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Do you ever make exceptions to your no-reload playthroughs?

thesoloerthesoloer Member Posts: 77
in General Discussion (Spoiler Warning!)
Such as returning the chicken to Thalantyr or reloading until you get max HP in BG1?
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  • SionIVSionIV Member Posts: 2,689
    No, i kind of have it so that if i make one exception it's going to be hard to not make another one.

    I was close to making one earlier because it felt like a bug, but i didn't do it. Was playing a F/M/T solo in BG2 and got a full plate from the random shelf in the mephit room. I went to try to kill the vampire fighting the shadow thieves, it turned around and ate me up. That's never ever happened before in any of my games.
  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    No; what would be the point.
  • SionIVSionIV Member Posts: 2,689
    Blackraven said:

    Well I have a mod component that gives all characters (charname, party members, enemies) full hitpoints, which to me feels fairer than the arbitrary roll of the die, so need to reload there.
    Otherwise I limit reloading to glitches. For example a while ago I discovered that in my setup Potions of Mirrored Eyes don't protect against (improved) Basilisks' gazes despite the item description leaving no daoubt as to what these potions are supposed to do. I allowed myself a reload, also because before that I had obliged myself to start anew with the same character after another glitch had occurred.
    But generally I'm very restrictive with reloads. The game just doesn't feel right to me anymore after a reload.

    I also run with maximum health on level up for my no-reload games. Not going to play with Shar-teel or Viconia and have a random roll mean that i'll lose the NPC or in worst case, the game.
  • thesoloerthesoloer Member Posts: 77
    So reloading until you get full HP is the same thing as using a full HP mod, so might as well have that exception.
  • SionIVSionIV Member Posts: 2,689
    thesoloer said:

    So reloading until you get full HP is the same thing as using a full HP mod, so might as well have that exception.

    It's not an exception because you don't re-load. It's to prevent yourself from reloading.

    The whole point with the no-reload game is that you don't reload. It doesn't matter if you run on easy with maximum health on level up, use a mod to do the same or use a mod to give yourself 100% chance to learn a spell. As long as you don't reload it's fine, it's completely up to each individual how easy or hard they want their game to be.
  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    edited April 2014
    I don't play BG1 and Melicamp can explode just fine in a no-reload.
    And I always move the slider to the left when leveling up, just to get Max HP (also if I am trying to write spells that you can only get as random treasure like Spell Shield and others, but if not I don't care much about spells, you can use Potions of Genius and of Mind Focusing for the same effect).
  • thesoloerthesoloer Member Posts: 77
    If I reload from dying in battle or from failing a quest, that's one thing. But reloading to get max HP doesn't really break the spirit of a no reload at all, especially since it's accomplishing the exact same thing as using a mod to get max HP.
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    edited April 2014
    thesoloer said:

    If I reload from dying in battle or from failing a quest, that's one thing. But reloading to get max HP doesn't really break the spirit of a no reload at all, especially since it's accomplishing the exact same thing as using a mod to get max HP.

    It's not necessarily the same thing. I'm playing with the BGII Tweak Pack. One component of that mod ('Higher HP on Level Up') allows Charname and party members to roll maximum hit points at levelling up. Another component, called 'Maximum HP Creatures', alters creatures to have their theoretical maximum hit points. This way all characters have maximum hit points.
    If you don't play with this component but reload (or set your game difficulty to easy) to get maximum hit points at levelling up, it's only charname and their companions who enjoy maximum hit points.
  • SionIVSionIV Member Posts: 2,689
    edited April 2014
    thesoloer said:

    If I reload from dying in battle or from failing a quest, that's one thing. But reloading to get max HP doesn't really break the spirit of a no reload at all, especially since it's accomplishing the exact same thing as using a mod to get max HP.

    But you have to reload to accomplish it, breaking the entire reason for playing a no-reload game to start with. Well each to his own :).
  • thesoloerthesoloer Member Posts: 77
    I want to play a no-reload fighter solo, so having crappy HP may be my downfall.
  • SionIVSionIV Member Posts: 2,689
    edited April 2014
    thesoloer said:

    I want to play a no-reload fighter solo, so having crappy HP may be my downfall.

    It will come down to potions, scrolls and items for your solo fighter. With the right potions, scrolls and items you'll clear BGEE very easily, BG2 is a little bit harder bit still doable.

    [Edited] : If you play a Berserker it will be even easier for you.
  • BlackravenBlackraven Member Posts: 3,486
    Lemernis said:

    When I do play no-reload*, as a rule I only reload in the event of PC death or technical glitch (unless it's a competition with posted specific no-reload rules). I call that "minimal reload."

    If I go the RP-intensive route, then it's definitely minimal reload. However, in some cases where game engine mechanics present barriers to the imagined roleplay I use the CLUA console and EE Keeper to try to bend the game to whatever I RP. And that sometimes results in reloads. But I file that under the technical glitch category.

    I've come to learn that RP-intensive and no-reload is a bad combination. Various RP journals I've invested time in, have stalled after PC death. I'd still like to do at least one extensively journalled true RP playthrough, more or less Lemernis-style. Most likely atm my dwarven Skald I've been putting thought into these days. But I'll start that playthrough with the explicit rule that it's going to be minimal reload in order to avoid more abandoned journals after PC death.
    True no-reload playthroughs can be a bit less RP-heavy and be journalled more concisely.
  • LemernisLemernis Member, Moderator Posts: 4,318
    edited April 2014
    @Blackraven Yeah, with the project that I embarked up for the Let the Fates Decide game, it would actually be less fun for me to have to stop it due to the PC's death given the level of investment there. I expect that game to be a one-shot thing for that degree of journaling a game, by the way. I don't regret doing it, but I think I'll enjoy it when I eventually return to just a regular old non-journaled playthrough!
  • FlashburnFlashburn Member Posts: 1,847
    edited April 2014
    I tried a no-reload run using my IRL stats in BGEE and died. But I've never done a no-reload game before, and I was killed pretty far into Cloakwood, so I decided I would reload only this once.

    It was a pretty stupid death really. Ambushed by wyverns and I decided to shapeshift into a Fire Salamander. I forgot the form was hasted, so I received double the poison damage and died. I didn't want the run to end because I was having so much fun actually RP-ing my character and my party members, and even keeping journal entries. So I reloaded just that once, and managed to beat the game without reloading again.
  • LemernisLemernis Member, Moderator Posts: 4,318
    Flashburn said:

    I tried a no-reload run using my IRL stats in BGEE and died. But I've never done a no-reload game before, and I was killed pretty far into Cloakwood, so I decided I would reload only this once.

    It was a pretty stupid death really. Ambushed by wyverns and I decided to shapeshift into a Fire Salamander. I forgot the form was hasted, so I received double the poison damage and died. I didn't want the run to end because I was having so much fun actually RP-ing my character and my party members, and even keeping journal entries. So I reloaded just that once, and managed to beat the game without reloading again.

    Totally agree, as the whole point is to have fun with what you're doing. What class was it for that game? Solo? With party?
  • thesoloerthesoloer Member Posts: 77
    Okay, I will try a no-reload fighter solo, and I won't reload even if Melicamp dies or if I get crappy HP rolls. Should be challenging.
  • SionIVSionIV Member Posts: 2,689
    edited April 2014
    thesoloer said:

    Okay, I will try a no-reload fighter solo, and I won't reload even if Melicamp dies or if I get crappy HP rolls. Should be challenging.

    1.) Get the ring of Wizardry, sell it and buy the full plate at Beregost.

    2.) Get a large shield +1 (Friendly Arm Inn or Nashkel)

    3.) Do the easy turn in quests (Marl, Friendly Arm Inn, Bowl at ankheg area) Until you hit level 3-4 and you should have enough HP to survive with your full plate. Remember if you hug the water in the Ankheg farm you won't get attacked by Ankhegs so you can do the Bowl quest for 2 500 free experience.

    4.) Save all your potions, and your scroll of protection from Magic.

    It really isn't that hard, even if you get bad rolls.
  • LemernisLemernis Member, Moderator Posts: 4,318
    For armor there's also the ankheg plate Easter egg.
  • NecomancerNecomancer Member Posts: 622
    I never did a no reload but if I did I imagine I'd make exceptions. Specifically, the very first moment I died.
  • GoturalGotural Member Posts: 1,229
    The goal of a no-reload playthrough is to not reload, so my answer is generally no, it even costed me the only scroll of Stoneskin and Improved Invisibility I will find in my SCS run on my Assassin/Mage but that's part of the fun !

    Still, I would reload in case of a bug of course and I also want to learn the game as I play it, so sometimes, I test things out : I make a quicksave while saying "ok, the next minute of gameplay is not a part of my no-reload" and I test something, for example a conversation's choice or a magic combo (If i use a Prot from Magic Scroll while invisible, does it break Invisibility ? Or stuff like that) because I want to improve my meta-knowledge of the game.

    After the test(s) is done, I reload my quicksave and continue to play like nothing happened.
  • bbearbbear Member Posts: 1,180
    If the game decides to crash itself, then I have no choice but to reload. However, I dont have to duplicate the actions I play during time I lost.

    It's hard to decide when the game characters dont die but the game prevents you from moving forward. For example, I once set spike traps in the twisted rune encounter. They immediately kill the lich when it appears and I cant escape from the place (I need the beholder eye and it never spawns).
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
    edited April 2014
    I don't play them (I take an often goofy, risk taking style when playing games generally). But i'm curious if people die in SoA do they restart in SoA or go back to BG1? (same question for ToB as well)
  • GoturalGotural Member Posts: 1,229
    @elminster‌ I was thinking about the exact same thing ! SoA can be perceived like a "checkpoint".

    If my run ends in SoA (which will probably be the case) I don't know if I will restart in BG1, BG2 or begin a new character.
  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    @elminster If you keep restarting then it's not really no-reload, it's just really annoying reload-at-the-beginning-of-the-game.
  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    edited April 2014
    elminster said:

    FinneousPJ said:

    @elminster If you keep restarting then it's not really no-reload, it's just really annoying reload-at-the-beginning-of-the-game.

    I guess it depends on your viewpoint towards no reloads. If your goal is to play it as charname would (where they can't die at any point) then obviously you'd have to go back to BG1. But if your goal is to play through each game without reloading then I don't see what the problem would be if you were to restart SoA.
    Well, it's essentially the same as reloading, but you're just having to reload from the very beginning. If you imagine a spectrum of "reloading", then you can imagine it's like

    |-----|-----------------------|---------------------------|-------------------------|
    1-----2 ---------------------3 ---------------------------4 ------------------------5

    With

    1: No reloading
    2: Reloading from the beginning of the game, i.e. restarting
    3: Reloading from checkpoint
    4: Normal BG
    5: Unlimited reloading (like, in the middle of combat etc.)

    That's how I see it.
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