Baldur's Gate Trilogy No Reloads Run

[Alesia_BH]

Hey, everyone! I've been thinking about the future of no reload runs here at TavernRPG and I have an idea. Let me know what you think.

At present this thread is set up more-or-less as an extension of the Bioware/Beamdog challenge. It is, in effect, identical in ruleset and purpose. Maybe we should take the opportunity to do something unique here, to not just duplicate the prior challenge, but extend the tradition?

I'm considering starting a thread for narrativized, RPed, no and low reloads. A place where players interested in the story elements of no and low reload adventures can share their journeys with like minded players. A candidate title might be:

The Candlekeep Annex: RPed Baldur's Gate No and Low Reload Runs for Imaginative Players

What do we think? Is this of interest? It needn't replace this thread, exactly, although I, personally, would start posting there, if we were to proceed. Feedback appreciated!

Best,

A.

 

[OrlonKronsteen]

I think this is a great idea. I have moved to this style of play as well. I usually play fully in character, meaning I sometimes make what would be, from a purist no-reload standpoint, suicidal decisions, depending on how events unfold. For example, if my PC is emotionally volatile, he (or she) might fly into a rage if a party member falls, attacking the enemy with abandon, possibly ending my run. But, sometimes the RNG gods are on my side, and it's thrilling to have that happen. A bigger thrill, to me, than winning by minimizing risk.

Having said it's a great idea, I'm so busy in real life that I don't often have time to document runs, or follow the runs of others. I would certainly follow it as much as possible, though. I hope others are into it.

Just as an FYI for this community, for whatever it's worth, I'm a very mediocre no-reloader. I have never managed to complete BG2, and if I hadn't read about all your experiences, I'd have said it was impossible. But it's a fun style of play - and I think other variations have great potential, too. Minimal reload runs, for instance, can encourage you to take chances, make the overall experience more immersive, and really appreciate the AI.

 

[Alesia_BH]

Thank you for your support, OrlonKronsteen!

Here's how I see it. There is a tradeoff between tactical and RPed runs, especially in the no reload context. In theory both types of runs could exist in a single thread, but players are inevitably influenced by the posting norms of others, and those norms tend to be drawn in the tactical direction, due to the implicit competitive dimension.

I, personally, have always sought to strike a balance, but I often find myself drawn in the tactical direction by peers, despite the fact that my sensibilities are oriented towards narrative play. I'm sure there are others like me. I'm sure there are players who are interested in no reload play, but are put off by the exploits of extreme tactical gaming and would prefer to embrace, rather than jettison, the story elements of the adventure. It is the story, after all, that makes Baldur's Gate so special.

RPed no and low reload play can only thrive in a thread explicitly devoted to that purpose. It is my hope that a thread of this nature will draw new people into the community, while also allowing current players to explore their creative side. Above all else, it sounds fun to me. And I think others will find it fun too. I think we should give it a try!

Best,

A.

 

[Antimatter]

It's a great idea, Alesia! https://tavernrpg.com/threads/the-elder-scrolls-roleplay-playthrough-thread.11/ is an example of a similar thread I once started for TES games.

If you want, we can always rename this one thread and you can continue with a new approach here (or you can indeed start a separate thread). Roleplaying is a big part of RPGs, and it's been a big part of all your playthroughs.

 

[Alesia_BH]

Thanks, Antimatter! Glad you're on board. Your approval is decisive, as I see it.

I think we should keep this thread here, as it is, in honor of what Wise started, but also in recognition of the fact that this thread will continue to serve a purpose. It serves as a backup in the event that Beamdog discontinues its forums, and it provides a venue for tactical players to share their adventures here at TavernRPG.

My intention is to start a thread today or tomorrow. If it's acceptable, I'd like to re-post Amara's initial updates there. In the alternative we can transfer them, if you prefer. I leave that up to the administrators.

Thanks again!

Best,

A.

 

[alice_ashpool]

Thank you for your support, OrlonKronsteen!

Here's how I see it. There is a tradeoff between tactical and RPed runs, especially in the no reload context. In theory both types of runs could exist in a single thread, but players are inevitably influenced by the posting norms of others, and those norms tend to be drawn in the tactical direction, due to the implicit competitive dimension.

I, personally, have always sought to strike a balance, but I often find myself drawn in the tactical direction by peers, despite the fact that my sensibilities are oriented towards narrative play. I'm sure there are others like me. I'm sure there are players who are interested in no reload play, but are put off by the exploits of extreme tactical gaming and would prefer to embrace, rather than jettison, the story elements of the adventure. It is the story, after all, that makes Baldur's Gate so special.

RPed no and low reload play can only thrive in a thread explicitly devoted to that purpose. It is my hope that a thread of this nature will draw new people into the community, while also allowing current players to explore their creative side. Above all else, it sounds fun to me. And I think others will find it fun too. I think we should give it a try!

Best,

A.

Agreed. Narrative runs are much more involved to write and don't benefit from being jumbled up with tales of invisible familiars blocking paths so you can AFK your level 1 wizard swinging away with Aule's Staff

 

[Alesia_BH]

Agreed. Narrative runs are much more involved to write and don't benefit from being jumbled up with tales of invisible familiars blocking paths so you can AFK your level 1 wizard swinging away with Aule's Staff

So be it. Let TavernRPG be the online home of LoNos, low cheese no reloads.

Hope to see you in the thread, Alice Ashpool!

Cheers,

A.

 

[Urdnot_Wrex]

A great idea. I have moved on to playing all varieties of games, but I remember very fondly my first playthrough of BG:EE as a blind minimal reload, shared in the minimal reload thread that @BelgarathMTH has on the Beamdog Forum (I'm a Krogan now but I used the name Arvia over there)
My only no-reload attempt after that got through (after 2 very early fails and rolling a new character) to the final BG:EE fight with Sarevok only, but I really enjoyed it and role-playing always mattered a lot to me. I played as a strictly role-played paladin, meaning I didn't steal, didn't break into locked houses, didn't pick "evil" choices etc, which meant missing out on a lot of XP and items and gold, and it was really hard to stay in character and not make a little exception here and a little exception there, but it made it more satisfying, more memorable and more enjoyable to me and I liked coming up with little stories for my character just as much as playing.

I lack the time and dedication to sharpen my skills with the same game to reach that level of perfection necessary for a success, because I want to make new experiences with new games, (and maybe even with enough time I would fail) but I respect and like the approach and would be happy to see more of it in our tavern, same as many others.
You have come to the right place here.
I especially like that you want to welcome low/minimal reload in a narrative thread too, as I have always felt that strict no-reload might seem scary to some players, so including them is great, and besides in case of a fleshed out narrative it's a pity to throw it overboard in case of - totally random example - death by inventory management through vanishing wardstones.

Looking forward to the stories!

 

[Alesia_BH]

Ok, everyone! The Candlekeep Annex is now live! I'm going to move Amara's adventure over there. Best wishes to continuing participants in this thread!

Cheers,

A.

 

[Cahir]

Guys, do you play with mods? I admit I'm totally opposite of a no-reload player and wouldn't dare to play any game in no-reload style, but I'm thinking to do a final EET run, just to make a proper goodbye with the series. I would be interested to read your thoughts about some of the mods you have put in your installs, preferably from the story points of view. Initially, I planned to install quite a large number of mods, but I realised it's not a good idea. I haven't played these games for ages, basically never finished BG2EE and SoD, and I only finished the whole trilogy as a separate games, classic version, aeons ago. At this point it's almost like a new game to me. So, what I have in mind is just EET with SCS, plus some of Lava's quest mods (preferably the ones that fits FR lore the most). Maybe also some other mods, like better UI and a portrait mod, but that's about it. If you have any of such mods installed during your runs, I will be very interested to hear your opinion.

 

[Alesia_BH]

Hello, Cahir!

The question is slightly off topic, since it doesn't pertain to no reloads, exactly, but I'll accommodate.

For a Trilogy run I'd highly recommend Ascension and SCS.

Ascension is a unique mod, a labor or love by BGs original lead game designer, David Gaider. It was intended to redress some short comings of the original ending that were imposed by a compressed development cycle. As I understand it, ToB had originally been intended as a stand alone game. At some point BioWare decided to release it as an expansion instead, and when they did it became imperative to release ToB before players deleted SoA from their hard drives. ToB was therefore rushed. David was a bit disappointed with how it turned out, or so the story goes, and later wrote Ascension on his own time, in the hope of leaving us with a more artistically satisfying work. To my way of thinking it is the ending and I wouldn't consider playing without it.

The only caveat here is that Ascension is considered difficult by some, so if you are less than confident in your tactical chops you may want to reconsider. If I had such concerns I, personally, would rather play Ascension on a lower difficulty setting than the original ending on a higher setting, though.

I'd also highly recommend SCS. SCS is, as you seem to know, a collection of AI and Tactical Mods. It makes the game world more realistic and potentially much more challenging, depending on your settings. The beautiful thing about it is that it is highly customizable, so you can get a satisfying play through at any difficulty level. Like Ascension, SCS is an essential mod, to my way of thinking: I wouldn't play without it.

Beyond that there isn't anything I'd recommend, truth be told- not in you circumstances. If you're going for a last play through, a final goodbye to the series, as you say, then my inclination would be to go with a modernized canonical setup tailored to your level of proficiency. That's what Ascension + SCS can give you. Do read the Read Mes though and choose you install options wisely! It's definitely possible to make things too hard. If you've having trouble deciding, consider starting a thread to ask for advice. I'm sure people with help.

Best wishes for a satisfying adventure!

A.

 

[Cahir]

Thank you for reply @Alesia_BH. Sorry for jumping in with off topic, I'll probably start a new thread when the time is right.

I'm not that oblivious about BG modding as my post may suggest, so I'll definitely ask more specific questions in the future.

 

[alice_ashpool]

Guys, do you play with mods? I admit I'm totally opposite of a no-reload player and wouldn't dare to play any game in no-reload style, but I'm thinking to do a final EET run, just to make a proper goodbye with the series. I would be interested to read your thoughts about some of the mods you have put in your installs, preferably from the story points of view. Initially, I planned to install quite a large number of mods, but I realised it's not a good idea. I haven't played these games for ages, basically never finished BG2EE and SoD, and I only finished the whole trilogy as a separate games, classic version, aeons ago. At this point it's almost like a new game to me. So, what I have in mind is just EET with SCS, plus some of Lava's quest mods (preferably the ones that fits FR lore the most). Maybe also some other mods, like better UI and a portrait mod, but that's about it. If you have any of such mods installed during your runs, I will be very interested to hear your opinion.

I've messed around with mods on and off for a long time, sometimes I install many many mods sometimes I just go back to vanilla with SCS. Story content additions range from the good to the... uh... not good, likewise with companions, and I tend to find the more mods you install the more the game seems to squidge into an incongruous mess of wildly different tones and voices - though special mention for Kulyok's Assassinations and Tower of Deception as two mods which felt of a higher degree of quality than much of the usual fare. If you want something pretty pure it would be SCS + Ascension + Wheels of Prophecy. Horses for courses.

Although you should deffo install Improved Anvil v6.5, you can trust me...