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On Core or Higher Difficulty do you cheat when leveling up or writing magic?

francofranco Member Posts: 507
edited June 2013 in General Discussion (Spoiler Warning!)
There are many ways available for players to circumvent the basic rules in BG. An option for cheating on the rules always comes up when we are in Core difficulty or higher and the PC or an NPC levels up or writes magic from a scroll. As a player, how do you usually handle it. Please vote and tell us about it. Also, please let me know whether you like the idea or find it interesting to know statistically the way various players approach this option.
  1. On Core or Higher Difficulty do you cheat when leveling up or writing magic?217 votes
    1. When leveling up or writing, I lower difficulty level to get max hit points or success.
      34.10%
    2. When leveling up or writing, I save first and reload until I get a result I am satisfied with.
      25.81%
    3. When leveling up or writing, I stay on Core or Higher Difficulty and accept the results.
      25.81%
    4. Other. and I'm ready to tell you about it.
      14.29%
Post edited by franco on
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Comments

  • LindeblomLindeblom Member Posts: 257
    I usually roll until I get above 50%. 6 and up for warrior, 3-4 for wizard and so on.
  • francofranco Member Posts: 507
    edited June 2013
    Moderators @Dee , @Jalily or other. This thread showed up in New Members Welcome area. That wasn't my intention. Sorry. Can it be moved to General Discussion (Spoiler Warning) ? Please let me know if I can do this on my own also.
  • DeeDee Member Posts: 10,447
    You certainly can! :)

    Just edit the original post; you'll be able to change the thread's location on the edit screen.
  • francofranco Member Posts: 507
    edited June 2013
    @Lindeblom. I did that exact same thing for years and I was happy with it. In recent months I just got into accepting the roll in order to help randomize the game.



    I think it would be interesting to find out what statistical tendencies many of the players on this forum have when facing this option of leveling up or writing magic.
  • francofranco Member Posts: 507
    Thanks @Dee.
  • QbertQbert Member Posts: 195
    I started out saving before i did either but on my second run through i played it legit and ended up enjoying it a lot more. I drink a potion of genius before i write and am saving the red potion for the high level spells all at one time.
  • JLeeJLee Member Posts: 650
    I accept the results unless I fail to write a spell a disproportionate number of times. I get irritated with an int of 19 and fail three times in a row.

    The other time I will save/reload is if it's a spell I really need and will find difficult to find again.

    I generally do not lower the difficulty because I seem to be physically unable to remember to raise it again once I am done.
  • PeccaPecca Member Posts: 2,185
    I mod 2da tables.
  • francofranco Member Posts: 507
    @Pecca. I admit I'm not familiar with the terminology. Would you explain it for us?
  • PeccaPecca Member Posts: 2,185
    Ah. I see I wrote it wrong anyway. There are game files with the extension .2da. These files are tables (pnp like) and are easily modified with programs like NearInfinity or DLTCEP. Several of these tables are for hit point rolls and one for scroll scribing success. I usually mod many more tables to adjust the game to my desires. In this case I mod hitpoint tables to roll higher numbers (like 5-10, instead 1-10) and scroll scribing for automatic success.
  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    Playing on Core/Insane without random rolls isn't really playing on Core/Insane.
  • SionIVSionIV Member Posts: 2,689
    edited June 2013
    I use BG2 tweaks and click the option for 100% write. I only play No-reload nowadays and i can't afford to lose out on scrolls that are hard to get.
  • BerconBercon Member Posts: 486
    For those who don't feel like "cheating" but don't want to get really crappy hit points either, you could try these tables, just copy to your override folder. They give you average hit points on level up which I don't think is really cheating. Fighter gets 5.5 hit points per level up, mage 2.5 etc. http://ylilammi.com/mods/AverageHitpointsOnLevelUp.7z

    More details on the math here: http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/13927/average-hitpoints-on-level-up
  • triclops41triclops41 Member Posts: 207
    I don't worry about the hit points, but I save and reload for the spells. There are a number of spells I just like too much.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
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  • ZanathKariashiZanathKariashi Member Posts: 2,869
    And this is why I say higher then 13 int is a waste.

    I just roll with it. Makes the game more interesting that way. And forces you to come up with new strategies if you don't get access to spells you're normally using every run.
  • bbearbbear Member Posts: 1,180
    While I do lower the difficulty to write spells, I dont consider it "cheating". It's a poor game design because I could have bypass it by drinking 2 potions of genius, which I'm too lazy to do it.
  • SchneidendSchneidend Member Posts: 3,190
    I lower the difficulty for the first few levels, like 1-3, to get max HP and give my characters a buffer. Completely random HP is one of the most annoying things in all of D&D. That's part of why I like 4E and the Neverwinter Nights games.
  • ThunderThunder Member Posts: 157
    I'd gladly get rid of the spell writing failure chance, the limit on spells written based on int is enough of a limitation for me.
  • francofranco Member Posts: 507
    edited June 2013
    Lindeblom said:

    I usually roll until I get above 50%. 6 and up for warrior, 3-4 for wizard and so on.

    That's exactly the method I used for years. These are adventurers developing like athletes. As they reach a level, their HP's should be increasing by at least half as much as the max attributed to their class.

    Very recently, however, I developed a rule whereby if the game had to be Reloaded due to a PC's death since the last level up, then he is in a weakened condition. In that case, keep the game on the original Core/Higher difficulty setting when he levels up, and there is a random probability he will end up getting fewer HP's. If there was no reload for the PC since the last level up, then save the game and make sure he gets at least half the max HP's.

    I like this rule, because it feels right and seems realistic. As a penalty, it can also be applied when NPCs have been resurrected since their last level, so they face the possibility of fewer random HP's on the next level up.
    Post edited by franco on
  • MortiannaMortianna Member Posts: 1,356
    edited June 2013
    I only lower it only when I have a rare spell that I likely won't be able to find again and if I'm out of INT boosting potions. I once failed a spell six times in a row with a 19 INT (95 percent chance). Given, it wasn't in my specialty school, but that's only a 15 percent penalty. Failing six times in a row with a 80 percent chance to learn is a .0064 percent probability. ~.~

    The only time I reroll HP is when Kagain gets a 2 (I don't think he can roll a 1 due to his 20 CON). It just doesn't feel right for Kagain to have less HP than other fighters of the same level in the party.

    *Edit: I just leveled Kagain in my current game and he just got a 1 (6 with CON bonus), so I guess it doesn't follow the PnP rule of no 1s rolled with 19 and 20 CON.
    Post edited by Mortianna on
  • Awong124Awong124 Member Posts: 2,643
    I play on Core, but I think the spell writing failure thing is stupid, so I will reload until I successfully write it. As for leveling up, I always want the average roll, no more no less. So I will reload even if I get a higher than average roll.
  • FrecheFreche Member Posts: 473
    I always play with mods and most of the time install max HP and 100% write magic.
  • MathmickMathmick Member Posts: 326
    I would use the save-scumming method, but lowering difficulty produces the same results in what will likely be a lower time.
  • O_BruceO_Bruce Member Posts: 2,790
    Cheating is either for boring or unskilled gamers. That's my opinion on the matter.
  • DreadKhanDreadKhan Member Posts: 3,857
    Schneidend said:

    I lower the difficulty for the first few levels, like 1-3, to get max HP and give my characters a buffer. Completely random HP is one of the most annoying things in all of D&D. That's part of why I like 4E and the Neverwinter Nights games.

    I agree... While an average roll is fine, a pair of atrocious rolls for a fighter can be disastrously unplayable. Great rolls aren't required, but roll a 1 and 2 for your fighter an things will be ugly. Especially for an NPc that has no cons bonus!
  • MortiannaMortianna Member Posts: 1,356
    edited June 2013
    Awong124 said:

    I play on Core, but I think the spell writing failure thing is stupid, so I will reload until I successfully write it. [...]

    1e AD&D is/was especially draconian about learning spells. If you failed to learn a spell, that was it. You could never use that spell, unless your INT score changed (which would allow for another attempt) or if you fell below the minimum number of spells learnable for that spell level.

    I can't imagine the nerd rage some players must have had when failing their roll with Fireball. We have it easy with BG. ^_^
  • mylegbigmylegbig Member Posts: 292
    edited June 2013
    Yea, I cheat, but I also modded my game so that all the monsters/enemies have their maximum possible hit points.

    I thought dragons were tough before, but fighting them with SCS AI, triple life, and maximum hp rolls was something else. When I fought the Shadow Dragon damn thing just wouldn't die.
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