Most interesting stronghold? SPOILERS!

[Elhardo]

I was just wondering which you guys thought the best stronghold was?
I've played through as paladin, ranger, bard as well as multiple times as fighters and thieves, i most enjoy those last 2 strongholds. just wondering what you rekon the rest were like? I didnt like ranger or paladin much as i like a little bit of management sorta stuff....

Plannin on playin through again soon you see and i wanna chose one with a good stronghold...
even though im only left with Cleric, druid and mage!

anyway what are your opinions on different stongholds?

I like the Fighter, and theif, and bards ones best as they mix action with management and roleplaying you know?

[ 07-13-2004, 08:29 AM: Message edited by: Elhardo ]

[Dirty Meg]

slight spoilers
.
.
.
.
.
.
Mage stronghold is a bit crap since it has no real questing, although you get some good items. I really enjoyed the ranger stronghold plus the raindog figurine is cool. The thief stronghold has one small quest and you get a pitiful sum of money every 5 days.

[Nerull]

The mage one is okay, but it stretches out a long time between the various events. The ranger one was pretty good (the reward at the end is good). The druid one pretty much bites. I like the paladin one for one reason: no waiting. As soon as you go back to get your reward for one quest you are assigned the next one. I actually like the fighter and cleric ones probably the best. The fighter one is cool because you get to manage a land, and there are plenty of events along the way. The cleric one is cool because you can play an evil guy, do evil things, and actually be rewarded for it; the concept of it also fits with the "guide for the faithful" concept of the cleric.

I've never played a thief or bard in BG2, so I can't comment about those strongholds.

[Elhardo]

did you like ranger finaly? I found trapsing through that dungeon again kinda annoyin...

Fighter i gotta say is my fav too..Ill have to try cleric soon...

[Nicodareus]

Originally posted by Dirty Meg: slight spoilers . . . . . . Mage stronghold is a bit crap since it has no real questing, although you get some good items. I really enjoyed the ranger stronghold plus the raindog figurine is cool. The thief stronghold has one small quest and you get a pitiful sum of money every 5 days.

Not true:

SPOILERS
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
"6. Stronghold [ST6]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The thief has perhaps the most advantageous stronghold of any class.
I don't mean to say "the best," since that is a very arguable point,
but rather that it is advantageous for the following reasons: it is
easy to obtain, it has the most convenience (subjective, but this is
based on the fact that things you want you'll obtain by doing this),
and it is the most profitable.

This is the easiest to obtain by the sheer fact that you can walk
out of Irenicus's dungeon, head to the Docks, and proceed to the do
the quests. There are only two tricky battles, one in Rayic Gethras's
home, the other when you take down the entirety of Mae'Var's guildhall.
For the most part, though, the quests involved are fetch and carry.

This has the most convenience mainly because you can get a decent
weapon for the thief, loads of cash, and Edwin, hands down the best
mage in the game. Of course this is subjective, and relative to some
of the other stronghold quests, the payoff isn't that great (although
I DO think Edwin rules over Carsomyr +5).

The most profitable?

Here we go with some basic math...

First, when you start managing the stronghold DO NOT BE A COWARD
AND KEEP YOUR THIEVES AT LOW RISK. Doing so means they will BARELY be
able to cover average quota, meaning you are gaining almost no benefit
from managing the stronghold. What is average quota? Well, after
the first four weeks (which are preset), it's a 50% chance of 500 gold,
20% chance of 300, 20% chance of 900, and 10% chance of 1000 gold.
So, expected value would be sum of all (chance * value), or
(.5 * 500) + (.2 * 300) + (.2 * 900) + (.1 * 1000) or 600 gold per
7 days.
Second, if you keep all your thieves at high risk, (choices 1,2,1)
then the payoff/failure is like this:
Hanz - Success 50% of 900 Gold, Failure 50% of -100 Gold,
expected average yield of 400 Gold.
Goshan - Success 50% of 750 Gold, Failure 50% of -200 Gold,
expected average yield of 275 Gold.
Kretor - Success 50% of 1000 Gold, Failure 50% of -50 Gold,
expected average yield of 475 Gold.
Morsa - Success 50% of 750 Gold, Failure 50% of -250 Gold,
expected average yield of 250 Gold.
Varia - Success 50% of 800 Gold, Failure 50% of -300 Gold,
expected average yield of 250 Gold.
So, in a typical half-tenday period, you will accumulate 400+
275+475+250+250 Gold or 1650 Gold. But of course, you have to
subtract the quota from your yield.
But, there's an interesting catch. The Thief Stonghold is the only
one that yields gold on a 5-day basis. Interestingly, Renal only
comes for the money every 7 days. So in one week, you are actually
going to earn 1.4 times your average yield (since you have those
extra two days). So, then your expected yield over a 7 day period
would be 1650*1.4 - 600. Which is an average yield of 1710 Gold
per 7 days.

Compare this with the other money makers: the Fighter and Bard
strongholds. On the surface, the Bard's seems immensely profitable,
since, with an optimal performance, you begin earning 1800 Gold, then
100 less Gold with each successive week until it reaches a steady
500 Gold per week. However, this is ignoring the fact that you have
to invest MUCH time and 10,000 Gold in the first place. Meaning you
have to wait 7 entire weeks (1800 + 1700 + ... + 1200) until you can
recoup the gold you invested in the first place. In the meantime,
the Thief Stronghold has been earning an average of 1710 Gold per
week, meaning the Bard Stronghold can never catch up since it only
continues to decrease in yield (1100, then 1000, etc.).
The Fighter Stronghold produces a consistent 500 Gold, but it's
true money-making abilities come in the fact that you can continuously
tax your people to get 1000 Gold instantly (it seems up to about 10
or so times). The problem, though, is that they will eventually
revolt. However, you can prevent this from happening by choosing
options, in your miniquests, that will make them happy. Unfortunately,
this usually involves putting in money. Especially when you have to
pay off the Blackmailers (which can potentially offset you 1000 Gold)
or repair the dikes (which, unless you want a revolt, will offset you
5000 Gold for the farms, then 2000 for the actual dikes). Furthermore,
taxing your people is finite; after all the miniquests, you can't push
your people just to make them happy at a later date. So in the end,
you have a much narrower profit margin than a Thief Stronghold
(while Bards get the shaft)."

-Direct Quote taken from Chris Lee's Thief guide, available on sorcerers.net.

[ 07-13-2004, 10:47 PM: Message edited by: Nicodareus ]

[Dirty Meg]

Yes, the thief stronghold is the most financialy profitable. But 1710 gold a week is still a pitance. By the time you've reached chapter three you'll be so rich you'll never notice 1710 gold. By the time you leave the underdark if you need 1710 gold you could pull it from your stool. I'd rather have a decent quest or a unique item. You can't really use Edwin or Maevar's equipment as a point in favour of the thief 'hold because you can get them without doing it.

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

That's why the fighter stronghold is so nice. They just pile the gold up for you. And soooo many containers and interesting nooks to leave your NPCs.

[IranicuS]

Can't more agree with dirty meg...only that the item you gain in the ranger quest is a bit like guenhwyvar..though I'm curius...Can someone tell me what the monk quest is?never heard of it

[Link]

The monk gets the same stronghold as the fighter does, being de'Arnise keep. Nothing special about that

[Nerull]

Actually, if you disagree with the monk getting the fighter stronghold (like I do), then install the Oversight mod. One of the components allows monks to get either the fighter or cleric strongholds (the latter makes much more sense for a monk).