Baldur's Better Aesthetics 1.0 — Baldur's Gate 3

[Reichspepe]

@DagothGeas5 About the replacing head thing, am I understanding it correctly that it completely replaces the head ingame, meaning if say 3 npcs have the negroid elf head, and I just replace it the way you described in the first section, all of them would have a new one? If so, that would make the correction of facial features for the fantasy races to all be caucasian incredibly easy; just replace the "wrong heads" and almost nothing else except maybe a few skintone changes would need to be done.

[DagothGeas5]

@DagothGeas5 About the replacing head thing, am I understanding it correctly that it completely replaces the head ingame, meaning if say 3 npcs have the negroid elf head, and I just replace it the way you described in the first section, all of them would have a new one? If so, that would make the correction of facial features for the fantasy races to all be caucasian incredibly easy; just replace the "wrong heads" and almost nothing else except maybe a few skintone changes would need to be done.

That is exactly it! I did notice the whiter edition, for example, made a few NPCs whiter but they were using my custom heads I replaced them with, so there are many instances where only the skin was changed. And though I wanted to keep humans like they are, the usage of the "inclusivity" heads is so high it just prompted me to replace them all besides https://bg3.wiki/wiki/File:Masc_Human_Head_3.png . I hope they have a way to know if someone replaced their ****** inclusivity attempts, if not now, maybe in the future, so not only will they see the increase usage, but know we are using them as an easy custom head replacement spot.
I love Chult, why couldn't they make a map or maybe a DLC for their itch for black people? Icewind Dale 2 had a portal take you to a Yuan-ti place, would love to re-visit the human sacrificing monsters and, possibly, trek the desert with Baldur's Gate 3's companions and mechanics. The possibilities are endless, they even have mummies in the game already!

[Reichspepe]

Great, I would do this myself in the coming weeks if nobody else will. I don't know how to do that in mod form though, which I think would be more practical than just changing to normal game files, right?

[DagothGeas5]

Great, I would do this myself in the coming weeks if nobody else will. I don't know how to do that in mod form though, which I think would be more practical than just changing to normal game files, right?

From my understanding, mods that are replacers are to be extracted INTO the Data folder, so they are not handled by Mod Manager as they are not .pak files. I am unsure why they are treated this way, but it is something I noticed replacer mods always doing when inspecting their files on Nexus when I was hunting for heads to use. Adding NEW heads to the selection screen is, instead, always a .pak file inside an archive, but, though I am sure there is a way someway, I have no idea if it could work to link the NPC appearance files (the .lsf things) to tell them to use the custom heads instead.

To MAKE a mod, it is far easier than it sounds, it just needs this tool https://github.com/Norbyte/lslib . It sounds complex when explaining, particularly in written form, but to make a mod you just need to click a button to say "pack this whole thing into a .pak file" and selecting a folder that only has the files you want your .pak file to contain, that will be loaded into the game (if replacers were packaged like this, they would contain, for example, the whole folder structure leading to the replaced heads plus the new file that is replacing the old one, the game handles the rest. Though it, again, seems like replacers are to not be made into .pak files to work).
To extract a mod, it is the reverse process. Simply select an empty folder and, after selecting the .pak file (contained into any archive you can download as mods for Baldur's Gate 3), you just need to tell it to unpack the .pak file and then can browse, and edit, the contents. Then make it into a .pak file again and, after re-inserting it into an archive (replacing the old file if using the original archive the .pak comes from) you can have Mod Manager import it as a normal mod and it will work.
Hope it makes sense! I swear it's easier than I probably make it sound

I am available to help and make mods, but I have a lot on my plate irl, so, though I can work like a steam-train when given a task, I might suddenly disappear for even months without a word, and thus am not the best help nor the best at maintaing a mod I fear. Regardless of that though, if I can help in some way to make this game a better game, I would love to lend a hand too! (be it editing .lsf files or anything like it )

[Reichspepe]

It sounds like it's not that much different from making a translation then. I will try to start removing all non-caucasian faces and replacing them this weekend if I have the time, though no promises yet.
There's just the tiny problem that just looked and I only have Localisation, Mods and Public folders in my BG3 Data folder, but no Generated.

[lexo1000]

It sounds like it's not that much different from making a translation then. I will try to start removing all non-caucasian faces and replacing them this weekend if I have the time, though no promises yet.
There's just the tiny problem that just looked and I only have Localisation, Mods and Public folders in my BG3 Data folder, but no Generated.

I already did this Check Lore-Friendly Heads mod.

[DocBo]

Hi which version should i use?
There are Baldur's Better Aesthetics 1.0 - 3.0, minimalistic and BetterAestheticsW.
All mods have different size.
Should i install 1.0 and then 3.0 and then minimalistic or BetterAestheticsW?
Or only one of them?

[Anon]

If you're using the no alphabets mod, get minimalistic as it's the one compatible

[DagothGeas5]

It sounds like it's not that much different from making a translation then. I will try to start removing all non-caucasian faces and replacing them this weekend if I have the time, though no promises yet.
There's just the tiny problem that just looked and I only have Localisation, Mods and Public folders in my BG3 Data folder, but no Generated.

There shouldn't be a Generated folder there by default, you will have to make one and all the subfolders in it. The folders should be: Generated \Public\ Shared \Assets \Characters \_Anims And from here you have the folders for each race called:
Dwarves
Elves (this one includes Drow)
Githyanki
Gnomes
HalfElves
Halflings
HalfOrcs
Humans
Tieflings
(you can see more details for each head, as some are placed into yet another folder called SharedDev instead of Shared, here https://bg3.wiki/wiki/Modding:Head_Models )
and then inside you will find (also in the SharedDev version) _Male and _Female inside of both there is yet another folder called Resources , this is the folder you have to place the replacement head in. lexo1000, as said above, already made such a mod, but I will be leaving this here for posterity and use for anyone interested
I honestly thought it would be a grave hassle, but modding this game, to me at least, is actually quite fun! Particularly because things "just work". You want to give Gortash a different head? ANY male head that is not of the strong body type will work! No furhter things required than just placing the replacement head inside Generated\Public\SharedDev\Assets\Characters\_Anims\Humans\_Male\Resources and change its name to HUM_M_NKD_Head_Gortash (if I am remembering incorrectly which is which and it doesn't work, try the Shared folder instead). The best thing is that you can do this WHILE THE GAME IS RUNNING! So you can immediately see them work in the character creator (if you already are on said head, simply click on another and then back to "update it" and see the change )

Hi which version should i use?
There are Baldur's Better Aesthetics 1.0 - 3.0, minimalistic and BetterAestheticsW.
All mods have different size.
Should i install 1.0 and then 3.0 and then minimalistic or BetterAestheticsW?
Or only one of them?

No Alphabets have an updated version of both Baldur's Better Aesthetics and BetterAestheticsW viewtopic.php?t=1122-no-alphabets-3-5-2-baldur-s-gate-3 , but there is also this one version here, which adds portraits to the Whiter ( BetterAestheticsW ) version viewtopic.php?p=45039-bba-potraits-1-2- ... ter#p45039 . What I personally do is use the version provided from No Alphabets (in case you cannot see it, it is inside the Compatibilty spoiler at the bottom line) with the changes from Portraits and the one I made that restores Duke Ravenguard, Nettie and Rath. Hope this helps!

[DocBo]

No Alphabets have an updated version of both Baldur's Better Aesthetics and BetterAestheticsW viewtopic.php?t=1122-no-alphabets-3-5-2-baldur-s-gate-3 , but there is also this one version here, which adds portraits to the Whiter ( BetterAestheticsW ) version viewtopic.php?p=45039-bba-potraits-1-2- ... ter#p45039 . What I personally do is use the version provided from No Alphabets (in case you cannot see it, it is inside the Compatibilty spoiler at the bottom line) with the changes from Portraits and the one I made that restores Duke Ravenguard, Nettie and Rath. Hope this helps!

Ok thx, its the first time i work with BGMM.

is that right?

https://i.postimg.cc/fLxwGdZj/2024-01-1 ... 0-10-0.png

[DagothGeas5]

No Alphabets have an updated version of both Baldur's Better Aesthetics and BetterAestheticsW viewtopic.php?t=1122-no-alphabets-3-5-2-baldur-s-gate-3 , but there is also this one version here, which adds portraits to the Whiter ( BetterAestheticsW ) version viewtopic.php?p=45039-bba-potraits-1-2- ... ter#p45039 . What I personally do is use the version provided from No Alphabets (in case you cannot see it, it is inside the Compatibilty spoiler at the bottom line) with the changes from Portraits and the one I made that restores Duke Ravenguard, Nettie and Rath. Hope this helps!

Ok thx, its the first time i work with BGMM.

is that right?

https://i.postimg.cc/fLxwGdZj/2024-01-1 ... 0-10-0.png

I am unsure about the German translation if it needs the original Lingo file to work, as I do not use a translation so I am not sure (regardless, it should be fine to load them both as the GER file, because you are loading it lower, is replacing the original, so it will work! ). As for the rest, I usually also right click and say "Allow into the Load Order" for the below files as well (MaleNarratorCIV5 and NoAlphabetsVoices ), but am unsure if it is needed to be done or if they can just be left there. BetterAestheticsW should be in the load order and placed before NoAlphabets's aesthetics file if you want its changes. So, in short, it should be like this:



Hope this helps! And by all that is Holy, DO NOT place the Honour and Dice Set "mods" into the load order! I thought they were part of mods I had no idea I installed and just added them in. After re-installing Baldur's Gate 3, EVERY savegame I had with those two "mods" on does not load anymore. Turns out those two "mods" are the honor mode and random dice skins that Larian left in the files. I am unsure if it's just my un-luck, but do please be safe with them!

[Dreogan]

You gonna give Larian false data, when people start using a good looking head which would have been black people head originally. And Larian be like... oh so many people into black heads.

As if Larian couldn't simply lie. I wouldn't put this possibility past them at this point. They gotta somehow feed community the copium that a majority of people is interested in "diversity".

Possibly, but at least early during the EA they were pretty open about just some average white dude being the most popular PC in char generation. Of course, Larian and the collective media hated it.

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/your-b ... larian-say

That's possible, but don't forget WotC owns the IP, and it is the amongst the Wokest of the Woke (along with its parent corp, Hasbro). So there may have been pressure from them. I guess we'll see how Woke their next title, which will probably be back to DoS or a new IP, turns out to be (assuming this madness is still being tolerated in another 5 years).

[Tipfy]

I am unsure about the German translation if it needs the original Lingo file to work

The "Lingo" part of the mod is for the texts. You only need one, the original or one of the translations.

[SniperChris]

It sounds like it's not that much different from making a translation then. I will try to start removing all non-caucasian faces and replacing them this weekend if I have the time, though no promises yet.
There's just the tiny problem that just looked and I only have Localisation, Mods and Public folders in my BG3 Data folder, but no Generated.

I already did this Check Lore-Friendly Heads mod.

Great job! I especially like the work on the Halflings, Gnomes, and Dwarves (although I wish we could just create *more* heads as I still want to use the 'black' head for Figaro)

[lexo1000]

Great job! I especially like the work on the Halflings, Gnomes, and Dwarves (although I wish we could just create *more* heads as I still want to use the 'black' head for Figaro)

Thanks! I see that you uploaded a new version of BBA on Nexus. Is it different than the one here on RPGHQ?

[SniperChris]

Great job! I especially like the work on the Halflings, Gnomes, and Dwarves (although I wish we could just create *more* heads as I still want to use the 'black' head for Figaro)

Thanks! I see that you uploaded a new version of BBA on Nexus. Is it different than the one here on RPGHQ?

It is not. It's just the minimalist version.

[Calumininium]

Oh, yes a bigger "diversity of face" would be good, but should be a diversity of caucasian faces.

But my take on these head changes is that we should keep some black and asian faces for NPCs

I disagree on that, unless the character have specific lore to it that state he's coming from a fitting place, then i could roll with it.
That being said, even if the lore said he's from the equivalent of BG3 Africa, i'd still prefer him changed anyway. ^^

Agreed, dwarfs, halflings and even asian/black half-elves are a huge no-no to me, I just always think about why it was there in the first place (the MESSAGE), plus it just feels wrong. But otherwise this seems like a good idea.
I've already made a post on the previous page with many npcs that need in particular their facial structure changed.

Agree, the Linsella halfling in the 2nd act is too much for me, you found a way to clean her ? I have all the purifying mod possible but none seems to change her specifically.

[SniperChris]

Personally, I thought that the idea that the villains are still diverse is funny.

[Envergence]

The idea of villains having to use fantasy and real-world "POC" as a last resort because it's too hard to recruit desirable minions is pretty hilarious.

[Calumininium]

Personally, I thought that the idea that the villains are still diverse is funny.

and low key makes sense as they are even willing to employ driders which would be shunned by everyone in most circumstance

[FMLS]

A question for all the BBA folks, would it be possible/easy to implement something like https://www.nexusmods.com/baldursgate3/mods/3810 into BBA (big dward beards, for those who don't click the link)? I like that most shaved dwarves get rectified with the mod, but the bigger beards would be lovely. Would be awesome to have a version that automatically selects beards from that mod for the dwarven NPCS.

Something similar for the gith https://www.nexusmods.com/baldursgate3/mods/2765

[SniperChris]

A question for all the BBA folks, would it be possible/easy to implement something like https://www.nexusmods.com/baldursgate3/mods/3810 into BBA (big dward beards, for those who don't click the link)? I like that most shaved dwarves get rectified with the mod, but the bigger beards would be lovely. Would be awesome to have a version that automatically selects beards from that mod for the dwarven NPCS.

Something similar for the gith https://www.nexusmods.com/baldursgate3/mods/2765

I am not sure as I've never played with that mod. I don't know how it works.

Assuming that the mod already gives those beards to certain NPCs, it should be as easy as copying the beard code from said NPC onto any other NPC. However, if it does not, I never dug enough into the files to find out what the beard codes are alone.

Ideally, I would like to combine Big Dwarf Beards and the Dwarf Tav Voice mod (although I wish the one that exists was better and more specifically Scottish - I will detour on this in a second*) to create one curated MegaMod for improving NPCs. Like a "Director's Cut" of BG3.

*I think a major weakness of the Tav voice replacer mods is that everyone is fascinated with AI-generated voice technology when they should instead be looking to inspiration from gaming's past - like mods for XCom and Stellaris that replaced existing dialogue not with the same lines dubbed over from someone else, but entirely new lines (that still fit the context of the lines they were replacing) from other characters. Like replacing the Stellaris advisor with Alex Jones quotes or making one of your XCom guys into Arnold Schwarzenegger using his lines from movies.

I think the community could really benefit from someone offering a "Conan the Barbarian" Tav voice that is just various Arnold lines.

[FMLS]

I am not sure as I've never played with that mod. I don't know how it works.

Assuming that the mod already gives those beards to certain NPCs, it should be as easy as copying the beard code from said NPC onto any other NPC. However, if it does not, I never dug enough into the files to find out what the beard codes are alone.

Ideally, I would like to combine Big Dwarf Beards and the Dwarf Tav Voice mod (although I wish the one that exists was better and more specifically Scottish - I will detour on this in a second*) to create one curated MegaMod for improving NPCs. Like a "Director's Cut" of BG3.

*I think a major weakness of the Tav voice replacer mods is that everyone is fascinated with AI-generated voice technology when they should instead be looking to inspiration from gaming's past - like mods for XCom and Stellaris that replaced existing dialogue not with the same lines dubbed over from someone else, but entirely new lines (that still fit the context of the lines they were replacing) from other characters. Like replacing the Stellaris advisor with Alex Jones quotes or making one of your XCom guys into Arnold Schwarzenegger using his lines from movies.

I think the community could really benefit from someone offering a "Conan the Barbarian" Tav voice that is just various Arnold lines.

They both add beards to the option pool, without replacing anything vanilla or affecting NCPs. The Megamod would be a dream come true!

[Luckmann]

Alright, so, doing the rounds, updating my mods, and.. which download is the current one for this? Still Orin's minimalist?

[Faceless_Sentinel]

Alright, so, doing the rounds, updating my mods, and.. which download is the current one for this? Still Orin's minimalist?

@AlbertHeinous BBA (whiter) still works too!

[fkirenicus]

If no one has mentioned it already: Scribe Goosequill in the Lower City, one of the bystanders near the woman who has been struck unconscious by a steel watcher, appears to have a very masculine voice for her otherwise very female body.

[Faceless_Sentinel]

If no one has mentioned it already: Scribe Goosequill in the Lower City, one of the bystanders near the woman whos has been struck unconscious by a steel watcher, appears to have a very masculine voice for her otherwise very female body.

You should go with this to the @orinEsque, it is all up to NoAlphabet mod to fix this.

[fkirenicus]

ah, ok. thanks.

[joey2099]

Nice to see this **** dying off.

[rusty_shackleford]

Nice to see this **** dying off.

I'm pretty sure a lot of it has been incorporated into @orinEsque's mod!