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When do you do Watcher's Keep?

booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
edited February 2014 in Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition
Still haven't done WK in the EE despite having one game in ToB and the other in the Underdark. My game is modded and I don't want to level up too much to make Yaga-Shura a joke, so I may do it after.
I kinda struggle to find what would be a good roleplaying moment to do it, since CHARNAME seems to have quite the busy schedule.
I was wondering when you guys usually do it?



ugh... I meant to leave a spot blank for those who just want to see results but apparently I screwed it up. Sorry folks.
  1. When do you do Watcher's Keep57 votes
    1. Chapter 2 (like to get a head start! maybe pick up Usano's Blade)
      14.04%
    2. Chapter 3 (power up before finding Irenicus/Imoen)
      17.54%
    3. Chapter 6 (no soul, no problem)
      26.32%
    4. Chapter 8 (war? what war?)
      24.56%
    5. Chapter 9 (gotta get mad lewts to face the big bad)
      17.54%

Comments

  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    edited February 2014
    ugh... I meant to add a result that said "just let me see the results" but I screwed it up...

    Imho, it would seem ideal from a RPing perspective to complete the lion's share of Watcher's Keep after beating Irenicus but before meeting Illasara the Quick. It would be a nice option if they added that, since you are in-between great quests, and it would give you some down-time to build up levels or try new characters.
  • atcDaveatcDave Member Posts: 2,414
    It is a minor problem with BG2 that there really isn't any downtime when you might logically think "I've got a couple weeks to kill..." It might be nice if there were some obvious breaks in the narrative. I typically push hard to rescue sis. Logically, I think I should continue pushing hard to get our souls back! But that's usually when I do all the side quests including Watcher's Keep.
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    its funny that all four votes cast so far are for different options
  • MoradinMoradin Member Posts: 372
    edited February 2014
    booinyoureyes said:

    its funny that all four votes cast so far are for different options

    Tie-breaker!
    I usually travel to WK during my Sendai/Abazigal quests.

  • toanwrathtoanwrath Member Posts: 621
    edited February 2014
    So I do the first level early on, in either Chapter 2 or 3--but the rest of it I save for Chapter 6 so I can have some higher tier gear (Gesen Bow and Crom Feayr come to mind for my current game). Most recently, I did Level 1 during Chapter 2, Level 2 during Chapter 3, and I have done Levels 3 and 4 during Chapter 6.
  • elementelement Member Posts: 833
    edited February 2014
    i usually leave it for TOB sometime otherwise I feel like I level up too fast and become op in bg2EE. Also I like to use it to break up the story for tob so the pacing feels a bit better

    I usually go there earlier though for the shop before I do the dungeon itself
    Post edited by element on
  • vangoatvangoat Member Posts: 212
    isn't WK really hard in chapter 2?
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    I think it scales with level
  • sarevok57sarevok57 Member Posts: 6,006
    I finish yaga shura's jargon first, then that is when I go there, one time I finished the whole keep in chapter 3 and damn, did I ever rock the bg2 world when I started chapter 4, I remember my monk basically soloing the mind flayer dungeon in the underdark
  • MacHurtoMacHurto Member Posts: 731
    edited February 2014
    I usually did it as soon as I can get out of Saradush. In general, I treat it like another (false) lead to cut Yaga-Shura's power. Don't really see (or at least, remember) another point where Charname would have a reason to go there as the ToB events unfold.

    But normally, I like to do all content before the main story. I finish all SoA quests before Spellhold and tell myself that the shadow thieves are asking for 200k instead of 20k.
  • TwoWayFinesseTwoWayFinesse Member Posts: 128
    But I don't do it all at once, head back there every now and again to do a bit more all the way through the game.
  • SkaffenSkaffen Member Posts: 709
    Level 1 in chapter 2 and the rest in ToB, otherwise you carry too many half finished items waiting for Cespenar while the loot on level 1 is really helpful but not OP.
  • LathlaerLathlaer Member Posts: 475
    Beginning of ToB, because I need it to be filled with the nastiest things the game has to offer inside it. Purely for roleplaying reasons :)
  • ChildofBhaal599ChildofBhaal599 Member Posts: 1,781
    doing it after i deal with yaga shura. if you do it in SOA then as @sarevok57 said SOA is no longer a challenge in the slightest, and I feel I should really be headed to kill Yaga Shura as soon as possible to try and save Saradush. after that you are more on the offensive which leaves me in a position where it feels alright to take the time to arm up with the precious loot :)
  • CrucadesCrucades Member Posts: 36
    I like the attempt earlier than later. My role playing logic for this is up to the point where you are about to free Imoen you have no idea what to face so CHARNAME is in the need for potential greater weapons. This logic goes both ways but its how I like to see it.
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
    No option for people who do a bit at a time? Some in chapter 2/3, some in chapter 6, etc
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    @Elminster My bad, I didn't think of that
  • GamingFreakGamingFreak Member Posts: 639
    edited February 2014
    what, no "wait until ToB" option?

    EDIT: Oh, unless "chapter 8/9" counts.
  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    elminster said:

    No option for people who do a bit at a time? Some in chapter 2/3, some in chapter 6, etc

    All the first level in Chapter 2 or 3. Then all the other batshit in chapter 6 to end with more than 3 millions in SoA.
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    GamingFreak said:

    what, no "wait until ToB" option?

    EDIT: Oh, unless "chapter 8/9" counts.

    Yeah, that was the ToB portion (I don't think you can do it after chapter 9, but I'm not sure)
  • TwaniTwani Member Posts: 640
    How about do it between SOA and TOB with a certain mod installed? >.>

    I usually do it then, or wait till ToB. Some NPC mods only have interjections for TOB, not for BGII, so I like to wait for just in case reasons.
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    @Tawni ....
    what mod? what mod? what mod? want want want
  • TwaniTwani Member Posts: 640
    It's in the lovely Sword Coast Stratagems, under their gameplay tweaks. However... as far as I'm aware, that component isn't compatible with the enhanced editions yet. As I'm still playing the old editions until they do another bug pass/Ascension comes out, it's still convenient for me, but I don't think it works in BG2EE.
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    Thanks so much Twani! I'm definitely gonna check it out! Kinda wanted to try SCS anyway, I hear so much about how great it is (though I am definitely afraid of it maybe being too hard)
  • TaearTaear Member Posts: 90
    In my first EE game I left it altogether and if anything I found the game a lot easier, because I wasn't quite as high level when I got to the final enemy.

    Second game I did it in Chapter 3 (I don't really see how you can do it in 2 since 3 starts as soon as you say hello to Boyle) and because I was a higher level for a lot of stuff, ToB was actually quite a bit harder even though my party themselves were MUCH stronger.
  • jackjackjackjack Member Posts: 3,251
    Chapter 3 doesn't start until you decide which guild you're going to ally yourself with - there is, shall we say, a good deal of wiggle room on just how long Chapter 2 can be.
  • TaearTaear Member Posts: 90
    jackjack said:

    Chapter 3 doesn't start until you decide which guild you're going to ally yourself with - there is, shall we say, a good deal of wiggle room on just how long Chapter 2 can be.

    Ahh - I was thinking of the transition between 1-2 then.
  • tennisgolfbolltennisgolfboll Member Posts: 457
    It varies but currwntly doing it in chap 8
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