If possible to solo the game, what does that say about using a party?

rickcr

I'm new to playing BG (only in chapter 2 in BG:EE on my Android tablet), and been researching various class strengths etc and I see a lot of posts about those that play the game with a solo character.
Does this mean they never use a party to complete quests (other than possibly party specific quests for the XP) ?
If so, then wouldn't this making playing with a party of 6 super easy? or are maybe solo players able to exploit certain aspects of the game since they're so familiar with it?

elminster

"If so, then wouldn't this making playing with a party of 6 super easy?"

Yes and no. A soloer has the advantage of faster level progression and never having to worry about losing a party member (they just have to worry about getting killed themselves).

Meyahi

If you're new, I strongly advise you to play with a full party. If you don't know the intricacies of the game, it is hard enough. You would also miss out on a lot of interactions with NPCs some of which you can even romance!

Soloing is only for people that played the game so many times that they just want a challenge. The overall game experience is severely weakened though (but they know it very well anyway).

rickcr

Meyahi said:

If you're new, I strongly advise you to play with a full party. If you don't know the intricacies of the game, it is hard enough. You would also miss out on a lot of interactions with NPCs some of which you can even romance!

oh trust me I plan to play with a party. I was just curious that's all. (The level explanation elminster provided makes sense for how it works.)

(I just can't decide what class I want to play. I want one that carries over well tof BG2, but I'll maybe start that discussion in another thread .)

Meyahi

Every class is fine and playable.
You can never go wrong with fighter/mage multiclass.
The only extremely weak class in BG1 until mid bg2 is monk (then slowly but surely becomes OP as hell).

Wowo

The best answer is that the power curve in D&D is exponential rather than linear. With only one character you level faster and get the sort of high level abilities that really trivialise the game.

This isn't such an issue in bg1 because of the level cap but with the ToB expansion in bg2 it can completely break the game.

Meyahi

Wowo said:

The best answer is that the power curve in D&D is exponential rather than linear. With only one character you level faster and get the sort of high level abilities that really trivialise the game.

This isn't such an issue in bg1 because of the level cap but with the ToB expansion in bg2 it can completely break the game.

It is exponential until a few epic levels and then you don't get much stronger but this only true for single classes. Multi (dual even more of a hassle for solo) classes have much higher overall potential, yes.

Unless heavy metagaming or rest (+ reload) spamming, having the equivalent of 6 rounds instead of one almost always wins. You also get a lot of xp from scrolls and traps/locks (I guess FMT gets both but no lvl9 spells).

Last but not least, I don't think soloing is fun.

semiticgoddess

Fighter types are never better off soloing than traveling in a full party. Their APR and damage per hit don't get six times stronger because they get six times as much XP, nor are they six times as durable. Clerics are also weaker as solo characters, as most of their strength comes in the form of party support. Druids gain a little more from the extra XP, since it helps them hit level 15. Thieves might be a little tougher when soloing due to their traps, but that only happens at epic levels. Much the same goes for bards, at least if you're using Mislead and the Improved Bard Song. Multi-classes are somewhat better for soloing than these characters, except for perhaps the fighter/druid, again because of the level 15 XP gap.

Mages, however, can be stronger as solo characters. High-level mage spells can kind of break the difficulty, depending on the situation. To take an extreme example, a Dragon's Breath or Summon Planetar spell can resolve basically any early- or midgame encounter, and you can get it for 3 million XP... which, in a six-person party, amounts to about level 10.

But under most circumstances, a given Charname is going to be safer traveling in a group of five or six.

JuliusBorisov

- If possible to solo the game, what does that say about using a party?

- It only says that it's possible to complete the game with a party.

It doesn't say anything else, really. Both a party and a solo game can be easy or difficult, based on your gaming experience and the classes/kits/spells you use.

For e.g., a solo FMT brings you an immensely powerful character, while soloing as a Wizard Slayer is hard to say the least.

A group of 6 monks is very squishy in BG1 while a group of a thief, a fighter, a mage and a cleric is enough to feel yourself fine.

But if you know the game inside out, even a party of level 1 characters can beat BG2 ( @bbear‌ has done this).

The party play brings you dialogues, romances and other interesting interactions (as a vanilla game in terms of BG2, with BG1 NPC Project mod in terms of BG1).

I think a solo play can be a good option for those who have beaten the game at least once or twice with a party. It just gives you a different experience.

Kilivitz

The game was designed to be played with a party of 4-6 characters, preferably balanced - at least 1 or 2 warriors, a priest for healing and protective spells, and a thief for handling traps and locks. A Mage is helpful (and adds variety) but they only become truly essential in BG2.

Soloing or playing themed parties can be a lot of fun but is certainly not easy unless you are already familiar with the game (and the AD&D rules being used).

If it's your first time, I would stick to those guidelines, at least until you get the hang of playing the game. There's a bit of a learning curve (even if you are familiar with D&D). But it most definitely pays off. That's why we have 10+ year veterans around here.

karnor00

bengoshi said:

But if you know the game inside out, even a party of level 1 characters can beat BG2 ( @bbear‌ has done this).

Even more crazily, it was actually a solo level 1 run he completed.

That said, the solo runs often involve using some fairly cheesy tactics (at least what I would consider cheesy).

mumumomo

When you have some knowledge of the game, soloing is actually easier than playing in group, mainly because you don't have to share your resources:

- all xp goes to 1 character. In BG1, it leads you to level up quickly out of the zone where you get 1-shotted. In BG2, you will reach HLA level very early (and HLA are way too strong for SOA).
- all gold and all items go to 1 character. This leads to being able to equip your character very early with the best gear available.
- all limited charges items (potions, scrolls) go to 1 character. With these items, you can easily make your character virtually unkillable. Since you have only 1 character to protect, you can make your whole group (= 1 charname) unkillable when you need it

semiticgoddess

@mumumomo: Even if you give all the best equipment to one character, there's still a lot of scraps for other party members to pick up. In a party game, you can still put all the best gear on Charname, and make it virtually unkillable, but you'll also have enough left over for another five characters. A lot of excellent loot will go to waste in a solo run, since you just don't have enough room for it.

mumumomo

fair enough but the thing is that the solo char will get much more quickly (xp and equipment wise) to the point where the game becomes a cakewalk.

I do agree with you that fighters do not benefit as much as other classes (especially thieves and mages).

semiticgoddess

It's hard to evaluate, really. How many of us played the game solo before we knew the innermost workings of the game? Generally only a veteran would try playing it solo.