BG2 easier after SoD? [no spoilers please]
GreenWarlock
Member Posts: 1,354
As SoD is still not available through the Mac App store, I am not in a position to answer this question for myself, so I'm hoping those who have had a chance to play through all the games could answer, without any SoD spoiler please!
I know that SoD will let you enter BG2EE with a much higher xp limit. Does this impact the game in a significant way, or does it all work out in the end - potentially with the addition of scaling encounters?
For instance, I find Chateau Irenicus can be quite challenging at the BG1 xp entry level WITHOUT tales of the sword coast, but it becomes quite simple with just that extra level or two available out-the-box with BGEE. However, the game outside the dungeon is still challenging for the first few dungeons, until you get a few more levels underneath you. I suspect SoD will mean the early dungeons become as simple as the Chateau, scaling you to the point that all subsequent dungeons are similarly simple - but would like to hear from those with real experience, especially if my instinct is wrong
I know that SoD will let you enter BG2EE with a much higher xp limit. Does this impact the game in a significant way, or does it all work out in the end - potentially with the addition of scaling encounters?
For instance, I find Chateau Irenicus can be quite challenging at the BG1 xp entry level WITHOUT tales of the sword coast, but it becomes quite simple with just that extra level or two available out-the-box with BGEE. However, the game outside the dungeon is still challenging for the first few dungeons, until you get a few more levels underneath you. I suspect SoD will mean the early dungeons become as simple as the Chateau, scaling you to the point that all subsequent dungeons are similarly simple - but would like to hear from those with real experience, especially if my instinct is wrong
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Having said that, much to my surprise, it does seem to make a difference in late BG2 and early TOB. After all, you're effectively getting HLAs a level or two sooner than you normally would (in terms of game progression), which means you can have a couple of them on each character before the end of BG2, even without Watcher's Keep. That's pretty big.
Just checking, my wild mage character had close to 300 k xp at the end of SoD. The grand total whole sum experience of bg1+ToTSC and SoD is NOT enough to gain a level in mage in bg2 levels, say from lvl 13 to 14. A mage requires 375 k xp for each level after 11. Think how rapidly you gain levels in bg2. You gain times and times more xp than the sum of bg1+totsc+sod in SoA. Not to mention ToB where the game just gives up and showers you with xp to turn your toons into god like levels.
Then again 500k xp is just one level higher in most classes. Not a very big difference, and bg2 massive xp boosts put any character up to speed fast, even if you start with 89k xp with a newly created character in bg2, levels keep coming. I felt like level ups were far and between in SoD, I think the developers managed to balance it okay. If you play SoD you will have quite a few level 5 spells at the start of bg2. If you start straight at bg2, a mage is level 9 by the time he leaves the starting dungeon, and you can pick up lvl 5 spells just a few stairs up, from Galomp the bookkeeper. Very convenient. Then you can do easier quests in the city first if you feel like you need more levels and gear and companions, or if you trust in your SoD levels and spells, go straight into more dangerous quests outside of the city. Or do mish-mash of both. Freedom! It is all fun.
Now, if mages started to cast lvl 6 spells like pro from magic weapons, disintegrate, death etc. while still in SoD that would have been grossly unbalancing! Power gap between 6th and 5th level mage spells is huge, hence the increased level gap (you don't gain 6th lvl spells at mage lvl 11, but one level later!) and a lot more xp requirement for the highly coveted level 12 mage:and sixth level spells of true power. I like sixth level mage spells and beyond are still exclusively bg2 feats.
I do find the first couple of levels out of the Chateau some of the hardest, although as mentioned above, that is as much due to a lack of kit as the levels. For those obsessed with Mage level 12, you are /significantly/ closer, halfway between lvl 11 and lvl 12 in xp, and should easily cover that before taking on your first significant quest (unless you count the circus as significant).
That said, that seems to be getting quickly into the 'fun' band of levels for me, so perhaps even more of the game can be spent cruising around having fun, rather than starting by grinding carefully. I look forward to finding out eventually - thanks for the comments.