02-17-2004, 11:11 PM | #1 |
Dracolisk
Join Date: September 16, 2001
Location: Bellingham, WA, USA
Age: 46
Posts: 6,901
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After much too much time in the making, my Review is finally complete, and up on the Web here.
Please use this space to discuss your views on what I have to say, analyze my suggestions, criticize my critique, and generally tell me that I'm full of beans. Threads have also been started at Forgotten Wars (home of Kelsey and Unfinished Business, among many others), and FW Studios (Weimer's own "home forums"). But as Ironworks is my own home base, this will be the master thread, and if you want me to read whatever you post, this is where I'm most likely to see it. [ 02-17-2004, 11:30 PM: Message edited by: SixOfSpades ]
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Volothamp's Comeuppance Everything you ever needed to know about the entire Baldur's Gate series......except spoilers. |
02-18-2004, 01:44 AM | #2 |
Symbol of Cyric
Join Date: April 20, 2003
Location: Sarasota, Florida, USA
Age: 41
Posts: 1,101
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Fine bit o' work ya got there, Mr. Spades.
I'll do something more in-depth when I've had a few hours of sleep, but I gotta say this now: the one-minute reviews just ain't doin' it for me. You repeat certain bits of information, like the "you can't go back the way you came in" bit, which was cute the first time around, but after cutting and pasting that line for the fifth time, it became annoying. Other than that, I found it an enjoyable read, and this will no doubt become the barometer for future Tactics endeavors, as well as possible starting points for improvement.
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02-18-2004, 02:04 AM | #3 |
The Magister
Join Date: December 27, 2003
Location: Mithril Hall
Age: 37
Posts: 123
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I really enjoyed your review, Six, I myself have tried to start SoA-->ToB with my favourite evil fighter/thief char.
I have, the patches and fixpacks, Ascension, Tactics, Sola, item upgrades, Valen, Chloe, Tashia, Kelsey, Unfinished Business, the thief fix pack, the improved shadow thief hall, the banter pack, imp planar sphere and the flirt packs installed It's alot of MODS at once. But they all add to the game. However, I have found for my starting party, I often use Shadow Keeper to edit my characters stats to mirror those I had with my Dwarf fighter at the end of Bg1 as well as Exp, Because I deleted all my bg1 saved games unfortunately. Alot of people might consider that wrong, but I did play Bg1 through and get all the tomes and increases and had a good 130k-150k exp for my main character and several others through doing as many quests in TDD+TotSC as possible. However, EVEN with those edits to make it as though I'd just finished BG1, I did find the start of SoA with tactics excruiciating. Because I was constantly killed by Shadow Thieves and thought.. this is the heart of Irenicus' dungeon. How did the thieves get through the portal? And Ilyich? .. Ugh. That was extremely hard. Because as a player.. I don'tlike to rest every five minutes to memorise spells. I find it silly Roleplay wise. So I like to set my spells in place and when in that particular dungeon, don't RPly say.. hey, guys, lets go to sleep for 8 hours on the off chance the shadow thieves will survive long enough to keep Jonny Busy! Because in the real situation there is no time. But with Imp Ilyich and those shadow thieves, the dungeon becomes one long line of reloads for me. Other things in tactics have had me annoyed before as well. Such as when I get the shadow thief guild hall and go to meet Ama. What happens ? A random Ambush. Which at the level I'm usually at kills at least one of my characters and has the rest running around trying to kill both Ama *and* the ambush. Tactics I've found to be a great MOD, but extremely overpowered on core rules as you said. Because even Mae'Var... that was hell for me. Because een with a moderately good level 11 party he presented a huge problem. I pickpoketed ALL of the assassins of their healing potions and bows, thinking no more backstabs, no more trouble. I pickpocketed Mae'Var and the priest of Cyric, too. But what happened? The thieves ran out even without being able to go Invis and just diced me. And I couldn't run to reset my buffs, my party just crumbled before my eyes. In short, you're full of beans. And I agree with alot of what you said. Certain areas are too overpowered. Making it less of a game and more of a chore to sit down and just enjoy it. |
02-18-2004, 04:37 AM | #4 |
Symbol of Moradin
Join Date: June 5, 2002
Location: Slovenia,Ljubljana
Age: 36
Posts: 8,554
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Nice work! I have to study now so I`ll report my wiews later.
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02-18-2004, 05:11 AM | #5 |
Ironworks Moderator
Join Date: June 10, 2001
Location: Pasir Ris, Singapore
Age: 41
Posts: 11,063
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Very comprehensive, but just some FYI.
The muggers you encountered in the "Lich in the Docks" component is not part of the component. They are part of the default game. Triggers & Contigencies cannot be used by the script. You have to manually use it. Strange but true. You still have a point about infinite castings of them though. Other than that, very comprehensive. I am currently going through the game with a Neutral Evil Plain Fighter and a party. Planning to dual her to a Cleric at level 13. STR: 15 DEX: 18 CON: 10 WIS: 18 INT: 10 CHA: 15 Pondering on what to do with Small Teeth Pass. |
02-18-2004, 08:06 AM | #6 |
Symbol of Moradin
Join Date: June 5, 2002
Location: Slovenia,Ljubljana
Age: 36
Posts: 8,554
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Have you ever seen Dual-Class Anti-Paladin to Mage at level 13? That was one killing machine.
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02-18-2004, 08:31 AM | #7 | |
Symbol of Cyric
Join Date: March 23, 2003
Location: Canada
Age: 36
Posts: 1,134
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Quote:
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In The Terminator, Sarah Connor is told a speech by John Connor\'s father that John has given in the future. When John is born, Sarah tells John this speech, and John grows up to tell it in the future. So who wrote the speech?! |
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02-18-2004, 09:18 AM | #8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Symbol of Moradin
Join Date: June 5, 2002
Location: Slovenia,Ljubljana
Age: 36
Posts: 8,554
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Not to the topic at hand.
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Improved Tor`Gal is just a little too powerful. The fact that he is invisible is just insane. Without True Sight there is a little option for Player1 to actually hit him. Sure you can still use Glitterdust but what if you don˛t have it? And also his "helpers" and his insane regeneration rate is out of order for low-level party. Quote:
But for example if Player1 is newbie and wants to rush for Imoen and doesn`t know about the Shield Of Reflection this guys would be total oblivion for him. Quote:
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She-Lich is casting spells form scrolls making her casting undisruptable. No you`ve guessed it - I don`t like her either,but she is good add-on. But again too powerful for low-level wondering party. Quote:
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Kangaxx himself is cheesy too. Infinite spells,11554 Imprisonments per round and among other buffs he has Psyhical Mirror. (Cleirc Spell) So you can`t hit him with Arrows. So suddenly his is Undead Mage/Cleric? Quote:
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To each his own about this. Quote:
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I did. But what the hell is diffrent? A little. Quote:
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[ 02-18-2004, 02:24 PM: Message edited by: Xen ] |
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02-18-2004, 10:17 AM | #9 |
Ironworks Moderator
Join Date: June 10, 2001
Location: Pasir Ris, Singapore
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Xen. Inquisitors cannot cast Clerical spells.
---- I forgot to mention something about Pontifex earlier on. Given the nature of his dialogue, I believe the intention was to make the quest a parody of stereotypical AD&D adventures (of the "save the world" kind). Hence no comprehensive background story. |
02-18-2004, 10:19 AM | #10 |
Dungeon Master
Join Date: July 30, 2002
Location: U.S.
Age: 59
Posts: 90
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Has anyone ever made a saving throw against fear or paralization in chapter 1?
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