More people w/ items to pickpocket?

SharGuidesMyHand

In BG1, only a handful of chars had items on them worth pickpocketing. The vast majority of ordinary townsfolk had no items to PP.

By contrast, 90% or more of the chars in BG2 had items to PP, even if it was only a few coins. PPing chars was like opening up a whole new world in BG2 - many ordinary townsfolk carried items like rings, spells, even weapons. It also added some individual distinction to the individual chars, and also added some spontaneity to the game. For me, it was a small, yet very significant difference between the two games.

Are there any plans to add more PPable items to chars in BG1:EE? If not yet, could that suggestion at least be taken under consideration?

ryu1

They probably would add more items to PP in BG:EE since a lot of the stuff including the BG Engine is from BG2, would be nice for people that do occasionally pickpocket (I do not). Unfortunately, I'm more of a goody-two-shoes!

HexHammer

There defently should be things to PP, it's dead boring not to be able to PP ANYTHING in IWD, when I kill some of the importaint folks things pour out like a tsunami, it's kinda lame.

Frostiken

The problem is that pickpocketing = savescumming. Whenever you failed a pickpocket they'd turn hostile, and thus really the only thing you could do with them at that point was killing them (sometimes automatically), and then you'd have a massive reputation nuke and everyone would turn hostile.

Lord_Gay

Though it's a different game, I really liked how PP worked in Gothic 2. You could get a lot of wealth and xp from pocketing everyone. I consider it one of my fav things to do in the game.

elminster

Frostiken said:

The problem is that pickpocketing = savescumming. Whenever you failed a pickpocket they'd turn hostile, and thus really the only thing you could do with them at that point was killing them (sometimes automatically), and then you'd have a massive reputation nuke and everyone would turn hostile.

This is why what this game really needs is the ability to lock rooms. I mean you seem to find unlocking rooms easy enough. Then I can pickpocket a person, fail, charm them with a spell/cloak/ring, and then try again as needed until I get what I need from them. Then when I am done I can lock them up into a room so that when they go hostile it isn't a risk to me if I have to go back there.

But in general I agree with having more pickpocketable items in both games.

Lord_Gay

I think the problem there is NPCs turning red. Instead, they should remain blue but instantly summon guards who will demand you pay a fine. This removes the whole NPC turns red/ NPC must be killed/ rep drops/ all NPCs in the area turn red/ all NPCs must be killed/ rep drops to 0 fiasco. It's ridiculous that a failed pocket leads to such a horrible end, especially since once red, they never turn back the rest of the game (I don't believe).

My suggestion would be that failed pockets should never result in red circles, just temp guards spawning that you must pay off or flee. If you successfully escape the area for a while, the temp guards will vanish, and your game isn't ruined nor are you prevented from interacting with that NPC in the future.

HaHaCharade

I'm too OCD.... if everyone has something to pickpocket I'll get to Baldur's Gate and never finish the game

LadyRhian

I don't know. If I caught someone picking my pocket, I sure as hell wouldn't talk to them, I'd call a cop and not listen to them, no matter how charismatic they are. Sure, if you use a magic item, that could change, but that would only make me angrier in the long-term. I have no problem with the way things are now.

sarevok57

i think the reason why everyone in the universe (pretty much) turns red is to give it that "consequence" for pick pocketing sorta thing, it is a bit harsh, and that guard someoneing one i think is a good idea, but that is just how they dealt with it when they made the game i suppose, @SharGuidesMyHand there is actually quite a few neato items you can get by pick pocketing, have you ever pick pocketed every single creature in the game that you could? you might find some surprises

Roller12

I think the simpliest solution which would satisfy me would be the ability to peek at loot. A lot of pickpockets or locks i did was just out of curiosity. Not really need the junk they carry.

sarevok57

@Roller12 mayhaps they could create a spell that does that?

Roller12

@sarevok57
Ha, thats a great idea, like some spell or ability, which would work based on pickpocket stat, to estimate the total worth of stealable items carried by the target.

sarevok57

what i was thinking was you would cast the spell on a creature or object ( i guess the creature could have a save vs spell, but wont go hostile if you pass or fail) and then in the dialogue window it will tell you what the creature/object has, and if its unidentified it will just say it's default name

iurko

Lord_Gay said:

I think the problem there is NPCs turning red. Instead, they should remain blue but instantly summon guards who will demand you pay a fine. This removes the whole NPC turns red/ NPC must be killed/ rep drops/ all NPCs in the area turn red/ all NPCs must be killed/ rep drops to 0 fiasco. It's ridiculous that a failed pocket leads to such a horrible end, especially since once red, they never turn back the rest of the game (I don't believe).

My suggestion would be that failed pockets should never result in red circles, just temp guards spawning that you must pay off or flee. If you successfully escape the area for a while, the temp guards will vanish, and your game isn't ruined nor are you prevented from interacting with that NPC in the future.

I'm all for the NPCs not going batmanure insane (red circle) when they were not the target of the failed ppocket. The guards should be summoned, and ATTACKING the guards or other civilians should prompt the redcirclefest of flushing rep down the toilet.

SharGuidesMyHand

Frostiken said:

The problem is that pickpocketing = savescumming. Whenever you failed a pickpocket they'd turn hostile, and thus really the only thing you could do with them at that point was killing them (sometimes automatically), and then you'd have a massive reputation nuke and everyone would turn hostile.

No worries, I plan on playing as an evil blackguard. ;-)

sarevok57 said:

@SharGuidesMyHand there is actually quite a few neato items you can get by pick pocketing, have you ever pick pocketed every single creature in the game that you could? you might find some surprises

Yes, I PP the vast majority of characters in both BG1 & BG2. Typically, I set aside a time when I buff my thief up with potions, then send them around PPing & stealing everything in sight. It's less rewarding in BG1, where, in the majority of instances, the response is "Target has no items." By contrast, virtually EVERY character in BG2 has some sort of item or gold on them, and it varies with each playthrough.

For example: in BG2...

** SPOILERS **

...there's a random nobleman sitting outside in Waukeen's Promenade, who actually has a magical +2 2-handed sword on him, along with a bunch of other neat items. You don't see that kind of spontaneity among the common townspeople in BG1.