What keeps you coming back?

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After you've already beat this game, what keeps you coming back and replaying it?

Some try soloing, but find it boring.

Some try different NPCs, or a different protagonist to spice things up.

Some try some mods to make the game harder, or to add new fun quests.

What do you do to make the game more interesting?

 

Mods, NPCs, and I'm working on my own NPC, so he should be fun.

I usually stop playing for a few months, then get a huge urge to play it.

 

New NPCs from multiplay and not playing for several months.

 

It's a good game. I don't really need anything to keep the game interesting, and could play the same format over and over if I wanted to. The changing tactical situations alone would keep me rapt. But I do try to change it up with new solo or party ideas (which I have in spades) or mod NPCs. I'm not sure I'll ever need to actually use plot or difficulty mods.

 

I come back after I've had enough of a break from it to have forgotten enough of the game to make it seem new and interesting again.

 

Boredom, and mods.

 

MODS!

Ofcourse, what would you expect from me?

I am proud to have the most-modded BG2 in history, and with only a few bugs too!

I tell you, all those mods made BG2 a new, unique, and much better game if I daresay.

 

Everybody is suggesting mods... which ones?

Also, which NPC mods are best?

 

I haven't played BG2 in a long time, but I've completed it ten-odd times, with different classes, alignments and party lineups. Roleplaying it in different ways is the thing.

The only mods I've ever tried were David Gaider's Five, Gromnir and Demogorgon difficulty improvements, which I played once through, and the pocket plane Bhaalspawn powers, which I had on two games.

I'll probably play it again some day, when enough time has passed. There are still classes and NPC combos I haven't tried. Mods don't hold much interest for me - I guess I'm a purist.

 

If you actually want an NPC who isn't a complete stick, I would suggest getting Kelsey and Tsujatha. Others I've heard that are also not sticks - Sarelith, Fade and Tashia. I prefer (contrary to most people) mods that add depth to the game instead of insane fights and 'correcting' AI (see Solaufein, Tactics, Ascension, etc.).

The Darkest Day was very fun, adding new areas and NPCs but buggy as hell. I could only complete 1 of the new quests. This may have changed with an updated version.

 

Trying out character builds doesn't appeal to me in 2E.

Soloing in 2E isn't really all that great, either, unless you're into high-level magic.

Mods rarely get close to official campaigns in quality and even then, they typically stand out because they don't blend in well with the rest of the game. I even wanted to make some myself and spent some time trying to learn how to, but I got over the idea. Before I would learn the BG2 modding thingies, NWN mods would be around, and then there's always NWN2 and other things on the horizon, so...

Higher difficulty? What for? Do I need to prove something?

So when I come back to it, it's probably like reading a book again. And so I rarely do.

 

For me...its the BG2 charm. There's something about BG2...something Bioware got right, which clicks with me somehow. No other game does that...not NWN, not IWD(1 or 2), not BG1, not Oblivion, not Morrowind..nothing.

Also...there is NO game that I know of that panders to my geeky inner-Mage as much as BG2 does. Layers and layers and layers of Magic, strategy and most importantly...POWER!!!

Umm yeah..that's what keeps me coming back to it...

 

Chevalier - I think you have summed up my sentiments better than I have been able to myself. I agree with everything you said! Spot on.

 

Finally figuring out how to get past game crippling or progress stopping bugs that all the latest patches/baldurdash doesn't fix.

 

Trying different characters and NPC's. And certainly mods - I would recommend Unfinished Business and Quest Pack.

Taking a break from the game really enhances the urge to come back, but what's most important is the great variety of this game compared to others.

 

yeh UB and quest pack, made me come back and some npc mod too

 

I agree with Faraaz, Bioware did not bungle this one!

I like the story itself, how you take an inexperienced kid from Candlekeep and turn him into the most powerful Bhaalspawn...

I am a compulsive restarter and I always come back to BG 2.

 

Mods that add difficulty and new fights, such as tactics, ascension, improved battles...they make the game all the new, exciting, and fun! I love them! I love trying to find different straegies for hardest battles available!

 

Playing through with Keto right now...she will be in every party I have from now on. She's - dare I say - delightful. And I hate bards.

In terms of which NPC mod adds the most to the game as far as story content goes, I'd have to say either Saerileth or Solafuein. Not a big fan of Sola's, though. Saerileth is well done.

Kelsey is a bit of a boring romance, IMHO - the guy's pretty wimpy, and doesn't add that much content to the game. However, he's a good guy, and the mod has its high points.

The only other ones I've played with are Yasarena, Nathaniel, Fade and Tsujatha (the later two in my current run-through, so not enough has happened yet to comment on them). Yasarena I found a bit bland, but she didn't talk much, and I get the feeling I missed a lot of dialogue somehow, as her story is very interesting, and warranted more detail. I love Nathaniel, but his story is a little too "real life" for BG2.

The biggest problem with most mods is that there's no ToB content. I'm a compulsive ToB player - to me, the story's not finished without it - so it's annoying to lose the NPC interaction after Irenicus. However, if you're on the ToB = Bad bandwagon, that won't matter to you. Saerileth, Solafeuin, and Kelsey all DO have ToB content.

I'm trying Beyond the Law, and possibly Kindred next time.

 

I'm still a bit of a newbie to these games, I have only been playing them a year or so. So I am still enjoying trying out different characters. I tend to be a bit heavy on the mellee side, so lately, I have been trying to work on my magic user skills. These games are just awesome.