New all purpose Baldurs Gate thread - Page 5

Drogue · February 10, 2004, 06:00

Quote:

Originally posted by Marid Audran
Heh heh...I agree with you obstructor, but at least that isn't as bad an the fan-made mod which includes "bonus merchants" for IWDII hocking items from the Baldur's Gate series. Valygar's family leather and katana, Jan Jansen's "adventurewear," Nalia's signet ring, etc. Besides the similar discontinuity in having them available and for use in the first place, the Icewind Dale series takes place before the generation from Baldur's Gate was even born!!

Buit then, so were those items. Valygar's armour and katana are family heirlooms, as is Nalia's signet ring, IIRC.

Jamski · February 10, 2004, 06:11

Quote:

And shouldn't slings add strength to damage bonus? If you can pull the sling back farther, it should hit harder...

Its speed, not power. Look at the hammer/javelin/discus-throwers in the Olympics, and compare with the weight lifters.

Quote:

Is this an add on? Sling of Everard? Where from in the CC, I've never seen this?

Either you don't have ToB, or you're not properly patched AND fixed.

-Jam

Drogue · February 10, 2004, 06:21

Quote:

Originally posted by Jamski
Either you don't have ToB, or you're not properly patched AND fixed.

Who do you get it from? Maybe I just haven't noticed them? I have ToB, so I may not be properly patched. Where's the best place to get the patches/fixes from, and which do i need?

I presume I have to uninstall Kelsey and Chloe, the Flirt and Banter packs and Dungeon-Be-Gone to install patches?

Jamski · February 10, 2004, 06:27

Yes. There's a reccommended install order :
Patch
Fixpack
Non-Weidu mods
Weidu mods.

Wait, I'll find you a link...

-Jam

Jamski · February 10, 2004, 06:29

Here

http://forums.interplay.com/viewtopic.php?t=27924

Or here as a link :
http://forums.interplay.com/viewtopic.php?t=27924

-Jam

Drogue · February 10, 2004, 06:42

Thanks

duke o' york · February 10, 2004, 07:02

I'll install the Jamski weirdo mod!

Didn't get a chance to play last night, and won't again this evening.

Do you think that I ought to start again or to press on with my elfy woman? I'm intrigued about the cow Drogue mentioned now, but obviously can't go back in this game. It won't take long to replay. Would it be worth it? I might do anyway, just so I can start with a character with a huge charisma.

I didn't realise the massive material benefits I could get (away with

) with a decent charisma stat, even though I think it tells you in the manual. Oops. Is 18 desirable, or could I get by with 15 or over?

Jamski · February 10, 2004, 07:10

Just get another party member with a good CHA to talk and shop.

An high charisma for the PC is a complete waste unless you are playing solo. Many of the NPCs have CHAs of 14+

-Jam

Drogue · February 10, 2004, 07:12

For charisma, I'd go for 18. I wouldn't be that bothered by replaying, high charisma isn't crucial, and the cow quest gives about 50 Exp. The elfy woman is probably a good starting character. Elves are good with bows and swords, so arming her like that seems sensible. Overall she'll prove a good character.

I've now finished the Keep in BGII and have been made Lord of the Manor. I've left Nalia now and gone and got Edwin, who despite my main character having 500,000 Exp, and Keldron over 900,000, he starts as a 200,000 Level 9. Armed with Staffspear+2 and with poisoned throwing daggers (he's not up in sling or dart

). Am about to finish the Thieves Stronghold and kill Mae'Var, before doing the Unseeing Eye quest, I think. Or I might do the Planar Prison first. Either way, the party's working well, my romance with Jaheira is going well, and I now have the Robe of Vecna, Giant Hair Crossbow (for Keldorn) and Girdle of Hill Giant Strength (also for Keldorn, maybe for Jaheira later if needs be)

Drogue · February 10, 2004, 07:15

Quote:

Originally posted by Jamski
Just get another party member with a good CHA to talk and shop.

An high charisma for the PC is a complete waste unless you are playing solo. Many of the NPCs have CHAs of 14+

I disagree. IIRC, there is no NPC with 18 CHA, and so you're missing out on +2 reaction. You can easily have a 18 Str, 18 Dex, 18 Cons and 18 Cha Ranger, and have low Int and Wis. Roleplaying you may want something different, but for playing the game, it seems pretty good.

However you do have a point, in that other characters do have 17, IIRC.

Jamski · February 10, 2004, 07:16

Oh Drogue - get the fixes before you play Mae'var. You know he's actually a high level mage, but he accidentally got given armour so he never casts any spells. Makes him less of a pansy when he's fixed.

With Keldorn I'd do the Unseeing Eye quest asap, so you can get the Gauntlets of DEX 18. He needs them. He really needs them. Crap DEX and no shield = minced regularly.

-Jam

Drogue · February 10, 2004, 07:22

Quote:

Originally posted by Jamski
Oh Drogue - get the fixes before you play Mae'var. You know he's actually a high level mage, but he accidentally got given armour so he never casts any spells. Makes him less of a pansy when he's fixed.

Point taken, will do

Quote:

Originally posted by Jamski
With Keldorn I'd do the Unseeing Eye quest asap, so you can get the Gauntlets of DEX 18. He needs them. He really needs them. Crap DEX and no shield = minced regularly.

I will get them, but his AC is still -1, so it's not too bad (Full Plate+1, Ring of Earth Elemental and Cloak of the Sewers). Jaheira's is -6, Korgan's -5 and main character's -2, IIRC. Edwin's is 6

BTW: Should I dual wield Korgan. Options are:
Have him dual wield the two +3 Axes (Frostbite and Stonefire) until he get's Crom Faeyr, and then one axe plus that. His AC is -2 without a shield, ATM.
Have him single wield one of the axes, and then Crom Faeyr. His AC is -5 with a shield, ATM.
With the former, he get's an extra attack with a decent weapon. With the latter he will have Fortress Shield at the end, which means his AC would be 4 better, and much better against missiles. However with him using Fortress Shield, Jaheira can't, and so she'd have to use a lesser shield, probably meaning she is 1 AC worse off. So, one extra attack for Korgan and 1 AC for Jaheira vs. 4 AC for Korgan. Which is better?

duke o' york · February 10, 2004, 07:32

When you say "buff", do you just mean ensure that your characters have the best kit for the coming adventure? Well, the most appropriate stuff. Like anti-undead stuff when going into the cemetary, etc?

Drogue · February 10, 2004, 07:39

By buff, I think he means spells like Bless, Chant, Draw Upon Holy Might, Strength, Haste, etc. Spells that you cast before a fight to make you more powerful.

And yes, before going into a cemetary of crypt, some undead spells/weapons/potions are particularly useful.

Jamski · February 10, 2004, 10:44

Drogue, -1 is a crappy AC. You want about -7 or better to make it worthwhile. Then most monsters need a natural 20 to hit you.

Korgan should put points in dual-wield and use it sometimes. What else should he put the points in? MORE axes?

Jaheria I like to make a dual-weilder, as she can buff herself into a force of awesome destruction. I put Belm +2 in the offhand, and one of the evil clubs in the main hand. Biter, or Blackblood.

Buffing...

Buffing is using spells, potions, items and special abilites to make your characters MUCH more powerful. If you don't buff, then you have no chance on the harder fights. Pre-buffing is doing all this BEFORE the fight (very reccommended) Use invisible characters to locate the foes and BUFF!

Protection from Evil, Mirror Image, Bless, Haste, Aid, Stoneskin - that's my basic minimum buffing at all times.

-Jam

lord of the mark · February 10, 2004, 10:48

Quote:

Originally posted by Marid Audran

Part of the charm, my friend. The ambience of Sigil is other-wordly...quite literally. No Tolkein-esque blandness here. The game picks up as soon as you spring yourself from the Mortuary and you're on Senior Collector Pharod's trail...

You might have gathered that I rather like Tolkien

I'll play through with this game, for its interactive novel aspects, and its promised ending. I'll try to let folks know how im doing, as i did for BG1.

lord of the mark · February 10, 2004, 10:51

Quote:

Originally posted by Jamski

.

You swine. $5. I paid a lot more than that, last week

It was practically worth the five bucks just for that reaction.

Jamski · February 10, 2004, 10:53

I found that it was nessessary to talk to every named character to proceed, if that helps.

Looking forward to the report, I played it for the first time last week, as did Dissident, so it would be good to compare notes

-Jam

duke o' york · February 10, 2004, 10:54

I'll try to let you know how my elfy (christened Mildred because the name has always amused my girlfriend) and Imoen get on on the road to the Friendly Arms and beyond, but bear in mind that my progress will be much slower than lotm managed.

(I'll just post more per actual game time though)

Jamski · February 10, 2004, 10:59

That's what we like to hear.

BTW, if you find BG goes to slowly, you can adjust the speed in the bgconfig.exe in the same folder as the main install.

-Jam

duke o' york · February 10, 2004, 11:06

I didn't mean that the game runs too slowly! I just menat that the duchess o' york (not that dreadful ginger woman

) is not as gracious with playing computer games all evening as Mrs Jamski seems to be.

Still, I can't play at all on either Tuesday or Thursday nights during night-school term anyway so it doesn't matter too much.

lord of the mark · February 10, 2004, 11:12

Quote:

Originally posted by Jamski
I found that it was nessessary to talk to every named character to proceed, if that helps.

Looking forward to the report, I played it for the first time last week, as did Dissident, so it would be good to compare notes

-Jam

Im gonna be on vacation in California for a week, so I'll be behind you when i get back.

Jamski · February 10, 2004, 11:42

Quote:

...not as gracious with playing computer games all evening as Mrs Jamski seems to be.

Mrs Jamski is at work all day, and can't stop me

-Jam

duke o' york · February 10, 2004, 12:02

Mmmm..... lucky Jamski.

I haven't had a day off work yet this year though...

Jamski · February 10, 2004, 12:32

Perhaps you could take a day off and play BG?

-Jam

Drogue · February 10, 2004, 12:57

Quote:

Originally posted by Jamski
Drogue, -1 is a crappy AC. You want about -7 or better to make it worthwhile. Then most monsters need a natural 20 to hit you.

Well, most still do at this stage

How do you get many to -7 though, without shields? Full plate, a ring of protection, a decent helm and a dex of 18 gets to about -5. Sure, I'll usually have one or two below that, but fighers with shields usually end on about -8, and without about -5 or 6. I can cope with a -1 until his dex goes up, since he's rarely the one in the firing line anyway, with my main character having blur, mirror image and stoneskin, Jaheira having a great AC and ironskins, and Korgan being -5 AC at the moment.

Quote:

Originally posted by Jamski
Korgan should put points in dual-wield and use it sometimes. What else should he put the points in? MORE axes?

Sword and shield? Either I make him 5 in axe, 2 in warhammer and 3 in dual; or 5 in axe, 2 in warhammer and 2 in sword and shielf style. Which is better? 4 AC (-9 extra vs missile IIRC) for him, or 1 AC for Jaheira and an extra attack.

Quote:

Originally posted by Jamski
Jaheria I like to make a dual-weilder, as she can buff herself into a force of awesome destruction. I put Belm +2 in the offhand, and one of the evil clubs in the main hand. Biter, or Blackblood.

I never liked the clubs, so I usually just give her belm. Also she never get's up enough in dual wield, since she starts with 0. I want her to be 2 in schimitar and so to get her to 3 in dual would be 4 more points. How many does a multi-classed fighter end with? Will she get another 4?

Since she already has 1 in sword and shield style, the next one goes to schimitar, and then the one after to sword and sheild, then she get's belm and a decent shield. I can't see trying to get her up in dual wield is really worth it, personally.

Illuminatus · February 10, 2004, 14:37

Quote:

Originally posted by Drogue

Buit then, so were those items. Valygar's armour and katana are family heirlooms, as is Nalia's signet ring, IIRC.

Well how could family heirlooms get there?
And I won`t even mention how would items get to FR from Sigil and Fortress of Regrets? BTW it seems tha PT is a bit parallel to BG2 story - at least two references were made at TNO during my gameplay of BG2.

lord of the mark · February 10, 2004, 14:43

Quote:

Originally posted by duke o' york
I'll try to let you know how my elfy (christened Mildred because the name has always amused my girlfriend) and Imoen get on on the road to the Friendly Arms and beyond, but bear in mind that my progress will be much slower than lotm managed.

(I'll just post more per actual game time though)

In fact it took me over two months real time (durational, not actual playing time) to get through BG - about 280 days of game time (i know, I rest alot) I seldom played more than an hour an evening, and sometimes didnt play at all on a given evening. (though there were occasions i played 2 or more hours at a shot) I daresay i played rather less intensively than say, Jamski

Dis · February 10, 2004, 15:39

Quote:

Originally posted by obstructor

Well how could family heirlooms get there?
And I won`t even mention how would items get to FR from Sigil and Fortress of Regrets? BTW it seems tha PT is a bit parallel to BG2 story - at least two references were made at TNO during my gameplay of BG2.

what references were those? Okay now I have to play BG2 again to find out

Illuminatus · February 10, 2004, 15:43

Quote:

Originally posted by Dissident

what references were those? Okay now I have to play BG2 again to find out

In one part of spellhold a woman gifted with extraplanar seing sees a walking corpse in front of pillar of skulls.
And it seems I have forgotten about the second one.
Will post as soon as I remember.