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BG2's "Ascension" is a troll mod

laclongquan

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Even using SCS she set it not at high difficulty. Just harder than your usual BG2 a bit.

Aspie level of Ascension? No.

And when I said aspi, I mean remembering every combat tricks and cheese you know about the game engine. Or otherwise you cant play Ascension.
 

ga♥

Arcane
Vatnik
Joined
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Messages
7,587
That's already an impressive level of autism on display.

Here's Melissan with Ascension and SCS. The enemy abilities alone, hahaha.



The only "problem" I have with the video is that he is playing on core rules, which means less fallen solars during the last fight, also Melissan will do less shit.

Beside that I copied his attacking Abizagail using normal weapons instead of trying to dispell.
 

oldmanpaco

Master of Siestas
Joined
Nov 8, 2008
Messages
13,609
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Winter
ust finished Ascension+SCS on insane NO CHEESE NO EXPLOITS AMA.

Don't even try the last fight solo, it's impossible.

Party:

F/M elf (bad choice, gnome would have better)
Keldorn
Jaheira
Viconia (transformed to a dual class fighter/cleric, to avoid getting Anomen; if you can stand him he's the better choice)
Jan
Edwin

F/M elf (bad choice, gnome would have better)
Keldorn
Jaheira
Viconia (transformed to a dual class fighter/cleric, to avoid getting Anomen; if you can stand him he's the better choice)
Jan
Edwin

Keldorn
Viconia

I declare shenanigans! :rpgcodex:
 

Sarathiour

Cipher
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Jun 7, 2020
Messages
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Anthedon They must have changed Ascension when the EE came out. I don't remember their abilities being that crazy. They're up there in Ascension, but that looks more like Tactics mod, particularly with all the regeneration, immunities, and both Bhodi and Yaga-Shura's abilities. Amelyssan too. She's normally hit-able by +4 and greater. In that video it says +5. When I played this mod, I would even select the "tougher" variants of The Five & Demogorgon, but I don't remember them being this over-the-top.

Indeed, it's ascension plus SCS.
 
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Sarathiour SCS doesn't really change stats outside of an option to increase dragon HP, if I remember correctly. SCS has some mechanical tweaks, but its overwhelmingly an AI mod. Its Ascension that makes them "tougher" (optionally). I have preEE mods meticulously archived. I might take a look to compare.
 

mastroego

Arcane
Joined
Apr 10, 2013
Messages
10,250
Location
Italy
Back in the day (shit, what, 20 years ago?) I beat Ascension with a 3 men party. CHARNAME, Imoen and the "redeemed" brother.
All 3 of them had access to Simulacrum, so in effect they faced the fight almost as a 6 men party, then with the help of Time Stops, contingencies and so on, I did it.
It was an extremely tricky affair, though.
 

Poseidon00

Arcane
Joined
Dec 11, 2018
Messages
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edgy, stupid difficulty

Have to agree there. Nothing in scs or other tactics mods feels like a legit DnD challenge that can be solved with creative tactics or party teamwork, but in engine exploitation to the highest degree. A very shallow variety of difficulty.
 

Jvegi

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Glory to Ukraine
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And fuck bg2 fanboys like Lilura and Jvegi
I'm not a fanboy, and Lilura definitely isn't either.

The fuck are you on about? Difficulty and item mods are the only worthwhile additions. They stretch the tactical possibilities of the engine to its limits and it's awesome. I'm sorry you're not good enough. Play on Normal, I did, back in the day. Even wrote a guide. It was fun. And I don't remember ANYBODY bitching about the mods being too difficult. You could always not install the most ridicules components, like the Irenicus Dungeon "improvements".

You can't seriously expect modders to fix bad writing. Every bg story mod ever is shit, including NPC Project. Stat checks would be cool, maybe.
 

Poseidon00

Arcane
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Dec 11, 2018
Messages
2,039
Writing your own ai scripts is super fuckin easy in IE, if you can write a list you can do it. I made my own for when I actually played BGEE a few years ago. Gave many groups or mages a gimmick or particular strat with some variation and item use. Webs and spiders, mind affecting spells and arrows, etc. Felt more like a traditional pnp campaign to me
 

ga♥

Arcane
Vatnik
Joined
Feb 3, 2017
Messages
7,587
Aren't all those fuckers at the end fight immune to Time Stop?

Only Balthazar and Melissan.
If you get Balthazar on your side you can use time stop in the first stage, while Melisan is away. When she joins the dances, no time stop unless you want a couple of your chars to die.
 

ga♥

Arcane
Vatnik
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Feb 3, 2017
Messages
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Agreed. Even SCS writing is pretty horrible (and was done by Gaider).
 

hell bovine

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Secret Level
If this is end SoA, then it sounds like the Tactics mod hell battle. Used be also part of SCS (but not Ascension), but it was removed years ago.

Regarding Irenicus' spell protections in that battle, they could be removed. Irenicus himself, ironically, could be feebleminded. But considering Tactics is an old mod that wasn't updated in years, it's possible that the mod set up is bugged. The only time I can get Tactics to work nowadays is with BGT, for some reason, but imo it's not worth it considering how much customization SCS offers.
 
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Brancaleone

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Apr 28, 2015
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Norcia
If this is end SoA, then it sounds like the Tactics mod hell battle. Used be also part of SCS (but not Ascension), but it was removed years ago.

Regarding Irenicus' spell protections in that battle, they could be removed. Irenicus himself, ironically, could be feebleminded. But considering Tactics is an old mod that wasn't updated in years, it's possible that the mod set up is bugged. The only time I can get Tactics to work nowadays is with BGT, for some reason, but imo it's not worth it considering how much customization SCS offers.
I think when I played it it was as part of SCS, since I distinctly remember a lich spawning together either the sword or the Orb of Fear (I think the beholder was called like this), which should mean that I had the 'hardest random encounters' option activated with SCS.

In the version I played, Irenicus phase 2 had his protections wearing off after quite a long time, I remember having also to basically learn the timing of his 'Shatter magic' so not to waste all of my buff/defensive spell slots.
 

KainenMorden

Educated
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Aug 19, 2022
Messages
894
Codex Year of the Donut
edgy, stupid difficulty

Have to agree there. Nothing in scs or other tactics mods feels like a legit DnD challenge that can be solved with creative tactics or party teamwork, but in engine exploitation to the highest degree. A very shallow variety of difficulty.

From my experience playing scs insane double damage, this isn't accurate at all. Tactics may be that way but not SCS.
 

Yosharian

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Grand Chien
Interesting reading through this old thread again!

I had a thought a few days ago regarding BG2 coincidentally.

Do you guys think it is possible to beat the game without *any* casters except a Bard?

I'm pretty sure the vanilla game has enough cheese in it that it's still possible. Right?
 

KainenMorden

Educated
Patron
Joined
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894
Codex Year of the Donut
Interesting reading through this old thread again!

I had a thought a few days ago regarding BG2 coincidentally.

Do you guys think it is possible to beat the game without *any* casters except a Bard?

I'm pretty sure the vanilla game has enough cheese in it that it's still possible. Right?
Yes but you will be using some scrolls and wands in tob. You could solo the entire game with a bard, I think blade would be best for that and for being the sole arcane caster.
 

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