04-10-2004 00:18									#31
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quote: Originally posted by Verto My main concern was the genie, since I was supposed to get an item that looked useful.

You'll miss loads of useful items throughout the game. Especially at this stage, you'll usually find better ones later on.

I'm playing through again. I thought of one roleplay I haven't done - twins. I have an Elven Kensai and an Elven Archer, both wear little to no armour, both virtually perfect in their particular weapon (long bow/sword - Elven specialties) and both pretty evenly matched. I think for roleplay's sake they'll do quite a bit of the game without other characters

spoiler(highlight to read): I'll probably take a party before Spellhold, sort of like hiring mercenaries before launching the attack to save Imoen.

As always, having to be careful that the Kensai doesn't get too hurt, usually a Kensai would have been dualled to a mage or be some brutish Orc, but he has some decent back up from the Archer. Together, they kill quite quickly

spoiler(highlight to read): The fight against Kalah in the Circus took less than 10 seconds, as the Archer still had his 'call shot' on from the room before when it changed back.

Won't have much time to play at Oxford though

quote: Originally posted by Kassiopeia BG2 is a brilliant AD&D based roleplaying game, SMAC is the only worthy successor to Civ2 and one of the greatest TBS games ever.

Exactly right

	04-10-2004 03:53									#32
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Well the smac demo didn't impress me that much. The techs were all a bit too scifi, but most importantly there were no Romans, Babylonians, and for god's sake not even the Evil Vikings and Mongols!! blah!

	04-10-2004 03:59									#33
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minor spoilers ahead

the genie quest gives you an item. it is useful- especially at this early stage of the game where you don't have good weapons. But you eventually find much better stuff. In fact, you find a better replacement for this item in the slums

spoiler(highlight to read): It's a +2 2 handed sword

I can't remember what the dryad quest gives. It takes a long time to complete. Although you could go to the area where they are located fairly early on (a bit dangerous trip though- with random encounters and all). But the area where they are located could be dangerous. I'm not sure of the reward for this quest. I think it's just experience.

	06-10-2004 02:47									#34
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quote: I think it's just experience.

What do you mean "Just experience" ???

-Jam

	06-10-2004 04:24									#35
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This game is mildly uninteresting - is this simply because I'm still beginning, because I didn't play BG1, or what?

Am I supposed to just wander around getting money for Imoen, or what? Is there a main quest?

	06-10-2004 06:53									#36
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Hmm. I agree that BG2 didn't suck me in right away either. You can make a good deal of money though rather quicker. You would be surprised.

This isn't really a spoiler but a pointer

spoiler(highlight to read): Do the quest for Nalia - lots of money, she's in the Bar. She is also a good character for your party. Since she is both a wizard and good enough thief. Allowing you to drop Yoshimo, and pick up another warrior type character.

This is a tip

spoiler(highlight to read): You'll be fighting Trolls. Acid or fire arrows highly recommended. You'll pick up some in her keep but not right away IIRC.

	06-10-2004 07:03									#37
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Oh and getting the money for Imoen is part of the Main quest. Once you have enough money the main quest moves forward. However I thought there were plenty of interesting quest to do in the city. You might want to try visiting the entire city. As Im sure you'll find some of the quests interesting.

	06-10-2004 08:37									#38
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BG2 is a bit hard to get into. But once you start getting into the NPC storylines it gets interesting. Although if you aren't big on NPC interaction, the game may seem lacking.

And it was daunting because you really don't know what to do when you get into the city. It's almost too non-linear. You kind of wander around looking for stuff to do.

You may have seen suggestions to head for the slums. After messing around in the promenade and doing whatever quests you are interested in there (although there is only one major quest to do) I'd say head over to the slums. You're probably already there since you know about the money for Imoen.

Copper Coronet is the pace to be. And there's a quest associated with that as well. It's a nice quest since you don't have to go far.

Many NPC's there have quests associated with them. Korgan and Nalia specifically. Even Amonen has a quest associated with him (after 7 elapsed days pass).

I usually do the copper cornet quest, then Korgans quest in the graveyard. That one can be tough with the undead though.

Then maybe Nalia's Keep.

	06-10-2004 13:02									#39
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I'll probably get around to BG2 after my current MMORPG (or at least online RPG in NWNs case) phase ends. It could be a while though since WoW isn't far off.

	06-10-2004 20:41									#40
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If you want to play the game without any party members I heard that an Undead Hunter is a good call.

Party thoughts early. It can be more fun just to take party members as you go and just figure it out yourself.

spoiler(highlight to read): What I'd recommend for your party at this point. Korgan, Minsc, Jaheira, Nalia, Aerie, Anomen. Dropping the character most similiar to yourself. I never use thieves except to detect traps so I thought Yoshimo was garbage. I also recommend dropping Jahiera ASAP as soon as you find another fighter. Mind you I didn't do this, I kept Jahiera in my party and didn't pick up Keldorn(sp) I was a blade (pretty useless early) I didn't keep Airie either.

	07-10-2004 02:52									#41
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Thieves rule in BG2, they rule SO much its daft NOT to play as a pure thief.

Trust me.

-Jam

	07-10-2004 05:39									#42
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thieves suck.

what's so great about them?

I use Imoen usually. Just enough to open locks, disable traps. that's all I ever use them for.

	07-10-2004 06:38									#43
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Yeah Im curious about that as well. I do also use them to scout ahead some times but not often enough to not be able to use invisibility. I'm to lazy to try and back stab. There aren't any fantastic items to steal from shops. I need more then trust. No spoilers tho.

	07-10-2004 06:58									#44
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I somtimes use them to scout. Not as much as I did in the icewind dale games though. in those games combat was more frequent and tougher. scouting could prove useful.

in bg2 I know where everything is now .

pickpocketing. not very fun for me. I don't want to do something that forces me to reload if I fail. The risk of capture is just too great.

	07-10-2004 18:44									#45
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quote: Originally posted by Moral Hazard Yeah Im curious about that as well. I do also use them to scout ahead some times but not often enough to not be able to use invisibility. I'm to lazy to try and back stab. There aren't any fantastic items to steal from shops. I need more then trust. No spoilers tho.

I don't know about parties, but when playing solo the ability to hide in shadows is absolutely fantastically useful (because of the slightly silly way it's implemented in BGII - most notable the fact that you know whether or not you were successful), and backstabbing is very handy too.

For example,

spoiler(highlight to read): I killed the twisted rune using a level 24 swashbuckler (no backstabbing), a sling and an assortment of variously enchanted bullets (and Celestial Fury for Shyressa because +3 enchantment was needed)... No prot magic scrolls or other such cheese necessary. It was hiding in shadows above all else which made this possible

	08-10-2004 06:27									#46
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I've never really used backstab in BG2 too. You need to hit your enemy in the back, which requires getting that thief all the way up there making sure he doesn't get hit by an area effect spell, and he needs to move around obstacles too which is why very often it takes a long time to get them there, giving them valuable time to hurt your party. Also, most mages/clerics have protection against the backstab (like stone/ironskin, prot from magical weapons,...)

Hiding in shadows is useful against random monsters, but even the simplest yuan-ti mage and any other human mage will simply dispell your invisibility automatically (True-seeing or the like). Ideally you should be a mage/thief. Cast some powerful invisibility spell and then try a backstab

It can be used for scouting, if you have never visited the areas before of course, but after that first time you know what's going to happen so that's not so useful anymore .

If they are high-level (ToB level) they do get some neat features like brewing your own potions, and they can also wield every weapon just like a fighter etc.. Some nice extras, but other classes receive nice extras too!

	09-10-2004 01:18									#47
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Backstab is great because you can come in unseen and kill the mage IN ONE HIT before he can stoneskin etc.

When you have Boots of Speed you can do insane hit-and-run stuff, running round corners, going invis, and popping out for another backstab.

Then... we get the ability to lay traps. Traps will win you battles you thought were impossible (Demogorgon anyone without spike traps? I thought not)

Then there is the Use Any Item skill. This is SUPERB. It cannot be beaten.

All the xp from doing locks and traps adds up fast too - and thieves need less xp per level. I had some great games with a solo assassin and a solo swashy.

Ah... must go play again

-Jam

	09-10-2004 01:22									#48
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Ah. Im playing as a blade, so I can and have laid down some mean traps. Most battles I use a mix of insect swarm, confuse and haste. It gets the job done.

Last edited by Moral Hazard on 09-10-2004 at 01:38

	09-10-2004 02:21									#49
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quote: Originally posted by Trajanus I've never really used backstab in BG2 too. You need to hit your enemy in the back

Really? I didn't know that... Does it apply to your opponents too? I'm sure I've been backstabbed in the front...

	09-10-2004 02:24									#50
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quote: Originally posted by Jamski (Demogorgon anyone without spike traps? I thought not)

I've never used traps against Demogorgan... It just seems so unfair to use traps under any circumstances - I guess I'm just too lawful good .

	09-10-2004 03:02									#51
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I never really bothered with traps, so I didn't use any against Demogorgon. It did take a few tries. I used so little cheese in SoA and ToB that it's almost shameful.

	09-10-2004 05:44									#52
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I used traps the first time I played the game. I pretty much had to. The game was hard the first time. And I used Yoshimo (I often don't use him anymore) Yoshimo is the trap master.

Great against vampires and such.

	10-10-2004 03:09									#53
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quote: Originally posted by J Bytheway Really? I didn't know that... Does it apply to your opponents too? I'm sure I've been backstabbed in the front...

Yeah i THink it was changed in some patch, or the expansion, I'm not sure actually.

And NO Jamski you can't backstab mages, unless they're pathetically lowlevel, and then I could just as well clubber him down with a mace or something. Good mages always autodetect me thief in shadows with true-seeing (they seem to have an endless amount of those spells memorized. On top of that most battles start off with conversations, or with teleporting enemies etc so you don't have time time hide in shadows... So you would need a good spell to get invisible.. if you have the time to cast it

	10-10-2004 04:22									#54
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quote: And NO Jamski you can't backstab mages, unless they're pathetically lowlevel, and then I could just as well clubber him down with a mace or something. Good mages always autodetect me thief in shadows with true-seeing (they seem to have an endless amount of those spells memorized. On top of that most battles start off with conversations, or with teleporting enemies etc so you don't have time time hide in shadows... So you would need a good spell to get invisible.. if you have the time to cast it

Cloak of Non-Detection is SO essential. Get it from that bar fight upstairs in the promenade. Also useful - stacks of invisiblity potions (steal the entire stocks of Trademeet and Atkathla) Absolutly brilliant to backstab Beholders and Mindflayers too

Oh, and get the Tactics mod installed (as I always say )

-Jam

	11-10-2004 02:06									#55
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potions are **** => True seeing
okay they might be useful for dealing normal monsters, but normal monsters can be slayed with fighters and regular bashing equipment.

Maybe my BG2 version was a bit buggy