Generally for me no-reload means I only reload in the event of a crash or glitch/bug but I do change difficulty settings at times for max hps and spell scribing (and then often forget to change them back for a while)
I always set a "restart point" for BG1 characters when Imoen offers to join you but rarely use it - I am more likely to roll a new character or just abandon the no-reload concept in favor of minimal reload where I only reload at PC death - however I will not reload very often before abandoning the game altogether - I don't set a number for this but I would rarely have as many as a half-dozen reloads before moving on to a new campaign.
I used to set a "restart point" for BG2runs I might like to do over but now I just use the first save after using dungeon b gone to get to Waukeen.
I'm like @Wanderon. Pure no-reload is too hard core for me, because there's no way I'm going to abandon a game I spent weeks progressing because of some kind of random fluke. So, I use a minimal reload approach. After about five reloads or so, I start to feel like it's a failed game, and wanting to start over.
If I were aiming at a pure no-reload, I would fix a crash bug and continue without counting that against my no-reload status.
The hard core players whose runs I've followed in the Bioware forums even count crashes, though. They are total purists, where needing to load a save for any reason other than leaving the game for real life and coming back later means the run is over. "No-reload" is taken as literally what it says on the tin.
Perhaps "no-replay" would be a better and clearer phrase, but "no-reload" is the commonly accepted vernacular for the idea, so there's no changing it now.
If you want your run to be accepted without question or challenge by the community of people who do no-reloads, you can't replay a scenario or a level-up or anything else in the game for any reason. Their goal is to do a perfect, absolutely unblemished run.
The hard core players whose runs I've followed in the Bioware forums even count crashes, though. They are total purists, where needing to load a save for any reason other than leaving the game for real life and coming back later means the run is over. "No-reload" is taken as literally what it says on the tin.
This is the level of purist AND insanity. How do you protect against crashes? While It happens rarely, it does randomly happen. In my attempts for a solo no reload (which I have yet succeeded), at least one crash happen in about half of the attempts. I
- I lower the difficulty to get max hp, not for scrolls (i use potions to reach 100% learning chance) - I make a save after candlekeep and restart from that in BG1 - if i die in BG2, i restart at the beginning of BG2 - if i die on the circus werewolf bug, i reload - Sometimes, i know how to handle a fight safely but i want to try something different. I that fails, i reload and do the safe method. - if i die on a maze trap, i reload ( i know where they are now however) - Generally speaking, if i have a thief with 100% find traps, i reload if i die from a trap. I don't like the find traps mechanism and how slow it is. - if the game crashes, i reload
No-reload is supposed to make the game more exciting. The problem is that, when you "master" it, it removes all excitement from the game since you know how to handle every main part with no risk : - you know every trap - you know every casting sequence of major caster fights - you know the easiest path to take through the game
At the end of the day, you only die in minor encounters because i am not careful enough. All the climatic fights end up being very easy.
I wish i could play modded game to renew the challenge
I think reloading for crashes or serious bugs and glitches is perfectly acceptable in no reload. The point is to play through without dying, so as to build tension and suspense and force you to play carefully and put a lot of thought into the game. I don´t see how abandoning a good run because of a glitch or bug or a crash adds to this effect.
As to hit-points, I generally set the difficulty slider to normal before leveling up the first few levels for charname, then let the dice decide after that (so I get max hit points on charname for levels 1, 2, and 3, then random hit points after that). This tends to leave charname with above average hit points by level 9, but not outrageously above average. For NPCs, I now give them max hit points for level 2 and then let the dice decide after that (though I just started doing this after I had very bad hit-point rolls for a number of NPCs consecutively).
I've found it interesting that when I accept the HP level-up results in a no-reload game, it had no real effect on the game versus full HP. No characters died because of it. The damage and amount of healing required is the same. It's all psychological, really. 99 times out of 100 the character isn't going to die because they didn't have the fullest possible amount of HP.
I've found it interesting that when I accept the HP level-up results in a no-reload game, it had no real effect on the game versus full HP. No characters died because of it. The damage and amount of healing required is the same. It's all psychological, really. 99 times out of 100 the character isn't going to die because they didn't have the fullest possible amount of HP.
Yeah, I agree. Most times one dies because of carelessness or a status effect- hold, fear, confusion, petrification, and so forth. The hit points are rarely important.
I was going to try my very first no-reload game, but then I tried something stupid and my character got killed. On Day 3.
Think maybe I'll go for a "low-reload" game instead, and keep a list of how many times I die. Then maybe that number will be the one to beat next time. It's already an interesting challenge, because I've played this game a million times and now, suddenly, I'm paying attention to what I'm doing and trying to strategize.
I was going to try my very first no-reload game, but then I tried something stupid and my character got killed. On Day 3.
Think maybe I'll go for a "low-reload" game instead, and keep a list of how many times I die. Then maybe that number will be the one to beat next time. It's already an interesting challenge, because I've played this game a million times and now, suddenly, I'm paying attention to what I'm doing and trying to strategize.
Day 3 is pretty good - I've had numerous games end earlier than that! ;-)
Comments
I always set a "restart point" for BG1 characters when Imoen offers to join you but rarely use it - I am more likely to roll a new character or just abandon the no-reload concept in favor of minimal reload where I only reload at PC death - however I will not reload very often before abandoning the game altogether - I don't set a number for this but I would rarely have as many as a half-dozen reloads before moving on to a new campaign.
I used to set a "restart point" for BG2runs I might like to do over but now I just use the first save after using dungeon b gone to get to Waukeen.
If I were aiming at a pure no-reload, I would fix a crash bug and continue without counting that against my no-reload status.
The hard core players whose runs I've followed in the Bioware forums even count crashes, though. They are total purists, where needing to load a save for any reason other than leaving the game for real life and coming back later means the run is over. "No-reload" is taken as literally what it says on the tin.
Perhaps "no-replay" would be a better and clearer phrase, but "no-reload" is the commonly accepted vernacular for the idea, so there's no changing it now.
If you want your run to be accepted without question or challenge by the community of people who do no-reloads, you can't replay a scenario or a level-up or anything else in the game for any reason. Their goal is to do a perfect, absolutely unblemished run.
- I make a save after candlekeep and restart from that in BG1
- if i die in BG2, i restart at the beginning of BG2
- if i die on the circus werewolf bug, i reload
- Sometimes, i know how to handle a fight safely but i want to try something different. I that fails, i reload and do the safe method.
- if i die on a maze trap, i reload ( i know where they are now however)
- Generally speaking, if i have a thief with 100% find traps, i reload if i die from a trap. I don't like the find traps mechanism and how slow it is.
- if the game crashes, i reload
- you know every trap
- you know every casting sequence of major caster fights
- you know the easiest path to take through the game
At the end of the day, you only die in minor encounters because i am not careful enough. All the climatic fights end up being very easy.
I wish i could play modded game to renew the challenge
As to hit-points, I generally set the difficulty slider to normal before leveling up the first few levels for charname, then let the dice decide after that (so I get max hit points on charname for levels 1, 2, and 3, then random hit points after that). This tends to leave charname with above average hit points by level 9, but not outrageously above average. For NPCs, I now give them max hit points for level 2 and then let the dice decide after that (though I just started doing this after I had very bad hit-point rolls for a number of NPCs consecutively).
Think maybe I'll go for a "low-reload" game instead, and keep a list of how many times I die. Then maybe that number will be the one to beat next time. It's already an interesting challenge, because I've played this game a million times and now, suddenly, I'm paying attention to what I'm doing and trying to strategize.
Day 3 is pretty good - I've had numerous games end earlier than that! ;-)