It's difficult to get into the game

Remove all ads!

The game is just too huge compared to anything else! Its so hard to get in to the game. There are so many spells, items, location, character, areas, stats etc.

Anything else expierienced this in the beginning? Did you get use to it? How long did it take?

[ September 30, 2005, 20:20: Message edited by: Taluntain ]

 

definitely alot going on. There are so many quests and subquests going on you have to constantly be checking your journal. I got into it after completing the first few quests. After that, it sucked me in and I could not stop playing. Be patient, you will definitely love this game.

 

The first time, I got so swamped! I knew I had to rescue Imoen and needed good skills to get her back safely...which lead to getting really confused! I finally figured out that I didn't have to finish everything *right*now*. Yeah, those quests will just sit there and wait for me. I missed a bunch of stuff and found out things (monsters) don't get any easier the higher your level.

It's worth it to play through several times, for the simple fact of all the stuff and quests you missed. Hey, how was I to know every NPC had a mini-quest linked to them? You can build up different strategies with different NPCs - it ain't easy going from all fighters to all clerics!

 

It does take a while, but persevere! Very few quests are timed, so don't bust a gut trying to complete them all at once! It took me ages to take a party even as far as the Underdark, because I couldn't resist testing out new kits for the PC. Eventually, I just managed to drag myself through to Brynnlaw and make the putsch towards the end.

Personally, that's why I preferred BG1; it threw less stuff at you, so you never felt pulled every which way but loose. It felt less linear, and more like a complete world that was there for you to explore, if you felt so inclined.

But ignore my old carpings ; just dive in and enjoy it! BG2 is still ****ing fantastic, and you know the best way to filter out which quests to do first? Roleplay. Think what your character would do first and foremost. And avoid all walkthroughs and spoilers like the proverbial plague. If you get stuck there's always us, instead.

 

You don't know how many people on this board would like to be in your shoes right now, Mercury Star!

The first time playing BG2 was magical and very frustrating, but it was the best run ever! I didn't make it out of Jonny-boy's dungeon simply because I had no clue what-so-ever about what I was doing. My first BG2 character was a halfling thief with crappy stats which got owned by the first Mephit you meet (behind the first golem you meet). Some weeks later I tried again and since then I was addicted, still am.

Just have patience and enjoy the ride.

 

I agree somewhat. I found the first run through to be really difficult and I possibly wouldn't have completed it if I hadn't had a bunch of people here on SP encouraging me along whenever I got stuck. It was quite fun, but unlike many people here, I can't imagine ever wanting to play it more than once.

 

You're not alone, HB. I'm trying to stretch out the BG2 playing experience by not installing any of those multi-strongholds, concurrent romances, and all that other stuff that lets you do everything in one run-through, but it still slogs significantly in places. If I'd installed that stuff, the game would probably have been off my hard drive after I finished it the first time. For some reason, BG1 (even with its relative simplicity when compared to BG2) keeps pulling me back, though...

 

I remember my first time through i was a Human Cavalier (yes i was a warrior type class once so don't be shocked) at the begining I was confused like really. I knew I had to save Imoen but there were so many NPC's that looked better then her. But then when I found how that Viconia and Edwin were also in BG2 (i didn't read the npcs list in the game manual) I decided to take Minsc, Jahiera, Imoen, Edwin and Viconia. That team rocked! It took me about the time I got Viconia to got used to it (Viconia was the second charcter I got when I left that dungoen). My Cavalier had some decent stats and that beautiful Crom Something (sorry i can't remember) and that hammer was like the best weapon in BG2 SoA.

 

I actually didn't find it all that bad

Quite proud I managed to do well at the game and still get a thrill when I manage to reach a significant checkpoint.

I found it easiest to check everything thoroughly. Every door, container and dialogue. But I didn't go actively seeking things, I mean, for a good while I played the game I had no internet or references, I'd never played D&D before!

"Just take it a step at a time, ignore the numbers but the little red marks and sueals are good as long as they're the enemy"
I used the journal like my Character writing a diary and saved so often I'd sometimes wonder if I had saved recently and save within a few steps

Now I seek to attempt and master BG1 (Via BGTutu of course )

 

Man every good game is long. Try Half-Life or GTA:VC, two games that I still have finished only once. Atleast you have a journal in BG to keep track of the various quests, unlike with GTA:VC. BG is long but its also great fun. So just enjoy the ride

 

I was able to finish almost all the side quest before I even got to chapter 3. Next time I play my first and major goal will be to resuce Imoen and than go on from there.

 

Once you start playing for a while, you won't be able to stop. In fact if it wasn't for the "your character doesn't have to eat, but you do!" load screens, I probably wouldn't be typing this right now.
Anyway, my advice is to try and do quests one at a time, that way your brain doesn't overload from the mind-numbingly vast amounts of quests, monsters, characters etc.

 

Now...just listen to these words of wisdom in these posts, all the way...
I have to say, Planescape:Torment was the first game to really draw me in, and BGII was the one where I really learned how to play...those two games still are the two greatest games ever, for me. Sorry, I'm kinda drunk right now, but SOA is just so..yes, overwhelming at first, but it grows on you. Literally.

 

I now finally have goten in to the game and im loving it! Im addicted to it as well! *giggles in joy* Finally a worthy RPG!

 

@Mercury Star: Heh...I don't blame you. When I played the game first, I could make neither head nor tail of it. And that was just the TUTORIAL!

Keep in mind that I had never so much as heard of DnD, let alone played it, so I was in over my head. I didnt even play it for a couple of months after I got it, because I thought it was a boring game.

And look at me now, soloing it once every two weeks, when I'm not playing Tekken...

 

I remember when I was starting out - I hated the game. I didn't understand anything at all - I didn't even know where to go, what to do .. I was just confused. But after a while I kept pushing, and once I got past Irenicus' dungeon - boy, was I in for a ride!

 

Well I first played IWD2 so I was quite familiar to the Infinity Engine interface, but 2E rules really left me confused, as BG2 had no in-game help screen like IWD2 and I was totally confused, what was THAC0? How did the saves work at all?

My very first cleric PC was using darts (in SoA they COULD use normal darts only) as I read it has good attack/round. But needles to say, my THAC0 suffered greatly. Still I managed to beat Firkraag with that PC and a good group. When I told this to my friend (he could only kill Firkraag with cloudkill cheese) he grinned, did not believe that I killed him with darts Ofcourse I have killed him with Holy Smites, and he had to believe when he saw my cool screenshot, with Firkraag falling to the holy power of my dart-throwing cleric!

Later I became addicted to 2E rules, found TONS of 2E stuff on the net, learned every detailed rule, and left spiffy 3E for good.

Finished SoA a couple of times, ToB only once, and now I finished heavily modded (extra crispy) SoA AND taking my chance on Ascension ToB, along with many minor mods to enhance the challenge nad fun. This game is a marvel, and mods make it even better IMHO, at least for fairly experienced players.

Thanks for reading.