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Least Effective Parties and Most Effective Parties.

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  • jjstraka34jjstraka34 Member Posts: 9,850
    None of them are THAT bad....some are more effective than others, but there isn't one NPC I would refuse to take because of stats. As for the kits, even the two weakest ones (Wizard Slayer and Shapeshifter) can be made quite respectable with some nice, subtle mods that don't tweak things all that much. Now granted, a Cavalier is probably going to be more effective than a Undead Hunter, and a Blackguard better than both, but I would imagine you can only "power-game" in BG so much before you lose your mind a little bit. The replay value comes from the fact that you can have nearly endless combos of NPCs to attempt to run through a game with, even more if you throw in mods. So yeah, Garrick may not have eye-busting stats like Edwin or Dorn, but that doesn't mean his value to the game as a whole is any less. There are MANY ways to play this game. Some people roll the dice once on character creation, some hit that button a hundred times til they roll 18/50 strength or higher. Some people do hardcore runs, others might spend a entire night trying to figure out how to defeat a group of enemies. It's all valid.
    ZaramMaldovarJLee
  • ZaramMaldovarZaramMaldovar Member Posts: 2,309

    elminster said:

    Snip

    No Insect Plague in Vanilla BG1 only makes this a better point, I suppose.

    That said, Level 5 spells are so late into BG1 (especially for a full party) that I don't get why people put much consideration into them when forming a party.

    I can't remember. I know there are some scrolls. But I don't you reach Level 9 (the level required for Level 5 spells) in Vanilla BG1, and you barely do so in TOTSC, Tutu, or EE.
  • ZaramMaldovarZaramMaldovar Member Posts: 2,309

    None of them are THAT bad....some are more effective than others, but there isn't one NPC I would refuse to take because of stats. As for the kits, even the two weakest ones (Wizard Slayer and Shapeshifter) can be made quite respectable with some nice, subtle mods that don't tweak things all that much. Now granted, a Cavalier is probably going to be more effective than a Undead Hunter, and a Blackguard better than both, but I would imagine you can only "power-game" in BG so much before you lose your mind a little bit. The replay value comes from the fact that you can have nearly endless combos of NPCs to attempt to run through a game with, even more if you throw in mods. So yeah, Garrick may not have eye-busting stats like Edwin or Dorn, but that doesn't mean his value to the game as a whole is any less. There are MANY ways to play this game. Some people roll the dice once on character creation, some hit that button a hundred times til they roll 18/50 strength or higher. Some people do hardcore runs, others might spend a entire night trying to figure out how to defeat a group of enemies. It's all valid.

    Well said sir, Very well said. Bravo
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,315


    I can't remember. I know there are some scrolls. But I don't you reach Level 9 (the level required for Level 5 spells) in Vanilla BG1, and you barely do so in TOTSC, Tutu, or EE.

    To be fair you just specified vanilla (which at this point could mean either with TOTSC or without it). You didn't say no-TOTSC. If we're talking no TOTSC as well then you should change your initial post because that also changes things like item accessibility.

    In terms of accessing level 5 spells since you have access to areas that grant you additional experience its not that difficult to get to the point where you can cast them (90,000 xp for druids and 135,000 xp for mages).
  • jjstraka34jjstraka34 Member Posts: 9,850
    Honestly, one of the things I like most about the game is not only the powers your character has, but the limitations, which are often just as interesting. Take the Invoker. Most people scoff at it because it locks you out of a particularly powerful school of magic, one that deals in crowd control. I feel like this is precisely the reason (other than RP) that you would want to be an Invoker. Because it forces you to do something else.

    So often the conversation about NPCs will go "Why would I want Garrick or Skie, one is useless and the other comes far to late to do anything with"....and the reason is simply to see what you can accomplish with them.
    JLee
  • Abi_DalzimAbi_Dalzim Member Posts: 1,428

    Honestly, one of the things I like most about the game is not only the powers your character has, but the limitations, which are often just as interesting. Take the Invoker. Most people scoff at it because it locks you out of a particularly powerful school of magic, one that deals in crowd control. I feel like this is precisely the reason (other than RP) that you would want to be an Invoker. Because it forces you to do something else.

    So often the conversation about NPCs will go "Why would I want Garrick or Skie, one is useless and the other comes far to late to do anything with"....and the reason is simply to see what you can accomplish with them.

    Can't argue with that; I once did an Abjurer playthrough in BG2 just to force myself to find defensive tricks other than Stoneskin.
    CrevsDaak
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