The topic starter asked if BGEE was made easier. I don't think it has, but including half-orc as a race certainly made it much easier to make cheesy characters. Now you can have an overpowered PC out of the box even on a low roll. Before you could make overpowered characters, yes, but unless you cheated it took a long time to roll 18/00 Str. And dual-class characters are mostly overpowered, but it takes a considereable amount of time and effort to get, say, a kensai/mage (unless you cheat).
But 19 Str, specialisation bonuses and multiple attacks, fighter weapons and magical weapons all stacked together really reduce the overall difficulty. 19 Str on a thief or cleric isn't necessarily overpowered, but the maxed-out fighter option certainly is.
If you make a munchkinised character, there doesn't seem any point in complaining that the game is too easy.
Hey, he IS the son of a God, alright? He's allowed to kick enormous buttocks if he chooses. Hulk SMASH! sigh. But it is undeniable; the access to kits and proficiencies, and that sweet, sweet re-roll, have made it possible for me to create a character too powerful. I don't want to walk through BG - I want to savour it.
So i've put the Halforc on hold for the moment. (I still want to finish BG with him…because I might want to import him into BG2 and dual wield the Flail O'Ages.) And I've started a new game with a halfling thief. First roll, 76. 14/17/16/10/10/9. Gonna focus him on stealth, Imoen on traps and locks. Then I'm planning on Vic, Minsc and Dynahier, and Xan.
All because of this thread. Hmm…it's not like me to have my opinions swayed so easily. Where did I put that Dispel Magic scroll…?
Dont understand the comment "BGEE is way easier than original BG". As far as Im aware they havent done anything that would affect the difficulty level at all compared to vanilla BG (no tutu or SCS).
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 .
The engine change does provide some subtle changes though, even aside from the kits. On balance they do favor the party, though @Mordeus nailed the far larger issue in the first reply.
Magic resistance no longer blocks helpful spells. Dual-wielding (once you've invested the pips) increases your damage output, and enemies don't dual-wield. You get more thieving points so you can better specialize/min-max your thief even though there are more things to invest them in. The additional BG2 spells give the party more tactical options, and is another area where enemies don't use the broader spellbooks available. The additional content gives the party a marginally larger XP pool to tap, and the new items also provide a slightly larger pool of tactics.
The increased walking speeds shift the balance of power from ranged to melee, so it's kind of a neutral factor. Really, the only engine changes that negatively impact the party are the more specialized weapon choices (i.e. you no longer get to invest in one prof and have it cover major swaths of weapons) and the BG2 spell system means sleep/charm don't last as long.
I don't think any one of these has a major impact but overall, yeah, they do make the game easier, and is true for both BGT and Tutu as well.
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But 19 Str, specialisation bonuses and multiple attacks, fighter weapons and magical weapons all stacked together really reduce the overall difficulty. 19 Str on a thief or cleric isn't necessarily overpowered, but the maxed-out fighter option certainly is.
If you make a munchkinised character, there doesn't seem any point in complaining that the game is too easy.
sigh.
But it is undeniable; the access to kits and proficiencies, and that sweet, sweet re-roll, have made it possible for me to create a character too powerful. I don't want to walk through BG - I want to savour it.
So i've put the Halforc on hold for the moment. (I still want to finish BG with him…because I might want to import him into BG2 and dual wield the Flail O'Ages.) And I've started a new game with a halfling thief. First roll, 76. 14/17/16/10/10/9. Gonna focus him on stealth, Imoen on traps and locks. Then I'm planning on Vic, Minsc and Dynahier, and Xan.
All because of this thread. Hmm…it's not like me to have my opinions swayed so easily. Where did I put that Dispel Magic scroll…?
Magic resistance no longer blocks helpful spells. Dual-wielding (once you've invested the pips) increases your damage output, and enemies don't dual-wield. You get more thieving points so you can better specialize/min-max your thief even though there are more things to invest them in. The additional BG2 spells give the party more tactical options, and is another area where enemies don't use the broader spellbooks available. The additional content gives the party a marginally larger XP pool to tap, and the new items also provide a slightly larger pool of tactics.
The increased walking speeds shift the balance of power from ranged to melee, so it's kind of a neutral factor. Really, the only engine changes that negatively impact the party are the more specialized weapon choices (i.e. you no longer get to invest in one prof and have it cover major swaths of weapons) and the BG2 spell system means sleep/charm don't last as long.
I don't think any one of these has a major impact but overall, yeah, they do make the game easier, and is true for both BGT and Tutu as well.