Would their opinions be more palatable to you if they phrased it "I think the devs messed up here. Having Imoen as a companion is one of the most enjoyable parts of the game, so I don't enjoy her exclusion from the companion roster in this expansion."?
LMAO, I'm saying that if you folks would stop being so sour over Imoen, you might actually have fun.
I'll have fun when SoD stops crashing every other hour, when the combat stops being boring mob fests of zombies/other mooks, when the characters make sense and when that god awful black border around the map is removed so I can stop losing any sense of immersion immediately upon entering a new map.
So really then you only think negative opinions are like assholes.
All the stuff we love about the expansion, that's totally valid and legitimate, but our dislikes are "irrelevant".
The way you've been talking, the fact that Imoen is out...that seems to ruin EVERYTHING for you. But hey, don't let me point out how you've only been negative.
With original BG1 I sometimes used to use Gatekeeper to create Imoen as my CHARNAME. When I played her I figured she wouldn't bother with any advice a buffleheaded old guy like Gorion gave her so she used to head straight for Baldur's Gate. I'd Gatekeeper her into the city and then see how far she could get doing all the thieving and fetching and carrying quests.
A good pickpocket can have a lot of fun in that town.
I see nothing wrong with Imoens storyline in SoD, at least its a good explanation how she become a mage in BG2, when I played both BG years ago and I finished BG1 I was in shock when in the continuation she became a mage. This ofc can mean nothing to you, like its totally normal, you just want her to be mage from the very beginning right? Well its ofc kind of changing original game and I don't like acting like this. SoD giving us a bit light in her story, and we can learn something about her... she seems to really love us and she is worry about us, she made a hard choice to learn still and let us go, to seek revenge (she didn't want us to seek revenge, she just accepted it, our decision). She is not in party but still shes the greatest part of this game in my opinion. Its a simple but touching story, personally I can feel her affection to us by her dialogues, her memories, her suffering, all around her is telling us that She Care About Us. Her family, only family. Shes away and its not bad. Just try to feel her point of view in this expansion. Like I said, even if shes not in the party, she basicly is the most important person anyway! Bcs of her we go on.
I see nothing wrong with Imoens storyline in SoD, at least its a good explanation how she become a mage in BG2
No it's not wrong and it makes sense, but like many users, you do need a thief in group, and the choice is not that good.
Sefana - She can handle her job as thief, but not many users like her, she is a "precious b*" and that's how she acts, we all know what she will try to do in BG2 with CHARNAME so to have a cold hearth b* who cares only about money and not people, and talks and acts like said, as a "precious b*" is also annoying. Not saying the quality is bad made, that's how she is supposed to act.
Glint - He is an half thief half cleric, not a good cleric as Viconia, and i don't know if it's me, but i don't see in glint any option to disarm a trap, pickpocket, he can just spot traps and illusions. I need a thief to disarm trap and pickpocket. So as thief the choice falls on Safana, in easy words you are forced to have her, i joined him just because I wanted to try him, but some aspect of his romance I did not like it.
Imoen - She is the one you would or more user would really pick, as said not many thieves are really avaible, but you can't, i guess to add, unless CHARNAME is a thief and that's really a bad idea, more thieves is better. Also for many users not having Imoen in the group is like for me not to have Viconia in my group, the game wouldn't feel the same.
About explaing how Imoen learns magic and moved to BG2 is forced,
when you get Imoes in BG2 she knows too much magic, no way in that short time in SOD she learnt all of it, and the rest of the time in both BG1 she is approced by the hooded figure, in easy words Irenicus, and she spent most of the time in BG2 in captivity guess with who, with Irenicus, so yes, in SOD it does explain how did she start to learn magic, but doesn't explain how she became a good mage in BG2. At the end we all know why Imoen in BG2 after you rescue her she has so much more magic, adjusting level.
On the storyline, SOD often leaves many holes, also the way it ends, i feel like Imoes lured under a charming spell CHARNAME into Irenicus dangeon, some say he is there casting his spell but i don't see anybody but Imoen feeling weird, a spell is casted under her, and there you go, credits and end game. It would be nice if they will improve it a little more.
Yes that's my bad, on Glid i had an armor thieves are not able to use, but he can use it as a cleric, the armor disabled him from using his disarm traps pickpocketing and picklocks. He is fun yes, but not everyone will agree with it. I guess this is the reason or a reason many users want to use Imoen over the 2 choices you are given.
I think Imoen was left out of the story because it deals with your nature as Bhaalspawn so much that it would be effectively impossible to not drop a giant hint or two or outright state that she is one as well. So they came up with the mage training and the poison to keep her out of things.
I don't like it, but if she isn't the first NPC modded into Dragonspear I'll eat my shoes.
Beamdog needed a character to gather the canon party to rescue you at the end of the game – Imoen is one of few characters who would do this unconditionally regardless of whether your actions are good or evil. If she can be a party member, she can die during the campaign and be unable to fulfill this role (yes, someone could resurrect her, but then you have to write special conditional content re: who would so so and why). I have argued that Khalid and Jaheira might have been a better choice for this, but then Beamdog would have had to make one (or both) of them unplayable, which would have felt even more arbitrary.
No matter what, Beamdog had to make at least one member of the canon party unrecruitable to ensure that they would be alive to get the rest of the gang together off screen. Of the five, Jaheira/Khalid and Imoen are the only ones that make narrative sense. Given that Imoen's class change also needed to be explained, she was the most logical choice.
I would have liked to have her in the party, but I'm happy that she at least gets plenty of screen time and interaction considering the considerable narrative constraints at play.
They could have just had Jaheira do it if Immy died, then Khalid, then Dyna, then Minsc. Someone else if they all died. For instance, in that case the break-out is organised by one of the dukes or someone you helped during SoD (eg, the Bhaal priest I released from her prison). Sure, in that case it leads to a non-canon ending, but that can happen anyway (in my case Khalid died during the siege, so only the other 4 met with me). In that case they would need dialogue and voice for each option probably. Depending on how much that could change it might be quite a bit of work.
Ultimately though, they had to pick something and presumably, after some deliberation, they went with what best told the story they wanted. I think it turned out pretty well. To be honest, never been that into Imoen, and having a different party in each part of the game is pretty cool. Haven't used cleric thieves much before, but now Glint has gotten me to give them a go (I like the idea of using Tiax, but he comes so late). Considering that Safana can fill the Mage/Thief role as a neutral, and there's plenty of those in all parts of the game, I don't feel that Imoen was really necessary. Just would have made Safana as obsolete as she was in BG1. As has been said, I'm certain there will be ways to make her playable pretty soon (if not already).
Well... heres my verdict. Pointless... unless you want to spawn your Imoen in through the cheats Too me... it an't worth it.
What i would do...
1. Extract Imoen from the save game as a creature file. Using EE Keeper assigned to BGEE. 2. Closed EE Keeper assigned to BGEE and open the EE Keeper assigned to SoD. Note: I have EE Keeper folders for each game. 3. Use the EE Keeper assigned to SoD and search through the BGEE override folder for the Imoen creature you extracted. Not the SoD override folder 4. Open the creature tab to find the new Imoen. 5. Make over Imoen with the new Imoen portrait and color theme. 6. Once finished. Copy the creature file to the SoD's override folder. 7. Once you finish the part where you last talk with Imoen in Baldurs Gate before heading to Dragonspear. Once she leave. Spawn in your Imoen.
Why i won't...
1. Imoen awaits for you in the end of the game. 2. Since i have no real scripting knowledge. Its a waste of time...
I see nothing wrong with Imoens storyline in SoD, at least its a good explanation how she become a mage in BG2
....
Glint - He is an half thief half cleric, not a good cleric as Viconia, and i don't know if it's me, but i don't see in glint any option to disarm a trap, pickpocket, he can just spot traps and illusions. I need a thief to disarm trap and pickpocket. So as thief the choice falls on Safana, in easy words you are forced to have her, i joined him just because I wanted to try him, but some aspect of his romance I did not like it.
....
Glint can do any thief action, it's under his special listing. Last button on his bar. He's also pretty good at it, Glint was my primary thief throughout SoD. Double so since you can get the ring of lockpicking in one of the first zones in the game. @LoveViconia
Comments
A good pickpocket can have a lot of fun in that town.
Sefana - She can handle her job as thief, but not many users like her, she is a "precious b*" and that's how she acts, we all know what she will try to do in BG2 with CHARNAME so to have a cold hearth b* who cares only about money and not people, and talks and acts like said, as a "precious b*" is also annoying. Not saying the quality is bad made, that's how she is supposed to act.
Glint - He is an half thief half cleric, not a good cleric as Viconia, and i don't know if it's me, but i don't see in glint any option to disarm a trap, pickpocket, he can just spot traps and illusions. I need a thief to disarm trap and pickpocket. So as thief the choice falls on Safana, in easy words you are forced to have her, i joined him just because I wanted to try him, but some aspect of his romance I did not like it.
Imoen - She is the one you would or more user would really pick, as said not many thieves are really avaible, but you can't, i guess to add, unless CHARNAME is a thief and that's really a bad idea, more thieves is better. Also for many users not having Imoen in the group is like for me not to have Viconia in my group, the game wouldn't feel the same.
About explaing how Imoen learns magic and moved to BG2 is forced,
On the storyline, SOD often leaves many holes, also the way it ends, i feel like Imoes lured under a charming spell CHARNAME into Irenicus dangeon, some say he is there casting his spell but i don't see anybody but Imoen feeling weird, a spell is casted under her, and there you go, credits and end game. It would be nice if they will improve it a little more.
He is also an excellent fun char to have in your group and talks quite a lot
I don't like it, but if she isn't the first NPC modded into Dragonspear I'll eat my shoes.
No matter what, Beamdog had to make at least one member of the canon party unrecruitable to ensure that they would be alive to get the rest of the gang together off screen. Of the five, Jaheira/Khalid and Imoen are the only ones that make narrative sense. Given that Imoen's class change also needed to be explained, she was the most logical choice.
I would have liked to have her in the party, but I'm happy that she at least gets plenty of screen time and interaction considering the considerable narrative constraints at play.
Ultimately though, they had to pick something and presumably, after some deliberation, they went with what best told the story they wanted. I think it turned out pretty well. To be honest, never been that into Imoen, and having a different party in each part of the game is pretty cool. Haven't used cleric thieves much before, but now Glint has gotten me to give them a go (I like the idea of using Tiax, but he comes so late). Considering that Safana can fill the Mage/Thief role as a neutral, and there's plenty of those in all parts of the game, I don't feel that Imoen was really necessary. Just would have made Safana as obsolete as she was in BG1. As has been said, I'm certain there will be ways to make her playable pretty soon (if not already).
Too me... it an't worth it.
What i would do...
2. Closed EE Keeper assigned to BGEE and open the EE Keeper assigned to SoD.
Note: I have EE Keeper folders for each game.
3. Use the EE Keeper assigned to SoD and search through the BGEE override folder for the Imoen creature you extracted. Not the SoD override folder
4. Open the creature tab to find the new Imoen.
5. Make over Imoen with the new Imoen portrait and color theme.
6. Once finished. Copy the creature file to the SoD's override folder.
7. Once you finish the part where you last talk with Imoen in Baldurs Gate before heading to Dragonspear. Once she leave. Spawn in your Imoen.
Why i won't...
2. Since i have no real scripting knowledge. Its a waste of time...