just got icewind dale and the HoW at the same time, questions.

VWzealot · Post by **VWzealot** » Mon Mar 05, 2001 7:02 am

i was at compUSA and i they had deal where you buy the game IWD and you get HoW for free after a mail in rebate. so i bought them cuz thats a pretty good deal.

So my question is; should i start playing IWD only, untill i beat it and then install HoW? or should i install them both at the same time, and finish IWD first.

Im just wondering if you can benifet from the rule changes and items from HoW while playing IWD.

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Weasel · Post by **Weasel** » Mon Mar 05, 2001 7:09 am

From reading the FAQ you have to be at least Level 9 to be able to explore HoW...

here's a link..
[url="http://www.interplay.com/icewind/info.html"]http://www.interplay.com/icewind/info.html[/url]

VWzealot · Post by **VWzealot** » Mon Mar 05, 2001 8:16 am

yeah, i saw that. but it doesn't say if you get any of the new special skills from HoW like sneak attack. and i don't want to explore HoW till i finsih IWD. I mean i could just install HoW and just wonder if the new skills are active. but i was just wondering if anyone new.

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T'lainya · Post by **T'lainya** » Mon Mar 05, 2001 12:07 pm

I believe the changes to HoW affect the earlier parts of the game too. I know they added gem bags and scroll cases, although I don't know if you can get them in the beginning areas. It probably wouldn't hurt to install both, so you can get the improved monster AI scripts and the new spells.

escape velocity · Post by **escape velocity** » Tue Mar 06, 2001 11:54 pm

I played IWD through once and am now playing a new set of characters with the HoW expansion pack installed. I am seeing all the new spells and modifications show up, and my characters have a full complement of gem, potion and spell cases.

The sneak attack stuff is available to you throughout the game if you enable it, as are the new spells for clerics and magic users.

Just about the only thing that is different that people might not like is the modification to the specialist wizard table. The changes to the opposing specialties have made specialist types like the Conjurer much more limited than they were before.

The expansion areas are available to you after you talk with an NPC in Kuldahar. You can choose to put them off until whenever you feel like going after them.

Having played the game once without the expansion pack, I really like the enhancements the expansion brings -- including the increased resolution and the drop away interface. I'd highly recommend that you install HoW!

VWzealot · Post by **VWzealot** » Wed Mar 07, 2001 5:27 am

i installed HoW last night. the configuration menu changed. also, i saw gem bags, and scroll cases. does HoW add the most recent patches to IWD? it seems like if i reload a lot in an enemy infested area things really start to lag. i have a 1.1 ghz chip, a prophetII gts 64megs of ddr, and 256 megs of system ram. if i reboot the pc it will run fine for a while. i really don't think i should be having these lag problems. i remember in torment there was a similer bug and patch to fix this. is there one for this game as well?

VWzealot · Post by **VWzealot** » Thu Mar 08, 2001 8:20 pm

i guess its not a bug. i got it to happen again. it only happens when i reload the game 10+ times trying to get the right hp from level ups. =)

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Kulkusa · Post by **Kulkusa** » Mon Apr 02, 2001 6:10 pm

If you go into the config you can set,'max hp upon leveling'

saves you time and effort.

VWzealot · Post by **VWzealot** » Thu Apr 05, 2001 7:10 am

Originally posted by Kulkusa:
If you go into the config you can set,'max hp upon leveling' saves you time and effort.

yeah, but that would be cheap

fable · Post by **fable** » Fri Apr 06, 2001 4:46 pm

Install 'em both together. Some features (like the new grouping containers) won't be available from stores unless you start a new game with HoW already in place.

You aren't forced to jump into HoW. The option is always open, but as others have stated, I'd wait until your party is at least level 9.