Newbie BG1 player questions!

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I agree with "Barmy Army", just try the original.

EoU isn't a neccessity, I played my game without it.

You might want to install "maxHP" or "flawless spell learning" if you usually reload when having bad luck, but I don't think a skilled player like you benefits from an easier game (unless you play "no reload").

You don't need higher stacking.
Bows are very powerful in BG1 and if arrows get even cheaper and don't use up inventory space the weapon balance suffers.

About the "ring of wizardry":

You have to fight hard to get one in chapter5, the one you can find at the beginning is just a cheesy hidden easter-egg you have to stumble upon, worth more money than you'll ever have during the first part of the game. If you sell it you can suddenly equip your party very well so that the beginning will be just a piece of cake.
If you want to be able to get the ring for free just don't install the official patch before entering the FAI area for the first time.

My advice: forget anything you've heard about BG1 before, delete your walkthroughs, avoid spoilers and try roleplaying a "no reload" (or as few reloads as possible) game.
I did this with IWD2 and it was the best gaming experience I ever had with an IE game.
You only get this chance on your first try, use it, it will never be the same again.
In BG it's not neccessary to squeeze out every item,XP and GP by reloading and trying out each possible option or using walkthroughs, many quests stayed unsolved in my IWD2 game but this didn't spoil the fun for me.

You can post how far you got without dying and when you had to reload during the game and other impressions you got.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd love to read how a skilled but unspoiled player makes his way through the game.

[ December 03, 2006, 13:55: Message edited by: kmonster ]

 

The most common school of thought seems to be that you should experience the game once without mods. I don't agree with this, personally. The first playthrough of the game is always special, and an experience that you won't be able to replicate, and as such I think it's worth making it the best possible. I'd say it's more worth concerning over "will I accidentally install something that wrecks my experience?" (a first time player installing DSotSC) than "maybe I should experience the game in its original glory".

 

Games like NWN need mods, lots of them, but Baldur's Gate isn't that kind of game, it may need a patch, but otherwise it's perfect, why use something that may ruin it?
It's like watching the DVD versions of the old Star Wars movies and not seeing the originals .

And IMHO, BG mods should only be used when you've played it over many times and are in need of something new to your experience.

 

Oh my, Silverstar as a "newbie"

I think you do well running BG1 first time vanilla. Only way to get authentic game play experience, after that you can install all the bells and whistles you want.

As for the RoW, you don't actually need it to complete the game. Or you can use GK to get one instead as patching after you find one. Both ways are equally lame IMHO.

 

Kmonster, Trellheim, Anjo, OK, you totally convinced me!

I will only get the official patch for this maiden adventure. It will be GREAT FUN! I know nothing about the game, save a few names I heard here and there:Some evil mage named Davaeorn or what, and ofcourse villains which re-appeared in BG2:Sarevok, Angelo, Tazok etc. And I know most NPCs but do not know where/how to find them, ofcourse, save I know Immy joins at the start (typical) and that Jaheira&Khalid is in an inn somewhere. Wow, I will see Khalid alive, this is going to be rich! Not to mention Minsc and his original witch! Oh this all fills me with excitement!

 

BG1 rules .

I, personally, think it's a finer game than BG2. It's got a better storyline and feels like it had more blood and sweat poured into it than the sequel. BG2 is just more 'polished' and shows a bit more experience.

 

Yeah. It's tough to be the sequel

 

Truly, I always hear that BG1 is better than BG2. I then get confused. 'How it is possible, as BG2 is the best game I ever played!' Looks like I will finally find the answer myself!

 

While I agree with you that BG1 is indeed a great game, I just can't agree with you that it is a better one than BG2. A matter of personal taste, me guess. Althought it is true that I haven't yet finished BG1, and this is currently under the way. And yet, so far, it hasn't convinced me to be better than BG2. Yet, if I would be to evaluate them both, BG2 would get 98%, and BG1 would get 93%. So, not much of a difference

So Silverstar, looks like we will be playing BG1 together I to am playing it currently, it's just that I'm already in chapter five, and am playing with paladin. I to play just the vanilla game, because I want to experience it just the way it was meant to be. So, hope you will enyoj it as much as I am I deliberatly choosed the party for which BG2 assumes that was with you in BG1, that is, Imoen, Jaheira, Khalid, Minsc and Dynaheir, and I must say, while it isn't the most powerful, I'm having loads of fun with it, and so far hadn't had any big problems. Do keep us posted how your progressing

 

I'm kinda intrigued by this "experience it the way it was meant to be" stuff. I find it confusing that so much weight is attributed to the divine perfection of the people who brought us Bondari and the Chinchilla.

 

Well, I can't speak to that, but for my part of the advice, it's about replayability. Going modless the first time means you have more ways to add something new for the replays.

So something in BG2 is supposed to make us think they screwed up in BG1?

 

Heh, nice try, but BG1 is full of Larryls and Darryls too.

 

Well, they like to throw in their little 'Easter eggs' now and again. A bit of comic relief, like.

 

Nice Mordokai, if nothing goes wrong, I will be playing BG1 this weekend. Though I really do not know what kind of party I will have. There are SO MANY NPCs around, far more than those in BG2. I will ofcourse take Immy, and I think I want to see Jaheira/Khalid, but I am not sure about the last couple. NPC couples can not be seperated, right? Unless something very unfourtunate occurs to one, hehe anyways, I guess I will look at the other NPCs, I will meet most of them first time, so....any suggestions?

 

Silverstar: grab them as you see them, try them out and dump the ones you dont like, and alot of the ones you do like just to try out some more. First game you are doomed to be curious about each one.

Hint, Imoen will never ever run away, khalid and jaheira will run away fromgroup if dismissed after chapter 2 is done.

 

@Sim: I think part of it may be that playing in the 'intended way' gives you a kind of base level which allows you to judge whether a mod's contribution is good for you of not. If you start off modded, you can't be totally sure what was from the mod and what wasn't. Just a thought.

 

@Silverstar:

Why don't you try with the classical party of you, Imoen, Khalid, Jaheira, Minsc, and Dynaheir like some others suggested?

That way you can see what they are rambling about in BG2.

And it is an okay party. Khalid and Minsc are good fighters, Jaheira can be that too with the right equipment, Imoen is the best thief in the game because you get her so early, and Dynaheir while lacking charm and sleep spells is not a bad mage, just not the best.

You won't need a cleric that bad, usually Jaheiras few healing spells is enough since there is no lack of healing potions.

Personally I agree with the others who suggest you go for an unmodded game the first time through. The graphics is not that bad for a game that old. And how can you know how the original game is, if you not try it unmodded one time?

But if I was you I wouldn't equip all members of the party with missile weapons. They are so powerful in BG1, and will rip your enemies to shreds sometimes even before they realize you are there. It is so ridiculously easy that it smells of cheese. It is more fun to let your spellcasters have at them with the right strategy.

And you are an experienced guy so I can't see you getting into trouble by following that suggestion.

 

I don't recommend the "classical" party.

Imoen has great stats.
Jaheira is the first healer you meet, great looking but her stats are bad and a cleric makes the game far easier.
Khalid can become very powerful on the other hand.
Minsc is not even proficient in bow and you don't need Dyaheir if you play a mage yourself.

The TotSC default party is PC fighter, Imoen, Minsc, Jaheira, Viconia and Edwin, but I don't recommend it either.

Just play along and decide whom to take when you meet the NPCs, changing your party and trying out the NPCs isn't a bad thing.

You might be forced to change your party anyway since NPCs aren't immortal. You can't afford to be too picky.

It's no use planning the optimal party when you might not meet the NPC you wanted at all or realize how unbearable he is when you meet him.
Do this when you're using a walkthrough or replaying.

 

OK that's sound advice as always. I will play like a total noob, away from spoilers and walkthroughs. I even suspect I can find all the NPCs, so I will take people as I find them, or when I need them badly, or when I like them at first sight.

 

If you have already a full party you can dismiss Imoen while having the NPC join so you can look as his stats, background, special abilities and his inventory.
Imoen will always come back. Other dismissed party members will leave if they are unhappy because of your reputation.