Boy (or girl)! We’ve got a stack of cool little modifications for your delight this fortnight. I’ll get straight into it.

BIFFing beef and other types
If you are one who looks for improved performance, look no further than the bigg’s Generalized Biffing modification, a WeiDU modification that will compress your game files into .biff archives for better in-game performance. It does come with a big caveat, and it is advised that you read the big, bold, capitalised text before you press any stray buttons. Find it here. Did I say read the big, bold, capitalised text? [insert disclaimer here]

Homemade, not Home Brand
If you are looking something from a domicile, look no further but macholy’s Homemade Teammates Fight Script modification version 2.5. This is a little homebrew script modification and ‘let[s] teammates [be] much more active and intelligent’ - that’s if they don’t fall over their own translations. Note that the Ascension modification is required. Read some more about this modification here.

Remember Jamella? Well she’s here!
The adept item merchant from Pandemonium Fortress has made a home in Baldur’s Gate II with the help of shohy. Hence, we find Jamella’s Diablo 2 Item Store for Baldur’s Gate II: Throne of Bhaal version 1.1, a modification that adds a store from which you will have to make a very brave (unbreakable) decision. Check this epitomy of skill and craftswomanship here.

Sing a song of sixpence, then abruptly change the tune
If you love medleys, then you may make them a virtual reality with shohy’s Bard Song Switching (Icewind Mode) for Baldur’s Gate II version 1.3. This modification introduces some level-dependent bard songs that you can switch between freely. Even different songs stack, so if your ears are polymodal that you can discern several songs at once, then go here and try this mod out.

Ticking the fixes over
Herein lies Beregost Crash Fixer version 1.7, with the addition of the German translation by WangXu. But beware of the asp that will strike you in the darkness. That’s if an asp even exists.

The hardworking Classic Adventures team have just produced yet another update to the total conversion. In their words:

“This is the full install of Classic Adventures version .49. This update contains all the interior areas of Selgaunt. The areas are not populated yet but it should give you an idea of what our plans are in the future. Don’t expect all areas to stay as they are, we may change things around during the next couple of updates.”

Related links:

• Download v.49
• Website
• Forum

A big fortnight this time around with a multitude of modification updates, so I’ll get snapping.

Make the right shape
No1 worked on a new modification for shapeshifting, audaciously named the Ultimate Shapeshifting and Rebalancing Fix modification. It exhibits an alternative take to Weimer and the Refinements approaches. Read a subject comparison, and try out the modification, here.

Fix-it in French
Another version gets dusted, with Beregost Crash Fixer being updated to 1.6, featuring the French translation by Isaya. If you can’t remember what this does, flick back through the news, or just go here. You can also grab the utility at the same link location.

A tweak is more than a tweak
aVENGER launches version 2.02 of aTweaks featuring French and Italian translations. ‘Nuff said, now click!

More vestibular control for your rogues
A rogue ain’t a rogue if he keeps falling over, so grab the version 4.04 maintenance update to Rogue Rebalancing right here. This update features some new translations, bug fixes, and kooky little changes that you can read about here.

I shall tra-ify your vault until it squirms!
erebusant has mostly certainly has made the Vault modification squirm with possibilities for translations with the version 7 update. If you want to see your favourite language in the modification, then put your multi-lingual skills into action and grab the modification here.

Two weeks before March, and I’m thinking about threes already. Thrice, a trifle of triple threes told me nothing about the modifications that made their appearance last fortnight, so I had to dig them out for you… and here they are.

Don’t crash it, just fix it
Stop those wagons crashing when they reach Beregost in Simplified Chinese with the update of Beregost Crash Fixer to version 1.5. It is a Java utility that tries to fix saved games with a corrupted Beregost area for a Baldur’s Gate I, Baldur’s Gate Trilogy or Tutu game. Get the new version here.

A potion or three from Jan
Put Jan’s alchemy skills into action with Jan’s Alchemy, an ‘old’ modification that has recently been converted to WeiDU format. To quote, ‘Jan’s Book of Brewing is a magical tome that will allow Jan to create potions following specific recipes.’ Check them out here.

Iron man, the hardest hero of them all!
Fancy adorning yourself in rusted ferric oxide, but this ain’t about iron skins. Icendoan’s Elemental Damage Only modification creates a permanent stone skin for every character, making them impervious to non-elemental damage. Try this new way of tromping through Amn here.

aTweaks, bTweaks, cTweaks
Soon after the announcement of the release of aTweaks version 2.0, it has been updated to version 2.01 with a whole slew of translation updates. Fancy a German-, Italian-, or Russian-style tweak here, and check out the changes here.

A-borgeet!
I’m not giving the details of this gem away. Check out this novel, fun, little modification here. Screenshots included.

Well, till the big three really arrive, enjoy these five cool little modifications.

aTweaks represents a compilation of PnP related tweaks and various house rules which are designed to bring more consistency to the gameplay. This mod works on normal Baldur’s Gate II games as well as either of the two Baldur’s Gate conversion projects: (Easy)Tutu and Baldur’s Gate Trilogy (BGT). It is divided into multiple components all of which can be installed separately and are completely independent of each other.

In summary, aTweaks v2.0 introduces several new components which should bring more consistency to the gameplay. For example, it is now possible to expand the curative spell selection of temple priests, restore bonus damage to magical ammo and prevent illusionary clones from singing bard songs and using quick items. You can find the full list of changes here.

Relevant links

• Download
• Mod readme
• Mod forum