Not if you know every encounter almost by heart, and thus have the correct approach to everything the game throws at you. There's quite a handful of people on bioware forums who have finished the game on core rules no reloads (myself included), some of them even doing the challenge with solo char!
In other words, not if you metagame until your eyeballs bleed and you've figured a cheesed-out way to remove the danger from anything you could possibly face.
That's just not my style. I like challenge but that isn't the only reason I play the game.
Nope. I never understood how anyone could have fun doing that. I play games to have fun, not to stress myself out, and that seems super stressful.
It is fun because the challenge is great and the sense of accomplishment is also great. You need to approach a challenge like this with the understanding that you will probably fail, but that even if you don't make it all the way through, there is satisfaction in seeing how far you can make it. Whether to succeed or fail, it makes playing the game more interesting and it makes your choices more meaningful.
Playing no-reloads forces you to take a much more active hand in the game. You have to pay close attention to what you are doing, and you have to decide which battles to undertake. For example, I probably won't do the Twisted Rune fight; I may or may not fight Firkraag, depending on how useful I think Carsomyr will be later on. Playing no-reloads usually means going without at least some of the Infinity Minus 1 weapons and armour, so you have to learn to make effective use of more second-tier items.
Who said anything about cheese? And how is knowing what's ahead of you and dealing with it properly less fun or realistic than dying and reloading the game? If you really want to use the RP angle against me, u can just play no reload run with Wizard Eye to scout every map ahead of you. I can also make the argument that since the main char is an extremely smart individual, he would know a lot of info about every foe he faces, and thus prepare accordingly.
Not to mention the thrill and adrenaline you experience at every step, knowing it might be your last. No Reload Challenge is tons of fun, but it takes guts, commitment and expertise to complete.
I can respect 'no reloads' but it is not for me. I know that I do not remember every detail to the fine point that I can go through the game without dying or messing up a quest. Through BG1 I have tried a 'semi-no-reload' where if CHARNAME died i would reload, but no other reason would I reload except a glitch. BG2 I've never tried, but it wouldn't be that difficult considering you can almost always Raise Dead/Harper's Call.
I'm a patient person, but I also have limits! Dying at the final battle just because I forgot to put on a death ward spell and have to restart the adventure all over again is not for me.
Solo no-reload for me, most of the time. Game immersion is much more intense. Some parts of the game suddenly become more important, which adds variety (ie defensive spells, or learning how to flee from a battle field at the right moment, before it's too late). Character versatility is critical.
Comments
That's just not my style. I like challenge but that isn't the only reason I play the game.
Playing no-reloads forces you to take a much more active hand in the game. You have to pay close attention to what you are doing, and you have to decide which battles to undertake. For example, I probably won't do the Twisted Rune fight; I may or may not fight Firkraag, depending on how useful I think Carsomyr will be later on. Playing no-reloads usually means going without at least some of the Infinity Minus 1 weapons and armour, so you have to learn to make effective use of more second-tier items.
Not to mention the thrill and adrenaline you experience at every step, knowing it might be your last. No Reload Challenge is tons of fun, but it takes guts, commitment and expertise to complete.