1/1/2022 update: I strongly advice to use the description together with the video. Very few things have changed since I made this tutorial, but the notes left there are crucial for a smooth experience (e.g. some redundant fixes, a new method for the awakening patch). Some timestamps 00:00 - 00:32 Intro 00:32 - 02:52 Memory Fixes 02:32 - 06:13 Prerequisite / Enabling the Console 06:13 - 09:10 Info on files encountered / tools used 09:10 - 14:44 Fixes 14:44 - 17:09 Textures 17:09 - 26:29 Bodies/Faces 26:29 - 33:07 Gameplay/Chargencompiler 33:07 - 34:28 Quests 34:28 - 36:05 Honorable mentions 36:05 - 38:36 Outro
Hi thank you so much I haven't played DAO since I was a kid got everything working good wanted to ask you if I could use this mod Dragon Age Class and Specialization Pack? would it work
@@BloodandGuts333 I havn't tried it on this mod load-out. Said mod doesn't seem to change anything we already change here, so my gues would be that it'l work.
This is by far the most comprehensive, the easiest to follow and the most concise modding guide for Dragon Age Origins in the entire internet. Seriously man, you are a lifesaver, thank you so very much!
I just downloaded this game cuz I see everyone talking about it, and here we have a tutorial on how to mod it in 2018? Damn man, really thanks for this
@@0mnicide Oh wow, sorry, I never got a notification for this comment. But yes, I loved the game, put around 240hrs on it doing all the origins and all romances. Love the lore and the characters and I'm just not playing it in this quarantine cuz my mouse broke. Lol, thanks for asking and sorry for an horrible delay
@@d.pedroii2940 do you have access to an xbox one controller (with the 3.5mm jack) they work with windows 10 computers i believe with blutooth. nobody should have to suffer without origins. just got a new desktop myself and looking to learn mods. :)
6 years later, still the best tutorial for DAO on the web. The updated .exe for Steam is SUCH a lifesaver and I always return to this on a fresh install to double check I'm not forgetting any steps
I have never modded a game in my life because I'm terrified of messing things up due to my lack of skill and knowledge. Decided to take the chance. Followed your tutorial, and everything works like a charm, plus I now understand the terminology, and also have a better understanding of how and why things work. This is a lifesaver, thank you so much!
Frosty, you're a godsend! 2021 and I'm finally playing this game thanks to YOU. I've tried it three or four times in the last five years but always had to quit because of crashes/bugs/mod issues, but with your guide I'm not having problems anymore! Finally made it past the Arl of Redcliffe section and no crashes. Wish me luck! And thanks sooooo much 👍👌
I remember way back in the day I was an avid Sims 2 player and obsessively downloaded custom content and made stories out of the characters I made. While perusing around TH-cam I saw someone playing DAO with a hairstyle that I had downloaded for Sims 2. So obviously I got into Dragon Age and fast forward all this time, I am only NOW downloading these hairs for my DAO protagonist. I don't make the rules, I barely even follow the rules, but this tutorial was so helpful.
Those hairstyles are really good. They keep making a appearance in different games througout different mods. Nice that you got a bit of nostalgia thrown in there and glad this has been helpful!
I've never played Dragon Age, even though I'm a fan of Oblivion and other RPG's. So not long ago I decided to make it happen and decided to mod it in order to avoid some bugs, memory issues and just to enhance the graphics, as well as add things to make my gameplay more enjoyable (which I learned from your detailed explanation). So not to make any long speeches, I just want to thank you and say that I am really grateful for your awesome guide. Furthermore, showing how to use the modding tools for Dragon Age and making me apply these techniques in order to add some other mods made it like a walk in the park. I usually don't like watching long videos, because they tend to be boring/not fully informative, but this guide beats everything. Maybe next time I'm going to watch on of your other guides and mod a game that I haven't yet played. Hands down, you made my day, Mr. Frosty.
@Green Sage Hey! What do you mean? If I have installed it? The installation process is fairly easy, these fixes are included in "Qwin DAO Fix Pack", the link is in the description.
2024 and you are still saving people :D it has been ages since I modded DAO and luckily I remembered most of it...until I had a black screen at Ostagar and you helped me with that memory fix! Thank you!!!
THANK YOU for starting the video with explaining the memory leak and how to fix it, as well as the other different "quirks" that some tutorial videos don't even talk about. Super detailed and helpful tutorial, highly reccommend!
Fantastic tutorial still to this day. As someone who is familiar with modding (skyrim, fall out) but haven't done it to DAO, you made this a painless learning experience. Very similar to modding Skyrim and Fallout, but different enough to warrant watching the whole video. Well done.
This tutorial was a lifesaver. Thank you for making such a great tutorial. Now I am off to try it out. Hope everything works fine and my playthrough ends smooth. edit: That aside tho I hope DA4 has a workshop tab on Steam once it's out or in the future after release. If it wasn't for this tutorial I probably would've felt like I was back in my CompSci classes. Which isn't a bad thing but it certainly is tedious trying to find old ass documentation and all that jazz from websites/forums that are sometimes purged. Thankfully more modern Bioware games have easier modding (my experience with Inquisition has been nice) but still. Like I said, a workshop tab would be appreciated imo.
My friend, you saved the day! That memory fix fixed my save and allowed me to play with the mods I wanted to play with, I could not have gotten my DAO modded to run for the past 3 years I would always encounter some crash or error that i couldnt get past but you made it possible for me to enjoy the game with all the juicy player-content I always wanted to experience, thank you!
I usually hate video explanations, as text is much quicker, and videos are usually filled with long silent pauses or other informational garbage. Not the case of this video. It starts off a bit slow, but then it plunges into the thick of it. Don't skip this video if you never modded DAO. It's paramount.
every time i come back to this game i use your video, thank you so much, this is by far the best collection of advice for modding da, appreciate your work
Thanks for the guide, loved it. About the "DLC to Awakening Patch" in GOG versions: The GOG version of Dragon Age, by default, does not come with registry keys, this is to prevent issues with the EA Origin™ Client, which scans for that particular key and might trigger an auto-update, which can possibly break the GOG version of the game. This prevents the DLC to Awakening Patch to work for the lack of registry keys, so you need to add the registry key first. I have a batch file to fix this, otherwise you'll have to add the key manually, btw this registry key is needed to install the DAO-Toolset. Instructions to add the key manually: Open regedit HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node right-click on that 'WOW6432Node' key and choose 'New Key' new key = BioWare right-click on that new 'BioWare' key and choose 'New Key'. Add 'Dragon age' right-click on that new 'Dragon Age' key and choose New Value Add ' Path ' in top box Add your exact game path folder name in Bottom box ie: C:\GOG Games\Dragon Age Origins Job done.
Wow this is very helpful for anyone trying to learn about modding Dragon Age Origins!! Thank you *VERY MUCH* Anyone looking for current and useful information: This is where you need to start Frosty, I can't thank you enough. Video tutorials for DAO are pretty much nonexistent. You sir are *AWESOME!!*
This was ridiculously helpful. I already have close to 300 hours in on this game but I'm new to modding and wanted to liven up my game a bit for my next playthrough. Thank you so much for making this in such detail!
I just recently purchased this game during a sale because I loved this game in the past. I played it all the time with my brother and I wished to relive those moments with enhanced gameplay and mods. Thank you for making this tutorial. It really helped me in modding this 10 year old game. Cheers!
I literally just started playing this game again like I did before with mods but felt like I was now out of my depth such as wanting to use the Kossith Add-on but the Kossith race mod is no longer available. Your video helped me so much in going through which mods I should install and whatnot. Thank you so much.
You Sir, are a legend. I could never figure out how to mod Dragon Age Origins and my game would often bug out, glad now that i can mod it correctly and enjoy one of my favourite games of all time. :)
Hi, Thanks for the helpful video! I had trouble enabling the console and wanted to share how i got it to work in case anyone else has the some problem. I had to create a shortcut for the DAOrigins.exe file > right click the shortcut > properties > go to target > and at the end of the line after DAOrigins.exe" type -enabledeveloperconsole Include as space between the two like DAOrigins.exe" -enabledeveloperconsole FYI the console will open on the title screen, you don't have to load a save to check if it's working. Hope that helps!
Thanks for putting so much effort into this video, extremely useful and makes the modding process a good chunk less painful, (don't need to miss something i'll regret later) and it shows!
Only issue is that when trying to install the tucked hair mod, I just get a crossed out circle symbol in the field you drop files into in the override tab. As far as I can see (except for the file structure/manager out of view) I've done everything exactly as you have on screen, yet it won't accept it. (unzipped or not, nor in.7z filetypel) Edit: Same thing is happening with the more hairstyle mod, frustratingly (and this is with following your exact instructions from the video, at least visually) Edit 2: I think I solved it, seems like I can't use overrides with capitals or spaces anymore, even though I already have overrides with them installed, confusingly. At least I managed to get those two mods installed now.
I am not good with computers, because I just recently started playing PC. I have always wanted play DAO, because I love dragon age. However, I have always wanted to mod games, especially DAO just to improve the things I heard needed fixing. The video was confusing at first, but overall, the best video I have ever seen in terms of set up, organization, explanation, etc. Thank you for this video man. Keep up the good work.
Dude, this video is the definition perfection! I quite liked you showed us which versions of the mods you liked, and of course since I was a beginner you showing everything in full detail helped me a lot! I couldn't have been able to mod the game without this video, I think. Thank you very much.
It's been a very long time since I first played DA:O and I can't remember if I even finished the original game. I've been wanting to play a solid RPG for a long time now and decided to pick up DA 2 and DA:I. Being that DA:O is an older game now, I was looking for a mod guide and came across your video. This is one of the best modding guides I've come across as you explained everything in a clear and easy to understand manner as well as included links (in order I might add) to all the relevant tools and mods! Thank you Frosty!
BRUUUU been playing this game at ps3 and bought it in pc shocked at how hard it was for me to mod it without your help! thanks so much for this content!!!
Thank you for this excellent resource! It has to be one of the best-laid-out guides I've seen on TH-cam! I had fond memories of this immersive CRPG. Turns out, it's just as good as I remember it - and with a bit of modding it even stands up quite nicely graphics-wise today (especially with a bit of Reshade Ray Tracing :) ).
I don't know if you accept my words, but, you are the only one who really show me, step by step, how to resolve my problem in modding this game. I really thank you, man. Amazing work!
I had been searching all night long for a way to fix my Origins game that kept crashing with no hope in sight...until this tutorial! Thanks for saving my game man! This tutorial was quite the...Enchantment!
Damn I wasn't expecting something so detailed (and in 2018 no less!). I'm just starting my new playthrough now so I can't say I've seen all the mods working yet but the game loads just fine and in case I forget I'll just say thanks in advance so... thanks. DAO is one of my favorite RPGs of all time and I'm curious to revisit it with these changes.
So I'm almost through the main game and the mods are great. My only problem is the game seems to keep freezing when I was trying to play darkspawn chronicles (making it unplayable). It's not a HUGE deal but it would be nice to not have this problem.
It had been driving me nuts how to download the override files - THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!! We've looked at so many mods and no one else described how to use the Override Creator :)
Completed this game twice on nightmare already, decided 3rd time round better feature some mods, easiest cleanest no worries guide I've ever seen, much appreciated.
Frosty, i have a fail. I don't know where i made it wrong but More Hairstyles, JB3 and Tucked Hair are not compatible. I made it step by step but i simply can't get what thing i made wrong
@@Just_Call_Me_Frosty Thank for this reply. I was about to start down the rabbit hole of trying to find a fix. After I read this comment, I closed and restarted DAO Modmanager and the alerts went away. Much appreciated.
I don't comment often on TH-cam videos, but I needed to for this. For ages, I was searching for a decent mod list that I can follow that isn't from 2009 or simply outdated, and I stumbled across this and the whole guide works perfectly. Truly great video, and simple yet effective commentary. Thanks alot.
Running the memory patch should be sufficient. You don't need a alternate dao.exe as with steam. It's the only version I havn't been able to try myself, but people here in the comments section and google should be able to confirm that worked.
Thanks for this! I have played all 3 games now and I was looking to try to mod them but never found such a complete guide on how to do it, until now. This helps a lot!
So ive followed the steps through the video and i seem to be having some trouble, and would love if you could possibly help. Great content tho man youre the best. But basically im having trouble overriding the mods. When i unzip a mod and try to drag it into the mod manager, i always get a notification saying the file isnt an override file. So i try to create an override packet, and it tells me an unhandled exception has occured in the application, and that it could not find a path for the file. Is there any chance you know what is causing this? Id really appreciate the help
Thanks for the kind words. I'm not sure if this fixes your problem, but in the top right of dao mod manager you can see options. Click it and you will see a number of paths. Check if those paths are set up correctly. I've only had 2 other comments describing sort of the same thing. It's set up correctly on default for nearly everyone, but I guess there will always be exceptions.
I have ultimate edition in the Origin Store (EA store) version, with this tutorial, can i mod in this version too? or modding the game is only for GOG or Steam version?
All versions can benefit from this. The process remains the same for the most part. The one thing that's different in the origin version is that you don't have to replace the dao.exe as described in the tutorial. (See the 8th comment sorted by popularity.)
I've never played much on PC before, but have always wanted to try modding.. Thank you for the work on this tutorial to make it straight-forward and easy to understand!!
If I want to add let's say the HighRez Demon Retextures mod, should I then add/overide them to the JB3 folder with modmanager or should I just install it in the overide folder ?
I usually like to bundle retextures together before installing. If Jb3 includes textures for said demon, it would be best to overwrite existing files by manually placing them in the jb3 folder. You can also manually compare file names and delete the one you don't want after installing (like shown with the shale retexture in video). There's no wrong way of installing, as long as you don't keep two files that both try to change the same thing in a different way.
Now that I finished my first Nightmare campaign on Inquisition after 125 sweaty hours of micromanagement /tactical bullsh..erhmm thing! I start a Nightmare campaign in Origins ( my precious Retail Collector copy untouched for 9years), and this guide is really what I was looking for ( used to install mods differently before ..well hard work); I'm glad I found your channel and this video , is extremely helpful . So, Thank You!
Hi everyone! Excellent video, friend. As many have said, finding good and thorough Dragon Age Origins tutorial videos is rare enough, specially of this quality. I think it is wonderful that the beauty of this game inspires this kind of videos. I have encountered a couple of problems that I can't seem to figure out. 1 - The "White Teeth" mod isn't working for some reason. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling the game, creating the override packet myself (I have no problem creating it and installing it, it says it's compatible) and moving the file manually to the Override folder, but it still doesn't work. 2 - Some of my mods have compatibility problems, such as "Hairstyle Day", "More Hairstyles" and "PineappleTrees Vibrant Colors". I remember playing a couple of years back with a mod that enabled a lot of skin tones and complections, but whenever I tried playing the game this time around, I only see a few skin tones and complections. I would appreciate any help, suggestion or tip anyone could provide! I just switched my 10 year old computer for a new one and wanted to play my favourite game. Have a nice day!
Thanks for the kind words! 1. never got white teeth to work either with the npc overhauls we use here. I think the npc overhaul overrides anything from white teeth. Havn't gotten back into trying it since I found it wouldn't work. 2. The compatability issues are most likely the chargen.xml files included which mod manager reads as duplicate files. It could also be a duplicate file (A file that both mods included). Either way, You can ignore this. While I didn't have this issue, many pointed out the same thing, but none of them seem to have further problems with it. 3. You can try this mod for skin tones, however I'm not sure if it'l work with the beautifull bodies mod. might as well try: www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/mods/4182/? Hope that answered some of your questions!
@@Just_Call_Me_Frosty Hi, thanks for getting back to me! Too bad about the "White Teeth" mod, but I think I'll learn to play without it. Thanks for the other tips and the mod suggestion! You've been amazing!
Gracias por el tutorial, me ha venido de maravilla. Ya estaba cansado de que el juego se cerrara cada par de minutos; ahora ya funciona correctamente. Lo único malo es que me ha quedado una mezcla de idiomas entre español e inglés en los subtítulos 😂
@@Just_Call_Me_Frosty En mi caso, no es algo que me moleste. Si bien prefiero jugarlo en español, tampoco es un hecho tan grave tener varios diálogos en inglés. Es preferible eso a que el juego se cierre sin razón cada 20 minutos y luego no pueda cargar la partida😅
@@Just_Call_Me_Frosty hi i know this video is like 6 years old so i understand if you don't respawn but i want to clarify on the video you mention improved atmosphere as a honorable mention i just wanna be sure can i use this mod for the mod list or not ?
@@katherineaustinbell7793 Atmospheres is not compatible on default. You could try to edit it's settings to make it work, but in my experience you will only get a small part of it to work. It's interesting enough though. Maybe check it out sometime when you've done a plathrough.
I just got this game yesterday after having the original game on my pc like a 10 years ago. I can't believe such a thorough walkthrough was completed in 2018. God thank bless you my friend!
Oh yes, compared to Beth games modding, this is childs play. It's Just a little harder to get into, because of a much smaller modding community with less QOL tools available.
Perfect MOD installation vid man. I want to get back to DAO and bought the ultimate edition of GOG. Was very confused as to how to install the MODs and your vid helped immensely ! Thank you very much !
Great modlist! I just finished, and added a few of my own. Two mods to improve the Mabari so it feels like an actual party member, 4 armor sets by one mod author "cgramnaes", and the Grey Warden Runic Armor (Arcane Warrior version). So far, so good.
Frosty! Its 2020 and your mod tutorial really helped me a ton. I wish you had a tutorial on how to make Atmospehere work with this guide, but what you posted is legendary!
I'd like to give a shout out to the mod Dain's Fixes. It fixes a TON of bugs that either nerf vanilla talents, or just leave them outright broken. E.g. the Assassin's Lacerate talent doesn't actually do anything, because the game checks to see if you've got a modal ability active, but Lacerate is a passive so the check never comes back as positive.
I had o get my 10th run into this game. And your video was very informational about how to merge all the mods. I was about to quit modding the game and alas now i haev a full modded Origins thanks to you and the modders who developed them.
Thank you so much for this video, it was very well detailed and informative!! Ever since the new DA teaser i'd been wanting to play through the series again and these mods will definitely give a new breath to DA:O
this guide is superb, extremely helpful. I bought my very own PC just this month because of COVID. this is my first playthrough with Dragon Age : Origins.
@@Just_Call_Me_Frosty hello sir. I have this bug with Sten. I followed your instructions about downloading first the Qunari update, how to install it, then the A Year With Sten mod, and in my gameplay, Sten only has a floating eyeball with eyelashes for a face. Did I do something wrong?
@@seractionsucks6167 The only thing that comes to mind is that you accidentaly installed a sten option during the character overhaul. If so, there should be a sten uninstaller in your override folder, bundled with the rest of the character overhaul files.
thank you SO MUCH for this video - i applied the memory patch, after having to play with at least one crash an hour on steam; i've played maybe 20-30 hours since installing the patch and i've not had a single crash. tytytytyty ✨
heel erg bedankt man, dit is de derde keer dat ik dao opnieuw begin en toen ik zag dat er een nieuwe how to mod video geplaatst was en ook nog eens zag dat je nederlands was aan je taal instellingen hahaha, hoop dat je meer upload man !
Thank you so much for this! Clear, concise and practical. This saved me SO much time and hassle getting re-acquainted with modding DAO again after so many years. Very much appreciated!
Thanks so much, this video was a godsend! Hot tip: If your game occasionally crashes on a loading screen then change your graphic settings to the minimum and you can proceed. You can change it back afterwards To anyone else modding this game I highly recommend the Improved Atmosphere mod. I promise it will improve your game substantially. He says at the end of the video that he wanted to use it, but couldn't get it to work properly. It works - the mod creator has a patch you need pinned at the top of the discussion page for his mod
This was so helpful. Just so folks know, the Qunari Update shown in the video cannot be drag & dropped, but the correct file is in the description below the video.
26:47 "??Oblivion-Mod-Manager??" 😂😂😂 jokes aside, extremely nice work man, this is still the most comprehensive and well-explained tutorial even 3 years later, thank you🙏 edit: following this guide, i ran into an issue where i couldnt see my override mods in my override folder after installing with DAMM....so in case someone else has this problem, im just editing to say that if you're not seeing your mod installed in the actual override folder in Documents, make sure that you click the appropriate filepath when creating your override mod 14:03 be sure to click the correct folder under 'packages' and not 'modules' like frosty does here o_oU
![PASULOL รามเกียรติ์ ตอนที่ 4 นนทกพบรัก [Ramakien Ep.4: Nonthok in love]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/tMUQgmZzf_A/mqdefault.jpg)
1/1/2022 update:
I strongly advice to use the description together with the video. Very few things have changed since I made this tutorial, but the notes left there are crucial for a smooth experience (e.g. some redundant fixes, a new method for the awakening patch).
Some timestamps
00:00 - 00:32 Intro
00:32 - 02:52 Memory Fixes
02:32 - 06:13 Prerequisite / Enabling the Console
06:13 - 09:10 Info on files encountered / tools used
09:10 - 14:44 Fixes
14:44 - 17:09 Textures
17:09 - 26:29 Bodies/Faces
26:29 - 33:07 Gameplay/Chargencompiler
33:07 - 34:28 Quests
34:28 - 36:05 Honorable mentions
36:05 - 38:36 Outro
Qwin's mod page is down. There's a new version on nexus @ www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/mods/4689
Hi thank you so much I haven't played DAO since I was a kid got everything working good wanted to ask you if I could use this mod Dragon Age Class and Specialization Pack? would it work
@@BloodandGuts333 I havn't tried it on this mod load-out. Said mod doesn't seem to change anything we already change here, so my gues would be that it'l work.
@@Just_Call_Me_Frosty sweet I installed it and everything is working good thanks again ✌
@@Just_Call_Me_Frosty Hi, thanks for the video! Having trouble updating the redist files though (at 3:00 ), it just gets stuck half way.
This is by far the most comprehensive, the easiest to follow and the most concise modding guide for Dragon Age Origins in the entire internet. Seriously man, you are a lifesaver, thank you so very much!
I just downloaded this game cuz I see everyone talking about it, and here we have a tutorial on how to mod it in 2018? Damn man, really thanks for this
A year later, did you enjoy it?
@LagiNaLangAko23 Well actually the mods are well working on nexus for me.
greatest game of all time 🙌
@@0mnicide Oh wow, sorry, I never got a notification for this comment. But yes, I loved the game, put around 240hrs on it doing all the origins and all romances. Love the lore and the characters and I'm just not playing it in this quarantine cuz my mouse broke. Lol, thanks for asking and sorry for an horrible delay
@@d.pedroii2940 do you have access to an xbox one controller (with the 3.5mm jack) they work with windows 10 computers i believe with blutooth. nobody should have to suffer without origins. just got a new desktop myself and looking to learn mods. :)
6 years later, still the best tutorial for DAO on the web. The updated .exe for Steam is SUCH a lifesaver and I always return to this on a fresh install to double check I'm not forgetting any steps
I have never modded a game in my life because I'm terrified of messing things up due to my lack of skill and knowledge. Decided to take the chance. Followed your tutorial, and everything works like a charm, plus I now understand the terminology, and also have a better understanding of how and why things work. This is a lifesaver, thank you so much!
If you backup the game files you can mess up as much as you want.
Frosty, you're a godsend! 2021 and I'm finally playing this game thanks to YOU. I've tried it three or four times in the last five years but always had to quit because of crashes/bugs/mod issues, but with your guide I'm not having problems anymore! Finally made it past the Arl of Redcliffe section and no crashes. Wish me luck! And thanks sooooo much 👍👌
Did it worked till the end without crashes/bugs?
I remember way back in the day I was an avid Sims 2 player and obsessively downloaded custom content and made stories out of the characters I made. While perusing around TH-cam I saw someone playing DAO with a hairstyle that I had downloaded for Sims 2. So obviously I got into Dragon Age and fast forward all this time, I am only NOW downloading these hairs for my DAO protagonist. I don't make the rules, I barely even follow the rules, but this tutorial was so helpful.
Those hairstyles are really good. They keep making a appearance in different games througout different mods. Nice that you got a bit of nostalgia thrown in there and glad this has been helpful!
Even if the guide is made in 2018, this is the best guide in existence for Dragon Age Origins! Thanks!
this is still true in 2024
I've never played Dragon Age, even though I'm a fan of Oblivion and other RPG's. So not long ago I decided to make it happen and decided to mod it in order to avoid some bugs, memory issues and just to enhance the graphics, as well as add things to make my gameplay more enjoyable (which I learned from your detailed explanation).
So not to make any long speeches, I just want to thank you and say that I am really grateful for your awesome guide. Furthermore, showing how to use the modding tools for Dragon Age and making me apply these techniques in order to add some other mods made it like a walk in the park. I usually don't like watching long videos, because they tend to be boring/not fully informative, but this guide beats everything. Maybe next time I'm going to watch on of your other guides and mod a game that I haven't yet played. Hands down, you made my day, Mr. Frosty.
@Green Sage Hey! What do you mean? If I have installed it? The installation process is fairly easy, these fixes are included in "Qwin DAO Fix Pack", the link is in the description.
being hard of hearing myself I _immensely_ appreciate the manual captions.
2024 and you are still saving people :D it has been ages since I modded DAO and luckily I remembered most of it...until I had a black screen at Ostagar and you helped me with that memory fix! Thank you!!!
Thanks for this guide! Quarantine is making me want to jump back into this game after quite a few years and this was a big help.
same
facts same
lol same here
THANK YOU for starting the video with explaining the memory leak and how to fix it, as well as the other different "quirks" that some tutorial videos don't even talk about. Super detailed and helpful tutorial, highly reccommend!
Fantastic tutorial still to this day. As someone who is familiar with modding (skyrim, fall out) but haven't done it to DAO, you made this a painless learning experience. Very similar to modding Skyrim and Fallout, but different enough to warrant watching the whole video. Well done.
Thanks! First attempts on modding something new is always a bit daunting. Glad this is still helpful to newcomers.
This is a fantastic resource that I just worked through for the first time and still works in 2024. Thank you Frosty!!
Glad it's still helpful. Enjoy DAO!
This tutorial was a lifesaver. Thank you for making such a great tutorial.
Now I am off to try it out. Hope everything works fine and my playthrough ends smooth.
edit:
That aside tho I hope DA4 has a workshop tab on Steam once it's out or in the future after release. If it wasn't for this tutorial I probably would've felt like I was back in my CompSci classes. Which isn't a bad thing but it certainly is tedious trying to find old ass documentation and all that jazz from websites/forums that are sometimes purged. Thankfully more modern Bioware games have easier modding (my experience with Inquisition has been nice) but still. Like I said, a workshop tab would be appreciated imo.
My friend, you saved the day! That memory fix fixed my save and allowed me to play with the mods I wanted to play with, I could not have gotten my DAO modded to run for the past 3 years I would always encounter some crash or error that i couldnt get past but you made it possible for me to enjoy the game with all the juicy player-content I always wanted to experience, thank you!
I usually hate video explanations, as text is much quicker, and videos are usually filled with long silent pauses or other informational garbage. Not the case of this video. It starts off a bit slow, but then it plunges into the thick of it. Don't skip this video if you never modded DAO. It's paramount.
every time i come back to this game i use your video, thank you so much, this is by far the best collection of advice for modding da, appreciate your work
Thanks for the guide, loved it.
About the "DLC to Awakening Patch" in GOG versions:
The GOG version of Dragon Age, by default, does not come with registry keys, this is to prevent issues with the EA Origin™ Client, which scans for that particular key and might trigger an auto-update, which can possibly break the GOG version of the game. This prevents the DLC to Awakening Patch to work for the lack of registry keys, so you need to add the registry key first. I have a batch file to fix this, otherwise you'll have to add the key manually, btw this registry key is needed to install the DAO-Toolset.
Instructions to add the key manually:
Open regedit
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node
right-click on that 'WOW6432Node' key and choose 'New Key'
new key = BioWare
right-click on that new 'BioWare' key and choose 'New Key'.
Add 'Dragon age'
right-click on that new 'Dragon Age' key and choose New Value
Add ' Path ' in top box
Add your exact game path folder name in Bottom box
ie:
C:\GOG Games\Dragon Age Origins
Job done.
idk if it's fixed by the mod .bat or a more recent GoG change but it's not needed anymore
I still remember the very first time I played this on my 360 as a child and here I am 13 years later. You're a godsend. Bless up.
Wow this is very helpful for anyone trying to learn about modding Dragon Age Origins!! Thank you *VERY MUCH*
Anyone looking for current and useful information: This is where you need to start
Frosty, I can't thank you enough. Video tutorials for DAO are pretty much nonexistent. You sir are *AWESOME!!*
This was ridiculously helpful. I already have close to 300 hours in on this game but I'm new to modding and wanted to liven up my game a bit for my next playthrough. Thank you so much for making this in such detail!
I just recently purchased this game during a sale because I loved this game in the past. I played it all the time with my brother and I wished to relive those moments with enhanced gameplay and mods. Thank you for making this tutorial. It really helped me in modding this 10 year old game. Cheers!
I'm glad it helped. Enjoy the ride!
I literally just started playing this game again like I did before with mods but felt like I was now out of my depth such as wanting to use the Kossith Add-on but the Kossith race mod is no longer available.
Your video helped me so much in going through which mods I should install and whatnot. Thank you so much.
This is the only video I keep coming back to every time I start replaying DAO because there never is another like this one! ILY
You Sir, are a legend. I could never figure out how to mod Dragon Age Origins and my game would often bug out, glad now that i can mod it correctly and enjoy one of my favourite games of all time. :)
Hi, Thanks for the helpful video! I had trouble enabling the console and wanted to share how i got it to work in case anyone else has the some problem.
I had to create a shortcut for the DAOrigins.exe file > right click the shortcut > properties > go to target > and at the end of the line after DAOrigins.exe" type -enabledeveloperconsole
Include as space between the two like DAOrigins.exe" -enabledeveloperconsole
FYI the console will open on the title screen, you don't have to load a save to check if it's working. Hope that helps!
Thanks for sharing! Hope someone stumbles upon this if my method doesn't work.
Thanks for putting so much effort into this video, extremely useful and makes the modding process a good chunk less painful, (don't need to miss something i'll regret later) and it shows!
Only issue is that when trying to install the tucked hair mod, I just get a crossed out circle symbol in the field you drop files into in the override tab. As far as I can see (except for the file structure/manager out of view) I've done everything exactly as you have on screen, yet it won't accept it. (unzipped or not, nor in.7z filetypel)
Edit: Same thing is happening with the more hairstyle mod, frustratingly (and this is with following your exact instructions from the video, at least visually)
Edit 2: I think I solved it, seems like I can't use overrides with capitals or spaces anymore, even though I already have overrides with them installed, confusingly. At least I managed to get those two mods installed now.
Glad it's been helpfull!
Regarding those two mods, I'm not sure myself why spaces and capitals wouldn't work. Glad you figured it out though.
I am not good with computers, because I just recently started playing PC. I have always wanted play DAO, because I love dragon age. However, I have always wanted to mod games, especially DAO just to improve the things I heard needed fixing. The video was confusing at first, but overall, the best video I have ever seen in terms of set up, organization, explanation, etc. Thank you for this video man. Keep up the good work.
Gonna play this again after a few years, remember playing a lot when i was younger - thanks for the help
Still the best and most comprehensive DA:O guide on the internet, even 6 years later.
Dude, this video is the definition perfection! I quite liked you showed us which versions of the mods you liked, and of course since I was a beginner you showing everything in full detail helped me a lot! I couldn't have been able to mod the game without this video, I think. Thank you very much.
It's been a very long time since I first played DA:O and I can't remember if I even finished the original game. I've been wanting to play a solid RPG for a long time now and decided to pick up DA 2 and DA:I. Being that DA:O is an older game now, I was looking for a mod guide and came across your video. This is one of the best modding guides I've come across as you explained everything in a clear and easy to understand manner as well as included links (in order I might add) to all the relevant tools and mods! Thank you Frosty!
You're welcome. Hope you enjoy the game!
Thanks! I've been looking for a mod list like this since i didn't really knowno where to begin with DA:O modding.
Yes, I too noticed a lack of (video) tutorials and mod lists for Dao.
About 9 years overdue.
I can't express how grateful I am.thank you man
Just found this, and you are a Saint for making this. Seriously a bro move for us inexperienced modders.
Thanks from 2020.
Found this video tonight and spent all night Modding my game and going to play tomorrow.
you are a GODSEND thank you so much, this is so helpful even two years later!
BRUUUU been playing this game at ps3 and bought it in pc shocked at how hard it was for me to mod it without your help! thanks so much for this content!!!
Thank you for this excellent resource! It has to be one of the best-laid-out guides I've seen on TH-cam!
I had fond memories of this immersive CRPG. Turns out, it's just as good as I remember it - and with a bit of modding it even stands up quite nicely graphics-wise today (especially with a bit of Reshade Ray Tracing :) ).
I don't know if you accept my words, but, you are the only one who really show me, step by step, how to resolve my problem in modding this game. I really thank you, man. Amazing work!
Great tutorial video! Really helped with modding my game when I came back after a few years.
Clear, concise and well presented!
Great Video, Gret explanations. Nothing to wish for. I can enjoy DAO in a whole new experience thanks to you now
Playing DAO for the first time in 2022, and after dealing with 20 crashes in less than an hour of play I am so glad I saw this video
I had been searching all night long for a way to fix my Origins game that kept crashing with no hope in sight...until this tutorial! Thanks for saving my game man! This tutorial was quite the...Enchantment!
Damn I wasn't expecting something so detailed (and in 2018 no less!). I'm just starting my new playthrough now so I can't say I've seen all the mods working yet but the game loads just fine and in case I forget I'll just say thanks in advance so... thanks. DAO is one of my favorite RPGs of all time and I'm curious to revisit it with these changes.
So I'm almost through the main game and the mods are great. My only problem is the game seems to keep freezing when I was trying to play darkspawn chronicles (making it unplayable). It's not a HUGE deal but it would be nice to not have this problem.
Thank you, I haved play DA:O years ago, but now I want I new experience with mods but I knew nothing about, so thank you
One of the best guides ive ever found at modding games. 2024 soon 2025 and your videos rock, frosty. Thank you so much
It had been driving me nuts how to download the override files - THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!! We've looked at so many mods and no one else described how to use the Override Creator :)
Glad it's been helpful.
Have fun with DAO :)
Yep. Bought it, modded it, thanks to this video, playing it, and loving it. :D
This is my first time playing this games in so long, and you're my modding hero
The greatest modding tutorial video I've ever watched!
Completed this game twice on nightmare already, decided 3rd time round better feature some mods, easiest cleanest no worries guide I've ever seen, much appreciated.
i still love this video, helps me alot
Step-by-step instructions explained simply and elaborately, thank you. Never played this growing up, now I have a chance to.
This video is a *Precious GEM!*
Even today im coming back to see this tutorial when i forget stuff. Thank you very mutch for your work my good sir!
Frosty, i have a fail. I don't know where i made it wrong but More Hairstyles, JB3 and Tucked Hair are not compatible. I made it step by step but i simply can't get what thing i made wrong
Nothing you did wrong. It's a false positive showing up for some users. You can savely ignore that one.
@@Just_Call_Me_Frosty Omg I'm actually surprised you answered me! Thanks man! Your Tuto is GOD tier!
@@Just_Call_Me_Frosty Thank for this reply. I was about to start down the rabbit hole of trying to find a fix. After I read this comment, I closed and restarted DAO Modmanager and the alerts went away. Much appreciated.
I don't comment often on TH-cam videos, but I needed to for this. For ages, I was searching for a decent mod list that I can follow that isn't from 2009 or simply outdated, and I stumbled across this and the whole guide works perfectly. Truly great video, and simple yet effective commentary. Thanks alot.
What about for those of us saddled with EA's Origin version. Do we use the Steam instructions of the GOG for the Memory Patch?
Barachiel I was wondering that myself...
Running the memory patch should be sufficient. You don't need a alternate dao.exe as with steam.
It's the only version I havn't been able to try myself, but people here in the comments section and google should be able to confirm that worked.
Just Call Me Frosty Thanks, I'll certainly give it a try. Vanilla origins just doesn't cut it on a 24,5 inch screen anymore.
Thank you!
Thanks for this! I have played all 3 games now and I was looking to try to mod them but never found such a complete guide on how to do it, until now. This helps a lot!
So ive followed the steps through the video and i seem to be having some trouble, and would love if you could possibly help. Great content tho man youre the best. But basically im having trouble overriding the mods. When i unzip a mod and try to drag it into the mod manager, i always get a notification saying the file isnt an override file. So i try to create an override packet, and it tells me an unhandled exception has occured in the application, and that it could not find a path for the file. Is there any chance you know what is causing this? Id really appreciate the help
Thanks for the kind words.
I'm not sure if this fixes your problem, but in the top right of dao mod manager you can see options. Click it and you will see a number of paths. Check if those paths are set up correctly.
I've only had 2 other comments describing sort of the same thing. It's set up correctly on default for nearly everyone, but I guess there will always be exceptions.
@@Just_Call_Me_Frosty I had the same problem and was going to ask the same question, but this fixed it! Great video btw
@@PartofHistory214 Cheers :). And thanks for confirming that worked.
I can't tell you how helpful this video is and how it has helped me on multiple occasions. Thank you so much for making this!
I have ultimate edition in the Origin Store (EA store) version, with this tutorial, can i mod in this version too? or modding the game is only for GOG or Steam version?
All versions can benefit from this. The process remains the same for the most part. The one thing that's different in the origin version is that you don't have to replace the dao.exe as described in the tutorial.
(See the 8th comment sorted by popularity.)
I've never played much on PC before, but have always wanted to try modding.. Thank you for the work on this tutorial to make it straight-forward and easy to understand!!
If I want to add let's say the HighRez Demon Retextures mod, should I then add/overide them to the JB3 folder with modmanager or should I just install it in the overide folder ?
I usually like to bundle retextures together before installing.
If Jb3 includes textures for said demon, it would be best to overwrite existing files by manually placing them in the jb3 folder.
You can also manually compare file names and delete the one you don't want after installing (like shown with the shale retexture in video).
There's no wrong way of installing, as long as you don't keep two files that both try to change the same thing in a different way.
It worked perfectly, I just replaced the files in the jb3 file, thanks man
I thought i wouldnt understand modding but you made this tutorial very easy to follow and i really thank you for that
Now that I finished my first Nightmare campaign on Inquisition after 125 sweaty hours of micromanagement /tactical bullsh..erhmm thing! I start a Nightmare campaign in Origins ( my precious Retail Collector copy untouched for 9years), and this guide is really what I was looking for ( used to install mods differently before ..well hard work); I'm glad I found your channel and this video , is extremely helpful .
So,
Thank You!
Best of luck on nightmare origins. A lot harder than inquisition, but also a lot more fun imo.
Glad this guide has been helpful!
Hi everyone! Excellent video, friend. As many have said, finding good and thorough Dragon Age Origins tutorial videos is rare enough, specially of this quality. I think it is wonderful that the beauty of this game inspires this kind of videos.
I have encountered a couple of problems that I can't seem to figure out.
1 - The "White Teeth" mod isn't working for some reason. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling the game, creating the override packet myself (I have no problem creating it and installing it, it says it's compatible) and moving the file manually to the Override folder, but it still doesn't work.
2 - Some of my mods have compatibility problems, such as "Hairstyle Day", "More Hairstyles" and "PineappleTrees Vibrant Colors". I remember playing a couple of years back with a mod that enabled a lot of skin tones and complections, but whenever I tried playing the game this time around, I only see a few skin tones and complections.
I would appreciate any help, suggestion or tip anyone could provide! I just switched my 10 year old computer for a new one and wanted to play my favourite game. Have a nice day!
Thanks for the kind words!
1. never got white teeth to work either with the npc overhauls we use here. I think the npc overhaul overrides anything from white teeth. Havn't gotten back into trying it since I found it wouldn't work.
2. The compatability issues are most likely the chargen.xml files included which mod manager reads as duplicate files. It could also be a duplicate file (A file that both mods included). Either way, You can ignore this. While I didn't have this issue, many pointed out the same thing, but none of them seem to have further problems with it.
3. You can try this mod for skin tones, however I'm not sure if it'l work with the beautifull bodies mod. might as well try: www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/mods/4182/?
Hope that answered some of your questions!
@@Just_Call_Me_Frosty Hi, thanks for getting back to me! Too bad about the "White Teeth" mod, but I think I'll learn to play without it. Thanks for the other tips and the mod suggestion! You've been amazing!
Gracias por el tutorial, me ha venido de maravilla. Ya estaba cansado de que el juego se cerrara cada par de minutos; ahora ya funciona correctamente. Lo único malo es que me ha quedado una mezcla de idiomas entre español e inglés en los subtítulos 😂
I never really looked into localization and language settings. I hope it isn't too bad.
@@Just_Call_Me_Frosty En mi caso, no es algo que me moleste. Si bien prefiero jugarlo en español, tampoco es un hecho tan grave tener varios diálogos en inglés. Es preferible eso a que el juego se cierre sin razón cada 20 minutos y luego no pueda cargar la partida😅
@@Just_Call_Me_Frosty hi i know this video is like 6 years old so i understand if you don't respawn but i want to clarify on the video you mention improved atmosphere as a honorable mention i just wanna be sure can i use this mod for the mod list or not ?
@@katherineaustinbell7793 Atmospheres is not compatible on default. You could try to edit it's settings to make it work, but in my experience you will only get a small part of it to work. It's interesting enough though. Maybe check it out sometime when you've done a plathrough.
I just got this game yesterday after having the original game on my pc like a 10 years ago. I can't believe such a thorough walkthrough was completed in 2018. God thank bless you my friend!
Never modded before but the game desperately needs it. Using steam. Wish me good luck!
Words cannot describe how thankful I am for this Dragon Age Mod guide, thank you so muchhhhhh
Having modded my Skyrim for years now, I feel like modding DAO will be comparably much easier. Thank you for this video 👍🏻.
Oh yes, compared to Beth games modding, this is childs play. It's Just a little harder to get into, because of a much smaller modding community with less QOL tools available.
@@Just_Call_Me_Frosty For Skyrim modding there's Loot. Makes things much easier.
Yea Dude, Excellent Guide. Still relevant as of today. Your English is great too.
Perfect MOD installation vid man. I want to get back to DAO and bought the ultimate edition of GOG. Was very confused as to how to install the MODs and your vid helped immensely ! Thank you very much !
Just got back after years and literally spent the afternoon following your video and modding DAO. Thank you!!
Great modlist! I just finished, and added a few of my own. Two mods to improve the Mabari so it feels like an actual party member, 4 armor sets by one mod author "cgramnaes", and the Grey Warden Runic Armor (Arcane Warrior version). So far, so good.
Frosty! Its 2020 and your mod tutorial really helped me a ton. I wish you had a tutorial on how to make Atmospehere work with this guide, but what you posted is legendary!
I'd like to give a shout out to the mod Dain's Fixes. It fixes a TON of bugs that either nerf vanilla talents, or just leave them outright broken. E.g. the Assassin's Lacerate talent doesn't actually do anything, because the game checks to see if you've got a modal ability active, but Lacerate is a passive so the check never comes back as positive.
Thank you for making this, I just modded DA:O for the first time! Very excited to go and try it now! ^^
I had o get my 10th run into this game. And your video was very informational about how to merge all the mods. I was about to quit modding the game and alas now i haev a full modded Origins thanks to you and the modders who developed them.
It’s so nice to have a comprehensive mod guide for this
Best modding guide for DAO. I'm using it in 2024. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this video, it was very well detailed and informative!! Ever since the new DA teaser i'd been wanting to play through the series again and these mods will definitely give a new breath to DA:O
this guide is superb, extremely helpful.
I bought my very own PC just this month because of COVID.
this is my first playthrough with Dragon Age : Origins.
First playthrough huh. You're in for quite the ride then. Enjoy!
@@Just_Call_Me_Frosty hello sir. I have this bug with Sten. I followed your instructions about downloading first the Qunari update, how to install it, then the A Year With Sten mod, and in my gameplay, Sten only has a floating eyeball with eyelashes for a face. Did I do something wrong?
@@seractionsucks6167 The only thing that comes to mind is that you accidentaly installed a sten option during the character overhaul. If so, there should be a sten uninstaller in your override folder, bundled with the rest of the character overhaul files.
@@Just_Call_Me_Frosty when you install the A year with Sten mod, does the changes take effect immediately?
thank you SO MUCH for this video - i applied the memory patch, after having to play with at least one crash an hour on steam; i've played maybe 20-30 hours since installing the patch and i've not had a single crash. tytytytyty ✨
Good to hear. Hope you enjoy a stable DAO!
heel erg bedankt man, dit is de derde keer dat ik dao opnieuw begin en toen ik zag dat er een nieuwe how to mod video geplaatst was en ook nog eens zag dat je nederlands was aan je taal instellingen hahaha, hoop dat je meer upload man !
Thank you so much for this! Clear, concise and practical. This saved me SO much time and hassle getting re-acquainted with modding DAO again after so many years. Very much appreciated!
Thanks so much, this video was a godsend! Hot tip: If your game occasionally crashes on a loading screen then change your graphic settings to the minimum and you can proceed. You can change it back afterwards
To anyone else modding this game I highly recommend the Improved Atmosphere mod. I promise it will improve your game substantially. He says at the end of the video that he wanted to use it, but couldn't get it to work properly. It works - the mod creator has a patch you need pinned at the top of the discussion page for his mod
This was so helpful. Just so folks know, the Qunari Update shown in the video cannot be drag & dropped, but the correct file is in the description below the video.
Wat een eindbaas. Dankje voor de super gedetailleerde uitleg. Zonder deze video zou ik geen flauw idee hebben wat ik moet doen. 👍
Thank you for the guide. Didn't think I'd find such a recent explanation of how to do any of this.
Thank you so much for this! DA:O is one of my favourite games and now I get to play it in a wonderful way because of your help.
Glad this helped!
Have fun :)
I love your work! Thank you for sharing what you have learned and condensing so much of it into such a comprehensive and simple guide.
Thank you saved me. I never understood how to use mod manager and bless ya soul. You explained it so perfectly. Thank you!!
Most welcome. Glad this helped :)
You are so awesome for making this. Keeping the DA:O dream alive.
This is fantastic Frosty! I FINALLY understand modding
26:47 "??Oblivion-Mod-Manager??" 😂😂😂
jokes aside, extremely nice work man, this is still the most comprehensive and well-explained tutorial even 3 years later, thank you🙏
edit: following this guide, i ran into an issue where i couldnt see my override mods in my override folder after installing with DAMM....so in case someone else has this problem, im just editing to say that if you're not seeing your mod installed in the actual override folder in Documents, make sure that you click the appropriate filepath when creating your override mod 14:03 be sure to click the correct folder under 'packages' and not 'modules' like frosty does here o_oU
Oopsie :P. Amazingly, only two other persons I'm aware of noticed that.