Has BG:EE been made too easy? **spoilers abound**
traill
Member Posts: 22
Hi all! I'm new to the board, but well experienced with BG and roleplaying games in general, and I'm wondering if anybody else thinks that BG:EE seems way too easy, compared to original BG?
I've been playing as a half-orc fighter, and the game's pretty much been a cake-walk from the go. What with 18 DEX, splint mail and ++ single weapon proficeincy I had a -2 AC before I even left Candlekeep! With Imoen for traps and locks, and Viconia for buffing, I'm yet to come across anything my longsword can't turn into meaty chunks in short order. (Sirines were not even a challenge - just sent Vic in with her 50% magic resist, then ran my fighter in to chop them up while they were busy trying to charm her.)
I've just finished the Cloakwood mines, and even Daveorn fell before my blade with little resistance. I've Dualled Imoen into a Mage now, which gives me double the buffing options. Pretty much every battle my fighter takes on alone, once he's been suitably buffed.
Maybe my memory is hazy (age is a killer, trust me...) but i seem to remember original BG being a real challenge, with a full 6 party members and some fancy strategy needed to complete the game. Now, it's buff, hack and repeat.
I've been playing as a half-orc fighter, and the game's pretty much been a cake-walk from the go. What with 18 DEX, splint mail and ++ single weapon proficeincy I had a -2 AC before I even left Candlekeep! With Imoen for traps and locks, and Viconia for buffing, I'm yet to come across anything my longsword can't turn into meaty chunks in short order. (Sirines were not even a challenge - just sent Vic in with her 50% magic resist, then ran my fighter in to chop them up while they were busy trying to charm her.)
I've just finished the Cloakwood mines, and even Daveorn fell before my blade with little resistance. I've Dualled Imoen into a Mage now, which gives me double the buffing options. Pretty much every battle my fighter takes on alone, once he's been suitably buffed.
Maybe my memory is hazy (age is a killer, trust me...) but i seem to remember original BG being a real challenge, with a full 6 party members and some fancy strategy needed to complete the game. Now, it's buff, hack and repeat.
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Comments
But the BG2 kits do make things alot easier. The remedy is really to take the more fragile kits into battle. A Half-Orc Fighter is pretty much a top tier warrior but something like a Druid would be more challenging.
My issue with BG:EE is that currently, i don't seem to even [i]need[/i] a strategy - just buff my fighter so he won't be Charmed or Held, and then send him charging in like some sort of crazed viking. Many times now, I've had him completely surrounded by foes who simply cannot seem to land a hit on him (his AC is now -6 thanks to full plate and a ring of princes). Imoen and Vic stand back and play cards while he hacks away like a woodchopper, oblivious to the blows that seem unable to hit him. I remember Sword Spiders being able to dissect my whole party, back in the day, and now the thing is lucky to even get one hit in before my guy splatters it.
Perhaps you are right - I may have to start again and pick a less effective class. But that does not speak well of the balance of EE, does it, If some classes are so over-powered as to be unplayable.
I can very much recommend Sword Coast Stratagems - crank up all the options to the max, set the in-game difficulty to Insane, and then tell me the game is too easy!
It's not surprising that the vanilla version is not a big challenge. After all, it was designed with all sorts of audiences in mind, including novices. Once you get behind how the combat system works, it's not hard to figure out ways to complete destroy it, especially for seasoned gamers. But that's okay, really; the mods are content made especially for just those kinds of people! And they are really good, for the most part, and really easy to use. Try it!
Is there a specific site where I could aquire these mods? And will they work on my macbook? And lastly, will I still be able to import my character into BG2 if he's been modded?
Once you get into it, you won't ever turn SCS off though.
If you roll a character honestly and recruit 'normal' NPCs it can be a worthy challenge.
After finishing, I rerolled with: 15/18/10/16/12/14, for RP value.
Still, I always re-rolled my character until I was happy when I played the original BG, all those years ago, and I don't remember maxed-out stats making me as invulnerable as I am in BG:EE.
I think Revaar's point is a good one. I only took the two npc's with me in an effort to make the game harder, but it might have had the opposite effect due to faster levelling. I'll let you know when I cap out
I wasn't meaning to be a jerk, traill - glad you can see that! But the 2nd Edition D&D rules really do feel unbalanced (because all the big bonuses are squeezed into the top stats), and playing 19 Str or dual-classed characters feels like playing with cheat codes on. I did a MP party with % Str and dual-classes and it just felt too easy. I was never using spells or potions or scrolls, just carving through everything in sight. Whereas with 'normal' characters, you're always looking for an edge, and things like potions and tactics become necessary.
Likewise, try taking companions like Garrick or Rasaad rather than the unbalanced ones like Dorn. Makes for a very different playing experience.
I must disagree with you on your last point, however, and purely from a roleplay POV. Okay, i've had a fairly sheltered upbringing at Candlekeep, but since seeing my father splattered in front of me, I've been targeted by assassins, accosted by monsters and wildlife of varied shapes and sizes, and uncovered a plot to destabilised the entire Sword Coast. Throw in the large number of dungeons and crypts I find myself in, and I think it's entirely reasonable to go around fully buffed. Call me paranoid.
As far as companions go, I must admit to taking Minsc as much for his strength as for his hamster. Also, Jahiera often goes for a long walk without armour or weapons so I can get rid of her Druidness, yet keep her fighter husband. More food for thought...
The kits added from BG2 perhaps make the game easier if you use them, but all your examples seem to relate to just a standard fighter (granted, half orc fighter) so it should have been a very similar experience in vanilla BG1 if you used the same build/party set up id have thought.
Like others have said, mods are the way to go if you want the game to be more difficult
or
take the 75 stat no reload challenge and get back to me on that one. good luck.
But between mods, self-imposed restrictions, and the in-game difficulty, I'm pretty sure most players can find a way to tune the game to their personal satisfaction. And that's what's important! This isn't a competitive multiplayer game - this is YOUR game, to be played how YOU like it. And you have all the tools to make it so!
I think I'll finish this game asap, then start another one. You guys have given me a lot to consider, so cheers for that. This thread has definitely helped make my next playthrough different for me.
Maybe F / M / T (me) a F / T (Coran) a F / D (Jaheria) a C / I (Quayle) a F / C (Yeslick) and a Mk (Rasad) spreads that xp love too thinly?
Aaah. Difficulty is in the eye of the beholder. And if one of them turned up in BG:EE we would all be DOOOMED!