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If you could change one thing...

GrumGrum Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 2,100
in Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition
...what would it be?

For me, I certainly know. It'd be your starting companions at the start of the game.

(1) A good aligned character would begin with:

* Kivan (chaotic good ranger)
* Yeslick (lawful good fighter/cleric)

(2) A neutral aligned character would begin with:

* Minsc (neutral good ranger)
* Jaheira (fighter/druid)

(3) An evil aligned character would begin with:

* Sharteel (chaotic evil fighter)
* Viconia (neutral evil cleric)


Sure, this would mean adding 3 more NPCs to the game. But wouldn't it make more sense? It would make a real difference on what your alignment is, as you'd likely adventure with people of a like-minded cause.

- Good: Help those who have lost the most achieve vengeance and to ensure nobody else is hurt, so you'd adventure with the above.
- Neutral: Help the balance...or just be swayed by Minsc's charm.
- Evil: An evil character really wouldn't have adventured with Minsc and some harpers, right?


It would also mean that each playthrough would be different from the start, but still quite balanced. No matter what you get a fighter and a healer to go with you, with Imoen being your thief/mage. But the dialogues and options would change.

Plus, how great would it be for Kivan to run into Tazok again? ;)
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Comments

  • TressetTresset Member, Moderator Posts: 8,268
    Keeping Imoen alive would not have been a last minute decision by the original devs and she would have as much character development as the other characters, or possibly more even.
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    Make all class combinations legal and allow multiple kits on one character. Much more variety and many more ways to play the game. Some of them would be stupidly overpowered, but plenty more would be balanced.
  • GrumGrum Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 2,100
    Indeed. An evil playthrough probably wouldn't be motivated too much about rescuing Imoen. There would need to be a hook though, on why you'd wand to rescue Tiax.

    An idea: During the walk through Irenicus' dungeon, dialogue with Tiax shows that he has info on unlocking your bhaalspawn powers. Thus, rescuing him is something you'd want to do because he is useful to your cause. IE: yourself.

    As for Eldoth and Shar-Teel, that would indeed be hilarious, but wouldn't work as well for making a functioning party. I'd rather replace Khalid with Eldoth, just to have Shar-Teel's dialogue.

    Speaking of which, for the corpse on the table...


    Good playthrough: Alora. Because it would only inspire one of two reactions from veteran players. Intense joy or intense sadness.

    Neutral playthrough: Khalid. Because sadness.

    Evil playthrough: Eldoth. Just to hear Shar-Teel rejoice.
  • ShivanShivan Member Posts: 22
    Just one thing..

    It would be dual-class character creation. We can make multiclass characters. We can dual class a created character at level 7, or we can dual class back in bg1 (sounds like a smart plan, when approaching the end...), but we can't say hey, I want cleric that started off with a couple levels of thief, but not 7, and I don't want to coddle or rely upon a level 1 cleric for the beginning of bg2.
  • MortiannaMortianna Member Posts: 1,356
    edited March 2015
    I was thinking Tiax would be the one who manages to get free (proclaiming how much he rules all) and opens the PC's cage.

    His thief skills would come in handy throughout Irenicus' dungeon, although Shar-Teel might be able to help out as well, depending on whether she's dualled to a thief (7/9 would be ideal).

    LOL at the corpse options.

    Maybe Tiax really does have a path to godhood that somehow links in with the PC's. I like the idea!
  • fighter_mage_thieffighter_mage_thief Member Posts: 262
    A romance option with Edwina.
  • ArunsunArunsun Member Posts: 1,592
    @elminster : indeed, evil quest option are very few. I mean, none of the NPC quest involves real evil but Dorn's one.
  • dunbardunbar Member Posts: 1,603
    Equally I'd like to see some less drastic ways of lowering your reputation. If you gain a rep point for rescuing a cat, why can't you lose a rep point for actively refusing to rescue said cat?
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    I'd have fixed druid spell-selection and abilities to make them balanced with other characters. Same with bards, but by adding more songs (IWD-like)

    More "sensible evil" rather than "stupid evil" options. The mod "Assassinations" seems to add some of this, but its still just killing people. A more in-depth reputation system (where being evil HELPS you with some groups) would be nice, kinda like what was done with Pillars of Eternity.
  • joluvjoluv Member Posts: 2,137
    dunbar said:

    If you gain a rep point for rescuing a cat, why can't you lose a rep point for actively refusing to rescue said cat?

    Because people think, "Well, that's fine. Being an adventurer and all, you probably don't have the time to waste."
  • st_live418st_live418 Member Posts: 41
    I would've liked to see more stat-based dialogue responses, and unique outcomes because of them. I know some people might not dig it, but a STR9 cleric isn't going to be nearly as intimidating as a half orc barbarian. I think it'd give a lot more replay value and encourage people to make different characters.
  • NatenNaten Member Posts: 138
    I would like some real Thieves guild stronghold quests added besides just the one time you had to deal with the thief that was being a problem. Like maybe a training day where you test out a bunch of new recruits and decide who should be accepted.
  • SchneidendSchneidend Member Posts: 3,190
    Tresset said:

    Keeping Imoen alive would not have been a last minute decision by the original devs and she would have as much character development as the other characters, or possibly more even.

    Same, except I would have just made Imoen a normal party member and not so central to the story.
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,760
    edited April 2015
    ... I would give an option to reach Brynnlaw without getting help from neither the Shadow Thieves nor the Vampires.
    Post edited by JuliusBorisov on
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,760
    Mhamza said:

    I'd give Monk, Sorcerer, Blackguard and Barbarian their own strongholds.

    I wish it was the case as well.

    Although those are four things that should be changed;)
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
    edited April 2015
    Crap i forgot how poorly handled imoen is so i recind my earlier one. If I could change one thing it would be to not have imoen get taken to spellhold.
  • joluvjoluv Member Posts: 2,137
    bengoshi said:

    ... I would give an option to reach Brynnlaw without getting help from neither the Shadow Thieves nor the Vampires.

    I kind of like that you have to make unsavory alliances to move forward; it adds a level of realism and moral nuance to the plot. An option to work with the Cowled Wizards instead would be cool, though.
  • AkihikoAkihiko Member Posts: 213
    I'd change every decision made about Imoen. I'd keep her a thief, not make her a Bhallspawn, not have her be the carrot-on-a-stick to drive good players towards spellhold, etc. I love this game, but damn do I hate every change they made to Imoen from BG1 to BG2.
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
    Akihiko said:

    I'd change every decision made about Imoen. I'd keep her a thief, not make her a Bhallspawn, not have her be the carrot-on-a-stick to drive good players towards spellhold, etc. I love this game, but damn do I hate every change they made to Imoen from BG1 to BG2.

    They only seemed to have handled her well in ToB. In BG1 she's just leftover lines from a scrapped demo so she doesn't interact with other party members (except for the EE characters).
  • MadrictMadrict Member Posts: 141
    edited April 2015
    I'd make Valygar a romance option for male and female pcs (and Anomen for that matter, more choices for all) :)
  • CaptRoryCaptRory Member Posts: 1,660
    1) Haer'Dalis Romance.
    2) Imoen Rescued Earlier
    3) More Plot after Imoen Rescue and Before Elf City
  • joluvjoluv Member Posts: 2,137
    @CaptRory: Aren't (2) and (3) pretty much up to you? You can put a large majority of quests off until Chapter 6 and rescue Imoen very early.
  • dockaboomskidockaboomski Member Posts: 440
    Explaining what happened to many of the NPCs from Baldur's Gate I. But, that's what Adventure Y will hopefully be about...
  • deltagodeltago Member Posts: 7,811
    Have a timer to rescue Imoen.

    Not there by a certain day in the game: dead.
  • GrumGrum Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 2,100
    deltago said:

    Have a timer to rescue Imoen.

    Not there by a certain day in the game: dead.

    No. Not there in a certain time? Slayer. Who fights you to the death.
  • SchneidendSchneidend Member Posts: 3,190
    bengoshi said:

    ... I would give an option to reach Brynnlaw without getting help from neither the Shadow Thieves nor the Vampires.

    Ew. Why?
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