Limited Item randomizer

Worg

Here's a thought on the topic on replayabilty. What about an item randomizer that randomizes certain items with similar items and from a list the does not get exhausted?

For example: Outside a friendly inn you can be sure to find a certain magical ring that grants evermemory, every time you play. What if this ring was randomly replaced by a seemingly identical ring, unidentfied, from a list of 10 rings (some useful, some cursed). You would never use this list again and therefore the other 9 rings would not be in this playthrough of BG.

Why? Well, added replayability with a more variety of items, cursed items are more of a threat (especially in a no reaload scenario) and the use of identify more imprtant.

Thoughts?

[Deleted User]

The user and all related content has been deleted.

Delvarian

I like your idea.

Worg

Bhaaldog said:

The randomisation of magical items would make me start thinking of games such as Diablo...

Please, I did not mean to make you think of excrement. However a limited list of quality items is not exactly in the spirit of "diablo". Besides I am not advocating a complete randomization of all items. Just some choice selection to spice things up a bit, change the gameplay experience ever so slightly.

KidCarnival

A little bit of randomizing wouldn't hurt. For example, there are 3 groups of hobgoblins on the FAI map - it could be random which of them has Joia's ring. I'm not sure about changing hidden stashes. These things are meant to be easter eggs and for new players, it's exciting enough to discover them. But in your 475th run, you likely just go straight to the mob that has whatever item you're sent to find and don't explore much anymore. Having the mobs wander around on the maps or just give the quest item to a random mob if there's more than one would bring back the "hunting and exploring".

Mordeus

I'm open to the idea. It could go a little extreme as in the case of Final Fantasy XII's randomized loot system where it was literally like a lottery draw with absurd chances like .5% of getting a good reward.

But having un-identified items being dropped as loot or being found in random chests is a good idea. Gives an even greater role on appraising items with a lore score, identify or through the shop interface. I was thinking of introducing something similar in the mod I'm working on. Especially with having all dropped scrolls being unidentified and randomised.

smeagolheart

You mean something like this?

Item Randomiser, a large-scale random treasure mod for Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II at Gibberlings 3 modding website

Not sure if it works with BGEE, but I use it in BGT all the time and it adds some re-playability. It doesn't move everything like diablo or something, but it moves a few key items between a few key locations. I think it works well.

lunar

Yeah item randomiser mod worked wonders in BGT and BG2, I wish they could make it EE compatible.

atcDave

I like the idea of randomizing more of the minor items, especially say +1 sorts. It might make things like choosing your weapon proficiencies at the start of the game a little more interesting if you really didn't know where the first +1 2-handed sword might be hiding. But it would need to be logical, and ideally, the baddies should be able to use their items against you.

the_spyder

I too like the idea of randomization of certain items. If, let's say you could find instead of a +1 short sword, you could find a +1 weapon of random type, that might make for quite a nice little variety. Particularly if some of the more special weapons were of variable lineage, that would make picking your specializations more a matter of character concept rather than based on what powerful weapon you ultimately want to wield.

I think however that the initial example suggestion was placed where you find it to solve a perceived inequity on the part of low level Wizards. Making that a random (and potentially cursed) item, particularly when gold is so scarce, would probably lead to people reloading and reloading until they got the useful item out of it. Wizards after all start out with crap hit points (sans a familiar) and crap AC and only 1 spell at first level unless you are a specialist. Makes it really difficult to survive low levels. Not impossible mind, since it is an Easter egg as has been stated, but difficult.