BG2:SOA Multiplayer Sessions

StJimmy2000 · Post by **StJimmy2000** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 4:57 pm

Hello everyone, I recently got back into playing the Baldur's Gate series and am going to start BG2:SOA soon. I'm looking for 5 others that would like to join in on days/nights and times that are good for everyone. After SOA is done, if everyone agrees, we will start into ToB. Message on this thread or email me at furrionjimmy@yahoo.com. Please say your time zone and normal playing hours. Skype, Ventrilo, or Teamspeak is needed, but not required. Also, if you would be so kind as to say your prefered class and/or race then it would be a great help. It will be a first-come-first-serve along with common timezones basis's.

I look forward to seeing your emails and replies.

Berethor · Post by **Berethor** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 5:13 pm

StJimmy2000 wrote:Hello everyone, I recently got back into playing the Baldur's Gate series and am going to start BG2:SOA soon. I'm looking for 5 others that would like to join in on days/nights and times that are good for everyone. After SOA is done, if everyone agrees, we will start into ToB. Message on this thread or email me at furrionjimmy@yahoo.com. Please say your time zone and normal playing hours. Skype, Ventrilo, or Teamspeak is needed, but not required. Also, if you would be so kind as to say your prefered class and/or race then it would be a great help. It will be a first-come-first-serve along with common timezones basis's.

I look forward to seeing your emails and replies.

This line really stood out when I read the post.

I don't really understand how BG2's multiplayer works...have to try it some day.

Crenshinibon · Post by **Crenshinibon** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 8:07 pm

Baldur's Gate multiplayer can be easily compared with the single player mode, except that the host is the Bhaalspawn and the rest of the players control at least one party member, custom or NPC. Essentially, it's playing the game in a co-op mode.

Those programs aren't really necessary as you are provided with a chat bar in game.

StJimmy2000 · Post by **StJimmy2000** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 11:56 am

I realize this, but if something happens in the middle of a fight it will be a pain in the *** to type it out while also fighting, considering (I'm not sure if this has been changed) when I used to play multiplayer all the time, we couldn't pause the game to get our spells straight so we had to micro like crazy. It would be much easier to just yell out "Vocalize us!" into a mic. Thus, needed (like for the merc compound in temple district or final fight it would give a good edge), but not required.

Berethor · Post by **Berethor** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 12:38 pm

Crenshinibon wrote:Baldur's Gate multiplayer can be easily compared with the single player mode, except that the host is the Bhaalspawn and the rest of the players control at least one party member, custom or NPC. Essentially, it's playing the game in a co-op mode.

Those programs aren't really necessary as you are provided with a chat bar in game.

But do both players get to participate in important game conversations/events, or are you essentially a henchman in their world?

Crenshinibon · Post by **Crenshinibon** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 1:51 pm

The player that the dialog initiator first sees is the one that responds. It does feel like you're a henchman when you play, but I never really minded that part. In my opinnion, it's tougher to play with a small group of people rather than a party that you fully control.

StJimmy2000 · Post by **StJimmy2000** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 3:20 pm

Crenshinibon wrote:The player that the dialog initiator first sees is the one that responds. It does feel like you're a henchman when you play, but I never really minded that part. In my opinnion, it's tougher to play with a small group of people rather than a party that you fully control.

Not only is it harder, but as far as the dialog options go, everyone sees what the npc says and what the options are, so if someone wants me to say something else then they can just type it into the dialog box considering its open even when dialog is going on with an npc.

Also, if we can't get 5 people (I think we have to keep room for Imoen, but not sure, it's been awhile) then I'd like to get at least me plus 2 others so we can varize ourselves decently and it not just be another tagging along. It also helps on group decisions to have an odd number of players to run it by a democracy of sorts. SPOILER IN THIS SENTENCE: For instance, if we should help the vampires or the shadow theives.

I need confirmation and playable times from people if their wanting to play.

StJimmy2000 · Post by **StJimmy2000** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 4:09 pm

/bump

The party that I created has now fully disbanded. If you are wanting to join my new party for BG2:SoA (most likely will do ToB afterwords and might do the first BG before BG2:SoA) if anyone is wanting to join the party send an e-mail to remenissions1@yahoo.com informing me of your available play times, and prefered class/race. Or you can just post on this thread with the previous information listed.

willsanders84 · Post by **willsanders84** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 4:31 pm

Mate, I'd absolutely love to, oh, hold on.

AFK

(Some time later) Sorry, had to deliver a child, as in childbirth. Then I had to save the planet, as in apocalypse. Now Mummy's calling me for supper, so I gotta go.

NOW I WISH, and I TRULY WISH IT. That I lived in a bunker, in the centre of the earth, with a lifetime supply of tea and biscuits (PG tips, tesco value chocolate digestive bars [they're like penguins... you know where I'm going with it] fyi) BUT I don't. My life's bull****. If I could drop it all and walk about Faerun as a ranger, believe me buddy. I would.

But I can't. I just can't. I've got to work, you know, and when I'm not working I really shouldn't be playing computer games.

Now, and this is sad, like holocaust sad, you're not going to get four other people so stay with you from the beggining of SoA 'till the end of ToB. And it breaks my heart, truly. BUT, If you want someone who'll be there on and off for a week or something, I'm your man. I'll even buy a mic. Just make sure that the other three guys don't think they're Jan Jansen, Valygar Corinthala and Mazzy Fentan. I'd read a cursed scroll of petrification. Serious.

willsanders84 · Post by **willsanders84** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 4:32 pm

p.s. GMT BABY! (Oh, and I do shift work, so I'm extremely unreliable)

RPGguy · Post by **RPGguy** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 4:46 pm

Just curious...in a multi-player game, how does use of the 'pause' work. Because 6 different people independently pausing at their various whims would drive me nuts.

Alternatively, if the Bhaalspawn controls the only pause, they better be damn good at it...keeping a close eye on everyone's health and casting situations.

If there is no pause then...then...well, I can't even imagine that :speech:

Crenshinibon · Post by **Crenshinibon** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 5:01 pm

All people control the pause, but that can be changed in the permissions.

RPGguy · Post by **RPGguy** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 5:06 pm

Crenshinibon wrote:All people control the pause, but that can be changed in the permissions.

Or how about no one gets to pause and the game auto-pauses at the end of each combat round? Wonder if that would be easier.

StJimmy2000 · Post by **StJimmy2000** » Wed Feb 03, 2010 8:19 pm

im not for certain about how it CAN be set up. i set it up to where no one can pause and it worked out fine. i mean we werent lvl9's and taking out irenicus or anything that crazily good, but it is possible play it without pauses since your only controlling yourself.

and i know that people cant devote their lives to it. im saying that maybe like once a week we set up a time from ##:## to ##:## that we can play on a certain day.

RPGguy · Post by **RPGguy** » Wed Feb 03, 2010 9:06 pm

You know, the last time I did something like this was cruising through Diablo 2 co-op. Man, that was a blast! But ultimately it soured when folks started arguing over who should get what loot

Ode to a Grasshopper · Thu Feb 04, 2010 4:35 am

Tips for success.
You might want to try the GameFAQs BG2 boards and the Bioware BG2 forums too. If you're at university or live near one there are often role-playing clubs on-campus, so you might find some locals willing to do some regular LAN BG2 action. It helps if you go for people on a similar time zone, and aim for 2-3 people controlling 1 or 2 characters each (player created or Bioware NPCs - a mixture of both means your human players choose what classes they want and fill the gaps with the Bioware characters, as well as still getting some of the banter and interjections). If you have a lot of dual- or multi-class characters it might be better to go for a smaller party for faster level progression.
The other question is what setup you're running, i.e. is it patched, Tweakpacked, uses any NPC mods/Dungeon-B-Gone etc, and whether you're doing it legit or will accept edited/already fully equipped characters (i.e. I recently made a gnome Wild Mage with Power Word: Shadowkeeper and decked her out to solo BG1/TotSC - Princess Kashmir rocks IMO but some players object to that sort of thing). Likewise, most disputes about which way to do quests will come down to what sort of party you're playing (good/mercenary/evil/powergaming).
Good luck.

willsanders84 · Post by **willsanders84** » Thu Feb 04, 2010 6:33 am

Well what kind of times are you thinking StJimmy2000? I couldn't care less about nice equipment, give me a short sword and some leather, and I'm there. I might just have a problem with quest decisions though, for example, if Hear'Dalis so much as looks at me I'm walking. I might tell Valygar to get some balls, and end up walking.

Plus, any evil schinanigans, and I won't be happy. I mean really, who IS evil? Even neutral characters I can't understand; so you have no concern for the well being and overall happiness of people? Neutral people don't have a soul.

I can easily do one day a week, probably, so if you need a Paladin/Ranger, I might just be your man.

StJimmy2000 · Post by **StJimmy2000** » Sun Feb 07, 2010 7:26 pm

well my times can consist of 5:00-10:00 pm (-6:00 central) on weekdays and just about anytime on weekends personally

jouke1988 · Post by **jouke1988** » Mon Feb 08, 2010 2:03 am

A friend of me and I finished all BG2 in Multiplayer once. We divided the players the most easy way. He took care of the Fighter part, I handled all the magic.

This was our party:

Bubba(my Friends PC) Halfling Fighter/Thief with Two Short Swords.
Minsc (My friends NPC) Wielding Lilarcor or 2 maces
Aerie (Mine) Gnasher/sling
Shauhan (My PC) Gnome Illusionist with staff of magi and sling of arvoreen
Valygar (My Friends NPC) With longbow and Spear
Anomen (Mine) With Flail of the ages and Sling

We chose to play a full party and stick to these characters all the game. It is possible but it needs a lot of conversation and a lot of good agreements upfront. He played the leading character and I followed. We did watcher's Keep till level 4. It is a lot of fun but it takes loads of time.

jouke1988 · Post by **jouke1988** » Mon Feb 08, 2010 2:08 am

RPGguy wrote:You know, the last time I did something like this was cruising through Diablo 2 co-op. Man, that was a blast! But ultimately it soured when folks started arguing over who should get what loot

Above I explained how a friend of mine and I handled the party. The loot wasn't really a problem that way because he needed heavy mail and stuff for fighters while I needed wands, Horns and other stuff like that