GameBanshee Forums

Some of you may remember me from the interplay boards...
I just recently bought ToB. I've found it to be quite a delightful expansion.
To experienced gamers...did you think the majority of the fights were too easy?
I haven't finished (I went through the Bhaalspawn wars and ignored WK, got my head kicked in by Melissan so many times I decided to go back and do WK) but I'm finding most of the big fights pretty easy, and the incidental fights laughably so.

That's not to say I haven't been killed; Yaga-Shura got me once, and Draconis a few times, and Abizagai slapped me around once (dragons with huge resistance, multiple stoneskins, wing buffet and casting heal even when silenced can be hard to deal with). Captain Egeissaig kept nailing me due to the "drow sword instantly kills bards" glitch until I tried a different strategy.

But some of the big fights were basically non-events; Ravager was no sweat, Sendai was annoying but easy, I nailed the Hive Mother, Nalmissra et al. with hardly a scratch. Demogorgon and his multi-breasted babes went down imps.

Now, I'm pretty experienced as far as CRPGs go, and I had, I think, a really strong party - Edwin, Korgan, Viconia, Imoen, Jaheira or Sarevok, myself, a blade. I know I could raise the difficulty, but I'm not sure it would make much difference, would just have to use the 150 healing potions I've been lugging around instead of just relying on regeneration.

Any other experienced BG, BG2 vets feel the same way?

I am not an experienced player (been through SoA once and now working through ToB) and am finding most of the battles to be somewhat easy if you can deal with the numbers offsets by summoning, but the "major" battles have been quite challenging (i.e. Sendai & Nalmirissa and co. for sure).

I had fits with Sendai but finally won and am now engaged with Nalmrissa and the gang. My next attempt will be my 3rd reload.

I am looking for strategy suggestions if anyone has some. I read the walkthrough and will try that verbatim next try, I have finally given to the notion you must run through the portal a couple times but waited too long last try.

I didn't run through the portal at all, I swear, I hardly suffered a scratch.
Of course, it helps having powerhouses like Korgan, Sarevok and Edwin in your party.
First, I seriously buffed up, everyone in my party was stoneskinned; since stoneskin lasts eight hours, I always cast right before resting, and I used the boots that enable you to cast stoneskin on non-mages as well.
Everyone was properly buffed up, and I summoned a planetar, some Mordenkainen Swords, had Imoen Simulacrum, and summoned a Juggernaut Golem.
I had Korgan take out the Marilith while Edwin dispelled her protections, had Sarevok and Thirnwald, my blade, take out the Hive Mother, Imoen and her Sim cast offensive spells and Viconia and the summoned help went after the others.
A timestop and some Horrid Wiltings by Edwin helped, too.

Overall, I've found that, if properly prepared and buffed, few fights are truly difficult. It's a tough cast of characters in this fight, but I had a lot more trouble way back when dealing with the Twisted Rune folk in Athkatla.

I tend to just walk into fights without much prep, then if I get my donkey handed to me, I'll try it again. I think I had to do Nalrimsa & co a couple times to get it right, but the I didn't find it to be that hard - you have to prioritize, figure out which enemy is giving you the worst trouble and take them out first...I went for the succubus, then the big poison thing, then the beholder, then clean up others. I lost Jan because he got hit with ray of enfeeblement so he couldn't move w/o dropping all his stuff, then someone cast a cloudkill all around him. I could've dropped his stuff but I just let him die.

I think most of the battles are pretty easy, although there is a matter of pacing, how often you rest and how many of your resources you want to use up in any battle. I like the improved patches - with the improved Demogorgon I think it is a tough battle. Sendai I never had any trouble with, I don't know why people do. From what has been posted, I guess playtesters found the game too hard, so they toned it down, and now the die hards are finding it too easy oh well that's democracy

I found Draconis was the only real "worthy" oppanent in the game. I actually had to employ a strategy to kill him! Thats something I hadn't had to do since BG1

How the hell could you have problems with yaga-shura?

And why do people thing that Draconis is so hard, I ran him over he is no match.

You should solo! Of course the game is easy with a party of 6!

I hate using out-of-character knowledge about upcoming big fights... It's probably OK to buff & summon to the max when you're standing in the entrance of some big Dragon lair, but the random encounter Liches and enemy adventuring parties are quite another story. Usually, though, a quick Mislead or some summoned fodder keeps them occupied while I run off and do my thing.

Thanks for the tips but I still have one problem, I have tried to take down Y'tossi, the serpent with the poison attacks, but once he protects from magical weapons and stoneskins, with his MR he cannot be breached and normal weapons don't seem to get through the stoneskin.

He is the only one I have not been able to take out in my attempts.

Also, things happen so fast once you get this going, all of a sudden you are overwhelmed with skeletons that someone is summoning up, but I have never caught in the dialogue who it is so I can take them out early. Guessing it is Ameralis but not sure.

Oh yes, all fairly easy. Think the most I got beat was by Draconis and Abazigal, and it only took a slightly strategy change to take them down. Actually, it may have been Gromnir who gave me the most trouble, I was still flexing the new ToB skills

Anyway, I would strongly reccomend you download the beefed fights from Baldurdash. Designed by one of the BG2 designers, Dave G, it certinally makes the fights tougher (as well as reintroducing a Bhaal Power feature that was taken out to reduce the "complexity" factor).

The beefed fights are great, expecially the new Yaga-Shara fight, oh baby, you really do wade through an army. Loved it. His army took on me and my summons army. Hell of a battle

The guys over at IEEAIS (Infinity Engine AI's) are currently reworking the end battle. It's gonna be tough.

You should solo! Of course the game is easy with a party of 6!

Firstly, soloing is dull dull dull. Secondly, it is easier than using a party, Pick a good character class, win fights, get experience six times as fast. All the best equipment goes on your one character. Ambushes are meaningless. Lastly, you don't have to keep weak characters alive, or try to discover a party that works well together AND gets along.

Frankly, soloing really blows

[ 09-28-2001: Message edited by: Quitch ]

[ 09-28-2001: Message edited by: Quitch ]

As for Yaga-Shura, what can I say. My main character, while powerful, isn't all that strong (a blade). At the time, I wasn't prepared for a full battle, I figured I'd have time to buff up and heal before meeting him, but I didn't. My blade, while not the strongest fighter, insists on always leading the charge, and I had used up my stoneskins and my contingency had already been used (Tenser's Transformation is an awesome contingency for bards). So once in a while, he gets picked off in easy fights.
With Abizigal, I got my main character in a spot where he was stuck behind the dragon and couldn't escape, and the beast just swatted him while I was pretty much helpless.
As for Draconis, he's no big deal if you're prepared, but how often are you prepared for acid attacks?
As for soloists, I applaud those who solo the game, but, again, I don't think soloing a bard is all that appealing. For one, the game is not meant to be soloed, it is designed for a balanced party. In some cases, protecting a solo character is much easier than protecting a party of six, especially if you're using hit-and-hide tactics.
Also, I think role playing is an important aspect of the game; like I said, my blade always is the front character and likes to lead the attack, but breaks away to defend Viconia if she gets in trouble. I also like to think that Korgan, Edwin and Sarevok have this war of egos going on to see who is the most powerful.
And, frankly, the NPC interaction is one of the strongest aspects of the game.
I guess the point is that a well-balanced party of high-level adventurers outfitted from a monty haul campaign are formidable foes for anyone.