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Which Play Styles Have No Content In Baldur's Gate? *Video*

WithinAmnesiaWithinAmnesia Member Posts: 958
edited May 2015 in Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition
I watched this video about Utility and Balance by Joshua Sawyer (The guy who works on Pillars of Eternity):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGv_-a8GBhY
Then it got me really thinking..
Question: What character play-style options (available to a player when creating their character) do NOT have a lot of depth and or reward for choosing said option(s) represented in Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition's setting from start to finish?

TL;DR/Watch Video Version: What Race-Classes Combinations/Features have realistically No Specialized Content and Rewards throughout Baldur's Gate? (e.g. Ranger with Carrion Crawler Racial Enemy or High Stealth-Low Strength Characters>.>)

*Planning to make Mods for Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition*
Post edited by WithinAmnesia on

Comments

  • JarrakulJarrakul Member Posts: 2,029
    High Intelligence and Wisdom characters who aren't spellcasters of the corresponding type. Same for Charisma to a slightly lesser extent.

    Evil characters who aren't planning to axe-murder everyone they can.
  • WithinAmnesiaWithinAmnesia Member Posts: 958
    edited May 2015
    What would you like to see @Jarrakul (Or anyone else) with expanded content for High Non-Class Dependent Intellect/Wisdom/Charisma Play Styles? Also what would you like to see expanded in the Original Baldur's Gate for 'Evil Scheme Plotting' / Evil Combat Alternatives? Evil-Only Item quests? Kill the village with a plague blame it on the new wizard who moved in? Take over a evil castle by dastardly 'stealing' the land deed from a goodie-two-shoes? More 'walking in the garden' type game play for the Evil Characters?
  • VallmyrVallmyr Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 2,459
    As a person of whom charisma is their favorite stat, in BG it would seem investing in 18 Charisma isn't that efficient. >_>

    Like it really isn't a wise choice at all because of the ring in BG2:EE
    :(
  • WithinAmnesiaWithinAmnesia Member Posts: 958
    Well I am just focusing on the Original Baldur's Gate and what encounters it brings to the party, but I get your point, it is like the developers in Baldur's Gate and in Baldur's Gate II just anti-handicapped the players with no big downsides to low charisma and just gave a cop out answer in Baldur's Gate II in the form of that Charisma ring and that rose sword all of the other +Charisma Items :-/. Maybe I should work in lot of Charisma check heavy encounters that where the only super optimal outcome can ONLY be from a high Charisma score and then maybe have a super hard encounter with a boss like a lonely dragon that rewards a high Charisma with unique rewards and have an option for Charismatic players to avoid the fight entirely. Then have a non-combat option for Charismatic bards to perform for the dragon and have a dispel magic trap before the encounter so no 'friends spell cheating'; how about that?
  • VallmyrVallmyr Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 2,459
    WithinAmnesia said:

    Well I am just focusing on the Original Baldur's Gate and what encounters it brings to the party, but I get your point, it is like the developers in Baldur's Gate and in Baldur's Gate II just anti-handicapped the players with no big downsides to low charisma and just gave a cop out answer in Baldur's Gate II in the form of that Charisma ring and that rose sword all of the other +Charisma Items :-/. Maybe I should work in lot of Charisma check heavy encounters that where the only super optimal outcome can ONLY be from a high Charisma score and then maybe have a super hard encounter with a boss like a lonely dragon that rewards a high Charisma with unique rewards and have an option for Charismatic players to avoid the fight entirely. Then have a non-combat option for Charismatic bards to perform for the dragon and have a dispel magic trap before the encounter so no 'friends spell cheating'; how about that?

    That sounds super legit n_n

    I guess after watching the video I was thinking about his sort of "fake vs real options" for characters and thought how Charisma is a definite "psshtt, why in a million years would I take high, or even average, Charisma?"
  • JarrakulJarrakul Member Posts: 2,029
    Yeah, in general, I think content that ties mental stats to unique options, outcomes, or rewards is the best bet for those. Planescape: Torment did a pretty good job of this, where mental stats added a ton of extra dialog options and some of them (but not all) led to better rewards.

    As for evil content, I'd honestly just like to be subtle, manipulative options presented. Not necessarily entirely new evil-specific content, but content with definite evil paths. For example, let's say the party needs to win a tournament. For whatever reason. Now, obviously, any character of any alignment can just fight in the tournament and win. But an evil character might be able to cheat, poisoning or blackmailing the other combatants before fights to gain an edge. Maybe you could gain the trust of another combatant, and then use that trust to frame them for your own misdeeds. That sort of thing.
  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    I don't think you should think in terms of good and evil options. That is exactly the kind of thinking that leads to the problem BG has.
  • WithinAmnesiaWithinAmnesia Member Posts: 958
    edited May 2015
    Okay so subtle low key 'evil' [efficient] options with new character interactions that are 'in the same ball park' as a certain low fantasy T.V. series' 'walks in the garden'? (" ͡° ' ͜ʖ ͡° ')
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