Does anyone feel like cheating when starting BG2 after SoD?

Rei

Especially with NPCs adjusting to your 500k starting exp immediately.

Just finished an old playthrough of BG1 and after going through SoD twice, I'm considering skipping it to feel a little less OP.

(Playing on insane, no mods.)

Lord_Tansheron

The beauty of single-player games is that you can do whatever you want to them, and never infringe on anyone else's fun by doing so.

Go nuts!

mf2112

No. 500k is not that much in the grand scheme.

jtth

Not really. (SCS.)

iNtu

I constantly make BG->SoD->IWD->BG2=>ToB runs and do not see it as cheating. I don't get your question, where is the cheating part? Starting out in BG2 with a higher level?

I'm also playing on insane, so with IWD XP bonuses that's uber cheating too then. Do I feel bad about it? No! I get maximum pleasure out of these runs, and often even replay the whole run with the same chars until I crave something different, a different character, kit etc.

I love role play, imagining things etc, but I also enjoy power and smoothness of play. I don't go changing stats and modifying kits with the Keeper etc. so how am I cheating then?

I deserve that XP, cause I've bloody earned it by physically playing throughout these games and their expansions. Why should it bother me that I have it easier than expected, when I'm playing BG2? I do not feel guilty.

I let go of such thoughts, if I wanted hard core, I could always come up with ways to challenge myself even beyond what game offers, by disabling my char in many ways, locking him to a certain level, or making him use only darts and try to succeed on insane or SCS... I would probably do that, if I felt like I needed to repent.

Moreover, it would create a feeling of dis-balance for me, it would not feel right. So, my char is capable of this and that, and then what, he suddenly gets Alzheimer's decease? He forgets how to fight, forgets spells etc. And BG2 is like a rehabilitation center for my char? Did he drink so much wine at the party, after dealing with the crusade that he lost his skills? Did somebody hit him so hard when he was kidnapped and brought to Amn? ;/

ThacoBell

I tend to play multiclass characters a lot FMT being a personal favorite of mine, so really that 500k goes about a third as far. I also find levelling up to be the most enjoyable part of RPGs, so anything legit that lets me do that more often is welcome.

jtth

iNtu said:

I constantly make BG->SoD->IWD->BG2=>ToB runs

Wait. You run the character through IWD before BG2? So they're level 30 in Chateau Irenicus?

Jarrakul

It doesn't feel like cheating to me, but then, everyone has different things they consider unfair. Bear in mind, however, that a fair portion of the progression in BG2 occurs through gear rather than levels, so a new character after SOD won't be nearly as strong as a character who started fresh in BG2 and then did a bunch of quests to get up to 500k.

DJKajuru

It's kind of ironic if you consider that you can easily reach 500k in BG2 by doing two stronghold quests. At least Sod's xp distribution was fair, in my opinion.

dunbar

My definition of "cheating" is a) entirely my own and b) very flexible.
Basically, if I do something that feels to me like cheating, I've cheated - and I'll replay the encounter or revert to an earlier save (or in extreme circumstances, abort that run through) .
Of course this will also vary depending on my mood - sometimes "All's fair in love and war".