I know I can. But it's like saying "you can always change the Dungeon Master". And IMHO the "standard" DM of SoA/ToB sucks.
Also about this I see the thing from a different point of view. The developers and not a modder created those items, is true, but did you ask yourself why? I did, and my answer is that beholders and vampires can be too much frustrating for a new player, I started playing without the ToB expansion so no anti beholder shield and I remember how they where frustrating, a real nightmare. The developers created also an easy cheat to have all the stats at 25, way before sk, now eekeeper, was created. And I remember how tough was defeating Kangax without knowing that there are 2 types of scrolls and some arcane spells that make it a cakewalk. I also had no hint about what level of weapon enchantment was needed to hit a demilich or about the level of spells to which he is immune and there where few scrolls to recover your imprisoned party members and the level cap was to low to learn them and cast them from the spellbook....
Now I am more experienced and even the tactics mod kangax for me is a cakewalk, but I remember it, I will never forget about it, hours, days and maybe weeks of trying an failing then I succeeded and discovered that wonderful ring. And the dragons are even easier, spam traps, let him go hostile and die. If you like to spoil your fun using items that are good for new not experienced players you are free, but then don't complain. The developers created those items but never forced you to use them. Is YOUR choice to do so.
About the BG1 battles harder I can agree, but since BG2 came later I suppose that the developers had some feedback from the first players. Also as the magic system is far more complicated playing bg2 has a harder learning process, is easy to decide if to use sleep or MM in BG1, but try to damage the cowed wizards as they burn you if you decide to not pay for the magic licence, a lot more knowledge is needed. But that is a completely optional thing, pay those 5000 GP and avoid the problem. As BG2 is so more complex, at least the magic part of it, is almost impossible to create something that satisfy and challenge both the first time player and who knows perfectly every battle, every possible trick and can benefit from the experience shared by thousands of players over more than 15 years. And you have not to install SCS, there are mods that tone down some items and spells, you can chose to roll low stats or use not powerful classes and avoid some tactics that trivialize the battles and so on. Again is your choice.
The only important thing is that you ask yourself why the developers had taken some decisions and what is the play style that bring fun to you. Because each one of us has his very personal tastes, and everything is fine, to prefer BG1 like you do or prefer SoA with mods like tactics or deeper shadows of amn like I do. No one compels us to use bg2 vanilla or scs. I find the same challenge that you find playing bg1 playing soa with those old school mods and others are having fun right now playing LoB, that is not a mod, but official content, 3 different ways but I hope the same fun and challenge.
And even worst that is one of the few timed quests of the game. But you don't have to do it every time, even if is forced to you the first not spoiled run of your life. And as it was the fist time the fact that you are forced into it is fine, also in RL sometimes happens, and you can also say "no thanks, find some other adventurer to help you, I have my friend Imoen to rescue and other things to do", thing that RP wise is very logical. But the way to avoid to be forced into it is very easy, in the area there is an awesome temple of the goddess of light, as you pass is very logical to step in and have a look, then you discover that there is also an exit in the south wall. That is the easy way to avoid the triggering of the religious squabble quest. And on the way back you have other 2 roads to exit the area.
Just tried your trick and it worked like a charm. You have just saved me hours of mental gymnastics, trying to rationalize why my CHARNAME would ignore the existence of a beholder cult until the end of chapter 2.
My friend, if I could give you 100 likes for that one comment, I would do it without hesitation.
@Nightingale my friend, you can put the other 99 choosing randomly between my posts
No, I really don't need them and probably don't even deserve them, you can donate them to some church, Temple of Lathander is preferred, I suppose that you know where it is
It's hard for me to choose. I think the ultimate game is a combination of the two - the story and gameplay of BG2 with all the characters of BG1. I think there is a mod that does this, and even then, I imagine it would be fairly simple to implement them in game without too much work.
I generally install one of the various mods (and there are a lot of them) that speed up banter/quest time. The timed quests are annoying, which I will definitely acknowledge (De'Arnise Keep stronghold and the Jaheira romance being the worst).
I, on the other hand, find BG to be a total slog- constant reloads due to character death, NPCs without dialogue unless you install mods, and wander all over creation to find some random minor villainous character that you didn't even know was there, but hey, you need the XP and items. BG2 feels much tighter to me in that regard- you mostly go places because someone told you to go there and you discover that something is wrong and fix it.
And have people dump your group if You don't spend the first 10 hours of the game chasing after what they want. I have an aversion to getting yanked around, but I get the world building logic of it all. You're basically shit in everyones eyes until you've put the boot to the iron throne a couple of times. Canonically, your character is 20 years of age and soft, and probably looks a lot like garricks BG1 portrait. In BGII some time later you're probably looking a bit more like Yoshimo, rougher and battle tested, and are no longer an unknown quantity to Amn. People know you as the hero of baldurs gate, or that person who got mixed up with a guy who made a big pile of rubble of the promenade, so the whole game is a bit of a theme park really.
BG2 is stylistically all over the place. It's hard to settle where you are, what era ect.
I remember first playthrough hating chateau Irenicus, not because of playability, but finding "steam punk" utterly out of place having just completed BG and Durlag's Tower (though there were hint's of the direction of travel in DT).
Then you get to Athkatla and are overwhelmed with quests falling into your lap with never a chance to draw breathe and settle down into the game.
I think the big fault is not giving enough due to BG. It's done to some extent, but for me, the overall feeling is "we can do this bigger/better/faster because it's really important to bring in a bigger audience who will never play a straight D&D game".
And that's why (again imo) there is no exploration of areas and everything is signposted. And so much is neglected from BG, an Elf protaginist and end goal yet no available elf companions for perspective? Ust Nathar wasted as well in that respect, let alone not really it making any difference if Vicky is with you. And most charname are half elves according to polls. You get the feeling there was an "anti" high fantasy attitude going on (which might be why elves are such a-holes in the game)
Great game, no doubt a better "game" than BG. But I never get the same feeling of excitement starting BG2 as starting a run of BG.
I will fall in the same box with the ones opting for BG2. First game for me is like a tutorial (or an introduction) for the real deal. The levels are low, you don't see your characters becoming poweful, you can run almost any party and still do the story (sidequests are a different thing). But in BG2, you experience the 'relative' freedom of choice. You can choose which factions to align with, aht quests to do. Your path is somehow uncertain and you flavor it with the sidequests of your companions, strongholds, factions etc.
But also, as someone mentioned, you can't simply start bg2 campaign without finishing the 1st game first. And by now it has become a chore for me. I started to cheat and use ctrl+j function to get trough the long and easy dungeons (Nashkel mines) or areas.
All in all, both games are gems and they are cool in their own special way. But daym, i love the character/party progression troughout the BG2/ToB.
sorry if this is reviving a post but i wanted to comment on this thread for my first comment
i think everyone has made great points for and against both games too.
personally for me, i liked BG for the many maps of exploration that you could do to raise exp for the party and the music in those 'wild maps' was great too. it was a bonus if any of them had a quest (eg: finding ruffie or the little girls dead cat in the waterfall), and we get exposed to a variety of different monsters along the way as one map has xvarts and another has gibberlings etc.
generally speaking tho, ive only completed BG twice in the 15 odd years ive played it as there are a few things that put me off. i like to play mages as the high lore and variety of spells appeals to me but in BG the level cap means that while i can find the cloudkill spell i cant really use it as i wont achieve the level needed to cast it (SoD seems to have alleviated that a little bit) or my mage dies too easily so i would instead play a cleric or paladin but not finish the game.
some of the things i dislike are the map of BG itself and trying to get from one part to another as it seems i need to travel from specific points on the border to get to the right map, that companions will mostly stay where i ditch or reject them temporarily (eg: XAN in the mine), and the things that, to me, feel like they were meant to be a quest that werent: branwen mentions being turned to stone by Tranzig but when i confront him or receive the information regarding him she says NOTHING and i find that strange given hes the one that turned her or the farmer that tells us theres an xvart problem.
as for BG2 i loved that there was higher levels to achieve so i was able to get more out of my mage and the story was completed in ToB. personally, i suck at tactics so the battles that have been mentioned as cake walks for some arent necessarily for me but that could be down to my companion choices too haha. i love that things can be noted down on the map for quests - trademeet etc - but i cant get there without going through the city gates to do it and that with the higher levels came more options for classes. i agree with the timed quests and currently have hexxat in my party first to get her out of the way immediately before my rep gets too high and she leaves but the waiting is annoying me as i have other things to do ... I like that my companions will ask where they should meet me so i can send the majority to one place.
compared to BG1, BG2 frustrates me with the lack of pure thieves with a favorable alignment as i find that unless i go a thief myself the options i have are poor. theyre either a multiclass which i dont want in a thief or their alignment disagrees with my good deeds. personally i cant stand imoen, shes a running joke in my household of players, and only end up with her as for me shes the only thief left even tho shes dual classed.
overall they both have their pros and cons and the nostalgia of BG1 will always have me loving it but in reality i personally prefer BG2 as it offers more for myself.
my personal favourite tho is IWD2 as i just loved the class, race, and specialisations i could do, along with creating all 6 party members.
one thing i hate about both games is that while gems stack, necklaces and rings dont so the lack of gem bags is a constant frustration in BG1 and chateau irenicus as i cant bear to drop things i can sell.
thats my rant apologies again if this thread was to be ignored
@sazzie Oh, modding is super-easy nowadays. Most if not all mods come with auto-install packages, you jut read a box and hit Y (yes) or I (install) to choose which component you want. Uninstalling is also the same.
I know what many will say: just don't use those items.
Well, the problem is: those items are from the vanilla game. It's nothing I've added with mods to break the game. SoA-ToB itself lacks balance.
So what? It's still up to you to decide whether to buy and use these items or not. They are in the game to allow less proficient players who don't have profound knowledge of the game mechanics to deal with otherwise challenging encounters.
I heard of this keep yoshimo mod, and i remembered that in BG we have a chance to get an remove geas scroll.
If we have a way to keep it (an 2° end way for that quest) the item could be importable to BG2:EE (just as the pantaloons are) and usable to break yoshi geas.
I heard of this keep yoshimo mod, and i remembered that in BG we have a chance to get an remove geas scroll.
If we have a way to keep it (an 2° end way for that quest) the item could be importable to BG2:EE (just as the pantaloons are) and usable to break yoshi geas.
omg! that would be awesome. it would, for me, provide the perfect thief option. i generally play good characters and to my knowledge hexxat is the only other pure thief but she leaves if my rep gets too high so im stuck with a dual or multiclass thief which doesnt suit my gameplay style.
i really hope it becomes a thing and for those who dont import it could be a quest reward along with money and gems so those that import it still got rewards
I heard of this keep yoshimo mod, and i remembered that in BG we have a chance to get an remove geas scroll.
If we have a way to keep it (an 2° end way for that quest) the item could be importable to BG2:EE (just as the pantaloons are) and usable to break yoshi geas.
omg! that would be awesome. it would, for me, provide the perfect thief option. i generally play good characters and to my knowledge hexxat is the only other pure thief but she leaves if my rep gets too high so im stuck with a dual or multiclass thief which doesnt suit my gameplay style.
i really hope it becomes a thing and for those who dont import it could be a quest reward along with money and gems so those that import it still got rewards
You can also have 2 made characters.
Create a multiplayer game, make 2 characters, one main char and one your thief. Start the game and save.
Go in your "?:/" directory -> users -> your user -> documents -> Baldur's Gate/Baldur's gate 2: Enhanced Edition -> mpsave. Copy your saved game there and paste it on the "save" folder in the previous directory.
If you're using BG2EE, you don't even have to do that. Just click "Create Party" in the single player character creation screen and you can create more than one character without having to do the multiplayer stuff.
Indeed @BillyYank, i was too focused on old school resources and didn't even noticed this new feature.
But take in mind @Sazzie, that most of the times you don't need an pure thief too high level to have the basics of the class. If you focus on Hide in shadows, move silently, pick locks and detect trap, the 4 principal thieves skills, you can reach that with lvl 12 more or less (if you take kits, know that skill points aren't 25 per level for most of them). There's even other items in the game that would raise your thieve skills.
If you don't mind suggestions, i would say that an shadowdancer 13/Cleric or fighter dual class would fit better in your party, swashbuckler 10/ fighter dual class also would be a good adition.
If you're not a fan of dual class, you can go for thief/fighter dwarven too, that has a strong foot to hold.
Yes, you can import the characters individually from exported characters and save files. You could even make a party out of a bunch of charnames from different playthroughs.
They are gone forever, unless you have a mod that allow the thing. I know which it is for not EE, but as I am new to EE don't know which one is used in it for the purpose.
Installing some mods when a play through is on is often a bad thing as many problems can rise, mainly when certain areas are already been entered in or some events that trigger timers and variables are already happened. But I am convinced that installing ONLY that component/mod should give no problem. A savegame right before installing it has to be done, and some testing immediately after installing is a wise thing, but there should be no problems.
Comments
The developers and not a modder created those items, is true, but did you ask yourself why?
I did, and my answer is that beholders and vampires can be too much frustrating for a new player, I started playing without the ToB expansion so no anti beholder shield and I remember how they where frustrating, a real nightmare. The developers created also an easy cheat to have all the stats at 25, way before sk, now eekeeper, was created.
And I remember how tough was defeating Kangax without knowing that there are 2 types of scrolls and some arcane spells that make it a cakewalk. I also had no hint about what level of weapon enchantment was needed to hit a demilich or about the level of spells to which he is immune and there where few scrolls to recover your imprisoned party members and the level cap was to low to learn them and cast them from the spellbook....
Now I am more experienced and even the tactics mod kangax for me is a cakewalk, but I remember it, I will never forget about it, hours, days and maybe weeks of trying an failing then I succeeded and discovered that wonderful ring.
And the dragons are even easier, spam traps, let him go hostile and die.
If you like to spoil your fun using items that are good for new not experienced players you are free, but then don't complain. The developers created those items but never forced you to use them. Is YOUR choice to do so.
About the BG1 battles harder I can agree, but since BG2 came later I suppose that the developers had some feedback from the first players. Also as the magic system is far more complicated playing bg2 has a harder learning process, is easy to decide if to use sleep or MM in BG1, but try to damage the cowed wizards as they burn you if you decide to not pay for the magic licence, a lot more knowledge is needed. But that is a completely optional thing, pay those 5000 GP and avoid the problem.
As BG2 is so more complex, at least the magic part of it, is almost impossible to create something that satisfy and challenge both the first time player and who knows perfectly every battle, every possible trick and can benefit from the experience shared by thousands of players over more than 15 years.
And you have not to install SCS, there are mods that tone down some items and spells, you can chose to roll low stats or use not powerful classes and avoid some tactics that trivialize the battles and so on.
Again is your choice.
The only important thing is that you ask yourself why the developers had taken some decisions and what is the play style that bring fun to you.
Because each one of us has his very personal tastes, and everything is fine, to prefer BG1 like you do or prefer SoA with mods like tactics or deeper shadows of amn like I do. No one compels us to use bg2 vanilla or scs. I find the same challenge that you find playing bg1 playing soa with those old school mods and others are having fun right now playing LoB, that is not a mod, but official content, 3 different ways but I hope the same fun and challenge.
My friend, if I could give you 100 likes for that one comment, I would do it without hesitation.
No, I really don't need them and probably don't even deserve them, you can donate them to some church, Temple of Lathander is preferred, I suppose that you know where it is
It's hard to settle where you are, what era ect.
I remember first playthrough hating chateau Irenicus, not because of playability, but finding "steam punk" utterly out of place having just completed BG and Durlag's Tower (though there were hint's of the direction of travel in DT).
Then you get to Athkatla and are overwhelmed with quests falling into your lap with never a chance to draw breathe and settle down into the game.
I think the big fault is not giving enough due to BG. It's done to some extent, but for me, the overall feeling is "we can do this bigger/better/faster because it's really important to bring in a bigger audience who will never play a straight D&D game".
And that's why (again imo) there is no exploration of areas and everything is signposted. And so much is neglected from BG, an Elf protaginist and end goal yet no available elf companions for perspective?
Ust Nathar wasted as well in that respect, let alone not really it making any difference if Vicky is with you.
And most charname are half elves according to polls.
You get the feeling there was an "anti" high fantasy attitude going on (which might be why elves are such
a-holes in the game)
Great game, no doubt a better "game" than BG. But I never get the same feeling of excitement starting BG2 as starting a run of BG.
But also, as someone mentioned, you can't simply start bg2 campaign without finishing the 1st game first. And by now it has become a chore for me. I started to cheat and use ctrl+j function to get trough the long and easy dungeons (Nashkel mines) or areas.
All in all, both games are gems and they are cool in their own special way. But daym, i love the character/party progression troughout the BG2/ToB.
Since when can't you start a new BG2 game without doing BG?
i think everyone has made great points for and against both games too.
personally for me, i liked BG for the many maps of exploration that you could do to raise exp for the party and the music in those 'wild maps' was great too. it was a bonus if any of them had a quest (eg: finding ruffie or the little girls dead cat in the waterfall), and we get exposed to a variety of different monsters along the way as one map has xvarts and another has gibberlings etc.
generally speaking tho, ive only completed BG twice in the 15 odd years ive played it as there are a few things that put me off. i like to play mages as the high lore and variety of spells appeals to me but in BG the level cap means that while i can find the cloudkill spell i cant really use it as i wont achieve the level needed to cast it (SoD seems to have alleviated that a little bit) or my mage dies too easily so i would instead play a cleric or paladin but not finish the game.
some of the things i dislike are the map of BG itself and trying to get from one part to another as it seems i need to travel from specific points on the border to get to the right map, that companions will mostly stay where i ditch or reject them temporarily (eg: XAN in the mine), and the things that, to me, feel like they were meant to be a quest that werent: branwen mentions being turned to stone by Tranzig but when i confront him or receive the information regarding him she says NOTHING and i find that strange given hes the one that turned her or the farmer that tells us theres an xvart problem.
as for BG2 i loved that there was higher levels to achieve so i was able to get more out of my mage and the story was completed in ToB. personally, i suck at tactics so the battles that have been mentioned as cake walks for some arent necessarily for me but that could be down to my companion choices too haha. i love that things can be noted down on the map for quests - trademeet etc - but i cant get there without going through the city gates to do it and that with the higher levels came more options for classes. i agree with the timed quests and currently have hexxat in my party first to get her out of the way immediately before my rep gets too high and she leaves but the waiting is annoying me as i have other things to do ... I like that my companions will ask where they should meet me so i can send the majority to one place.
compared to BG1, BG2 frustrates me with the lack of pure thieves with a favorable alignment as i find that unless i go a thief myself the options i have are poor. theyre either a multiclass which i dont want in a thief or their alignment disagrees with my good deeds. personally i cant stand imoen, shes a running joke in my household of players, and only end up with her as for me shes the only thief left even tho shes dual classed.
overall they both have their pros and cons and the nostalgia of BG1 will always have me loving it but in reality i personally prefer BG2 as it offers more for myself.
my personal favourite tho is IWD2 as i just loved the class, race, and specialisations i could do, along with creating all 6 party members.
one thing i hate about both games is that while gems stack, necklaces and rings dont so the lack of gem bags is a constant frustration in BG1 and chateau irenicus as i cant bear to drop things i can sell.
thats my rant
First: welcome
Second: There are two mods that you may like
BG1 NPC Project and Keeping Yoshimo.
i prefer to steer clear of mods myself just coz im not confident messing with files but its worth noting in future should i change my mind. thank you
http://mikesrpgcenter.com/bgate2/armor/shields.html
That's it.
BG 2 compatible mods.
If we have a way to keep it (an 2° end way for that quest) the item could be importable to BG2:EE (just as the pantaloons are) and usable to break yoshi geas.
i really hope it becomes a thing and for those who dont import it could be a quest reward along with money and gems so those that import it still got rewards
Create a multiplayer game, make 2 characters, one main char and one your thief. Start the game and save.
Go in your "?:/" directory -> users -> your user -> documents -> Baldur's Gate/Baldur's gate 2: Enhanced Edition -> mpsave. Copy your saved game there and paste it on the "save" folder in the previous directory.
But take in mind @Sazzie, that most of the times you don't need an pure thief too high level to have the basics of the class. If you focus on Hide in shadows, move silently, pick locks and detect trap, the 4 principal thieves skills, you can reach that with lvl 12 more or less (if you take kits, know that skill points aren't 25 per level for most of them). There's even other items in the game that would raise your thieve skills.
If you don't mind suggestions, i would say that an shadowdancer 13/Cleric or fighter dual class would fit better in your party, swashbuckler 10/ fighter dual class also would be a good adition.
If you're not a fan of dual class, you can go for thief/fighter dwarven too, that has a strong foot to hold.
im sure this may have been answered elsewhere but if i needed to temporarily ditch that character can i get themk back later?
what about removing them from the party temporarily? would they stay at the copper coronet or are they gone forever?
I know which it is for not EE, but as I am new to EE don't know which one is used in it for the purpose.
But I am convinced that installing ONLY that component/mod should give no problem. A savegame right before installing it has to be done, and some testing immediately after installing is a wise thing, but there should be no problems.