Restartitis: Lamest reason for abandoning a run

Permidion_Stark

Fellow restarters out there, what is your lamest reason for abandoning a game and starting again? I recently spent ages rolling a character, got a 97 point paladin and abandoned the run while she was still in Candlekeep because I decided her stats were too good. So why did I spend ages rolling them in the first place? Who knows?

I also once abandoned a run because Khalid died. The dumb thing about this one was that I was planning to kick him out of the party anyway but I felt guilty for being careless enough to allow him to be filled full of arrows by hobgoblins. So I gave up on the run, rolled a new character (spending ages doing it) and started all over again.

Tell me I'm not the only one who does this . . .

Thunderburp

I don't have on topic anecdotes, but maybe learning to use the console would let you keep playing the same game while changing the things you're unsatisfied with? Bringing back Khalid or lowering your stats, it could be done without restarting

Instead of wasting hours rolling, you could also accept any stat rolled and then change them once the character is created. Basically instead of solving the issue, seek workarounds to make it less painful and less disruptive to your current game.

Permidion_Stark

Thunderburp wrote: »

I don't have on topic anecdotes, but maybe learning to use the console would let you keep playing the same game while changing the things you're unsatisfied with? Bringing back Khalid or lowering your stats, it could be done without restarting

Instead of wasting hours rolling, you could also accept any stat rolled and then change them once the character is created. Basically instead of solving the issue, seek workarounds to make it less painful and less disruptive to your current game.

Unfortunately that wouldn't work for me. I'm a no reloader and if I mess with the game I'm playing it would feel like cheating so I would have to start again.

Thunderburp

Now consider this. Isn't restarting the game because you're unsatisfied with some outcome other than the protagonist's death...basically cheating? It's like a huge, gimping reload, but you're obviously very ready to take that punishment and therefore it is not deterring you from "cheating". Aren't you altering the game world until it runs exactly as you would hope? Become a true no-reloader!

Just trying things here. Good luck! Fighting oneself is an uphill battle

sarevok57

when it comes to ability scores i find that if i use crtl+8 or ee keeper to make my scores, i will have more of a tendency to restart a run,

cheating for scores makes me feel that i didn't earn that powerful character and the character just feels fake and gives me no motivation to play them

although, if i roll ability scores and get a 95+ i have an easier time playing that character out because i "earned" that roll, and i feel that i actually worked for it, and that powerful character is the fruits of my labor ( kind of how i do things in real life haha )

and usually if i'm really into a run and beat it within a couple of days i will be more motivated to finish it, but if i start a run, and then don't play it for more than 2 or 3 days, then that run will probably stay in limbo forever and a new run will be made, even if it's the exact same character hahaha

ThacoBell

I've spent hours rolling stats before only to restart before reaching the FAI because I wanted to roll the same character again, with a different race, proficiencies, name, etc. Multiple times. Many times.

BelgarathMTH

Mostly I do it because I stop having fun with a run for no particular reason. I get an idea that interests me about another kind of class or RP idea. So I restart with that new character. And usually, I start having fun again.

Really, I think I just enjoy starting new runs as its own thing, because it's always exciting and new, filled with possibilities. I've never felt any compulsion at all to finish any games.

Arvia

Now I feel like a serious weirdo. I don't have restartitis. The only reason I dropped runs and restarted was when a game was unfamiliar and I had messed up a build or gameplay decisions so thoroughly that it seriously hampered my progress after a few hours in the game. Or if I had to take such a long break from a game that I lost track of where I was and what I was supposed to be doing.

The only exception was a BG minimal reload run where I actually stopped having fun at the beginning of ToB after having to accept too many companion permadeaths over the course of the whole playthrough (Dynaheir at the top level of the Iron Throne, Jaheira to a vampire in Waukeen's Promenade and finally Anomen against Irenicus in Hell), which was the point where I decided that I wouldn't accept chunking anymore, especially so late in the game that it required repeated and so very serious adjustment to strategy and equipment that I simply stopped enjoying it as a challenge.

ThacoBell

ThacoBell wrote: »

I've spent hours rolling stats before only to restart before reaching the FAI because I wanted to roll the same character again, with a different race, proficiencies, name, etc. Multiple times. Many times.

I feel the need to clarify, these are all separate instances.

deltago

The stupidest reason? Wanting to choose a different starting spell on a mage (even though I could probably get it on a scroll very early), then rolling a bard instead, but then wanting Garrick in the party, then remaking a mage with the correct spell but with quarterstaff proficiency and getting the +1 dagger and saying, it’s be more optimal to have daggers instead of quarterstaves and rerolling again but this time being called a money grubber and not getting it. So I rerolled again and said, maybe I should play something else instead, rage quitting my restartitis.

Permidion_Stark

deltago wrote: »

The stupidest reason? Wanting to choose a different starting spell on a mage (even though I could probably get it on a scroll very early), then rolling a bard instead, but then wanting Garrick in the party, then remaking a mage with the correct spell but with quarterstaff proficiency and getting the +1 dagger and saying, it’s be more optimal to have daggers instead of quarterstaves and rerolling again but this time being called a money grubber and not getting it. So I rerolled again and said, maybe I should play something else instead, rage quitting my restartitis.

I don't know what it is about Fuller's +1 dagger but it is an obscure object of desire for me. I have created mages who have taken Friends as one of their starting spells just so I can boost my Charisma enough to get it. I have also created thieves who put all their points in pickpocketing so they can have a chance to steal it (and then regretted it because it meant I couldn't pick the lock upstairs in the Candlekeep Inn to get the Star Sapphire).

Balrog99

Permidion_Stark wrote: »

deltago wrote: »

The stupidest reason? Wanting to choose a different starting spell on a mage (even though I could probably get it on a scroll very early), then rolling a bard instead, but then wanting Garrick in the party, then remaking a mage with the correct spell but with quarterstaff proficiency and getting the +1 dagger and saying, it’s be more optimal to have daggers instead of quarterstaves and rerolling again but this time being called a money grubber and not getting it. So I rerolled again and said, maybe I should play something else instead, rage quitting my restartitis.

I don't know what it is about Fuller's +1 dagger but it is an obscure object of desire for me. I have created mages who have taken Friends as one of their starting spells just so I can boost my Charisma enough to get it. I have also created thieves who put all their points in pickpocketing so they can have a chance to steal it (and then regretted it because it meant I couldn't pick the lock upstairs in the Candlekeep Inn to get the Star Sapphire).

All you need is a quiver of bolts and 18 charisma. Start as an Enchanter and you're practically there!

lroumen

With reputation and charisma combined you could easily get the dagger and that is independent from distributing enough points into dexterity to get the gem.

Permidion_Stark

lroumen wrote: »

With reputation and charisma combined you could easily get the dagger and that is independent from distributing enough points into dexterity to get the gem.

In my experience you have to have 18 Charisma to get it. I started a game yesterday as a 17 Charisma paladin and only got the 10GP. Reputation presumably comes into the calculation but you can't create a thief with a better reputation than a paladin.

jmerry

Starting reputation is anywhere from 8 to 12 based on alignment. All of those have the same reaction adjustment of zero. You need a reaction score of 15 for Fuller to give you the dagger. Cha 18 is +5, and the base value is 10. And of course, there's no way to raise your reputation in the tutorial.

So, the requirements for getting that in dialogue: Cha 18 or more. (Cha 17: +4 reaction. Cha 19: +8 reaction)

ThacoBell

iirc, you can get the dagger with a 17CHA and rep of 10 or higher, but its a roll and not guaranteed.

deltago

All my thieves have a starting CHR of 18 to get noble woman’s jewelry. I can’t recall if I always get the dagger too but I don’t think you do.

lroumen

The 15 reaction score is correct though. It has been in the dudleyville compendium for decades and I verified it many times.

Also, I wouldn't always run an 18 charisma character because it makes you miss out on joinable npcs rejecting to join you if your reaction value is too low (or maybe it is purely charisma but I recall it is reaction based). Uhmm... Adds realism for me XD

jmerry

... Oops. I read the wrong table earlier; reputation 8 through 12 all have the same reaction adjustment. Starting alignment is irrelevant to whether you get the dagger.

sarevok57

jmerry wrote: »

Starting reputation is anywhere from 8 to 12 based on alignment. All of those have the same reaction adjustment of zero. You need a reaction score of 15 for Fuller to give you the dagger. Cha 18 is +5, and the base value is 10. And of course, there's no way to raise your reputation in the tutorial.

So, the requirements for getting that in dialogue: Cha 18 or more. (Cha 17: +4 reaction. Cha 19: +8 reaction)

you can raise your REP by going to the priest of oghma to the north east of the map, although it is a bit counter productive especially since BG 1 EE uses the BG 2 REP prices to raise your REP, and since the dagger +1 only gives you 150 gold when you sell it, but if you somehow have the gold and are super desperate for that dagger you can donate to get that REP up

jmerry

Right, the priest. The problem is that you need to go all the way up to 14 rep in order to gain any positive reaction adjustment. Lawful Good plus two donations of 800 and 1000 gold.

Making that much gold in the prologue ... well, the biggest source is the nobles' chest. 1000 gold for the star sapphire, another 750 if you pass the reaction check for them to add their jewelry before looting it. Which, of course, has the same threshold as Fuller's check. Also, you need either a thief or a barbarian to open that chest.

Aerakar

I recently restarted a game at about 7th level when I realized I had put 5% too much in set traps to make it 80% (+5% dex boost in BG + mercykiller ring +20% in BG2 = 105%). I could not stand the thought of a wasted 5%!

But there are many, many reasons of course. Generally, like @BelgarathMTH, I enjoy making the characters and starting the game much more than I do playing the later parts of the game. It takes me so long to play the entire game (months!) that I often find myself restarting when I have a new persona idea after watching a movie, while reading a book, etc. I can count on one hand how many times I have gotten to ToB. Minimal reload now makes it rarer still.

lroumen

I rarely get through bg2. My interest is low level, so Bg1 gets done but then I get stuck in chapter 2 in bg2. I restart that a lot with new characters all the time (also new mods all the time). Even some noreload runs in bg2 are parked in limbo unfortunately.

ThacoBell

@jmerry Are you sure its the same reaction check? I've done that with 15 CHA and have never even seen it fail. Fuller only sometimes gives me the better reward with 17CHA.

sarevok57

ThacoBell wrote: »

@jmerry Are you sure its the same reaction check? I've done that with 15 CHA and have never even seen it fail. Fuller only sometimes gives me the better reward with 17CHA.

just checked, and both fuller and hull only need "GT, upper neutral" reaction adjustments for their better rewards

i remember back in the day hearing the game would randomize a number between 8-12 then add your adjustment afterwards, but then i also remember hearing rumors that the game just used a "10" instead

so it's hard to say what score you need for "friendly" ( which is one above "upper neutral" im guessing )

jmerry

Those constants are defined in REACTION.ids.

FRIENDLY_UPPER = 20
FRIENDLY_LOWER = 15
NEUTRAL_UPPER = 14
NEUTRAL_LOWER = 8
HOSTILE_UPPER = 7
HOSTILE_LOWER = 2

By default, anyway. It is, of course, moddable by editing that file.

Dapifer

I've restarted because for whatever reason I stop playing for months or even years and then it feels wrong to continue the run.

Or because I want to add a new mod.

Or now, because after not playing for years the new update broke my saves so... here I am in Candlekeep again, ready to venture forth!

Acifer

Played on "hard" difficulty. Switched to "easy" just to write that one spell. Forgot to switch back to "hard" and realized it a few hours later after heroically defeating enemies in "easy" mode. Time to restart.

jmerry

Ah yes, spell learning chances. This is why I've learned to value potions of genius and mind focusing. 24 Int, even temporarily, means guaranteed success. Or 23 Int for a non-kitted character such as Aerie.

I've managed to get restartitis pretty much under control; while I start lots of characters for testing purposes, I've only abandoned one real run lately - I just wasn't feeling it.

Permidion_Stark

I was sick of failing to learn spells so I decided to use the tweak that gives you guaranteed success when scribing. Then I had to abandon the run because it felt like cheating.

On a side note, the Red Potion that you can get from Nashkel Carnival guarantees success (but you may not be able to move after taking it because your scroll case will be too heavy for you).

Maurvir

I usually abandon runs early because I find some new mod, or mod update, I want to install and figured "Oh, I'm not that far..." This usually takes a few false starts before I get everything setup for a full "Candlekeep to throne" run.

I have only restarted otherwise a few times. The first was when I realized I don't like fighter PCs, I prefer support PCs. Mages, clerics, etc. It's too likely to have a game-ending death when your PC is on the front line.

However, I ended a run in SoA because the party never seemed to gel. That was when I tried a C/T character, and she just never seemed to get on a roll. I'm not entirely sure what went wrong with that run, but for whatever reason, it just petered out somewhere in the Windspear hills.