Advice wanted on starting ToB

boo's daddy · Post by **boo's daddy** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 6:29 am

Hello

Am about to buy ToB (on the mac).

I'm going to try it first time without reading spoilers, walkthroughs, etc.

Would it be best for me to install it, then start right at the beginning of SoA or should I load my PC from the end of SoA?

thanks for advice.

* squeak *

knarf · Post by **knarf** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 6:52 am

I don't think it really matters, though I would prefer running through SoA first, because you can gather all weapons armor and the party you want.

You can get all the NPC's in ToB either, but you can't develop them like you perhaps would have done it.

So I'd say play SoA first

Luis Antonio · Post by **Luis Antonio** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 11:45 am

4 Sure

I do agree with Knarf.

It is really funnier to play ToB with the same SoA party, cause you open a wide variety of equipment and customization for in-game use. Like the Dragon Bane, the Dragon Scale armor, and stuff. Better than CLUA yourself to the items.

Mirk · Post by **Mirk** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 3:05 pm

i second that (or third that, actually ;-) )

the developement of the characters is important, as well as the items collected throughout SoA. Adding ToB will provide a smoth advancement in levels, (virtually) no XP cap. you will still reach 2950000 way before you finish the original SoA story, but youur party will be more powerful in terms of levels and HLA's.

another consideration here is dual-classing, which will be hindered if you start the ToB story from scratch.

Badseed · Post by **Badseed** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 3:36 pm

If you can import a Final Save that will be good. Only start a new/fresh ToB game as a last resort.

But starting from BG1 is way more fun. hehehe

fable · Post by **fable** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 4:37 pm

Play it through from the beginning. Your carefully cultivated team will not only acquire potential upgrades to items, new abilities and spells, but also new interactions that can be a lot of fun.

Luis Antonio · Post by **Luis Antonio** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 4:47 am

Originally posted by Badseed
If you can import a Final Save that will be good. Only start a new/fresh ToB game as a last resort. But starting from BG1 is way more fun. hehehe

Bad Seed is just right. But he has forgotten something very important, the only enigma that comes from BG1 to ToB

Now, it is not a spoiler, I think, but...
S S
T P
A O
R I
T L
E E
R R

Dont you dare forget those blasted pantaloons!!!

boo's daddy · Post by **boo's daddy** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 4:54 am

Originally posted by Luis Antonio

Dont you dare forget those blasted pantaloons!!!

Ah, the mystery blasted pantaloons. Who blasted 'em? Did you wear them one night for a vindaloo and ten pints of cooking lager?

Originally posted by Luis Antonio
you will still reach 2950000 way before you finish the original SoA

* cough splutter * didn't get anywhere near that XP first time round. Time to comb the catacombs methinks, with a new party.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think I'll start again, as the current mob I'm taking through SoA are a comedy outfit (just seeing what happens if you have a party who are LG, CG, CE and LE)

Badseed · Post by **Badseed** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 7:35 am

Originally posted by boo's daddy
* cough splutter * didn't get anywhere near that XP first time round. Time to comb the catacombs methinks, with a new party.

I just finished SoA with ToB installed and my party was pushing 5 mil XP each. (At least Anomen was. L30 Cleric has a literal blast in Bohdi's lair

) But I also did Watcher's Keep before I went to take on Jonny-boy.

Luis Antonio · Post by **Luis Antonio** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 1:22 pm

Badseed, did you start it from BG???

And how many times did you finish it with the same party? I've never reached maximum, but I don't try a few of the annoying quests (such as the beholder lair in the underground, I've destroyed them all once, but they are just too hard to beat, even worst than the blasted Kangaax, a must go because of his ring)

Are you using any add on?

Badseed · Post by **Badseed** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 1:59 pm

Originally posted by Luis Antonio
Badseed, did you start it from BG???

And how many times did you finish it with the same party? I've never reached maximum, but I don't try a few of the annoying quests (such as the beholder lair in the underground, I've destroyed them all once, but they are just too hard to beat, even worst than the blasted Kangaax, a must go because of his ring)

Are you using any add on?

No addons except having ToB installed. But I did do every single quest I could get me little godling hands on. I cleared out everything. (Damn Drows learned their lesson. hehe) If it was evil it was dead. lol I also got help from the Deck of Many Things in ToB that gave my party 1 Mil XP.

My PC was imported from BG+TotSC with capped XP of 161k. I am now starting my way though ToB with Minsc, Keldorn, Anomen, Aerie, and Imoen

Luis Antonio · Post by **Luis Antonio** » Wed Nov 26, 2003 4:26 am

Will TOTSC really be your difference?

I've started a "fighter" party on BG (easiest in my opinion) and crawled my way to SoA, but my xp was not that great. Even at the end of ToB I was just at the minimum level to kick that Amelissan's butt.

Badseed · Post by **Badseed** » Wed Nov 26, 2003 7:28 am

No, TotSC doesn't really make that much of a difference only adds about 72k to the XP cap of BG1. I think most of my XP came from Watcher's Keep. You can level like a madman in that tower. Also, completing every quest in the game will boost your abilities.

boo's daddy · Post by **boo's daddy** » Mon Dec 01, 2003 4:43 am

Ye gods! Now I've gotta go back and do BG1 as well. (No pantaloons!)

Is there no end to the joy?

Shin Jaon · Post by **Shin Jaon** » Sat Dec 20, 2003 9:20 am

Mostly everyone has the right idea, start from SOA. You level up a lot and the weapons you can achieve is a big help, especially the dragon shield and sword, dragon bane. I suggest you do that, I've restarted in SOA just to get to TOB for my second time, unlike all these other guys who play 6-8 hours a day, I play 4. But the choice is yours.

Luis Antonio · Post by **Luis Antonio** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 4:34 am

6, 8 hours??? 4 hours???

Wish I could do that. (lol)

Now I understand how do u guys finish the mods in Insane mode...

But still, starting ToB from BG1 is the finest choice...

Antharias2k · Post by **Antharias2k** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 1:48 pm

+++ SPOILER +++

Replying to louis.

some advice:
A: get the bonus merchants. i think you can download them at gamebanshee. Buy the shield of Balduran, it will reflect all beholder rays.

B: Dont know how many people know this but kangaax has two rings. You have to use a thief to pickpocket him before he becomes an enemy.

Khrondor · Post by **Khrondor** » Sat Jan 17, 2004 5:02 pm

I just got done with both and have a few things to add.

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Get all the gear u might want before u go to the Elf city in SOA, because once u do the Tree of life then u cant go back to Amn. Also in TOB dont sell stuff in Saradush if u might want to buy it back(the city gets destroyed later). Get all the spells/Items and Ammo before u enter the Seige camp. Once u enter the seige camp to kill Yaga, then u cant go back to Saradush. I sold my items to the guy in The North Forest that you rescue. He was there the whole game for me.

Watchers seems to be the only map u can do in both games. Just rember once u leave watchers in TOB to other TOB areas, you cant go back to SOA to collect keep gold, ect.