Does BGII:EE scale spawns with party size like BG:EE does?
WatchForWolves
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WatchForWolves
Member Posts: 183
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Then again I have sadly not had time to extensively test since the last patch, especially not in LoB mode.
There are a few spawns that scale based on party level, (Umar Hills and Watcher's Keep are the most noticeable), but not nearly as many as there should be, IMO.
So for example, in the Spellhold dungeon, you'll get a Lich in one area instead of a Bone Golem if your level is high enough.
Also, in some areas, the spawns change based on the time of the day. So for example outside of Spellhold, you'll get different monsters if you come during the night, than if you would come during the day.
So I'm presuming level and what's messing up the level spawn is me playing a dual classed charname I think. And that's really annoying because of course, dualing, you could really do with the extra XP.
Last playthrough it was, " where is everybody?"
so certain areas will have the "encounter" group, and based on party XP is what you will battle
so for example, lets say you encounter the "undead encounter"
if you have 999 999 XP or less, it will be 2 skeleton warriors and 2 shadow fiends
if you have 1 000 000 - 1 999 999 XP it will be a greater mummy, bone golem, 2 skeleton warriors
if you have 2 000 000 XP or more, then it will be a lich, 2 greater mummies a skeleton warrior
so the enounters are based on XP not level, not sure if the game averages it out between all party members are just uses your main character's XP ( im leaning more towards that the game uses your main character's XP total for determining encounter groups )
off the top of my head the encounter groups are:
- undead
- beholder
- golem
- yuan-ti ( salamander for lesser, umberhulks and mintotaurs for medium)
- troll
and sometimes if you have the 2 million plus XP mark in certain areas, random enemies will warp in, for example:
- bone golem in the area where you find the gesen shaft
- group of beholders in the sewers
- group of trolls in de arnise hold at the final battle
Original Baldur's Gate also didn't scale spawns with party size, but BG:EE 2.0 does.
So basically, was this BG:EE behaviour extended to BG2:EE as well, since they essentially share the same "base"?
Judging from what people here say, they have played the games hundreds of times. I would have thought that nobody tries solo without being through the game a fair few times.
So who is this benefitting?
Don't get it.
If it's too hard for a player doing solo/small party, they always have the option of recruiting NPC. Why take away the option for players to have the bigger spawns if they can handle them?
Is there a way to overide this?
If there isn't it's just removing a choice.
If you are an experienced player and know where the trigger points are there's really no additional challenge in having a larger number in these trash mobs. To me therefore the scaling makes sense - it reduces the hassle factor, without affecting the challenge.
Just entered the UD from Sauhagin city down the rope, in the cave opposite there have always been 3 illithids lurking (pretty sure most people know where).
Playing solo, just now there was 1.
Just thought I'd post this because although people are saying party size doesn't effect anything, throughout this run, having never played solo before, I'm sure I've been fighting smaller groups on occasion.
And just had a definite example happen.
Great, now we need @AstroBryGuy to make TuTu-style Spawns mod for BG2/ToB as well!
Great, now we need @AstroBryGuy to make TuTu-style Spawns mod for BG2/ToB as well!
I understand that it looks at level so dual class averages out?
But fighter 26/SB10 still averages at "level 18" which is higher than previous trips to the UD with party.
Currently just over 5 mill total xp, fighter/SB.
That's pretty high not to get high level/numerous spawns. I'm getting liches ect. elsewhere. There weren't so many Drows waiting either in that group you encounter by the prison thing, 2 casters, 3 maybe 4 fighters.
I'll keep monitering it, about to go after the Kao Tau Prince, lets see how many turn up. Usually it's jam packed.
I've also asked the QA team about BG2:EE. It turns out the party size *does* affect encounter spawns in BG2:EE. It's difficult to say whether or not this is true for the original BG2, though.
Far as I can tell, same amount of enemies.
Definitely the same amount in the Demogorgon room, all the demon knights turn up.
@JuliusBorisov
Thanks for checking.
It seems to be a bit random whether mobs are affected and that's why it was so hard to say for definite. You think, playing through, you must be remembering wrong.
@WatchForWolves - the two paragraphs of @JuliusBorisov's post probably aren't talking about the same spawn-points. Given the hidden-trap mechanism used by BG to generate spawns, it's highly likely that there's a choice of the spawn composition (where it's not fixed-in-advance) generated at any given spawn-point being decided either by protagonist XP (as listed in the link above) or by party size (a different list which hasn't yet been published), but probably not by both factors at the same spawn-point (because that'd require a much more complex list of triggers).
I'm getting the high level spawns, lich, golems, ect.
What I think I'm missing is numbers, so as in the example I posted, I mindflayer rather than 3, less Drow fighters, less trolls, ect.
And it's really rather random.
Beginning of TOB, whatshername (is it Illasera?) the quick turned up all on her own, no other fighters.
I think I agree with @UnderstandMouseMagic ... that there are two tables, one for party size, one for level, which possibly exclusively dictate numbers/level of spawns. Also possible they influence one another, but seems less likely based on evidence. Its also probable that spawn events differ in which they call to, some calling to one or the other, some calling to both, some calling to neither.