NPCs in General...

[Kaleban]

Just a quick question. I haven't had much time to play BG2 lately due to school and work, and I've had it for only a month and have not yet beaten it.

POSSIBLE INTERACTION SPOILERS BELOW...
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Anyways, I find it easier managing smaller parties, and can frequently get away with a party of 2 or 3 at most! There are a few types of parties I would like to run (themed mostly, not powergaming) that require specific classes/combinations in the game, and are not present in the current NPC stock.

Since I don't have lots of time, my question is this: Do you find that NPC interaction between party members plays a large part in your enjoyment of the game, or does it serve merely as a distraction from questing and the like? I ask this because I have several PC ideas, but cannot play each one individually through the game (a little bit impatient, he he), so playing multi with my own group would be ideal. So do the interactions, such as the romances, the NPC fights, etc., etc. help with the fun factor, or is it largely extraneous?

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He Will Win
Whose Army Is Animated
By The Same Spirit
Throughout Its Ranks

Sun Tzu - The Art of War

[mans]

Originally posted by Kaleban: Since I don't have lots of time, my question is this: Do you find that NPC interaction between party members plays a large part in your enjoyment of the game, or does it serve merely as a distraction from questing and the like? I ask this because I have several PC ideas, but cannot play each one individually through the game (a little bit impatient, he he), so playing multi with my own group would be ideal. So do the interactions, such as the romances, the NPC fights, etc., etc. help with the fun factor, or is it largely extraneous?

The interactions are DEFINITELY one of the best things the game has to offer Kaleban. In fact, my next run-throughs of the game, and the fact that I simultaneously play differently configured parties at once (a bit confusing by the way), is mainly because I'm looking forward to different interactions from other NPC's. It's really fun that way, take the time to read the replies and try several replies. My appreciation of the makers of the game is because of how they actually came up with such storylines and hilarious if not fascinating interactions (Hiyaa! The tourists love that.. - Yoshimo)

Don't worry too much about the subquests, they come along. In my perspective, living the Baldur life (and getting to know the people of the land) counts a lot more than hacking and slashing your way to get to childish, if not inutile, quests (e.g. get this item, do this task, kill this fella, etc.). That's also why I don't like Icewind Dale that much (more hack/slash than interactive).

Note: My apologies though to those who actually adore Icewindale, what I said was just an opinion.

[SSJ4Sephiroth]

oh, i enjoy them, but i dont find them absolutely necessary. i can deal without them, as i prefer for my characters to cut the chatter and get on with the killing. nobody ever killed a dragon by talking... well, maybe a few people i know, but still...

[Kaleban]

I ask because most RPG/Adventures I've played (QFG series, The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall, etc.) pit one hero against the world. I like that type of heroic conflict, but you still have a lot of NPC interaction.

BG2 on the other hand is much more party oriented, with Party NPCs taking the roles of the helper NPCs in other, more 1 hero oriented games.

Perhaps it comes down to the fact that I know that the NPCs I have in a party are just that, Non-Player-Characters, controlled by an AI. I'd much rather be able to interact with humans online in a game, rather than the scripted AI. Maybe that's where my "soloing obsession" comes from, or maybe just the need to do something that others don't, as is trod a path of your own making...

[tehmpus]

I think it comes down to whether you feel like cheating, and creating your own tailor made party or not. NPC interactions are really great in BGII (much better than Daggerfall persay), so you'll be missing out on alot of stuff if you create your own party from scratch. Do you want to play the game the way it was designed, or would you rather cheat? Pretty simple. I just want to make certain that you understand what you are choosing.

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Tehmpus Thales the permanently InSaNe

[floyd]

pretty sure its mentioned in the manual somewhere that you can start a game with newly rolled characters if you use multiplayer. I wouldn't call it cheating.

But yes, you do miss out on alot of the cool interactions, and ESPECIALLY character specific quests that really add to the personality of the game (korgans quest, edwins quest, jaheira's quest, especially).

Basically, I would finish the game with the normal NPC's before you start a game with fresh characters. That way you won't be totally missing out on storylines, etc.