I'd love if initial party composition in BG2 was explained in SoD
blackchimes
Member Posts: 323
You start the BG2 with Imoen, Jaheira and Minsc. Additinally you arrived in the dungeon with Khalid(dead) and Dynaheir(dead). It is strongly implied that you were captured together.
Now hands up, how many times have you finished BG with that party composition? Because if you didn't, then the intro to BG2 doesn't make a lick of sense. So most of the time BG2 doesn't make any sense from the first minute of play.
SoD is a great opportunity to explain why these six could be captured together even if they were NOT in your party at the end of the game. Imoen is obvious. Minsc and Dynaheir... maybe Irenicus wanted to "test" the barbarian rage, and used Dynaheir for this. Khalid and Jaheira - Jaheira is a Harper, no one likes Harpers, especially evil wizards, so there is a connection there - Khalid could have just been killed after it turns out he's just a lame dude, and before Irenicus could get to "interrogating" Jaheira, the Shadow Thieves struck.
Anyway, there are reasons to capture these people even if they aren't in the party at the moment, so I'd love if SoD you could hear about it happen, or even see it happen.
Now hands up, how many times have you finished BG with that party composition? Because if you didn't, then the intro to BG2 doesn't make a lick of sense. So most of the time BG2 doesn't make any sense from the first minute of play.
SoD is a great opportunity to explain why these six could be captured together even if they were NOT in your party at the end of the game. Imoen is obvious. Minsc and Dynaheir... maybe Irenicus wanted to "test" the barbarian rage, and used Dynaheir for this. Khalid and Jaheira - Jaheira is a Harper, no one likes Harpers, especially evil wizards, so there is a connection there - Khalid could have just been killed after it turns out he's just a lame dude, and before Irenicus could get to "interrogating" Jaheira, the Shadow Thieves struck.
Anyway, there are reasons to capture these people even if they aren't in the party at the moment, so I'd love if SoD you could hear about it happen, or even see it happen.
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But I personally think that circumstances will force charname, Imoen, Jaheira,Khalid, Minsc & Dynaheir into
a group near the end of SoD and thus you will be captured together.
(Or you will have most/all of the characters partaking in the operation and you jsut take 5 with you while
the rest does other stuff ^^)
SoD has the hard task of making that line up believable. (or otherwise an update to bg2 to allow for other results.)
On the one hand I don't want to be forced to have that composition for the end game, that would be incredibly lame, yet at the same time they probably do want to have the ending mix well with BG2. I would suspect some sort of reunion, festival, victory celebration, or other event so that even characters you might never have in your party have a reason for being there. It would be easy to imagine that after a victory over the shining lady there is some sort of festivity, and you happen to find yourself over the course of the night with the above individuals, whether you had grouped with them or not. That is the point you are attacked and overwhelmed.
Anyone else who might've been in your party finds you missing the next morning with no trace. Neera might try to find you, but her spell surges and she finds herself in Amn, unknowingly where you are, but assumes it was random. Dorn doesn't really care, and just moves on. Rasaad has his own things to deal with and without any trace of you moves on as well. The others, who knows? Maybe they all secretly hated you and were happy you were gone? Maybe the new Flaming Fist Officer and Safana, or others were actually in on it, a plot hatched by the Dukes to be rid of your 'threat' and have Amn, with whom relations have been sorely strained, deal with you.
As to why were they at the party? Jaheira and Khalid have built it reasons for wanting to stay close to you. They were not only friends with Gorion, but also Harpers, and as seen in BG2 they take a great interest in the Bhaalspawn. Imoen likewise doesn't want to be parted from CHARNAME, so it would be easy to imagine her sneaking her way in to see whats going on. As to Minsc and Dynaheir? Okay, no clue, unless maybe they play a key role in opposing the shining lady?
Imoen is charnames adopted sister (Gorion brought her to candlekeep, thus he is her guardian and that
makes her charnames sister..ish).
Khalid & Jaheira are -according to Gorions wishes- charnames current guardians. Those three are family,
thus they should stay around anyways =P
Dynaheir was send to investigate Bhaalspawns (mostly Sarevok, but then she should stay because of the
rumors about charname & Shiny). Minsc is her protector and should follow her as long as he lives..
BG2's initial dialogue with Imoen is pretty explicit about her being with you when you got captured.
As for the rest of the group, considering all BG2 did was assume they were in your party, I really hope that whatever the good people at Beamdog come up with doesn't come out as too contrived.
It seems more likely in my mind that the 5 characters that you start with in BG2 will appear from time to time throughout the game (unless they are in your party) to check in with you in some way to keep them relevant to the storyline. Arcantis spelled out the reasons Khalid, Jaheira, Imoen, Dynaheir (with Minsc in tow) would not stray far from your character even if they aren't in your actual traveling party. Once you finish the play through of SoD there will be some story reason (most likely having to do with the legacy of Bhaal which we learn about during SoD) for your character to set out on another journey.
An epilogue system could then explain the fate your party members (remember plenty of BG NPC's pop up in one way or another in BG2) with further cut scenes showing the story reasons you begin traveling with BG2 canon party.