more BG1-BG2 connection

Uaine

Most discussion seems to be regarding BG1, but I don't think it's too early to start thinking about what will be in BG2. I always wished that some more of the things that happened in BG1 carried over into BG2. The Baldur's Gate Trilogy project has managed some things, but there is so much more potential. Here are some things I've thought of:

* Smooth transition between BG1 and 2, no need to create new game, new char creation screen, etc.

* NPCs (optionally) keep their class (if we dual-classed them)

* NPCs start in BG2 with the greater of their ending BG1 xp, and their default starting BG2 xp (same with hp?)

* NPCs keep some of their equipment if it wasn't taken away for story reasons

* Dead NPCs stay dead (I know this would mess up some things...)

Lastly, this might be kind of a pipe-dream, but I kind of wished that I could travel back up north into some of the original area from BG1. Maybe do a quest I might have missed, recruit party members that aren't in BG2, raid some of my old treasure stashes, maybe see if any interesting things happened after the events in BG1...

I recognize that things like this are probably out of scope for a simple BG2 EE, but I'd appreciate it if you could give some thought to having the modding functionality built in where somebody could create something epic like this if they wanted to

ajwz

Option 2 is a bit of a problem, not just mechanically, but also becasue Imoen *must* be a mage for story reasons.

Loremaster

This has been up several times, both by me and by others. I don’t believe the devs can change game content, but we can hope they fill the gap between 1 and 2, allowing for a better transition. A complete continuity from BG1 will doubtfully be possible as BG2 presupposes that certain characters were used. Maybe modders will come to our rescue.

Classes (dual or not) need not be a big issue in the transition, though. As far as I understand, Imoen does actually not need to be dualled for story reasons.

If Imoen uses a wand of magic missiles the first time Irenicus appears, she is involved in illegal use of magic, according to the cowled wizards, and should be captured. Since all classes can use these wands, the story can continue uninterrupted even if Imoen is played as a single classed thief.

Uaine

Loremaster said:

This has been up several times, both by me and by others. I don’t believe the devs can change game content, but we can hope they fill the gap between 1 and 2, allowing for a better transition. A complete continuity from BG1 will doubtfully be possible as BG2 presupposes that certain characters were used. Maybe modders will come to our rescue.

Classes (dual or not) need not be a big issue in the transition, though. As far as I understand, Imoen does actually not need to be dualled for story reasons.

Hmm, I did a search looking for other posts talking about this, but maybe I wasn't using the right search terms. I do agree that Imoen doesn't need to be a mage class.

If not a wand, she could be granted any necessary magic as a Bhaalspawn ability.

I know item 5 (dead chars stay dead) would be pretty tough to implement, and also probably get into territory that Beamdog isn't allowed to change. So, this one would have to be a mod. I think that in many cases (with one obvious exception) in BG2 if the character is dead, a new character could be substituted. It has been a while since I've played BG2 though, I'm sure I'm forgetting something.

Assuming that it is possible to mod this stuff in, as soon as BG2EE is out I'll be first in line to help make this happen.

Frosty

ajwz said:

Option 2 is a bit of a problem, not just mechanically, but also becasue Imoen *must* be a mage for story reasons.

She just needs a wand of magic missel to blast Irecus with, She is still using magic that way.
I want to dual Imoen at L10 not 6 that way she is viabel tief in ToB. I would give NPC that can be in both BG1 and BG2 there BG2 build so thay can just pass threw kind like BGT.

IchigoRXC

Couldn't Imoen's mageness be implemented by her using Bhaalspawn powers rather than actual mae magic? I mean you get what 6 spells throughout BG1 which are tied to your essence not to your class. Why doesn't she?

You could have her as a single class thief, and boom she uses her bhaalspawn magic instead. This also gives you the chance for a single class female thief in BG2 if you so wish

Dee

That'd kind of give away the surprise, @IchigoRXC.

Someone in another thread posited making her a bard, which would actually work pretty well since it would allow her to be a "thief-like character" but still have the necessary spellcasting chops to cast Magic Missile.

Uaine

Aosaw said:

That'd kind of give away the surprise

You could simply wait until the moment when it happens in BG2 before the skill would be activated, then the surprise wouldn't be spoiled. I see most people here aren't using spoiler tags, but I will anyway...

If Imoen just casts magic missile out of the blue, from a non-magic using class, most players would say WTF?!... but I don't think they'd immediately think OMG BHAALSPAWN!

I don't see any need to turn her into a bard - I just want her to stay whatever she was in BG1. If I choose not to dual, or if I dual her to something non-mage, it would really help immersion if it could carry over.

Edit: I just thought of another option... the skill could be granted by that stupid belt she wears

scriver

That "stupid" belt she wears actually makes her unkillable

Uaine

scriver said:

That "stupid" belt she wears actually makes her unkillable

Right, so because it's already responsible for one "just because" plot device, why not make it responsible for another too.

karnor00

Personally I'm not a big fan of decisions in one game carrying forward into the next. It happens in the Dragon Age and Mass Effect series and I don't think it works very well.

The designers need to spend a lot of time catering to all the different possibilities, and at the end of the day none of the decisions in the previous game have a significant impact on the subsequent game - its just a few lines different here and there, or an extra side quest. I'd much rather the designers spend time on making the second game that much better.

And what's worse is that I know that any big decision I make in the current game is going to get relegated to irrelevance in the next game.

Even the things you mentioned for BG1-BG2 transition have pretty significant implications. If Imoen isn't a mage then you need to find some artifical justification to explain why she gets taken to Spellhold (tho even the belt of immortality in the actual game is a pretty weak plot device). Wands of magic missile aren't a good explanation because they don't trigger cowled wizards at other times.

If you dual class the other characters then often their personal quests and dialogue wouldn't make sense. Allowing them to keep items would be a cheesy way to import all your BG1 items (by, say, dumping them all on Viconia)

Grieg

Did anybody thought about making BG3 as a connection between Bg1-Bg2, you know while master evil scientist was making his experiments charname forgot about those events I think it would be a big BG1-BG2 connection what do you think? :]
Yeah I know it is so perfect that everybody will like it:]