EasyTutu: Info, FAQ, Mods, etc.

[Macready]

What is EasyTutu?

EasyTutu is an alternate distribution of Baldur's Gate Tutu which aims for an easy, professional installation and a stable game play experience.  If you find yourself frustrated or confused by the Tutu installation procedure, experiencing game stability problems, or are just looking for a simpler installation, EasyTutu might be for you.

Some of the benefits of EasyTutu:

    * EasyTutu installs Tutu using a professional quality, InstallShield-based setup program.  All of the complexities of the Tutu install process are handled for you automatically.
    * EasyTutu installs a stable, mature, tested version of Tutu.  This should help to alleviate the uncertainty that sometimes accompanies using a program that is under constant development.
    * EasyTutu performs a very clean installation, without leaving behind the hundreds of setup-related files found after a traditional Tutu installation.
    * EasyTutu includes a large number of features, bug fixes and add-ons over and above those included with traditional Tutu and Tutufix.
    * All prerequisites for a stable Tutu installation are enforced at install-time.  This makes unexplained game crashes down the road much less likely.
    * Your installations of Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 are untouched by the EasyTutu installer.  You can still play both of them with EasyTutu installed, and if any Tutu-related problems occur, your original installations are unaffected.
    * Unlike traditional Tutu, EasyTutu is not dependent upon Baldur's Gate 1 and Baldur's Gate 2 being installed after setup is completed.  Both games only need to be installed for the EasyTutu setup process itself.
    * A Tutu shortcut is added to a start menu folder of your choosing (and optionally, to the Windows desktop) during installation.

The full details can be found on the main EasyTutu page.


What makes EasyTutu different from regular Tutu?

Aside from the installation-related improvements discussed on the main EasyTutu page, all of what you see in the EasyTutu changelog is exclusive to EasyTutu.

Also, EasyTutu is intended for English language end users only.  Conventional Tutu can accomodate foreign language players to some degree.



I've read all that and I still have questions.

Try the EasyTutu FAQ!



Do I have any way of obtaining completed fixes between major releases?

Why, yes.  Have a look at the EasyTutu "Hotfixes" thread.



Where can I find out about Tutu mods?

The "Optional Add-Ons" section of the EasyTutu page covers mods I've written specifically for EasyTutu.  The "Mods" section discusses mods I've tried and consider stable and indispensable.

Pocket Plane Group (this site) and The Gibberlings Three are the best places to continue your explorations.



I heard that you can play EasyTutu on a Mac these days.

Yes, you can, courtesy of Gorilym.

EDIT: Mac link updated.

[Miloch]

There was some discussion on the G3 forum as to whether the Dudleyville fixes and tweaks were relevant to a Tutu/EasyTutu installation.  According to the FAQ, EasyTutu does not incorporate them nor does it apparently have plans to do so.

So the question is, does Tutu include content that makes any of the Dudleyville packs obsolete?  Or have other Tutu mods taken over any of this content.  A couple of minor examples:

1) One of the Dudleyville tweaks makes Khalid a fighter/mage (he is rather weak as a fighter).  He remains a fighter in a generic EasyTutu installation, but the BG2 Tweaks pack apparently makes him a fighter/mage.  Thus this mod makes this particular tweak obsolete.

2) Another tweak modifies a lone hobgoblin so that he initiates dialogue (which was disabled in the original game) and demands healing.  Without the tweak (and in unmodded EasyTutu) he is just another aggressive hobgoblin.  Rather a pointless encounter; the tweak at least makes it marginally less pointless.

A list of the bugs or inconsistencies addressed by the Dudleyville packs and whether they're addressed by Tutu, other mods or are still outstanding would be of benefit to would-be mod developers and playtesters.  According to the Dudleyville site, the material there is no longer being maintained, but people are free to use the content for their own projects or fix-packs without prior permission.

[Macready]

Hello -

According to the FAQ, EasyTutu does not incorporate them nor does it apparently have plans to do so.

Correct.

So the question is, does Tutu include content that makes any of the Dudleyville packs obsolete?

I don't know.  I've probably fixed a glitch or two in common with Dudleyville over the past months, but it's not something I try to keep track of.

A list of the bugs or inconsistencies addressed by the Dudleyville packs and whether they're addressed by Tutu, other mods or are still outstanding would be of benefit to would-be mod developers and playtesters.

So make one!

The Tutufix readme (core bug fixes) and the EasyTutu changelog (linked in the first post of this thread) pretty much cover what's been addressed thus far.  Core Tutu development is more about fixing bugs than it is about making tweaks, though.  We have Cam for tweaks.

[Marcis]

Hi Macready

Can I install the "EasyTutu Spawn Randomizer" after :
- Bg1_Tutu_v4.exe
- Tutufix_v17.exe

 

[Macready]

Hello -

Can I install the "EasyTutu Spawn Randomizer" after :
- Bg1_Tutu_v4.exe
- Tutufix_v17.exe

No.  The Spawn Randomizer is an optional add-on specific to EasyTutu.  Conventional Tutu uses an entirely different spawn system.

[zav]

Hi there, great looking mod! i was just wondering before i started playing it, after beating bg1 with tutu, does it still create the export file that bg1 does? (in other words, will i be able to change kits after exporting to bg2??)

[Marcis]

No.  The Spawn Randomizer is an optional add-on specific to EasyTutu.  Conventional Tutu uses an entirely different spawn system.

EasyTutu is a great mod : Easy for all
I will be glad if you can also make easytutu for french people

The "EasyTutu Spawn Randomizer" is a good one too.
Are you planing to do one for Tutu  ?

Thank you for responding.

[Macready]

Hi -

Hi there, great looking mod! i was just wondering before i started playing it, after beating bg1 with tutu, does it still create the export file that bg1 does? (in other words, will i be able to change kits after exporting to bg2??)

No.  Aside from using a game editor like ShadowKeeper to make changes, you will have a uniform class throughout the saga (i.e., the same base class / kit from start to finish).

[Macready]

Hello -

Are you planing to do one for Tutu  ?

The game's built-in spawn system (the one used by conventional Tutu) has some issues and is not customizable, so no.

[Kraptor]

Hi there! Bakc to Tutu again:) I have couple questios about mods. Will I be able to use BG2 mods in BGTutu? Also If i want to play BG2 modded should i first create tut with an unmodded BG2 or mod BG2 first with some rule changes and such then create Tutu? There were some  nice BG2 rule fixes that I would like to use them in Tutu or is that out of the question? For eg if i want to use BG Tweak PAck with Tutu when do i install it, before tutu or after tutu?

[cmorgan]

The best place for these questions is to take a look at Macready's documentation, which covers all of these things, and more     If you want info on other mods and mod orders, plus a walkthrough that matches Macready's information on install oreder etc., take a quick look at G3 in the General Mods section for detailed step-by-step instructions in the State of The Tutu Modding Union (or similar - titile).

but only aftre you have read Macready's stuff. it really is comprehensive, clear, and detailed.

[Kulyok]

A: EasyTutu includes Kevin Dorner's fixpacks for both Baldur's Gate 1 and 2, as well as his game text updates. These fixes are included in EasyTutu whether you've applied them to your parent installations or not. Use of the Baldur's Gate 2 fixpack is still recommended for your Baldur's Gate 2 installation so that you can benefit from the fixes when it is time to play that game.

Not long ago, I've been researching Dorner's BD text updates, and they, to put it bluntly, are lacking - it is something I wouldn't recommend and I do not want it in my game, either. Is there any chance they are made optional in the future? And, in any case, I'd welcome instructions on how to get rid of this stuff.

(I can't say much about fixes themselves - I'm more into dialogue stuff. But I so do not want to return to TUTU4...)

[Macready]

Hello -

Not long ago, I've been researching Dorner's BD text updates, and they, to put it bluntly, are lacking - it is something I wouldn't recommend and I do not want it in my game, either. Is there any chance they are made optional in the future? And, in any case, I'd welcome instructions on how to get rid of this stuff.

(I can't say much about fixes themselves - I'm more into dialogue stuff. But I so do not want to return to TUTU4...)

I tend to agree, but I only came to that realization after EasyTutu had already been created.  Today, the EasyTutu TLK has evolved so far from its BD origins that it really isn't a possibility to somehow split it out again.

I've routinely tightened up the writing in any of the dialog / journal entries that I came across in the journal enhancement work.  If you run across any particularly irritating bits, feel free to post the exact strings and I can at least think about addressing them in a future release.  Bonus points if you also write the revisions for any problematic text you find.

[Kulyok]

Erm, the concept of revision might be against the original point of fixing - but thanks for the confidence, this is what I will do when I can.

[Macready]

Hello -

Erm, the concept of revision might be against the original point of fixing - but thanks for the confidence, this is what I will do when I can.

I'm talking strictly about nitpicks to grammar and punctuation, nothing more.  I edit with a very light hand, and I think you'd be hard pressed to detect any of my changes short of doing an A-B side by side comparison of a given string.  The one exception is in the case of journal strings, where adding titles and sometimes even an entirely new entry (e.g., supplying a solved entry where none existed previously) made for a more noticeable footprint.

[Kulyok]

Oh, I do not doubt that. It's just I was comparing Dorner's text updates (for BG2, though) line by line with the original text, and nearly had a heart attack - he adds and changes lines on a whim. So I'm rather concerned as to what the guy has done for BG1. When/if I get to it, I'll let you know.

[Miloch]

So I'm rather concerned as to what the guy has done for BG1. When/if I get to it, I'll let you know.

We are doing this review in the BG1 Game Text Update.  We have a line-by-line review of the original BG1, TotSC, Baldurdash and Dudleyville texts.  We stay true to the spirit of the original game, but accept the other fixes if relevant, or make our own corrections if they prove to be more accurate.  This is mainly aimed at spelling, grammar, formatting, etc.  Some of Dorner's more speculative fixes, where he adds entire blocks of dialogue where there previously was no dialogue, we're flagging for now.  They might end up in a Tweak or OBC but certainly not core fixes.  We're about 25% done, with roughly 2 of 8 large chunks completed.  We can make this BGT-compatible pretty easily, because of BGT's fairly straightforward method of converting the BG1 dialog.tlk.  But [Easy]Tutu is a different story.  I guess the inevitable question is: is there some method or algorithm it uses for converting the original BG1 strings?  I know EasyTutu delivers a custom dialog.tlk, but there must be some method it used originally to increment the string references and append them to the BG2 dialog.tlk.  In my cursory analysis though, there was no formula I could recognize, at least not like the addition of an arbitrary integer.

[Macready]

Hello -

I know EasyTutu delivers a custom dialog.tlk, but there must be some method it used originally to increment the string references and append them to the BG2 dialog.tlk.  In my cursory analysis though, there was no formula I could recognize, at least not like the addition of an arbitrary integer.

EasyTutu's TLKs were originally spawned from the Tutu 4 converter.  I have no idea what form its conversion algorithm took.

[Kulyok]

This is mainly aimed at spelling, grammar, formatting, etc.

Mainly?

[Miloch]

This is mainly aimed at spelling, grammar, formatting, etc.

Mainly?

Mainly.  Things of that nature.  I needn't clutter up this thread about it - there are other threads both in the BG1 Fixroom and the public boards at G3 that go into quite a bit of detail on the subject.  The only thing really relevant to EasyTutu is the question I just asked, which is still unanswered (maybe plainab or someone else can figure it out).

[guyf]

I tried a translation in french of the dialog.tk for easytut SOA.
I used a automated technique , comparing original english version - easyTutu text and the original french version.
None all is done but i think that 80% is OK.
you can find this file here->http://perso.numericable.fr/dgfranco/

[CamDawg]

The "Optional Add-Ons" section of the EasyTutu page covers mods I've written specifically for EasyTutu.  The "Mods" section discusses mods I've tried and consider stable and indispensable.

I'd like to think that BG2 Tweaks is both stable and indispensable.

[hopeful]

 This  is the key! Without the tweak (and in unmodded EasyTutu) he is just another aggressive hobgoblin.  Rather a pointless encounter

[ithildur]

So, returning to the question regarding Dudleyfixes, if I have my BG1 install fixed with Dudleyfixes, and I install Easytutu, it should copy over all the Dudleyville stuff since they're all override fixes; the question is, will this cause problems with Easytutu in some shape or manner? As most of the Dudleyfixes tend to be rather discrete and (imo) sensible in spite of the fact they aren't weidu, I would anticipate there shouldn't be problems with easytutu or easytutu mods; it'd kind of be like installing Ascension before BG2Fixpack on SoA/ToB installs, as is usually recommended (ie non weidu mods before modern weidu mods, weidu mods play nicely with the older mod by appending rather than overwriting).

Am I wrong?

[Jarno Mikkola]

So, returning to the question regarding Dudleyfixes, if I have my BG1 install fixed with Dudleyfixes, and I install Easytutu,

You have just F'ed you install.
You need to have a clean BG1 and BG2 install for EasyTutu, as the EasyTutu will make the Dudleyfixes to the EasyTutu game, not to the BG1.