8 - 10 level solo Options

[urizen]

I like a challenge, that's why I choose to play solo with a multi-class character. I have a lot of experience with tactics, cheesy ones and not so cheesy ones. The cheesiness of many tactics is a matter for debate though. I.e. my favorite current tactic: Chain contingency on helpless self > Project Image, simulacrum, (variable summon), then project image to trigger.

There are some tactics that I would just call "fun" that this mod completely removes as viable ways of beating some enemy's of the game:

1. Being invisible, hitting a mage who's casting truesight, then going invisible again does not do what you would expect. The enemies (usually hasted) follow and crowd your character no matter where you go. They don't attack, they just follow you. Not very realistic compared with the vanilla version of BG2 where they tend to wander aimlessly, just like someone really disappeared in front of them (allowing you to get behind them or off-screen).

2. area of effect spells are rendered completely useless by the mod since you can't hold or web the enemy (which most are now immune to), AND/OR you can't go truly invisible after casting these spells (see number 1).

3. Setting traps: I noticed that the enemies are immune to the spells for the high-level traps, couldn't they just take less damage or something? It makes getting your 20th level thief abilities seem pointless. I know it's unfair to set traps around a dragon and then talk to it, but there has to be a better way then nerfing the traps altogether.

4. Hitting and running away is pointless because of the extreme regeneration. Also if you are not a high level fighter with many hit's per round, you will see the enemy's HP going up faster then you can get it down.

This last one annoyed me the most, so I used NearInfinity to remove the regeneration effect from most of the non-dropable weapons with a "!" in them. Then there were some gauntlets that almost every enemy had due to the mod that grants regeneration and the effect was removed from this item as well.

Well, with all that tedious work, it still bothers me that a mage/thief is rendered almost useless because of the invisibility thing. This is a script that I would need to remove or change back to the originals however, and I don't want to remove ALL the challenges of IA, just the one's I mentioned above.

Any suggestions for modding this potentially interesting mod? Or should I just get all the fighters I can find into my party?

This post has been edited by urizen: Aug 26 2007, 07:11 PM

[Sikret]

I have a lot of experience with tactics, cheesy ones and not so cheesy ones. The cheesiness of many tactics is a matter for debate though. I.e. my favorite current tactic: Chain contingency on helpless self > Project Image, simulacrum, (variable summon), then project image to trigger.

This is the well-known cheesy method of creating 4 PIs and an army of summons. There is nothing debatble about its cheesiness and it's blocked in v4.3.

There are some tactics that I would just call "fun" that this mod completely removes as viable ways of beating some enemy's of the game

Yes, if you use thet term "fun" for those cheesy methods, then IA is not for you. My advice is to uninstall the mod.

1. Being invisible, hitting a mage who's casting truesight, then going invisible again does not do what you would expect. The enemies (usually hasted) follow and crowd your character no matter where you go. They don't attack, they just follow you. Not very realistic compared with the vanilla version of BG2 where they tend to wander aimlessly, just like someone really disappeared in front of them (allowing you to get behind them or off-screen).

As Shaitan mentioned, this has been discussed before. It's intentional to block some cheesy methods based on invisibility exploits.

2. area of effect spells are rendered completely useless by the mod

This is not true; many Area of Effect spells (such as "Emotion", "Chain Lightning", "Greater Command") are most useful. Some of them are even more useful than they were in the vanilla game (see the readme about "Greater Command", for example)

4. Hitting and running away is pointless because of the extreme regeneration.

The regenration rates are not extreme. They are just exactly high enough to block the hit&run cheese.

This last one annoyed me the most, so I used NearInfinity to remove the regeneration effect from most of the non-dropable weapons with a "!" in them. Then there were some gauntlets that almost every enemy had due to the mod that grants regeneration and the effect was removed from this item as well.

If you modify the mod (even for your personal use), you are on your own and should not send any reports to the forum if you encounter a problem.

Well, with all that tedious work, it still bothers me that a mage/thief is rendered almost useless because of the invisibility thing.

You need to learn better tactics rather than just becoming invisible and sneaking around if you intend to play this mod.

Any suggestions for modding this potentially interesting mod?

You are asking the wrong question. The right question would be:

"Any suggestions for helping an unskilled player to improve his skills?"

But you didn't ask the right question; so, alternatively, I suggest that you see the readme. This mod is primarily for tactical experts. Less experienced players can also play it provided that they have the patience to draw a learning curve for themselves and start to improve their tactical skills during the game. I think you had better uninstall it and save all of us a good deal of time.

Sorry, but I'm currently too busy with preparing the next version of the mod to have the time for such repetitive and pointless arguments. All of them have already been discussed and adequately replied to. Topic closed.

This post has been edited by Sikret: Jan 9 2008, 01:44 PM