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Gesen/Tansheron still bugged in BG2EE?

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In BG2, there was a bug with projectile weapons that don't require ammunition, where if you had ammunition equipped it'd still be taken into account when determining damage. This also changed Gesen's normally slow lightning bolt projectiles into fast arrows. If I recall correctly, these bugs were unfixable by mods since they don't have access to engine source code.

Since Overhaul has this access, has this bug been fixed in BG2EE? If yes, does it mean Gesen now permanently shoots slow projectiles with no hope of changing that?

Also as a more general question, is there any list (fan compiled or made by Overhaul) about changes between BG2 and BG2EE, however minor. I just found out from other topic that Wrath Trial in Hell no longer gives +1 Primary Stat on top of +2 STR. I'm glad bugs are getting fixed but as a minmaxer it's a nightmare to figure out these kinds of things when planning characters without any kind of patch notes.

Beamdog Shouldn't Make BG3 - They Should Crowd Fund Their Own Game

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In my humble opinion Baldur's Gate 3 should be a 2D isometric type game, just like BG and BG2 are. Project Eternity and Planescape Tides of Numenera have shown just how amazing this approach can look in the 2010s. And by taking a more simplistic approach to the visuals, the developer can devote the core of its development time to building a huge, immersive world, a rich and deep story and well fleshed out, memorable characters. In other words, this approach allows for BG3 to be developed in a way that honors BG and BG2.

We just have one small, *teeny-weeny* problem...!

Atari (and likely any larger publisher) would never let the game be developed this way. With them, the core of the budget would most likely go into pricey voice acting using big name actors, building a complex 3D engine where tons of time is spent making sure that we can see the fear in the orc's eye before he gets singed by a fireball spell. And with so much effort put on such details, things like game content, character development and a lot of other stuff is certain to get cut. Hell, if Neverwinter is any indication we may not even get all of the proper base classes included, but just a small subset. And almost certainly, the name Baldur's Gate 3 will be wholly undeserved and out of place on whatever final product is released.

So with that said, my personal view is that the best way to make Baldur's Gate 3 is to use the crowd funding model. Okay, sure, that means Beamdog doesn't get to call it Baldur's Gate 3 -- but really, what's in a name, right? It also means that the D&D ruleset & universe couldn't be used, but honestly, PC games made using this IP haven't been good quality since the Infinity Engine days (Neverwinter Nights 1 and 2 are reasonable exception to this rule, granted, and Temple of Elemental Evil is excellent is many regards too, but lacking in many others). And the trend only seems to be getting worse.

I'd prefer to see Beamdog use the name recognition they are gaining with the BGEE project, and then create their own IP and engine to create a game that truly follows the tradition of Baldur's Gate and the Infinity Engine games. Obsidian and nXile have figured out that this is the way to go. I would love to see Beamdog go this route as well, rather than creating what I'm convinced would otherwise be a major disappointment with Atari at the helm.

My 2 copper. What do you all think?

EDIT - Updated post title to better reflect the content of my post

How many mages is too many?

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So I'm about to begin another full playthrough of the whole trilogy, and I find myself running into the same problem that has plagued me since I first played this game all those years ago.

I can't not take Nalia in my party.

Despite what seems to be fairly popular opinion 'round these parts, Nalia has always been my favorite NPC, and I find it impossible to pass on her. The problem is, I also can't pass on Imoen, and I want to finally give Neera a try.

That leaves me with at the very least a 3 mage party before I even consider who else to bring along, and it got me thinking:

What is the most amount of spell casters YOU personally can/will bring while still drawing pleasure from the game. Knowing that each additional mage lowers the difficulty exponentially, where do you draw the line/find the balance?

How much do you roleplay your character?

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On a scale from 1-7, where 1 is a pure roleplayer and 7 a complete powerplayer, where do you fit in? Do you do quests that aren't in line with your CHARNAME, and would you travel with evil companions even if you yourself are a Paladin?

I find this so confusing, BG1 vs BGEE and BG2 vs BG2EE

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So I have never played BG before, but I played PST along with all its mods and improvements and enjoyed it because the modding community fixed so many problems the game had, so I was considering buying the BG series, but I am uncertain if I should get the original or the enhanced ones.

The modding community has had a large amount of time to:
1) Provide widescreen support for the original BG1 and BG2 and provide texture packs to improve graphics
2) Fix bugs in the original BG1 and BG2
3) Release balance mods for the original BG1 and BG2 so overpowered things are toned down, and useless things are made more useful.

Now I know the enhanced editions have 1 covered, but are all the bug fixes the community released as fixpacks over the years included in the enhanced editions?
And what about the balance fixes, are those carried over? or at least still compatible (I would expect not for BG1) ?

Party of Dorn, Hexxat, Rasaad and Neera. Who to choose as a CHARNAME and the 5th NPC?

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So, it will be THIS WEEKEND. Only several days to wait ;)

I have no doubts the Devs have put so much effort into writing new quests related to new NPCs. To try them ALL I've decided to start the first BG2:EE playthrough taking Dorn, Hexxat, Rasaad and Neera in one brand-new party.

The first question I'm going to ask is what class/kit is good to take for a CHARNAME in this party. And the second question is which NPC is good to accompany us.

CHARNAME - ?

Blackguard
Thief
Sun Soul Monk
Wild Mage

NPC - ?

I think this discussion can be interesting not only for me but for others as well because the decision to take all 4 new NPCs may suggest itself.

Your most memorable moments oF BG, PS:T and IWD *SPOILERS*

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My first run of BG2 had lots of amazing moments, one of them, I was fighting against the Shadow Dragon, Anomen was lending his armor to Mazzy, I wasn't low level, I DIDN'T HAD A SINGLE GOLD PIECE!! I had like 900 or fewer gold at this time (fuck you Gaelan Bayle and the shadow thieves) so I was doing more quests to buy a full plate armor for Anomen, because he is a knight idiot gave his armor to Mazzy, Charname was in the Traveller's Robe Aerie had, and Hairy D (Haer'Dalis) had a, um, well, he had +2 Chain Mail of the Dead.
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After some months, I won the game, and a week ago I installed Ascension, and I wanted to give the final battle a try, but before doing so, I installed SCS too. Mazzy got chunked by Yaga-Shura after getting at 21 Hit Points by Illasera's arrows (I think she is the deadliest one, 40 DAMAGE WITH A BOW DAMNED BAATOR!!).
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Then, no one could even stay alive, but Charname had a trick in his sleeve, Ur, I mean, he had a Chain Contingency set :P but no one died, their Hit Points are over 200!!! (at least for the fighters).
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But running with the Staff of the Magi didn't save him from the Anger of the Five or either Sarevok, again, damn Illasera for being so tough and Balthazar for having DISPELLING FISTS, still I can't beat them (only tried two times :P) I found this moment of feeling beaten amazingly noobish, and Ascension is a mod worth to try.
But even the PC was dying, then, he won't welcome oblivion, but HE WAS GOING TO DIE! And I couldn't save him :P There was no way to save a M/T with 15 HP and with no protection from those warriors, not to mention that he was dumb enough to sleep in the middle of the fight, he was feeling bad, so he did so.
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I think I will go to give this yet another try!!!

I see a lot of talk about "Cheese"

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I mean I have seen a few posts where members are asking the devs to change this item or that.

But personally I like the fact that I can try really hard to make gold and earn massive XP for killing the hardest bosses and in the end come one step closer to god-hood. I mean isn't that what the Baldur's Gate series is all about anyway- realizing that a god's blood flows through your veins and makes you uber powerful?

I have no qualms with any items that many seem to consider "OP". I think that if you can attain them without cheating, you deserve grand rewards.

Anyone else feel this way?

Fighter/Mage multi class question

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Hi All, I've just started this character
ST18/58 DE12 CO12 IN18 WI10 CH18
Which of these abilities would you have changed and why?
One condition is that I want to see all story dialogue.
All help appreciated.

EE: Enhance the Bard

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This subject has come up on occasion but I don't believe I've ever seen anyone make a thread dedicated to it.

In tabletop Dungeons and Dragons Bards are treated as a sort of pseudo-rogue. Baldur's Gate never did this. They just gave us pickpocketing and called it good. To BioWare's credit, the Rogue HLAs including trap setting in Throne of Bhaal was certainly a step in the right direction ... if a rather late one.

Now don't get me wrong, Bards are useful in this game. Absolutely, I love 'em. They certainly have some interesting advantages, such as their very fast level progression. However, it's worth pointing out that many people go around as a Fighter/Mage or even Fighter/Mage/Thief instead and call it a better class. While they're not 100% correct, solid arguments can be made in favor of playing multi-classes instead of Bards.

This game isn't all that challenging once you master its somewhat steep learning curve, so I'm not suggesting that all classes need to be equally as good as other classes or anything. This isn't about balancing the Bard with other classes. This is about the Bard actually fulfilling its role.

I'm not sure how exactly Beamdog could go about making the Bard fulfill its role better, but let's be honest, their thieving side is incredibly lacking. You get ... pick pocketing, and that's it. Really? Not even Stealth? Calling the Bard any sort of Rogue really is pretty much a joke.

I suppose my personal solution for it would be to give Bards all the Thieving abilities, but only allow them 15% distribution per level or something.
...
But how about the rest of you all, let us know what you think?

Spider spawn

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WHERE CAN I BUY THIS AWESOME SPELL IN BG CITY!? Just hit level 10 and I wanna summon shit

Nestled atop the cliffs that rise from all RPGs, BG have been the finest and most comprehensive game

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Did you know the next 10 days lead to the 15th anniversary of Baldur’s Gate?

We can’t miss this special anniversary in PC gaming, just because while it was the first RPG released by BioWare it is still one of the biggest names in the business and arguably the best cRPG game ever.

At first I wanted to post this thread exactly on 12/21/2013 but I think it’s better for all of us to start celebrating this simply stunning event now.

Of course, some resources may say Baldur's Gate was released on November 30 but when you look at this sweet page (http://rpgvaultarchive.ign.com/archive/19981220.shtml), it becomes clear that precisely December 21, 1998 is one of the best dates ever.

How touching it is to read this official press release from 15 years back:

#1 MOST HIGHLY ANTICIPATED NEW GAME, BALDUR'S GATE, SHIPS!

IRVINE, California, December 21, 1998 - Black Isle Studios(tm), the role-playing game (RPG) division of Interplay Entertainment Corp. (NASDAQ: IPLY) announced today the release of Baldur's Gate(tm) the number one new game title in pre-sale activity at certain mall-based stores. Electronics Boutique, Babbages and Software Etc. as well as independent consumer surveys have all reported tremendous interest in the game. The title is in the duplication process, and will begin shipping to software retailers nationwide today on five CD-ROM's for Windows(r) 95/98-based computers. Baldur's Gate was developed by the Alberta, Canada-based software company, BioWare Corp., and will support up to six different players in its Internet-based multi-player mode and also provides for an excellent solo play experience.

"Every quarter, GameSpot researches the PC titles market, to identify which titles are most in demand among the millions of users who use the site each month," noted Jon Epstein, president and CEO of GameSpot Inc. "Baldur's Gate has consistently climbed up the ranks since we've been tracking the game. And now, in our most recent November 1998 survey, when asked to name which title they would purchase next, our users wrote down Baldur's Gate more than any other title published in 1998."

Black Isle Studios and Interplay attribute the anticipation of Baldur's Gate to the enormous gameplay area (five CD's and over 10,000 scrolling screens) and also the promise of a true Advanced Dungeons & Dragons(r) experience for both novice and seasoned role-playing gamers alike. Several mall-based stores reported a near frenzy for the release of the game. "Baldur's Gate is definitely one of the most highly anticipated and long-awaited games of 1998. We've had very high pre-sale activity on it, and it should be a great title to end the year with," commented Bob McKenzie, director of purchasing for Babbages Etc.

"We are extremely excited about the fact that we will have Baldur's Gate to sell in 1998. We think gamers are going to be very happy that Black Isle Studios and BioWare were able to complete the game and get it out on the shelves before the end of the year," added Jerry Madaio, vice president of merchandise in Electronics Boutique's PC division.
Set in the Sword Coast region of the popular Forgotten Realms(r) AD&D campaign setting, Baldur's Gate takes the player on a visually dazzling adventure. It brings to life the grand traditions of a true AD&D role-playing game experience for the personal computer through cutting-edge art and loyalty to the AD&D rule set. The story begins with looming economic strife and mysterious murders terrifying the local residents of the city of Baldur's Gate. This causes local leaders to point the finger at the neighboring nation of Amn. War seems imminent, and the player's character is thrust into the dangerous regional conflict to unravel the mystery with a party of adventurers.


What a wonderful Christmas present is was!

In this thread I want to look back through the years.

To say there was scepticism over the very first mention of the future game would be an understatement. There hadn't been a genuinely classic D&D RPG since Eye of the Beholder II, released in 1992, and the most recent high-profile releases (Blood and Magic and Descent to Undermountain) had been unmitigated disasters. The RPG fanbase was also lukewarm on the idea of the game being in real-time, as Fallout had show what could still be done with turn-based combat. BioWare's lack of experience was also a concern. Their first game, a MechWarrior-alikecalled Shattered Steel, was a modest success.

However, this scepticism soon turned to cautious excitement. Early screenshots showed a (relatively, for the time) lush, vibrant art style. Interplay soon began showing signs of palpable excitement over the game as builds came in. In fact, the 'Infinity Engine' so impressed them that they had their own internal RPG development division, Black Isle Studios, use it for their own projects. Doubts over the combat were assuaged when it was revealed that the game could be paused at any time, but orders could still be issued. This approach mixed the very best of turn-based combat (being able to consider the battlefield and all available combat options at leisure) and the immediacy of real-time fighting.

Baldur's Gate was released in December 1998, barely two months after the release of Half-Life and seven after StarCraft, two other games that completely redefined their genres. Those opening the box were greeted with an unprecedented sight: the game shipped on five CD-ROMs. A full install would take up about 1.5GB of hard disk space, a jaw-dropping amount at a time when most games still took up a few hundred at most (Half-Life clocked in at 400MB and was considered large; StarCraft scraped barely 180MB). The game wasn't in 3D, but its 2D artwork, complex animations and AI routines all put a heavy load on processors and RAM, with only the most powerful PCs capable of running the game at its maximum potential.

It was the culmination of nearly 90 man-years of work by a number of inexperienced, but very talented and creative individuals at BioWare. - Ray Muzyka

Baldur's Gate would be a huge success. It received positive reviews from virtually every major computer gaming publication that reviewed it. It sold about two million units quickly after the release. PC Gamer US said Baldur's Gate "reigns supreme over every RPG currently available, and sets new standards for those to come." How perceptively;)

It got the 1998 Game of the Year Award from Computer Games Online, Computer Games Magazine, GameCenter Reader's Choice, Games Domain, IGN and Vault Network.

It became the 1998 RPG of the Year by Adrenaline Vault, Computer Games Online, Computer Gaming World, Electric Games, GameCenter, GameCenter Reader's Choice, Games Domain, Gamespot, Gamespot Reader's Choice, IGN, PC Gamer and Vault Network.

Baldur's Gate's influence has been huge, it’s hard to overestimate it. Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn is listed as the sixth highest-scoring PC game on the Metacritic site. Everything BioWare has done since, from Knights of the Old Republic to Mass Effect and Dragon Age franchises, stems from Baldur's Gate, 2D, modestly-budged game. Though games now have gotten flashier and moved into full 3D, the DNA of Baldur's Gate can be still be seen in many current RPGs.

And no words in the word can express my joy of reviving Baldur's Gate through enhanced editions. Only several weeks separate us from experiencing this great game on Android devices. This kind of progress if compared to the vanilla 640*480 resolution... seems fantastic just to think about it;)

Thank you, Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk, Michael Hoenig, @TrentOster, @CameronTofer, @PhilipDaigle, @samhulick, @AndrewFoley, @LiamEsler, @CamDawg, @Cuv, @AndreaColombo, @Avenger_teambg, @AlexT, @Dee and so many others who contributed to the creation of Baldur's Gate and BG:EE.

Let us all celebrate the 15th anniversary of Baldur’s Gate!

Misconceptions You Had

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When you first started playing these games what were some of the misconceptions you had about game rules, tactics, or lore?

1. When I first got the game I would always make a Half-Elf Fighter/Mage... and then immediately buy Splint Mail because that's the best you can afford. I would only take it off to use Identify.
2. I always thought Necromancers were the best Mages because magic that dealt with death had to be the best magic.
3. In BG1 there's a cave on the map with the Xvart Cow encounter with a lone Ettercap in it. There's a Web trap on the entrance that is pretty much guaranteed to go off unless you know it's there- the first time I went in the cave Charname got beat up and killed while being held by the web. I didn't notice that it was a trap, though... I thought Ettercaps were just really dangerous. If I ever rolled a Ranger I would always pick Ettercap as the racial enemy.
4. I thought that "1d8" meant "from 1 to 8" and "6d6" meant "from 6 to 6." I always wondered why Fireball only did 6 damage and why they made the number confusing to read.
5. I thought the Flaming Fist helmets must be better than the regular helmets since they looked different. I would always try to pick a fight with a lone Flaming Fist mercenary in the Friendly Arm Inn to get one (and his plate mail).
6. I would always try to fight Thalantyr in High Hedge because his Flesh Golems are hostile. Plus he seemed pretty evil.

JP McDaniel: aka itmeJP and the creator of Starcraft 2's State of the Game is doing a BGEE letsplay

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I don't know how many people on this forum are into Starcraft 2, especially the esports scene, but JP was big in the community and at one point was working for MLG. He's the host of the former podcast State of the Game about Starcraft 2.

I'm bringing him up here because he's never played Baldur's Gate or Baldur's Gate 2 before and right now he's doing a playthrough of BGEE on his youtube channel.

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It's really amusing watching someone fresh to the game play through it. Thought I'd give it a shout out here in case anyone is interested.

Also I didn't know what the proper subforum for this one was, so I thought I'd put it here in general for now.

Barbarian vs. Dwarven Defender

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I actually joked about making a thread like this a month ago. I couldn't find one so I figured I'd make a thread for it.

So what does everyone think? (Ignoring the current axe bug with the Dwarven Defender and the dexterity bug with Dwarves in general) Which do people prefer and why?

How to make an Elven Bladesinger

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One class I've always wanted to play in D&D is an elven bladesinger. Unfortunately RL does not allow for me to find a group, however the thought of taking an elven bladesinger through the entire saga is appealing.

My question to you my favorite forumites and forum trolls and how would you go about setting one up in game. To the best of my ability, all I can think of atm is to try to multi-class an elven fighter/mage if possible, EEKeeper my way up to Grand Mastery in Longswords (starting ++ Longsword, ++ Single Weapon Style), attempt to EE keeper in defensive spin for bard and going either abjurer (although you lose out on key stoneskin etc) or invoker instead of a regular mage.

I also expect that MOST of my spells, especially offensive ones, would be short range cone attacks and/or touch spells.

All that said, I'm sure others on the forums have their own input and ideas.

Treacherous roads between Baldur's Gate and Rashemen?

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Which would be the most bandit/wolf/demonic giant kobold with cherry icing cake infested road between these two places?

I know the Anauroch would be deadly but is there anywhere around Vaasa or Damara that would be especially difficult?

Avengers in BG2EE

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How do you guys feel druids and the Avenger in particular hold up into TOB. I'm thinking of making a trilogy run with an Avenger but the class seems pretty weak to me.

How do the various shapeshifting forms rate into late game? That includes the HLA forms and the regular Avenger forms. How are the druid HLAs?

Is it worth it to be an Avenger or is the only worthwhile druid either a multi or dual fighter?

Thanks!

D&D Stats Explained with Tomatos

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An awesome pic I found on facebook that I thought I'd share here.

https://scontent-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/1499676_10151867566753063_622922631_n.jpg Link to the thread.

Strength is being able to crush a tomato

Dexterity is being able to dodge a tomato

Constitution is being able to eat a bad tomato

Intelligence is knowing a tomato is a fruit

Wisdom is knowing not to put a tomato in a fruit salad

Charisma is being able to sell a tomato based fruit salad

Response 1:

A tomato based fruit salad would simple be salsa

Response 2: GUYS I FOUND THE BARD!

Lothander's Boots

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do you guys think it's not kewl to kill this guy for this fancy item? it is not possible to pick pocket them of him, there is also no real reason to kill him...if not to loot his body, he did also give me the heads up about the poisoning..dunno thoughts? my charname is chaotic neutral and can't figure out what he would do
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