In the first game, you don't even have to do anything to be opposing Bhaal's taint. Even an evil PC isn't the same kind of pawn that Sarevok ultimately is. It's only in the second game that the taint really tries to corrupt you, offering you real power in the form of the Slayer, and setting up the Hell trials, where failing even a single choice has real consequences.
Trials in BG2 (like Hell and Slayer) are surely highlighted, but there are pretty much the same thing we face in BG1. In Hell they are just articulated clearly - but it's not like we aren't told about our heritage in BG1 or given choices to be evil (and being granted special powers like Horror for that). Storytelling is more clunky, but we have no novelty in SoA. We already know that a) we are Bhaalspawn, b) our power can corrupt us. We can even tell Sarevok that we are going to take his place, can we not? Same thing with Slayer, who is basically more advanced version of Horror spell for low reputation.
You also learn that what makes you special even among Bhaalspawn is that there's something about you, your mind or your soul, that tries to protect you from the immense power you have, both in the dream where you face Bhaal's avatar, and the trials that anticipate the additional tests you set up for yourself in TOB.
It's all said in your dreams in BG1; no matter if we dream good or evil version of them, we oppose power of Bhaal (like in a dream with a dagger, after Nashkel mines). Sure, SoA gives some insight into that, but it's rather an addition to story of Joneleth, his beef with Ellisime, and so on.
All in all, it seems like a more introspective journey than either BG1 or TOB are, and where better than the Land of Coin and Intrigue to see exactly who you are in the dark?
The way I feel it was more of a villain driven journey, that introspective one.
Mouse radial wheel menus are a quicker and more practical way to play videogames than quickbars. ... sadly one of the most unpopular opinions.... ;_;
The problem wasn't the radial menu, the problems were that 1) you had to left click for it 2) you couldn't use hotkeys, and 2 isn't even that important...
Mouse radial wheel menus are a quicker and more practical way to play videogames than quickbars. ... sadly one of the most unpopular opinions.... ;_;
The problem wasn't the radial menu, the problems were that 1) you had to left click for it 2) you couldn't use hotkeys, and 2 isn't even that important...
Both things were never a problem for me to begin with. But then again, it appears that radial wheels are indeed unpopular by some.
(And I don't care if a hundred people agree with this, I've been on the internet for twenty-three years and the above is an incredibly unpopular opinion.)
The only thing that Joluv's items have to do with real IWD items are the names, which he must have added on them to increase their value.
There were plenty of powerful IWD-only items that he could have brought over to sell, but no...
Anyways, I have never done Firewine Ruins all the way through. From what I've read about it, it just seems really, really unrewarding, with only 35 xp kobold commandos and one ogre mage at the end, not nearly enough to justify all the aggravation of traps and endlessly respawning kobolds. I doubt it's any harder than Durlag's Tower, but that offered a ton of XP and treasure in return for the challenge, and Firewine doesn't seem to do the same, so why bother?
The only thing that Joluv's items have to do with real IWD items are the names, which he must have added on them to increase their value.
There were plenty of powerful IWD-only items that he could have brought over to sell, but no...
Anyways, I have never done Firewine Ruins all the way through. From what I've read about it, it just seems really, really unrewarding, with only 35 xp kobold commandos and one ogre mage at the end, not nearly enough to justify all the aggravation of traps and endlessly respawning kobolds. I doubt it's any harder than Durlag's Tower, but that offered a ton of XP and treasure in return for the challenge, and Firewine doesn't seem to do the same, so why bother?
It's nowhere near as hard as Durlag's. I usually go in the back way to take care of the Oni and his friend first. Then I send a thief and a tank out to clear the traps and kobolds while keeping the rest of the party back.
It's nowhere near as hard as Durlag's. I usually go in the back way to take care of the Oni and his friend first. Then I send a thief and a tank out to clear the traps and kobolds while keeping the rest of the party back.
Well, that's fine. I still don't see the incentive to go do it. Is there any loot at all?
I just do the back door, kill the orge mage and crew for the drops and quest completion and run one character with my thief straight to do the ancient armor/ghost quest then CTRL-J to the exit.
I've never really had trouble with Ulcaster or Firewine. It's that Teleport Vortex Ice Island deal that eats my face on a regular basis, and that only because you're facing a troupe of casters.
I think Firewine is the single worst designed dungeon in the series. The cramped hallways are murder on the less than great pathfinding (which was even worse pre-EE).
Firewine and Ulcaster and Ice island... aren't they all the same map with different entry points?
The issues with Ulcaster are compounded by the plethora of fireball traps. I believe Firewine is actually easier in this respect since you can quaff an Absorption potion for half of the traps. Though at least in Firewine and Ulcaster you can use your thief to pull the enemies to you in small doses as you trap hunt. Can't really do that in Ice Island since everything is a caster.
Firewine dungeons, Jeeze. I think I just ran into another on of those invisible GRUEs from ZORKville I talk about on my instant death thread. Firebombed the last group of kobolds CLEAR across the map from CHARNAME and the game registered it as CHARNAME dying. Dadburn GRUESs.
I just do the back door, kill the orge mage and crew for the drops and quest completion and run one character with my thief straight to do the ancient armor/ghost quest then CTRL-J to the exit.
Clerics are the worst class in the game at high levels. Deva and Energy Blades are their only HLAs that aren't well below average, and even they are only okay compared to what other classes get.
Related: the rule that you should never dual-class away from a spellcasting class is dumb. C>M is straight up better than C/M; C>T and C>F are better than C/T, F/C, and F>C because of kit bonuses. The only real strike against dualing away from clerics is you can't get shorty saves.
I just do the back door, kill the orge mage and crew for the drops and quest completion and run one character with my thief straight to do the ancient armor/ghost quest then CTRL-J to the exit.
You can't do that in EE. The door is blocked.
No? I've exclusively played the EE since release, and I still go in through the back door. My last BG run was just last month using the latest patch.
I just do the back door, kill the orge mage and crew for the drops and quest completion and run one character with my thief straight to do the ancient armor/ghost quest then CTRL-J to the exit.
You can't do that in EE. The door is blocked.
No? I've exclusively played the EE since release, and I still go in through the back door. My last BG run was just last month using the latest patch.
In that case perhaps it's the effect of a mod or SoD.
I just do the back door, kill the orge mage and crew for the drops and quest completion and run one character with my thief straight to do the ancient armor/ghost quest then CTRL-J to the exit.
You can't do that in EE. The door is blocked.
No? I've exclusively played the EE since release, and I still go in through the back door. My last BG run was just last month using the latest patch.
In that case perhaps it's the effect of a mod or SoD.
I just do the back door, kill the orge mage and crew for the drops and quest completion and run one character with my thief straight to do the ancient armor/ghost quest then CTRL-J to the exit.
You can't do that in EE. The door is blocked.
No? I've exclusively played the EE since release, and I still go in through the back door. My last BG run was just last month using the latest patch.
In that case perhaps it's the effect of a mod or SoD.
I also run SoD, so it must be a mod.
Also, the Flumph are the best race in D&D.
@ThacoBell Shoot, man, ya made me pull out my ol 80's Fiend Folio on that critter. We must not have ever used that one.
I just do the back door, kill the ogre mage and crew for the drops and quest completion and run one character with my thief straight to do the ancient armor/ghost quest then CTRL-J to the exit.
I just do the back door, kill the ogre mage and crew for the drops and quest completion and run one character with my thief straight to do the ancient armor/ghost quest then CTRL-J to the exit.
That was the one that I WAS talking about. Wait, is there another?
Feeblemind is the most underrated mage spell. It is capable of completely trivializing huge swaths of the game.
Enchanters are the best specialist mages in the game. The -2 save on Feeblemind and Chaos is huge. The lost spells are easily replaced except for Sequencer/Trigger.
Comments
*Unless you are CHARNAME
... sadly one of the most unpopular opinions.... ;_;
The plural of "anecdote" is not "data".
THE PLURAL OF ANECDOTE IS NOT DATA.
(And I don't care if a hundred people agree with this, I've been on the internet for twenty-three years and the above is an incredibly unpopular opinion.)
(Irony noted.)
Anyways, I have never done Firewine Ruins all the way through. From what I've read about it, it just seems really, really unrewarding, with only 35 xp kobold commandos and one ogre mage at the end, not nearly enough to justify all the aggravation of traps and endlessly respawning kobolds. I doubt it's any harder than Durlag's Tower, but that offered a ton of XP and treasure in return for the challenge, and Firewine doesn't seem to do the same, so why bother?
I think this ruin is fun if you are a thief and you like skulking about, less so for other classes.
The issues with Ulcaster are compounded by the plethora of fireball traps. I believe Firewine is actually easier in this respect since you can quaff an Absorption potion for half of the traps. Though at least in Firewine and Ulcaster you can use your thief to pull the enemies to you in small doses as you trap hunt. Can't really do that in Ice Island since everything is a caster.
Related: the rule that you should never dual-class away from a spellcasting class is dumb. C>M is straight up better than C/M; C>T and C>F are better than C/T, F/C, and F>C because of kit bonuses. The only real strike against dualing away from clerics is you can't get shorty saves.
I also use SoD.
Also, the Flumph are the best race in D&D.
Enchanters are the best specialist mages in the game. The -2 save on Feeblemind and Chaos is huge. The lost spells are easily replaced except for Sequencer/Trigger.