Brasilian soap opera run tips?

TrollopsAndPlugTails

Ok,
so I'd like to do a vanilla trilogy less than serious run. What will result in biggest dramas? I guess this applies mostly to BG2, as character development and interactions in bg1 and SoD are less developed. I look for several things:

1. Family drama: Keldorn, Amoen, Cernd (a reason to finally take on the latter at least for a time):

2. Relationship drama: all romancable characters are f*d up so no problem here. I guess the edge goes to Amoen and Aerie.

3. Several relationships, at the very least serially. If I turn down NPC A to pursue NPC B and kill off/break with the latter, can I in any circumstances resume relationship A? Will any characters fight for the place at my side? Viconia declared

4. Inter character romance: anything other than Eldoth+Skie+Garick, Safana+Voghiln, HD+Aerie?

5. Inter character fights: killing off some companions is good as it makes place for new characters. I don't want to cripple myself however by killing off all clerics for example and want to be able to plan around those fights to ensure continuity of sensible cast.

6. Negative banter and other fluff content dependent on having a pair of NPCs in the party.

7. Some continuity between the episodes. It would be a bit weird for example to have Edwin killing Neera thrice, even if possible with Raise Dead being a thing - at least not really against the spirit of the genre itself.

I don't mind what sex, race and class I will have to play and *of course* I will be bisexual, because how else? My question about engaging in more than one romance is particularly pertinent here.


Every run has a decent amount of soap opera in it anyway, but I want to take on as much as can possibly be done at the same time and this requires some careful planning. I don't know for how long does it take for characters to kill each other off or otherwise fulfilll their plot, especially in story progression time. For example would Jaheira and Faldorn jump to each other's eyes before Mines, so a place frees for Yeslick? I'd like to have some continuity in that disbanding and reemploying the actors should not be a rule - I want to avoid the cheapest route of simply going solo/duo and going off my way to recruit the opposing characters. Example of what not to do: after initially refusing Neera and recruiting Edwin backtrack to Friendly Arm with a full party and temporarily disband one member to make place for her just for the conflict to appear. Lets stick to a plausible story line :P

TrollopsAndPlugTails

BG1:
1. Chapter two plays itself, with Jaheira+Khalid and Monty+Xzar first imposing upon myself then making place for new characters just in time when they start to appear. I'll probably have to side with Jaheira for the Faldorn plot, as Monty doesn't fight with anyone else except oc Adjantis AFAIK.

2. Beregost brings Garrick to the stage and I should at least hire and disband him lest he dissapears, but preferably take down with me to Nashkel and back. If Xzan and Monty are dispatched at this time, I would have place for Neera, forshadowing the entrance of the Red Wizard. Ideally only one survivor of the brawl remains.

3. Neera can be neatly replaced by Edwin, dispatching Dynaheir and later Minsc.

4. Regardless of PC's sex and relationship option, Rasaad's story is pure soap opera, so he's in for the whole game one; someone would have to go at this moment one way or another, as survivors include presumably Me, Imoen, Jaheira, Khalid, Garrick, Edwin, Rasaad. Khalid and Edwin have the least to say in the future.

5. Personal conflicts aside, time for some tension: who do I take to Nashkel mines? It can't be a completely random band. Just as importantly, who do I take out? Bonus points for Xan as he's expendable and a good comic relief. Jaheira and Garrick are musts; Rasaad can optionally be recruited after clearing the mines. Regardless, many new actors await their parts!

6. Bandit camp is another place where a nonrandom party is needed and involves Viconia and Kivan. They can baraly fit, with Rasaad, Garrick and Jaheira already having reserved places in future dramas. It means Imoen would have to go, at least for some time. Why can't she get kidnapped or be otherwise occupied like in the sequels? Fortunately last time I had both Kivan and Viconia in the party, they haven't waited with jumping at each other more than switching the area from Talantir to Beregost.

7. Assuming I took Viconia on, Kivan should be dead after the bandit camp. This would give a (hopefully very short) role to Ajantis. I don't know if Vicky can dispatch both swiftly, but she better had to, as a lot of new characters are awaiting their roles on the way to Orrotair mines!

8. Coran and Safana want some time together; they are tempting for continuity and because I never played with them both, but I am not sure how to fit them with the rest. My following would already include Rasaad, Garrick, Jaheira and the winner of Viconia/Ajantis fight. Ajantis may be more useful here because of his cast reduction special ability, but both are quite expandable plotwise. I must take Coran at this point, because going through Cloakwood for the second time makes no sense; at least Safana can wait until our return.

9. When encountering Faldorn, I'll thus have Rasaad, Garrick, Jaheira, Coran + one loser who must make place for J's nemesis.

10. If everything goes right, I'll have a free spot again on the way back. Now it gets really difficult, because both Eldoth and Safana want in. The sooner I'll take the latter, the sooner they'll be done and I can let them pursue their affair in provate until SoD. In which case instead of two thieves I'll have none unless I am one myself. It sure doesn't sound like recruitment on competence...

11. Whatever happened before, I need to enter Baldur's Gate with Eldoth, Garrick and Rasaad; I would like to have Imoen, too, simply on principle. On the other hand, Coran continues to deliver with Bielbara. I wonder what Safana has to say about it...

12. Skie is unavoidable and let her be, never went through her triangle before, bringing us to a core of five without Coran or Imoen - and no mage!

13. This is all fun and games, but my party so far includes a morbid, useless monk and an equally useless riot of a love triangle. I might just as well start leaving them in the rear and treat it as a solo run....

14. With Tales of Sword Coast I'll have enough XP to level up whoever becomes the sixth member, but I need to decide upon it before Candlekeep, and I sure need at least one mage in Baldur's Gate. I guess that's where dualled Imoen can come back.

TBC.

TrollopsAndPlugTails

SoD:
I have played it only once and close to canon, so I don't have as much knowledge. It seems however easier due to lack of Imoen and fewer characters and conflicts in general. I might just as well go through with a single party!

1. Rasaad: if he continues to play as Edward Cullen he definitely stays.
2. Safana makes a good tie in and thief replacement
3. Voghiln nicely ties with Safana
4. Corwin seems to have the most potential for drama from the cues I've seen

And again I am in dire need of someone who can actually fight, heal and/or sling spells to take that useless bunch for a sight seeing trip... Perhaps Edwin, which would give an option of postponing the conflict with Neera to this game, or even SoA (as both are essentially unavoidable characters in our future).

TrollopsAndPlugTails

SoA:

1. Aerie
2. Haer Dalis
3. Rasaad
4. Amoen? Arguably the biggest drama queen save none in the whole series.
5. Rotable:
5.1: Cernd, because Trademeet is the easiest and the sooner we recruit him the sooner we may dump that useless furry.
5.2: Keldorn - nice family drama of itself, but also fights with Amoen. Not sure who I should side with; never dreamed of romancing that douche so I have no idea if his story in ToB will be interesting.

And again it doesn't escape me I won't be able to depend on my friends for fighting, traps or spellslinging. At least healing and undead should not be a problem...

Hopefully Rasaad's quest can be resolved without tarrying and I can leave this emo to sulk in some tavern on his own. This would perhaps even allow an interesting experiment of recruiting Vicky and Hexxat on the same day to troll Keldorn. I wonder if they'd join up forces when he turns on one of them.

TrollopsAndPlugTails

And the final question is: who is Gorion's Ward? By romance potential she seems to be a (tall) woman. I remember reading that leader's charisma adjusts the likelihood of infighting, so CHA 3. Must be at least part mage and perhaps better a fighter/mage multi, as our 'defenders' will be occupied with not getting themselves killed, and that if we're lucky. Only Coran and Keldorn can really get the job done from the bunch, and they might not get big parts to play. Would be nice to have a foster father in Keldorn again, but one of these days I am eventually going to do a lawful stupid playthrough, so maybe until then.