Getting the best experience from MOTB

[Annie Mitsoda]

Oh holy shit someone put Daring Outlaw in? That fucking feat is the goddamn win. I made a p&p character that was swash 6/rogue 4 with that feat and some other "Skill Tricks" from the Book of Scoundrels or whatever it was, and twinked the character from hell to breakfast. AND I NEVER GOT TO PLAY HER. Maddening. Although I will admit that feat is so unbalancing it is straight-up madness.

And yeah. I do agree. Play what you want to, and damn the min/maxing.

I was about to type something like "just jump right in and do what feels right" but I hear the howling THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID chorus from here. Nnngh. The only thing I'd urge is not to install anything that kills the major mechanic of the game (you'll know what it is when you see it if you don't know what I'm talking about already) until you've at LEAST played a while with managing it. I didn't develop it, but when playing it myself, I really do feel like it's a core part of the story. Anyhow. That's my say and likely nobody gives two shits in a hat but OH WELL.

ALSO it is still hot as balls here, and it's 1:36 AM. I grew up in goddamn Arizona, which is like living on the surface of the fucking sun, but when weather reports go "well shit it's not only breaking records for heat but HUMIDITY as well how about that" then you have to accede that the phrase "it's a dry heat" is not some meaningless phrase but pure solid truth. Junior Boy, my friend, if we boil to death within our own sacks of skin, it's been an honor serving with you here on the Codex. /salute

 

[TalesfromtheCrypt]

Why dont you play a Bard/Dragon Disciple like i did???

Playing a bard is rather fun in MotB because you can pretty much max out all of your social skills while th red dragon levels pump up your stats and make you a more than decent fighter.

 

[FeelTheRads]

Nobody played a Swashbuckler? Had all social skills except for Intimidate I think and was pretty good in melee too.

 

[Syvere]

Nobody played a Swashbuckler? Had all social skills except for Intimidate I think and was pretty good in melee too.

Agreed, Swashbuckler all the way to level 30 is pretty good. Great in combat and has all the necessary dialogue skills (intimidate is worthless). As for soul devouring I turned that shit off the minute it was introduced, making people to rush through the game is just so fucking stupid it makes you wonder what the fuck they were thinking.

 

[TalesfromtheCrypt]

The class was only added with the 2nd expansion.

 

[Syvere]

The class was only added with the 2nd expansion.

Yeah, it was added in Storm of Zehir, but if you have it you can use the classes in any of the campaigns.

BTW, have they improved the performance of NWN2 yet? The game ran like shit even with SoZ on my Q6600+4870X2. I have since upgraded to 920 @3.33GHz and GTX285 SLI but haven't bothered to play NWN2 yet. Anyone with similar hardware? It would be nice to finally finish all the campaigns at least once in my lifetime but I won't accept FPS under 60 with max settings.

 

[Azrael the cat]

Nobody played a Swashbuckler? Had all social skills except for Intimidate I think and was pretty good in melee too.

Agreed, Swashbuckler all the way to level 30 is pretty good. Great in combat and has all the necessary dialogue skills (intimidate is worthless). As for soul devouring I turned that shit off the minute it was introduced, making people to rush through the game is just so fucking stupid it makes you wonder what the fuck they were thinking.

'Rush' through the game? How shit are you? It goes down so fucking slowly outside of travelling and resting that you can't run out unless you deliberately try to increase your appetite in order to get the bonuses. And that's C+C baby. Turning it off is like hacking your way up to max level, cause you want to see the big numbers but don't want to have to risk not winning a combat.

Even playing evil, you have to be an utter tard for the soul devouring to force you to 'rush' the game. I'm just boggled, utterly incredulous at how shit you must be. Seriously, I didn't think people existed who were that shit at rpgs. How do you figure out where the on switch was on your computer? I seriously find it difficult to believe that anyone who got past the 'find-the-switch-on-the-computer' stage could possibly have struggled with the soul devouring mechanic.

Or did you not actually try the soul devouring mechanic, but just went 'oohh, something that seems kind of like it might be challenging, and I haven't already seen it hundreds of times before! That scares me, so I'll disable it before I discover whether or not it is in any way challenging. After all, the Bethesda tards that complained about the mechanic are great guides to challenge in games, and not at all complete morons who struggle with anything more complex than an 'I win, lets LARP' button'? I actually think that would be a far less embarassing admission than to actually stand by your claim and insist that you found it so challenging that it forced you to rush through rather than having time to explore everything. But hey, if you'd rather go the tard route then who am I to judge?

 

[Syvere]

Nobody played a Swashbuckler? Had all social skills except for Intimidate I think and was pretty good in melee too.

Agreed, Swashbuckler all the way to level 30 is pretty good. Great in combat and has all the necessary dialogue skills (intimidate is worthless). As for soul devouring I turned that shit off the minute it was introduced, making people to rush through the game is just so fucking stupid it makes you wonder what the fuck they were thinking.

'Rush' through the game? How shit are you? It goes down so fucking slowly outside of travelling and resting that you can't run out unless you deliberately try to increase your appetite in order to get the bonuses. And that's C+C baby. Turning it off is like hacking your way up to max level, cause you want to see the big numbers but don't want to have to risk not winning a combat.

Even playing evil, you have to be an utter tard for the soul devouring to force you to 'rush' the game. I'm just boggled, utterly incredulous at how shit you must be. Seriously, I didn't think people existed who were that shit at rpgs. How do you figure out where the on switch was on your computer? I seriously would have thought that anyone who got past the 'find-the-switch-on-the-computer' stage could possibly have struggled with the soul devouring mechanic.

I can't be alone on in finding the sould devouring mechanic too easy, or at least so easy that it didn't rush you at any stage, am I?

Faggots like you probably don't realize but some people actually like to explore all areas thoroughly without a fucking time limit. Especially a time limit that's just superficial and doesn't make the game any harder (just easier in fact).

 

[Azrael the cat]

Nobody played a Swashbuckler? Had all social skills except for Intimidate I think and was pretty good in melee too.

Agreed, Swashbuckler all the way to level 30 is pretty good. Great in combat and has all the necessary dialogue skills (intimidate is worthless). As for soul devouring I turned that shit off the minute it was introduced, making people to rush through the game is just so fucking stupid it makes you wonder what the fuck they were thinking.

'Rush' through the game? How shit are you? It goes down so fucking slowly outside of travelling and resting that you can't run out unless you deliberately try to increase your appetite in order to get the bonuses. And that's C+C baby. Turning it off is like hacking your way up to max level, cause you want to see the big numbers but don't want to have to risk not winning a combat.

Even playing evil, you have to be an utter tard for the soul devouring to force you to 'rush' the game. I'm just boggled, utterly incredulous at how shit you must be. Seriously, I didn't think people existed who were that shit at rpgs. How do you figure out where the on switch was on your computer? I seriously would have thought that anyone who got past the 'find-the-switch-on-the-computer' stage could possibly have struggled with the soul devouring mechanic.

I can't be alone on in finding the sould devouring mechanic too easy, or at least so easy that it didn't rush you at any stage, am I?

Faggots like you probably don't realize but some people actually like to explore all areas thoroughly without a fucking timelimit.

Yeah, I get that, I just can't see why I had loads of time to explore every nook and cranny of the game, leaving my computer running to eat and drink without pausing it, and yet never ever came close to running into trouble with the spirit meter, and yet you found it difficult. The thing barely moves when you're exploring - it's a limit on resting and travel, and even that limit disappears completely pretty early on if you're playing good (just suppress immediately after rest. Presto, 1 button. Gee, I guess that MUST be difficult).

Edit: and to add, I've said it before but I'll say it again. I'm no 'faggot', I'll go BOTH ways, mister. Which is why I shagged your father as WELL as your mother

 

[Syvere]

Nobody played a Swashbuckler? Had all social skills except for Intimidate I think and was pretty good in melee too.

Agreed, Swashbuckler all the way to level 30 is pretty good. Great in combat and has all the necessary dialogue skills (intimidate is worthless). As for soul devouring I turned that shit off the minute it was introduced, making people to rush through the game is just so fucking stupid it makes you wonder what the fuck they were thinking.

'Rush' through the game? How shit are you? It goes down so fucking slowly outside of travelling and resting that you can't run out unless you deliberately try to increase your appetite in order to get the bonuses. And that's C+C baby. Turning it off is like hacking your way up to max level, cause you want to see the big numbers but don't want to have to risk not winning a combat.

Even playing evil, you have to be an utter tard for the soul devouring to force you to 'rush' the game. I'm just boggled, utterly incredulous at how shit you must be. Seriously, I didn't think people existed who were that shit at rpgs. How do you figure out where the on switch was on your computer? I seriously would have thought that anyone who got past the 'find-the-switch-on-the-computer' stage could possibly have struggled with the soul devouring mechanic.

I can't be alone on in finding the sould devouring mechanic too easy, or at least so easy that it didn't rush you at any stage, am I?

Faggots like you probably don't realize but some people actually like to explore all areas thoroughly without a fucking timelimit.

Yeah, I get that, I just can't see why I had loads of time to explore every nook and cranny of the game, leaving my computer running to eat and drink without pausing it, and yet never ever came close to running into trouble with the spirit meter, and yet you found it difficult. The thing barely moves when you're exploring - it's a limit on resting and travel, and even that limit disappears completely pretty early on if you're playing good (just suppress immediately after rest. Presto, 1 button. Gee, I guess that MUST be difficult).

I didn't even play with it. If you had read my post you'd probably realize that I turned it off IMMEDIATELY after the mechanic was introduced. I do not fucking care how easy or hard it makes the game. I just don't want any time limits preventing me to play the game any way I want. Besides I stopped playing all NWN2 campaigns before finishing them thanks to shitty performance.

Edit: and to add, I've said it before but I'll say it again. I'm no 'faggot', I'll go BOTH ways, mister. Which is why I shagged your father as WELL as your mother

Well, I hope it was good for you.

 

[FeelTheRads]

but I won't accept FPS under 60 with max settings.

Dream on. Although the performance is not the biggest problem, but the loading times, which are not only slow but at every other fucking corner!

As for the spirit meter, didn't particularly liked it, but didn't bother me either. I played a good character though. What happens if you play evil? I assume it will be tougher to deal with it then?

[Intelligence]And really, there is no exploration to speak of in MotB, so the meter can't affect something that doesn't exist.

 

[Junior Boy]

Junior Boy, my friend, if we boil to death within our own sacks of skin, it's been an honor serving with you here on the Codex. /salute

You're on your own, Annie. I'm heading to Alaska tomorrow, so I will escape the scorching inferno that is the Pacific Northwest. I'll learn the Eskimo name for "Obsidian Programmer," to tell your story, I promise you that.

I've experienced a minor gaming epiphany though; I can't bring myself to be evil in isometric games such as Torment, Baldurs Gate, Fallout, etc, and I never really thought about it (I always assumed it was my pristine, untrammeled morals) but now, after playing some of NWN2, I realize I just hate the combination of voice actors/3d characters. 2d games and their limited realism necessitated me projecting more of myself into the characters, really using my imagination to flesh out the things the technology lacked. So after reading all their dialogue and whatnot in my head and making their imagined expressions, actions, and tones of voice my own, I couldn't be cruel to them.

With NWN2, although I think the graphics are great, listening to your faggot ass poncy foster dad talk about the fair in that voice made me hate him immensely. Elves look unnatural in NWN2; so realistically twee and creepy, like premature births. I felt like I was going to be molested when the game started. While the good characters are still good, the annoying ones we never think about (like...an Imoen, for example) are so much more annoying. Therefore, I find it far easier to be cruel to them. Does this make any sense?

Anyway, I like how there are already some skill checks in the beginning of the game. I'm really looking forward to MOTB, with a tiefling bard/duelist diplomat. I just wish I didn't want to kick the asses of half the characters I've met so far. Maybe I'll start over as evil. God I hate my poncy ass dad.

 

[Syvere]

but I won't accept FPS under 60 with max settings.

Dream on. Although the performance is not the biggest problem, but the loading times, which are not only slow but at every other fucking corner!

Loading times have never been a problem for me. Around 5 seconds or less. It's the general performance I have issues with, I mean there's something seriously wrong if even a high end PC can't run a game that's several years old well.

 

[Annie Mitsoda]

I think a lot of OEI folks actually didn't like the way elves looked in NWN2 AT ALL - if you look at Justin Cherry's art (<3) they really didn't come out looking that way. That's how D&D elves were made to look, tho - alientastic. For MotB they switched approval people and the new person was like "So flaming hair and tentacle heads for genasi? Bigass rainbow bear? FUCKING SHIT I LOVE IT, RUN WITH IT" so it got in. MotB is the game that I think really, REALLY did well in bringing models in line with concepting. Okku looks perfect.

I've never liked loading in NWN2, and I sort of knew it was going to be a whorebitch with SoZ, and tried to mitigate it as best I could. It's a lot to do with how the modules are set up and how programming works in the system given. Stuff uses a NWN base, which has ups and downs. Yay for being able to check out how my module runs via windowed mode right from the toolset, boo for its in-game loading time of poops. Sorry about that.

And honestly, whatever your take on the spirit eater mechanic, I just think you should TRY it first before being like FUK DIS NOIZE and turning it off. Fair shake is all.

And damn your escape to Alaska! And it's DESIGNER! Wait... I have beer here! SAVE ME, BEER!

 

[Junior Boy]

Well, you technically...program designs...into being. Actually, I just guessed terribly. I will give you props though, the armor in the game looks very nice so far, especially the duelist and blackguard, who looks like a giant porcupine of death.

I like the concept of the spirit eater mechanic a lot; it's also an attempt at something new, which is cool. And from what i gather it makes sense given that you, you know, eat spirits.

I can run NWN2 very smoothly except when i turn texture filtering to antistropic high. Then the fps just dies. I have a 9800 gt; everything else is set to high.

 

[MetalCraze]

Whoever came up with a nice idea of using absolutely useless epic levels together with unfixed casual NWN2 combat should be lynched.
Don't play as a mage. You will be forever stuck at lvl 20 while monsters will grow because of the great design ideas.

 

[Syvere]

I think a lot of OEI folks actually didn't like the way elves looked in NWN2 AT ALL - if you look at Justin Cherry's art (<3) they really didn't come out looking that way. That's how D&D elves were made to look, tho - alientastic. For MotB they switched approval people and the new person was like "So flaming hair and tentacle heads for genasi? Bigass rainbow bear? FUCKING SHIT I LOVE IT, RUN WITH IT" so it got in. MotB is the game that I think really, REALLY did well in bringing models in line with concepting. Okku looks perfect.

Sure the effects are nice, but I think most people have an issue with faces. They're so fucking horrible and there's only one tolerable face per race.

I've never liked loading in NWN2, and I sort of knew it was going to be a whorebitch with SoZ, and tried to mitigate it as best I could. It's a lot to do with how the modules are set up and how programming works in the system given. Stuff uses a NWN base, which has ups and downs. Yay for being able to check out how my module runs via windowed mode right from the toolset, boo for its in-game loading time of poops. Sorry about that.

Nothing to apologize. Blame the shitty engine programmers and designers. NWN2 is badly optimized and programmed and there's nothing to defend it.

And honestly, whatever your take on the spirit eater mechanic, I just think you should TRY it first before being like FUK DIS NOIZE and turning it off. Fair shake is all.

If I ever actually begin playing NWN2 again I will give it an honest try before I decide whether or not to turn it off. Hopefully in a decade or so there'll be a computer that can run this buggy mess decently.

 

[pipka]

Hopefully in a decade or so there'll be a computer that can run this buggy mess decently.

For a moment, I thought about Ultima IX.

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

This game is to be played all-devouring and max-craving as soon as it gets possible. This is the most fun - as everyone knows.

 

[nomask7]

It's always the same story. Everything is shit. But the shit eaters, who make up 90% of humanity, like it. Then someone risks his livelihood to produce a bit of actual high quality meat. The shit eaters recoil in horror: "I should use my teeth now? Even chew it? Never! Never ever ever! I tell you what, you eat it first, then I'll eat it when it comes out of you know where. I'm a shit eater. Shit is familiar, safe, it's what I know. I swim in shit and I live in shit, I eat shit and I shit shit, so don't offend me by offering me meat - give me more shit instead. There can never be enough shit in the world."

 

[LeStryfe79]

Sorry, I just... I heard about the preorder for Scribblenauts, and was already thinking about hats, and then someone said something about hats here, and nobody's been posting fuckall on the Codex today, and it's hot as BALLS in Seattle, and brain no can work think thing that you do with your head... space... thing.

Shit. Anyhow.

I myself like multiclassing, mostly because I liked the combined experience of stabbing bitches with daggers and then pew pew with the spells. But people's reluctance to multiclass led to an unbelievable glut of base classes in 3.5 - during MotB I chuckled "prestige classes are SO 2 years ago." Oy vey, I wasn't far off. Hello there, Beguiler...

As for picking a straight class with no variation, I like rogue. I am the stabby type.

The problem with multiclassing in 3rd was the balancing issues. I'm a fairly experienced power gamer, and as such could always create characters far more powerful than the others in my gaming group. On the other hand, characters made in such a way lack a true identity. Having 10 classes is more like following a complex recipe and removes the immersion factor. Obviously a classless system would be better, but then WotC would risk losing millions of splat book sales. Fuck that shit. Also, try going back and reading the original Forgotten Realms campaign setting. It might be 95% fluff, but it made you feel like that world actually existed. Without it , all you get is a bunch of unwashed losers with nerd rage and their +7 whatchamacallit.


Ha ha, in ToEE I made a straight rogue(UMD enabled) that could kill St. Cuthbert all by his lonesome. In other words, rogues (and priests) are already so unbalanced that even a straight character has a shitty feel to it. Oh well, at least 3ed still felt like d&d. Goddamn i hate WotC...and EnWorld too for that matter

 

[Mystary!]

Nobody played a Swashbuckler? Had all social skills except for Intimidate I think and was pretty good in melee too.

Agreed, Swashbuckler all the way to level 30 is pretty good. Great in combat and has all the necessary dialogue skills (intimidate is worthless). As for soul devouring I turned that shit off the minute it was introduced, making people to rush through the game is just so fucking stupid it makes you wonder what the fuck they were thinking.

'Rush' through the game? How shit are you? It goes down so fucking slowly outside of travelling and resting that you can't run out unless you deliberately try to increase your appetite in order to get the bonuses. And that's C+C baby. Turning it off is like hacking your way up to max level, cause you want to see the big numbers but don't want to have to risk not winning a combat.

Even playing evil, you have to be an utter tard for the soul devouring to force you to 'rush' the game. I'm just boggled, utterly incredulous at how shit you must be. Seriously, I didn't think people existed who were that shit at rpgs. How do you figure out where the on switch was on your computer? I seriously find it difficult to believe that anyone who got past the 'find-the-switch-on-the-computer' stage could possibly have struggled with the soul devouring mechanic.

Or did you not actually try the soul devouring mechanic, but just went 'oohh, something that seems kind of like it might be challenging, and I haven't already seen it hundreds of times before! That scares me, so I'll disable it before I discover whether or not it is in any way challenging. After all, the Bethesda tards that complained about the mechanic are great guides to challenge in games, and not at all complete morons who struggle with anything more complex than an 'I win, lets LARP' button'? I actually think that would be a far less embarassing admission than to actually stand by your claim and insist that you found it so challenging that it forced you to rush through rather than having time to explore everything. But hey, if you'd rather go the tard route then who am I to judge?

Amen. How anyone can starve is beyond me, you can devour gods ffs!