Did the "I hate ToB" thread now move here
?
Started one of these myself after I had completed ToB. And I still don't really like the expansion.
I was really bugged by encountering dwarves or improved goblinoids that would have the same amount of HP as Lady Adalon.
And I never considered changing the difficulty levels an option. When I first played SoA (got to BG1 afterwards) I played Core Rules and had a pure Mage as PC. It was tough but I managed to complete the game without cheating and with just a little cheese. I'm still playing SoA but I do not raise the diff lvl. Why? Because I think that it would be extremely cheesy to give either the monsters or me attack and damage bonuses which are in no way justified by the AD&D rules.
ToB is certainly a lot more battle-based than SoA and has a shorter more linear plot with little sidequests. But keep in mind that ToB is not the third of three full-price games but an addition to the second.
As for the enemie's cheese. Cheese back!
IWD2 is IMHO even worse. You start out with a first level party and engage in so many similar battles that you level up really fast and get to face hoards of new "I love at you puny little Firkraag" monsters. But the sad thing is: They are easy to beat.
And here's the truth as to why ToB enemies have to cheese.
At the beginning of ToB you are a level 20 guy. This is SO powerful in AD&D that you can knock a Beholder down with a wink from your eye. Now, if they also were lvl 20 chars the Five could match you. Alas you have a party of 6! lvl 20 godlike adventurers. Perfectly balanced with tanks, wizrds, clerics and the occasional thief. This is exactly why Sendai for example keeps respawning in different forms. While she is a tough badass for six (or more don't recall corectly) consecutive times remember that you are leading a group of six tough badasses all the time.