Icewind Dale The Icewind Dale Series Thread

[Nano]

Is it just me or does IWD feel way longer than BG? I just replayed BG2 so I might just be Infinity'd out for a while but IWD1's first chapter alone just felt glacial, no pun intended.

The chronic lack of spell scrolls will do that to you.

 

[Butter]

Is it just me or does IWD feel way longer than BG? I just replayed BG2 so I might just be Infinity'd out for a while but IWD1's first chapter alone just felt glacial, no pun intended.

BG is a really short game. If you're not horsing around with TotSC stuff, you can easily beat it in 20-25 hours. IWD is nearly double that, even ignoring HoW and TotLM.

 

[Lonely Vazdru]

What do scientists call the threshold when you have more potions than there are turns left until the heat death of the universe

Open bar.

 

[Ludwig von Eisenthal]

Is it just me or does IWD feel way longer than BG? I just replayed BG2 so I might just be Infinity'd out for a while but IWD1's first chapter alone just felt glacial, no pun intended.

BG is a really short game. If you're not horsing around with TotSC stuff, you can easily beat it in 20-25 hours. IWD is nearly double that, even ignoring HoW and TotLM.

I always took my time to play BG1 and never finshed it in such a short time, even though I know the game and every corner. Why should anyone play BG1 in 20-25 hours? For a speedrun it's way too long (I think the record is under 20 minutes) and to enjoy the adventure it's way too short (you have to ignore most stuff, leave many parts of the northern Sword Coast unexplored and have to stay strictly to the main quest). I agree that - if you know your way - the main quest of BG can be solved in far less time than IWD - but that's because IWD basically is one single fat main quest and forces the player to play through it all while BG1 gives you the decision to do what you like apart from the main quest.

 

[Nano]

"Should I put these last 5 thief points in Open Locks or stealth?... I'll go with Open Locks."
*Bard gains Tymora's Melody shortly afterwards and now I have 105 points in Open Locks*

PAIN.

 

[Hafnar the Jester]

"Should I put these last 5 thief points in Open Locks or stealth?... I'll go with Open Locks."
*Bard gains Tymora's Melody shortly afterwards and now I have 105 points in Open Locks*

PAIN.

2ed. Infinity Engine games are actually the least dangerous of offenders when it comes to poorly designed character development.

By design, theoretically, in every RPG system you are doomed from the start in the department of character development because you never know if you want to have 5% more damage against demons OR the undead, never being sure what you will face next. And by the time you make a choice it's usually too late to optimize.

The only remedy is to know the campaign design inside out, knowing exactly what you will encounter at every point. But it demands multiple playthroughs. And thus we descend into the depths of insanity and autism with a sprinkle of OCD.

 

[Cael]

"Should I put these last 5 thief points in Open Locks or stealth?... I'll go with Open Locks."
*Bard gains Tymora's Melody shortly afterwards and now I have 105 points in Open Locks*

PAIN.

You will get other songs that will remove the extra 5%.

 

[Intjoe]

For all noob friendly options in Enhanced Edition, the one that's missing is 1:1 sell/buy price.
It'd make sense lore-wise. Beside the mage, everyone in Kuldahar will die if I don't stop the evil that's threatens them.
I'm not asking for handouts, just a little cooperation from merchants in order to help me save their lives. If they survive they get to keep their profits.

How am I supposed to spend money, when I'm anxious it will go to waste if I find items of equal or greater strength in the next dungeon?
And it's not like I'm just paranoid. At the start of the game I needed 3 Splint Mails, but I was running out of money and bought only 2 guessing it might drop from some enemies later, and it happened literally during the first encounter with the goblins.

 

[Butter]

Money doesn't matter that much unless you're playing Tin Man and paying for resurrection.

 

[Hassar]

For all noob friendly options in Enhanced Edition, the one that's missing is 1:1 sell/buy price.
It'd make sense lore-wise. Beside the mage, everyone in Kuldahar will die if I don't stop the evil that's threatens them.
I'm not asking for handouts, just a little cooperation from merchants in order to help me save their lives. If they survive they get to keep their profits.

How am I supposed to spend money, when I'm anxious it will go to waste if I find items of equal or greater strength in the next dungeon?
And it's not like I'm just paranoid. At the start of the game I needed 3 Splint Mails, but I was running out of money and bought only 2 guessing it might drop from some enemies later, and it happened literally during the first encounter with the goblins.

Meh. If anything that should be a dialogue bartering negotiation option.

 

[Jedi Master Radek]

It'd make sense lore-wise. Beside the mage, everyone in Kuldahar will die if I don't stop the evil that's threatens them.
I'm not asking for handouts, just a little cooperation from merchants in order to help me save their lives. If they survive they get to keep their profits.

You complain that the game has a realistic portrait of merchants? From the merchant perspective the small increase in your success chances isn't worth the lost of profits. Entrepreneur who had given you a discount and you managed to succeed on your quest would feel regret until end of their life that they may have wasted money on you and that you would succeed nevertheless.

 

[Jigby]

For all noob friendly options in Enhanced Edition, the one that's missing is 1:1 sell/buy price.
It'd make sense lore-wise. Beside the mage, everyone in Kuldahar will die if I don't stop the evil that's threatens them.
I'm not asking for handouts, just a little cooperation from merchants in order to help me save their lives. If they survive they get to keep their profits.

How am I supposed to spend money, when I'm anxious it will go to waste if I find items of equal or greater strength in the next dungeon?
And it's not like I'm just paranoid. At the start of the game I needed 3 Splint Mails, but I was running out of money and bought only 2 guessing it might drop from some enemies later, and it happened literally during the first encounter with the goblins.

You can probably edit the game with NearInfinity and change the merchants so they buy/sell at the same price. It's the STO files you're looking for. Change sell/buy markup.

 

[mediocrepoet]

For all noob friendly options in Enhanced Edition, the one that's missing is 1:1 sell/buy price.
It'd make sense lore-wise. Beside the mage, everyone in Kuldahar will die if I don't stop the evil that's threatens them.
I'm not asking for handouts, just a little cooperation from merchants in order to help me save their lives. If they survive they get to keep their profits.

How am I supposed to spend money, when I'm anxious it will go to waste if I find items of equal or greater strength in the next dungeon?
And it's not like I'm just paranoid. At the start of the game I needed 3 Splint Mails, but I was running out of money and bought only 2 guessing it might drop from some enemies later, and it happened literally during the first encounter with the goblins.

You can probably edit the game with NearInfinity and change the merchants so they buy/sell at the same price. It's the STO files you're looking for. Change sell/buy markup.

Or just give yourself like a billion gold since the game's apparently too hard for you without cheating.

 

[Jigby]

For all noob friendly options in Enhanced Edition, the one that's missing is 1:1 sell/buy price.
It'd make sense lore-wise. Beside the mage, everyone in Kuldahar will die if I don't stop the evil that's threatens them.
I'm not asking for handouts, just a little cooperation from merchants in order to help me save their lives. If they survive they get to keep their profits.

How am I supposed to spend money, when I'm anxious it will go to waste if I find items of equal or greater strength in the next dungeon?
And it's not like I'm just paranoid. At the start of the game I needed 3 Splint Mails, but I was running out of money and bought only 2 guessing it might drop from some enemies later, and it happened literally during the first encounter with the goblins.

You can probably edit the game with NearInfinity and change the merchants so they buy/sell at the same price. It's the STO files you're looking for. Change sell/buy markup.

Or just give yourself like a billion gold since the game's apparently too hard for you without cheating.

1. meh, it's iwd, not nethack. no street cred to be extracted on difficulty
2. it's his game, he can play it whatever way he wants. If he wants to play all stats on 18, I don't care

 

[mediocrepoet]

For all noob friendly options in Enhanced Edition, the one that's missing is 1:1 sell/buy price.
It'd make sense lore-wise. Beside the mage, everyone in Kuldahar will die if I don't stop the evil that's threatens them.
I'm not asking for handouts, just a little cooperation from merchants in order to help me save their lives. If they survive they get to keep their profits.

How am I supposed to spend money, when I'm anxious it will go to waste if I find items of equal or greater strength in the next dungeon?
And it's not like I'm just paranoid. At the start of the game I needed 3 Splint Mails, but I was running out of money and bought only 2 guessing it might drop from some enemies later, and it happened literally during the first encounter with the goblins.

You can probably edit the game with NearInfinity and change the merchants so they buy/sell at the same price. It's the STO files you're looking for. Change sell/buy markup.

Or just give yourself like a billion gold since the game's apparently too hard for you without cheating.

1. meh, it's iwd, not nethack. no street cred to be extracted on difficulty
2. it's his game, he can play it whatever way he wants. If he wants to play all stats on 18, I don't care

Which of your inexplicably butthurt points has anything to do with my suggestion for an easily implemented workaround?

 

[Jigby]

This is just embarrassing. The guy complained about sell/buy markups. I explained a way how to change them. Please stop.

 

[Intjoe]

You complain that the game has a realistic portrait of merchants? From the merchant perspective the small increase in your success chances isn't worth the lost of profits. Entrepreneur who had given you a discount and you managed to succeed on your quest would feel regret until end of their life that they may have wasted money on you and that you would succeed nevertheless.

You're right. I could even abuse their goodwill by announcing I defeated the evil only AFTER returning the equipment and getting all my money back.
These people stay in business precisely because they don't fall for things like that.

Or just give yourself like a billion gold since the game's apparently too hard for you without cheating.

That would completely remove the progression of gaining money. This is more like the "finishing the game without using a single consumable" problem. Just in this case I don't know if I should spend my money or save it for later.

On second thought I don't want to mod the game on my first play through.
I will not save the money, I'll just buy the items that look useful, and if I regret it later it will make for a better experience.
But thanks anyway Jigby, I tried NearInfinity and editing markup is exactly what I wanted. I'll keep this program in mind for the future.

 

[Nano]

Guys, I think I found Intjoe's alt.

 

[Intjoe]

I doubt you found my previous account from years ago, that had 1 post, for which I forgot login and password.
I'm happy you think I fit in on RPG Codex though.

 

[vota DC]

Can dual classes add pips in proficiency further ignoring the rule of their new class? For example in BG a fighter dual in mage could add further points in weapons and get mastery without having to wait to get mastery with the original class.

 

[Sunri]

I wanted to make team full of shamans and spam summons but even if i had six of them i'm limited to only 2 spirits what a crap

 

[Nano]

Can dual classes add pips in proficiency further ignoring the rule of their new class? For example in BG a fighter dual in mage could add further points in weapons and get mastery without having to wait to get mastery with the original class.

Depends on the edition. In the EE, yes. I'd imagine the original IWD uses the BG1 dual-classing rules (i.e. the correct PnP rules), so the answer there would be no.

 

[Jigby]

IWD2:ee now has almost beamdog tier loading times -> old/new

That's an extreme example, but still quite good for essentially just a reverse engineering project.

 

[Surf Solar]

IWD2:ee now has almost beamdog tier loading times -> old/new

That's an extreme example, but still quite good for essentially just a reverse engineering project.

Shame that IWDII is a bad game, especially tonedeaf in atmosphere regards

 

[ItsChon]

Would love and IWD2:EE. Both IWD and BG were great games, and I was disappointed that BG2 turned out to be a steaming pile of shit. Tried to make IWD2 work on my computer, but no dice. Here's hoping that IWD is the sequel that IWD deserves.