Rasaad is the best written with a conflict that feels real and believable, decent questline plus can perform in any party with a damage output and kill ratio comparable to a dual wielding Minsc across whole of SoA and ToB.
Neera is so girlishly annoying and the wild surge thing in the dialogues so over the top (as if they happen with every other spell she casts while in the run they basically had no influence on the gameplay...) that my toenails curl.
Dork is just stupid evil and again completely over the top.
Hexxat is just a wasted opportunity (enough has been discussed on this issue...)
Well, Keldorn sort of killed both Dorn and Hexxat for me so haven't tried them yet on this playthrough. I don't really like how they both seem a little too..."big" in the scheme of things (working for who they do, etc) whch I find offputting, but next time I'll pick them both up. Otherwise can't comment as I didn't want evil people this time round.
Neera - imo too "modern", nice character but her rage fits and Valley talk annoyed me a bit. And I was a sorceress this run so...eh, two full mages seemed wasteful. I probably didn't use her to her potential and would like to.
Rasaad - seemed to fit in the best with his plot and was interesting as a character. And lv 15 onwards was a lot of fun in a party . Romance seems adorable thus far too
Neera wins this one for me; she's charming and her questline is fun, though I've only actually done the BG2 portion. I like her enough that I almost made a male charname... almost. Not quite though.
Dorn is too cartoonishly evil for me; he has good qualities, but I can't bring myself to see most of them because I can't use him.
Rasaad seems great but I haven't seen enough because I got impatient in BG1 and haven't... done his stuff in BG2 yet.
Hexxat I want to make my favorite, and she's well-done and interesting, but I can't quite forgive her being the only f/f romance option available and not being my taste--so she gets the Anomen flak.
Ugh, Neera is intolerable for me. I got part of the way through BG1 with her before ditching her for Baeloth (Who i'd have much preferred as an NPC in BG2). I'm about to ATTEMPT putting her in a party again, if she doesn't drive me insane (OH COME ON! Who just tips water barrels over in the street?). Why the hell is there a Californian surfer/stoner dude in the wild mage camp? It's all just very silly.
Rasaad seems ok so far, but I've played through with a monk before as my PC, so all Rasaad gives me is gimped stats.
I don't mind Dorn, even though the idea of being able to slaughter the radiant heart seems way over the top. At least he seems to fit the BG universe.
Hexxat well.. I didn't mind her to start off with, but her character seems dull and the tomb quests are annoying. Also I just had to reload because she started bitching at me after I'd travelled to Spellhold that we need to do "L's" stupid quest. She's a beast backstabbing people with celestial fury though.
Soooo basically, I don't think any of them are particularly good. But if I had to choose I'd go with Dorn.
I quite like both Neera and Rasaad (I have them both in my party right now; we're currently in Saradush, and so haven't done their ToB quests yet). However, Rasaad seems to fit into the setting better than Neera, so I voted for him. Also, I don't like the way Neera's storyline treats wild magic as a kind of 'innate' talent (wild mages are not sorcerers!). Nonetheless, I've enjoyed her quests and dialogues, and especially liked the 'twist' with Bodhi.
I've done Dorn's quest in BGEE, which I quite enjoyed, and really dig his voice. But I haven't done any of his SoA or ToB quests, as he just did not fit in with the party at that point. I did the first two of Hexxat's quests, but dropped her after that, as I wanted Mazzy in the group. I'm somewhat neutral on her based on that experience (neither liked her nor loathed her).
Gonna be honest. I wanted to like Neera. I really did. But she just stuck out like a sore thumb. Her whole character was way too modern in a setting where that doesn't fly. I hate to say it, but she almost felt like a mod character as opposed to a 'semi'-official character.
Half of her scenes reminded me of that Imoen mod playthrough I watched a few years back, where CHARNAME and Imoen suddenly pulled ****ing guitars out of their backpacks. So I couldn't really like her. The fact that she's yet another elf-blooded romance in a game that has nothing else (Seriously, I suspect CHARNAME has a fetish at this point) didn't help matters.
I haven't used the others, so it doesn't feel fair to judge them.
Gonna be honest. I wanted to like Neera. I really did. But she just stuck out like a sore thumb. Her whole character was way too modern in a setting where that doesn't fly. I hate to say it, but she almost felt like a mod character as opposed to a 'semi'-official character.
Half of her scenes reminded me of that Imoen mod playthrough I watched a few years back, where CHARNAME and Imoen suddenly pulled ****ing guitars out of their backpacks. So I couldn't really like her. The fact that she's yet another elf-blooded romance in a game that has nothing else (Seriously, I suspect CHARNAME has a fetish at this point) didn't help matters.
Half-elf... as if it matters at all. At least she's not a healer, but I would have preferred a human option. I would have probably liked Neera more in another setting, but I agree she comes across too modern too much of the time.
So... oh, I haven't voted yet I think. I'll vote Rassaad; I think he fits in best. Oh, turns out I did already vote for Neera. Must have been tired, or she was the only one I'd played with at that point, so I'm changing my vote. Dorn's brand of evil just gets very boring, and Hexxat only works with an evil party, which I rarely play.
Hexxat I want to make my favorite, and she's well-done and interesting, but I can't quite forgive her being the only f/f romance option available and not being my taste--so she gets the Anomen flak.
I have a similar problem with Dorn. It's the only m/m romance and almost comically spot on for what's not my type. I thought I'd finally discover the appeal of romances, but it's just not working and I find myself enjoying my lady Blackguard romancing Anomen much more than any of Dorn's romance talks in BG2.
The other quite surprising twist for me is that I actually like Rasaad in BG2. I never even completed his quest in BG1; the most I did was drag him around up to level 6/midgame and then give up and ditch him for Faldorn or Quayle. I had no intentions to pick him up in BG2 either and mostly looked forward to the all evil party, until my familiar sent me a screenshot of the beholder helm from Rasaad's quest. Obviously, I wanted it. Now I have it, and I also still have Rasaad in my party because he's mechanically a lot better due to the higher level, his dialogues are not annoying or even boring (and he gets bonus points for addressing Edwin's weird hood/still being dressed as a Red Wizard) and he apparently doesn't clash with any of the evil NPCs. While it makes sense that Hexxat and Dorn inspire much controversy, I also find it a bit of a pity that they are no options for a mixed party. In BG1, I would have liked to take Ajantis along sometimes, simply because I rarely did so in the past, but he usually ended up killing someone and was no option. Sometimes, I really like mixed parties for the change of dialogue and party dynamics - I quite like Alora and Kivan and have often also taken Yeslick and Coran - and with fewer NPCs in BG2, many party combinations are not possible at all.
True, but the other thread says best NPC, whereas this one says favorite.
IMO, Dorn is the best NPC in terms of quality/efficiency (and I voted as such in the other thread), but Neera is my favorite because of her personality and unpredictability, plus I usually play a good-aligned party and I like her storyline arc better.
While I haven't jumped into 2ee yet, I like all the new characters but its a toss up. I like Rashaad for role playing reasons. His va does en excellent job, his quest is interesting and is an all around likeable character (in bgee though really under powered). From a mechanics standpoint though, I like Neera the most. Wild Mages are just so much fun to play around with. I usually take both of them.
For me Hexxat hands down. Who doesn't love a sexy evil lesbian vampire thief with a dusky, sensual voice? Plus I've found she's actually not extreme evil. She didn't want to become a vampire, and she tries her best to get along with the good-aligned party members. Neera belongs in the 1990's. Dorn is too extreme evil, I can only use him on an evil run-through with guys like Korgan and Edwin (which is fun). Rasaaad....blaaaaa
Awww...well Rasaad just got even more bonus points from me. His romance is so cute, I find men that don't take themselves too seriously adorable. I am so glad I dumped Anomen for him lol (I like Ano mechanically, but wow his ego could fuel a plant. Or ten. And big planets at that!)
Might try the Hexxat romance next time with an evil playthrough (I wanted to pick a male character but...eh, whatever).
Neera, i have never EVERY laughed so hard during a game then when i was with neera and in the wild forest, if you've not done her quest save your game, stop what ever your doing and go do that quest....NOW!!!!....OH and bring as many spell casters with you
Rasaad is adorable. I'm sorry, but he is. I'm not sure I could seriously enter a relationship with someone that, well, naive, but my CHARNAME's certainly could. And I like his quests the most out of everyones- some tough fights, some introspection, an opportunity to change Rasaad's life for the better at the cost of losing him... good stuff.
Comments
Neera is so girlishly annoying and the wild surge thing in the dialogues so over the top (as if they happen with every other spell she casts while in the run they basically had no influence on the gameplay...) that my toenails curl.
Dork is just stupid evil and again completely over the top.
Hexxat is just a wasted opportunity (enough has been discussed on this issue...)
Neera - imo too "modern", nice character but her rage fits and Valley talk annoyed me a bit. And I was a sorceress this run so...eh, two full mages seemed wasteful. I probably didn't use her to her potential and would like to.
Rasaad - seemed to fit in the best with his plot and was interesting as a character. And lv 15 onwards was a lot of fun in a party
Dorn is too cartoonishly evil for me; he has good qualities, but I can't bring myself to see most of them because I can't use him.
Rasaad seems great but I haven't seen enough because I got impatient in BG1 and haven't... done his stuff in BG2 yet.
Hexxat I want to make my favorite, and she's well-done and interesting, but I can't quite forgive her being the only f/f romance option available and not being my taste--so she gets the Anomen flak.
Rasaad seems ok so far, but I've played through with a monk before as my PC, so all Rasaad gives me is gimped stats.
I don't mind Dorn, even though the idea of being able to slaughter the radiant heart seems way over the top. At least he seems to fit the BG universe.
Hexxat well.. I didn't mind her to start off with, but her character seems dull and the tomb quests are annoying. Also I just had to reload because she started bitching at me after I'd travelled to Spellhold that we need to do "L's" stupid quest. She's a beast backstabbing people with celestial fury though.
Soooo basically, I don't think any of them are particularly good. But if I had to choose I'd go with Dorn.
I've done Dorn's quest in BGEE, which I quite enjoyed, and really dig his voice. But I haven't done any of his SoA or ToB quests, as he just did not fit in with the party at that point. I did the first two of Hexxat's quests, but dropped her after that, as I wanted Mazzy in the group. I'm somewhat neutral on her based on that experience (neither liked her nor loathed her).
Half of her scenes reminded me of that Imoen mod playthrough I watched a few years back, where CHARNAME and Imoen suddenly pulled ****ing guitars out of their backpacks. So I couldn't really like her. The fact that she's yet another elf-blooded romance in a game that has nothing else (Seriously, I suspect CHARNAME has a fetish at this point) didn't help matters.
I haven't used the others, so it doesn't feel fair to judge them.
So... oh, I haven't voted yet I think. I'll vote Rassaad; I think he fits in best. Oh, turns out I did already vote for Neera. Must have been tired, or she was the only one I'd played with at that point, so I'm changing my vote. Dorn's brand of evil just gets very boring, and Hexxat only works with an evil party, which I rarely play.
The other quite surprising twist for me is that I actually like Rasaad in BG2. I never even completed his quest in BG1; the most I did was drag him around up to level 6/midgame and then give up and ditch him for Faldorn or Quayle. I had no intentions to pick him up in BG2 either and mostly looked forward to the all evil party, until my familiar sent me a screenshot of the beholder helm from Rasaad's quest. Obviously, I wanted it. Now I have it, and I also still have Rasaad in my party because he's mechanically a lot better due to the higher level, his dialogues are not annoying or even boring (and he gets bonus points for addressing Edwin's weird hood/still being dressed as a Red Wizard) and he apparently doesn't clash with any of the evil NPCs.
While it makes sense that Hexxat and Dorn inspire much controversy, I also find it a bit of a pity that they are no options for a mixed party. In BG1, I would have liked to take Ajantis along sometimes, simply because I rarely did so in the past, but he usually ended up killing someone and was no option. Sometimes, I really like mixed parties for the change of dialogue and party dynamics - I quite like Alora and Kivan and have often also taken Yeslick and Coran - and with fewer NPCs in BG2, many party combinations are not possible at all.
IMO, Dorn is the best NPC in terms of quality/efficiency (and I voted as such in the other thread), but Neera is my favorite because of her personality and unpredictability, plus I usually play a good-aligned party and I like her storyline arc better.
Might try the Hexxat romance next time with an evil playthrough (I wanted to pick a male character but...eh, whatever).