Hi,

I've just picked up both BG games after playing them maybe ten years ago. I loaded up BG1 but started to miss the improved UI of BG2 so I've been looking into BGTutu as a way of playing the original game with improved UI.

I know that I can export/import my Tutu characters into ToB to carry on the game but what I really want to do is play a 'vanilla' character such as a basic Paladin or Fighter and then specialise at the start of BGII as I would do if I was playing BG1 properly.

I've been playing around and it seems that once you create a character in Tutu when you import it into BGII you no longer get the options to pick a kit. Is there any way around this or do I just have to play though the game from the start with BGII classes if I want to play these later on?

I think you're out of luck.
With tutu, the "vanilla" of BG1 is already heavily compromised. You walk faster, the game pauses when in inventory, dual wielding is available, more weapon classes etc.

If you really want a vanilla BG1, maybe the best option is to install the widescreen mod on BG1 and not use Tutu.

You start BGII without items anyway, so the only thing you really carry over from BGI are your experience and stats.

So instead of importing your character from BGI, just create a new character with the same abilities at the start of BGII. This will leave you without your old xp total, and without any ability score increases you got from tomes. At the start of BGII, you can use console commands to give yourself the old xp from BGI. Then you can use console commands to give yourself the tomes that increase your stats.

I'm not completely sure what this does with your hp- if your new BGII character starts with max hp, if your character starts with max or random hp depending on difficultly level, or what.

I have one word for ya: Shadowkeeper.

BG1 Tutu has quite a bit of "quirks" that really annoyed me, i.e.,

... Tutu expands the proficiency choices in the first game. Unfortunately, the first game has a small selections of weapon choices to support the expanded choices.

Example: the original Baldur's Gate has the "Blunt" weapon proficiency that covers staffs, clubs, maces and other blunt weapons. Tutu splits "blunt" into a myriad of different weapons, so it has different proficiencies for staffs, clubs, maces, etc. Unfortunately, Baldur's Gate 1 has a very small selections of good staffs, clubs, maces, etc. So the extra Tutu proficiencies actually limit your characters' weapon expertise.

... joinable NPCs in Tutu have the wrong proficiencies and starting equipments (that are different from the original games; apparently the Tutu coders took the liberty to reassign NPC's weapon proficiencies and starting equipments to their own likings.)

Example: in the original Baldur's Gate, Khalid has proficiencies in "Big Sword" and "Bow", and he starts with a long sword, shield, and a bow. In the Tutu version, he has proficiencies in "Bastard Sword" and "Two Weapons Style", and he carries two bastard swords and no bow. So Tutu completely changes Khalid. The worst thing is Khalid competed with my character (a Paladin) for the small selection of good bastard sword in BG1.

I played the game with BG1 Tutu... and I actually regretted it. Should have just played the vanilla version without Tutu. Tutu is worth playing ONLY IF you want to play a class that is not available in BG1.

Oh, I didn't know Tutu modified NPC's.

Q: I currently finished two BG1 games in my Baldurs Gate Triology, BGT installation..does BGT also change as much as Tutu in terms of companion stats?.

Thanks for the replies, I wanted to avoid using something like Shadowkeeper and keep the 'cheating' to a minimum as I know I'll get carried away and end up with 21+ stats. It looks like the options are to either run through the game in original BGI with a few small UI mods, run through a completely different game (tutu) with kitted classes or just give up and create the characters I want once I get into BGII.

My aim at the start, having beaten BGI a couple of times back in the day, was just to play it through for old times sake and get myself a selection of characters I can use as a base for BGII games. I was going to create 5 chars, a fighter (with high Int for dual classing to mage), a paladin, a mage, a ranger/cleric and fighter/mage which should cover most the classes I want to try in BGII and allow me to play my own characters that I've played BGI with with the bonus of higher starting stats/xp. That's why I wanted to play the plain old classes initially and kit later on.

I think I'll just play a couple of characters to get used to them, ones I haven't played before, and then sort the rest out later.

Thanks for the help

Another change that BG Tutu made to BG1:

The original BG1 has two pairs of Boots of Stealth. A particular quest require the player to give away the Boots of Stealth, so the player can give away one and keep one.

BG Tutu removes one of the two pairs, and its a serious content change. The designer of Tutu -- based on his personal feeling -- felt that the player should be forced to make a choice: either keep the Boots or complete the quest. So he just changed the content of the original game with his Tutu, yet again, to fit his own intention/interpretation.

http://forums.pocketplane.net/index.php?topic=27198.0

Seriously, the more I play Tutu, the more I think it sucks.