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Addiction to no reload

I have started recently playing no reload playthroughs. I play with SCS Tactical and some Tweaks (for example PnP rules on armor effct on thief skills).
For the moment, this is not a great success to be honest ... I manage getting to Chapter 4 but have yet not managed to go through it. I play almost exclusively squishy halflings thieves.
But I have to admit that this is really addictive! I wonder if I should not try to do a reload witout SCS (but I love it so much ... this is really a game changer).
To play no reload is a brand new experience for me - it reminds me of the chills I had when I was playing DUngeon Master 35 years ago ....
And sometimes, I am not lucky ... when a lightning strike for example my PC and kill her right away ...

I do not play solo but take the first ability scores that I get and do not maximize HPs. Perhaps I am too ambitious and not realistic ?

I would welcome any tips !
JuliusBorisovAerakarDinoDinStummvonBordwehrArvia

Comments

  • RigelRigel Member Posts: 251
    @OrlonKronsteen Thank you very very much for your message, and for the links to the two threads!
    I have just started playing SCS and just in BG1 - it is another world (my first time in Ulcaster was epic ...) and I cannot imagine what it will be in BG2. :#
    I will have a look at the two threads and will keep on training with my poor Halflings ...
    OrlonKronsteenJuliusBorisov
  • shaldonshaldon Member Posts: 37
    You're a braver man than me! I too always play no reload - after first rerolling for a 90+, going solo to 32k XP via the Basilisk area and Beregost and surrounding quests, and then getting a full party all levelled up to that. I admit, the next 6 hours of gameplay after that can get a little dull once you hit 32K that early in the questline...

    Killer for me is I always lose a much loved party member via my main or some other OP maxed out party member getting dire charmed and killing them!! You reap what you sow...
    OrlonKronsteenGrond0Rigel
  • DinoDinDinoDin Member Posts: 1,567
    Especially for BG1, roll with either a ranger or a second thief and make heavy use of stealth. Try and get as much stealth boosting gear as you can early on. I can't speak to SCS, which I know has alot of detect invis, but overall it's highly effective for preparing for each fight, helping to clear the large wilderness areas that dominate the first half of the game. I'd lean more ranger than second thief here, Kivan is highly effective at this alongside his solid damage potential with the bow.

    As Grond0 said, really consider making a back-line main character, until at least you get one successful no-reload run in, if that's your goal. I'd add even skipping the TotSC content, I skipped it to achieve my first successful run.

    As to the specifics of your post, make heavy use of potions. The game offers a decent amount of lightning resist, fire resist, etc type potions. As well as scrolls. Some of these have really long timers. If you're going into a fight where you know this is a risk, load up on protections. In fact, use the gold to buy decent amounts of protection items, such as those, potions of invisibility, healing potions. One thing players underestimate, I think, are the wide options in the stores for powerful consumable items. We normally avoid those, while saving up for elite gear, but those items can be critical in no-reload runs.
    RigelAerakarStummvonBordwehrArvia
  • RigelRigel Member Posts: 251
    @DinoDin @OrlonKronsteen @shaldon @Grond0 Thanks a lot for all the advices and tips.
    At the moment, I am still learning - and having fun, even if sometimes losing a character due to a kobold arrow is a pity ... but slowly I mange to get characters up to Chapter 4.
    It gives me as well opportunities to check new classes that I never played before.
    And for the moment, I am skipping the ToSC content. Has anayone achieved a no-reload run SCS with the Balduran island ? I am sure that yes... a bit similar like the question : has somebody managed to climb the Everest northface without oxygen ?
    Grond0ArviaOrlonKronsteenDinoDin
  • OrlonKronsteenOrlonKronsteen Member Posts: 905
    @Rigel I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it! It does take time to learn. And even when you have learned solid tactical strategies you can still make a mistake. All it takes is misjudging spell casting distance by a millimeter to end a run - even in a familiar and normally easy encounter. Hubris gets me sometimes, too. I recently lost a run
    in the Undercellar because I didn't want to let Krystin walk away alive. Slythe was dead and I could have grabbed the invitations and ran, but NO - I just had to try and finish her and she got my party with CC.
    Laziness is another sin - you take a normally low to moderate risk encounter, and, after playing for hours you just don't feel like doing all the buffing because 90% of the time you wouldn't need to, and, voila - RNG gods are against you and the run is over.

    As for skipping ToSC content - that is one of those personal house rule decisions. Completing a no reload without doing ToSC is still an incredible accomplishment, and in an ironic sense it can make it harder because you go into the end game with less experience. My personal rule is that I have to finish either Durlag's Tower or Werewolf Island, but not both. It's not that I shun the challenge necessarily, but doing both brings up another run-ending risk factor for me - restartitis. Yes, believe it or not, I have ended runs because I got bored of my character and party.

    For the sake of transparency - I would mention that I do not use the improved Balduran's Isle or Durlag's Tower tactical improvements. So if you have those installed, it would be a much greater achievement completing them than if I were to do it.
    RigelGrond0ArviaJuliusBorisov
  • RigelRigel Member Posts: 251
    Thanks @jmerry . I will try with my current playthrough (if I manage to go there). I note the tip about potions - it is true that usually I arrive with hundred of potions not used at the end of BG. Will try to drink them all before ... in no SCS I used to be able to do the werewolf isalnd without reload. Even Karoug's fight was not that difficult (potions of fire breath + wand of heaven help a lot). Now it will be interesting to have the mage fight as well. The wand of paralysis is very useful in all those fights.
    DinoDin
  • DinoDinDinoDin Member Posts: 1,567
    The Balduran Island quest was definitely a big intimidating factor when I started doing no-reload runs. The biggest problem is the inability to visit a temple for a long stretch. But when I actually attempted it on my second run, it actually wasn't so hard. Albeit I did both the island and then the tower as the very last things before descending into the final dungeon. So I had solid gear for it.

    Jmerry covers it pretty well above, and again I'm speaking without SCS knowledge, but the hardest part is definitely the boat part. I feel like the return to town and the final cave sequence were pretty standard difficulty. The challenge of the boat is that you have to fight with your party out of position, there are also some deadly floor traps on some of the levels and of course Karoug is hard to bring down. So, for this sequence I think it's really crucial to have defensive buffs for your characters. Invisibility potions and such are a big help here too.

    The upside of the boat is that you don't have to walk much between the several fights in it. You can pre-buff at its entrance and take it all down with many of your buffs still going. In fact, I'd recommend foregoing looting each level until you clear it. Karoug's regen presents an interesting challenge, but it's surmountable as long as you're planning around it. If you can beat the boat sequence, the rest of the island isn't very hard. One helpful thing about the island is that most of the monsters are the same, they're just physical melee damage dealers. So you don't have to prepare for quite as unpredictable of a challenge as you do in the tower. Just something to keep in mind when you're shopping in preparation for the journey.
    RigelJuliusBorisov
  • RigelRigel Member Posts: 251
    Thanks @DinoDin . On my last preSCS playthroughs, I managed to beat the island without reload. Sometimes, a NPC falls, but globally, the difficult part, which is the boat, can be beaten if one does good shopping before the trip (potions of firebreath, wands of heaven, great Malison scrolls, wand of paralyzing).
    From what @jmerry explains in his detailed post (thanks a lot for it !), I see that the main difference lies in the efficiency of the mages who will fight against you... and it already frightens me ... because I know taht in SCS mages can be pretty lethal ... it will be interesting.
    @jmerry does the free action of the bosses protect them against wand of paralyzing ? ... if yes I will have to think about my strategy because it was a big part of how I would fight Karoug...
  • jmerryjmerry Member Posts: 3,822
    No, the wand of paralyzation is a stun effect. Free action doesn't protect against stun.
    RigelDinoDinAerakar
  • RigelRigel Member Posts: 251
    Thanks a lot ! Good to know !
  • RigelRigel Member Posts: 251
    I have to admit that I do a bit of metagaming in my SCS no reload playthrough. I am so scared of mages now ... for example, the four red wizards in the forest, I spy on them with my Beast master and then I attack them. I do not feel strong enough to confront them directly ( I had some bad experiences in the past. They are strong). As well, in Ulcaster, I know that I will need some Resist Fear to confront the Ulcaster wolf...
  • RigelRigel Member Posts: 251
    Bad luck .... I have tried a new no-reload with a gnome BH. I run solo at the start to gain XP. Everything goes smoothly until I get waylaid by a group of 12 bandits who crucified me with their arrows ... Nothing I could have done .... I wonder, would a Shadowdancer have time to Hide before getting touched by the arrows ? Or if I had a potion of invisibility, would I have time to gulp it before getting hit ?
    OrlonKronsteenMantis37
  • OrlonKronsteenOrlonKronsteen Member Posts: 905
    @Rigel A shadow dancer might survive it (I don't know, I've never tried the class) and a potion will work for sure, but seeing as those are hard to come by the best way to survive the ambush is to avoid it all together. Apparently the bandit archer waylay only occurs during specific hours at night and on the main coastal road that runs from north to south. Check out this thread for more details and opinions on it. That waylay is contentious: some players love it; some players hate it.
    FenrirWolfgangerGrond0RigelBronin
  • jsavingjsaving Member Posts: 1,083
    Not a good idea in my opinion to solo a no-reload run. I understand the desire to cheese the system by getting XP faster but it is generally not worth the increased risk of dying.
    RigelDinoDin
  • Grond0Grond0 Member Posts: 7,305
    Rigel wrote: »
    Bad luck .... I have tried a new no-reload with a gnome BH. I run solo at the start to gain XP. Everything goes smoothly until I get waylaid by a group of 12 bandits who crucified me with their arrows ... Nothing I could have done .... I wonder, would a Shadowdancer have time to Hide before getting touched by the arrows ? Or if I had a potion of invisibility, would I have time to gulp it before getting hit ?

    @Rigel in order for invisibility or stealth to work you need to use them before the archers shoot, i.e. invisibility makes no difference to missiles already in the air. If you find it difficult to pause the game quickly when an ambush occurs, you might want to use autopause (enemy sighted) to ensure you have time to react before being targeted.
    RigelOrlonKronsteen
  • RigelRigel Member Posts: 251
    @OrlonKronsteen Thanks for the link. Pretty interesting discussion.
    @jsaving Yes I was a little too ambitious ... one learns from one's mistake... will not XP farm solo anymore at the start of the game
    @Grond0 I wonder - if I am invisible (Hide in shadow) before clicking on the map's border and get waylaid, do I stay invisible in the "waylaid map" ? Or at least one or two rounds, to let me time to escape ?

    To be honest, it is a tough encounter, but I like the feeling of being suddenly surrounded by bandits. Run, Forrest, run !
    FenrirWolfganger
  • Grond0Grond0 Member Posts: 7,305
    Rigel wrote: »
    @Grond0 I wonder - if I am invisible (Hide in shadow) before clicking on the map's border and get waylaid, do I stay invisible in the "waylaid map" ? Or at least one or two rounds, to let me time to escape ?

    To be honest, it is a tough encounter, but I like the feeling of being suddenly surrounded by bandits. Run, Forrest, run !

    It's better for a shadowdancer not to be in the shadows before doing an area transition in BGEE. If you are then you will almost certainly drop out of it for an ambush and the cooldown period (which uses real time, not game time) will mean you won't get a chance to hide again at the start of the ambush.
    RigelOrlonKronsteen
  • RigelRigel Member Posts: 251
    Thanks @Grond0
    Grond0
  • DinoDinDinoDin Member Posts: 1,567
    jsaving wrote: »
    Not a good idea in my opinion to solo a no-reload run. I understand the desire to cheese the system by getting XP faster but it is generally not worth the increased risk of dying.

    Definitely want to second this post. It all depends on your goals, as said way above. If you're thrilled at no reloads for the experience while playing then keep at it. If you really badly want to get at least one in under your belt, definitely consider some min-maxing strategies. I can say that even after having succeeded the mode hasn't lost any allure. FWIW -- Solo no reload, while fun, is definitely considered an extreme veteran mode.

    Some min-maxing to consider are things like taking Xzar and Montaron even if you're going to immediately dump them -- Montaron starts with a very useful invisibility potion for example. Same for Imoen and her wand of magic missiles.
    RigelFenrirWolfganger
  • RigelRigel Member Posts: 251
    Thanks @DinoDin . To be honest, I just wanted to play solo until I would get to level 3 or 4 (with a thief it is easy). And then, start to recruit. But I have learned the lesson .... :)
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