Ask a noob
Papa_Lou
Member Posts: 263
Hey dudes,
I see tons of threads about asking the pros and BG veterans various questions, but I thought it'd be fun to switch it up. I know it's probably been a while since some of you had your first experience with the BG series, so perhaps you have some questions you'd like to ask those of us who just started, like how we felt about certain parts of the games or our opinions on certain characters.
I just finished my first playthrough of the series about 2 weeks ago and thought this could be interesting.
I see tons of threads about asking the pros and BG veterans various questions, but I thought it'd be fun to switch it up. I know it's probably been a while since some of you had your first experience with the BG series, so perhaps you have some questions you'd like to ask those of us who just started, like how we felt about certain parts of the games or our opinions on certain characters.
I just finished my first playthrough of the series about 2 weeks ago and thought this could be interesting.
15
Comments
Here's a few questions:
What do you wish you hadn't learnt or could have done differently?
What party did you go with?
Were there any moments where you got really frustrated - eg a set of enemies you couldn't kill?
How did the story go? Any highlights?
Do you try to get everything or did you skip things in the interest of role-playing either for alignment or time or story or replayability?
Did you use a walkthrough or play it straight?
Well, my character basically told Saemon where to go and how to get there, and it wasn't until after I completed ToB I discovered that in doing that, I completely skipped a "Sahuagin City"... fml.
What party did you go with?
In BG1, Kivan, Ajantis, Coran, Yeslick, and Dynaheir.
In SoD, Safana, Corwin, Glint, Minsc, and Dynaheir.
In BG2, Jaheira, Nalia, Anomen, Jan, and Valygar (Switching Valygar for Sarvok in ToB)
Were there any moments where you got really frustrated - eg a set of enemies you couldn't kill?
When I first encountered Gauths and Beholders I thought for sure my laptop was going out the window... The Sendai battle in ToB gave me a lot of trouble as well, I just had to calm down on my spellcasting.
How did the story go? Any highlights?
My story started out with a young warrior eager to embark on a journey the bards could sing about for ages. As it progressed, and as more and more bad things happened to him, his morale got lower and lower. As he watched people die, he got less and less eager about his adventuring lifestyle. Eventually going crazy, and mad with power he didn't know how to handle. By the time the events of ToB rolled around, he had gone totally chaotic evil and basically killed when he could. A major change from the lad in Candlekeep, fetching scrolls for Firebead just to make a good impression...
Totally. This time I want to start out evil, and go with an evil party. I have a neutral evil half-orc shaman rolled, waiting for me to start up the game again. Already a major change from my chaotic good human berserker. I also want to try some of the cool evil NPCs I saw on my first playthrough but never really clicked with, like Dorn, Kagain, and Edwin.
Do you try to get everything or did you skip things in the interest of role-playing either for alignment or time or story or replayability?
I did whatever I felt my charname would have done. As I said, he started out a young, eager adventurer that wanted to hear his name sung by bards all over the sword coast, so I did everything I thought he'd be interested in. I'm a heavy roleplayer, so there are things I skipped on purpose, like the quest where a necromancer in Baldur's Gate asked me to go find a body for him. That's definitely not something my character would have done at that point in his life.
Did you use a walkthrough or play it straight?
I played walkthrough-less as much as I could. I won't lie, I did pull one up maybe half a dozen times when I couldn't figure something out and walking back and forth got boring, but for the most part, I played through it blindly. It felt so much more rewarding when I figured something out on my own, without the help of an online guide.
About my first time.
What do you wish you hadn't learnt or could have done differently?
To tell you the truth, I played BG2 first (in 2001) and only in 2004 I managed to buy BG1. I bought the sequel first because there were so many positive reviews , but I must admit that I might have bought DIablo 2 instead (Thankfully I changed my mind!)
What party did you go with?
BG2 (which I did first) - All of them, I guess! I kept changing from NPC to NPC whenever the party was full. I remember having Korgan , Jaheira, Yoshimo and Minsc in my first playthrough. And I didn't know that "bounty hunter" was a thief kit, I thought yoshimo was some kind of Samurai.
BG1- Canon Khalid/Jaheira/Minsc/Imoen/Dynaheir party.
Were there any moments where you got really frustrated - eg a set of enemies you couldn't kill?
Dragon fights! I had to reload countless times before managing to kill these bastards.
How did the story go? Any highlights?
My first BG2 character was a Cavalier , but since I would explore the city and go from quest to quest without finishing them I got stuck at level 8 for a while, which made me victim of death spells cast by enemy spellcasters.
Are you planning on doing things differently for the next playthrough? Different charname class, different NPC's?
My first character choices were mostly bards, paladins and mages. But I do remember trying different combinations and dual classing.
Do you try to get everything or did you skip things in the interest of role-playing either for alignment or time or story or replayability?
I remember having a lot of fun, but I was 12 years old back then and might have RP'ed a little less.
Did you use a walkthrough or play it straight?
I had never read any walkthroughs or guides until I decided to install mods that made some battles harder.
This guy right here. I wanted to use a custom portrait, and I wanted one that really captured the enthusiasm and warrior traits of my charname, I thought that portrait fit the bill perfectly.
Plus, it kind of reminds me of a character you might see in the Conan the Barbarian franchise, another favorite of mine.
Did you play vanilla or with various mods? Are you going to use mods next time?
What difficulty level did you play? Did it feel right throughout the game? Were there points you felt overpowered?Are you planning on changing or increasing or decreasing it next time?
Did you use magic more for offense or defense? It seems you increased spellcasters partywise from game to game, did it get easier over time?
I've never really been a fan of using mods in games, but I've warmed up to the idea recently after seeing what great mods there are for this series. I played vanilla last time, and recently installed the NPC project (I think? The one that gives NPCs more banter and whatnot). I didn't feel like it was a necessary addition, but it could definitely be fun. I was also interested in trying some custom NPC mods, but eventually decided against it.
What difficulty level did you play? Did it feel right throughout the game? Were there points you felt overpowered?Are you planning on changing or increasing or decreasing it next time?
I played on the Core difficulty. I usually go with the most "medium" option when playing new games, and that one seemed to fit that description. The actual "normal" difficulty actually makes enemies weaker or something like that, so I figured my best bet would be Core. I don't remember feeling overpowered, but definitely flew through some points of the game, just like there were some parts that I struggled immensely with. The game definitely doesn't hold your hand at any point, which makes it even more amazing to me that people can play through the game with a single character, or play it on "Legacy of Bhaal" mode. As for my next playthrough, I think I'll go with Core again. I don't want to breeze through the entire game, but by no means do I think I'm skilled enough yet to make the hard parts even harder.
Did you use magic more for offense or defense? It seems you increased spellcasters partywise from game to game, did it get easier over time?
As I progressed through the saga, my appreciation for magic grew and grew. In BG1, all I had was Dyanheir in terms of spellcasting, with Yeslick throwing a few heals down once in a while. SoD was similar, but when I got to BG2, I knew I was in for some harder battles and magic was going to be more than necessary. I started out using pretty much strictly offensive spells like magic missile and fireball, and just direct heals with my divine casters. It wasn't until midway through BG2 I realized just how awesome buff spells like haste and defensive harmony are. Duly noted for my next playthrough.
Did you find good gear and then pick proficiencies to use it better, or did you have some idea what proficiencies you wanted first and picked them?
Did you feel like there was enough money or things you could sell for money to get what you wanted? The gear you find is better for the most part than what you can buy but there are some notable items many people purchase such as the Robe of Vecna.
Did you end up with a lot of extra potions and other disposable items by the end of the game? On future playthroughs will you use those items more early or just sell them, or keep them just in case
Did you use any mods yor first time around?
If not, are you going to use them?
If so, what kind of mods are you going to use? (Items, fix packs, NPCs, content mods, etc)
If you are not going to use mods, what is the turn off?
I actually picked my proficiencies first and hoped for the best. When I imagined my character, I could only see him wielding a massive greatsword, so that and two handed style are where the majority of my points went. I did eventually branch into halberds as I grew in levels, but never strayed from my greatswords very often.
Did you feel like there was enough money or things you could sell for money to get what you wanted?
For sure. It wasn't long until I found myself drowning in gold, and had no idea what to spend it on. I had this "problem" in all the games, but maybe that's because I was playing such a good character and was doing so many quests for people. I imagine my evil character won't have as much money. (Or maybe more, if breaking into people's houses turns a good profit)
Did you end up with a lot of extra potions and other disposable items by the end of the game? On future playthroughs will you use those items more early or just sell them, or keep them just in case
If there was a show on TLC about hoarders in video games, I'd be on the debut episode. I tend to keep almost everything I find (except normal weapons and armor), only selling it off after finally convincing myself I don't need it. When I found out about gem bags and bags of holding it felt like my prayers had been answered. I imagine my habits won't change much in future playthroughs.
Of the three games, which do you think is best?
That's a hard one. I think I'd have to go with BG1 though. I used to watch my dad play it when I was 5 or 6, so I have really faint memories of certain things like Candlekeep, and Eldoth's portrait that I thought was the coolest because he looked like my uncle. The little things like that make the game super special to me, and I'm glad I finally got around to actually playing them 15 years later. Big thanks to the Beamdog (and everyone else involved) team for bringing even the faintest of my childhood memories back into my adult life.
Did you use any mods your first time around?
Nope. I've never been one to use mods in my games, unless it's something really interesting. I like to experience what the game developers bring to the table.
If not, are you going to use them?
Perhaps one or two, but there's always the constant fear in the back of my mind that I'll try and install a mod and totally destroy my game accidentally.
If so, what kind of mods are you going to use? (Items, fix packs, NPCs, content mods, etc)
I actually did install the NPC project mod. Not because I felt like the NPCs were lacking or anything. Far from, actually. But I just thought it'd be nice to flesh the more minor NPCs out a little more, and I heard some pretty good things about the mod.
If you are not going to use mods, what is the turn off?
I don't see anything wrong with mods, really. For me though, beyond my irrational fear of destroying my game through mod installation, I don't often play through games more than once unless I really enjoy them. Dragon Age: Origins, for example. I love that game to death, and have played it through around 15-16 times, and not once have I used a mod. I just don't feel like I need it, and Baldur's Gate is the same way. I absolutely adore the games for what they are. Not that I have anything wrong with mods or the people who use them, it's just not my groove.
What three pieces of advice would you give to someone new that's preparing to play the saga for the first time?
What character are you planning to do a run with next?
What were your three highlights from the whole series? The three lowlights?
Did you use any kind of walkthrough or guide to help your progress?
What three pieces of advice would you give to someone new that's preparing to play the saga for the first time?
Hm, that's an interesting question.
First of all, don't get discouraged when something seems too hard. I think a good example of this is the encounter right outside the mines when you finish chapter 2. Those guys (girls?) are pretty difficult, and there's no shame in leaving something and coming back to it later. Something else that comes to mind is a pack of wolves near the temple to the east of Beregost. There's a type of wolf there that isn't effected by normal weapons, and it took me a while to figure that out, and to finally convince myself to just leave.
Next, don't try and do everything you see in one go. You bought the games, let yourself enjoy them. I know everything seems so intriguing, but I found myself enjoying my game sooo much more when I was doing a quest that my charname would have actually done. There are quests that I purposely skipped, like evil ones or ones for holy temples, because my charname was a good guy (until ToB), but not all that religious. I plan on doing those quests in future playthroughs, and knowing that there are more things in the game waiting to be played just makes it all the more exciting.
And finally, just let things happen as they do. This goes back to my love of roleplaying with my character. When you make a choice that you feel really suits your character, accept your fate. Maybe that means you don't get the best equipment, or you lose out on some EXP, but it makes the story flow so nicely. Reloading to try out different options for different outcomes can be tempting, for sure, but I feel that the best part of the BG saga is the story, and the better the story flows for the character you've rolled up, the better experience you'll have with the games.
Of course, those are just my opinions. My roleplaying habits may be totally different than someone who likes to powergame.
Also, after finishing this entire comment this little extra tidbit of information came to mind: QUICKSAVE ALL THE TIME.
What character are you planning to do a run with next?
My next run I wanted to try a lot of the things I missed out on. My first run, I used a chaotic good human berserker, so this time I rolled a neutral evil half-orc shaman, for many reasons. I wanted to experience a different race, even though I doubt it'll change a whole lot. I went with evil this time, because there were a lot of dialogue options and quests that I was really tempted to try out in my first run but didn't because they were clearly very evil things to do. This time, my evil half-orc can be as bad as he wants. I also really wanted to give some of the evil NPCs a go. Specifically Dorn, Korgan, Kagain and Tiax. And finally, I went with a shaman because I knew that would offer me some completely different gameplay compared to a berserker. Plus, summoning all those spirits sounds like a ton of fun.
What were your three highlights from the whole series? The three lowlights?
Three highlights?
My first highlight that comes to mind is of course, finally slaying Sarevok in BG1. He was a pretty tough dude, especially when I had no idea what to expect. The way he died was perfect as well, at the end of charname's blade in the center of the room, surrounded by dead bodies. Epic.
Second highlight would have to be when I finally figured out who that hooded man was in SoD. I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't played yet, because when I realized it felt like I had just solved the biggest puzzle of the entire saga.
Thirdly, and maybe the easiest highlight was when I completed the saga. Looking back on my character from the prologue of BG1 to the very end was my favorite part of the whole experience. Seeing how much he changed, from happy adventurer to power hungry lunatic. I loved it.
As for the lowlights, that's a little bit more difficult.
First, even though I totally saw it coming, watching Gorion die was a little heartbreaking. But, what was even worse was seeing the shapeshifters beneath Candlekeep take his shape. I honestly believed it was him, which may have been dumb considering all the other shapechangers in that area, but there was a part of me that really wanted to see that character come back somehow.
Second, my character ended up becoming really interested in Safana throughout SoD. He was a bit of a charmer when it came to women, so he admired that shared (and reversed) trait between them. Watching her walk away from him in the cell at the end of SoD was really sad, because even though I completely missed her in BG1, I really grew to like her character a lot through SoD and I felt the worst about her final goodbyes.
Lastly, and this one kind of stems from the second one, was seeing Safana in BG2. She had joined with a group of wolfweres in an attempt to kill him, completely ignoring their history together. What made it even worse, was that Coran was one of charname's closest friends through BG1, so watching him get killed by his ex-lover really must have messed with charname's head.
Did you use any kind of walkthrough or guide to help your progress?
I tried my best not to. I did have to open one up a few times during certain puzzles, though, or to figure out a decent strategy to defeat certain enemies, but overall maybe only half a dozen times throughout the saga.
What was the most fun or satisfying fight of the saga?
For me, the final battle with Irenicus was my favorite. This one stands out because I did it in one go, which I was insanely proud of. There were countless battles throughout the saga that had me reloading over and over, and I thought Irenicus' battle was going to be no different, but I prepped my party as best I could and just went at him with all I had. Apparently what I had was enough. I was blown away, and thought for sure he had some kind of trick waiting for me, but he didn't. That's my favorite battle of the entire saga, solely based on how it went down.
You can only do something for the first time once, and so I think I keep delaying it to try to savour it.
Did you find any tactics that you found surprisingly useful, or relied upon heavily?
Did you make any decisions you regretted later in the game?
Are there any quotes from the game that you found especially memorable?
Literally everything that came from Jan's mouth. I loved every npc I met throughout the series, but I remember just getting way too excited when I saw a dialogue pop-up with Jan's face. Specifically, I remember a small banter between him and Anomen during SoA where he tells a story basically making fun of Anomen (about a troll or something named Ano, I believe?) and it had me cracking up. Thanks to Jan, I've developed a new love of gnomes I didn't know existed, and now on my second, evil playthrough, I've picked up Tiax and loving every second of it. Which also brings me back to the mods questions. I installed the NPC project and moved some NPCs around so I could witness them earlier, and also changed some classes, like Kagain from a pure fighter to a Dwarven Defender, and he's unstoppable. Great mod.
Did you find any tactics that you found surprisingly useful, or relied upon heavily?
Berserker rageeeeee. There weren't very many battles where I wasn't using this ability. Whenever it was available I'd use it, and it's that ability alone that would make me recommend a berserker to anyone looking to play a fighter class. Along with that, once I reached BG2, I found myself using a ton of summons. Bears, Devas, Elementals, the whole nine yards. They really help out a ton, especially with those nasty gauths and beholders.
Did you make any decisions you regretted later in the game?
Honestly? No. Like I said before, roleplaying is a major part of the way I play these types of games, and I made sure that every decision I made, I made it with my character in mind. If it was something he'd do, then I sucked it up and accepted whatever fate that choice threw at me. I think that's why I loved the whole experience so much, because it truly felt like an epic story, and not just a game. I've just recently started an evil playthrough, and I just arrived in Nashkel. What's this mod all about?