Resting, Rounds, Surprises, some questions
Lotti
Member Posts: 66
I have played a bit with the system now (BG and IWD both into level 3) and I have some questions, mostly about playing style:
Resting:
I pretty much rest when I have spent my spells in a fight, and when the area isn't cleared, a night attack seems almost guaranteed, so I walk back to a safer area, which can take a long walk each time. So days go by in game time, and I wondered if this has an influence on the game? Do I have to accomplish things before a certain date?
Rounds and multiple attacks:
I have been experimenting with several autopause options, but also when only pausing by hand - a character can be almost ready to strike (6 phases of a 7 speed weapon for instance) and then it would be a waste of an attack to change orders. But when I autopause on round end, does preparation for for instance 3/2 attacks carry over into the next round? How does 3 attacks per 2 rounds work?
Surprises:
Several encounters I fail on the first try, because there is some nasty surprise, like a spellcaster that puts my whole party to sleep in one go and then everybody dies. After a reload I am warned and I can win it (for instance only enter with one high hitpoint character that falls victim, then attack whit the rest to rescue his body). This feels like cheating, but seems inevitable. Also even prepare specifically with certain spells to win a certain encounter after you know the enemy (because you were beaten previously) can be necessary, but also feels like cheating. What is the general opinion on these things?
Potions and Scrolls:
These are expensive, often cost more than the profit of the encounter, and selling found ones will only get you a fraction of the price to buy them, so I tend to hoard them and save them for a boss fight (except when absolutely necessary, like with poison or disease). Generally you will only know you are in a hard fight when you are already in the middle of it, and are already losing, so only on the second or third attempt you will spend those items to win. This somehow kills the roleplaying aspect a bit for me.
Unused special items:
Weapons +1 etc. that are not used by current party members, do I sell them or store them away for new party members in the future? You only get a tiny fraction of the asking price in shops. And when you meet a new companion and send away an existing one, do you take all special items from the old one (even reloading to take it before they can leave?).
Resting:
I pretty much rest when I have spent my spells in a fight, and when the area isn't cleared, a night attack seems almost guaranteed, so I walk back to a safer area, which can take a long walk each time. So days go by in game time, and I wondered if this has an influence on the game? Do I have to accomplish things before a certain date?
Rounds and multiple attacks:
I have been experimenting with several autopause options, but also when only pausing by hand - a character can be almost ready to strike (6 phases of a 7 speed weapon for instance) and then it would be a waste of an attack to change orders. But when I autopause on round end, does preparation for for instance 3/2 attacks carry over into the next round? How does 3 attacks per 2 rounds work?
Surprises:
Several encounters I fail on the first try, because there is some nasty surprise, like a spellcaster that puts my whole party to sleep in one go and then everybody dies. After a reload I am warned and I can win it (for instance only enter with one high hitpoint character that falls victim, then attack whit the rest to rescue his body). This feels like cheating, but seems inevitable. Also even prepare specifically with certain spells to win a certain encounter after you know the enemy (because you were beaten previously) can be necessary, but also feels like cheating. What is the general opinion on these things?
Potions and Scrolls:
These are expensive, often cost more than the profit of the encounter, and selling found ones will only get you a fraction of the price to buy them, so I tend to hoard them and save them for a boss fight (except when absolutely necessary, like with poison or disease). Generally you will only know you are in a hard fight when you are already in the middle of it, and are already losing, so only on the second or third attempt you will spend those items to win. This somehow kills the roleplaying aspect a bit for me.
Unused special items:
Weapons +1 etc. that are not used by current party members, do I sell them or store them away for new party members in the future? You only get a tiny fraction of the asking price in shops. And when you meet a new companion and send away an existing one, do you take all special items from the old one (even reloading to take it before they can leave?).
2
Comments
Rounds and multiple attacks: The round end autopause is kinda tricky sometimes. Often it is better to think of it happening at the beginning of a round. If you are attacking someone the auto pause will trigger as soon as you get in range of your target and if the target moves out of range or if you switch weapons halfway through the round you run the risk of wasting attacks. Since the pause happens at the beginning of the round you are usually safe to switch weapons before unpausing without worrying about wasted attacks. Keep in mind that each attacking character operates on their own round by round schedule. Also keep in mind that being hasted means your rounds are split into half rounds and an autopause happens at the end of each half round. 3 attacks in 2 rounds means that you will have 2 attacks in one round and 1 attack in the other round and then 2 again and then 1 again etc.
Surprises: Welcome to the world of metagaming. All I can say is you will have to find your own personal rules for what you do with what you learn about enemy strategy in previous games. Some people prefer not to prepare for fights when they know what tricks the enemy will use, others just use whatever they have to beat the enemies. I wouldn't worry about it too much if this is your first run. Just do what comes natural and enjoy it. You can only ever have one first run, unfortunately, so make the best of it!
Potions and Scrolls: A lot of people have the problem of hoarding their potions. Some people prefer to use them as much as possible. I'm afraid I cant help much with this; you will have to find your own balance and methods.
Unused Special Items:
It depends really... Most people sell what they do not need for their party. If you need to buy something back it is usually no big deal as gold is not a scarce resource in these games. The usual thing to do when removing party members is to take all their loot first. It does no good to leave them well armed when you may need the stuff they have. If you need the party member back then you can always return and give them some stuff again.
Even if I know this game like the back of my hand when we are talking encounters, I still use this method because, when you level higher you mostly meet more powerful enemies. (You will notice this alot in Baldur's Gate 2) I cannot always predict what kind of level adjusted enemy I will face, thus not knowing how to prepare properly. So I scout ahead to see what enemies I will face, and prepare accordingly
Of course, you can still fail. It can take many tries. Increasing your Hide in Shadows ability AND move silently will increase your chance of success.
On duration of spells: does 1 day mean until rest, or 24 hours, spanning a rest period? Similar question for duration of 12 hours, does it span rest?
However, the most important Thief skills are Open Locks and Find Traps. If you've got only one character in your team with Thief abilities (which is a common strategy), then you should prioritise Open Locks and Find Traps first, and only start putting skill points into other Thief skills after you've got those important two up to a decent level (80+). On the other hand, if you've got (and intend to keep) more than one character with Thief skills, then you can (for example) have one building up the Locks and Traps (because you need those skills, but you only need one character to have them) while another invests in Stealth (and/or other Thief skills).
Edit: it may be worth pointing out that in BG1ee, you can't build a Thief who is good at all of the Thief skills. If you continue the same character on into BG2ee, then yes, eventually you can have a Thief who can master all of the Thief skills on his/her own, but there aren't enough level-ups in BG1ee to achieve that. By the way, your target for complete mastery of Thief skills is 100 for Open Locks, Find Traps, Set Traps and Detect Illusion (you can add more points, but the skill is already perfected and will get no better), but Hide In Shadows, Move Silently and Pick Pockets do go on getting better right up to the maximum value of 255. However, there are some items of equipment (especially in BG2ee, but also a few items in BG1ee) which give you bonuses or penalties to various Thief skills, so you may need to adjust your Thief skill targets to allow for any such items which you have (or intend to get). Generally, a "day" in that context means until rest. For example, if the game says you can do something "once per day", what it actually means is "once until the next time you rest" (and after resting you can do it again), regardless of how many (or few) in-game hours actually pass between one rest and the next.
So when you buff cast first the spells that last hours, that often can be cast right after the rest or entering a dungeon, than the ones that last turns and finally the ones that last rounds, to maximize the time where all the buffs are active. I had seen in you tube videos people casting so many buffs, and in not correct order, that at the moment that they start the fight some buffs are already expired
When you are buffed and a battle is won if possible use the same buffs for the next one, you can come back and loot later, but this is more a BG2 thing, in BG1 you have lower level, so less spells, lasting less, if are level dependent.
About matagaming ENJOY your first not spoiled run, it will be the only one that you'll have...
Don't be afraid to reload, but try to play in a way that let you reload few times, as you progress in the game you get the feeling of how an enemy can be hard and how to counter him.
I personally try to use the metagame that I have the less possible, using a hidden scout to spot the enemy and plan the battle, even if I know perfectly where is each enemy and each trap. If I can not spot the enemy I don't pre buff, I know, but my party does not. Some people find it silly and boring, why explore something that you, after 15 years of experience, know better than your own home?
Somehow I envy you, mine is a silly RP of the party lack of knowledge, you really share all the surprise and discovering of your party
I really liked you OP post, imo you have a really good attitude towards those games, I see it from the questions that you ask, many new players ask things like "what are the better stats and proficiences for my fighter/mage?" or "where can I get the uber weapons and stuff?". I wish you a super first run!