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[SPOILERS] Your favourite Stronghold?

ButtercheeseButtercheese Member Posts: 3,766
Hello everybody ~

This is a shameless rip-off from @stkaye three year old poll, which has been closed by now.
You can still find it here.

What is your favourite stronghold?
Which is your least favourite?
What is your opinion on the strongholds in general?
How many kobolds does it take to change a light bulb?

  1. [SPOILERS] Your favourite Stronghold?75 votes
    1. BARD - We call it "The Scottish Play" here. Calling it MacBeth brings bad lu..... oops.
      14.67%
    2. CLERIC - Excuse me Sir, do you have a moment to talk about [insert deity here]?
        5.33%
    3. DRUID/ SHAMAN - Trololo lo lolo lo lo oh oh oh ~
        2.67%
    4. FIGHTER/ BLACKGUARD/ MONK - Thank you [Charname], but Nalia is in another castle! (No, she's not.)
      34.67%
    5. MAGE/ SORCERER - What can change the nature of a mage?
      14.67%
    6. PALADIN - Fus Roh Daaaaamn, I already killed Firkraag earlier!
        6.67%
    7. RANGER - The bustle of the forest makes you feel insgnificant? Well, too bad!
        6.67%
    8. THIEF - Mae Var, more like Mae Very well be sleepin' with the fishes.
        8.00%
    9. Fourteen. Two standing on the shoulders of each other and twelve getting slaughtered by low-level adventurers.
        6.67%
Troodon80JuliusBorisovSmilingSworddunbarjackjackmf2112Aerakar
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Comments

  • Troodon80Troodon80 Member, Developer Posts: 4,110
    What is your favourite stronghold?
    That's actually a somewhat difficult question for me. I'm conflicted. For me, it's going to be Paladin, Mage, Thief, or Fighter. There's no particular order of preference. I'll pick Mage purely based on the quests leading up to and after getting the stronghold. Plus, it's one of the few things that sheds light on Valygar's history and makes him somewhat interesting.

    Which is your least favourite?
    One of the reasons why I'm conflicted—I'd say Druid Grove. However, the time limit on the thief guild money collection, and the time it takes to get the Brynnlaw and back to Athkatla can often leave me without a guildhall when I get back. Still, going to go with Druid Grove for the level ~14 requirement in order to progress.

    What is your opinion on the strongholds in general?
    Great diversion, but I really wish they could be upgraded / maintained. For the fighter stronghold, it could potentially be upgraded similar to Crossroad Keep (or Caed Nua in Pillars of Eternity), unlock more rooms. So much more could have been done within the confines of the Infinity Engine, though the time to do something like that would be tremendous.

    How many kobolds does it take to change a light bulb?
    Nine down.
    JuliusBorisovdunbar
  • ButtercheeseButtercheese Member Posts: 3,766
    I can't decide which is my favourite, but my least favourite is the Druid stronghold.
    It's by far the shortest and it starts way too late in the game! Bloody rip-off ...
    Troodon80JuliusBorisovmf2112
  • SmilingSwordSmilingSword Member Posts: 827
    I chose Mage even though I really of like ranger and thief, the only problem with those two is that they are far too needy and I always go adventuring and forget about them. Leaving my guild bankrupt and the umberhills kinda sorta invaded.

    I do like the multi stronghold mod. Giving all my NPCs strongholds seems like the right thing to do.
    Buttercheese
  • dunbardunbar Member Posts: 1,603
    Actually I thought it would be an infinite number as none of them can stand still for long enough or jump high enough to reach the fitting.

    As for strongholds, I've only ever had the fighter, mage and thief ones and they've all been well.....underwhelming. "Stronghold" sounds so impressive but at the end of day/game it doesn't really make any tangible difference whether you have a stronghold or not.
    Buttercheeselolien
  • SirBatinceSirBatince Member Posts: 882
    I love the concept but they all feel terribly short and lackluster.

    I guess id go with the keep since its free XP and a personal shop.
    Buttercheese
  • jackjackjackjack Member Posts: 3,251
    I don't mind pouring gold into the playhouse, since I'm positively swimming in it by the time I start the stronghold quest. I find the Bard one the most fun, but I am heavily biased as I spend much of my time in theaters when not playing the game.
    I hate hate hate the Thief stronghold.
    Buttercheesemf2112
  • Abi_DalzimAbi_Dalzim Member Posts: 1,428
    Favorite Stronghold is the Bard one because I feel like it's the most involved, if that makes any sense. The only competition is the Fighter one, really.

    Least favorite is probably the mage one, because it feels so unfinished. Most of it is teaching those kids...but they basically teach themselves, and Teos admits that it's a time-waster for you. So why did the Wizards approach you, then? It's just needlessly cryptic and the final bit with Argrim just wasn't a satisfactory wrap-up.

    Strongholds in general: They're very much an old-fashioned D&D thing, where you'd be expected to retire at level 12 or something and start a business or the like. Bentley Mirrorshade is the archetype made manifest in the games, I think, settling down in a dungeon he cleared out. But I dunno, most of them don't have the same feel, only the Keep really matches that, but even then, it still doesn't have finality because, you know, Throne of Bhaal.

    Kobolds: One. My Dragonwrought Kobold Sorcerer casts Continual Flame, then levitates the bulb into place. Good enough.
    Buttercheeselolien
  • ButtercheeseButtercheese Member Posts: 3,766
    Okay, but in all seriousness though, the Bard Stronghold is spot on. I worked in theater for two years, the depiction of theater life is on the point, which is why it's one of my favourites. Aside from the really big, town run theaters, most theaters are usually scraping for every coin. There is no money to be made in this business. From what I have personally seen, half the time it's even metaphorical money burning (so many canned costume and stage prototypes ... and so much time wasted working on those :'I )

    However, I am also a really lazy person. So the part where I actually, literally have to memorize the lines to the play is a very nice touch, but of course I used a walkthrough.

    Though, that was years ago when I played that, so I might not remembering that one correctly.
    jackjackdotsTroodon80lolien
  • dotsdots Member Posts: 37
    The bard stronghold is the most fun by a sizable margin, in my opinion. It's a refreshing change from all the hack-n-slash. Thieves are my favorite class, but they get the worst stronghold. It's painfully boring and you have drop everything once a week to trot back to the guildhall to deal with your dues because an autopay program is too complicated for the Shadow Thieves I guess. >:/

    All the strongholds are bit dull once the novelty wears off, though. They don't fit well in the overarching plot, and don't contribute enough in the way of content to make multiple runs just for them worthwhile. I see them as a wasted opportunity more than anything.
    ButtercheeseAbi_Dalzim
  • Lord_TansheronLord_Tansheron Member Posts: 4,211
    Always liked the Druid one best, because you actually DO something there, instead of just having dialog choices.

    Paladin close second, especially because of the very nicely done protect-the-girl quest.

    Least interesting is Thief for sure. It was a colossal disappointment.

    Kobolds don't change lightbulbs, they have candles. Don't you know anything.
    Buttercheeselolien
  • GenderNihilismGirdleGenderNihilismGirdle Member Posts: 1,353
    edited May 2016
    What is your favourite stronghold?
    The mage one is definitely the most useful, but I really like the Cleric ones solely because the very first time I played through BG2 with a Cleric I was using the Priest of Lathander kit so it felt so natural. Nostalgia factor makes it my favourite choice, in other words, since almost every other time I play a Cleric it's one with a custom background talking about which FR deity I follow that I can't hope to get a specific stronghold for lmao...mage takes a strong second place, it's just so much more useful and interesting I almost want to pick it instead...but Lathander playthrough nostalgia wins!
    Which is your least favourite?
    Probably the Druid Stronghold, although I still want Shamans to get access to it since it seems unreasonable to ask for their own unique stronghold (although tbh that's what I'd prefer for Shamans to get if they do a BG2EE expansion, a new area with new quests and a new stronghold for the new class they introduced)
    What is your opinion on the strongholds in general?
    They need to be more involved. Haven't played PoE yet, but from what I know of how that stronghold works that's how I'd want them to work, customized to each class. Which would have been A LOT of dev time, especially in those days, to get anything even close to that up and running in the game. But that's my dream, to one day play a top down isometric game with choices of different strongholds all as deep or deeper than the PoE one. Might not happen until the 2020s, but I can wait.
    How many kobolds does it take to change a light bulb?
    Two, a blue-scale to invent electricity and spark an industrial revolution before all the arrogant races who think kobolds fit for slaughter even manage to hit a Renaissance equivalent, and a bored red-scale nestmate on a break from resetting electrifying traps in every passage leading to the nest and clearing out charred adventurer bodies to screw in the bulb.
    ButtercheeseSkatanlolienSharGuidesMyHand
  • DevardKrownDevardKrown Member Posts: 421
    edited May 2016
    What is your favourite stronghold?
    Fighter/Mage , who doesn't want to be a Castle Owner with his own lands...or have a bloody TARDIS

    Which is your least favourite?
    Thief. while not a bad story the fact you have to run back there every week is just a chore ..and for that ? gold ? im swimming in that stuff..

    What is your opinion on the strongholds in general?
    i like them in general , but things like that clerics are forced to one of 3 Deity's in a world that has HUNDREDS of higher and lesser deity's , not to mention demigods and mystical creatures that been worship't is meh...

    How many kobolds does it take to change a light bulb?
    answer from a generic Kobold: L..ligh..t.....bul ?....YOU NO TAKE CANDLE ! *pick axe strike !*
    jackjackButtercheese
  • GodGod Member Posts: 1,150
    What is your favourite stronghold?
    The Hand of Seldarine. Spellhold comes close second. If neither is available, one might want to notice that the pocket plane has some potential in this department - especially if you have Jan Jansen handle the gardening.

    Which is your least favourite?
    I shouldn't be spoiling BG3 content just yet.

    What is your opinion on the strongholds in general?
    Both favourable and unfavourable.

    How many kobolds does it take to change a light bulb?
    It's the light bulb that changes kobolds.
    That's Athkatla Sewers 101.
    ButtercheeseAbi_Dalzimjackjacklolien
  • CalmarCalmar Member Posts: 688
    MAH OWN CASTEL !!1!
    Buttercheese
  • MacHurtoMacHurto Member Posts: 731
    I wonder now. If Nalia is killed during the quest: Do you still get the stronghold?
    Buttercheese
  • MacHurtoMacHurto Member Posts: 731
    Aedan said:

    @MacHurto
    A man (I do not remember his name) asks you to bring her back to life. Until then, you cannot get the stronghold.


    What if she permadies/is kicked from the party? It breaks?
    Buttercheese
  • mf2112mf2112 Member, Moderator Posts: 1,919
    Favorite is the sphere, cause it is the coolest one.
    Paladin is worst. A room? smh
    Couldn't live without a home.
    Light ...blubs??
    Buttercheeselolien
  • AedanAedan Member, Translator (NDA) Posts: 8,550
    Permadeth: I do not know what happens in this case
    Out of the party: she comes back after the fight with Torgal
    ButtercheeseJustLeftGenderNihilismGirdle
  • ArthasArthas Member Posts: 1,091
    Do you get notifications from stronghold in bg2, when something is happening there?
  • ZaxaresZaxares Member Posts: 1,325
    Arthas wrote: »
    Do you get notifications from stronghold in bg2, when something is happening there?

    Depends on the stronghold, and also on specific quests/phases. In general, yes, an NPC will show up to give you word that you're needed back at your stronghold, but depending on circumstances, the NPC might be easily missed. (The Ranger stronghold is kinda notorious for this because several of the associated quests will fail if you do not return in time and you wind up losing the stronghold.)

    Back to the original question though, I think the Planar Sphere is my favourite (although the after-acquisition quests feel quite short and not terribly rewarding), with the de'Arnise Keep and the Five Flagons as close seconds. I enjoyed the Thief stronghold's mechanics the most, although I found it quite annoying to have to keep going back to pay the guild dues. Wish there was a way you could just instruct the NPC to "take it from the guild coffers" or something similar.
    Arthas
  • ilduderinoilduderino Member Posts: 773
    edited July 2019
    I don’t think any of them are very good but the fighter one is my favourite and I feel guilty to Nalia if we can’t keep the keep.

    I loathe the paladin one, on a no reload play through the subject of the protection mission got chunked and I was evicted, have never played it since, as several LG NPCs are linked to the order this seems a role playing disaster.
  • MaurvirMaurvir Member Posts: 1,090
    edited July 2019
    I probably like the Fighter and Paladin quests the most, but the actual Fighter stronghold (De'Arnise keep) the absolute best. While I enjoyed the quests themselves, the planar sphere and theater were kind of a disappointment.

    Seriously, the keep is awesome - it even comes with its own cleric. I never play a fighter, but I always console my way into that place.
  • DhariusDharius Member Posts: 654
    Favourite: Mage (surreal and you can make some interesting things), closely followed by De’Arnise Keep (Nalia is cool and the concept is good)

    Worst: Thief (not as interesting as it could be and IIRC you miss out on the Short Sword +3 as a reward for dealing with Mae’Var, which doesn’t make sense to me)

    In general: they’re a good idea, and are important to the history of D&D for high (name) level characters.
    Aerakar
  • ElysianEchoesElysianEchoes Member Posts: 475
    Favorite: Vigil's Keep.

    It's not from BG, but it's supposedly from BG's spiritual successor, and the stronghold I've most enjoyed among BG2/NWN2/NWN:DoD/DA:O/PoE
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