Just wanted to create another "Tell me about your experiences in SoA"-thread.
So here are my questions:
On your first run through the game
1.) what was the first battle you felt overpowered in (i.e. had to reload several times to find the right tactics). I'll take anything from the pocket plane Mephits or the Mistress' room Golems to Glacias or TorGal.
2.) what was the first major enchanted item you bought (at the Adventurer's mart I suppose)

1. I'd have to say Cambion in Irenicus' Dungeon (Seriously) [img]tongue.gif[/img]
2. The Heartseeker Bow.

Tough first battle was with a certain rude dwarf and his friends in the Den of Seven Vales. It's amazing how easy that battle seems now after playing it so many times.

First big ticket item I got my first game were the Bracers AC 4. I was much too concerned about my mages AC back then [img]smile.gif[/img]

The mephits in the plane alright, you nailed that one.

And Girdle of Hill Giant Strength.

OMG! easy :(
the slumber thunks (aka umber hulks) in nalia's dungeon/basement. my entire party was dazed and confused and beating each other up. i thought i would never ever figure out a way around them. even with the *SPOILER* way of distracting them once you get them back in the jail cell, i had NO way of figuring out how to get back there without them seeing me.


well, i got the CE version with both Deirdre and Joluv (from pre-ordering) and was playing the day of release. there was NO help back then [img]smile.gif[/img] none of us knew what was what. i think it took me ages to even figure out there was an Adventurer's Mart.
but i saved every gold piece (even the gps that crazy thief throws at you in the Temple of Ilmater) so i could get myself the Blade of Roses +3. *blushes* i even delayed paying off the shadow thieves/vampires so that i could buy that thing. yes. i coveted it.

V***V

The Beastmaster. In my first game I really did not understand how to work magic so I was really handicapped there. Second my entire party was hurt and tired having been slapped around by the slaver guards. Suddenly we were being attacked by eight animals and the Beastmaster’s arrows mowing us down one by one. It took me forever to realize I could take care of some of the animals before talking to the Beastmaster.

Currently I have the improved Copper Coronet from the tactics mod and usually I take care of beastie boy, solve the sewer riddle and take out the slaver compound before resting for the night. It’s amazing what some tactics can accomplish.

I truthfully don’t remember what my first big purchase was but I suspect it was the Blade of Roses +3. nice sword but now I only seem to buy it when my PC is a monk.

Yeh the Seven Vales one was tough, but then again I didn't HAVE to really go after them, I guess...

The first one that really stuck in my mind was the sewer gang - I mean they didn't even give me a chance to run away to prepare, and I sure wasn't going to let them get away with intimidating me, so I had to fight on the spot... my reloads primarily involved "sensing something amiss down here, so we better prepare some powerful spells *just in case we run into a nasty gang*"...

...I think I first bought back a wand of cloudkill... either that or it must have been the bracers ac3, they were relatively cheap

[ 05-26-2003, 02:14 AM: Message edited by: Mahlennacht ]

1.) what was the first battle you felt overpowered in (i.e. had to reload several times to find the right tactics). I'll take anything from the pocket plane Mephits or the Mistress' room Golems to Glacias or TorGal.

Can't remember the first bad fight I had, but I certainly do remember the most stupid one. It was at the de'Arnise keep, where I decided to fight two healthy umber hulks with my main character alone. Forgot to let Jaheira cast Chaotic Commands on him, went on and summoned a few creatures to distract the monsters. The two cobold commandos that appeared DID distract them - for about one second. The following was quite obvious: got confused, stumbled around like a drunk squirrel and had a meeting with my Dad four turns later... Last hit I took was a critical one, doing 52 points of damage (I really should have worn a helmet...)

2.) what was the first major enchanted item you bought (at the Adventurer's mart I suppose)

The girdle that boosts your strength to 19 (can't remember the exact name)

1.) Depends on what character I'm playing. With an archer, my first hard fight is that in de'Arnise Keep with the golems.
2.) Girdle of Hill Giant Strength

Well, Id done BG1 so I new what I was doing, although I hadnt bothered to learn BG1s magic, so BG2s was a nightmare. But with a tomed-up fighter PC, no biggy for a while. Irenicus Dungeon was easy. Had to reload on illyich, once. De'arnise was routine. Planar sphere was routine, cept for the tanar'i. No, it was the shadow dragon that made me sweat. Took me a dozen retries to get him, but he eventualy fell. Firkraag was easy, by then Id read up on the cheese.

First major item was probably the staff of rynn +4 for jaheria. For some reason I always used staffs for her.