Challenges and Playthoughs - please help compile a list of links

Lemernis

We have quite a number of gaming challenges going on, including (strict) no-reload, minimal reload, ability score 75 no-reload, random generated party no-reload, etc. If folks can help me find all these various threads please post the links here! I want to assemble them into a reference sticky.

Also, if you know of or can recall any threads that have featured a distinct type of playthrough using (or demonstrating) a particular approach to the game please post that as well!

Thanks for any assistance you can provide here!

[Deleted User]

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KidCarnival

Oy, I missed the first. I was thinking about a BP guide or something, or an attempt to play through with the premade party. If anyone is starting/working on a Pits guide, I'm in.

ChildofBhaal599

Maybe we should just have a challenge subforum so they aren't all over general

Wanderon

ChildofBhaal599 said:

Maybe we should just have a challenge subforum so they aren't all over general

The problem with this is the challenge threads seek to gain new players - if they were in thier own seperate forum only those players that were actively interested in challenges might open the forum and see whats available.

In the general forum any time a thread gets updated and comes to the top of the page everyone in the general forums sees it and is presented with another option to see and open it - people who may not have even realized there might be a challenge that interests them until they see it in front of them.

I suspect moving the challenge threads to thier own forum would actually decrease the individual threads traffic (and thus decrease the number of new people joining.)

On the other hand if no one is interested in a challenge it will disappear off the generals first pages quickly enough and not be an issue. (no down side)

Lemernis

A Challenges and Playthroughs board is being considered.

I've had the some of the same concerns Wanderon expressed. But I think it safe to assume that those who are drawn to challenges (and hopefully playthroughs as well) will use the board without it decreasing their participation in General.

The real question is whether the observers-but-non-participants for challenges and playthroughs be less likely to view those threads if they were no longer in General.

Lemernis

Here's a start:

Challenges

The no reload challenge (spoiler warning)
Minimal Reload Challenge (Spoiler Warning!)
The 75 roll No-Reload/No Resurrection Challenge
New challenge-escape from Candlekeep
Minimal Reload Zero Resurrection Challenge
A challenge from Jaxsbudgie!
Play Yourself in BG Challenge
No Cheedar Item/Equipment Challenge
Create a random game (optional no-reload speed game contest included) (spoilers)
Playing it Hardcore
Crafting a successful no-reload SCS core rules group
The Reckless Wild Mage Party, Minimal Reloads
BG EE Speed Runs

Playthroughs

Solo Hardcore Blackguard Run
Best way to enjoy BGEE in a casual way?
Alternative to no reload policy
Try dual-classing all NPCs for whom it is possible in the same game (spoilers)
All-dual-classed party playthrough (SPOILERS!)
No magic?
My roleplaying playthrough with a Sorcerer
"Let the Fates Decide" Game Journal (there will be major spoilers)
SCS too hard for this RP concept? - Wizard Slayer led Anti-Arcane-Magic Party (spoilers)
Roleplaying in-game decisions based on dice rolls (SPOILERS)
Please share your 'roleplaying concepts' for BG:1(EE) (compiling them)
Create your favorite 4 member party for BG:EE

[Deleted User]

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Lemernis

I guess the definition of "Playthroughs" is basically that a community member shares about a game that is organized around a type of character, party, challenge, or concept--or any combination of these.

Thoughts?

Lemernis

@Wanderon and @Samus are voicing valid concerns (that I also share), and may well be right. But it's just a guess at this point. I think I'll run a poll to measure the community's preference re: whether a Challenges and Playthroughs board is something that would generate enough interest and participation.

Wanderon

@Lemernis one other thing to consider about the viability of the challenge/playthrough forum is how likely it is for new forum members to even find/see such a forum among the plethora of forum choices here LOL -
(on the other hand pretty much everyone finds and checks out the general forum)

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BelgarathMTH

My two cents is that I only see the same handful of people writing up their playthroughs and posting in the challenge threads. I don't think they need their own board. If there's enough interest to keep a challenge thread active, it will stay at the top of the general board naturally, as it has on the Bioware boards for years. (The Bioware challenge threads are still active, with the same group of posters.)

I would find it inconvenient to have to check two seperate boards to read and post in both challenge threads and in general threads.

It is counterproductive to fragment a forum community into too many subtopics. I already miss most of what goes on in the community art board, the bug-reporting board, the mods board, and the off-topic board. Most game forums needlessly divide their communities over time, and this one is going through the typical evolution.

It starts with a good intention to help people find the information or discussion they are looking for by classifying every conceviable broad topic and directing all traffic concerning those topics into their own boards. Before anyone realizes what is happening, there are over a dozen different boards, and the moderators constantly police traffic into the appropriate boards, often moving posts to where even the OP has no idea where to find his or her own post.

Almost nobody is willing to go into a forum every day and check a dozen boards to follow what he or she is interested in, and having moderators enforcing the classifications discourages new posters from even trying to figure out the system and posting anything anywhere. Plus, you start to get lots of slow-traffic forums that nobody wants to post in, for fear that no one will read or see that they asked a question there, or tried to start a discussion about something.

I personally am willing to read over and check two boards at the most, and usually only one. Keep most things in general.

Lemernis

Okay, here is a poll thread:

Should there be a "Challenges & Playthroughs" board?

But this model is more than just a subforum devoted to challenges. It's also a kind of think-tank for the general subject of developing creative new approaches to the game. That includes threads about challenges and playthroughs, both for fun and as illustration of concept. But it's main value is that if players find themselves getting a bit bored with the game, then they can always look in here to see what others are doing to try to keep the BG:EE experience fresh.

Lemernis

belgarathmth said:

... I only see the same handful of people writing up their playthroughs and posting in the challenge threads. I don't think they need their own board...

True, although the yardstick should arguably be number of views. Even if a relatively small number are actually participating in a particular challenge, the comparative number of views seems proportionally quite high for many of the challenge threads, and at least some of the playthrough threads (although there aren't as many of the latter, and most of those don't keep getting fresh content added to them).

Otherwise, I hear what you're saying about fragmenting the forum up too much! That possibility concerns me very much too!

Best I can see, the risk: reward calculation here seems to be whether spotlighting the broader subject of creative playthrough approaches--and also bringing examples together for easier reference for folks--is worth any dilution of views or participation that could result from it.

Lemernis

Samus said:

@Lemernis depending on the challenge some things could potentially go in the role playing section? In the minimal reload challenge I initially tried to write it up as a mini story as did some other players.

Yeah, that's certainly a possibility. For some types of playthroughs they are all about roleplaying. But there are many playthrough ideas that aren't roleplayed.

The notion of challenges and playthroughs possibly getting a board came up around possibly creating a subforum for brainstorming and sharing creative approaches to the game. Challenges and playthroughs seem to be the two chief modes of doing that.