Am i progressing the story/leveling correctly
Orie
Member Posts: 15
I am a lvl 1 fighter who has just reached Nashkel after dying like 10 times i cant help but feel like im doing something wrong i'm not new to RPGs or DnD so i feel fairly sure I've built a sturdy character but i cant help but feel like it should not have been this desperate a struggle i couldnt even kill the damn spiders in that mans house do i need to restart? have i missed low lvl quests around Beregost or Friendly arm inn that should have leveled me to lvl 2 at least?
0
Comments
1) Equipment
2) Levels
3) Allies
If you're rolling into Nashkel at level one you've neglected something somewhere. People have done all sorts of challange runs, like Solo Game. No Reloads. Low Level Runs. Whatever. Those aren't for new players and most people wouldn't find those sort of games enjoyable. I'm adding this bit in just so we all have a common frame of reference here.
Playing the game for the first time, you should've been recruiting people to help you, talking to people, doing quests, exploring the countryside, etc.
Baldur's Gate doesn't hand hold like most games do now. You need to look at your character's circumstances and figure out the best way to go foreward. In this case, he needs to increase his own power base so he can deal with the assassins and other nastyness. The game doesn't come out and say "Go get Joias' Ring from the Hobgoblins at the Friendly Arm Inn" unless you go into her house and talk to her. The game is FILLED with hidden stuff to do, kill, and loot.
As a relative beginner of the computer game, it might be best to follow the strategy of questioning everyone, knocking on every door and carefully exploring each map you are on. When your characters take much damage or some of your spells are consumed, then retreat to the FAI or Beregost, rest, memorize your spells and equip if necessary, then return and continue exploring. Your character's experience and equipment and tactics will grow, and you will eventually be able to take on and survive in the riskier areas.
How is your party equipped? Early on missile weapons are your best friend as fighters simply don't have the HP to take more than a few hits and casters don't have enough interesting spells to be useful so make sure you buy some slings for the mages.
You made it to Nashkel = your followers should be happy, right? You can go back and finish the whole maps between nashkel and Friendly arms inn, I am pretty sure this will bring your party level to lvl 2. You will probably need at least that before you go for the mines.
Have fun
Explore a bit in and around Beregost. Don't stray too far into the woods. There are small quests in Beregost that give you some XP and better items and they are suited for level 1 parties. Depending on the direction you head into the woods, you may meet enemies that might be too strong for you at this time. A level 2 full party should be able to handle the main quests; there's no need to grind to higher levels at this point.
Equipment is Soooooo important in this game. More important than levels to some degree.
How many levels would a soldier need to kill a tank on his own? Now give him a anti-tank weapon or a sack of grenades and his odds go up sharply. This would be comparable to a wand of paralyzation or a necklace of fireballs.
One heavily armoured tank with great constitution/dex if you can, fighters using Ranged combat, the arcane spell sleep, blindness or spook. A cleric or healing potions. A thief and some stealth for scouting ahead. the biggest one Equipment+ consumables, if you can find good equipment on your travels then you will be the hot knife that cuts through the butter of the forgotten realms.
If you need more help, let me know; I don't want to include spoilers yet without you asking specifically for them.
I will say this -- normally, my playthroughs go like this:
* Friendly Arm Inn (plus its subquests)
* Beregost (plus its easier subquests)
* The easier Nashkel-area subquests
-- Around this time, I am easily Level 2 possibly even Level 3 depending on what character I'm playing...some characters level up faster than others.
* The other Nashkel-area subquests (including Minsc's subquest)
Then, there is a natural breaking point...you can do more in the southern side of the map (lots of subquests), or you can stay on the main path. I usually stay on the main path until Chapter 5, then do a lot of the subquests all at once...but for a first playthrough, it is probably easier to stay on the south side of the map and do some of the quests at that time before continuing on the main path...sprinkling in some subquests, and noting locations of some that are too difficult so you can return later.
What character are you playing? *FOR A NEWBIE*, a fighter-type class (fighter/barbarian/paladin/darklord) is probably the easiest to play...although for me personally, I prefer mage classes. Mages may be the hardest class for a newbie at low levels though...they have low HP and level up real slow. It certainly can be done your first playthrough (I did it that way my first time through because I find the class that much fun), but it will require a bit more patience at the beginning, and more deaths.
BG is a unique game. It is the perfect cross between exploration and RPG. A lot of RPGs today depend on you specifically following the game prompts to succeed. BG almost encourages getting distracted. The more distracted you get from the main quest, the more RPG opportunities you have, and the better off you are in most cases.
Beware, though, because sometimes, if you don't do an NPC's quest within a given amount of time, that NPC will leave the party, depending on the NPC. This is specific to NPCs only, unless a quest actually gives you a time frame in which to complete it. Those quests will specifically give you 10 days, or another specific time frame, so you can easily determine that that quest should be done soon. But, if you don't do it, oh well--you just don't gain the reward. All the other quests that go something like this: "Please, you must help us NOW!!!! or we will all die NOW!!!!!" can be completed at your leisure.
If ever you find a quest that is too hard, just come back later.
Be distracted in this game, lose focus on the main point. This AD&D game favors people with ADD.
After that, whenever the main story line points the party in a new direction, I assume that the scroll also gives a date which is more like ten days from now when the opponents expect to be there. I use the extra time in side quests or exploring nearby locations in order to help build up the party's experience and equipment for the next main encounter.