Making the most of a BG2 playthrough (Mod NPCs)

[Ladile]

For NPCs, I mainly look at the quality of writing. Are they interesting and well-rounded? If their race/class is something outlandish or unusual for the area of Faerun that the game takes place in, do they have a good backstory to explain why they're there? Do they operate as a good support for the PC or do they tend to steal the show? Does the mod keep the Bioware NPCs within character? My best experiences have been with mods that make me genuinely care about the NPC and make me feel like there's a real connection (whether romantic or friendship) between them and my PC. Admittedly, some of this is subjective; my interpretation of Anomen or Imoen's personality may be very different from someone else's, for example.

 

As far as what *type* of romances and friendships I like to see, it honestly depends on my mood. I can dig a character like Faren, who is easygoing and relatively uncomplicated (based on what I've seen of the mod), but I also don't mind something a little more melancholy, like Xan. I normally play good-aligned PCs and occasionally neutral ones, so I tend to avoid NPCs with a noticeably evil bent to them. I don't worry about whether an NPC is considered weak or subpar from a combat perspective (a comment I've seen several times about Keto). Oh, and I enjoy chatty NPCs

[Tempest]

For whatever it's worth, I'm Darian's author and can answer any questions you have about him. I don't have the most unbiased opinion about the mod, obviously, but his romance is neither easygoing and uncomplicated nor melancholy. "Complicated" is probably the best way to describe him in general and the romance in particular. If you don't want to romance him, he does strike up a romantic relationship with Aerie in Throne of Bhaal if you haven't romanced either character, but he gets his most visible character development if you do romance him. He changes noticeably in ToB regardless, though.

[Nilfalasiel]

By the way, I played with Kivan several times, and I managed to get him to ToB without romancing him or bringing Deheriana back. The key is, I believe, ignoring April entirely in Spellhold, which is very easy to do - then there's no Deheriana and he does not leave.

 

Oh really? Does he actually have unromanced dialogue in ToB without Deheriana being there? I was under the impression that the mod was only intended to have 3 general outcomes: either you romance him, or he leaves for Arvandor, or you bring Deheriana back for him. Does he not say he wants to leave when you talk to the priestess in Suldanessellar?

[Kulyok]

"My time grows short" and such? Ah, he says such things twice a chapter or so, but for as long as I ignored April, it worked for me. It's a very convenient loophole - since you don't have to talk to April, DeherianaLives never sets, and nothing happens with Demin or Ellesime at the very end of the SoA game. I like it - for I certainly don't want Kivan to abandon me in ToB(if he wants to be with Deheriana, I don't mind, but only after my PC gets her friend talks!)

[Nilfalasiel]

Aha! Good to know. I was rather annoyed at seeing him poof right out of my party upon talking to the priestess during my last playthrough (because I'd talked to April like a good girl). I'd hoped he'd wait at least until we'd kicked Irenicus' butt, but noooo...

 

Anyway, sorry for sidetracking the thread! Please continue.

[Sylune]

Adrian is a great NPC. It would be nice if he had a voice actor though, maybe we could badger the person that voiced Faren (also a nice NPC) into voicing Adrian.