Replace encounter difficulty scaling [Spoilers]
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- Replace encounter difficulty scaling [Spoilers]33 votes
- Yes. Scaling should be replaced & maximum encounter difficulty should be standard45.45%
- No. Leave it as it is.33.33%
- Boo has fur not scales!21.21%
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Try this thought experiment: some n00b who just rolled up a brand-new ToB Sorcerer is trying to get through your proposed harder fight. What's your advice to him?
1.) I dislike Boo options in every poll...
2.) Perhaps a slider/ toggle button next to difficulty called "encounter size"? That way everyone could be satisfied.
Another example of this is in Watcher's Keep. If memory serves, the first floor is heavily nerfed if your party hasn't reached a certain level when you first enter it, and this causes, among other things, the enemy who drops Foebane to disappear. Seeing as how BG2 is extremely non-linear, I'm fine with there being certain insurmountable challenges in some areas. Just turn around and level up elsewhere.
Regarding the Illasera scaling: Is she ever even remotely difficult to take down? She's one of the most anticlimactic and easy fights in the entire series, I see no reason to have her at anything but her maximum strength. And nobody should be starting ToB fresh anyway.
And the Sorcerer is probably the most powerful class in the game. The noob only has to pick Time Stop, which is a no-brainer (unless the xp you get is not enough for it) and then take out Ilhassera with whatever spells.
The BG games are known for their lack of hand-holding. If a noob starts from ToB and loses, he had it coming for him and he will learn or start properly.
On the other hand, we would have to suffer through cakewalks without the added challenge, just to cater to a very, very small amount of people that do it, wrong? Yes, starting the saga from the end, is wrong if it's your first time.
You don't start a book series or tv show or whatever from the last part, you can but it's not recommended at all, for your own enjoyment.
There are also other scaling enemies based on level, and I think it is appropriate and you shouldn't have to "turn around". For example, in Firkraag's dungeon there is an Iron Golem who is an Adamantine Golem if you are a higher level. One might argue that the Adamantine golem is the golem that is supposed to be there (in order for maximum difficulty and not missing content or xp). However, as a paladin, you are urged to complete this quest first and if a newer player goes to a dungeon and suddenly encounters an Adamantine golem they would be rather upset and would almost certainly die. So I think level-scaled encounters are fine.
The issue here is that this first fight is required, so it should be up to the player how much of a challenge he wants.
It's pure laziness.
What's worse is that it's laziness on the part of people who know enough to install a mod, at the expense of people who don't yet know modding is even an option.
To do the Paladin stronghold quest, you specifically have to NOT kill th dragon when you first meet him and then do all of the other stronghold stuff first, THEN kill him. By that point you have gotten experience from the Windspear Hills quest, and some loot and experience from the rest of the paladin stronghold. The dragon fight is delayed, though the dungeon is what the paladin is pushed towards by Gaelan Bayle.
And all I mean by the golems is that they shouldn't automatically be upgraded to Adamantine golems just for a higher difficulty when players first getting there might not have weapons capable of hitting it. If the players decide to fight that dragon, at least it is possible to kill it (though extremely difficult). An option of difficulty/monster type/ # of monsters increased is what I am interested in, so that everyone can play at the difficulty they are comfortable with (if lower level characters want to take on stronger monsters be my guest, but it shouldn't be forced).
Again, don't take the knowledge you gathered from playing the game over and over again for granted. The game shouldn't default to what you consider challenging, you can use mods. The challenge you say was one of the reasons for BG's classic-hood (and I assume from this statement one of the reasons you became a longtime fan) was the one you faced when you were new to the game - the one that is the old default, with level and party-based scaling, not what you need to challenge you now after spending years playing the game and learning all it's ins and outs. If you "improve" the game by catering to modern you, all the new players will never have the experience you once had when you first picked up the game and that you still cherish.
we need a new difficulty level that will alter the game in a meaningfull way(better AI,more enemies,traps,spells etc)
Either way, by being this condescending, you've lost your chance at convincing anyone.
Since boo is furry, and new players are furry, the scales should not be scaled.
If you scale the scales then both boo and new players may shed their fur for scales, and we all like a furry boo.