76 replies to this topic

[berelinde]

I'd love to be able to come up with additional talks for Anomen's romance.

Me, too. And why not do it? There is no reason I can think of not to give the guy more LTs. Get some subjects lined up and post the list in Gavin's workroom. There is precedent. Kivan adds a dialogue between Anomen and the PC that happens after Anomen is prevented from killing Saerk. Take it one step further. And I love writing for Anomen.

For me, it's some combination of Imoen, Anomen, Minsc, Keldorn, Mazzy, and Valygar, with another party spot that rotates.

[Vicen]

Some very interesting results--there are a few NPC-groups who keep popping up! I'm surprised at how popular Yoshimo is (glad too, since I believe the Yoshimo friendship will be in development in a few weeks!).

This thread is mainly to find out who we should be adding banters to (and group banters to) with IEP Banters, but hopefully it'll come in handy for other modders too.

Keep them coming!

Well Yoshi's stats are as about as good as it can get for a theif tis a shame what happens

[Abigail]

Usually I make my PC rather powerful, so I can take NPCs I like, for story reasons. The only exception may be Edwin, whom I often take also because he's a great mage. Besides, when some new versions of banter packs appear I tend to check what had been added and take NPCs with whom I'd get the most content. Like, now I often take Viconia (with friendship installed) and Jaheira together, at least for some time.

[Choo Choo]

BG1: Imoen, Jaheira, Khalid, Minsc (I usually dump Dynaheir in one of the Gnoll Stronghold caves) and Xan, with his class changed to sorcerer.

BG2 is more complicated, since I always have Xan in my party and Anomen OR Aerie. If I don't have Xan in my party, which I always have, I play with both of them, so..

Minsc, Jaheira, Anomen, Aerie, anyotherNPC'ssoIcanplaytheirquests/Yoshimo/Imoen.

[Scipio]

Good point. Heh, that'd be another interesting question: "Do you choose NPCs for gaming or story reasons?"

I choose NPCs mostly for story reasons. If you need a different type of class or kit just for gaming, you can use Shadowkeeper. I enjoy the new dialogues, the new romances, and any side-quests that come with new NPCs.

[Miss Sakaki]

Story reasons for me, too.

I generally only take Anomen if I'm romancing him, which is reasonably often; conversely I take Aerie if I'm romancing someone else. Jaheira almost always comes along, and YoshImoen. Sometimes JanImoen, and rarely NalImoen. But then there's Mazzy and Valygar and Haer'dalis... Sometimes Cernd, because two lots of Creeping Doom? Awesome.

[princesspurpleblob]

My party:

PC (usually sorcerer)
Anomen
Keldorn
Jaheira
Minsc
Yoshimo/Imoen

[Sammi Somara]

BG2 it varies, but for BGI somehow I always end up with Imoen, Alora, Ajantis, Quayle, and Xan.

Well...not always. Ajantis and Kivan often swap places, and I usually have almost every other character on my party before finally settling on Quayle and Alora. It just is always that by the end.

Edited by Sammi Somara, 31 May 2008 - 07:09 PM.

[Crazee]

Oh, this a hard one. I never have the same party, so I'm not really sure what to say. If I have Jaheira, I have to take Minsc. I nearly always have Imoen, especially when I am playing with a predominantly good bunch of characters, and Jan takes her place if I run through with the bad guys - though this is admittedly not very often. I used to always have Mazzy and Valygar together, but I've started branching away from that. Anomen always comes along if I'm giving Nalia a whirl, and no, this has nothing to do with the fact they are standing a few feet from each other in the Copper Coronet. I always have Yoshimo, whatever runthrough. So, I'd have to say, my most frequent party combination is...

I have no idea. It changes too much for me really say. My main point is I rarely have two thiefs in the party (Nalia non withstanding - she's a bit pants), nor two clerics (though a cleric and a druid often pop up). And if I take Haer'Dalis, I take Aerie, though rarely do I take Aerie and then pick up Haer'Dalis.

[Mou]

I definitely choose the characters I do for story/personality traits. I play most Forgotten Realms games simply for the role-playing, and not so much for the strategy. If I want strategy, then I play Civilization. Anyways, here's my usual party (Without NPC mods):

Jaheira (Always! I hate leaving her behind, and I personally think she has the best story. And druids own.)
Viconia (I liked her in the original, and I can never not save her. Also, I love giving her the Crom Faeyr, even though she's not a great fighter, I think she should be.)
Haer'Dalis (Simply because he so eloquently remains beautiful, and at the same time demented. And he's pretty. )
Minsc/Keldorn (Minsc for his imprompt, and usually awkward, interjections, and Keldorn because I know it'll make Viconia mad.)
Imoen's the last, but not by choice. She's been replaced by the Nathaniel mod. Yay! It may be mean, but I never liked her all that much. I think it's bitter days from replaying BG1 where I'd constantly hear, "Heya, it's me, Imoen!".

Edited by Mou, 02 June 2008 - 03:02 PM.

[Demivrgvs]

I've usually played themed parties which helps me roleplaying them, and I've always taken along Yoshimo and Imoen because they are too important for the main plot imo.

Paladin themed party:
Charname (LG, Cavalier or Undead Hunter)
Keldorn (LG, Inquisitor)
Anomen (LG, Fighter-Cleric)
Imoen (NG, Swashbuckler-Mage)
Aerie (LG, Cleric/Mage) or Nalia (CG, Thief-Mage)
Mazzy (LG, Fighter, though she's a sort of wannabe-paladin)

Ranger themed like:
Charname (NG or CG, Archer)
Jaheira (N though she should probably be NG, Fighter/Druid)
Minsc (CG, Barbarian)
Valygar (NG, Stalker)
Cernd (N, Totemic Druid) or Nalia (CG, Thief-Mage) -- I'm eager to try Viconia in this party with NPC IEP
Imoen (NG, Swashbuckler-Mage)

Evil doers:
Charname (NE, Assassin)
Korgan (CE, Berserker)
Viconia (NE, Cleric)
Edwin (LE, Conjurer)
Jan (CN, Illusionist/Thief)
Haer'Dalis (CN, Blade) -- he can probably being thrown in any party composition

[evildevil]

It's been awhile since my last BGII game, but if memory serves, Jan, Minsc, and Edwin were almost always present.

[Cal Jones]

For BG I like to take Imoen (she's actually pretty good), Kivan and Coran along with my PC, who is nearly always a human fighter, whether male or female. Add to that a cleric, usually Yeslick. Branwen is the better cleric but I hate her sounds, and her constant bitching about high rep, so after trying her once I'm not inclined to do so again.
On top of that I'll have another tank - Minsc or Ajantis, usually. I don't like low level mages so I don't bother with them. Last time I took Minsc and Dynaheir, she was liability and kept dying all the time, so if I want Minsc I'll leave her behind somewhere. Having three archers is way better than having someone who can cast two magic missiles before needing a lie down.

I would love to try an evil party next runthrough although that'll mean breaking my no mage habit so I can take Eddie and Xzar. I generally don't enjoy playing evil, but the evil characters are often the most amusing.

[Sammi Somara]

Most Common Parties:

BGI-CHARNAME, Imoen, Alora, Ajantis, Quayle, Xan
BGII, SOA-CHARNAME, Jan, Haer'Dalis, Aerie, Minsc, Cernd
BGII, ToB-Usually same as SoA, only with Imoen instead of Cernd.

...whoops, I just realized I've already posted here. Heh.

Edited by Sammi Somara, 16 June 2008 - 07:48 PM.

[Amaurea]

I've already posted here too, but didn't answer for BG1. So, let's see... Immy and Kivan--always. If I'm romancing him, I'll take Gavin as cleric; if not, I'll take Jaheira for some healing spells until I meet Yeslick. (I know Gavin is a mod, but I almost always use him, so had to mention him). The other slots rotate as the mood strikes me, or depending on my class. Like Cal, I'm not all that keen on keeping arcane casters around in BG1 since they really don't have a lot to offer. Saying that though, I might try harder in the future. I've kept Dynaheir around in my current Tutu run, and after some babying--between MMM, a martial staff (thanks to a drop from a fight in the Gavin mod), enchanted sling and bullets, and some protection items; she's holding her own.

Edited by Amaurea, 17 June 2008 - 03:09 AM.

[Scipio]

Like Cal, I'm not all that keen on keeping arcane casters around in BG1 since they really don't have a lot to offer.

If you can level up your mage/s to level 5 they can cast the most powerful spell in the game, Animate Undead, which your lower-level cleric/s should already know. Surround your enemies with a gang of skeletons and blast away with your archers and slingers. Wolfweres and Sarevok and other nuisances become relatively minor opposition when they're wasting all their blows on your skeletons.

[Bluenose]

Like Cal, I'm not all that keen on keeping arcane casters around in BG1 since they really don't have a lot to offer.

I find that arcane casters can be really effective, often more than in BG2. The main reason is that saving throws are a lot lower, so a lot of spells will succeed where later on they fail. Sleep, Colour Spray, Grease, all work very well at 1st level. You don't have many uses, but that's why you take proficiency in daggers or darts and grab every one that the skeletons drop. I do recommend avoiding spells that do direct damage, since you just don't get enough dice for it to be worthwhile. It's a totally different approach to the higher levels, much more the way I approach NWN/NWN2.

[Choo Choo]

And of course, when you level up the spellcasters enough, there's always fireball..

[Bluenose]

And of course, when you level up the spellcasters enough, there's always fireball..

I think it's a very bad idea to make fireball your first choice of spell at 3rd level. Consider:

Fireball, 5d6 damage, average 17.5 if they don't save to potentially several targets;

Haste, no damage, but every party member moves faster, does more damage (more attacks) and takes less damage (enemies fall faster). And it lasts through the fight.

[Cal Jones]

Unless your arcane spellcaster is Xan, of course.

I will give Eddie a shot when I play again though in my current game (where I'm currently doing Durlag's Tower before I head for Baldur's Gate city) my party (PC fighter, Imoen, Coran, Kivan, Ajantis and Yeslick) is doing very well without the need for magic thus far.