How to get started in D&D PC games

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Edge1

Senior member
Feb 17, 2007
439
0
0
Dragging up an old thread...just trying to learn this style of gameplay. Playing NWN2 and am really starting to enjoy myself. Playing as a ranger. Anyway, do you RPG guys control every single character in your party for every battle? I'm currently letting the AI manage much of the rest of the party, although I will step in and make the Sorceress throw up a wall of fire or something at times. Its been great addictive fun lately and I'm learning ever so slowly.
 

Via

Diamond Member
Jan 14, 2009
4,670
4
0
I don't think I've ever enjoyed a RPG where I didn't directly control every party member.

I really hated the Dungeon Seige type gameplay where you just watch the battle and keep your cursor on the health and mana potion icons.
 

Edge1

Senior member
Feb 17, 2007
439
0
0
Yeah I don't want that...it would get boring quickly. I'm impressed by the amount of flexibility as far as using the AI goes. Still in Chapter 1 but have learned enough that I think I can handle controlling more of my party. I do enjoy the "broadcast command" feature which allows you to tell everyone to sit tight at times. Still learning, definitely don't get the finer points of this type of gameplay yet.
 

Baltazar325

Senior member
Jun 17, 2004
363
1
0
I've been wanting to go back and play some of these old games again. Where is a good place to pick them up? I have fond memories of most of the modern D&D games and even back to the gold box Pool of Radiance.
 

Edge1

Senior member
Feb 17, 2007
439
0
0
Originally posted by: I Saw OJ
First thing you do with Neverwinter Nights 2 is throw it in the garbage.

Each to his own. I disagree, but then I don't have much experience in this genre. Controlling more of the party with each battle now and its all good.
 

RyanPaulShaffer

Diamond Member
Jul 13, 2005
3,434
1
0
OP attempts to roll his 1d20 to avoid reading the D&D manual.

OP fails the save! OP is required to read the manual.

:p
 

Dom Casual

Junior Member
Dec 11, 2009
2
0
0
Just started a replay of BG I after a long hiatus. Could swear it offers "auto pause when enemy sighted", but it doesn't appear amongst the other auto pause options. Am I remembering it from another version? (I'm playing 1.1.4320.) Is it only available in single player? (I'm playing multi-player so I can set up all my own characters.) This pause option is so necessary to hide-in-shadows recon, archery tactics, high-speed use of A.I. Any help would be most appreciated.

Thanks!

DC
 

styrafoam

Platinum Member
Jun 18, 2002
2,684
0
0
I think that the auto pause on enemy sighted could have been added in the Tales of the Sword Coast expansion.
 

Ika

Lifer
Mar 22, 2006
14,264
3
81
Just started a replay of BG I after a long hiatus. Could swear it offers "auto pause when enemy sighted", but it doesn't appear amongst the other auto pause options. Am I remembering it from another version? (I'm playing 1.1.4320.) Is it only available in single player? (I'm playing multi-player so I can set up all my own characters.) This pause option is so necessary to hide-in-shadows recon, archery tactics, high-speed use of A.I. Any help would be most appreciated.

Thanks!

DC

Auto-pause on enemy sighted is in BG2. I don't know about BG1. It's much much better to play the Tutu version of BG 1 though - you play the first series through the BG2 engine, which is much much better. Then you can do some of the resolution mods - widescreen, windowed mode, advanced spell animations and such, and it looks, by default, much better to boot.
 

Dom Casual

Junior Member
Dec 11, 2009
2
0
0
Thanks, Aflac!

I'm working my way through the TUTU lit, but . . . am I missing something, or is there no way to do it with only BG I installed?

D.C.
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
80,287
17,081
136
Thanks, Aflac!

I'm working my way through the TUTU lit, but . . . am I missing something, or is there no way to do it with only BG I installed?

D.C.
The TUTU instructions should have told you:
You need both BG1 and BG2 installed BEFORE you run Tutu.
 

coloumb

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
4,069
0
81
Dragging up an old thread...just trying to learn this style of gameplay. Playing NWN2 and am really starting to enjoy myself. Playing as a ranger. Anyway, do you RPG guys control every single character in your party for every battle? I'm currently letting the AI manage much of the rest of the party, although I will step in and make the Sorceress throw up a wall of fire or something at times. Its been great addictive fun lately and I'm learning ever so slowly.

Sometimes - NWN2 AI actually does a pretty good job at deciding what characters need to do during combat. I would keep a close eye on health bars to see if anyone is getting whacked and needed protection/healing [my main was a cleric with a smidgen of fighter]

The only issue I had/have with NWN2 is the ludicrous amount of time it takes to buff your party and needing to rest [then having to rebuff again] - or buffing your party only to find out it was a waste because you encountered a scripted event which wiped your party buffs. I recently re-fired up the game [it was buggy as hell when first released] and just couldn't continue on due to rest/rebuff requirements... [I blame Dragon Age for this]. :)
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
80,287
17,081
136
Sometimes - NWN2 AI actually does a pretty good job at deciding what characters need to do during combat. I would keep a close eye on health bars to see if anyone is getting whacked and needed protection/healing [my main was a cleric with a smidgen of fighter]

The only issue I had/have with NWN2 is the ludicrous amount of time it takes to buff your party and needing to rest [then having to rebuff again] - or buffing your party only to find out it was a waste because you encountered a scripted event which wiped your party buffs. I recently re-fired up the game [it was buggy as hell when first released] and just couldn't continue on due to rest/rebuff requirements... [I blame Dragon Age for this]. :)
There were a couple of items in BG2 which considerably sped up your casting speed.
Right off the top of my head I can recall the Robe of Vecna. Increased casting speed by 4. Which meant level 4 and below spells were cast instantly, and level 9 spells didnt take a day and a half.

Good stuff.
NWN2 was a pain by comparison. And most of the really useful spells only lasted for one round, which is almost useless.