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New to Bauldur's Gate - Asking for Recommendations

bordobordo Member Posts: 16
edited February 2014 in New Members Welcome Area
Hi,
I bought 10 of these games in a recent GOG.com sale and realized that I had played Baldur's Gate 2 on the Xbox (actually it was Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance) and one or two of the titles on the PC (although without completion). I do recall one on the PC with an intro that involved the opening of some "gate/portal" at the beginning intro. In my teens I do recall fumbling around with TSR/SSI games like Bard's Tale, Pool of Radiance and Azure Bonds something...

Anyway, I'm here now and have Baldur's Gate installed on THIS PC and my wifes. It was the vanilla BG1 installation and I've accomplished some things, but have questions about others before I really get into playing the game "for real".

What I've done so far (pretty much in the order stated):
-Installed the vanilla game as available from GOG.com on this PC and my wife's

-Had dabbled around the first area and basic character creation

-Dabbled in "better" character creation for my wife and I planning for us both to play together

-Had established that playing the game multiplayer on my LAN was possible (as I tested it)

-Had watched a YouTube video of the Candlekeep area being done (they were playing BG:AE) as well as adventuring up to the Friendly arms (I stopped it so as to not spoil too much)

-Printed out the 2 Baldur's Gate maps (1 was the Sword Coast map) at 100% and cut/glued it together

-Decided to read the entire BG manual front-to-back




Where I've come from:
-I play RPGs quite often having had experience with pen-and-paper (AD&D:2E) since my teenage years in the early 80s (my wife knew of this but had never played)

-I enjoy games with lore, legend and history like Oblivion/Skyrim and I especially like upgrading character's stats and equipment (my wife has watched me play these games and she thoroughly enjoys watching me play them)

-I grew up a bit of a computer geek with VIC-20s, C-64s, AppleIIE/gs & MacIntoshes. I took a break with other pursuits while the IBMs came on the scene but came back in the mid 90s (mostly with Sierra City Building Games, SIm City, etc.)



My questions:
-Having seen gameplay of BG:AE and having a basis to compare it to my dabbling in BG (original) (I like to dabble in a game before getting serious (hunkering down to read the manual, etc.) with it), I noticed that you could hit "TAB" to reveal all objects that you could interact with, but in the original you can't, but then I hear about mods...What is a good mod thread where I can get some recommendations as to the basics and what mods make the game most enjoyable?

-I plan on playing BG more than once as my first play-through is going to be with a lawful good warrior with long sword and bow (double point specializations). I also may have a friend in another state playing with us. I see that the original only has 6 party spots and I gather that if I were to play the game alone, those spots would be filled with the canon characters that are with you to the end. My worry is that perhaps I will miss out on "canon and lore" by jumping into the game with two other human players, but not knowing HOW MANY canon characters there are (I am aware of 3 joining you party by the time you leave Friendly Arms) AND what overall deletion of world canon or story this will bypass. Is it recommended that I run through the game single player first?

-Having read the manual in .pdf format and as the history and lore are concerned, I was thinking how much easier all that info would be to swallow if there was a video or powerpoint type presentation that broke it down visually. I'm not so worried about myself as I got the general jist, but in presenting the game to my wife so that she has a good grasp in regards to the world we are in. I have searched for an easier to digest version of the Baldur's Gate world introduction, but have failed to find one leading me to want to create one if not to solidify and make the world more real to the human players in my party...Any suggestions?

-I want to get the most enjoyment possible out of playing these 10 games that I recently bought, not to get my money's worth because the cost was quite cheap, rather to get the most out of these deep and rich adventures. I did notice that when I dabbled in the game prior watching a YouTube video of the very beginning of BG:AE, I seemed to have caught all the quests although I didn't search every container outside of buildings as I missed them not having the "TAB" key to reveal them.


Thanks in advance for any friendly help, advice, suggestions, etc.
-BORDO
(Antony Bordoli)

Post edited by bordo on
CrevsDaakBelgarathMTH

Comments

  • bordobordo Member Posts: 16
    Oh, I forgot to talk about what I was doing with character creation (in terms of the rolling for the stats):
    -I figured after a few character creations that you weren't stuck with a certain TOTAL amount of points allocated between the 6 stats, rather you could reroll for a better total
    -So as a measure of what I had (like a rubric), I'd give it a number of points leftover after say all 6 stats were at "10"
    -So I noticed that I was mainly getting surpluses in the teens and the occasional one in the 20s (lots of 22's were coming up)
    -Once I got something in the 20s I'd STORE it and remember what was my best total surplus
    -When I rolled my wife's warrior character I had gotten a 26 surplus but rerolled forgetting to store it. I managed to recover her a 27 surplus and thought not to look a gift-horse in the mouth
    -I went over to my PC and rolled myself a 30 surplus in rather short time and stopped there

    So as far as point allocation went for our warriors:
    -Strength: 18
    -Dexterity: 18
    -Constitution: 18
    -Wisdom: (whatever was left split rather equally)0
    -Intelligence: (whatever was left split rather equally)
    -Charisma: 18

    Is this what most people do with say a vanilla warrior?
    CrevsDaakBelgarathMTH
  • bordobordo Member Posts: 16
    So I've continued to search for a "Baldur's Gate I" primer (for my wife, friend in Texas and the general community) so I'm going to make one myself and post it here in this thread. Nothing here will be a spoiler as it is simply pulled from the guide that came with the game. I will continue doing this for expansion (as I play them) and the other games that I bought. If there is an issue with this, let me know. If this has already been done, kudos, but I'm really wanting to make my own one. So here goes....
    JLee
  • bordobordo Member Posts: 16
    edited February 2014
    This is a pictorial synopsis of the contents presented in the original Baldur's Gate Manual covering pages 37-68 which encompass "Part I: Background". It will also include pictures of the accompanying maps (mostly zoomed in) and pictures within the BG_Manual.pdf. It will also include pictures (original or modified) as I see fit off of the internet. Some pictures may be combined, however, all credits due will be given through a link to the page that each picture came from. Where none exist, some pictures will be created by myself.Note: I will not be going into "Part II: Rules" as that's been done to death. Another version of this will be posted in a journal section that will be expanded upon as new data comes in from playing the game. This version would be common knowledge for anyone having grown up in the immediate location that Baulder's Gate takes place. The material here is also augmented from material from the AD&D manuals, but should also be common knowledge (i.e. something taught to you in school if you were a real person raised in Candlekeep for 20 years).

    Original Table of Contents Section from the Manual
    Manual 2 – Volo’s Guide to Baldur’s Gate
    Part I: Background.................................................................37
    ....Overview of the Realms.....................................................37
    .......The Sword Coast............................................................37
    .......Candlekeep.....................................................................40
    .......Baldur’s Gate ..................................................................42
    .......Beregost .........................................................................47
    .......The Friendly Arm Inn......................................................49
    Power Groups....................................................................51
    Major Characters ................................................................56
    Monsters ............................................................................61
    Time ..................................................................................67



    Overview of the Realms

    Where are we?:
    ....picture showing
    ....Solar systems within the D&D-verse (or Phlogiston) are encapsulate within crystal spheres
    ....Crystal Spheres are typically connect by rivers (or flows)
    ...."The Inner Prime" consisting of 12 independent crystal spheres (4 inner and 8 outer)
    ....The solar system we are in, Realmspace, contains eight worlds (or orbs) orbiting a central sun
    ....the above is only one in a myriad of alternate dimension
    ....this star system is called "Realmspace" on the "Prime Material Plane" (which we would call the "known universe" though there are other planes and dimensions beyond it (presumably including Earth and other worlds)
    ....unlike Earth's solar system, most of the planets in "Realmspace" are inhabited

    Which world/orb are we on?
    ....picture showing the 3rd World called Abeir-Toril (Ah-BEER Tor-RILL) which is an Earth-sized planet with continents
    ....Abeir-Toril is translated to mean "cradle of life", but Toril is used in everyday speech
    ....this planet, Toril, has many continents, most of which are know as the "Forgotten Realms"

    Which continent are we on?
    ....picture showing the continent Faerun (Fay-ROON) which is a large continent in the northern hemisphere

    What type of realm is Faerun?
    ....Picture showing it is a land of magic and adventure
    ....home of elves, dwarves, gnomes, halflings and human.

    Where are we on this continent?
    ....picture showing Faerun in the west, Kara-Tur in the east and Zakhara in the south
    ....specifically the region between the Sea of Swords and the Inner Sea and the area around the city known as Baldur's Gate
    ....primary area of adventure being along the Sword Coast and a bit inland

    What is the geography of The Sword Coast?
    ....picture showing the "Map of the Sword Coast" on page 39 (or the more detailed one given with the game)
    ....highlighting the area bound between...
    ........Waterdeep, a huge city far north of Baldur's Gate
    ........bustling Amn to the south
    ........the Sea of Swords to the West
    ........the Woods of Sharp teeth to the East
    ........the interior area thought of as the "Empty Lands"

    What are the Empty Lands?
    ....picture showing a map of that area
    ....a vast stretch of wilderness folk venture into only to get from one place to another
    ....moors littered with the ruins of failed dreams - abandoned villages, empty towers and dungeons - as well as the occasional town, city or keep
    ....Major areas with sights and lodgings are Baulder's Gate, Beregost, Nashkell, the Friendly Arm Inn, and Candlekeep

    What information is available about the Empty Lands?
    ....picture depicting the following
    ....Leagues upon leagues of lawless waste, home to pirates and outlaws who pray on those who must go north or south while depending on the Sea of Swords as their guide, keeping it in sight so as not to lose their way
    ....Legends abound of grisly fates that befell unfortunate travelers at the hands of the orcs, trolls, hobgoblin (and worse!) said to infest the area in veritable armies
    ....In recent times the caravans have begun to see a new menace - raiding parties of humanoids who plunder mainly the miners in the Cloud Peak mountains north of Amn
    ....Thanks to both human and bestial predators, the trip has always been dangerous - hence the name Sword Coast
    ....Down through the ages, many folk have dreamed of founding a kingdom in this verdant valley hidden in the moors
    ....Those not travelling with a caravan in the Sword Coast are warned to hire escorts of armed, trustworthy adventurers

    What information is available about the Sword Coast?
    ....picture depicting the following
    ....Home to one of the two largest and most powerful cities in the region, Baldur's Gate (the other, far inland, is Iraebor)
    ....From its gate south to Amn, the Coast on either side of the Coast Way road is pleasant, verdant farmland
    ....North of the river Chionthar as far as the Way Inn, the land is more sparsely inhabited and more dangerous, but it serves as a hunting range for those who must kill wild game to eat and as homestead for lonely pioneer farmer
    ....Travellers are warned that lawlessness is swifty dealt with by ready, veteran patrols in the lands held by the nobles around Bauldur's Gate
    ....Throughout the rest of the coast, the traveler's best protection is a ready blade and friendly magic close at hand

    What hominids & creatures lurk around the Sword Coast?
    ....picture depicting the following
    ....orcs, trolls, hobgoblins, brigands, dopplegangers, and kobolds are an ever-present danger
    ....Many brigands stay in roving encampments, living off stolen livestock
    ....From such bases they raid travelers, warehouses, and weak settlements at will, particularly at night or in bad weather
    ....Game is plentiful for travelers throughout this region

    What's to know about Candlekeep, our starting location?
    ....picture depicting the following
    ....T

    What's to know about The Friendly Arm Inn?
    ....picture depicting the following
    ....T

    What's to know about Nashkel?
    ....picture depicting the following
    ....T

    What's to know about Beregost?
    ....picture depicting the following
    ....T

    What's to know about Gullykin?
    ....picture depicting the following
    ....T

    What's to know about Baldur's Gate?
    ....picture depicting the following
    ....T

    What are the Factions (Power Groups) on the Sword Coast?
    ....picture depicting the following
    ....T

    Who are the major characters of the Sword Coast?
    ....picture depicting the following
    ....T

    Tell me more about some of the monsters on the Sword Coast?
    ....picture depicting the following
    ....T

    How does time work in The Realms?
    ....picture depicting the following
    ....T
    Post edited by bordo on
  • HeindrichHeindrich Member, Moderator Posts: 2,959
    edited February 2014
    Hello and welcome :)

    You appear to be approaching the game in the right way, in terms of learning as much as you can before you begin, and avoiding spoilers, which would be a shame for such an epic game. I shall try to answer your questions as best as I can...

    1) BG 1 Vanilla is quite different to BG: EE. I got into the game last June and tried Vanilla first before switching to EE, and I honestly can't imagine going back to Vanilla anymore. There's a few reasons that come to mind immediately:
    - Lack of Tab key as you noticed. If you make your first playthrough playing blind (which I strongly recommend), then you will miss some things that you might have found otherwise.
    - Inferior graphics and lack of the zoom option.
    - Cannot pause in inventory mode. (So monsters will attack and kill you whilst you are trying to find stuff).
    - No containers (scroll case, potion case), which makes inventory management really tedious.

    You can fix some of those issues with mods, but I'm not experienced with mods and I'm not the person to advice you on it if you go down that path.

    For a first time player, I strongly recommend you to just buy BG:EE, which is not that expensive and is pretty much designed for new players like you in mind, without having to worry about the mods.

    Not-spoiler:

    I'm just a forum mod, I don't work for Beamdog, so I am just passing on my genuine experience from my relatively recent induction into this game and community.


    BG 2 Vanilla is a lot more 'playable' compared to BG 1 Vanilla, and I have completed a full saga playthrough with BG 2 Vanilla as downloaded from GoG. So if you don't want to buy BG 2:EE, you can just import your BG: EE endgame save file into BG 2 Vanilla, and it is perfectly compatible. (In fact that's exactly what I did for my first playthrough, which I recorded as an LP, but I won't link cos it contains spoilers).

    2)
    I would recommend that you make a first playthrough in singleplayer mode. This game is (in my opinion) not very well designed for multiplayer, and it would be better if you learn everything by yourself first. I have been playing MP with a group of reasonably experienced players, and we perform much worse as a team controlling one character each than we would individually controlling a full party in single player. (It is much harder to coordinate actions.

    Furthermore, there are 5 canon characters in BG 1.

    Find out who they are if you want...

    Imoen, Jaheira, Khalid, Minsc and Dynaheir

    ... though it is not essential that you use them in BG 1, as the beginning of BG 2 is not affected by your actions in BG 1, though the events will be more significant if you used the canon party.

    In BG 1 the characters are mostly fairly silent and don't have much interactions, but in BG 2 all the NPCs have lots of interactions and most have associated quests, and the 'character' of BG 2 characters is part of the enduring appeal of these games, so it would be a shame if you missed out on them in a first playthrough by having multiple PC custom characters.

    3) For your character stats, your warriors are very much powergaming optimal, which is fine. Though personally I prefer more 'realistic' characters with real strengths and weaknesses like the NPC companions that you can recruit. The game is not so difficult that you need optimised characters to win.

    For example my party for the Black Pits: (Don't worry about spoilers, this is extra content for BG:EE that is separate to the main game)
    http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/30229/the-tales-of-sima-jin-black-pits-blind-let-s-play


    Edit:
    4) Oh yeah, I made a beginner's guide. Just encase you find it useful, I shall link it here.

    http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/29852/baldur-s-gate-video-tutorials
    JLeebordoBelgarathMTH
  • bordobordo Member Posts: 16
    Thank-you Heinrich for all of the information and guidance.

    Question: Other than Steam, what is the recommended place to buy BG:AE?
  • HeindrichHeindrich Member, Moderator Posts: 2,959
    edited February 2014
    Beamdog/Overhaul Games are the developers of the Enhanced Edition. Buying it from the following link would better support the developers, as Steam takes a chunk from sales.

    Beamdog users also get patches a bit faster when they are released and can participate in beta-testing. BG2:EE was cheaper via Beamdog for me when I bought it, partly due to currency exchange issues, but I don't know if that's true of BG:EE.

    http://www.beamdog.com/products/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition

    Edit:
    Oh I forgot to mention in my initial wall of text... If you intend to play multiplayer with BG, then I think Enhanced Edition makes it a lot easier. I can't compare from personal experience, as I've only played MP with BG:EE, but I've seen some people who have modded their Vanilla games to their heart's content saying that they bought EE for MP purposes.
    bordoBelgarathMTH
  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    Heindrich said:

    Oh I forgot to mention in my initial wall of text... If you intend to play multiplayer with BG, then I think Enhanced Edition makes it a lot easier. I can't compare from personal experience, as I've only played MP with BG:EE, but I've seen some people who have modded their Vanilla games to their heart's content saying that they bought EE for MP purposes.

    Yeah, now in the EE (finally) multi-player works, in BG2:ToB it didn't work for everyone (me included), so, also the EE have lots of engine enhancements and externalization for modding.
    bordo
  • bordobordo Member Posts: 16
    edited February 2014
    OK, I'll buy BG:AE directly from BeamDog. It has a spot for a "Coupon Code". Are there any known coupon codes out there? This is a bit of a sting for me because I just shelled out money for the original game which I won't be playing.

    EDIT: I tweeted @beamdoginc for a coupon explaining that I just bought a regular version of Baulder's Gate that is going to go unused. Cross my fingers. BTW, it's not that I don't have the money to throw around, it's more the principle that I'm double-buying basically the same product. Naturally, in lieu of a rather quick response, I'll shell out the dough anyway.
  • HeindrichHeindrich Member, Moderator Posts: 2,959
    edited February 2014
    I understand what you mean, I bought the EEs after already buying the GoG games from a sale. I don't know if Beamdog has any promotions at present, but I will just point out that the GoG games have nothing to do with Beamdog/Overhaul.

    The original games were released by Bioware over 15 years ago and GoG has just repackaged them in a digital download.

    The Enhanced Edition project is a completely new development by new developers.
    bordo
  • bordobordo Member Posts: 16
    Question: If I buy one copy from BeamDog can I install a copy on my wife's computer so that we can play together at some point?
  • JalilyJalily Member Posts: 4,681
    Yes.
    bordo
  • casualtcasualt Member Posts: 35
    I would advise you to have a playthough as far as Nashkel mines on your own, with NPC Characters, so you can gauge the learning curve (which is steep-bows are your freind) and then consider MP.
  • bordobordo Member Posts: 16
    edited February 2014
    Is their a package deal (or has their been) a combo package deal for buying BG1:EE & BG2:EE edition or any other sale or deal that sweetens the pot even if its giving away some unrelated game. Just looking for the best deal before I hit the button. I did buy the 10 GOG vanilla games for the purpose of playing them MP so MP-ing with family and friends is my main intent. I'm in no rush as I am coordinating this with others and we're all on other projects at the moment anyways.
  • bordobordo Member Posts: 16
    casualt said:

    I would advise you to have a playthough as far as Nashkel mines on your own, with NPC Characters, so you can gauge the learning curve (which is steep-bows are your freind) and then consider MP.

    I tried looking up steep-bows on the wiki but couldn't find any information about it. At what point in the game would you find/buy one?
  • HurricaneHurricane Member, Translator (NDA) Posts: 730
    edited February 2014
    bordo said:

    Is their a package deal (or has their been) a combo package deal for buying BG1:EE & BG2:EE edition or any other sale or deal that sweetens the pot even if its giving away some unrelated game. Just looking for the best deal before I hit the button.

    Yes, there was a discount on both Enhanced Editions in December for Christmas, and on BG:EE some time before that as well. If you are in no rush, you could very well wait some more and see if another sale comes along, although there is no predicting when one might occur. It is usually announced on Beamdog's twitter feed, though.
    Nonetheless, I say the Enhanced Editions are worth their price without a discount as well. :)
    Post edited by Hurricane on
  • casualtcasualt Member Posts: 35
    LOL its the curve thats steep and bows that are your friend.
    bordo
  • bordobordo Member Posts: 16
    edited February 2014
    Thanks to all for all of the friendly help and guidance. In my research, I stumbled upon THIS article: http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/111705-baldurs-gate-qlegal-hellq-qaa.html

    My only concern here are statements (mostly in the comments) to the effect that EE is buggy. I know that was 8 months ago. Have said alleged bugs been addressed since?

    BTW, when I came to this forum I did not realize that it was (or seems) more catered to the EE crowd. Like I said in my IP, I'm just looking for the best game experience possible since my time, like everyone else', is valuable and has to be split between "gaming" and "other projects". I do realize, that EE has brought new mass appeal to what I'm most certain is an awesome game.

    I am, for example, working (beta-testing, creating professional LP/Guide content) with the developer and community of a Dwarf Fortress type game called Gnomoria. As the game goes through weekly if not monthly patch updates, the games wanes within the spectrum of being playable-vs-unplayable (either due to added crippling lag or game-breaking bugs). I'm over here in the Baulder's Gate "world" mostly because I'm halted on that project until the game becomes more stable to play so as to create professional LP/Guide content).
  • HeindrichHeindrich Member, Moderator Posts: 2,959
    Yes that legal problem delayed the release of BG: EE v1.2 patch and BG2: EE release.

    However, BG:EE was more or less bug free even before v1.2 (I think there was an earlier patch before I bought the game last July that resolved most of the on-release problems anyway, but I'm not sure about that).

    Multiplayer connectivity is still bit of a problem on Beamdog servers if you have 3+ players, but it is manageable and stable enough. I am near the end of my first BG:EE MP game with 5 players right now.
  • bordobordo Member Posts: 16
    casualt said:

    LOL its the curve thats steep and bows that are your friend.

    Ah cool! Well I have instinctually made a warrior out of 90 dice total with double specializations in both long swords and the bow.
  • bordobordo Member Posts: 16
    OK so a question about getting started. Let's say that I've got a fairly decent idea as to what "treasure(s)" are available in Candlekeep, but I don't necessarily want to wait till I return.

    I'd need a thief with a high enough lock-picking skill to get this 1000 GP treasure, but all I can pump into lock-picking is 65 points (75 points being the most needed to open anything in the game). I'm hearing that I need 70 points to get into the chest holding this 1000 GP treasure. What's the strategy to go about doing this?
  • JalilyJalily Member Posts: 4,681
    Due to racial bonuses, a dwarven thief with 17 Dex can have 70% in Open Locks at level 1. You can see the bonuses when you select your race.
  • bordobordo Member Posts: 16
    Jalily said:

    Due to racial bonuses, a dwarven thief with 17 Dex can have 70% in Open Locks at level 1. You can see the bonuses when you select your race.

    Ah thank-you! I had forgotten about the racial bonuses. Whenever I play these sort of games I look to make sure that I am open to as many quest lines and have access to as much "stuff" as possible.

    So it seems that to have access to as many quest lines, you'd need to have a character with an 18 in Charisma. Is there a way to get that higher (like choosing a Paladin) or is 18 enough (because other members in my party might grumble about the Paladin being there...lol)?

    So with access to as much "stuff" it is evidently either a Dwarf or Halfling with all the thief points put into lock-picking... Are there any other options or are one of these two types of characters the only way to achieve instant access to everything at the game's beginning?

    Thanks in advance for suggestions...

  • HeindrichHeindrich Member, Moderator Posts: 2,959
    Firstly... I'm all for research, but now I think you're going too far with finding out about items and loot, which is bound to lead to spoilers. Gold is never a problem in BG, and soon enough you will have more than you know what to do with. I completed my first playthrough without ever stealing from anyone or even barging into random houses with no reason.

    Secondly... if you want to experience as much 'stuff' as possible, just be aware that most of the romances in the game are for Humans, Half-Elves and Elves. This is not an issue for the first game (where only the Enhanced Edition characters have romances of sorts), but there are several BG 2 romances that have associated quests and content.

    Thirdly... 18 Charisma is plenty enough, and it can be improved ingame, both temporarily (Friends spell) and permanently (Ability tomes). There are very few situations where charisma makes a difference. The most notable being shopping... but as I said, gold is not an issue by the midgame.
  • bordobordo Member Posts: 16
    Here is a question about EE and MP. I'm not a huge fan of playing on a company's server. Can EE be played via a VPN like vanilla BG can?
  • HeindrichHeindrich Member, Moderator Posts: 2,959
    Yes, I use Hamachi, I find that it's much more stable for games with more players.
  • bordobordo Member Posts: 16
    Heindrich said:

    Firstly... I'm all for research, but now I think you're going too far with finding out about items and loot, which is bound to lead to spoilers.

    This actually comes down to picking a play-style. Do I (or my party) want a bit of an early boost or do we want to rough it. I realize that we'll be drowning in gold soon enough, but its a matter of having that extra security starting out.

  • HeindrichHeindrich Member, Moderator Posts: 2,959
    Oh I was merely expressing an opinion. These games are enjoyed by all sorts of players for different reasons. Some like me are RP-driven and find no appeal in powergaming, others love finding out ways to squeeze maximum performance out of their characters, or challenging themselves with no-reloads or improved AI mods.

    If you really want an extra boost, you can always edit in more gold/items with EE Keeper. For example if I wanted to start as a samurai type warrior with katana, it's rather annoying that I cannot afford to buy a katana without theft, which an honourable warrior would not commit, so I would probably just cheat in a katana to begin with. It's not wholly unreasonable given your starting circumstances.
  • casualtcasualt Member Posts: 35
    Heindrich You feckin cheeser.
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,315
    edited March 2014
    You don't of course have to reread them because that would take forever and a lot of the basic fundamentals behind the game are correct, but I just wanted to point out that the original BG1 and BG2 manuals are really, really, really inaccurate. Especially when it comes to spells. The BG2EE manuals are going to be the most accurate of any of them.

    You can find them here. Spells are found in the second link.

    http://www.beamdog.com/files/bg2ee/bg2eemanual1.pdf

    http://www.beamdog.com/files/bg2ee/bg2eemanual2.pdf

    Just keep in mind that a few of the NPC's mentioned are enhanced edition specific (Hexxat, Neera, Dorn, and Rasaad). Otherwise beyond user interface differences stuff that is in there applies to BG2 as well (in the case of the original bg2 this is more true once you've applied the fixpatch).

    As for sales for BGEE Gamersgate or Steam are probably your best bet. Beamdog has been known to have sales but not to at the same frequency (and I can think of one time when they have had sales in reaction to the sales on other websites). So provided you are fine with Steam (or Gamersgate which requires Steam) its probably going to be your best bet for finding a deal. That said if you buy from Beamdog you can gain access to the beta builds (typically this means you are playing a more polished game).

    BG2EE is still pretty buggy at the moment. Unless you plan on playing one of its new kits (shadowdancer, dragon disciple, sun soul monk, dark moon monk, dwarven defender, or blackguard) I wouldn't recommend you buy it. You can transfer your character file from BGEE to BG2 and (provided it isn't one of these kits) it should be fine. You can install a fixpack ( http://www.gibberlings3.net/bg2fixpack/ ) for the original BG2 and that will make it less buggy than BG2EE is.
    Post edited by elminster on
    bordo
  • bordobordo Member Posts: 16
    Still pondering whether to shell out $19.95 for BG:EE. Right now I'm play-testing the most recent update of Gnomoria for its one-person developer. I did get a strange message from this site claiming to have written on my "wall". It looked a bit like "spam" as it was from a supposed female member wanting to get to know me...yeah, right...LOL.
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