Point Buy

Kyi'bllik · Post by **Kyi'bllik** » Tue Feb 05, 2002 12:56 pm

i know that all stats will be at 10, but i don't know how many points we will have to spent. do anyone know? will it be 25 as in PoR2?

Sojourner · Post by **Sojourner** » Wed Feb 06, 2002 12:57 am

Is IWD going to be based on 3rd edition rules, too?

Kyi'bllik · Post by **Kyi'bllik** » Wed Feb 06, 2002 1:56 am

it will be hybrid between 2nd ed. AD&D and 3rd ed. D&D

DraySkullan · Post by **DraySkullan** » Wed Feb 06, 2002 10:48 am

I like the point buy system, as long as it's a decent amount of points. I dont want a godlike character to start with, but I don't want Urkel either.

Mirk · Post by **Mirk** » Wed Feb 06, 2002 12:17 pm

you get 6x8+25, that's a tottal of 73. at least, that is what the designers posted. oh, and there are racial mods - +2/-2, sometimes +2/+2/-2 (e.g. drow), but then the XP is penalised

HighLordDave · Post by **HighLordDave** » Wed Feb 06, 2002 3:11 pm

The points systems blows. Give me die "rolls" any day!

DraySkullan · Post by **DraySkullan** » Wed Feb 06, 2002 5:11 pm

I really see nothing wrong with die rolls. Hell, remember the old Commodore games? You could Modify your stats, so they could "be just like your real character". Of course we all used it to modify all our stats to 18, hehe.

Ned Flanders · Post by **Ned Flanders** » Wed Feb 06, 2002 6:10 pm

HLD, I agree

DraySkullan, indeed. I presume you are referring to the good ole days of pool of radiance I, curse of the azure bonds and secret of the silver blades.

Sailor Saturn · Post by **Sailor Saturn** » Wed Feb 06, 2002 7:03 pm

Originally posted by HighLordDave
The points systems blows. Give me die "rolls" any day!

I really don't understand much about the point system. It doesn't make any sense to me. I agree about the die 'rolls.'

HighLordDave · Post by **HighLordDave** » Wed Feb 06, 2002 7:58 pm

The points system is parity in action. Each character starts out with the same basic stats (8, I think). You then get a set number of points to increase your attributes. In this way, you load up a fighter with STR, CON, and DEX at the expense of INT, WIS, and CHA, and stack a thief with DEX, INT, and CHA while neglecting the others. Then you add/subtract racial and class bonuses.

Through the point buy system, every character is created equal. This is, of course, absurd.

Since a role-playing game should at least pretend to mirror "real" life, the games should show some variance in the gene pool. For instance, while some people are better at some things than others, there are a few people who are very smart, very strong, very fast and very likeable. They would have a high INT, high STR, high DEX and high CHA. However, if life were like a points system, you couldn't be all of those, you'd have to pick two and be average at the rest.

Die "rolls" reflect the randomness of nature and reward player perseverence (for continuing to hit the re-roll button over and over). In my opinion this reflects the fact that the game heroes should be the cream of the crop and have high stats in as many areas as they can manage through a series of random "rolls"; that's why they're heroes.

Ned Flanders · Post by **Ned Flanders** » Wed Feb 06, 2002 8:56 pm

Do you think we'll be able to hack the hell out of their system with a dale keeper 2?

HighLordDave · Post by **HighLordDave** » Wed Feb 06, 2002 9:05 pm

I'm sure we will, Ned. IWD was built for powergaming/munchkinism/roll-playing. Take the Heart of Fury mode; it's all about maxing out XP, going to the higher levels and getting cool stuff. There wasn't a shred of role-playing to be found. I'm sure the sequel won't be any different.

Sojourner · Post by **Sojourner** » Thu Feb 07, 2002 3:31 am

The point-buy system would be OK if they managed it like PS:T, where you started out with 9 in every stat, had 21 more points to distribute, then got another point every time you leveled up in your primary class.

HighLordDave · Post by **HighLordDave** » Thu Feb 07, 2002 7:01 am

Originally posted by Sojourner
The point-buy system would be OK if they managed it like PS:T, where you started out with 9 in every stat, had 21 more points to distribute, then got another point every time you leveled up in your primary class.

You don't get an additional point at every level, but I think it's every fourth character level that you can increase one attribute one point.

Xyx · Post by **Xyx** » Thu Feb 07, 2002 7:24 am

Not everyone is created equal; only PCs. And since there is only one of those in every single player game, there's not much to be equal to, is there?

The rest of the world is supposed to be created "organically" (3d6, most likely).

Don't worry... Adventurers really are the cream of the crop. 3rd Edition stats don't need to be 16+ to give good bonuses.

Point Buy just saves you from having to roll stats for two hours and then reaching for Shadow Keeper anyway.

HighLordDave · Post by **HighLordDave** » Thu Feb 07, 2002 7:29 am

But IWD isn't really a single PC game, and from the sounds of it, IWD2 won't be either. You'll have six characters to generate and control.

Beyond CRPGs, I have grown up around Pnp RPGs that use die rolls to generate attributes and to scrap the random element in character creation for the sake of parity seems heretical.

Gellor · Post by **Gellor** » Thu Feb 07, 2002 9:54 am

I completley agree with Dave . The point buy system blows. I love rolling a Char . It is one of the things i really didnt like about Torment . I tryed the demo of POR/Romd the system sucks . But im not really big into the 3ed anyway . It seems kind of childish .

Onyx · Post by **Onyx** » Fri Feb 08, 2002 3:46 am

Originally posted by HighLordDave

You don't get an additional point at every level, but I think it's every fourth character level that you can increase one attribute one point.

That is 3rd Ed. rules.
So, is the rest of the game going to be 3rd Ed, or like Kyi'bllik mentioned : a hybrid between 2nd ed. AD&D and 3rd ed. D&D.
I don't really like the sound of that.

Onyx

Kyi'bllik · Post by **Kyi'bllik** » Fri Feb 08, 2002 4:07 am

Originally posted by Onyx

That is 3rd Ed. rules.
So, is the rest of the game going to be 3rd Ed, or like Kyi'bllik mentioned : a hybrid between 2nd ed. AD&D and 3rd ed. D&D.
I don't really like the sound of that.

Onyx

this is from Planetbaldursgate.com (originaly from BIS message boards)- Mixing the 2E and 3E rules: My goal is to make a good, well-balanced game. If I can accomplish that with 100% 2nd Ed. rules, fine. If with 100% 3E rules, fine. Neither were really possible, and a 2nd Ed./3E hybrid was much more realistic.

so, we shall see

Onyx · Post by **Onyx** » Fri Feb 08, 2002 4:30 am

LOL

it sound like their not realy sure.
so, we shall see.

Onyx