BG2's "Ascension" is a troll mod

[laclongquan]

No Lilura ?

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♥]

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]

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!

 

[Sarathiour]

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.

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

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]

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.

 

[Melcar]

Aren't all those fuckers at the end fight immune to Time Stop?

 

[mastroego]

Not when I did it.
At least not all of them.

 

[Poseidon00]

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]

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]

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♥]

I declare shenanigans!

NPCs don't fight in TOB.
(Also Waifunoia becomes neutral).

 

[Malamert]

It's 2021 and people are STILL getting filtered by Ascension and SCS? God help us all...

 

[ga♥]

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.

 

[Delterius]

it seems that bg2 difficulty mods follow the same quality assurance guidelines as the romance mods

 

[Delterius]

And fuck bg2 fanboys like Lilura

You hear that Lilura?

forums are a written medium so i hope not

 

[laclongquan]

Bad writing in game is unfixable.
Asking for modders to fix THAT show an ungodly level of shit taste in writings.
Because no matter how bad the dev writing department is, the modders can always trump them.

 

[ga♥]

Agreed. Even SCS writing is pretty horrible (and was done by Gaider).

 

[octavius]

Yes, how can you possibly improve on "Less talk, more fight!"?

 

[laclongquan]

Yes, how can you possibly improve on "Less talk, more fight!"?

Flowerily with their own invented accent and flourish. That's how.

And they think that is "inventive".

 

[hell bovine]

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.

 

[Brancaleone]

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]

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]

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]

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.