Linear Guild for BG3!

Tome

The title was only semi-serious, but one of my favorite things about OOTS is how the Linear Guild play off against the Order of the Stick perfectly. A minor issue with the Infinity Engine games is that the epic face-offs only really show up after the game's mid point. A recurring rival adventuring party would be a fantastic way of getting rid of this issue, because it makes perfect sense that they grow at the same rate as you. I've always loved recurring foes of this type (the rivals in Pokemon are also cool)

An example of a rival party in BG 1:

Encounter 1: On your way down the Nashkel Mines, you enter a large clearing riddled with traps and are accosted by a group of hired mercenaries, led by a foe the same class and level as you, who comes across as reasonably intelligent. You take out the mercenaries (either by convincing them to give in or via battle), but the leader escapes, vowing vengeance. (in order to prevent you killing him, he collapses and becomes non attackable at 1 HP)

Encounter 2: At the Bandit camp, you meet the foe again, this time aided by a Cleric, Thief, Dragon Disciple, Red Wizard and a Blade (just random examples to form a reasonably balanced party that could pose a threat). The foe reveals that s/he has gathered an adventuring party of his own in order to take revenge on you. When you win (no chance to avoid combat this time), the Cleric and the thief are killed but the Blade, Dragon Disciple and Red Wizard dimension door themselves and their leader out of the area.

Encounter 3: The party, bolstered by a generic Druid and an Assassin, are waiting for you at Baldur's Gate. This time, you manage to kill the leader as well as the two new members of the team, but you are unable to prevent the rest of the team escaping with their leader's corpse.

Encounter 4: You meet the team (only the core 4 this time) waiting in Candlekeep due to info they received from an Iron Throne high-up stating that you would be there. The team has done some digging around and has discovered your heritage. This time, they don't fight you-the resurrected leader doesn't want to fight a demigod and is actually pleased that you are one, as it appeals to his/her pride that it took such a powerful being to defeat them. The mages teleport the team out of there if you decide to attack anyway.

Final Encounter: The team show up in Baldur's Gate again (only if you are on the final chapter) and the leader tells you that Sarevok is not the only one who desires to take you out-he has backing now from a friend of your father. They are backed up by a Priest of Cyric and a Shadowdancer. Upon defeat, the team is surrounded by dark energy and the leader laughs at you, telling you that his group is finally complete, and that they will hunt you until the end of your days. The team disappear, returning in BG2 for more of the same.

...OK, that was slightly longer than I had anticipated. >_> I'm not sure anyone else will like this idea, but I feel that a rival team is great for providing a challenge that is always relevant and a credible threat without outclassing you.

Nifft

When you kill him, he should use a spell titled "Reload", after which you have to kill his mercenaries all over again but this time he isn't there.

He does this in every fight until the end battle, at which point

... the text "Save Corrupted" shows instead of "Reload"; he curses your name and dies like the dog he is.

Tome

Wasn't there a joke like that in BG2? :P

Certainly a funny idea, but I was more hoping for a genuine in-universe rival to the player (hence the backing by Cyric, who really should have been a little more active concerning the rise of a force threatening his portfolio)

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Tome

Just for anyone wondering, the main reason why my example kept almost all the members of the rival party alive was in order to establish the rival team as a group of recognizable foes in their own right. It also means that every fight doesn't end up giving you access to an incredible amount of loots.

Nifft

Tome said:

Wasn't there a joke like that in BG2? :P

Certainly a funny idea, but I was more hoping for a genuine in-universe rival to the player (hence the backing by Cyric, who really should have been a little more active concerning the rise of a force threatening his portfolio)

Yeah, I think there was, but it didn't actually take the antagonist out of the fight.

Anyway, I agree with you -- the antagonist should be a serious and credible threat -- but I think that as long as you're going to ENFORCE the antagonist's escape, you might as well lampshade the blatant rail-roading. IMHO it's far better to give the player a laugh over your obvious intent to frustrate him, than it is to just frustrate him.

Cheers, -- N

Tome

I do see where you're coming from, but I feel the frustration is sort of the point: the rival is a constant thorn in your side, you should find it frustrating, but still rewarding due to a nice big chunk of XP (and whenever a party member does die, you get the same loot as you would find on an adventurer of your level, which is never an inconsiderable amount! Besides, like I said before it would be kinda awkward if the rival adventuring team only had one recurring character.

Kilivitz

That's a very nice idea for a mod. Or even DLC. I would buy something like that (a mini-expansion whose content is spread out throughout the game) without a second thought. Hell, I would gladly trade the Black Pits for it.