I'm sure there are some instances/scenarios where running is not an option in an enclosed space (for eg. a mage will keep teleporting to you) or a scenario where, usually after a cut-scene, you get surrounded immediately by enemies or teleporting-in mages (I do recall there are several of those), what would the player do then?
There are, but most are no real threat.
What are the most difficult fights? Probably Ascension and Irenicus in hell. You can prepare extensively for those, and they have little randomness to them. Besides, you should be decked out up to your ears and more at that point.
The real danger are fights you can't prepare well for, either because they happen too early or because your buffs get removed somehow (forced rest etc.). Can't remember any of those that are a) challenging; and b) can't be run away from (e.g. early city ambushes which can be very hard but are easy to escape from).
I agree, final battles are actually easier because you prepare well for them. With a competent party and right tactics even Ascension battle is not that difficult, because you have the right tools and experience (both as game levels and player experience) to deal with them.
However if you do Haer Dalis's quest right out of the first dungeon and face a time stopping/planetar dropping Warden you will have a lot of trouble. Especialy since it is a lock-in quest:you can not leave the area before the quest is done. It is safer to postpone lock-in quests until later, like Planar Prison and Sphere (Tolgerias and Lavok are similiarly troublesome) and this requires prior player experience and knowledge:however, scs is for those experienced players anyway.
I would not recommend it to a new comer to bg2. Maybe the very basics like better calls for help and some general ai enchantments, but definitely not smarter mages/prebuff components. I remember my very first battle with vanilla Warden, he had killed most of my party with a wilting. I was awestruck 'Oh, wow, that spell is HUGE! What is that!?' My friend was playing too, but he played on easy so the wilting did at most 10 damage to his toons and he could care less, he said 'oh that spell in which a floating, ghostly skull throwing up creamy billowy stuff, that does so little damage' 'but you play on easy!' while on core rules I played it had decimated my underprepared, underleveled party. Still I managed to beat him, and it was a rewarding experience for me.
The real danger are fights you can't prepare well for, either because they happen too early or because your buffs get removed somehow (forced rest etc.). Can't remember any of those that are a) challenging; and b) can't be run away from (e.g. early city ambushes which can be very hard but are easy to escape from).
I've lost more than one no-reload playthrough on the clearing fight in Neera's ToB quest. 5mages+8 fighters with no possible preparation besides planting traps and stoneskins. But yeah, traps will take up to 2 guys down and that's it... I guess it is the only no-preparation fight that can be pretty hard. You can run from it but can't continue the quest if you do.
The real danger are fights you can't prepare well for, either because they happen too early or because your buffs get removed somehow (forced rest etc.). Can't remember any of those that are a) challenging; and b) can't be run away from (e.g. early city ambushes which can be very hard but are easy to escape from).
I've lost more than one no-reload playthrough on the clearing fight in Neera's ToB quest. 5mages+8 fighters with no possible preparation besides planting traps and stoneskins. But yeah, traps will take up to 2 guys down and that's it... I guess it is the only no-preparation fight that can be pretty hard. You can run from it but can't continue the quest if you do.
Well you could use triggers and Contigencys (My grammar...) Contigencies with SI:Abjuration and then just throw out a lot of Melee and spell protection as a mage/sorcerer and then tank the damage. Have other cast summons by their mages and you will be fine I guess. I've recently installed Scs (played with it in the vanilla Baldur's gate but recall almost nothing, I never did ToB and I've never Done neeras quest either) so I don't know how well it will work, worth trying though.
Hmmm. I actually like improved anvil. I have played it a lot. Too bad it does not work with v2.0 yet. But you guys are right. Scs is soo much more fair than IA. And it works great with other mods which anvil is really not compatible with.
Comments
What are the most difficult fights? Probably Ascension and Irenicus in hell. You can prepare extensively for those, and they have little randomness to them. Besides, you should be decked out up to your ears and more at that point.
The real danger are fights you can't prepare well for, either because they happen too early or because your buffs get removed somehow (forced rest etc.). Can't remember any of those that are a) challenging; and b) can't be run away from (e.g. early city ambushes which can be very hard but are easy to escape from).
However if you do Haer Dalis's quest right out of the first dungeon and face a time stopping/planetar dropping Warden you will have a lot of trouble. Especialy since it is a lock-in quest:you can not leave the area before the quest is done. It is safer to postpone lock-in quests until later, like Planar Prison and Sphere (Tolgerias and Lavok are similiarly troublesome) and this requires prior player experience and knowledge:however, scs is for those experienced players anyway.
I would not recommend it to a new comer to bg2. Maybe the very basics like better calls for help and some general ai enchantments, but definitely not smarter mages/prebuff components. I remember my very first battle with vanilla Warden, he had killed most of my party with a wilting. I was awestruck 'Oh, wow, that spell is HUGE! What is that!?' My friend was playing too, but he played on easy so the wilting did at most 10 damage to his toons and he could care less, he said 'oh that spell in which a floating, ghostly skull throwing up creamy billowy stuff, that does so little damage' 'but you play on easy!' while on core rules I played it had decimated my underprepared, underleveled party. Still I managed to beat him, and it was a rewarding experience for me.
But yeah, traps will take up to 2 guys down and that's it...
I guess it is the only no-preparation fight that can be pretty hard. You can run from it but can't continue the quest if you do.
But you guys are right. Scs is soo much more fair than IA. And it works great with other mods which anvil is really not compatible with.