I think this is one of the most important issue of this game now, because it effects the entire gameplay in an unwanted way. Please create a new difficulty, make that new difficulty as default for any non-PC platforms and new players, but retone the original difficulty for the core players and rename it to original/vanilla/core or smthig. Thanks. (I know I can't request to make it the another way around.)
I registered just to say this. For me this is by far the worst issue at the moment. Changing monster quantity in computer game ad&d to adjust difficulty does not make sense. Changing monster quantity is more of a change to the the risk-reward aspect than difficulty. Smaller enemy groups means less risk (easy fight) and less reward (less loot and xp). Higher rewards balance out the higher number of rewards be giving more xp to characters making them powerful sooner.
If increasing the difficulty is currently the only way to get bigger spawns then by doing that I increase the risk more than the reward because enemies will do more damage. I think the risk-reward aspect was just fine in the original.
I really want to try the game because of the new content. As the game is now that is the only reason why I would play this over Tutu.
But I agree that these kind of changes might make sense if they are trying for a larger audience on tablet platforms. It does make the game more approachable if you don't need to try the first fight against a group of wolves 5 times.
But BG is epic fantasy. Having six against one fight against a Xvart is not epic.
Yep, I understand it too that they don't want to loose new players (if they find this game) with the vanilla difficulty, but why to loose the old ones? (Yes I know, this "little detail" was not advertised, and so we bought the game not knowing about this). So 1) in new games there are even more monsters as here (GW, WOW) 2) there are different difficulty settings already in, why overwrite an existing one? 3) when the existing ones are not good, just add new ones 4) if the new one should be the default, then make it as one, but please do not alter the original one Thanks.
There is already a lot of difficulties built in there. Just create a new default, or create a new vanilla. (The difficulties already present sets other things too, not just the number of monsters, so it is not wanted to just add monsters to existing difficulties.) Thanks.
I sent a mail about this bug to Trent, hopefully they will revisit this "feature". This is only good for the new players, not for the original fans. There is already a lot of difficulties built in the game. Even the default difficulty could be an easy one, just create a new default. But they "messed" with the core difficulty, and everyone playing AD&D excepts that to be a core, not 2/3 damage, and 1/3 monsters spawning mode... Thanks.
Perhaps editing spawngrp.2da may help? Other than that, perhaps expanding the monsters in the spawn points of the area files may help with this. I am looking at ar0500 right now and the first spawn point gives one doppleganger and one gnoll; even if the average party level is only 3 that won't pose any challenge at all.
Why to mess around with the data files? I just want to play this game as it was before. I play AD&D PnP at home, I like the monsters how they are. Just please create a new difficulty setting for the new players, please restore the original one. Or make a new difficulty for us, fans. I don't understand this at all, they said they don't mess with the core. And the core means for us D&D players the monsters what were available in the vanilla game, not 2/3 or 3/4 of their damage, and not 1/3 of the spawn.
On the good side, I like that there is more re-spawning. In the past, you'd clear out an area and act with impunity. In BG:EE, there are beasties that show up later, so you can't just transit across the map without keeping an eye on your peeps.
Yes, it is a bug too Already reported somewhere more down in this folder. They are re-spawning more quickly, as it should be, without you sleeping or going to the other corner of the map.
The problem gets worse as the game defaults to "Normal", not "Core" difficulty. I don't know whose idea this was. I'd like that changed. If you don't want to scare of new players (which I totally agree with), put a dialogue box into the "New Game" section explaining the difficulty, or present the difficulty setting (with explanations) to players before they actually start.
Pretty much every game does this, and I like it that way because you know what to expect upfront. Nobody gets surprised, either way.
The vanilla had such explanation texts. And they were logical. Core was core, not 2/3 of the damage from the monsters and 1/3 of the monsters spawning.
Grrrrr, what was the point of the EE again? More like the nerfed ipad version. Sick of pc games being given 2nd fiddle.
That's a bit of a jump, has the ipad release date even been confirmed?
BG was notorious for not pulling it's punches, it's a shame if that's gone but I don't see what the ipad wielders have to do with it.
We think that this change was made for the new players. New players that are only casual gamers, playing Angry Birds and what have you even in the WC or in a bus... So it is nerfed down not to loose any of them: they have good money. I do understand this however, I find it great to try add new players, what I don't understand, why they don't created a new difficulty for the casual gamers? Why "messing" with the Core. It was advertised that they want to minimize the changes made to gameplay. But this change is huge! Why cut out the 2/3 of the monsters (and excitement, and XP, and playtime) ? If we choose a difficulty we except to be the same as it was in vanilla, same as AdD&D rules, and that being what it says it is (normal / core). It is not normal or core, if the monsters do only 2/3 of their damage, and only spawn a few... This is called "easy". And it is not a resolution to add more monsters at higher difficulties, bec. these settings are coming with less XP, double attack, and so on.
Not much of a logical leap really; why make changes to the difficulty if not for the new crowd? And yes I like that a new crowd is trying out bg; but they should be trying out the real bg. Sad to think that the EE may be the version that history remembers ~ and it will be unrepresentative of some of what made the original great.
Its a generalisation; sure there are bound to be new pc users; but it is no secret that the primary focus has been on porting to tablets etc; ie fixed resolution ui, mouse cursor problems, and a general lack of customisation for pc players all say we are secondary focus.
I think this is one of the most important issue of this game now, because it effects the entire gameplay in an unwanted way. Please create a new difficulty, make that new difficulty as default for any non-PC platforms and new players, but retone the original difficulty for the core players and rename it to original/vanilla/core or smthig. Thanks. (I know I can't request to make it the another way around.)
I think this would be the best too. I can see that less monsters would be more convenient on i pads and tablets and other things, but PC users should be able to get the true core game feeling from the original
On the good side, I like that there is more re-spawning. In the past, you'd clear out an area and act with impunity. In BG:EE, there are beasties that show up later, so you can't just transit across the map without keeping an eye on your peeps.
Actually i experience less respawning in EE. In the original i had to watch my people all the time as theere could be new monsters as fast as the fog of war shrouded an area, but in EE i hardly encounter anything in an area that i have cleared out
The problem gets worse as the game defaults to "Normal", not "Core" difficulty. I don't know whose idea this was. I'd like that changed. If you don't want to scare of new players (which I totally agree with), put a dialogue box into the "New Game" section explaining the difficulty, or present the difficulty setting (with explanations) to players before they actually start.
Pretty much every game does this, and I like it that way because you know what to expect upfront. Nobody gets surprised, either way.
This actually started in BG 2 where the "normal default" difficulty was 2/3 damage from all monsters and 1 step up was core rules
I think I ran into 9 gnolls (maybe 10) in the entire gnoll fortress (not including the area outside the fortress). The captain had an escort of 2 other gnolls with him and that was it. It was all rather sad.
I think I ran into 9 gnolls (maybe 10) in the entire gnoll fortress (not including the area outside the fortress). The captain had an escort of 2 other gnolls with him and that was it. It was all rather sad.
12 xvarts in the gnoll stronghold? Man, in the original I remember fighting wave after wave of gnolls, it was an actual challenge to a low level party.
I founded very little enemys at the start. But now my party is starting to get some lvs (lv4 most of them) the challenge is start to increase again.
The problem that was too late. to get that lv or you need to clear lots of areas or to rush the mines + bandit camp (like i did).
Doing a nerf (intentional or not i dont know) to the numbers make it harder for the party to lvup. I played BGT and found it was a little too hard with 6 kobolds + 1 commando at the start area where you have only imoen + charname, but now its too easy. (until you find out you are under level).
Im playing, but to play a second game for BG2: EE im gonna wait for mods or patchs! (And see how much patchs and improvements BG:EE will get too see if its worth paying again or just stay with the original ).
Comments
Smaller enemy groups means less risk (easy fight) and less reward (less loot and xp). Higher rewards balance out the higher number of rewards be giving more xp to characters making them powerful sooner.
If increasing the difficulty is currently the only way to get bigger spawns then by doing that I increase the risk more than the reward because enemies will do more damage. I think the risk-reward aspect was just fine in the original.
I really want to try the game because of the new content. As the game is now that is the only reason why I would play this over Tutu.
But I agree that these kind of changes might make sense if they are trying for a larger audience on tablet platforms. It does make the game more approachable if you don't need to try the first fight against a group of wolves 5 times.
But BG is epic fantasy. Having six against one fight against a Xvart is not epic.
1) in new games there are even more monsters as here (GW, WOW)
2) there are different difficulty settings already in, why overwrite an existing one?
3) when the existing ones are not good, just add new ones
4) if the new one should be the default, then make it as one, but please do not alter the original one
Thanks.
Even the default difficulty could be an easy one, just create a new default. But they "messed" with the core difficulty, and everyone playing AD&D excepts that to be a core, not 2/3 damage, and 1/3 monsters spawning mode...
Pretty much every game does this, and I like it that way because you know what to expect upfront. Nobody gets surprised, either way.
BG was notorious for not pulling it's punches, it's a shame if that's gone but I don't see what the ipad wielders have to do with it.
If we choose a difficulty we except to be the same as it was in vanilla, same as AdD&D rules, and that being what it says it is (normal / core). It is not normal or core, if the monsters do only 2/3 of their damage, and only spawn a few... This is called "easy".
And it is not a resolution to add more monsters at higher difficulties, bec. these settings are coming with less XP, double attack, and so on.
Not much of a logical leap really; why make changes to the difficulty if not for the new crowd? And yes I like that a new crowd is trying out bg; but they should be trying out the real bg. Sad to think that the EE may be the version that history remembers ~ and it will be unrepresentative of some of what made the original great.
I can see that less monsters would be more convenient on i pads and tablets and other things, but PC users should be able to get the true core game feeling from the original
The problem that was too late. to get that lv or you need to clear lots of areas or to rush the mines + bandit camp (like i did).
Doing a nerf (intentional or not i dont know) to the numbers make it harder for the party to lvup.
I played BGT and found it was a little too hard with 6 kobolds + 1 commando at the start area where you have only imoen + charname, but now its too easy. (until you find out you are under level).
Im playing, but to play a second game for BG2: EE im gonna wait for mods or patchs! (And see how much patchs and improvements BG:EE will get too see if its worth paying again or just stay with the original ).