praise for black pits 2
ChildofBhaal599
Member Posts: 1,781
so because of annoyances like disappearing enemies I decided to get on the black pits 2 before worrying about the campaign. I made my op group and continued into the game, bought my gear and started a match.....
black pits 2 is so much harder than the first! I know I have SCS in, but it feels like more than that. I was getting massacred on the first 2 fights. I would say the only one of the first 4 I didn't have trouble with was the 3rd. then I had to face umber hulks which are my least favorite enemy in this game and I had no door to take advantage of!
I think this will make for good training before I get into the campaign with SCS. It does feel like I am getting exp a little faster we should though. 500000 seems like a bit much and I hate to have to level up everybody out of the area when I have to choose all the spells.
black pits 2 is a good tactical challenge, and I am enjoying it. however if a patch were to come out I would still drop it for the story of BG2
black pits 2 is so much harder than the first! I know I have SCS in, but it feels like more than that. I was getting massacred on the first 2 fights. I would say the only one of the first 4 I didn't have trouble with was the 3rd. then I had to face umber hulks which are my least favorite enemy in this game and I had no door to take advantage of!
I think this will make for good training before I get into the campaign with SCS. It does feel like I am getting exp a little faster we should though. 500000 seems like a bit much and I hate to have to level up everybody out of the area when I have to choose all the spells.
black pits 2 is a good tactical challenge, and I am enjoying it. however if a patch were to come out I would still drop it for the story of BG2
Post edited by ChildofBhaal599 on
6
Comments
We use custom AI scripts for all BP2 creatures so SCS wouldn't do much there.
@ChildofBhaal599
I'm glad you found the battles enjoyable. It should also be noted that all BP2 arena battles adjust to the currently selected game difficulty. I.e. the battles are harder on Core Rules than they are on Normal or Novice.
We use custom AI scripts for all BP2 creatures so SCS wouldn't do much there.
@ChildofBhaal599
I'm glad you found the battles enjoyable. It should also be noted that all BP2 arena battles adjust to the currently selected game difficulty. I.e. the battles are harder on Core Rules than they are on Normal or Novice.
really? I did not know that. lol I am on insane with SCS and I thought the worst I had to deal with was the increase in damage taken, not actually harder battles
I just finished the drow battle now too. It was a real pain with SCS and insane, but it was well worth it when I won. well, except for the fact that after I won it wouldn't continue. It may be because I quicksaved and loaded inside the arena. Later on it may have been delayed or it just glitched but it said it was over before it even started. I just went with it because I already won
One thing I really liked was how this time there's some actual arena atmosphere, with the commentary and the cheers, and that you can hire other fighters as companions. Those are some really nice touches.
offensive spells are useless during this battle, so just make sure you have buffs instead. due to the high MR of the drow they are likely to shrug off your magic if you try. if you don't have a weapon to deal with a magical sword summon, however, magic missiles could come in handy.
The vampire afterwards wasn't nearly as tough, though that may be due to the fact that everything's easier with Lvl9 spells...
For the drow mentioned: the ideal summon to block the path are carrion crawlers put on the narrow part near the platform. They'll get stuck there and permanently block the path, while more capable summons can go the other direction and draw the attention of the drow. The carrion crawlers made a neat blockade for my ranged and casting party members.
I've actually been going through the entire thing insulting and saying that my enemies are no match, getting on his nerves! I didn't even know there are rewards if I were to ask for equipment or something. It is still fun to hear him get mad though
If I could add one thing to BP2, it would be a mode that generates 6 random weapons before each battle and that's all you get (you keep your armor and stuff, but weapons disappear after fights). Some really cool, some really crappy, maybe none your druid or mage can use, maybe none your party is proficient with... and the same happens for the opponents. (And it would add an announcer with a really shiny snakehead-shaped helm. Because.)
also, no bonuses in main game unless you go exporting your character into the main game, but the game would likely be boring with all that experience (unless you are into that kind of thing)
Keeping any spell to keep hits off your party up is important too, stoneskin, iron skin, protection from magical weapons, mirror image. And fight at range to preserve charges. Bum rush the mage though, but its hard because at that point because a pure caster will only have level 8 spells. My inquisitors Dispell and True Seeing became very important in that match (need to fire dispel from a long enough range to not strip your own buffs, and normal dispel / remove magic wont work). Breach is vital, if you don't have a full stock of breach, and later spell strike spells, you are going to be in for a very hard time (anti caster sorcerer is super powerful in here and highly recommended). The thing that makes the drow fight worse is the spell resistance, and also that you wont have time stop and spellstrike yet.
Timestop> Spellstrike > Breach. Timestop > Spellstrike > Breach. Timestop > Spellstrike > Breach, plus a character that single out and destroy the casters like an archer with GWW:
Also in my second game a bounty hunter worked quite well. Untriggered traps remain in the arena till the next battle, but I feel this approach is quite cheesy. For example in the battle with demiliches, one of them was killed by traps immediately at the beginning of the battle, the second one was killed by a spike trap, which I put at my side of the map. The throwable maze traps were also very useful in most of the battles. My easiest fight was with the big clay golem - just timestop -> imprisonement -> game over.
So guys, how did you defeat the two demiliches. Personally I did it with my Berserker alone, alternately I suppose you could use Spell Immunity: Abjuration to protect yourself from the soul trap, I'm just wondering if there are any other ways to do it.
Also did you guys find all the ways to undermine the Hunters? I did the scroll for the golem, poisoned Joker and replaced the efreet with Najiim. But what about the others? I picked up the feathers and glove from The Winged's room, but never figured out what to do with them. And I'm pretty sure you can pit the last two against each other, but I ultimately just killed them in the last fight myself.
Regarding the demiliches. The first time it was quite a mess and I lost half of my party and I also permanently lost one gladiator (the old wizard, forgot his name). I opened with time stop and comets, then I remember my inquisitor using whirlwind with mace of discruption, but he was imprisoned soo after, my druid was using the 7th-level electric disc spell (dont know the name), berserker was firing the short bow of Gesen. One demilich went down, but it still looked like the second one will finish me off, but my fighter/thief saved the day, when he set a spike trap far from the remaining demilich and then I lured the demilich to the trap, which killed him.
I killed both demiliches with spike trap during my second play.
I also liked Black Pits 2 very much and I was pleasantly surprised with it. Good job developers.
I wonder if the chance of getting a strong magic item also depends on your performance in the arena, e.g. bigger chance for winning without loosing any party member, chunking the oponents etc.?
And then the liches are immune to Breach as well, so its not gonna be easy. Seems like Inquisitors are the most useful class to have in here to dispel and use true sight.