double instillation

[RoSs_bg2_rox]

OK I know this has been posted before, as I have read it, but I cant for the life of me find it. I am just about to reinstall bgt, but I also need a copy of bg2 for multiplayer purposes, so can I just copy my whole bg2 folder from one drive to another, thus saving the time of a second instillation? I also remember reading something by someone (the warhammer guy that used to hang around here cant remember the name) that said you could route to the first install, saving heaps of space. Does anyone know how to? Cheers

Ross

[icelus]

There is a pretty good tutorial here that describes how to setup a multiple install: http://forums.camagna.net/index.php?showtopic=291

[RoSs_bg2_rox]

cheers, Il take a look

[RoSs_bg2_rox]

For a Throne of Bhaal installation
* Install Shadows of Amn, Throne of Bhaal and the latest patch
* Optional: Install the latest ToB Baldurdash fixpack (see notes, below)
* Optional: Set your preferences, configuration, and baldur.ini tweaks (see notes, below)
* Copy the entire c:\games\bg2 folder--except for the CD2, CD3, etc. subfolders--into c:\games\bg2alt
* In the c:\games\bg2alt folder, open the baldur.ini file. In the [Alias] section, change

QUOTE
HD0=c:\games\bg2


to

QUOTE
HD0=c:\games\bg2alt


Leave the CD1=, CD2= , etc. lines unchanged.


thats basically what it says. But just wondering, do you have to name it that? I mean mine is in C:/Program Files/Blackisle/BG2, would it be safe to have the other folder in C:/Program Files/Blackisle/BG2 alt?

[teardropmina]

actually you can do as many installations as you want; follow the steps

1. Install SoA/ToB as usual (full install + ToB latest patches + recommended Baldurdash Fixpacks).
2. Make a new folder/directory for you 2nd (and as many as you wish) SoA/ToB. you could still name it BGII - SoA since it's in different directory.
3. Copy everything in the original BGII -SoA folder EXCEPT CD2,CD3,CD4,CD5 to the new BGII - SoA folder.
4. In the NEW BGII - SoA folder, edit the Baldur.ini: change the line "HD0:=" to the new BGII -SoA directory. Save it. and it's done.
5. install BGT or any Mod you wish in the second BGII - SoA folder.
6. Finally, you have to click the BGMain file in the new BGII - SoA folder to play the game when you're playing the second BGII -SoA.

follow this process you can install as many new BGII-SoA as you want and play as many incompatiable/conflicting mods at the same time (well, with different games).

[RoSs_bg2_rox]

That sounds good, but what about this, it takes up much less space, would it work for bgt though?

Heres a (possibly) simpler way, resulting in each clone installation being about 60mb (including the 34mb from the override folder).


How to Create a Minimal BG2 Clone for Modding

1) Complete a full install of BG2:SoA (and install the latest SoA patch, if ToB is not to be installed)
2) Complete a full install of BG2:ToB (if required) (and install the latest TOB patch)
3) Make new directory, e.g. "clone1"
4) Copy the following to "clone1"
Directories
\characters
\override
\portraits
\save
\scripts
\sounds
Files
baldur.ico
baldur.ini
bgconfig.exe
bgdxtest.exe
bggltest.exe
BGMain.exe
Chitin.key
dialog.tlk
Keymap.ini
Language.txt
5) Edit bgmain.exe at 0x00705E04, from "hd0:\dialog.tlk" to ".\dialog.tlk..."
"2E5C6469616C6F672E746C6B00000000" to "6864303A5C6469616C6F672E746C6B00"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How it works
The common files are stored in the initial install directory.
The core files (unique to each clone) are copied into each clone dir.
The .exe patch is to tell the .exe to search for the dialog in the local dir, as opposed to the \data dir.

This has the usual downsides:

I dont know how it will affect games which place new biffs in the chiten.key (likely all clones will be affected, since theres only 1 chiten.key). Same goes for new music (though this can easily be altered, by .exe patching the music entry from hd0:\music to .\music).

The registry entry only points to the initial install. So this will be the one runby the autorun feature, and wil be the one listed under add/remove (hence we dont need the uninstall files in our unique copied data).

I havent extensively tested this method. It's not been tested at all on non-english versions of the game. I suspect it would work fine, as long as the right offset is changed for the dialog.tlk reference.

Anyway, I hope it works, and helps.
Any questions, just ask.

/igi
ps. I know it involves .exe patching (generally bad), but weidu is capable of this, andit only needs to be done once (once the patch is done, the .exe looks in the local dir. So you can copy that .exe into another clone dir, and it will look in there). This could be distributed as a weidu component maybe, if we get enough game version offsets.

EDIT: Added language.txt to the list of files needing to be copied. - Idobek

EDIT: heres the source

[ 05-03-2004, 11:00 AM: Message edited by: RoSs_bg2_rox ]

[RoSs_bg2_rox]

I notice that install says that chitin.key will be modified for every install since you are not copying it over, but couldnt you just copy it over too? And also would that affect a multiplayer game of regular bg2 or not?