First of all I want to say that BG2 is a SERIOUSLY GOOD GAME. End of story.
But there are a few things that I find annoying, so maybe this is a good place to start a debate. The aim isn't to tear down BG2, just to point out the deficiencies...


1. "xxx" failed to copy spell to spell book..
Yeah right - like I don't save before I make the attempt to write the spell to the spell book. So the whole bit about failing or succeeding is a bit pointless - anyone agree? Everytime you fail to write the spell, you just reload your saved game - so why have this 'functionality' built in?

2. Who thought up the original proficiency points for Minsc, Aerie etc?
Why does Minsc a ++Two handed sword and a ++Dual weapon??? Duh?

Anyone else bugged by something?

Minsc has points into dual weild because he is a ranger and thy natuarrally have points into it. The spell book thing is there because some players serously play all the rules and they dont reaload.


Ps. if you toned down the setting to i think easy you dont ever not memorize a spell

You can set the game difficulty to normal if you want to learn spell without error. If you do this, also your characters will gain max HP when they advance a level.

And for minsc, Minsc is a huge guy so he's specialized with 2 handed. But because of his ranger class he automatically gains 2 slots in dual wielding.

You can set the game difficulty to normal if you want to learn spell without error. If you do this, also your characters will gain max HP when they advance a level.

And for minsc, Minsc is a huge guy so he's specialized with 2 handed. But because of his ranger class he automatically gains 2 slots in dual wielding.

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"A silent blade does not cut always best..
But a burst of flame from the heart will warm the deepness of my friends and will burn our unholy enemies.."

-Archmagi Of Six

I found irritating that most weapons and armors, unlike in BG1, have strenght minimum scores required. Look at the bows, for example. I thought only a good dexterity was enough to wield Heartseeker +3, but instead, it required a strenght score of 18. In BG1, Viconia could wear a plate mail and some light weapons, but in BG2 she can't, even if she does not become overloaded.

Here's another one I forgot to mention.

I created a thief and MAXED OUT his pickpocket abilities.
Now I figured that the thief (who has v. poor fighting abilities/armour class) could then make himself useful by making loads of cash to buy armour/weapons for the other party members.

In other words, he offsets his poor combat abilities by beefing up the other party members.

But! It turns out that the more times you pickpocket, the less chances you have of succeeding. Eventually, somewhere in chapt 2, I couldn't pickpocket ANYONE without getting caught anymore... That made him useless - so I had to restart the game...

Talking about bows, in Irenicus' dungeon, you find a lot of goblin archers who have composite long bows, which in turn require a strenght score of 18! I just can't believe those pesky goblins have at least 18 str... http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/no.../ugone2far.gif

Kitty http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/no...es/nibble6.gif

I found a lot of the Athkatla quests were annoying, when to complete them you had to go to about four different areas. Like Jan's quest. Back and forth from slums to government to slums etc. And I find Irenicus's dungeon almost puts me off starting new games it's so boring.

strength requirements on bows indicate the strength needed to draw the bow... which equates to more damage when the arrow hits home. At least in PnP DnD.

skunk I never experienced what you said about getting worse and worse at pick pocketing. Maybe the targets got harder and harder to pick pocket? If you really wanna steal just keep pumping more into it and ALWAYS use a potion of master thievery. If you do this you can still like CRAZY. First thing you steal is a potion of master thievery and you don't have to worry about wasting them. Even into ToB I was stealing like mad with no problems. In fact it started taking the fun out of it in some ways cuz I was literally taking every item a shopkeeper had...

Skunk, made me think of a question to those that read this, has anyone ever gotten through 'soa' playing by strict core rules? I've tried 3 time now, and have always lost to many npc's permanently, just doesn't seem possible...*sigh*

Skunk, I'm one of those ppl that like to play by the rules so if I don't memorize a spell, then my my npc or main character can be heard cursing up a storm...http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/no...iles/smile.gif To me this game isn't about soloing, you have to create a god char that becomes boring and you miss out on the intended fun and interation of the game. Struggling is part of the fun!

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To quote the pestering peasant, Neeber, of tradesmeet: "I killed a rabid rabbit! I'm experienced, now!"

[This message has been edited by IrishHound (edited 09-10-2001).]

I play by the D&D rules because the 'normal' setting makes it tooo easy (ie always full hp at level up etc).

Soooo... changing to the easy 'normal' gameplay is not an option i want to explore. I have completed the game once with pure D&D rules - the only exception was that i don't expect failing to write down a spell. That was the only time i ever reloaded (i did lose a couple of people along the way though...)

I confirm that, on two separate games with a pickpocket MAXED out, his skills eventually become all but useless (you have to pickpocket everyone in sight - probably around 150 times before this starts to happen). It gets to the stage that even with the pickpocket gloves AND the potion of master thievery, he always get caught - even when pickpocteting 'Commoners'!

I also agree with Aelia Jusa's comment about the 'to and fro' from area to area in the city. Ughhhh!
And as for starting a new game in Irenicus's dungeon - arghhhh. I hate it sooo much that I have kept a few saves (of different class protagonists)at the point where he has just left the dungeon - so I never have to start there again either. As Lilacor (talking sword) would say: "Boring, Boooring!"

Hey Zoltan: As for Minsc, starting out with two dual weapons points because he is a ranger -OK, i can understand it - but why didn't he then turn to longswords or (because of his strength) to Hammers or Axes? He could have then capitalised on the dual wielding. Face it, if you had the Minsc charactor and were dual classing, would you let two proficiency points go to waste? Neither would I...

Irish hound:
You said:
"Skunk, I'm one of those ppl that like to play by the rules so if I don't memorize a spell, then my my npc or main character can be heard cursing up a storm... To me this game isn't about soloing, you have to create a god char that becomes boring and you miss out on the intended fun and interation of the game. Struggling is part of the fun!"

If you're playing by strict D&D rules, then you can never reload a saved game because you did not like the outcome of a battle...
So are you saying that everytime your main charactor is killed you re-start the entire game? I find this hard to believe... or maybe you are 'selective' about how strict you are too...

Loss of proficiency points when you dual class.

How about this one. You start as a fighter and put pro. points in longsword and dual weapons. Then dual class as a thief.

Now you lose all the previously spent points and allocated four new ones... Why?
How did my charactor suddenly forget how to wield a sword? This would be a great way to reform criminals - just turn them all into plumbers and carpenters and they will immediately forget how to hold a gun, make a bomb etc...

Why not allow you to keep the previous proficiency points but not allow you to have any more until your new class overtook the old one?

I wonder if there is a global variable that rises with each pickpocket.. Conceivably, if so, you could reset it in Shadowkeeper and continue stealing. Just a thought

NPC proficiancy... The only NPC's in the game with duel weild prof are Minsc and Hear'Dalis... Minsc needs 2 handed weapon prof instead of mace and Hear'Dalis needs to be *shot* and his Duel weild prof points trasfered to Anomen or Jahiera instead of sling and club respectivly.