Play Thru Order

Bloodstone

Hey everybody. I played BG1 and BG2 with ToB back in the day. Couple years ago I bought the EE Editions but never had a chance to play. I'm in BG1 EE now and having a blast. My primary question is this:
What's the best order of play through the first time?
BG1 EE, then ToSC, then Siege of DS, then BG 2EE?

I have all of these, and can/will get any others that I may be missing, but I'm closing in on Chapter 6 and getting ready to finish up BG1 EE, what do I need to prepare for next? Do I do something with ToSC content or go straight to SoD?
Thanks in advance for the help.

Gallenger

If you're looking to maximize your time I'd just go in the intended order.

Some ToTSC content is accessible from day 1 of the game (maybe all of it is, but I've never cared to try to rush to Ulgoth's Beard). SoD is a standalone essentially, so once you enter SoD all the BG1/ToTSC content will be lost to you. So If you goal is to finish everything up, don't start SoD until you've finished up everything you want in BG1 and then beat the game .

ThacoBell

BG1 (including ToSC), Sod, Then BG2/ToB.

Aerakar

I usually do most of the original content up until the return to Candlekeep, then I start the ToSC content, and then after ToSC content is completed I go and finish up with my return to BG city with the Ducal Palace and finally the Undercity. Siege then starts right up and the flow feels right with this progression, at least to me.

In my head canon, charname is trying to figure out what happened after Candlekeep and trying to gain power before returning to BG (hopefully!) triumphant.

Dragonspear

I normally do my ToTSC content during Chapter 5. Normally after I've found out about the Iron Throne, but before I go there.

Or even just the start of Chapter 5, considering what ends Chapter 4.

That said, I normally do most regular content as I'm on that side of the map. So normally I do everything around and beregost and nashkel early on.

Thels

Keep in mind that there's an issue where, if you talk to Mendas in Ulgoth's Beard before doing the Jacil encounter in the Merchants' League Counting House in Baldur's Gate NE, Jacil's encounter will no longer be available (as another encounter will be placed in that building). This used to be the case back in vanilla TotSC as well. Back then, however, the Jacil encounter did not hold any interesting loot. In BGEE, Jacil holds a Spear +2, which is afaik the best Spear in the game.

There is another issue like that in Wiven's House. The Wiven encounter also drops some nice loot, but if you talk to Sorrem (from Rasaad's questline) before doing the Wiven encounter, the Wiven encounter will no longer be available (again, because another encounter will be placed in that building).