally installing Spanish versions of mods (somehow), it might have had something to do with how I uninstalled and reinstalled mods after making a mistake.
If you think it might have been something more than a mistake, and might have been a bug or user induced one I can always dig through my logs and provide them for you.
A little confused for sure, firstly:
Game:
I installed BG1 and 2 complete. I added the directory paths for them, BUT it asks for BGT dir path. I plan to install that, but it's not done yet.
So, do I need to select "BGT" from the game to mod? Do I just point it to the BG2 dir?
Second question:
After i've selected all the mods, and hit "Set-InstallationSequence", then what? The instructions are quite a bit over my head, but I'm not seeing a way to get the sorting / install order ready without this.
- You don't have to provide 'BGT' path, the text says 'BG2:ToB for BGT' so it's just cosmetic and offers the possibility of modding two BG2 games, one without BGT one with.
- You should save the window with component numbers and their names, then, if you install order is correct, click 'Start-Installation'. If not, refer to FAQ on how to set an install order. If you are a newcomer, you can ask the community for help with setting up proper install order for your mods.
It keeps asking for the BGEE with SOD directory telling me the one I put in isn't correct.
Games are installed via Steam if that's relevant.
Anyway in the night I'll do a complete reinstall so I have clean installation, even if I never installed any other mod.
If anyone has an idea why it isn't working please let me know.
thanks
Did you add DLC Merger into the install before the first Trilogy mod?
EDIT: I was using the term power gamer in a way that was generating a misunderstanding.
the game directory is where the 'CHITIN.KEY' file is located.
"Don't waste your time with PI"
That's not a very nice thing to write...
I think it's a fantastic tool. I'm no advanced power gamer engineer and with a little bit of time and commitment I was able to install my mods.
Definitly not a waste of my time !
Thanks Alien for your time and efforts on this tool !
It's not true. I'm neither a power gamer (even less advanced) nor I have particularly vast programming knowledge, and I was still able to set PI up and running. True, that learning curve might look a bit steep, but this is a more a consequence of lack of proper Readme, that would be clear all user's doubts, than the complexity of the PI itself. So please stop spreading around the notion that PI is a crap of a tool. It's totally untrue and unfair to @ALIEN.
What the tool does is provide a checklist for mod components to preselect, log your installation and mods selection and automate launching the many mod setups one after the other. That's pretty much it, and yes, it does save you many hours on installing a build, which is good, because you will have to install about 10 builds (each of which taking about a day to assemble) until you make yours work in any satisfactory manner. My current build ctd'd on me after selecting some girdle in the inventory screen, and I have no idea what could have possibly cause it. I'll probably make a leaner build, and one day, I'll learn which mod makes several divine remix kits disappear and which mod causes characters like Angelo, Gavin and several others to be not summonable by the fate spirits.
But then, it's not like we have any alternative thereto. There is Roxanne's selection, and that's it, pretty much. Roxanne still attempts a BWS-ish install order and patches uncooperative mods herself, which puts her at loggerheads with the mods' actual creators (and there was lots of forum drama around this person). Anyway, if there is to be a PI EET installer for casual users, it needs to put all the mods it uses and their install order in a torrent file, and add a brief documentation. If I ever achieve a satisfactory build, I might do just that.
(I have zero programming knowledge beyond knowing that if you want to find out which combination of mods causes a bug, you have to add/remove mods one by one and try to replicate the bug time and again, and I am certainly no advanced powergamer, seeing how I haven't even completed SOA even once.)
The only thing which you have missed is that as of 0.8.0, there is a 'Dynamic Install Order' feature which is used by modders to set install order for their own mods. Not every modder uses it, it's not like one big install order list for 200+ mods but it doesn't require 24/7 maintenance.
I'm glad PI worked for you. It also works for me and I'm also grateful to ALIEN for that. But I am an advanced power gamer. And the fact that in other posts you talk about things like the Bartle taxonomy of players strongly suggests that you also are an advanced power gamer, whether you know it or not.
EDIT: I was using the term power gamer in a way that was generating a misunderstanding.
I've never said anything like that. You might want to read my posts again.
EDIT: I was using the term power gamer in a way that was generating a misunderstanding.
At any rate, I'm glad someone has managed to make PI work without having programming knowledge. I have updated my post accordingly.
EDIT: I was using the term power gamer in a way that was generating a misunderstanding.