Sephie

Does story mode give enough experience to max level cap before the expansion? Can you change the difficulty later for when playing the expansion? Does the game end after defeating last boss of main game and you have to start a new game to play the expansion? Sorry for questions, but I didn't want to create a new thread about it, this seemed a bit appropriate. I voted for normal and none, I don't like games where difficulty depends on beind unfair, nor do I like easy that gives you an edge.

How I see it is BG+expansions=BG1 and BG2+expansions=BG2. Like Dragon Age Origins + expansions Mass Effect + expansions Icewind Dale + expansions Diablo 2 + expansion I don't think being standalone is enough for ToB to be considered a different game, it's not big enough, doesn't have enough backround, you get straight to buisness etc.

Why is it so incomprehensible to you that some people find the game just average, and other people find it terrible? Kind of like, oh let me just pick some random game out of thin air here... how about Baldur's Gate? Or Icewind Dale? Yeah, there are people that don't like some of the classics on which this game draws its inspiration. Is it really, honestly so hard to grasp that some people find flaws in this game - more than they feel can be fixed to make it a great game? What are those people doing in these forums ? Trolling ? The forums are for people who (more or less) like the game, care about its future, want to see improvements and discuss about all that. Even if you've paid 25 or more bucks to back the game, bitching in the forums will not get you anywhere or make you a better person. Oh give me a break! Customer feedback is what these forums are for unless they want to be totally useless. If that feedback is negative the problem lies with the game, not with the unsatisfied customers. Nonsense. There is a brand of toxic people whose entire purpose is to run things down. They hate every aspect of a game, they mock and attack anyone who likes it, and they flood boards with walls of negativity. Not all criticism is constructive or right. And whenever they're called on their approach they resort to some BS claim about how they're just trying to make the game better. The people who obviously hate this game so much want it to fail, they want to shut down anyone who disagrees with them, and the negative feedback can be nothing more than misguided sour grapes. This game is already a success, so you can't make it fail. What we want when we compare it to Baldur's Gate 2 is to make the devs notice and make the sequel more like it than not. It IS to make it better. BG2 is the best, it doesn't bring down PoE if it didn't manage to surpass it. But we can see the potential and that's why we try to make the sequel become the best. If we told them "wow great job, keep it up" all the time then the sequel would be one of the same.

God I wish people would go and play the game instead of making stuff up. The progression tables of BG2: ToB simply stop at level 20 except for adding a base amount of hit points according to AD&D rules (which they do starting at level 10, by the way) unless you patch them through some modification. Saving throws and THAC0 get frozen at 20. The difference between a level 20 and 40 character in terms of fighting power amounts to, at max, 60 hit points when being a fighter (obviously less for other classes) and whatever high level abilities you can get. The noticeable exception being spellcasters whose spells/day tables were designed to go beyond level 20. Sorry, what was your point again? And were more useful in the last battle than spellcasters.

It's better than all those you mentioned except DA:Origins. Those you mentioned exactly, as in BG not BG2, NWN not NWN2 etc. It's a good game and there's nothing like it out there that is not old, so if you like these games it's worth it. It will take a while for another such game to be released.

Let's be honest here, this isn't going to be some saga with 10 games following this one. 1 or 2 more games will be released, then they'll prefer to make another one with what they've learned. Thing is they already had something excellent to learn from and didn't do it. So much time lost.

I think BG2 and BG are better. I'd rather play PoE instead of BG due to the engine, but BG2 even with the older engine. They made a mistake by making this more PS:Torment and NWN2 and less BG2 in my opinion. BG2 should've been the base, all they had to do is make a BG2 and build on it. BG2 has better characters and interactions and has romances. BG2 has better mechanics and more depth. BG2 has better fights and it's universe is more interesting. BG2 is bigger and better overall. PoE -> New engine, new game, more writing (pointless, I don't need to read someone's expression when I can hear him). I really don't see anything else being better. I want to see PoE as BG though, the first and worse game that comes before the true masterpiece. A masterpiece that is going to be a BG2, not a PS:Torment or NWN2. PoE is a very good game, especially when there is nothing like it around. But a successor to BG2? No. PS:Torment maybe, NWN2 maybe, but this game is not a BG2, not even close. And I am not saying this to bring down PoE but that BG2 is so high up there that unfortunately PoE didn't manage to reach it. Hopefully PoE 2 will, as I don't see any other company even trying.

I hadn't killed him until I had a group of 6, and still the last fight was tough on normal. Level 6s I think. I cheesed the fight. The game is not supposed to be cleared in order I think, just move on to other areas until you get more levels and items and then revisit what you couldn't clear before. I couldn't even do that, they tagged at least one companion and killed him.

Right, forgot about the main character bonuses. Also might checks from the little I played are sometimes together with reputation loss, I don't like it. I don't think I'll miss much from dexterity and endurance either. Can chanters be tanks though? They don't seem like a tank class, they're basically bards. Quite easily. And you stated this discussion yourself, I wan't even replying to your post initially. As for OP's question I would go with a safer option, smth like Chanter + Fighter + Cipher + Druid + Wizard + Priest if you don't mind learning and using a lot of spells. Rangers/rogues do not contribute anything that vital in my experience for big parties. Priest can still shoot trash mobs just fine, but his spells are much more effective in big fights etc. Train the chanter or the cipher pick locks to be the "thief", both get mechanics 1 at start. I am not giving up the Ranger's pet! That thing makes fights so much easier, I just pull things where I want them and trigger fights on my own terms without risking characters dying. In Raedric's hold I used a pet to talk to him, the pet died, then pulled them few at a time where I wanted them.

Interesting. Of course my main character will be useless in combat besides buffs, but I'll benefit on everything else. Also the guy that suggested Paladins has a good point about them. All other classes will be better in combat, but they won't buff and/or won't have dialogue options. Funny how things change I am thinking now : Main->Chanter/Paladin, buff machines, off tanks, summoners and dialogues. Ranged dps -> Ranger + pet to cheese. Ranged or melee dps + caster -> Cipher. Caster -> Druid Healer -> Priest Tank -> Fighter or Paladin if I pick Chanter as my main. How does this look?

For dialogue options? Are there many, or is it a story thing? Druid can replace a wizard in offensive spells? Cipher to? The classes in this game are nothing like I thought they were. Paladin gets an ability that automatically increases their defenses as long as they keep to the dogma of their order. If you choose all of the dialogue options that are with the order you choose, your main character's defenses skyrocket. This only effects the main character because the main character is the only person who can choose dialogue options. Cipher is arguably the strongest spellcasting class in the game. And the druid is much stronger than the wizard early on. So Cipher and Druid have single target and AoE spells like the wizard or the wizard's spells are not that important? Because in BG2 mages were very useful and important in many occassions. I am not sure I like to be limited in dialogues though, and if I am to get bonuses for staying in a path, I'll want to stay in that path even if I'd rather say something else.

For dialogue options? Are there many, or is it a story thing? Druid can replace a wizard in offensive spells? Cipher to? The classes in this game are nothing like I thought they were.

I meant the chanter.

I am biased against them from other games, I don't like bard types If they are good though, I can make a chanter mechanic with the ranger. I kinda need the pet, I want to be able to cheese pull stuff. Unfair you say? Not the way it's meant to be played? Well I think it's unfair for the game to force me to start a battle while I am surrounded by enemies. I like difficulty based on smart AI and power/skill, I don't like difficulty based on limited time and position.

I want to make my own group of 6, but I don't know much about the game or classes. I am going to play on normal difficulty. What I want is. 1. Tank. It's either fighter, paladin or monk I guess. Can a druid fill this spot with his forms? I want the tank to hold easily, I don't care about dps. But if fighter is an overkill, I'd rather get a druid as something more exotic or a monk, even if they're not as good. I hear paladins suck, so I am planning to make a female paladin order in my stronghold, with the sole purpose to escort people and do adventures. I think it's a cool idea, the stronghold with the fair, helpful but also ready for battle female paladins. But if they are good tanks, I'll take a paladin and create another order, no problem. 2. Thief (?) This game doesn't work this way I think so any class can invest on mechanics and deal with chests and traps. Which class should get this role? Casters maybe? Rogue was the obvious choice here which would also have been melee (or ranged?) dps, but maybe there are better choices. 3. Melee dps Many choices here, Barbarian the obvious one, but I hear Cipher is the best class and I haven't played him so I am thinking of getting him as my main character. 4. Ranged dps I don't mind two of them, Rogue and Ranger. Are other classes better at it? Plus, the pet can tank a bit and also I use it to cheese encounters by pulling stuff. That's how I killed Raedric, the pet did the talking and the group waited by the door. Don't judge me! 5. Caster I hear wizard sucks. Are his spells a must? Do they get better after level 4? Level X spells(?) etc will become availiable in an expansion most likely, so maybe he's not worth it yet. 6. Healer/buffer Are druids a good alternative to Priests? Can anything else fill this spot? 7. What would be the best out of all these as my main class and character and which stats should I get for them? I'd like to have as many dialogue options as possible, maybe get more through resting bonuses etc, but I don't expect to have everything availiable. These are the main things I'd like to know about right now. Thanks for reading.

Thanks for your input. I am not going to pick them up, unless for when I am about to do their quests. It's better if I see them as deep npcs that can join you while you help them with their problem, than shallow companions. I too think the game is more Planescape Torment and Neverwinter Nights than BG2, and like you with BG I tried quite a few times to play Planescape Torment but I couldn't go through with it. I think it was a major mistake that they didn't base their game on BG2, and I lost all hope a game like that will ever be made again, but it is what it is. If PoE can't do it, noone can. RIP. On my way to the build section of the forums, so I don't mess up the stats of my group

I stopped in Defiance Bay, explored 2/5 maps of it. About their quests, it's not like you can't make them in a run and then leave them. Like with the fighter and the hunter, go there, do that, talk to him...you can just do it when you explore all these places, you don't have to have them with you all the time. Now some, like the Priest or the wizard, may need a lot of rests or days spent together to make progress and trigger dialogues, but again those characters mean nothing to me. I don't care what that annoying Priest thinks we can learn from eachother unless you get stats or something. I just don't care. The only banter I even remember is that one guy wants to pet the fox...that's it. Do they say anything else, or it's just like the fox thing. Why I don't care...they're just not interesting. Can you really compare the wizzard with Edwin? Can you compare the hunter to Viconia? I don't even remember their names and mention them by classes! I am thinking maybe it's better after the expansion, they will improve all of those rpg elements and npcs will be worth recruiting then. The game is very colourless to me companion wise. Maybe because I compare it to BG2. And while I don't see anything interesting rpg wise as far as your group is concerned, I can play 6 more classes and build them myself as I want them, and that is interesting. That's why I want my own group, even if they won't talk like that, I feel I won't miss anything. Exceptional is like those dialogues they had in BG2, comment when you talk to others, your companions and among themselves or all together. Their comments depending your reputation etc. About the areas, I intent to explore everything and about the exp, you can get it when you pick them up for their quests only. You say they banter more, does the quality improve or just they talk more of the same one liners popping above their heads?

I guess if there was something to say to defend a companion run it would've been said. My own group it is.

Long story short, I uninstalled and unintentionally erased my save games so I have to start over. I had only completed the map that includes half the first major city and northwest of it. The thing is, the companions mean nothing to me. Their missions mean nothing to me. Their dialogues I just wanted to skip, nothing to look forward to. They don't even talk that much. The opposite of BG2, where I wanted to do multiple runs just to get different companions at least once. Does it get better? Will I miss something great if I just make my own group? I only got the fighter, wizard, hunter, priest and chanter. Is there any reason to even get them, like do their quests offer anything exceptional? Can't I just get them 1 by 1 and complete their quests, then leave them and have my cake and eat it too? On the other hand, I don't know the game and classes that well to create a great party with great stats, I'll have to look into it. At first I wanted to play with npcs first and learn the game and classes, then make the group I wanted. I really, really don't want to play with npcs again, but if it's worth it down the road then I will. So basically I am asking for reasons to change my mind. Thanks for reading.

Maybe it's like BG, where you started low and weak and capped at low level, but in BG2 things were way different. I see this game as BG, it is the beggining of a great saga. PoE 2 can and I hope it will be as BG2 was to BG, and more!

I don't think so. Scouting reveals secrets and traps, look at tab as a manual easier way to look at interesting things around you, as easy as looking around. Although I guess if that applied it should've been reduced to your vision range and not being able to highlight things accross the map :D

Nice. I hope they make lots of money and add all the stuff the players want in an expansion, now that they will have the resources and time.

I want to ask something. Are your custom companions able to do the talking too? Like use one for resolve checks, another for might etc? Or is it just about getting different attributes? Because I don't care if an npc has 16 instead of 18 might and a few different skills otherwise, you can build them mostly how you like.

There are some things I miss from BG2 like lots of subclasses, spellcasting sounds etc, but I can live without them. Even though I'd prefer some things differently, I also like what is new and such small things don't bother me. What I think is very important though and I think should be added, even as community mods, are romances and more companion interactions. BG2 had so many romances, and their voices etc were so unique and awesome, I don't know why they left out such an important part of BG2. In BG2 the companions were talking a lot, both with the character and with each other and romances were availiable. In PoE there are some interactions that are, I won't say bad, but far from BG2 in feeling. They added so many large stories for random people that have no other importance (I skip the planescape torment part of the game ), I think they should've focused and should focus more on the characters you are with the most in the future. Add good things=good. Remove bad things=good. Remove good things=WHY?! In short, I want the BG2 feeling as far as characters are concerned. I'd rather interact and listen like BG2, than read walls of text like planescape torment. In shorter, more BG2, less everything else. In shortest, BG3 please! That's what i'd want :D