Ideal party size (+TOSC)?

Tricky · Post by **Tricky** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 8:19 am

I always seem to overshoot it. Too few party members and I hit the level cap before the I have finished everything. Too many and I don't even get close. What's the ideal party size?

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 9:06 am

For me it's four, with the occasional temporary addition for quest/RP purposes. If I have six then I don't really give any of the party the attention they deserve, and strategy is irrelevant, with four I find I enjoy the game far more and have to actually think a little bit.

Coot · Post by **Coot** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 11:17 am

You can always use an XP cap remover (you can find one [url="http://www.sorcerers.net/Games/BG/index_editors.php"]here[/url]. Some consider that cheating but I disagree: after all, you legitimately earn your xp.

Tricky · Post by **Tricky** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 2:23 pm

I would, but I always carry my characters on into BG2. From what I've been able to understand, imported characters with excess experience will still begin at the level cap and you get thaco errors and probably other misalignments. I don't know if Tutu exports are handled differently by BG2, I never checked.

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 2:37 pm

If you're playing Tutu, then the same XP cap remover works on both Tutu and SoA/ToB.

Darth Malignus · Post by **Darth Malignus** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 4:13 am

Tricky wrote:I always seem to overshoot it. Too few party members and I hit the level cap before the I have finished everything. Too many and I don't even get close. What's the ideal party size?

I don´t get it. I always reach the cap, even with a full party.

Klorox · Post by **Klorox** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 7:02 am

Darth Malignus wrote:I don´t get it. I always reach the cap, even with a full party.

And you should. I wouldn't judge the XP cap as the factor in determining what the perfect party size is.

4 is perfect, for myself.

galraen · Post by **galraen** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 8:22 am

The last two posters are quite right of course, even with a full party you do reach the very low XP cap in BG1, but I assumed Tricky was talking about the full campaign, i.e. BG1+SoA & ToB.

Tricky · Post by **Tricky** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 8:31 am

Actually I am partially in error here. I do tend to overshoot in Tutu+BG2, but I did by mistake mean BG1. So everyone's correct and I'm corrected.

wise grimwald · Post by **wise grimwald** » Sat Aug 30, 2008 4:15 pm

I tend to solo until Cloakwood and then pick up other party members, but each to his taste. The thing that I like about the game is that you can play it in so many different ways.

SupaCat · Post by **SupaCat** » Sat Aug 30, 2008 4:31 pm

A 4 man party all the way. It's enough room to bring all the elements for a good party.

Also, you people who get to the XP cap, do you do every quest, or do you exploit travelling and sleeping in dangerous area's? I have NEVER reached the Xp cap. Isn't the game just too easy once you reach the cap? I have always killed sarevok easy, but how would it be for those who reach the cap?

Sir_Carnifex · Post by **Sir_Carnifex** » Sat Aug 30, 2008 7:03 pm

I like to have all six members because I can. But four or five does work better strategy-wise, I think. I, too, reach the cap most times.

SupaCat wrote:Also, you people who get to the XP cap, do you do every quest, or do you exploit travelling and sleeping in dangerous area's? I have NEVER reached the Xp cap. Isn't the game just too easy once you reach the cap? I have always killed sarevok easy, but how would it be for those who reach the cap?

That would depend on what type of player you are. If you like to bull your way into the battle with little regard for tactics (yep, that's me! But I'm trying to change that!

) then you need every XP that you can get ... and then some!

CFM · Post by **CFM** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 7:34 am

SupaCat wrote:Also, you people who get to the XP cap, do you do every quest, or do you exploit travelling and sleeping in dangerous area's?

iirc-
Before entering Baldur's Gate (Chapter 5), I completed all of the quests possible to that point, and all my dudes had bypassed 89k XP (the no-expansion-installed cap).

Then I completed all of the Baldur's Gate quests (Chapter 5), and when there was nothing left to do in Baldur's Gate (except initiate Chapter 6), I completed the Ulgoth's Beard quests (TotSC).

So by the time I initiated Chapter 6, I completed all of the quests possible to that point, and all my dudes had reached 161k XP (the TotSC cap). So, I received zero XP benefit from Chapters 6 and 7.

I used a full party of six, and no exploits of any kind.

SupaCat wrote:I have NEVER reached the Xp cap.

Can't imagine why. I used a 'leave no stone unturned' playing style, but I still reached the caps waaay early.

(And too early, imo. I was always surprised at that, because every other facet of the game seems so well balanced.)