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ToB content question compared to BG1 expansion

NeoNeo Member Posts: 127
in Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition
Noob question. I've been taking my time playing BG2 for the first time in a casual way (played BG1 vanilla when it came out and played it back a few months ago before getting into BG2). I enjoy the game but am quite confused as to how ToB works.

In BG1, the expansion (Tales of the Sword Coast) adds extra zones that you can go to. I think that Durlag's Tower is the hardest part and I got stuck at the statue room and never finished it. I plan on completing it next time I do an other full playthrough.

In BG2, ToB seems to have unlocked zones like Watcher's Keep where I cleared the first level because I wanted the ammo belt. How does it work beyond that? Once I complete the main story line of SoA, I can continue by importing my main character in ToB? Do I lose my progress and equipment for my other NPCs that are in my party?

I'm also wondering if I'm spending too much time doing side quests. I just wanted to experience as much as possible from the game with my first playthrough so that I'd know better in what order to do the quests or go get specific items next times. So I wanted to clear as many side quests as possible (and for the extra XP too). My Charname is a Sorcerer that just hit lvl 14 after beating the red dragon. I'm still in chapter 3 where I'm supposed to go find the vampire's lair for the thieves in the graveyard. I just was afraid that I couldn't come back and do those side quests afterwards.

Did I just clear content that was way too hard for the level of my party and not meant to be cleared this early into the game? Should I have waited? I got some of the best weapons in the game from these though (Flail of Ages, the sword +5 from the dragon, Belm, etc.). I'm just afraid that I might have made it too difficult on myself for the early game with stuff like the red and shadow dragon and then the rest of the game to become trivial until the final boss fight.

Comments

  • NeoNeo Member Posts: 127
    My sorc was higher level when he started cause he's one of the characters I used to clear BG1's Black Pit if I remember well.
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
    Basically Throne of Bhaal adds two things. It adds Watcher's Keep (which you can tackle whenever you'd like) and then it adds a concluding set of chapters to the series. Once you beat Shadows of Amn you'll start these concluding set of chapters (and other than Watcher's Keep you won't be able to access the areas you visited in Shadows of Amn).
  • lunarlunar Member Posts: 3,460
    edited March 2016
    You can finish Watchers Keep in SoA. Or go as far as you are comfortable, and leave, once you are in ToB you can return to Watchers Keep later and continue from where you left. Just be sure to hold on to key items, like ward stones and the like that you find in WK.
    Post edited by lunar on
  • antimatter3009antimatter3009 Member Posts: 24
    For the side quests, it's perfectly fine to do all of them in ch2 and 3 if you want (many people do), but you will get another chance to finish any you missed later on. They tend to scale up with you, so if you attempt them at a higher level they will be more difficult than if you tackle them early, but otherwise they remain the same (with all the same key equipment found, quest xp, etc).
  • HeindrichHeindrich Member, Moderator Posts: 2,959
    edited March 2016
    @elminster already answered your question regarding what ToB adds to BG2.

    I'd add that...

    1) Although you can export BG1 endgame character into Black Pits, and then export that character into the start of BG2... that wasn't exactly the intention when it comes to balancing the difficulty curve. The level of companions when you meet them depends on the level of Charname, so if your Sorcerer started BG2 at a higher level than he/she was supposed to be, your entire party will be above the power curve from the beginning.

    2) Watcher's Keep provides some of the toughest challenges in all of BG2 and provides the best reward by far. So yes doing it early will mean that the rest of your game will be comparatively trivial because you are higher level and better equipped than the content was balanced to be. There is some scaling (a higher level party will encounter tougher enemies in dungeons) but not enough to really compensate unless you have difficulty mods installed.
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