Are any of you chronically unable to finish the game?

Lathlaer

Don't get me wrong: I have finished both BG1 and BG2+ToB. But not many times. The thing is though, that I played the second (since it's by far my most favorite) countless of times without finishing it.

Now, it's like a disease. I cannot finish it - chapters 2 and 3 of SoA is my favorites and I absolutely hate endings. Going to Suldanesselar is a clear sign of ending approaching because ToB is so short. So I have my blade at level 31 in Watcher's Keep and I'm already thinking about my next character. Then I leave the character and start a new one. I'm right next to Balthazar's monastery and I'm constantly thinking about other combinations of characters, mods, party organization. I just can't stop thinking.

I started yet again with some other mods to spice things up but I fear that I won't be able to finish it.

And the funny thing? I don't regret it in the slightest.

Do any of you have a similar pattern?

Shin

Definitely similar. I'm also capable of finishing, but I certainly start more playthroughs than I finish. For me as well it's more about the concept of endings than having anything to do with character development curves or a preference for the early game (I actually in many ways prefer the later sections). I just invest so much (immersion-wise) into every playthrough that I don't really want it to end. This in turn reduces my motivation somewhat when I know there's not that much longer to go.

In BG1 I play rather meticulously, exploring every area, opening every container etc even though most of that stuff don't have any long-term consequences - I just feel like there's so much game and such an adventure ahead of me that it's important to get everything just the way I want it. In ToB while clearing Abazigal's lair or similar, it's much easier to think 'the game will be over soon, why bother doing all this carefully, Abazigal is just like a stepping-stone to the end credits anyway, might as well just get it over with quickly' - which is a terrible shame, as I actually enjoy the ToB combat encounters a lot.

Still, it's a sporadic feeling. There are playthroughs I thoroughly enjoy all the way to the end as well.

Bigfish

I can't seem to finish BG1 this time around, but I'm a chronic Ironman challenge player who keeps getting killed by random dumb things or taking too many risks at low level. Sometimes it's a lightning bolt from Silke, some times a random cleric gets off a hold person if I'm not an undead hunter, or a fear if I'm not fear immune. One time it was to the Ankheg wizard on shandelar's island.

Heindrich

I probably have the opposite pattern. It's not that I always complete games... if I am no longer enjoying a game, I do give up, like I got bored of Diablo 2 somewhere in Act 4 Normal. However, my initial instinct and intention is always to complete a game once I start it. I prefer life to be ordered and 'unfinished business' bugs me a little, even if not enough to compel me to do something I do not enjoy.

In BG, since finding out about the game in June, I got to Chapter 5 in BG 1 Vanilla before giving up, partly cos I bought BG EE, and partly cos I screwed up my party by mis-assigning Imoen's thief skills, so unless I cheated, I'd have never been able to do Durlag's Tower.

So I rolled a new Charname with BG EE, and I've taken him into ToB and clocked about 200 hrs of gameplay thus far, recording my first LP with the SoA and ToB. Even though BG EE has received the v1.2 patch, and BG 2EE has been released, I do not intend to start a full BG EE to BG 2EE singleplayer playthrough until I finish my current run.

I guess I am the opposite to you in terms of experimentation. I am driven primarily by roleplay and a desire to create an interesting story/experience, rather than the mechanics of the gameplay. Thus I tend to pick one character/theme/faction and stick with it almost exclusively. So in Diablo 3, literally 99% of my 550 hours of gameplay was with Wizards. Of that, about 90% was invested in a SC main guy, and 10% in a HC wizard-girl, which allowed me to really focus my resources and be a very effective wizard specialist. I only had a Demon Hunter and a Barbarian as inventory/trading mules.

In BG, I can never imagine myself playing a evil playthrough, or using Dwarf, Halfling or Gnome Charnames, and only Sorcerer, Mage, Fighter and Kensai (or some MC or DC combo of the above) really appeals to me. Normally I'd like Paladins too, but in D&D lore, they seem to be religious zealots.

moody_mage

I still haven't finished ToB. Gaining HLAs just destroys the games for me. I'm going to finish it this time for sure though.

Lathlaer

@Heindrich1988 Thanks for reminding me of another reason of my constant changes. I don't change slight details - the characters usually vary greatly because there is usually a spark - I don't know, maybe a movie, a book or a picture I've seen - that pushes me to start a completely different thematically character. Mostly I change between spellcasters and fighters

jackjack

Yes. I'm bound and determined this time!

Lathlaer

jackjack said:

Yes. I'm bound and determined this time!

And I'm sure you will be as bound and as determined...next time

Durlag_Thunderaxe

Unlike weak and unreliable groundlings, we honourable dwarves never break an oath once made, AND we have the constitution to see it through to the end!

the_spyder

I only ever recently finished BG1. I had gotten all the way to the temple, but never completed the final battle until about 2 months ago, despite having played the game probably 2 dozen times. Maybe i did it once way back when the game first came out, but generally I get to the temple entrance and quit.

Same with BG2. I have gotten all the way to hell, but never able to finish the final battle. I would always simply save at the past possible moment, export my character along with all of the equipment, and then start a game of ToB. This most recent play through, i achieved both goals and killed both Saravok and Irenicus.

Yeah me.... (I am a terrible player, but still enjoy the game immensely), yet I could not finish ToB. I can't get past Draconis, or at least I can kill him, but it takes so much effort that I give up. Maybe someday I will do it. But not having done that doesn't make me any less interested in playing the game.

I do have a tendency to have re-rollitice. Though I invariably end up with the same character. Funny that.

Pantalion

Oh definitely.

BG2:EE - Had around six characters so far.

Completed SoA once.
Not even touched ToB yet.

I just don't have the motivation anymore if I'm not running an RP game full of self-imposed restrictions to keep things fresh. I'll probably finish getting the last of the SoA EE NPC content and then just go back to my "main" character again for ToB without completing things. Again.

chbrooks

I have completed the whole saga exactly once. I'm currently stuck in a pattern of getting to the end of the Nashkel area quests before restarting.

I play basically the same character every time, but the sheer number of choices in companions, ethical decisions, and order of quests tends to get me restarting frequently to try a different approach.

GemHound

I have never except for once been able to bring myself to kill off Irenicus, My first playthrough of the EE has been in Suldanessellar for 2 weeks since I really like prolonging Irenicus's life, since ToB was just that terrible for me.

reedmilfam

I'm horrible for re-starting. First, because I think of things that would be nice for to be able to do. It's usually to a kit/class that is less vulnerable to what was killed and/or incapacitated by. Sometimes, it also includes a gender change of because I envision a character and make him/her and go forth.

Also, a lot of the fights in BG are cheese-based (the bad guys use cheese) and that's unfun for me. I think it is my only criticism of the game - I don't want enemies that are invulnerable to all but a few weapons with a hidden attribute that shows in code but not in game (think islands) and (my opinion) nonsense like that. I'd love the books we find to have lore to name things that are good against certain enemies and the like (if you had a Monster Manual, you'd know the sorts of things I'm talking about) - such as resistances for slimes, etc. Not that the uberNet doesn't make up for this, for there are articles to overcome any demon. I'd just like the game to do this.

I don't remember ToB being horrid, but it was sort of just a long boss fight for me. High level monks do well in that phase (or did for me) because of low saves and high MR. I had far more trouble with dragons, actually, and had to resort to cheese (cheese most foul, actually) to get rid of the red-tinged one that mocked me muchly...

tennisgolfboll

I do this to but my chars are almost the same which makes it even funnier

mylegbig

I have a hard time getting through ToB. The last time I actually beat it was probably... at least 5 years ago. My last ToB save has just been sitting there for 3 months now because SCS+Ascension ToB was just frustrating me to no end. So many spells and special abilities get thrown around that combat just becomes a chore.

Funny thing is that even though I greatly prefer BG2 over BG1, I beat BG:EE 4 times this year. It's a pretty easy game to beat/play through casually since there isn't much to do in most of the areas, which is also my criticism of the game. BG2 has dungeons/areas that take a lot of dedication and time, so I don't find myself playing it unless I know that I can put aside a couple of hours, which I often can't.

ReadingRambo

I had this problem for years, and I was finally able to cure it with this bg ee 2 playthrough I'm on. I've gotten way farther than I usually do.

I would always play good and end up gravitating towards the same npcs. Now I'm fully committed to an evil party and I'm loving it! Everything feels very fresh, especially with hexxat and Dorns new quests.

booinyoureyes

I have four characters in chapters 2 or 3 right now

Dragonspear

1 Character in Chapter 2 of BG2EE (Wizard Slayer =/)

1 Character at the start of BG2EE (Blade that I wanna re-do)

2 Characters at the start of BGEE (Fighter Cleric for a canon party, and Fighter Mage for an evil canon party).

1 Character waiting for a reroll in BGEE (Blade)

I also really wanna redo my stalker (I Consider it more fun than an archer), Cavalier, Fighter/Thief and redo my archer that I accidentally deleted. Oh and my own Invoker playthrough. Actually Considering an Invoker/Cleric but I'm not sure I wanna keeper it. Might actually do like Fighter 3 or something Invoker to help simulate a wannabe War Wizard of Cormyr.

enneract

restartitis. yep.

Night_Watch

the forum has a thread for those who need help. it hasn't been active for a while though so i'm not sure if the doctor is still in
http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/20842/chronic-restarting-detox-camp/p1
=p

Skaffen

Guilty as charged.

Kaltzor

I mostly find myself somewhat hating the game as I go on to ToB because fights stop being actually hard and just throw instant death and/or infinite respawns at you...

And the lack of fun in that makes me want to go back to SoA, and having just beaten SoA I don't feel like going right back at it.

recklessheart

I don't restart - I leave several months between playthroughs so that when I do play, I'll go from start to finish. I sympathise though: the raising money section of BG2 is easily the best bit, as the many quests available in the city and in the surrounding lands are just so well done. I'm always sure to finish it through to the end, although by the halfway point through ToB there is a distinct difference in how frequently I find the time to load up the game as to when I was in BG1 & SoA.

kaffekoppen

OP: I have the exact same thing you do. Alt-itis or whatever you want to call it. It doesn't just happen in this game either.

It's not so much a problem in BG1 for me though because you can export to BG2. So you're still "in the beginning somehow".

Wanderon

I love creating characters and designing parties as much as I enjoy playing them in the game - maybe more so - I have about 100 characters I have created since I got BGEE (and I imported them all into BG2EE) but I haven't gone beyond cloakwood in BGEE and have yet to get out of chap 2 in SOA so far.

I have finished both games (vanilla) a few times but for me it's always been the journey and whether or not I get out of chapter 1 or I go much farther it's still great fun for me.

As a matter of fact I haven't played for a few days and my last party is about to do the unseeing eye and I was just thinking I might start a new group instead and "get back to the other later" (which rarely occurs LOL)

JTM

I really have trouble playing through to the end with the vanilla game (BG2EE-ToB). The reason is my ocd kicks in and I don't like leaving an npc's quest undone or romance not tried or a stronghold not gained. Of course, you're not intended to have all these things at one time with regular rp. So, I end up modding the game for happy party, romance multiple and stronghold multiple... power-gaming all the way. It's not a satisfying rp experience, but my ocd doesn't kick in so bad as I feel more is complete and I can usually make it through to the end... I'm hopeless lol

kryptix

I find that once I Max out power wise and start finding the game too easy I get bored even though I know 1-2 fights at the end might still be hard with scs etc, but between being demigod in SOA and the end of TOB it's not very interesting or I have a chat like my current f/m that steamrolls when I'm buffed but struggles a lot against some trash packs when I don't, for example liches.

nano

reedmilfam said:

I don't remember ToB being horrid, but it was sort of just a long boss fight for me. High level monks do well in that phase (or did for me) because of low saves and high MR. I had far more trouble with dragons, actually, and had to resort to cheese (cheese most foul, actually) to get rid of the red-tinged one that mocked me muchly...

Yeah, I have a party parked in front of Firkraag because I have no idea how to beat him (somewhat fairly) but I refuse to leave without Carsomyr. I try not to start a new game because I know that means my old one will linger there forever, so I've been playing BG1 again in the meantime...

Schneidend

I usually have trouble finishing BG1, and cheerily breeze through BG2 much more often. Unfortunately, though, I'm playing an Evil CHARNAME in my current run and wanted to make liberal use of the Slayer transformation, but got hit with the Slayer change bug. Thus, I'm currently putting BG2 on hold.

Blastback

So damn much. It took me over two years to finish Baldur's Gate 2, without even factoring in Throne of Bhaal. Didn't get the first game until a year after I bought 2, and it was years before i finished it. One factor was that I would start then stop, and when I got back to the game I'd start over, wanting to have a more cohesive play-through I guess. Also I'll struggle with which party members I want. Constantly stop and reload trying to get the part right. That's actually the part of the game that causes me the most stress, figuring out who to bring along and who's story I have to miss out on.