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Not so random encounters...

VakarianVakarian Member Posts: 94
in Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition
Been playing through BG2EE for the first time, and I've been struck by the lack of variety in the random encounters (the "you have been waylaid by enemies and must defend yourself" type). One of the fun things about BG1EE was the variety of these types of encounters (off the top of my head, I can think of bandits, dogs, wolves, kobolds, gnolls, various types of bears, ogre berzerkers, ogre magi, ettercaps, wyverns, and basilisks...I'm sure there are others that I'm missing.) You never knew what to expect. In BG2, other than a couple of one-time-only ambushes with named enemies, it seems to always be the same bandits over and over again, whether in Athkatla or on the road (with the bandit mage always having the same 3 scrolls.) No variety in enemy type or possible loot.

I've only made it to chapter 3 so far, but I'm curious whether or not you get more variety in the random encounters later on or not. I think it would add significantly to the gameplay if the random encounters had a bit more randomness to them.

Comments

  • atcDaveatcDave Member Posts: 2,414
    There a few set "random" encounters, but you should have already dealt with most of those. Unfortunately, random encounters are one area where BG2 is clearly weaker than the original.
  • CLsdlt80CLsdlt80 Member Posts: 82
    I remember there was a mod in the old days that not only raised the number of random encounters, it also added some dangerous ones: I remember going outside the city and encountering dragons every now and then.
  • SkaffenSkaffen Member Posts: 709
    SCS also changes the composition of the encounters (still all humonoid though AFAIK).
  • jackjackjackjack Member Posts: 3,251
    "You have been waylaid by enemies and must unpause the game to continue."
  • WebShamanWebShaman Member Posts: 490
    I always expected an arm to shoot out of my screen and hit the spacebar after that!
  • vangoatvangoat Member Posts: 212
    You get a few different ones after coming back from the Underdark
  • BrunachosBrunachos Member Posts: 35
    What about those clones that corner you after after the underdark? For me they are one of the game's biggest mysteries: they show up dressed like average civilians, ask to you if you are really you and then... shapechange in your party and attack! There is no malice or hathered, no mention of an old score...
  • WebShamanWebShaman Member Posts: 490
    Doppelgangers, if you ask me.
  • vangoatvangoat Member Posts: 212
    You'd think they would have learned their lesson, after you effortlessly slaughtered a whole bunch of doppelgangers in BG1. By that point in BG2 you can just look at them and they die.

    There's a rakshasa encounter where they want the flail of ages that's a bit more tricky
  • WebShamanWebShaman Member Posts: 490
    I think that is the last encounter with them...so I guess they finally learned!
  • BrunachosBrunachos Member Posts: 35
    Your time is done primates!
  • VakarianVakarian Member Posts: 94
    Brunachos said:

    What about those clones that corner you after after the underdark? For me they are one of the game's biggest mysteries: they show up dressed like average civilians, ask to you if you are really you and then... shapechange in your party and attack! There is no malice or hathered, no mention of an old score...

    Well, at least it looks like there are a few interesting random encounters to look forward to in the second half of the game.
    CLsdlt80 said:

    I remember there was a mod in the old days that not only raised the number of random encounters, it also added some dangerous ones: I remember going outside the city and encountering dragons every now and then.

    I'd be really interested in a mod like this for a future run. Anyone know if something like this exists for EE?
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