[Klorox]

I only have the Baldur's Gate games, and IWD1 to compare here.

In all of those games, you didn't need to be all that powerful to have fun and complete the game. More so in the BG games.

Do I really need to max out power here to be successful, or can I afford to roleplay a bit more, and still complete this game?

For instance, I see a lot of gamers lowering INT and CHA to 3 for characters that don't need the stat. Can I get by with a minimum of 8 or 10 in all ability scores?

What about playing mismatched race/class combos? Like having Dwarven Sorcerers, and Tiefling Clerics? How about Halfling Barbarians and Gnome Paladins? What about a Half-Orc Bard or a Drow Monk?

I'd really like to play this game, but I really also want to be commited to a certain party and stick with it. I've been known to chronically restart in the past, and don't want to do that with this game. I also would like to get through without using a walkthrough, and still experience a ton of stuff.

Any and all advice on the stuff I've written above, plus other basic IWD2 tips are greatly appreciated.

TIA.