Soloing BGII

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I've noticed a number of posts on here about soloing the game, and I'm genuinely curious: why? What is the benefit? Traveling alone throughout the game deprives you of a good dozen quests, all the romances, and most of the entertaining dialogue in the game. Is it simply because it's easier, not having to worry about protecting a larger group? (I admit I did that beholder cave with just my main character for that reason...)

 

You do indeed lose a few good things of the game (NPC interaction etc.) if you solo, but it is a much greater challenge to go threw all by yourself. I think that's the main reason why people choose to solo.

 

Huh! Really? Do you figure? It always seems like the hardest part is keeping all the NPCs alive. If I give all the best magic items to my main guy at once he's more or less invincible--it's spreading the goods out to protect six guys that's hard.

In fact, when I'm having trouble with NPCs all dying or getting petrified/level-drained in a fight I'll often just hand all their stuff to the PC and send him in alone. It's much easier to protect one guy than six.

I bet it would be a real challenge to play somebody with no magical abilities at all, though. Like a wizard slayer or something. Then he couldn't use all that pre-battle preparation/protection stuff anyway. Man, that >would< be hard.

 

Nobleman and Earl Grey managed to get threw all by themselves with a wizard slayer some time ago you can read their posts about it if you use the search engine.
Some parts will indeed be easier when you solo, but the real big fights (Dragons en the wisted Rune) will be more difficult when you solo then when you have a full party. Also when you solo and you get hit by a instant death spell (also domination and maze IIRC) it's game over immidiately.

 

I find that when soloing you can get more of a challenge out of it (unless playing kensi/mage, at which point the game is too easy) and you also get more xp by not having to devide it among others

 

*nods* Ok, I think I can appreciate the 'challenge' aspect of it all, especially if one is soloing as a class like a wizard slayer that can't turn himself into a war god with magic before every tough battle. (Though I still think the biggest challenge would be how the hell to CARRY things! *laugh*)

As for the XP, though--if you do the side quests (including the NPCs' personal quests) there is *more* than enough XP to go around. Your main character can hit the XP cap before leaving for Spellhold even with a full party (mine did...)

 

Here's my take on it:

The first couple of times I play normally, with a full party.
After that it can be both challenging and different to play solo. It is a very different gaming experience. You will learn the different aspects of the class/kit you play solo with extremely well.

A major drawback is the lack of subquests and NPC interaction, but on the other hand the game will be much faster.

It's worth discussing if soloing is not actually easier than playing with a normal party! Some battles are obviously much tougher but if I'd want to rush through BG2 - for example to have a new character for ToB - going solo would be my choice.

 

Soloing is just like solving one of those logic puzzles. You always have to be a few steps ahead or you will meet an unfortunate demise.
If you want some real excitement, try sprucing it up with some very real role-playing or only sleeping after 12-16 hour periods. It makes for a very real game, unless of course you are a Kensai D Mage, then you just slaughter everything.

 

But if you go solo, you do not have to share your experience with party members, so you will be ridiculously powerful in no time, which makes some few first chapters easier than with generally low-level party.

About wyrms
Depending on what class/kit you solo, dragon will be easier or harder to beat than with the party. Par example, fighters wouldn't do much good against the shadow dragon, while wizard or bard or sorcerer will snap poor Thaxll'ssillyia in pieces with their wands, invoked lightning bolts, conjured elementals and enchantments like Lower Resistances, not to speak of abjurations - Pierce Magic & Breach.
Against dumber and more massed enemies (goblinkin, humans etc.) though, fighters will stay and fight and fight and fight, while mages will use up all their spells on scouts, having left nothing on the actual army.



[This message has been edited by ayecapitan (edited July 11, 2001).]

 

In the game or in general, ayecapitan?
In game a mage can use Sleep to take care of packs of kobolds. Just whack them with his staff when they're sleeping.

I'm not going into a discussion about Kensai/Mage here. A thread about that can easily be found by searching. I will however say that while I like K/M, I prefer dual class Berserker/Mage.

 

In game, of course.
Well, you can cast sleep on kobolds, some will save and launch a barrage at you, but...
Oops! You have protection from normal missiles and you slap kobolds with your spells. The battle ends, kobolds are dead, you say: "Never mess with a wizard!, drawing one more group of kobolds into battle. "Hah! say you, and go into casting... but... oops! You dont remember much spells and kobolds send you into oblivion!

 

I think it will be much more fun if you go though the game with two guys. Like all those histories, one mage and his loyal servant, a fighter. You'll be the mage, and then you must get either Keldorn or Korgan (depends on your alignment) to protect you.

I think solo is too difficult for al but the most extreme RPG-guys/gals that spend 8 hours a day playing RPG pen and paper and 15 hours a day BG2 and 1 hour eating and sleeping...
So, why bother...

 

Ok, as you all know I'm always half-elf TN F/M/T.

When I finish current game I'm playing, I'll taje Da Punisher's suggestion - HE WILL BE MY LOYAL FIGHTER SERVANT!

Or should I make him fighter/cleric?

Ok, ok, you can take Viccy, I'll stick with "m" business...

 

ever since the idea occurred to me in bg 1, to go solo, I've always played as a solo CG/then NG (when I discovered the additonal hit points that particular familiar gives) f/m/t. I try starting each new game intent on using a party, got most of the way thru BG2 with one, but hate micromanaging these five other bumbling idiots. I always go back to my solo f/m/t who has awesome abilites, since she doesn't share the XP with anyone, and a lot of gold, all the stuff you can't use, you sell to buy vecnas robe (really useful until you can get bladesinger which you can wear and still use mage and thief skills with) and v's helm early in the game and that +2 katana with the mage spells and -1 AC (with TOB installed I'd go get the short sword of the mask +4 as soon as I could afford it, foregoing that last katana). Early one you're pretty tough, having one character with a fighters strength and hit points--biggest drawback though is limited proficiency points just two per, aside from the three you can initially give to dual wielding--who, wearing the boots of speed, can cast dual image, blur, haste, etc. then hide in shadows ( i always set the script to thief aggressive and liberally distribute thief points to that end so that she hides in shadows 99% of the time unless she's talking or picking locks/finding traps) and backstab with celestial fury and the other katana. Use a specialty sword/mace/flail in other right hand quick weapon slot. Due to limited weapons prof you get ** in whatever assortment of weapons you prefer. I like katana, war hammer, and long sword or mace (for undead). Slap on the belt on inertia barrier (sp?). You ranged weapons are magic missle, chromatic orb (very effective late in the game), web, cloudkill (and it's more powerful cousins), and fireball. The only thing that sucks about solo game is dire charm (instant death) and similar spells that instantly kill you (you lose control over PC), such as maze. I hate those two especially. You only have one character with the three of the four skill sets you need, but you can supplement lost healing with potions, lots of potions, and the ring of regeneration, and later gaxx's, which is most indispensible. dual wielding the celestial fury and the crom (in the left hand for str bonus), that +7 to hit +14 to damage comes in handy when you manage to hit the target with the katana for the backstab X5 bonus, especially if you also happen to stun the target, even adamantine golems get stunned.

with five other idiots to control, I forget to cast spells and use special abilities, but with one you have to maximize every ability they have, especially early one, so you truly learn to value and, conversely, hate, certain aspects of your character, vulnerabilty to charm spells--I always go for the lower AC and trust to luck and reload. Plus, I only have one attractive portrait to look at one the side bar.

**EDIT**

I think the biggest benefits are realizing how great certain mage spells are for a melee fighter, blur, dual image, timestop, things a pure mage never realizes the potential of. and you get x5 backstab to boot!! and can detect traps and open locks. and those inattentive dragons let you set traps around them, why would you need anyone else?

**EDIT**

Nymeria, please keep the ToB comments in the ToB forum.



[This message has been edited by Darien Noella (edited July 14, 2001).]