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Is it possible to install both BD and Steam versions simultaneaously?

DJKajuruDJKajuru Member Posts: 3,300
in General Discussion (Spoiler Warning!)
I was thinking of having one for multiplayer purposes and another , heavily modded, for single player purposes.

Comments

  • KamigoroshiKamigoroshi Member Posts: 5,870
    Yes. Both storefronts use different install paths after all.
  • gorgonzolagorgonzola Member Posts: 3,864
    it is not strictly required as it is possible to change from a heavy modded version of the game to a clean one very quickly.
    you have to copy the folders of the clean installation and of the modded one in some place, then you copy the one you want to use in the original installation path and you are ready to go.
    both the main game path and the one where the saves are.
    then remember to copy them back in their "storage places" other way you loose your progress before switching to the other version.

    but having 2 different games form 2 different vendors with 2 different paths is the quickest and easiest way to go to obtain your purpose so if to pay for the game twice is not a problem for you do it :).
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    Yes. I have both versions on my own computer. My Steam version has SoD on it, and my Beamdog version does not. I plan to keep it that way so I can easily play BG1 with the original blue interface, export that save to SoD or not as I choose, then export into BG2. If I don't plan to play SoD, I play my whole run on my Beamdog client.

    It's also easier to mod on the Beamdog version, as you don't have to download and learn to use ModMerge like you do with the Steam version.
  • GusindaGusinda Member Posts: 1,915
    @DJKajuru, as answered above, you can have multiple installations installed but you can also separate your saved games. In the root of the games folder is a file called 'engine.lua' which will determine the saved games location. In the modded game, by editing the line:
    engine_name = "Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition"
    to something like:
    engine_name = "Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition.Modded"
    you will find that there are now two saved game locations in your documents folder, one for vanilla and one for modded.

    You can also have two copies of the same game as @gorgonzola has suggested but you can run them from their backup folders using baldur.exe to start the game. As an example, I have four versions of BG:EE on PC:

    BG1EE.2.5.17.0 (Vanilla Game and default install)
    BG1EE.2.5.17.0.Android (Modding for the Android game)
    BG1EE.2.5.17.0.Classic (Modded to look and feel like the vanilla classic version of the game)
    BG1EE.2.5.17.0.Gus (My modded game)

    All the games have separate save paths by editing the statement in 'engine.lua'. I have another set of folders for the same (except classic) with SoD installed (BG1EE.2.5.17.0.SOD, BG1EE.2.5.17.0.SOD.Android, BG1EE.2.5.17.0.SOD.Gus). Obviously you don't need to go that far but it definately works... You can also edit baldur.lua in each of the document folders to keep your game the way you want it.

    The only thing you need to remember in this environment is that none (or only one depending on how you set it up) of these will be updated automatically; although I like that myself as I will rebuild all when the update gets here.

    Hope that helps
    Gus
  • gorgonzolagorgonzola Member Posts: 3,864
    @Gusinda
    wow Gus, your way is much more then what i suggested, as you can have different, independent, perfectly working versions of the game, with different upgrade levels and mod settings, without having to copy to the original place the version you want to use when you switch and mainly without risking to forget to back up it with the new saves or added mods when you switch to an other, loosing your progression!
    if some links on the desktop or start menu are created to the exe files of the different versions it is so easy to have access to every version in a split second.
  • spacejawsspacejaws Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 389
    Yea I used to do it. Especially as Beamdog buyers could request a steam key so no need to buy twice. I heavily modded the Beamdog version (and used it to test mods of my own) and had the Steam version be 'vanilla' so it could auto update and cloud save and such and not be affected by tinkering.
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,315
    edited January 2020
    From a QA standpoint it would have really sucked if we couldn't. :)
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