Baldurs gate - how should I start.

[centrifuge]

Jamski, I went to see if they had another copy of PS:T, unfortunately they didn't. I could ship you a copy of Mahjong classics V , however

Some good news, I finally picked up NWN, it's the gold edition and includes SOU I'm not going to start it until I finish Soulbringer and PS:T, however.

[Jamski]

Some good news, I finally picked up NWN, it's the gold edition and includes SOU

Excellent. Now simply NEVER PLAY the module that comes with the game (well, maybe do the prologue to learn the controls)

There's about 10,000 other modules to download, and at least 1,000 of those are WAY better than the original campaign. (Actually the OC isn't soooo terrible, unless you compare it with BG - its just unimaginative, but cleanly made)

-Jam

[Jon Miller]

just started BG2 with a freind of mine

am playing a human wild mage

when can I Dual Class?

when should I dual class?

Jon Miller

[Jamski]

am playing a human wild mage

Whoops.

when can I Dual Class?

I don't think Wild Mages can. Not sure, noone ever plays them.

when should I dual class?

As any mage character - never.

If you MUST have a dual class mage, then start as a fighter(or kit), thief or cleric. That's how to dual class a mage.

-Jam

[Jon Miller]

yah

I know

but I wanted to play a wild mage

I actually looked it up

they can't dual class

jsut like the barbarrian, paladin, ranger, ect

can a monk dual class? it seems like they would be cool to dual arround level 20 (to like a mage)

jon miller

[Marid Audran]

This Baldur's Gate journeyman log has gotten out of control. 380 posts and not buried yet! A testiment to the strength of this enduring IE game.

To celebrate, I even replayed my old copy and recently happened upon Baldur's Gate. After a profitable sortie at the Silvershield estate, and summary decompressing at the Elfsong Tavern, I've finally aquired the party feng shui I've labored long to achieve:

Nanami (Female Elf Diviner)
Shar-Teel
Yeslick
Kivan
Eldoth Kron
Skie

A motley crew if there ever was one. They can't decide on what ale to drink, let alone what ethos to persue. Bliss.

Originally posted by Jamski


True. IWD2 has the best game engine of the IE games too.


Its not about the story - its just hack'n'slash. IWD was the response to complaints that BG1 was too freeform, only let you make once character and didn't have enough combat.

-Jam

I was pretty hostile towards IWD1 when I first played and completed it. It seemed very much to be Diablo for the AD&D set, and the lack of civilization and human interaction was a major grievance with me.

I warmed a little more to it upon replays because I adopted a different attitude (unique party compositions and experiments with soloing/duets). The way I capsule-ize it:

Pros: Gorgeous artwork, spell animation. music, (superior to both BG1 and BG2 IMO), fearsome beastiary, and first IE game that allowed us to relish high-level PCs. Some nice provisions were made for bards and climate-appropriate touches for druids. Adventuring locales have a nostalgic, "classicist" feeling to them harboring back from yet olde AD&D days. The first time I saw a drow my heart lept up in my throat.

Cons: Total linearity; little practical replayability. Ultimately a pretty, but shallow dungeon-crawl. The amount of combat is enervating; character interaction is minimal. Dungeons are sadistic with the amount and placement of traps. Mage scrolls are a tad scarce (one fireball scroll in the entire game!!). Because your party is custom-tailored I wasn't particularly attached to them. Packaged soundsets were quite dull and had none of the personality of BG1 joinable NPCs. Players spoiled by BG2 party banters can just forget it.

Addendum: This is a personal quibble, but I thought it was the totally wrong design decision to pit a low-level party in the Vale of Shadows. Raiding tombs isn't fun when the hordes of undead are resistant to most of the useful low-level spells, slashing/piercing weapons, and your cleric is too inexperienced to "turn" skillfully.

Icewind Dale 2 has superior mechanics with the 3E D&D rules and better writing, but the combat fatigue was still a major problem for me (even earlier than in the first game). By the time I cleared the ice palace (with the help of a walkthrough because it was getting painful) I was about ready to quit! The game picked up a bit from Chapter 3 onwards but in role-playing spirit doesn't have anything on Baldur's Gate, Planescape: Torment, Fallout, or Arcanum. Icewind Dale feels more like work than play compared to other IE games.

[Drogue]

Wow, since I showed BGII to my girlfriend, she's gone and bidded on eBay for a copy And there was me thinking she was already perfect

[NeOmega]

I quit playing Icewind Dale. I have really no desire to play it right now. The battling was fun, but it felt like I kept asking "Why am I doing this? To get cool stuff?" I miss the personality of party members. I especially miss the party member specific quests ala BG II, most of all I miss lots of stores, magic shops, and blacksmiths. I have tons of cash, and nothing useful to spend it on.

I needed to get working on my mod anyways. Perhaps in a year I'll pick up planescape, or Fallout.... but my friend just got FF XI online, and it looks like alot of fun.....

[lord of the mark]

ok, my level 6 party has been in BG city a while now.
we've explored from the east to the northwest, across the upper city, and now the harbor - havent entered the southwest, or the estate in the NW corner (is that silvershield?) Had fights in a couple of taverns, including a really tough ogre, ventured briefly with success into the sewers. Minsc got petrified in the warehouse, we're coming back to him with stone to flesh scroll. Plan to use a knock spell to get the item at the tavern on the boat. We have lots of gold (about 10000) and have bought lots of magic arrows and bullets, and a few spells, and healing potions.

[Drogue]

Sounds good Yes that is Entar Silvershields estate. All parts of Baldur's Gate seem to have something interesting in them. Make sure you look everywhere.

[Jamski]

can a monk dual class? it seems like they would be cool to dual arround level 20 (to like a mage)

Nope

Drogue - Your girlfriend is unbelievable. I can only get Mrs Jamski to play Nethack, and that's it.

-Jam

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Drogue
Sounds good Yes that is Entar Silvershields estate. All parts of Baldur's Gate seem to have something interesting in them. Make sure you look everywhere.

does the sequence matter much - are there some side quests i should do first?

[Drogue]

The Entar Silvershield quest. Short answer, yes, but do the side quests first. There are many side quests. I'm can't remember how many are actually essential to the game, but there is a lot of fun to be had in the city

[Drogue]

Originally posted by Jamski
Drogue - Your girlfriend is unbelievable. I can only get Mrs Jamski to play Nethack, and that's it.

I showed the the flirt pack I got ages ago (very cute dialog between romance and PC that you can initiate), and she liked that, but the other day I was chatting and she just mentioned she was trying to buy it. She thought it sounded like fun

And Monks dual classing would be sillily easy. A Kensai/Mage is almost too good, a Monk to a mage would be silly. However Monks get much better with levels, Kensai's don't to the same extent.

[Jamski]

The flirt pack is REQUIRED IMHO for BG2.

I love some of the converations between the NPCs.

Actually, reading this thread today makes me want to start a new game... Hmmm, perhaps as an Assassin, with Airie as my only partner? Or as a Cleric/Thief with Edwin? Hmmm... suggestions welcome.

-Jam