Hi, y'all!

I recently got Disciples 2. I'm curious to know if there's any reason to play from the executable from the base game rather than jump right into Rise of the Elves. I loaded them both up and they seem nearly identical. I'd hate to dump a bunch of time into the base game, only to see there's only minor differences in the expansion.

Fist RotE is a standalone expansion and that mean - it completely new installment in the series. This is differ game.
But devs decide to include base game campaign.

Play Dark Prophecy in base game - Disciples 2: Dark Prophecy - Gallean's Return. First DP for each faction, than go to GR for each factions.
better to play each faction at same time. Start 1st mission for everyone. Continue 1st mission with Empire or Undead. Legions\Clans end 1st "act". Than it be mirrored 2nd act for Legions\Undead. And somewhere there Empire\Clans. Start 2nd mission for everyone and go with them who looks more closet to current state. 7 missions.

GR have 3 missions and for first play - should be played in base game. It impossible to extract that missions as 100% authentic. After first play when you see how it should looks like - you can try to convert them into RotE.

Base game actually is Dark Prophecy. GR is extended version with base game and two addons (installed all three will swithc game to GR - devs just split one expansion to two half addons back in 2003).
Balance and some plot a little bit changed in 1.41->GR->2.02 patches (Dark Elf Lyf now not is the only one Dark elf as it described in original base game). RotE change balance a lot - and that make some places easier in campaign, some harder.

Devs do bugged feature and never fix it - UnFOG scripts in base campaign Dark Prophecy work as FOG script (cover scripted map place even when you already uncover it). Keep an eye on camera movements when it show you some places when some main\side quests triggered.
Or use HERECOMESTHESUN cheat to unfog map. But that only on Vhard difficulty.

Anyway, Hard is almost as Vhard. And although V\Hard is differ than Normal\Easy, there is no huge differences in dis-\advantages to play on Normal. AI still be weak, including very limited at resources - not so much resources boost for start as Vhard. A little bit EXP bonuses to AI (incl neutrals).

In FOW neutrlas and AI take HUGE EXP bonuses and even upgraded units. In you unfog map legit way or by cheat - they stop get free EXP for nothing. And yet, i ply with that cheat. AI always cheated in any game and see whole map.
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And now, some technical info. Both GOG and Steam releases have something broken. Any Gold releases (starting from 4 CD retail, but retail Gold is not fully pathed to 2.02\3.01\gold dlc and should be patched manually - so at the end it be proper 2.02\3.01 version) use main menu interface file from 2.01 patch and not 2.02. Version number in main menu is only differences in that file. But that can make game be incompatible with retail 2.02 version. In general, both GOG and Steam are 2.02. But GOG still miss some content:
12 blank 10 lvl heroes available only in offline build and miss for GOG Galaxy build. Impire.sg singleplayer map is missing.
Steam use 2.01 and custom exe from Valve with steamclient.dll DRM. Steam version more broken although have every content. GOG is only one Gold that miss something.

GOG miss even more for RotE. In general, Steam is up to 3.01 have 2006 year DLC every maps and blanked heroes (differ levels). But again - wrong 3.0 exe custom from valve with steamclient DRM.

GOG vise versa - 2.02\3.01 exe, but miss a lot of content from RotE and even not patched properly to 3.01.
Look here
http://www.gog.com/forum/disciples_series/where_is_rote
http://www.gog.com/forum/disciples_series/does_the_gog_version_of_disciples_2_contain_rise_of_the_elves_gold
Find post with mediafire link to RotE 2006 Gold upgrade installer. And 3.01 patch. But backup (and restore) DRM-free exe's from GOG after patching.

Steam version "as is" anyway not compatible with any else version in multiplayer. As is - GOG version too.

Thank you so much for all the information! That's really helpful.

I already installed one patch to get the game to work (DisciplesGL_1.87). Figuring out how to get these old games to run is part of the fun. :D

UPD: http://www.gog.com/forum/disciples_series/fresh_start
Backup 3 exe files for RotE. Install RotE Gold upgrade and then RotE 3.01 patch. Restore 3 exe files for RotE. I post somewhere link to mine exports fodlers with combined compatible maps. You need Impire.sg file that the only one keep missed after you update RotE GOG version.
Use offline builds. Even for GOG Galaxy you can install offline and Galaxy find them. Offline version have more content than Galaxy build.
To install old retail offline patches i mention here - check my link above and find REGEDIT entry that patches look for.

THAT should be enough for fresh start with GOG versions.
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DisciplesGL is a mod. And it change too much. For first experience i recommend Steam version + GCFScape tool to extract game from Steam Valve VPK archives to get proper client, copy GOG 6 exe files +1 manual to Steam version.

Copy 16 maps from GR to RotE and 19 maps from RotE to GR (maps stored in Export folders where also heroes). Copy 12 leaders from GR to RotE and probably one hero from RotE to GR (archangel, any others heroes not compatible from RotE to GR).

Heroes from RotE NOT COMPATIBLE with GR. And for you own heroes even GR hero not be compatible with RotE. be careful with that, you cant start some scenraios\campaign in one version and continue in another.

Or if you still want GOG version (Steam require some tweaking to make game DRM-free) - download and install RotE Gold Upgrade from topic i linked above /does_the_gog_version_of_disciples_2_contain_rise_of_the_elves_gold
That one should be fine to make GOG almost proper build (still be missed Impire singleplayer map for Empire faction that should be included in any Gold editions because it be part of GR from 2003).
GOG version "as is" same as Steam is 3.00 and not 3.01 (steam also 2.00 instead of 2.02, but GOG already 2.02 here). That installer reported as fix that and also update the game (because GOG partially patched already, for else versions that Gold Upgrade is not 3.01 patch)

GOG Galaxy current build still MISS 12 blank heroes in GR for english version. Offline installer (did you know where to get them?) current build have them, but no Galaxy. Should be 12 .ldr files in Export folder for GR game.
here the link to unofficial GOGdb site where you can see that 12 .ldr is missing from online builds:
http://www.gogdb.org/product/1207663703#builds
http://www.gogdb.org/manifest/73489d9306839a9290c4a6b9cfe3fa63
here the POL version of GOG Galaxy online build - and there is more files under Export folder
http://www.gogdb.org/manifest/d0489b0a412e4ec51d8a4d91fe658e60
(still any GOG miss some files). Additional technical info about GOG releases:
http://www.gogdb.org/products?search=disciples

Here the (almost accurate, should be more Tutorials and one map with minor misprint name) list of maps from each editions:
http://nevendaar.com/index/0-43 (sorry, russian discs boxart, there is list on english site, but only list without any formating and any boxarts at all, list is based on origianl English version anyway - i double checked it compared to CDs)

RotE support each maps. Maps that are listed at games before RotE should be copied from RotE and placed to GR. That mistake is from 2005 Gold 4 CD North America edition. Most maps are placed to RotE and there is only 16 maps in GR Export.

Current GOG build already have own GOG DXCFG tool. That be better than wrapper-mod from Verok, because GOG wrapper - just wrapper. Verok did mod. It better for new experience. ach version of his mod have own featurs\-bugs.
Eg color pallete if wrong and cannot be restored in current versions. Although some previous build allow to disable this features compeltely. Now even for default colors game colors are wrong.

Very latest build of DisciplesGL should be fix also previously present in verok's wrapper bug - potions cannot be used on units itself - only to units cards. Widescreen battles bug.

GOG wrapper did the job to make game work as it should be and look a little bit better on current displays.Ofc no widescreen support. Veroks wrappers at least can zoom image to make it non-true widescreen. But again, DisciplesGL is more than just wrapper but mod.
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One of the manuals - d2_gold_manual is not include in game itself and only present in Downloadable goodies manuals archive.

Is Rise of the Elves meant to be installed in the same directory as the base game?

RotE is a completely differ game. That called stand-alone expansion and that mean - usually - it not actually an expansion. That how it be before consoles DLC era, now stand-alone usually mean only that fact that base game included and technically it still DLC.

RotE really include base game - but only base - that mean GR have more content. But never be compatible or installabe to base game folder. And RotE not an update 3.01 to 2.02 GR. Only maps are compatible from 2.02 to 3.01. Even leaders higher than 1lvl not compatible from 2.02 to 3.01. Rise of the Elves technically not a Disciples 2 at all.

There is possibility to copy GR addons campaigns to RotE, but require manually editing and newer be 100% accurate. Again, this is not for you if you never play them.

Thank you so much! All this information is very helpful! Happy gaming to you!