Mine can be quite variable.. For instance, I always choose my weapons based on my idea of a character or class: -I can't let archers use anything other than longbows. -I don't like thieves having anything that can't be easily hidden about their person (no longswords, no staves, no big choppy scimitars). -A Ranger will always have a longbow, q'staff (his walking stick - in my head this is his unstrung bow), one handed sword (or sometimes axe) & dagger. -Polearms (halberds & spears) are for guards and troops, not heroes/ villains. -Flails & morning stars are for nutjob berserkers & barbarians. -No two-handers for shorties -If dual-wielding, the off-hand weapon must be smaller/lighter than main hand.
And most importantly, I'll break any of these rules if I think of a character concept that *really* warrants it. (eg: a CN gnome barbarian who uses his t-h-sword by spinning like a top and hanging on for dear life!)
That said... Once I've picked my weapons, I'm damn sure going to go get the best ones out there asap, so there's some metagaming.
I always try to put myself in the shoes of my characters, but I'm not all too fussed about alignment. Just like I can work with people I don't agree with in RL, my good-aligned characters can travel with Edwin and Viconia. In fact, the greater good is probably served better by them being with me where I can control them and utilize their considerable skills to help others.
And it makes as much sense from the side of the NPCs. Following charname they'll become some of the wealthiest and most powerful beings in the Realms; without him they rarely amount to much (serving under a dipshit like Mae'Var or being burned alive, in this case). I'd like to think they're able to feel where their destinies lie.
Things I tend to do to RP:
- Never resting more than once every 24 hours unless special circumstances call for it, and never traveling the map more than ~16-20 hours before stopping to rest.
- Never using potions during battle - it always struck me as too weird and game:y to find time in the middle of a fight to uncork a potion bottle and drink it down.
- No pre-buffing for battles my characters can't see coming. And even when they can, no excessive buffing. 2-3 potions+spells at the most, and no haste.
- No tactics that take advantage of the limited AI like summoning spam or los abuse. Part of the RP is to only utilize approaches that might actually work if a DM was present to control the opponents. The one exception to this tends to be Rahvin's party in the Undercity that I usually just fireball bomb as I feel they break the pacing to the final battle.
- I also tend to go for "cinematic" encounters, Like when I fight Sarevok it has to be charname facing him one on one in the end, preferrably after he's taken out a few party members. If Kivan is there he obviously goes for Tazok one on one until one of them dies.
Very much, although I'd like it if there were a feeew more options with dialogue... I will play a personality down to the hilt.
I do other stuff too. Like, like, like, sometimes, uhh, sometimes, I'll enforce minimum ability score requirements! Usually using the most severe from AD&D 1st Edition or AD&D 2nd Edition.
Cleric, Fighter, Magic-User, Thief: None. -If I feel like roleplaying somebody as a speciality priest, I'll be editing files left and right and ability scores will look wonky as all what. Barbarian:Unearthed Arcana (1985) ability score restrictions. Bard: Single-handed weapons, only~ Paladin: Intelligence 9, too. I also follow the rules about them only being allowed to carry a certain amount of magic items, and wanting to wear the coolest-looking armor. So, like, my Paladin will wear plate armor, and pass a suit of +3 chain mail to Minsc, or something. -Trust me, if I could give them Magic-User spells like in AD&D 1st Edition, I would. Ranger: Intelligence 13, in addition to the other requirements. also Unearthed Arcana (1985) rules regarding weapon proficiencies (I think it's fair, since I get two points in "SCREW YOU TWO WEAPONS"). Multi-Classed Warriors: I like to wait until 3rd Level in a Warrior class to specialize in a weapon. Kits: If a kit has other requirements, I will totally go by them.
Dwarves, Gnomes, and Halflings only get to use single-handed weapons. Sort of like the Fields of the Dead mod.
In addition to this, in real life, I enjoy playing with scars I've acquired.
Since almost the entire content of chapter 2 in Shadows of Amn contradicts every reasonable roleplaying decision from character's point of view I cannot, in good conscience, say that I am very strict roleplayer. I would miss much of it's fantastic content, unfortunately.
But I try to roleplay my dialogue options - even if sometimes I know the results are going to be less than optimal.
I didn't choose option 1 because it states I would never travel with NPCs as an element of full-on RPing. Why would one not form a party in a roleplaying approach? Roleplaying means you try to imagine what the character would do in that world, as that person. Of course I would form a party if I was coping with such dangerous circumstances! ;P
But I think it is also true that in order to survive in such a hostile world as the BG games, if it was really happening, almost anyone would strive to figure out the smartest tactics to defeat various enemies. Survival is all about using one's wits to make use of every resource available.
I usually try to avoid meta-game knowledge and exploits simply to increase the tactical challenge.
Even if the poll option was not cut off... Not letting NPCs of opposite alignment join the party is pure metagaming, since charname can't know their alignment and only guess after travelling with them for a while. Even a paladin with Detect Evil could not know if someone is good or neutral, and it would depend what the NPC reveals about themself to make a guess. There's also no way to detect the lawful-chaotic part of alignment, and that may be more a concern for a party leader than the good-evil axis. For example, I can see a lawful good character get along fine with Kagain - he's lawful, too and doesn't ring any murder-slaughter-kill-innocents bells. His mercenary business and introduction suggests his last assignment was to protect a caravan, something even a paladin can get on board with. Someone like Neera or Safana may conflict more with charname's idea of how things should be done.
Comments
-I can't let archers use anything other than longbows.
-I don't like thieves having anything that can't be easily hidden about their person (no longswords, no staves, no big choppy scimitars).
-A Ranger will always have a longbow, q'staff (his walking stick - in my head this is his unstrung bow), one handed sword (or sometimes axe) & dagger.
-Polearms (halberds & spears) are for guards and troops, not heroes/ villains.
-Flails & morning stars are for nutjob berserkers & barbarians.
-No two-handers for shorties
-If dual-wielding, the off-hand weapon must be smaller/lighter than main hand.
And most importantly, I'll break any of these rules if I think of a character concept that *really* warrants it. (eg: a CN gnome barbarian who uses his t-h-sword by spinning like a top and hanging on for dear life!)
That said... Once I've picked my weapons, I'm damn sure going to go get the best ones out there asap, so there's some metagaming.
And it makes as much sense from the side of the NPCs. Following charname they'll become some of the wealthiest and most powerful beings in the Realms; without him they rarely amount to much (serving under a dipshit like Mae'Var or being burned alive, in this case). I'd like to think they're able to feel where their destinies lie.
Things I tend to do to RP:
- Never resting more than once every 24 hours unless special circumstances call for it, and never traveling the map more than ~16-20 hours before stopping to rest.
- Never using potions during battle - it always struck me as too weird and game:y to find time in the middle of a fight to uncork a potion bottle and drink it down.
- No pre-buffing for battles my characters can't see coming. And even when they can, no excessive buffing. 2-3 potions+spells at the most, and no haste.
- No tactics that take advantage of the limited AI like summoning spam or los abuse. Part of the RP is to only utilize approaches that might actually work if a DM was present to control the opponents. The one exception to this tends to be Rahvin's party in the Undercity that I usually just fireball bomb as I feel they break the pacing to the final battle.
- I also tend to go for "cinematic" encounters, Like when I fight Sarevok it has to be charname facing him one on one in the end, preferrably after he's taken out a few party members. If Kivan is there he obviously goes for Tazok one on one until one of them dies.
I do other stuff too. Like, like, like, sometimes, uhh, sometimes, I'll enforce minimum ability score requirements! Usually using the most severe from AD&D 1st Edition or AD&D 2nd Edition.
-If I feel like roleplaying somebody as a speciality priest, I'll be editing files left and right and ability scores will look wonky as all what.
Barbarian: Unearthed Arcana (1985) ability score restrictions.
Bard: Single-handed weapons, only~
Paladin: Intelligence 9, too. I also follow the rules about them only being allowed to carry a certain amount of magic items, and wanting to wear the coolest-looking armor. So, like, my Paladin will wear plate armor, and pass a suit of +3 chain mail to Minsc, or something.
-Trust me, if I could give them Magic-User spells like in AD&D 1st Edition, I would.
Ranger: Intelligence 13, in addition to the other requirements. also Unearthed Arcana (1985) rules regarding weapon proficiencies (I think it's fair, since I get two points in "SCREW YOU TWO WEAPONS").
Multi-Classed Warriors: I like to wait until 3rd Level in a Warrior class to specialize in a weapon.
Kits: If a kit has other requirements, I will totally go by them.
Dwarves, Gnomes, and Halflings only get to use single-handed weapons. Sort of like the Fields of the Dead mod.
In addition to this, in real life, I enjoy playing with scars I've acquired.
But I try to roleplay my dialogue options - even if sometimes I know the results are going to be less than optimal.
But I think it is also true that in order to survive in such a hostile world as the BG games, if it was really happening, almost anyone would strive to figure out the smartest tactics to defeat various enemies. Survival is all about using one's wits to make use of every resource available.
I usually try to avoid meta-game knowledge and exploits simply to increase the tactical challenge.
For example, I can see a lawful good character get along fine with Kagain - he's lawful, too and doesn't ring any murder-slaughter-kill-innocents bells. His mercenary business and introduction suggests his last assignment was to protect a caravan, something even a paladin can get on board with. Someone like Neera or Safana may conflict more with charname's idea of how things should be done.