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HydeLyde posted:The Con bonuses are fairly useless for a sorcerer, as they don't do anything after 16 right? The bonus HP/AC and breath weapon seem like they might be fun and make the early parts of BG1 less painful. I thought it was one less spell choice per level and not one less cast, so it isn't as bad as I thought. You can get regen fairly quickly if you start with Con 18 and use the tome, and/or it lets you use the Claw of Thingummy without a meaningful Con penalty a bit easier. The larger hit dice are probably the biggest benefit early on.
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Sep 10, 2019 17:25
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HydeLyde posted:The Con bonuses are fairly useless for a sorcerer, as they don't do anything after 16 right? The bonus HP/AC and breath weapon seem like they might be fun and make the early parts of BG1 less painful. I thought it was one less spell choice per level and not one less cast, so it isn't as bad as I thought. I mean you get regen at Con 20.... The bonus AC, d6 hit die, and innate fire resistance is nice. Losing one spell cast per day is not great, but it suddenly doesn't make the most overpowered class in the game to the worst class ever, it just moves it to the second most OP class. I like the DD with the spell/item revisions mods, which make melee spells more worthwhile. The extra AC and HP is nice.
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Sep 11, 2019 03:48
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So this is something that’s been rolling around my head for a while - Barovia and Strahd seem like they would be perfect for a conversion to an isometric rpg. Each area is its own unique map. Multiple multi level dungeons. Lots of NPCs and general side quests with multiple choices. A built in randomizer with the card reading.
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Sep 11, 2019 16:16
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Just discovered that shorty races get a +2 bonus to some of their saving throws in addition to the +5 they can get from Constitution bonuses. That's a +35% chance to mitigate most effects straight outta candlekeep. That's so good.
Entropy238 fucked around with this message at 19:21 on Sep 11, 2019 |
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Sep 11, 2019 19:18
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Playing through Bg2EE with a pure evil party and I'm actually surprised how chill Korgan and Dorn are with each other. On the other hand, Hexxat dialogue is kinda hamfisted and not enjoying her interactions with the rest of the group.
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Sep 12, 2019 20:58
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Hexxat is really only evil cause she's a vampire. If she wasn't a vampire she could do most of the other things she does and be Neutral or something. She doesn't really fit with the evil party dynamic because she isn't really interested in doing anything evil.
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Sep 12, 2019 21:02
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Hexxat is functionally True Neutral much like Jaheira is functionally Neutral Good.
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Sep 12, 2019 21:09
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korgan is a pretty chill dude. he doesn't approve of slavery -- or was it just child slavery? and he rightfully knocks viconia and edwin down to size. he respects most good chars if they're good enough at returning his insults.
Zane fucked around with this message at 22:05 on Sep 12, 2019 |
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Sep 12, 2019 21:55
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Don't they introduce Hexxat in a scene where she coldly murders her slave, who you thought was her up until then? lol gently caress her I killed her immediately then and there
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Sep 12, 2019 22:05
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Zane posted:korgan is a pretty chill dude. he doesn't approve of slavery -- or was it just child slavery? and he rightfully knocks viconia and edwin down to size. he respects most good chars if they're good enough at returning his insults. Only Viconia, he tries to buddy up with Edwin but it doesn't work. At first, Korgan seems like a more Kagain, but with other emotions rather than greed, even if those other emotions are just lust for violence and women. He also has great interactions with Jan Jansen and Mazzy. Speaking of Viconia:     Savage.
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Sep 12, 2019 22:27
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I'm playing an evil party in BG/BG2, but the trick is to play it diplomatically. I play like I'm Sarevok: making everyone love/worship me while committing evil deeds when appropriate. Having Dorn and Hexxat in the party is great because you can put Dorn in his place by basically being "I'm far more powerful than you realize, try me" and Hexxat is just chill as gently caress. I like Baldur's Gate 2.
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Sep 13, 2019 21:53
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Phlegmish posted:Don't they introduce Hexxat in a scene where she coldly murders her slave, who you thought was her up until then? lol gently caress her I killed her immediately then and there She only does it because she's trapped in the tomb otherwise. Everything Hexxat does, she does because someone else is forcing her to do it. Her own personal morality is pretty neutral, but she's forced to do some very bad stuff.
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Sep 14, 2019 02:47
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Is it just me or is Cespanar the worst voice acting in the game, even with the shittiest DLC voices out there like Mereth in the Hidden Refuge? Like the loving voice actor can't even say "SEE ya, wouldn't want to BE ya" properly
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Sep 16, 2019 08:23
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Dillbag posted:Is it just me or is Cespanar the worst voice acting in the game, even with the shittiest DLC voices out there like Mereth in the Hidden Refuge? Like the loving voice actor can't even say "SEE ya, wouldn't want to BE ya" properly He's the loving worst, yeah.
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Sep 16, 2019 08:53
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Throne of Bhaal's VA work was pretty subpar in general IMO.
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Sep 16, 2019 09:15
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I can't stand Cespenar. Is there a mod to mute him? That would be good.
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Sep 16, 2019 09:35
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The key, and I cannot stress this enough, is not to play ToB.
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Sep 16, 2019 09:41
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Vichan posted:Throne of Bhaal was pretty subpar in general IMO.
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Sep 16, 2019 09:43
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bike tory posted:The key, and I cannot stress this enough, is not to play ToB. It's my mark of shame that I've never finished BG2 in its entirety since I stopped halfway through Throne of Bhaal the one time I played that expansion, but I was getting burned out at that point. Just these ridiculous high-level fights where you spend 90% of the time pre-buffing
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Sep 16, 2019 10:10
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It’s really hard to make an interesting or good epic level campaign, and they didn’t. Watchers Keep was good, Sarevok was great, and that’s it.
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Sep 16, 2019 10:31
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FairGame posted:It’s really hard to make an interesting or good epic level campaign, and they didn’t. Cyric was great, too
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Sep 16, 2019 10:39
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Vichan posted:Throne of Bhaal's VA work was pretty subpar in general IMO. Most of it is okay IMO, it just coasts by. That's in English anyway, I remember playing it in Italian, and uh, they just got... random people recorded on 2001 cellphones??????? It was hilariously bad, and really weird considering BG2 had a perfectly respectable dub (though Irenicus was miscast, IMO).
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Sep 16, 2019 10:49
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Fair Bear Maiden posted:Most of it is okay IMO, it just coasts by. I played the Spanish dub and is mostly ok, although not near as good as the original BG2 one, which was great.
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Sep 16, 2019 10:58
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FairGame posted:It’s really hard to make an interesting or good epic level campaign, and they didn’t. Mask of the Betrayer is great. Wish Beamdog was able to expand on TOB and make it more than a boss gauntlet. Watchers Keep was pretty good though and I prefer it to Durlags Tower. While I liked Durlags a lot the first time, it's really hard to run through it again.
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Sep 16, 2019 15:32
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I really like TOB and always enjoy playing it. It feels like a relatively epic closer for the BG series to me.
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Sep 16, 2019 15:36
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Watcher's Keep is the gold standard for optional megadungeons imo.
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Sep 16, 2019 15:50
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I like WK a lot but prefer Durlag's. WK doesn't feel as much like a "real place" since it all seems to exist in this weird out-of-time kinda place. With Durlag's you could see a lot of how each room might be used and how Durlag's clan might have lived. That said, it's apples and oranges. WK is like an extra-dimensional prison for one being.
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Sep 16, 2019 15:52
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Also, this has always bugged me: when you get to the very bottom of Durlag's and you have to answer the questions like "what was his clan name" and "who does Durlag blame" there's one where the answer was never obvious to me. The one that's "what direction did the dopplegangers come from?" I was always fireproof at that point anyway so I could shank an answer, but I'd love to know what the clue is that gives you the correct answer.
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Sep 16, 2019 16:07
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FairGame posted:Also, this has always bugged me: when you get to the very bottom of Durlag's and you have to answer the questions like "what was his clan name" and "who does Durlag blame" there's one where the answer was never obvious to me. Pretty sure it was in the books you pick up one level above, the comments the tour guide give, and the comments the "ghosts" of Durlag's family make. The last time I played it (two months or so ago) it wasn't super obvious to me, but I know I've played that part before and answered all the right questions because I'd picked up the right clues.
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Sep 16, 2019 16:13
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Zarfol posted:Mask of the Betrayer is great. Wish Beamdog was able to expand on TOB and make it more than a boss gauntlet. Mask of the Betrayer is poo poo because it's just Chris Avellone jerking off to how smart he is while taking a dump all over the Forgotten Realms. Dude really didn't consider the actual cosmology he was writing for, and it shows.
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Sep 16, 2019 19:05
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Avellone is a tool but dumping on Forgotten Realms and changing its cosmology/lore to fit the narrative is like, the most objectively good thing.
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Sep 16, 2019 19:25
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FairGame posted:Also, this has always bugged me: when you get to the very bottom of Durlag's and you have to answer the questions like "what was his clan name" and "who does Durlag blame" there's one where the answer was never obvious to me. One of the doppleganger ghosts mentions "it began with us from the west" or some poo poo. The other directions I can't remember because I think you only need that one clue to figure out the answer.
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Sep 16, 2019 19:34
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Captain Oblivious posted:Avellone is a tool but dumping on Forgotten Realms and changing its cosmology/lore to fit the narrative is like, the most objectively good thing. Fuckin no way it's not. If you're designing a game in a licensed setting, design it to fit that setting, not your own stupid completely wrong take on it.
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Sep 16, 2019 19:40
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Arivia posted:Fuckin no way it's not. If you're designing a game in a licensed setting, design it to fit that setting, not your own stupid completely wrong take on it. The setting has no value in and of itself. It's just a tool. If it gets in the way of an interesting story, change it. Fiction is not the impartial recording of events in another world  It's only a shame the game didn't let us bust down the Wall of the Faithless. A shame they didn't think to ask, but I'm not surprised they didn't think they'd be allowed to get away with it.
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Sep 16, 2019 19:42
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TOB is cool imo
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Sep 16, 2019 19:43
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My favorite bit about Mask of the Betrayer is that the one bit where he respected the setting not giving any option to destroy the wall (ending spoilers for MoB), it later came out he could have done that if he wanted.
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Sep 16, 2019 19:44
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Captain Oblivious posted:The setting has no value in and of itself. It's just a tool. If it gets in the way of an interesting story, change it. No, when you're creating something in a licensed shared setting you have a responsibility to the other people in that setting to follow the fictional rules and concepts already set up by the other creators. I'm not surprised Avellone thought he was enough of a big poo poo to try and gently caress around with the fundamental conceits established over the past 20 years before he worked on MotB, but he didn't respect that setting with his work. He didn't do his job, he wasn't responsible and didn't play with others correctly. The setting has an inherent value as a shared space for storytelling, or Obsidian wouldn't have bothered to license it in the first place. Chris Avellone doesn't get to unilaterally decide to change things about it just because he doesn't like them, he has to play by the same rules as the other creators working in that setting. If you're trying to "get away with something" you're pretty obviously not cooperating with the other people working on the same creative property.
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Sep 16, 2019 19:47
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avellone didn't write the majority of motb. george ziets did. ziets was creative lead. if i recall correctly avellone was responsible for making great exertions to get kaelyn the dove in and for doing some other stuff to help out as overall obsidian creative director. e: it is amusing how people falsely attribute creatively brilliant egotistical accomplishments to avellone, above and beyond what his actual record of accomplishments are, as part of some larger negative appraisal that doesn't make any sense otherwise. let's not also forget how the forgotten realms were terribly rebooted with the launch of fourth edition by wizards at almost the exact some moment. Zane fucked around with this message at 22:26 on Sep 16, 2019 |
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Sep 16, 2019 21:00
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sweet geek swag posted:She only does it because she's trapped in the tomb otherwise. Everything Hexxat does, she does because someone else is forcing her to do it. Her own personal morality is pretty neutral, but she's forced to do some very bad stuff. I vastly disagree. I think that is the way she likes to play it/wants it to appear. She's a very evil person who just wants you to think she's being forced into it. She likes to play the victim but she's just as evil as the rest of the evil characters. Claiming that her personal morality is pretty neutral completely ignores the fact that She's a serial killer who specifically targets only attractive women as her victims
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Sep 16, 2019 22:12
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Zane posted:avellone didn't write the majority of motb. george ziets did. ziets was creative lead. if i recall correctly avellone was responsible for making great exertions to get kaelyn the dove in and for doing some other stuff to help out as overall obsidian creative director. It’s Arivia. They literally never have any idea what they’re talking about. Preaching the narrative integrity of a pastiche, and a reboot/retcon happy pastiche at that, like Forgotten Realms, and how Vile Betrayer Avellone besmirched it despite being largely unrelated is just the latest in a long line of dumb crusades. The irony of doing so in this, the thread for a highly non-canonical Forgotten Realms game with numerous inconsistencies with FR (not the least of which being its treatment of Amaunator) is lost on them I assume.
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Sep 16, 2019 22:30
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