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The Best Stronghold in BG2?

stkayestkaye Member Posts: 22
I'm getting really excited about BG2:EE, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to plan my first playthrough based on the stronghold that I'm most keen to pick up. Help me out by sharing your views in this poll, and your thoughts below.

Think of it this way - which one would you pick if you didn't use an exploit/mod to pick up more than one? It's a fair bet that the first BG2EE playthrough will be without any such mods - we'll be stuck with the class-appropriate stronghold - so the decision is pretty significant.

Actually, if anyone remembers the built-in exploits for getting more than one stronghold, I'd love to hear about them. I seem to remember that it was easier to accomplish with a dual-classed character than with a multi... something like that.

So: What's your favourite stronghold, and why? Is the quest to gain the stronghold fun? Are the bonus quests unlocked when you own it any good? How about the procedural stuff - is it interesting to run, does it include fun interactions, is it convenient or does it tend to interrupt what you're doing? Decent income? Well-written?
  1. The Best Stronghold in BG2?298 votes
    1. Paladin - pretty much a bedroom in the ol' Radiant Heart HQ
        1.34%
    2. Thief - your own guildhouse!
        9.73%
    3. Mage - a Planar Sphere to call your own
      36.58%
    4. Fighter - a huge (but mostly empty) Keep
      24.50%
    5. Bard - A theatre company to run
      17.45%
    6. Cleric - a temple, chosen in line with your PC's alignment
        2.01%
    7. Druid - a grove accessible at (I think?) level 14
        2.68%
    8. Ranger - a cabin in the woods and a rural village to protect from nasties.
        5.70%
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Comments

  • stkayestkaye Member Posts: 22
    Yeah, I don't think I ever ran through all the quests associated with it, but the thieves' guild is a lot of fun.
  • MalicronMalicron Member Posts: 629
    I usually go with mage, and thus the planar sphere, but I found the bard stronghold to be the most enjoyable.
    stkaye
  • TressetTresset Member, Moderator Posts: 8,262
    Don't count on having any exploits to pick up more than one stronghold. We will likely fix such issues before releasing BG2:EE.

    Having not had all the strongholds before I think the best one I have played with is the mage one because it gives you some really nice items and has a nice story I guess. Thief stronghold is kinda interesting but it is like one quest and then all it does is make money for you. Fighter is the only other one I had and it's ok I guess, but you put far more money into it than you can make from it.
    stkaye
  • KidCarnivalKidCarnival Member Posts: 3,747
    I tried all with a little "all strongholds regardless of class" cheating just to see them once. Thief is the one I legally take, but I also like bard and mage.
    stkaye
  • stkayestkaye Member Posts: 22
    Tresset said:

    Don't count on having any exploits to pick up more than one stronghold. We will likely fix such issues before releasing BG2:EE.

    Hey, well, you know guys... you can let a *few* of these bugs through. We won't be mad.
  • stkayestkaye Member Posts: 22
    I kind of think of it as a 'bug' that you're not allowed to pick up as many strongholds as you like on any given playthrough. I mean, yes, maybe a few exceptions for RP reasons (radical alignment clash or skill shortfall, for example), but I can't really think of any good gameplay reasons to restrict the player more than that.

    But yes, there'll be a mod.
  • SamuelVargSamuelVarg Member Posts: 598
    The keep with a monk as the ruler.
  • dementeddemented Member Posts: 388
    I enjoyed the Planar Sphere but it has to be the thief stronghold for the amount of gold you can make and because I've always wanted to run a group of thieves.
    stkayeMalicron
  • NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065

    Anyone here think that once you get the stronghold, you should be able to rest in it without getting the 'Dungeon rest' screen?

    That would be a nice little enhancement.

    I'd expect my henchmen, hirelings, footpads, scouts, understudies, acolytes and/or apprentices to keep spiders, rats, and random glowing eyes out of my stronghold.
    stkaye
  • the_spyderthe_spyder Member Posts: 5,018
    Nifft said:

    Anyone here think that once you get the stronghold, you should be able to rest in it without getting the 'Dungeon rest' screen?

    That would be a nice little enhancement.

    I'd expect my henchmen, hirelings, footpads, scouts, understudies, acolytes and/or apprentices to keep spiders, rats, and random glowing eyes out of my stronghold.
    Then again, you still get the 'Rat' scene even if you stay in the 'Royal' accommodations in taverns. LOL.

    But seriously, I think this would be a nice enhancement. You do take over and presumably have your own living quarters. Clear out the cobwebs, slap some paint on the walls, a few throw pillows. The place could be quite nice for a Planar Sphere. Just sayin.
    Malicron
  • OzzyBotkinsOzzyBotkins Member Posts: 396
    Having your own playhouse is awesome
    but you can also get the keep with the Nalia Romance mod
  • stkayestkaye Member Posts: 22
    Bit surprised that the ranger and cleric strongholds aren't getting much love. I seem to remember enjoying the ranger thing, though it re-used a dungeon (which is never good). And I've never done the cleric stronghold, but I always thought there were some real fans out there.
  • PugPugPugPug Member Posts: 560
    The bard one is fun and can get you a nice harp. The mage one is kind of fun, too, and you get some good items.

    The thief one is kind of dull and relies too much on random chance, I think. I read that someone did the math and determined that going high-risk across the board averages the best gold return.

    The cleric one is kind of meh all around, though it's kind of neat that you get exactly the same decisions to make for all three alignments (deities), and the correct answers are the only things that change.

    I haven't done the other ones.
    Unionhack
  • PugPugPugPug Member Posts: 560
    Also, the Pally stronghold quest fails hard in that the quest itself fails if you kill Firkraag before being sent to kill him. I hope they fix that bug.
    MalicronEudaemoniumUnionhack
  • the_spyderthe_spyder Member Posts: 5,018
    PugPug said:

    The thief one is kind of dull and relies too much on random chance, I think. I read that someone did the math and determined that going high-risk across the board averages the best gold return.

    There are elements of risk in the Mage Stronghold (Planar Sphere) as well. It's kind of funny when your apprentices 'Fail' in performing one of the tests. You still get the outcome, but......

    Malicron
  • MalicronMalicron Member Posts: 629

    There are elements of risk in the Mage Stronghold (Planar Sphere) as well. It's kind of funny when your apprentices 'Fail' in performing one of the tests. You still get the outcome, but......

    I've had some very lonely graduation ceremonies.
  • the_spyderthe_spyder Member Posts: 5,018
    @Malicron - my most recent play through, graduation was called on account of complete lack of graduating students. We threw a party anyway and toasted the fallen with fireworks from my shiny new staff. :)
    Malicron
  • Oxford_GuyOxford_Guy Member Posts: 3,729
    The Bard one is the most fun IMHO
    JuliusBorisov
  • I like the Cleric and the Ranger strongholds for when I want to speed through Chapter 2 and so don't want to be hanging around waiting for the next event to pop, but when it comes to my enjoyment of actually playing through the stronghold, Bard takes the top spot. Fighter comes in second by virtue of being the only other stronghold with a lengthy plot line.
    stkayeCaptRory
  • CoM_SolaufeinCoM_Solaufein Member Posts: 2,607
    Fighter. I always wanted my own castle.
  • AaronDemonciaAaronDemoncia Member Posts: 31
    Mage, the Thieves guild is most profitable, but money QUICKLY becomes a non-issue and swiftly becomes an irrelivency, where the mages' guild gives items. so yay items ^^
    stkayethe_spyder
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  • DJKajuruDJKajuru Member Posts: 3,300
    Call me old school - I would love to have my own castle.
  • CoM_SolaufeinCoM_Solaufein Member Posts: 2,607
    A man's home is his castle.
  • Xar105Xar105 Member Posts: 112
    bard and mage stronghold are really great too, but thieves stronghold is for me the best.
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    You know, in all the years I've played BG, I've never stuck with one of my bard characters long enough to actually see the play I was producing. Are there different play performances based on the choices you make? (Going cheap vs. putting all your spare gold in, choice of actors, etc.)
    Myxilthrex
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