Make Insane mode more interesting

Madhax

Anyone who's played IWD1 and its expansions knows that playing on Insane mode is a whole new ball game. It isn't just about artificially ramping up difficulty like in the BG series, it actually adds new content. For example, in the first major boss battle of IWD, a normal-mode party has to fight a crazy snake-goddess and a bunch of archers backing her up. Getting to her on insane doesn't only improve her damage output, you also get ambushed by yuan-ti cleric/mages from the rear a couple rounds into the fight, which calls for on-the-fly improvisation on the player's part if they weren't expecting it. There are all sorts of encounters throughout the game with extra challenges added to them on Insane mode, and the player gets double experience to compensate for this.

Can we not get something like this for BG2EE? I wouldn't expect double experience in BGEE, and perhaps not in BG2EE either. But adding in extra enemies to fight on the higher difficulty levels in BG2EE would improve the value of the enhanced edition for consumers, and I doubt it would infringe on contract obligations. For example,

a couple powerful vampire-mages flanking Bodhi, Firkraag summoning a swarm of Orogs as reinforcements, or Kangaax being assisted by 1-2 lesser liches

would all drastically increase the difficulty more so than simply doubling the damage the party takes. If experience bonuses are too hard to balance (probably?), then add in some unique magical items that only drop from insane-mode enemies.

I might be completely alone in this opinion, but as it is, I have no interest in playing the BG series on anything more difficult than core. The above suggestion might change that.

DinoDin

I agree. I kind of wish they would in general beef up a few fights in BGEE and BG2EE, since most of the added content helps make the party better -- more quests, better npcs, better gear. I think only adding tougher stuff in high difficulties would be a cool compromise too, if you want to play the original fights, you can play on a lower difficulty.