The Mod I'd Like to See

[sisterpatrick]

Well, for what it's worth, I have a similar reaction to the whole push-the-main-quest thing in BG1: I always felt that from a roleplaying point of view that not pursuing the main storyline was somehow bad or selfish. The sense of urgency is certainly there - for me, anyway, though it sounds like others don't find it so. It never bothered me to the point that I didn't just rationalise it (my character is too young, inexperienced, weak, unimportant, etc), but having the options you're describing would certainly make that easier.

 

I'm not a modder, though, and I suspect that what you're describing is actually pretty difficult.

 

Best of luck.

 

s

[Fyorl]

Technically I don't think it's that difficult. I could be wrong but it sounds like simply delaying the setting of certain global variables or moving them to different conversation options.

[Sorrow]

You didn't feel like maybe you should do something about those guys dying down in that mine? Or about those bandits killing all those people on the road? Or your evil half-brother who's trying to start that war with that other country?

I think that it's a job for An Hero. And I'm just a traveller.

[theacefes]

I never really thought of it this way.

 

When I first played through BG, I thought the game was TOO slow. I wanted to hurry up and get into Baldur's Gate, see the city, find out what the heck was going on.

 

I thought the storyline worked out perfectly as it really built you up on suspense and guessing as to who you really are.

 

If anything, BG2 seemed more rushed, and I won' even go into the horrors of ToB.

[Sir_Carnifex]

I always go through BG1 at a leisurely pace. I take time for side quests, exploration, sight-seeing, whatever. And, if you're playing a cowardly PC, maybe you don't want to go near Sarevok or find out what is really happening. Hmm, a life as a hermit in the xvart caves doesn't sound too bad, after all...

[Fyorl]

I don't want to go near Sarevok when I've got a party full of level 8 characters with gleaming equipment. That guy is scary.

 

Oh and what's this about Kivan having a times quest? I never noticed. He never complained or anything. He was pretty quiet and just killed stuff... all the time. Had like 400+ kills by the end of BG1. I know he wanted to fight the evil in the world but he seriously kicks any Paladin's ass.

[DavidW]

Technically I don't think it's that difficult. I could be wrong but it sounds like simply delaying the setting of certain global variables or moving them to different conversation options.

 

It's dead easy technically. I don't personally feel the itch to do this, but someone who did and who vaguely knew the engine could do it in an hour or two.

[Domi]

Oh and what's this about Kivan having a times quest? I never noticed. He never complained or anything. He was pretty quiet and just killed stuff... all the time. Had like 400+ kills by the end of BG1. I know he wanted to fight the evil in the world but he seriously kicks any Paladin's ass.

 

He does. Like all the character timers it works patchy, but if you manage to have a game where it's working he will quit if you don't deal with the Bandit Quest, and iirc the resolution of the bandit quest the way he saw it was buggy too. You had to do something relatively obscure to calm him down, ie he did not just reacted to you getting into Tazok's tent. Bg1 had its bad moments too, appart from loads of good stuff.

[Miguel]

I think the OP makes a fine point. Especially in Baldur's Gate. There's sooo much to see in Baldur's Gate that just going to the Flaming Fist is almost an heresy. However, I felt much worse in BG2. Disregarding that Chez Irenicus is one of the worst possible places to begin a game (IMHO), as soon as you see the light of day you have Irenicus fade and Imoen captured.

 

If you want revenge, you are in a hurry (although it should be a dish best served cold). If you want your Immy back, you are in a hurry. Come on, you can gather 15000 pieces of gold without leaving Athkathla. Of course, it's not like you don't part to Brynnlaw as soon as you talk to Saemon (let me visit Trademeet first, it will only take me 5 days). And when you get back from the underdark, it's full war on the elves. And remember you lost your... ummm... emm... oh, yeah, that thing you don't want to lose (i.e. your soul). In principle, it's possible to see no D'Arnise, Trademeet, Windspear Hills and whatever else and finish the game.

 

Probably the rythm of the game is what makes me prefer the BG1 part of the story to BG2. It feels less rushed to me. That's probably one of the things I liked from Morrowind. Most of the time the game didn't rush you at all. I mean, if you've just been released from jail, visiting an Imperial Legion guy isn't the first thing that crosses your mind.

 

By the way, on my last BG1 run, I got Kivan extremely soon, because High hedge was the first named area I visited (I did it for him). In any case, I didn't feel like I rushed or anything, but he didn't complain at all about Tazok. I don't know how long I took to defeat the bandits, but I suppose it took me some time. I know that I needed some 70 game days to beat BG1+ToSC (BGT +SCS).

[Domi]

Their complain timers are relatively generous (on the order of a couple of weeks, iirc), and as I said, the thing is buggy to begin with, so it rarely triggers.

 

Heh, it sounds that a mod like that should make more sense for BG2, than BG1, but it will require more work to shift the Imoen abduction scheme further in the game to give the player some time to muck around Athkatla and shut down everyone who wants you to go to Spellhold.

[erik]

And remember you lost your... ummm... emm... oh, yeah, that thing you don't want to lose (i.e. your soul). In principle, it's possible to see no D'Arnise, Trademeet, Windspear Hills and whatever else and finish the game.

 

I've actually never been to Trademeet or Windspear. And I've been through SoA once and to Spellhold four or five times.

[Guest DeepO]

Heh, it sounds that a mod like that should make more sense for BG2, than BG1

 

I think that SCS's component which raises the sum you need to pay to Gaelan Bayle does rather ellegant job at giving player a roleplaying reason to postpone departure for Brynnlaw and do more sidequests instead.

 

I kinda agree with OP. Some dialogue options tackled to the main plotpoints which would encourage player's free roaming a bit might be nice. Especially in the case of the expansion's adventures, there's almost no interspace for doing them.

 

That said, BG1's main story is still much better than that of BG2.

[Starcrunch]

A mod like this would be really nice for BG2. I almost always am heading to Brynnlaw by day 6 or 7 and then rushing through to the end. I think SCSII has a component that ups the amount of gold it takes to buy assistance to get to Spellhold and I've meant to try that component for ages, but it always slips my mind somehow. Another alternative I'd be keen on would be to allow the player to keep playing after recovering his/her soul after all, it is clear from the movie beginning ToB that the PC has some time off between the games and you could use that time to do side quests to your hearts content (though many might be a bit easy by then). It could be done to where you simply return to Elessime to start ToB. Both solutions are pretty straightforward and give the PC time and a reason to do sidequests in BG2. Also I'd love to do Watcher's before starting the Fate stone crap.

 

-Starcrunch

[Demivrgvs]

Also I'd love to do Watcher's before starting the Fate stone crap.

SCS II allows it too.

[plainab]

To the original poster...

I myself am not sure how feasible this might be, but it sounds like you could benefit from the insertion of a new quest. Hear me out, before you blow me off.

In Chapter 5 of BG1 before getting sent to Candlekeep you are given a very expensive book to allow you entrance back into Candlekeep. Perhaps, instead of just being handed the book you are sent to a librarian located somewhere in Baldur's Gate City. This librarian says that they know of one or two books which might suffice for your entrance fee to Candlekeep, but that these books are under heavy guard and that any thieves in your party won't be successful in stealing them. Your only choice is to outright purchase them. Since you wouldn't have the gold (in your style of play) you would then be given the freedom to wander the map looking for the needed gold and doing any side quests you wish.

 

What do you think?