Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal Power User Text Disclaimer: BioWare, Black Isle and Interplay are not responsible for problems with either Throne of Bhaal or your computer system due to alterations made in Throne of Bhaal based on information in this file. In particular, if you are changing screen resolutions or monitor frequencies, we are not responsible for the results. Preamble: If you are reading this file, then it is expected that you have a good working knowledge of your computer. It is also assumed that you have played, but not necessarily completed, Baldur's Gate II : Throne of Bhaal and are familiar with the interface. These are undocumented features within the game that if altered, might make your playing time more enjoyable. Try them out and keep the ones you like. All of information in this file refers to the baldur.ini file that is found in the Baldur's Gate 2 root directory. You can modify this file with any simple text editor. New Features: Mapping High Level Abilities It is possible to map high level abilities to keys. To do this you will need to look at the language.txt and keymap.ini files, located in the directory where Baldur's Gate (TM) II is installed. The process will be explained using the following example: In order to map the high level ability "Resist Magic" to the 'N' key, you will first need to find the [Keymap High Level Abilities] section in the language.txt file. Look for the line containing the ability you wish to map. In this example we would find the following line: SPCL904=Resist Magic Take note of the text on the left hand side of the equals sign (ex: SPCL904). Now load up the keymap.ini file and search for this text in the [Keymap High Level Abilities] section. You will find a line that contains the text, followed by an equals sign. If there is a letter after the equals sign, that is the key currently mapped to this ability. To map the ability to another key, type the capital letter of the key you would like mapped to this function. Make sure there are no spaces before and after the equals. Therefore, mapping "Resist Magic" to the N key, we would have this line in the [Keymap High Level Abilities] section of the keymap.ini file: SPCL904=N ------------------------------------------------------------- Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn Power User Text Disclaimer: BioWare, Black Isle and Interplay are not responsible for problems with either Baldur's Gate 2 or your computer system due to alterations made in Baldur's Gate 2 based on information in this file. In particular, if you are changing screen resolutions or monitor frequencies, we are not responsible for the results. Preamble: If you are reading this file, then it is expected that you have a good working knowledge of your computer. It is also assumed that you have played, but not necessarily completed, Baldur's Gate II : Shadows of Amn and are familiar with the interface. These are undocumented features within the game that if altered, might make your playing time more enjoyable. Try them out and keep the ones you like. All of information in this file refers to the baldur.ini file that is found in the Baldur's Gate 2 root directory. You can modify this file with any simple text editor. Features: Drop Fancy Capital Letters from Text: If you don't want the loading screens or the journal to have the "Drop Characters" (the big letters at the start of the first word of each paragraph), add this to the [Program Options]: Drop Capitals=0 If you want to enable/disable the 3d acceleration without going in to the config program, modify the following [Program Options]: 3D Support: It is suggested that you consider running in 3d if your card can support it. In 3D, you will notice faster "fades" such as the fade to black during cut-scenes, and tints, such as the dusk simulation during evening hours, will also be improved. 3D support also adds blending and transparency effects to some of the spells. To set 3D mode enter the following in the [Program Options]: 3D Acceleration=1 Note, you can also be use this method to play the game in 3d mode at 2048 x 1536 resolution on a 32 meg video card. Note, running at this resolution will force the game to full screen mode if your desktop is not set to 16 bit mode. Also, beware of higher resolutions as combined high resolutions and high refresh rates can damage your monitor permanently. If you are running a 3dfx board, you will want to make sure the game is using 16 bit only textures. To do so, add the following to the [Program Options]: 16Bit Textures=1 Windowed and Full Screen Mode: If you want to run the game in a window mode, change the following line in the [Program Options]: Full Screen=0 You can also achieve windowed mode by pressing Alt-Enter anywhere in the game and it will toggle between the modes. Be careful not to attempt to use Alt-Enter while loading as it can cause considerable problems. Display Frequency: If you want to change the display frequency, change the following line in the [Program Options]: Display Frequency=60 And set the 60 to any number you want, but be careful, if you set a frequency your monitor can't handle, it could cause serious damage. Do not alter this value unless you are certain about your monitor's capabilities. Display Resolution: If you want to change the screen resolution, look for the following line in the [Program Options]: Resolution= The valid values are: 640, 800, 1024, 1280, 1600, and 2048 The vertical values accompanying these resolution numbers are set internally so do not worry about finding the accompanying value. If you set a resolution value that is the same or larger than your desktop's current settings, Baldur's Gate 2 will play in full screen mode only. Again we strongly suggest that you do not alter this value except from within BG Config where the resolution is tested by the program. Playing with an unsupported resolution can be damaging to your monitor so take extreme care when manually changing this value. Screen Coordinates: In the [Program Options] you may find the values: Screen Position X Screen Position Y These are the coordinates of the game window relative to the top left hand corner of your screen when playing in a window. Software Graphics Functions: The following [Program Options] will toggle use of hardware or software for specific routines used to draw the graphics in BG2: SoftBlt SoftBltFast SoftMirrorBlt SoftSrcKeyBlt SoftSrcKeyBltFast These functions are used only in 2D 16bit mode and are useful for older video cards that cannot support these functions in hardware. See the README.txt for more information on this issue. FX Mirroring: Altering the use of FX Mirroring can considerably alter game performance. It is set in [Program Options] with the following command: Use Mirror FX=1 Generally, we store FX surfaces in video memory. This method is used for the majority of the textures in the game. When we want to mirror an object, we remove it from video memory, mirror it, and put it back into video memory. Without any shortcuts this can be a slow process. When Mirror FX=1, we create a separate surface in system memory and use it to save one of the mirror copies. If you want to test whether this will improve your performance, have your party walk in circles. If, during half of the circle, the party moves VERY slowly, toggle this option and try it again. NT Smooth Sound: This is a function specifically for NT users. During development we primarily use Windows NT as the development platform so we have added a small number of features to support NT users. If you are playing Baldur's Gate 2 in Windows NT and you are having problems with the sound, put the following in the [Program Options] section: NT Smooth Sound=1 This option will switch the priority of the sound processing thread to match the main game thread, resolving the problem. Tool Tip Delay: The tool tip delay can be modified in-game, but if you want to change it within the baldur.ini file, you can modify it in [Program Options]: Tooltips=## Where ## is from 0 (instant tips) to 100 (REALLY long delay) Translucent Shadows: You can change the translucency of shadows in the game's display options, but if you want to toggle it within baldur.ini, it can be found under the [Program Options]: Translucent Shadows=1 On some video cards (in 2d), you may want to turn this off to improve performance. Gamma and Brightness Corrections Gamma and Brightness can be set in-game, but if you can't see the game correctly at startup to do so, make the following alteration under [Program Options]: Gamma Correction=# Brightness Correction=## The Gamma Correction ranges from 0 to 5, and it will be set to 0 if a number outside this range is provided. Brightness Correction ranges from 0 to 40, and it will set to 0 if a number outside this range is provided. Sprite Mirroring: Sprite mirroring is a performance enhancement used to limit the number of animation frames required by creatures and monsters. It can be found under [Program Options]: Sprite Mirror=0 If activated, you will notice that sprites will appear similar to their usual appearance, but when they change direction horizontally, their weapons will appear to flip between their hands. We recommend that you don't alter this value. Volume Controls: The following [Program Options] are volume controls, each can be set between 0 to 100, as well as being changed within the game: Volume Movie Volume Music Volume Voices Volume Ambients Volume SFX First Frame Outline: This debug feature in [Program Options] allows you to see the first frame of an animation sequence: First Frame Outline=1 Activating this choice will significantly modify animation sequences. We recommend against altering it. Debug Mode: Debug Mode is used primarily to provide us with additional information regarding the game world while the game is playing. It is found under the [Program Options]: Debug Mode=1 In addition to providing us with debug information, it has some other interesting powers....:) Disable Movies: You can disable the playing of animated movies with the following [Program Option]: Disable Movies=1 Confirm Everything: Confirm everything is a relatively dangerous option that will remove all pop-up dialog boxes that require user confirmations for things like resting, removing spells and deleting save games. To turn off confirmation, add the following line to [Program Options]: Over Confirm Everything=0 If you set this option beware, because if you accidentally click Delete on your save game instead of load, you won't be asked to make sure that's what you wanted to do! Enabled=0 Just remember to turn it back on when you want to use it again. It is also something to try if you are having problems connecting in a multiplayer game and you have already installed Roger Wilco. Game Spy: If you have GameSpy on your machine and don't want it to automatically run when starting a TCP/IP game, add the following line to your [GameSpy] section: Enabled=0 If you are having problems connecting to somebody through TCP/IP, you may want to try disabling this option. TCP/IP Ports: If you want to play BGII over TCP/IP on a port other than the default, you can add the following line to the [Multiplayer] section: Port=#### Be warned, it is NOT advisable to change this value unless you know what you're doing. Multiplayer Timeout: If you are having problems in a multiplayer game where clients are timing out, you can change the following value in the [Multiplayer] section to increase the time the game waits before dropping a player: Client Timeout=#### Client Timeout can use any number between 30 and 9999 seconds. Note that this won't solve all timeout issues as Direct X will internally timeout in some situations. Path Search Nodes: Path search nodes determine the number of calculations used by characters to find their way around the map. Increasing the number of nodes increases the efficiency of the pathfinding, but it also decreases performance. It is found in [Program Options]: Path Search Nodes=####### This number can range between 4000 and 400000. Note, search nodes are only used when you can't draw a straight line between the current location and your destination. Machine Options These options are general performance option categories, they are found in [Game Options]: Low End Machine=0 Low End Machine 2=0 When engaged, certain static animations either won't draw, or they wont animate. If there are many animations on screen and you notice the game running slowly, modifying these options can improve performance. First turn on Low End Machine, and if it doesn't adequately help, turn on Low End Machine 2. Critical Screen Shake: Critical Screen Shake occurs upon a critical hit in the game. It is found in [Game Options]: Critical Hit Screen Shake=1 Turn it off if you find the shake annoying or if it takes a long time for the shaking to stop. 3D Animations Engaging this option will allow you to use the specially designed 3D animations in 2D Mode. This is set by default in 3D mode. Note that 3D animations can slow down systems without powerful hardware. The 3D Animation toggle is found in [Game Options]: Use 3d Animations=1 Engage this option if you have a fast machine but no 3D card and still want to see the enhanced effects. Heal on Rest: Activating Heal on Rest will cause the party to fully heal using all memorized healing spells. It is found in [Game Options]: Heal Party on Rest=1 Beware, because if no one has healing spells and this option is activated the party will sleep for a very long time. Environmental Audio: This option toggles environmental audio effects, such as those found on EAX or A3D compatible sound cards. It is in found in the [Game Options]: Environmental Audio=1 Activating this option will use EAX and A3D effects for reverberation and sound positioning. Cheats: You can enable the cheats in Baldur's Gate 2 by adding the following line to the [Game Options]: Cheats=1 To fully engage the Cheat mode, make sure you have set Cheats=1 in the bauldur.ini file, run the game and press "Ctrl-Space" to bring up the Console window. Type "CLUAConsole:EnableCheatKeys(1);" in the console window to engage the cheat mode. Press "Escape" to remove the console window. There are a number of keys associated with this mode that you can find via exploration. Footsteps: You can force the game to play footsteps with the following command in [Game Options]: Footsteps=1 Footsteps can consume processor time - turn them off if you want to improve performance. Mouse scroll speed: Found in [Game Options], this controls the speed the screen will scroll when you move the mouse to the edge: Mouse Scroll Speed=## A range from 6 to 50 is accepted. This can also be set in-game. GUI Feedback: GUI Feedback determines if the circles at the characters' feet are displayed. It is found in [Game Options]: GUI Feedback Level=# A range of numbers from 1 to 6 are accepted, 5 is default. This can also be set in-game. When the game is paused, this value is ignored and you get full feedback. Locator Feedback: Locators refer to the arrows that point to offscreen characters. It is found in [Game Options]: Locator Feedback Level=# A range of numbers from 1 to 6 are accepted, with 4 being the default. Bored Characters: This option refers to the length of time it takes for character to begin spontaneous dialogue complaining about the lack of action in the game. It is found in [Game Options]: Bored Timeout=# A range of numbers from 1 to 65000 are accepted, with 3000 being the default. Dither: Dithering is used for characters behind objects such as walls and trees. It is found in [Game Options]: Always Dither=1 This can be changed in-game as well as in baldur.ini. Subtitles: This is found in [Game Options] Subtitles=0 This option determines if subtitles are used when people talk in the game. Keyboard Scroll Speed: In addition to scrolling the screen by placing the mouse at the edge, the arrow keys can also be used to scroll the screen. The option controlling the speed of this operation is found in [Game Options]: Keyboard Scroll Speed=## A range of numbers from 18 to 150 are accepted. Command Sound Frequency: You can alter the frequency of Command sounds in the [Game Options]: Command Sounds Frequency=# This can be set to either 1, 2, or 3. Selection Sound Frequency: You can alter the frequency of Selection sounds in the [Game Options] Selection Sounds Frequency=# This can be set to either 1, 2, or 3. Infravision: Found in [Game Options]: Infravision=1 This activates group infravision. Weather: Found in [Game Options]: Weather=1 Activates weather effects. Attack Sounds: Found in [Game Options]: Attack Sounds=1 Causes all sounds to be played during combat. Tutorial Triggers: Found in [Game Options]: Tutorial State=1 Activates proximity tutorial triggers in starting areas. Tutorial triggers are the hints that are viewed while loading and saving the game. Auto Pause: Found in [Game Options]: Auto Pause State=0 Represents a set of bit-wise flags that determine autopause modes. It is advisable to alter this only in-game. Auto Pause Center: Found in [Game Options]: Auto Pause Center=1 When activated, centers on the character responsible for triggering the autopause. Difficulty Levels: Found in [Game Options]: Difficulty Level=3 Sets the difficulty of the game. A range of numbers from 1 to 5 are accepted. Quick Item Mapping: Found in [Game Options]: Quick Item Mapping=1 When activated, only the abilities from items in the quick item slot can be mapped. When deactivated, any ability from any item can be mapped into the quick item slot. Overhead HP Display: Found in [Game Options]: HP Over Head=1 When activated, the characters will always have floating text over their heads displaying their current hit points. Dialogue Pausing: Found in [Game Options]: Force Dialog Pause=0 When activated, causes non-pausing dialog to be deactivated. Hotkeys and Tooltips: Found in [Game Options]: Hotkeys On Tooltips=1 When activated, it will display both the tooltip and its hotkey when using TAB over a button. If you modify the hotkeys, the changes WILL be reflected on the tooltips. Extra Combat info: Found in [Game Options]: Extra Combat Info=1 When activated, displays all hit roll and damage roll calculations in detail. Cache Size: Found in [Config]: CacheSize=140 Represents the amount of disk space used to store temporary files while running. Note that you need a 300 MB cache (minimum) for multiplayer. No Multiplayer Timeout: Found in [Multiplayer]: NoPlayerTimeout=0 When activated, this will ignore multiplayer timeout commands. It will not completely resolve all timeouts as DirectX will still timeout unresponsive clients after a period of time. Maximum Framerate: Found in [Program Options]: Maximum Frame Rate=30 A range of numbers from 10 to 90 is accepted. If you are playing multiplayer, all players must have the same frame rate set. GL Setup: Found in [Program Options]: Use GLSetup=1 If set, the game will use the GL Setup drivers. If not set, it will use default drivers. GLSetup Driver=# Set by GlSetup to determine which drivers you have installed. AsynchEnumeration: Found in [Multiplayer]: AsyncEnumeration=0 Off by default. If set, this option lists of all games on the local TCP\IP network in multiplayer. Casting Glows: Found in [Game Options]: Disable Casting Glows=0 Off by default. If set, this disables most casting effects. Low Mem sounds 1: Found in [Game Options]: Low Mem Sounds 1=0 Off by default. If set, this disables high memory ambient sounds. Low Mem Sounds 2: Found in [Game Options]: Low Mem Sounds 2=0 Off by default. If set, this disables all ambient sounds. VEFVidCells: Found in [Game Options]: Disable VEFVidCells=0 Off by default. If set, this disables the majority of spell effects. Display Text: Found in [Game Options]: Disable Display Text=0 Off by default. If set, this disables ALL text displays. Brighten: Found in [Program Options]: Disable Brighten=0 Off by default. If set, this disables all brightening effects. Force 50% transparency: Found in [Program Options]: Force 50 Percent Transparent=0 Off by default. If set, this forces all transparency to 50%. This is an increase speed mode.