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Firewine Ruins needs some reworking

LinkamusLinkamus Member Posts: 221
I always thought that navigating a party through the narrow hallways of Firewine Ruins was extremely aggravating and worst of all pointless, as there isn't really anything of interest there.

Can I / we suggest that we add a new encounter and/or worthwhile loot to the dungeon? Since we will have new kits available via the BG2 engine, I think this would be a perfect place to add a cool monk, archer, or barbarian item(s) etc.

ps - throttle down the respawn of kobolds in this dungeon!

What do you guys think?

Comments

  • ajwzajwz Member Posts: 4,122
    Agree, also ulcaster is pretty useless too
  • ichkannsichkanns Member Posts: 4
    I personally wouldn't mind a complete redo of the map as well, I don't know if that's too much to ask, but those narrow hall ways were very annoying to fight in.
  • LinkamusLinkamus Member Posts: 221
    Don't think they can rework the physical layout of the map - just add an encounter or two, add some worthwhile loot for some of the newer kits, and tone down the kobold respawns.
  • mch202mch202 Member Posts: 1,455
    Since they can add encounters AND they have the monsters from bg2 in their arsenal, I agree with you. It wouldnt hurt a little diversity of monsters in Firewine Dungeon and Ulcaster. a minotaur would be perfect!
  • ShinShin Member Posts: 2,344
    Definitely agree. If the the navigation/wayfinding/movement issues can't be alleviated, it would at least be nice with some sort of quest/reward/special encounter-related reason to go there. In most of my playthroughs I put those two dungeons off to the very end before TotSC, and then do them just for the sake of completion.
  • Space_hamsterSpace_hamster Member Posts: 950
    Just stick a beholder in there and be done with it.
  • AceofWandsAceofWands Member Posts: 33
    I just used to send my thief/fighter down there, protected from fire and wearing the boots of aviodance and/or shield +1/+4 vs missiles. Taking the whole party is such a pain.

    There is a cool archer item down there btw.
  • ZeckulZeckul Member Posts: 1,036
    edited July 2012
    There are already quite a few things there:
    - The Ogre Mage you're supposed to kill for Gandolar - Ogre Magi are among the highest-level enemies of the game
    - A very dangerous mage called Lendarn, who'll usually fry dead a good chunk of your party with his lightning spells
    - A quest with an undead knight and his armor, which you have the option to give in for 1500xp or keep for Ulcaster and the (useless) Vampiric Sword

    Also the area has two different secret entrances from Gullykin and a link to the Firewine Bridge region. Overall I've always thought it was really cool. Might be just me though :S
  • TanthalasTanthalas Member Posts: 6,738
    The only thing I hate about the Firewine ruins is the narrow corridors.
  • JJ1897JJ1897 Member Posts: 11
    Always thought that the something-is-missing feeling was a part of the charm of some of the locations in BG. After all, these are ruins and contrary to the notion you might get playing Oblivion and such, ruins are mysterious, yes, but most of all - empty, or at least not as vivacious ;) And there's fewer of them. In my opinion Firewine is fine as it is.

  • ElectricMonkElectricMonk Member Posts: 599
    Always thought that the something-is-missing feeling was a part of the charm of some of the locations in BG. After all, these are ruins and contrary to the notion you might get playing Oblivion and such, ruins are mysterious, yes, but most of all - empty, or at least not as vivacious ;) And there's fewer of them. In my opinion Firewine is fine as it is.

    @JJ1897 This is a fresh perspective which I happen to agree with. So many people are obsessed with stuffing every area/creature/character/item in the game with some completely fleshed out and transparent epic story that they end up failing to see the charm of at least some things remaining mysterious or open in some way. This is undoubtedly part of the charm of BG1. There is, of course, a fine line here: as this can easily be misconstrued as saying that the areas that were intended to be finished shouldn't be, which isn't what I'm saying here at all, just that some things are best left unexplained.

    The corridors are hella narrow though, as @Tanthalas said.
  • TanthalasTanthalas Member Posts: 6,738
    Now that I think about it though.

    I find it unrealistic that the Sword Coast region has so few rats. Only 4 in a storage building in Candlekeep? They need to put more rats in the game.
  • mch202mch202 Member Posts: 1,455
    @Tanthalas, you have also Boo... hamster/rat - same thing :D
  • ajwzajwz Member Posts: 4,122
    Now that I think about it though.

    I find it unrealistic that the Sword Coast region has so few rats. Only 4 in a storage building in Candlekeep? They need to put more rats in the game.
    Baldur's gate actually has an endemic chicken infestation forcing all the rats to move elsewhere.

  • JJ1897JJ1897 Member Posts: 11
    Yeah, RPGs are especially prone to overdoing. Another dungeon here, another dungeon there and you end up with a game with lots of content, but THE content is gone.
  • LinkamusLinkamus Member Posts: 221
    edited July 2012
    I just used to send my thief/fighter down there, protected from fire and wearing the boots of aviodance and/or shield +1/+4 vs missiles. Taking the whole party is such a pain.

    There is a cool archer item down there btw.
    Which item do you speak of? I don't remember finding anything down there worth equipping.

    edit: Or are you talking about outside on the bridge?

  • LinkamusLinkamus Member Posts: 221
    Always thought that the something-is-missing feeling was a part of the charm of some of the locations in BG. After all, these are ruins and contrary to the notion you might get playing Oblivion and such, ruins are mysterious, yes, but most of all - empty, or at least not as vivacious ;) And there's fewer of them. In my opinion Firewine is fine as it is.

    Even though I disagree in the instance of firewine, I agree with you in general.
  • AceofWandsAceofWands Member Posts: 33

    Which item do you speak of? I don't remember finding anything down there worth equipping.

    edit: Or are you talking about outside on the bridge?

    Spoiler :
    Well, one of the ghost knights has a good item in their possession.
  • WinthalWinthal Member Posts: 366
    one thing that always annoyed me about firewine is how difficult it is versus the XP rewards, I'm mainly talking kobold commandos here... those little buggers pack a punch, at least in the original BG1 engine where bows are *very* dangerous, it doesn't feel right that they give like 35xp each for the trouble of killing them... usually, I simply don't bother going down there at all. Kobold commandos and narrow corridors + bad pathfinding = GG :P
  • CheesebellyCheesebelly Member Posts: 1,727
    In Firewine, I just use the Gullykin house shortcut to reach the ogre mage as soon as possible. Or better, as soon as I enter the place. The rest of the ruins, heh, no thanks!

    Which reminds me - are there any lightning bolt traps in there? You know the drill : Lightning bolt, narrow hallways = instadeath.

    @Winthal : I agree, but I've been thinking that all arrow using enemies are very dangerous (with the rare exception of Hobgoblins, since they aren't very numerous). Overall, Kobold commands (fire arrow), Bandits (chance to poison), Black Talons (Ice arrows, and BOY do they hurt) are super powerful.
  • DukeOfSuffolkDukeOfSuffolk Member Posts: 22
    I always thought of the narrow corridors a feature of the mine. Why would miners dig tunnels large enough for a 6 person party of adventurers when whey have enough room for just themselves and their carts? I know it might be annoying, but it doesn't make sense roleplaying-wise, in my opinion. I always thought the issue was more the pathfinding AI, but Master Oster has already stated they are going to play with that .
  • Space_hamsterSpace_hamster Member Posts: 950
    We need more gully kin quests. Perhaps a chance to kill Bilbo?
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