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Thorfinn · 03-11-2003, 06:47 PM

Yes and no. Depends on the number of people in the party. If you are trying to go through with 3-4 or less, it is nice to be able to consolidate a bunch of these items. Some items are only marginally worth the inventory slot, and combining them gives them new life. Obviously consolidating all those thief items if Jan is your main thief may not be the best idea.

I thought the item upgrades made a nice change of pace. Those +3 spears are no longer just a source of cash. It addded to the later game tactical choices, increasing the variety and replayability, and made up for some bad weapon prof choices some NPCs made, like Jaheira's specialization in clubs.

I'm still a little disappointed in the game's magical weapons. Whether you are talking PnP or the standard fantasy literature, the bulk of the really special weapons were (what the game would call) longswords or hand-and-a-half swords, and to a lesser extent, two-handed swords. And I'm sure most players come from a background of fantasy literature or RPGs, and brought that image along with them.

I do agree with you that it might have been nice to be able to accumulate the components to produce belts, particularly since for some reason, the designers decided that some more general purpose items, like the golden girdle, are available only as a part of a stronghold quest, available only to certain classes. It would have been nice to be able to fabricate a Jaheira only anti-curse, anti-poison item out of her lock of hair. I also agree that it would have been nice to be able to take a "cash" sword, like Ilbratha, and add to the number of mirror images, and maybe even the plusses, or something of the like, though the engine appears to make that a little difficult -- it appears each upgraded item must have a distinct name and stats, not just some base to which you can add qualities.

I just find it a little sad as I browse through the list of magical items in the Copper Coronet by the end of the game and think of all the effort that went into all those items I never even considered using -- their history, their definition, their placement, and all. Kondar, the Adventurer's Robe, Skin of the Ghoul, Hangard's Axe, Wyvern's Tail, not to mention the dozens of "normal" +2 weaponry...

Overall, yeah, there are things I would have liked to see done differently, but I understand that there are game-type limitations that have put severe restrictions on the game modders.

03-11-2003, 06:47 PM	#3
Thorfinn Zhentarim Guard Join Date: February 24, 2003 Location: Indiana Age: 62 Posts: 358	Yes and no. Depends on the number of people in the party. If you are trying to go through with 3-4 or less, it is nice to be able to consolidate a bunch of these items. Some items are only marginally worth the inventory slot, and combining them gives them new life. Obviously consolidating all those thief items if Jan is your main thief may not be the best idea. I thought the item upgrades made a nice change of pace. Those +3 spears are no longer just a source of cash. It addded to the later game tactical choices, increasing the variety and replayability, and made up for some bad weapon prof choices some NPCs made, like Jaheira's specialization in clubs. I'm still a little disappointed in the game's magical weapons. Whether you are talking PnP or the standard fantasy literature, the bulk of the really special weapons were (what the game would call) longswords or hand-and-a-half swords, and to a lesser extent, two-handed swords. And I'm sure most players come from a background of fantasy literature or RPGs, and brought that image along with them. I do agree with you that it might have been nice to be able to accumulate the components to produce belts, particularly since for some reason, the designers decided that some more general purpose items, like the golden girdle, are available only as a part of a stronghold quest, available only to certain classes. It would have been nice to be able to fabricate a Jaheira only anti-curse, anti-poison item out of her lock of hair. I also agree that it would have been nice to be able to take a "cash" sword, like Ilbratha, and add to the number of mirror images, and maybe even the plusses, or something of the like, though the engine appears to make that a little difficult -- it appears each upgraded item must have a distinct name and stats, not just some base to which you can add qualities. I just find it a little sad as I browse through the list of magical items in the Copper Coronet by the end of the game and think of all the effort that went into all those items I never even considered using -- their history, their definition, their placement, and all. Kondar, the Adventurer's Robe, Skin of the Ghoul, Hangard's Axe, Wyvern's Tail, not to mention the dozens of "normal" +2 weaponry... Overall, yeah, there are things I would have liked to see done differently, but I understand that there are game-type limitations that have put severe restrictions on the game modders.