I started again TS, in order to test some new strategies, and/or cimponenents,

At the beginning I didn't know, with what PC should I play, so look he dilemma step by step

1.step: deciding the characters allignment: TS is doable with evil PC-s too, but because romancing good alligned PC-s will require in RPG style good, or neutral alligned characters.

2. step:deciding he characters class(es): Ts provides 4 NPC-s, one fighter-mage, one thief (possibility do dualclass to fighter, but not neccesserally recommened), one ranger-priest, and one ranger. So, do the math, this is 3(4) fighter, 1 Mage, 1 Priest, 1 thief. To do a full party to BG, you will need 3(4) fighters, 2 mages(to TS is preferably 3 Mages), 2 Clerics, and one thief, so to the remaining two place is required one mage, one priest, from one of those is multi(dualclassed with fighter). Let's see the possibly strategies.

2/a
Kachiko (and other dualclassed fihter-mages) in my controlling are worthy for at least two fighters, if not more, so I din't needed the fourth fighter. She will go for dualwielded Katana (with shadowkeepering her weaponprofs) testing Wu-Haltai+WuJen blades (until that Celestial fury)(without testing they should be upgraded to +4/+3

Sime Her place is also unqestionable in any of my TS teams, even if the Protagonist wouldn't romance her, because her fighter-priest style is very preferable, and with her Ironskin can throw Clay Golems away from the other partymembers, who didn't use crushing weapons.
(Three things about Sime:
a: her joining XP shoulld be around the PC-s XP, not her one class lvl depending the PC-s lvl, just because when she joined to my 500k XP character, Sime had 1.5M XP (and the lvl-s were the same), and I must CLUaing her XP down, to do some rebalancing.
b: her HLA-ing should be beginning at 3mXP, along with other NPC-s, not earlier.
c: her innate skills should be extremelly turned down, just because they are extremelly powerful. I didn't use them, because the lack of need, but to a less experienced TS player those Sime-abilities would be too overpowered

Yoshimo In the TS mod he will get an incredibilly good leather armor, 2 very good Katanas, so the only question with Yoshi is, that dualclass him to fighter, or not. I wouldn't do that.
(One thing about his "second" Katana:
Its mind shielding ability should be replaced with one extra attack/round, so he could have 3 attack/round as thief, or 5 attack/round as a dualclassed fighter (above the required maximum * of Katana skill, and two weapon skill)

Valygar The single class warrior in the party, preferably go to gr Whirl+Hardiness, until that use the brightest scale of weapons he can learn, with maximum dualwielding (starting with Katana+Longsword to go for personal Katana+daystar)
(One thing with Valygar:
his amulet could be have more "stalkerish" ability(ies) rather it has now)

So, they are the fix party members, and check the possibilities, we have.

2/b
Mage protagonist, and (fighter)cleric NPC-One possibility, in that case the Cleric should be Viccy, or Annoyman. But Valygar would battle vith Annoyman for he PC, didn't recommend it, if we are romancing Valygar

Fighter protagonist, and Priest-Mage multiclassed NPC- The second possibility,with Aerie as the fifth NPC. But we have enough fighters, it isn't that necessary, and another hindrance, Aerie wouldn't have much "backline" spells at late.

Priest protagonist, and (fighter)Mage NPC- The third possibility with (depending the allignment) Edwin/Imoen as backup mages.

(2/c)

If we played with TS at leas one time, check he possibilities for permanent ability improving without sacrificing some inventoryslots:
the check for SOA

SPOILER!


So, let see what we have: for the good path the best a some sort of priestess, with Imoen as the "backline" mage, and for the Evil path some sort of figther, with Aerie, or some fighter-priest with Edwin.
I, because I will play with good, or neutral allignment, and because I can't have Imoen let loose back, will choose the first possibility.

So, check on the USB-drives character library, I found THE chance for Valygar, a druidess (a druid probably will get along with a ranger), a half-elven totemist, my first character, who used a lvl6 spell in BG 1.

So, there is Emilia, possibly before the final battle with Irenicus.
Her black studded armor is shadow dragon scale, he red cloak is cloak of prot. +2, her buckler is holy buckler of amaunator, the green, venomous aura with her scimitar is the Water's Talon, or if not venomus aura, the low-mid magic aura is Belm, her moon tattoo is after she defeated Faldorn, other things are not for seen...





The picture is after recruiting Valygar. I didn' played much after that, but noticed Val requested Merella's Journal, so probably the romance would start. I didn't made the temple ruins for now.

Here is my weidu.log, almost the minimum mods with TS

// Log of Currently Installed WeiDU Mods
// The top of the file is the 'oldest' mod
// ~TP2_File~ #language_number #component_number // [Subcomponent Name -> ] Component Name [ : Version]
~SETUP-EASE.TP2~ #0 #0 // Infinite Weapon, Potion and Ring/Amulet Stacking
~SETUP-EASE.TP2~ #0 #2 // Multi-Class Grand Mastery
~SETUP-EASE.TP2~ #0 #3 // True Grand Mastery (extra half-attack, etc.) (Baldurdash)
~SETUP-EASE.TP2~ #0 #6 // Wear Magical Armor AND Magic Rings (etc.)
~SETUP-EASE.TP2~ #0 #10 // XP Cap Remover
~SETUP-EASE.TP2~ #0 #12 // Turn Off The Hideous Cloak-of-Mirroring and Spell-Trap Animation
~SETUP-EASE.TP2~ #0 #13 // Unlimited Bag of Holding (Blucher)
~SETUP-EASE.TP2~ #0 #15 // Bonus Merchants (Baldurdash)
~SETUP-EASE.TP2~ #0 #17 // No Drow Avatars On Party In Underdark
~SETUP-DUNGEONBEGONE.TP2~ #0 #0 // Dungeon Be Gone V1.6
~SETUP-ITEMUPGRADE.TP2~ #0 #0 // Shadows Of Amn Item Upgrades
~SETUP-ITEMUPGRADE.TP2~ #0 #1 // Throne Of Bhaal Item Upgrades
~SETUP-BDTOBV166.TP2~ #0 #2 // BONUS MERCHANTS. These are the two bonus merchants from the original BioWare Collector’s Edition CD.
~SETUP-BDTOBV166.TP2~ #0 #5 // Improved Nymph (Woodland Being) Script by Goeran Rimen
~SETUP-BDTOBV166.TP2~ #0 #6 // Dual Wielding Fix for Rogues by aVENGER
~SETUP-BDTOBV166.TP2~ #0 #7 // Baldurdash Fix Pack for ToB, v1.66 WeiDU
~SETUP-TS.TP2~ #0 #0 // TORTURED SOULS v7.02
~SETUP-TS.TP2~ #0 #1 // ANIMATIONS. Please don't install this component if you have already installed OR are going to install the NEVER ENDING JOURNEY 2.
~SETUP-TS.TP2~ #0 #2 // GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE (GUI). This component adds new GUI to your original BG2. Please don't install this component if you have already installed OR are going to install the NEVER ENDING JOURNEY 2.
~SETUP-TS.TP2~ #0 #3 // AREAS & SOUNDS. This component is required to play the mod.
~SETUP-SOLAUFEIN.TP2~ #0 #0 // Solaufein Romance for Baldur's Gate II (SoA & ToB)


The EoU components was compaible wih my earlier playes, along with DBG, and IU. I installed 1.66, and TS almost at the end, because TS 7.02 isn't installable above 1.67, so I can't test that too.

The romance actually starts when the Shade Lord is defeated, so I would suggest to do that quest right away

http://forums.blackwyrmlair.net/index.php?...ost&p=40853

I post this again since you are installing with Solaufein. The conflict with Sime's romance may go beyond the dialogs. SPRITE_IS_DEADSOLA ? may be something you will have to look out for and change if Romancing Sime. Otherwise, that could make the whole Ust Natha hostile very early.

Have fun!

I finished SOA, and reached pre WK (after Saradush), with 4.5m XP

The new experiences so far...

Emilia: It was an extremelly good choice, to take her in to is play, because, during Vals amulet, she reached WIS 25 at the end of SOA. She is TRULLY a Grand Druid, especially she reached 3m XP. She has 12*1-5 lvl spell, 11*6lvl spell, and 8*7 lvl spell, and she didn't reached the TOB druid ring yet. She has trully so much summons, that no mage, or mages has the neccessary summonkiller spell. And figures, that Elemental lich likes a lot creeping doom...

Imoen: The dialogue problem ocurred again, and I probably figured, that TS 7.02 didn't copied Imoen's dialogue file properly. NOw, that my PC isn't a 400 HP Barbarian-Mage, Imoen has more important rule in the party as backup mage (many spellprot disruptation spells..., and chain con (gr.mal+2*ADHW))

Yoshimo: It hasn't ocurred any problem with he, and with his equipment (Mourner armor, Blade of NIght, Yoshi katana +3) he is better, than a swashbuckler with sh.drag.scale+celes+daystar, but especially against fire giants, he desperrally needs Ibaratha as a backup weapon, because his 110 HP, without other proper protection is very low. My further recommendation to Yoshi Katana +3 still stands, so it would better, to give the Katana +1 attack.

Kachiko: Se hasn't any "game"problems, only the known one: She is extremelly powerful as a kensai mage, to do any weapontests. I had only one problem, with the Wu Haltai-WuJen katanas, Wen I forgot, that Kachiko has these weapons, I lost 3 Cure Serious wounds, when I realized the weapons, so it would be better, to make WuJens immunity only against enemy spells.

Valygar: As a stalker he doesn't ad any surprise to me, but his romance is very good, and I laughed a lot on some of the lovetalks, especially on the first drow talk (mistress <Charname>... ). His ((or properly said his mothers) amulet is good, but the +50 lore is maybe too high.

SIme: There wasn't any surprise, or compatibility issue on Sime, maybe only one. The whole game's hardest thing was turning down her, especially on THE Evening...,

Some of the items could be changed, or modified, because on many playes, there wasn't any time, that I needed to wear them:
These Items are:
-Elfbone ring of Kiran Hai
-Scarab of goodwill
-Mistery of dead (the PWK Immune shield)
-All the robes, besides Robe of Armory
-Cynicysm
-Pestilent dawn