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Importing to BG2 a good idea?

I believe that the experience cap in BG1 is higher than the normal starting XP in BG2, and I am worried that if I import my character, who has hit the cap already, I will find BG2 too easy in the beginning. Is it a good idea to import, or should I simply recreate my character in BG2, and attribute the loss of XP to the torture before the start of BG2?

Comments

  • amftronamftron Member Posts: 109
    It really won't make all that difference. Import away !
  • the_spyderthe_spyder Member Posts: 5,018
    The original cap for BG1 was 88k (I think or around there). It is now 161. Even if you remove the cap and hit 200, it will make next to no difference. You are talking about 1 level, maybe 2. by the time you actually get into Chapter 2 of the story, you will regularly be getting quests that will blow that milestone away by orders of magnitude. There are at least a dozen and probably a huge amount more than that where you can get 400K + XP just for completing the quests. And given the grand total of experience just in chapter 2, it will make less than zero difference.

    Add to that the number of medium to tough battles available right out of the first dungeon for someone between 9th-13th level characters is quite significant. You are not hurting your experience or adversely effecting your difficulty level by playing on. You can go face Kangax in chapter 2. You can go to watcher's keep in chapter 2. You can face Firekrag and the shadow dragon all in Chapter 2. Believe me, there are plenty of challenges in Chapter 2 alone even if you totally blow away the XP cap.
  • WakukeeWakukee Member Posts: 106
    Alright cool! I was just worried, as I hit the highest level I will get to in BG:EE by the time I got to Baldur's Gate, ad now the combat is pretty easy.
  • atcDaveatcDave Member Posts: 2,387
    Anyone ever try to do a level one PC to start BG2? It seems the logical follow up question here. I can't remember if BG2 just automatically adds the 88K experience or something? Sure would make an interesting challenge.
  • KilivitzKilivitz Member Posts: 1,459
    If you create a new character in BG2, he/she will have 89k XP, the original BG1 cap. Tales of the Sword Coast raised that cap to 161k, so the EE didn't really change anything in that regard.

    As others pointed out, it doesn't make much of a difference. At best, you will have an extra level, and that if you are playing a class with a fast progression, such as a Thief, Bard or Cleric.
    atcDave said:

    Anyone ever try to do a level one PC to start BG2? It seems the logical follow up question here. I can't remember if BG2 just automatically adds the 88K experience or something? Sure would make an interesting challenge.

    If you import a character created in BG1 that has less than 89k, his/her XP will be bumped up to that number.

    The only way to have a Level 1 character in BG2 would be creating it using Tutu or BGT - that way, the character will be recognized as created in BG2 and the game won't alter it's XP.

    Playing chateau Irenicus with a level 1 character would be very challenging, I think. But on the other hand, you would gain levels very fast, as there's a lot of XP to be gained in that dungeon. By the end of it, you'd be close to 100k anyway.
  • TressetTresset Member, Moderator Posts: 8,268
    Kilivitz said:

    atcDave said:

    Anyone ever try to do a level one PC to start BG2? It seems the logical follow up question here. I can't remember if BG2 just automatically adds the 88K experience or something? Sure would make an interesting challenge.

    If you import a character created in BG1 that has less than 89k, his/her XP will be bumped up to that number.

    The only way to have a Level 1 character in BG2 would be creating it using Tutu or BGT - that way, the character will be recognized as created in BG2 and the game won't alter it's XP.
    Add to that list a character created in BG:EE.
  • WakukeeWakukee Member Posts: 106
    Tresset said:

    Kilivitz said:

    atcDave said:

    Anyone ever try to do a level one PC to start BG2? It seems the logical follow up question here. I can't remember if BG2 just automatically adds the 88K experience or something? Sure would make an interesting challenge.

    If you import a character created in BG1 that has less than 89k, his/her XP will be bumped up to that number.

    The only way to have a Level 1 character in BG2 would be creating it using Tutu or BGT - that way, the character will be recognized as created in BG2 and the game won't alter it's XP.
    Add to that list a character created in BG:EE.
    I'm sure that they will have fixed that in BG2:EE
  • the_spyderthe_spyder Member Posts: 5,018
    atcDave said:

    Anyone ever try to do a level one PC to start BG2? It seems the logical follow up question here. I can't remember if BG2 just automatically adds the 88K experience or something? Sure would make an interesting challenge.

    I don't think it would make much of a difference once you got out of the initial dungeon. They throw hideous amounts of XP at you pretty early on. Of course surviving that initial dungeon might be challenging.

    I have played a fighter -> Wizard in BG2. Basically I changed class, dumped my entire party and then scribed scrolls till I was almost my Fighter level. Getting 161K XP that way is actually pretty easy. Then you just need to run 1-2 more quests with a group and hey-presto you can power through as a Wizard with crazy hit points and can use all of the fighter gear (well, not armor if you want to cast).
  • atcDaveatcDave Member Posts: 2,387
    Its the escape from chateau Irenicus that would be interesting. No doubt, once you made it clear the character would be about equal to everyone else. I've dualed a few times right at the start, and its funny to have the PC be pretty weak in that way. But you do have plenty of hit points. A real first level character would be a little different. But yeah, I guess not for very long.
  • BeetleBeetle Member Posts: 46
    Kilivitz said:

    Playing chateau Irenicus with a level 1 character would be very challenging, I think.

    I don't think it matters what level you are when you ask Jasper St. Baird to teleport you to the end. (wait - there's supposed to be more to the dungeon?)

  • TressetTresset Member, Moderator Posts: 8,268
    Wakukee said:

    Tresset said:

    Kilivitz said:

    atcDave said:

    Anyone ever try to do a level one PC to start BG2? It seems the logical follow up question here. I can't remember if BG2 just automatically adds the 88K experience or something? Sure would make an interesting challenge.

    If you import a character created in BG1 that has less than 89k, his/her XP will be bumped up to that number.

    The only way to have a Level 1 character in BG2 would be creating it using Tutu or BGT - that way, the character will be recognized as created in BG2 and the game won't alter it's XP.
    Add to that list a character created in BG:EE.
    I'm sure that they will have fixed that in BG2:EE
    Well I doubt it... I'm not talking about importing a BG1:EE character into BG2:EE (I already know that works fine), I'm talking about any EE character to the original BG2. In order to fix that I think they would have to make changes to the original and somehow go back in time and release that and then base their EE version based on a version they already released and....

    I confused myself there I think.
  • the_spyderthe_spyder Member Posts: 5,018
    Just to revisit this topic, I have been playing my way (slowly) through BG2 recently. At this stage, my party is still in Chapter 2. I have admittedly been doggedly completing every single quest available, however I have been having a fun and challenging time at each turn. My current Charname has approximately 1.45 million XP and am still going strong. I still have Haer-Dalis' quest, Windspear hills and the upper levels of Watcher's keep to keep me busy yet, not to mention various 'around town' type mini-quests in the city to complete. And that is just the stuff in Chapter 2. Even just in chapter 2, there are still plenty of things that can be a challenge even for a well equipped party of 13-15th level characters (the shadow dragon, firekrag, several Liches, etc...).

    I can also confirm that simply leaving the initial dungeon gives you around 28K, and that the transition between chapter 2 and 3 gives you another 37K approximate (Per Character in your party). So the initial question of will the extra 73K you can get by maxing out BG1 is literally nothing at all in comparison.
  • KilivitzKilivitz Member Posts: 1,459
    It's also worth noting that default BG2 behavior is to award a 10% bonus XP on top of whatever the game says you're getting.
  • ambrennanambrennan Member Posts: 173
    For the record, BG2 opposing force is levelled so high XP at the start (particularly noticeable if you create a ToB character and import into SoA) actually makes the game harder if you play classes reliant on gear (e.g. You'll encounter a admantium golem in Firkraag's lair before you find any weapons capable of hurting it)
  • Aasimar069Aasimar069 Member Posts: 803
    ambrennan said:

    For the record, BG2 opposing force is levelled so high XP at the start (particularly noticeable if you create a ToB character and import into SoA) actually makes the game harder if you play classes reliant on gear (e.g. You'll encounter a admantium golem in Firkraag's lair before you find any weapons capable of hurting it)

    A long sword +3 is available in the Copper Coronet (but can't remember if it's enough to hurt the golem).
  • Aasimar069Aasimar069 Member Posts: 803
    Tresset said:

    Wakukee said:

    Tresset said:

    Kilivitz said:

    atcDave said:

    Anyone ever try to do a level one PC to start BG2? It seems the logical follow up question here. I can't remember if BG2 just automatically adds the 88K experience or something? Sure would make an interesting challenge.

    If you import a character created in BG1 that has less than 89k, his/her XP will be bumped up to that number.

    The only way to have a Level 1 character in BG2 would be creating it using Tutu or BGT - that way, the character will be recognized as created in BG2 and the game won't alter it's XP.
    Add to that list a character created in BG:EE.
    I'm sure that they will have fixed that in BG2:EE
    Well I doubt it... I'm not talking about importing a BG1:EE character into BG2:EE (I already know that works fine), I'm talking about any EE character to the original BG2. In order to fix that I think they would have to make changes to the original and somehow go back in time and release that and then base their EE version based on a version they already released and....

    I confused myself there I think.

    If the class and items worn in BGEE exist in BG2, there wont be any problem. I have successfully exported my Cavalier from BGEE in BG2.

  • Aasimar069Aasimar069 Member Posts: 803
    edited May 2013
    Wakukee said:

    I believe that the experience cap in BG1 is higher than the normal starting XP in BG2, and I am worried that if I import my character, who has hit the cap already, I will find BG2 too easy in the beginning. Is it a good idea to import, or should I simply recreate my character in BG2, and attribute the loss of XP to the torture before the start of BG2?

    Oh god, that's the kind of thing that can only be said by someone who played BG2 before BG1.

    You start with 89k in BG2 because they expect not everybody have bought and finished BG1 with TOSC.

    If you import a save or a character who has finished TOSC in the game, this seems quite logical he/she keeps his 161000 xp since it is the level cap of the first game.

    Therefore, if you had played BG1+TOSC before BG2, there would be nothing special with this situation...
  • MalicronMalicron Member Posts: 629
    ambrennan said:

    For the record, BG2 opposing force is levelled so high XP at the start (particularly noticeable if you create a ToB character and import into SoA) actually makes the game harder if you play classes reliant on gear (e.g. You'll encounter a admantium golem in Firkraag's lair before you find any weapons capable of hurting it)

    Yep. found that out the hard way years ago when I had the bright idea to get a "head start" on the game once I figured out I could start SoA with a lvl17 mage. Needless to say I wiped many, MANY times.
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