Just Discovered IA and TBW! =P Options

[Overlord]

Greetings All,
I have been playing the IE based games for a little under a year now, and have been having a blast since. Now that I have played through most of the basic games, I have started to dive into the BG2 and BGTutu mod communities. Now from what I hear, IA is supposedly the "ULTIMATE" BG Challenge. So, I thought it would be best if I posted here to introduce myself, and find out a little bit about IA, and the TBWL Community.

First off, I have noticed there is a bunch of controversy and back and forth talk between the G3 and TBWL Communities when it comes to their respective mods and fixes to the game. I would like to start out by saying that I don't intend on criticizing anyone according to their work, or their affiliation. I am just here to have fun and make friends, =P.

Now, I have come here to find out where I should start after I have played the original games of BG, and want to spice up the game play. Where should I start? What mods and fix packs/tweak packs should I install first? I would really like to give IA a shot, but I want to make sure that my install is completely compatible and I have all the extras I am going to need to make playing IA the most fun. Any input on this subject would be greatly appreciated.

From what I have seen and heard, It seems that Sikret has some very nice work on this site, and a lot of people have recommended me to try out his mod list, and kits. So far they have been the most recommended. So, if anyone else has any opinions on where I should start. Let me know. Thanks a bunch everyone! Be safe!

[Baronius]

I'm glad to see you feel comfortable here, Overlord. Should you have any question, don't hesitate to ask. By the way, we also have Gaming Forums for discussions not related to our mods (such as "where can I find Kagain?"), so they can be used for any general gaming discussion about any Infinity Engine game.

Indeed, nowadays most players seem to prefer "easy" games, with less need for realism and challenge. More than a decade ago, everything was different. They weren't so terribly many games available as now, and most games were difficult. And they were good, very good. For example, I loved "The Lost Vikings", and of course a lot of other games as well. It's a pity that there seem to be so few players nowadays who look for challenge (and enjoy the challenge). Perhaps many of the players who now enjoy the ease of the current games did not play the old games at all in those times -- simply because they gave up. As far as the younger generation is concerned, nowadays they won't keep trying to advance in a harder game any more: they just put it aside, and choose another game. In older times, often there was no *other* game to be chosen. Players were much more persistent, I believe. And when they succeeded after 20 attempts, it was a relief and a feeling of real success. They gave it up less often than nowadays.

Same applies to mods, and to IE mods. As Sikret has said, many players make incorrect assumptions about the mod at the beginning (because they have no experience), and often blame the mod instead of admitting their own weakness. Of course, fun must be the most important, so if you don't enjoy something, you should stop playing it (stop trying to advance in it). However, blaming the game or mod for own weaknesses just reflects even more that someone isn't a good, keen player.

Excuses such as "enemies are five levels on me" are funny. They are similar to the comments I received about Grey Clan Episode One, i.e. that it has ToB-level enemies. Why is it a problem? What about the stories where the weaker defeated the stronger? Not with strength, of course. With tricks, wit, intelligence. The bonus of players is their intelligence against the powers of artificial enemies.

But thinking is always effort, and it's always easier to choose another game/mod than undertaking the effort. What I call "stats gaming" just makes it worse. Many players prefer checking creature, item etc. features in a game editor program. It's OK of course (everyone is curious, especially at the beginning when the possibility of checking stats is very tempting), but when statistics are used to form an opinion about a game or mod, it isn't beneficial any more. Unfortunately, some mod makers seem to support this viewpoint (stats above all, rules above all) which may influence players even more.

Why can't a game or mod be imagined as a "black box", which only has one output: "gaming experience". Sure, do check the statistics, but try to form your opinion based on what you experience in-game. The term "power-gaming" can often be heard nowadays -- what about "stats gaming"?

An attribute (such as Hit Points or Damage) is just a raw numerical value, it isn't the *unit* of gaming experience or even balance. (Not even balance, because balance has more to do with the the relativeness of these values than with the values themselves.) A rule system requires such stuff, it's a required but unpleasant thing. For example, it may ruin the gaming experience for me. I couldn't play BG and BG2 (even if I had time) any more with the same feeling as at the beginning. Not just because it isn't new, but also because I know what's in the "black box".

Ask from yourself: do I really want to know what's in that box?