IS BGII worth playing without an imported character?

GandalfPortraitGuy

Is BGII worth playing without an imported character?

Lord_Tansheron

Absolutely. I've only imported like 10 times or so in all my time playing BG2. So that's about 9990 games with freshly created characters.

BG2 is designed to be played from a fresh start, since the story takes away all your stuff anyway. A few items can be transfered from BG1/SoD but most of them will be obsolete quickly anyway so you are not missing out on anything, really.

spacejaws

Absolutely! In fact I could probably say that out of all the BG2 game I've played the majority of them were not imported.

I think I've actually only imported like 2 or 3 times out of at least 10 serious playthrough from start to finish. I barely ever import.

Gallenger

The net losses are if you *really* want one of the small handful of items which won't be granted to you from the start by default (like if you really love the claw of Kazgoroth) most of which won't matter shortly after you do a few quests unless you've got some ultra-specific build in mind.

The other thing you lose out on of course are the ability score tomes and *maybe* a level or two depending on how you choose to play BG1. The tomes can allow you to fiddle with your ability scores a bit more than you could with a fresh character, but in the grand scheme of things 1 additional STR point or 1-3 additional WIS points won't radically alter your game experience in BG2. Levels *may* impact your game experience if you're playing a multi-class since you'll start the game with a bit more or a bit less XP - depending on how you play bg1.

If you're playing a Wizard it's also really handy in BG2 to not have to worry about filling out your spellbook - since it will almost always be full from BG1 (at least with 5th level and lower spells).

So on the whole, NBD if you prefer BG2. I absolutely adore BG1 (I prefer low level games lol) myself, so I tend to play that game more and then if I really liked the character I take them over to BG2 to get the full experience.

dunbar

As has already been said BG2 was designed as a standalone game, not an expansion pack. I've often found that a character build designed for BG1 doesn't work so well in SoA, so what I tend to do now (especially with dual class characters) is:
Roll a character in BG1, start the game and export the character from the prologue, copy and paste the .cha and .bio files from BG1 'characters' folder to Bg2 'characters' folder and then start a new SoA game with that character. This way you do a lot of levelling up before you even leave the dungeon (Dungeon Be Gone helps a lot here) and get to pick optimal proficiencies/skills etc. for the new game. With dual class characters I usually dual just after leaving the dungeon and then I can zip through the early levels in my new class, minimalizing initial class downtime.

LoveViconia

If you are importing it is going to be like to EEKeeper it. If you don't then the game is going to be much more fun.

sarevok57

sometimes I start ToB with a brand new character just for the lols, especially if you start ToB from scratch you get a bag of holding that holds 2000-3000 items, very VERY handy indeed

xzar_monty

@GandalfPortraitGuy: It most certainly is, absolutely. But these are matters of opinion. I have played BG:EE once and only once, and having done that, I would say that it is not worth playing at all, whereas BG2(:EE) has massive replay value and doesn't suffer from the fact that you don't play an imported character.

alceryes

xzar_monty said:

...I have played BG:EE once and only once, and having done that, I would say that it is not worth playing at all, whereas BG2(:EE) has massive replay value and doesn't suffer from the fact that you don't play an imported character.

Close to the opposite for me. Heh, to each their own.
I find the early character development levels immensely enjoyable and have played BGI more times than I can count. I haven't play much of BGII. I'm currently near the end of BGI with an elven FMT that I'll take into BGII though.

I would say that it's worth it at least once if only to create the big metal unit, and meet a pissed off drizzt because of your decisions in BGI.

As others have said, extra attribute points from tomes and a full spellbook for mages are the main benefits.

iavasechui

XD I almost never import unless I really want to play bg1. I do tend to eekeeper in the tomes for the stat bonuses which lets me do what I WOULD have done if the characters in both games were able to transfer the bonuses which is give the int + book to Imoen unless I am playing a mage myself.

xzar_monty

@alceryes: To each their own, indeed! I do agree that the early levels are best in all DD games. Things get much less interesting somewhere around level 15. This applies not only to character development but also to things like combat. Once you reach the levels where you know you can beat a red dragon without any particular hassle, much of the joy has gone. And conversely, the game is at its most enjoyable when you still find, say, five ogres to be a proper challenge. (The absolute earliest part, where you can be killed by a single hit from a diseased gibberling, isn't the best, either.)

I have never created the big metal unit. I haven't been able to bring myself to doing the evil thing in the buried man quest.

iavasechui

can you pickpocket it from her before talking to her if you go upstairs with an invisible thief first? I dunno just wondering.

mf2112

xzar_monty said:

@alceryes: To each their own, indeed! I do agree that the early levels are best in all DD games. Things get much less interesting somewhere around level 15. This applies not only to character development but also to things like combat. Once you reach the levels where you know you can beat a red dragon without any particular hassle, much of the joy has gone. And conversely, the game is at its most enjoyable when you still find, say, five ogres to be a proper challenge. (The absolute earliest part, where you can be killed by a single hit from a diseased gibberling, isn't the best, either.)

I have never created the big metal unit. I haven't been able to bring myself to doing the evil thing in the buried man quest.

You don't have to be evil in that quest.

Just tell the Lady that you haven't made up your mind yet, then go to the slums at night and pickpocket the silver pantaloons from the guy, then go back and tell her you are sorry and are letting her go free.

You won't lose reputation that way.

lunar

Ofcourse! Nowadays I always start at bg2. I can't get enough of bg2, yet I can not stand bg1 too much.

Nonnahswriter

If you want to try a dual-class character build, it's much easier to see the results by starting out in BG2 than going all the way through BG1 and importing.

Vitor

Yes, it is. Because at the start of BG II, your first dialogues with Minsc and Jaheira gives two possibilities:

1. You remember all the events of BG I, and remember Minsc and Jaheira.
2. You've suffered amnesia from Jon Irenicus' experiments, and you can't remember what happened in BG 1.

So, BG II writers were very smart, so you could start playing BG II even if you haven't played BG I.

GandalfPortraitGuy

I have never gotten to the Machine of Lum the Mad.

beargryllz

I've never imported a character into BGII and have played through it many times

lunar

Not only just Minsc and Jaheira, you can say 'I don't know you at all' to most recurring npcs from bg1. Also you can say you know them, you missed them, you hated them, or that they were supposed to be dead.

iavasechui

XD I just wish there was a way to say to Xzar oh its you, sorry didn't recognize you since you left my group after that unfortunate belt incident