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The more I play this, the more I feel like giving up.

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  • DreadKhanDreadKhan Member Posts: 3,857
    @InvictusCobra‌ a second playthrough of BG1 isnt a bad idea, but if you do, try do things as differently as possible. You played good, well, trying evil is very different imho, even without a sliding bar that keeps track of whenever you are mean...try using all different NPCs, and try a different type of PC; if you dont want to take Dorn, go Blackguard. If you wish to take him, I would recommemd trying an evil Gnome Cleric Illusionist. Evil has 3 very solid arcane casters, so you dont need to take one, but you already played a fighter thief. Evil has great arcane casters and great fighters... but it has no pure thief technically. It has 2 multis though, and a solid fighter that can dual to thief. Evil is weak on ranged though, only 2 fighters are suited to it, so a PC good at ranged would be useful.

    If you do replay bg1, you can choose which you want to carry into bg2, as has been mentioned. BG2 is more modern of an rpg, so you'll probably want to play it a couple times. Try not to ruin TOO many of the suprises though! Spoiling bg2 is an awful thing vs bg1 it isnt THAT bad.
  • GKL206GKL206 Member Posts: 75
    The only thing I'd say about an evil playthrough is that IMO Dorn is over-powered if you play on Normal difficulty - given max HP on every level up he can soon slaughter everything you encounter. But as the OP started at Core and only switched to Normal when he was struggling I suspect he'd try his next run at core anyway.
    One of the great things about BG, of course, is that you can vary the experience according to what type of PC and NPCs you pick.
  • LemernisLemernis Member, Moderator Posts: 4,318
    edited July 2014
    Good going @InvictusCobra! You were determined to succeed and very resourceful at it once you committed yourself to the goal. Kudos.

    I would echo @Blackraven's praise for this community as well. :-)

    As for the choice whether to replay BGEE with a new character or start SoA (either by importing the BG character or creating a new one), it boils down to whatever mood you're in--they're all good options.

    If you do want to take your BGEE Fighter/Thief into BG2EE:

    1) Go into the "save" folder for the game (under Documents > Baldur's Gate - Enhanced Edition) and copy (Ctrl+C) your final save from BGEE; then paste (Ctrl+V) that file into your corresponding "save" folder for BG2EE.
    2) During character creation for BG2EE select "import" and then select the character file from that "Final-Save" game.
    jackjack
  • InvictusCobraInvictusCobra Member Posts: 108
    Well, I imported my save file into BG2EE and played for a while. New voices, UI, portraits, sound effects feel different...Took a bit but after the first level, I got used to it. I looked at the map and Amn is huge! I was relieved that with the increase in the cities' size, they are fully revealed at the start.After starting Chapter 2 and heading to the Copper Coronet, I picked up Anomen as my buffs Cleric and as an...unforseen event...I got Hexxat XD . I wasn't planning to, but that monotone way of speaking of hers and apathic look is kind of a weak spot of mine.Which makes me want to restart as a Mage since I currently have none in my party and I hate kicking people out D:
    Dumb question: Since Hexxat is Neutral Evil, the whole "leaves when reputation hits 18" applies, correct?
    Newcomer question: What are the romance options for a male PC?
    Ardul
  • DeeDee Member Posts: 10,447


    Dumb question: Since Hexxat is Neutral Evil, the whole "leaves when reputation hits 18" applies, correct?

    Yes.
    Newcomer question: What are the romance options for a male PC?
    Neera, Aerie, Jaheira, Viconia, and Dorn are all romance-worthy candidates.
    jackjackNokkenbuer
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited July 2014
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • InvictusCobraInvictusCobra Member Posts: 108
    Dee said:

    Yes.

    Neera, Aerie, Jaheira, Viconia, and Dorn are all romance-worthy candidates.

    Thank you for the help!
  • The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • InvictusCobraInvictusCobra Member Posts: 108
    Sergio said:

    Tell me, did the why the armored figure wanted to kill you surprise you ?? :P

    I was a bit surprised, though the Armored Figure always seemed to have an aura of wanting to do something really bad for the world. What my role was and what exactly I had to do with him was a bit of a surprise and a funny one at that.

    [Deleted User]jackjack
  • nosecretnosecret Member Posts: 92

    Sergio said:

    so, @InvictusCobra, how much would you rate bg1 ?

    ... What made some parts of the game a bit boring was the fact that the XP division between party members made leveling up and improving your party a very slow progress. While I understand this was a mechanic used to make the players go out and explore to find quests and complete areas, in the later stages of the game I found myself doing certain quests not for it's story or what it offered in challenge, but for needing all the XP I could find....
    On your next playthrough of BG1, you will notice other options and quest forks that prevent you feeling like there's not enough XP - there really is an excess available, but it takes a bit to get a personal preference for what parts you can skip without stressing the XP loss.


    Granted, that's kind of negated by the nagging feeling like one might be skipping the discovery of a great piece of equipment, though *evil grin*

    Two things related to XP and BG2 - 1: there's also an excess of XP by the end of it, so micromanage clearing of quests, mapss and regions only as much as you find fun (I happen to be a bit anal about doing so, but I can see where others find it grindy) 2: Watch your XP rewards in chat box. You will notice there is the current "the party is rewarded 320 XP" you've been seeing; but there's now also an XP per character ("Charname is rewarded 100 XP, NPC1 is awarded 100 XP, etc). That makes it _feel_ (prolly is just psychological) a little more rewarding and quicker to level IMHO than BG1.

    When you emerge from Athkatla, you will see Watcher's Keep marked on your map like a sore thumb - just know that while it is entirely possible to explore the first few floors of that keep right out of the intro dungeon, go slow and easy... it was originally introduced with ToB (third in the series) and it assumes you (the player) have experience with the game and DnD mechanics - it will feel more brutal than it actually is if you get in a hurry.
  • NokkenbuerNokkenbuer Member Posts: 146
    edited July 2014
    To add my voice to the thread, I can somewhat relate to the original poster's sentiments regarding the D&D infodumping. I had some, but minimal, exposure to the rules and combat systems of Dungeons & Dragons when I was a kid. I thoroughly enjoyed the general mythology and bits of the lore, but I never really got into it despite being something of interest to me. When I started playing the first game, it took a while adjusting to the THAC0 and Armor Class numbers, especially the whole idea behind the lower the number, the better. The entire system is based largely on dice rolls, which can be very confusing since there are no physical dice to roll and a lot of the time, you don't see the full rolls themselves, only their effects (unless you modify the log to be more detailed).

    The entire combat system of the game, along with the lore and statistics, are quite literally imported directly from the original tabletop traditional game, and quite exactly at that with only a few minor exceptions. I never had any experience outside of character sheet creation when it came to tabletop D&D, so this took quite a while to learn. Over time, though, I got a handle of it (thanks primarily to Wikipedia articles and forums explaining the mechanics) and now, I thoroughly enjoy the series.

    It's just a learning curve you need to overcome. You really only need to read into the main aspects of the combat system, a bit of lore and mythology (optional), and how this translates into the game to have a firm understanding of how it all works. Yes, there are certain intricacies which can leave the player stumped, such as why certain weapons are ineffective or why some magic attacks seem to ignore magic resistance, but that can be quickly resolved by a simple Google search or forum post.

    The Baldur's Gate game series is definitely unique when it comes to RPG's, but once you learn the gist of it, you will quickly find that it can be one of the funnest available.

    EDIT: Typo
  • nosecretnosecret Member Posts: 92

    So after restarting, I reconfigured my party and got Aerie. I was caught so off guard by the first conversation leading to her romance.... I'm in the middle of nowhere, after rescuing a poisoned man, and suddenly, this heavenly music starts playing.... If not for other people in the room, I'd have shed a few tears right there and then. I've only played a few hours but.... THIS GAME'S AWESOME! :D

    It's the narrative - IMHO the authors concentrated so well on depth of character and story development, it will remain a classic (even with the somewhat dated mechanics).
    Marky
  • InvictusCobraInvictusCobra Member Posts: 108
    Just had my first confrontation with Bohdi (hate vampires and their Level Drain, is there no Negative Plane Protection AoE, by any chance?) and now I have to go to that island where Irenicus is. So I can have more or less of an idea how to prepare, what's the recommended level for that part? My party is currently level 11 average and I could only do the vampire lair thanks to Daystar and my F/T's backstabs XD.
  • atcDaveatcDave Member Posts: 2,146
    You really only need NPP for your melee fighters. In fact, I'll often just protect my "point man"; the one crazy guy who charges in first to draw fire (this works really well if you have Boots of Speed).

    You're high enough level to go after Imoen. The only thing to know is this part of the game will trigger a whole long series of events and it will be a while before you get back to Amn. So if there's anything in the shops you're thinking of buying, or any character you want with your party, be sure you take care of it before you leave. All the quests will wait for you, if you want to finish them up when you return (I often save a lot of them to build experience for Imoen).
    FinneousPJterzaerian
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  • the_spyderthe_spyder Member Posts: 5,018
    atcDave said:

    All the quests will wait for you, if you want to finish them up when you return (I often save a lot of them to build experience for Imoen).

    Just one caveat here. There is a certain quest line involving a certain druidess of your acquaintance that, if not resolved prior to leaving for the islands, CAN put a major crimp in your day. but only if you have triggered the beginning of said quest.
    jackjack
  • nosecretnosecret Member Posts: 92

    Just had my first confrontation with Bohdi (hate vampires and their Level Drain, is there no Negative Plane Protection AoE, by any chance?) and now I have to go to that island where Irenicus is. So I can have more or less of an idea how to prepare, what's the recommended level for that part? My party is currently level 11 average and I could only do the vampire lair thanks to Daystar and my F/T's backstabs XD.

    Who is in your party? That's actually relevant to both pieces of your question.

    If you have a good cleric in your midst who can turn undead, the minion vamps can be somewhat manged that way.

    And as @the_spyder‌ stated, some NPC quests complicate things if you're trapped off-continent for a while. There are others who could leave you as well because you've not responded to their requests for assistance.
  • the_spyderthe_spyder Member Posts: 5,018
    nosecret said:


    If you have a good cleric in your midst who can turn undead, the minion vamps can be somewhat manged that way.

    Just fyi on this one. You don't necessarily need a "Good" (alignment) Cleric. Viconia, just as a for instance, has Loads of fun with Vamps and can make that portion of the adventure insanely easy.

    And thanks very much @nosecret for the clarification. There are several NPCs that have time sensitive issues. I was just thinking about the one, but yeah. Excellent catch. Thanks for that.
  • PlasticGolemPlasticGolem Member Posts: 98
    nosecret said:


    On your next playthrough of BG1, you will notice other options and quest forks that prevent you feeling like there's not enough XP - there really is an excess available, but it takes a bit to get a personal preference for what parts you can skip without stressing the XP loss.

    Not only that, but you don't need to get anywhere close to the level cap in order to finish the game. Actually, I think that the game is balanced to be challenging only if you are at least a level or two below the cap by the end. Although you certainly can do every quest and get every item, I think the game is balanced to be challenging based on you doing less than half of all the available content on any given playthrough. Also, as a story, the pacing falls flat if you don't keep pressing toward your goal with a minimum of side-quests.

    The cavalier I brought into BG2 was only level 6 when she defeated Sarevok. She was below the XP floor for BG2 and ended up getting free XP and a level up when she started the game.

  • the_spyderthe_spyder Member Posts: 5,018

    nosecret said:


    On your next playthrough of BG1, you will notice other options and quest forks that prevent you feeling like there's not enough XP - there really is an excess available, but it takes a bit to get a personal preference for what parts you can skip without stressing the XP loss.

    Not only that, but you don't need to get anywhere close to the level cap in order to finish the game. Actually, I think that the game is balanced to be challenging only if you are at least a level or two below the cap by the end. Although you certainly can do every quest and get every item, I think the game is balanced to be challenging based on you doing less than half of all the available content on any given playthrough. Also, as a story, the pacing falls flat if you don't keep pressing toward your goal with a minimum of side-quests.

    The cavalier I brought into BG2 was only level 6 when she defeated Sarevok. She was below the XP floor for BG2 and ended up getting free XP and a level up when she started the game.

    Strictly speaking, most of the later content was 'Balanced' based on pre ToSC content as that was an add-on. While it is true that some tweaking was done to the final battle, it wasn't made so difficult that you HAD to max out to beat it.

    With that having been said, I find myself (personal opinion here) wanting to complete every single branching quest and plot line. Invariably, I end up hitting the level cap before the end.

    And apparently, if you use Were-bears, it is even easier. :P

    jackjack
  • InvictusCobraInvictusCobra Member Posts: 108
    Currently in Underdark. Mindflayers have become the bane of my existence :)
    jackjackatcDaveBlackraven
  • the_spyderthe_spyder Member Posts: 5,018
    But... but... they just want to love you and kiss you and hug you and..... suck your brains out through your nose. What's so wrong about that?
    jackjackBlackraven
  • nosecretnosecret Member Posts: 92
    My first playthrough, minsc musta gotten nostrilobotomized 9-10 times before we got outta there.
    jackjackBlackraven
  • the_spyderthe_spyder Member Posts: 5,018
    I have always wondered if Mind Flayers were based on HP Lovecraft's writing, or if they were both based on something older.
    jackjackSethDavis
  • IsandirIsandir Member Posts: 458

    I have always wondered if Mind Flayers were based on HP Lovecraft's writing, or if they were both based on something older.

    From the Wikipedia article: "Mind flayers were created by Gary Gygax, who has said that one of his inspirations for them was the cover painting of the book The Burrowers Beneath by Brian Lumley, a story grounded in the Cthulhu Mythos created by H.P. Lovecraft."

    Lovecraft really did influence a whole generation of fantasy as much as Tolkien did. I think many people just aren't as aware of it. One of my favorite Lovecraft-influenced stories was Quest for Glory IV. It had a great atmosphere and humor, but was unfortunately initially shipped with a large number of bugs.
    jackjackterzaerian
  • InvictusCobraInvictusCobra Member Posts: 108
    Uh oh, I think I just got dumped by Aerie.... Sigh, I knew having sex with a romantic partner before the actual end of a game was going to end badly. Might sound childish but there's goes some of my will to finish the game... Currently in Watcher's Keep in Chapter 6, average party level is 13/14. Hope this isn't another Durlag's where I have to spam F4 in every bloody room :D
    CrevsDaak
  • jackjackjackjack Member Posts: 3,251
    Trust me, you're better off.
    terzaerian
  • InvictusCobraInvictusCobra Member Posts: 108
    jackjack said:

    Trust me, you're better off.

    Eh, depends on opinions. I was quite enjoying her romance, but it was mostly due to the fact I have a soft spot for those types of romances (guy being the White Knight who makes girl understand life's worth it, or vice versa). I can see how that is a major turnoff, though. Anyway, will focus on finishing the game for now and hope that things get back on track with ToB. By the way, what's the advised level for going to Chapter VII and facing Irenicus? (Still have to go to Bhodi's Lair.)

    jackjackatcDaveCrevsDaak
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