Question about areas and what level you "shoud" be

Genghis · Post by **Genghis** » Mon Apr 01, 2002 12:31 pm

Hello

(WARNING, this thread may contain spoliers later on)

Consider if you would a standard single player, six character party. Based on either Minsc's, Amoen's of Jaheira's level, at what point should you attempt certain areas? I understand that in the city this might be too hard to break up, but what about out of city?

ie I know that Windspear hills is probably NOT for someone of level 8-9 (please understand that I am attempting to play ala classic AD&D rather than "cheap" tactics) By ths I mean you probably wouldnt see packs of Vampires and a Beholder in a level 9ish module.

What would you consider other level limits for other areas?

(PLEASE oh PLEASE let this not degenerate into, "Oh ya I did the Asylum at level 10, solo, with a bard, so there")

Thanks
Genghis

nephtu · Post by **nephtu** » Mon Apr 01, 2002 1:04 pm

Well...

I don't think I can answer your question, but I do think I can provide a reasonable alternative to an answer.

It depends on your play style, skills and party composition. Neglecting cheese tactics, hacked characters, etc. Some party compositions (and some players) will have experience different levels of difficuly on the various parts. The way I did it with my first party and am doing it with subsequent parties is to just push my luck untill we all get unreasonably heavily battered or wiped out. Then I try a different approach or two, and if I still get nowhere, give up & do something else.

I hope this is some help

Bloodstalker · Post by **Bloodstalker** » Mon Apr 01, 2002 1:06 pm

I don't really pay that much attention to what level I am that often, but I can give you my take on things anyway.After I do most of the quests in the city, my first stop is usually Nalia's keep. You should be able to take it out at a lower level than the other's, and it is definately (IMO) easier to get through than Windspire Hills. I then got to Windspire Hills or Trademeet either one. I like to have a party of around 12 min. before going to Windspire. After that, it should progress anyway you want.

I will say that you can do some area's before you would be advised to, according to equipment and so on. For example, The Unseeing eye quest is one that is pretty tough, but there is an item that if you had it, you would be able to breeze through the area right out of Irenicus's dungeoun.

It depends somewhat on how much you want to plan. You can go through certain areas like Windspire Hills at lower levels if you really want to take the time out to prepare beforehand.

Sorry for not being level specific, but as I said, I don't usually look that much.

Genghis · Post by **Genghis** » Mon Apr 01, 2002 1:07 pm

That is more or les what Im doing now... my concern is that I started the Windspear quests (to save the fellow's son/daughter) and I quickly realize that I m out gunned. I just hope this isnt timed somehow, as I ditch the entire quest for a while.

Genghis

Sojourner · Post by **Sojourner** » Mon Apr 01, 2002 1:12 pm

You made a good point - a lot of these critters wouldn't show up as opponents in P&P AD&D at the levels BG2 throws them at you - and some of them aren't even implemented properly. The problem with waiting until the "appropriate" level ALA classic AD&D is that the game scales the monsters you find to your level, so it's no better going in later than sooner. That being said, I find most areas doable around level 10-12. I strongly recommend doing the Unseeing Eye quest in Chapter 2 - there's an item in the game that can help out.

Mirk · Post by **Mirk** » Mon Apr 01, 2002 3:13 pm

another thing to remember here is that some of the areas are scaled to match your party's level: go in at a low level - get three mummies and a bone golem; go in later - get four bone golems and two four vamps, etc.

nephtu · Post by **nephtu** » Mon Apr 01, 2002 3:29 pm

Originally posted by Genghis
That is more or les what Im doing now... my concern is that I started the Windspear quests (to save the fellow's son/daughter) and I quickly realize that I m out gunned. I just hope this isnt timed somehow, as I ditch the entire quest for a while.

Genghis

As far as I know, the only items that are actually timed, you're given SPECIFIC time limits in which to do them. Everything else will wait...Nalia does a big urgency act, but the keep will still be there if you put it off to almost the end of the game (probably not a good idea, but you can) First time through, I put some quests off, and they waited for me.

Thrar · Post by **Thrar** » Mon Apr 01, 2002 3:33 pm

most things can b done quite early i think, with a few exceptions.
for example, with one party i wanted valygar and haer'dalis (with other chars that r easy to get), thus killed mekrath as one of the first things in chapter 2, then umar hills and the golem, not amaunator yet, took valygar and moved on to the astral prison.
it was possible, and i think the prison is one of the more difficult areas, with its initial and final fight.
on another party i wanted cernd and did druids grove and the rakshasa as the first two things in that game. had to play careful, but it wasnt too hard.

imo, the fights that r too hard very early r in windspear hills, guarded compound, bodhis lair, the liches and of course twisted rune. the rest can b done, although it would b easier to do easier quests at first (yea, really!

), preferably those with high XP reward of course.

Irenin · Post by **Irenin** » Mon Apr 01, 2002 3:42 pm

I usually do Windspear when im around level 10-11. Im playing through with a stalker right now and did guarded compound at 10 with 4 people. I don't find that fight difficult.

frogus · Post by **frogus** » Mon Apr 01, 2002 4:10 pm

I usually do Windspear when im around level 10-11. Im playing through with a stalker right now and did guarded compound at 10 with 4 people. I don't find that fight difficult.

I think that's straying a bit too far towards

"Oh ya I did the Asylum at level 10, solo, with a bard, so there"

territory....maybe...anyway

Windspear Hills: Will be hard at any level for reasons you may or may not know

, but I did it at level 15ish without too much difficulty...I was on Core Rules difficuly setting and it was my first time through the game, if that gives you an idea of difficulty.

Trademeet & Druid Grove: Is a piece of cake. I did it at about level 17 and it was a joke. Do it at level 9 for a challenge...

Umar Hills & Temple Ruins: Somewhere between the other two in difficulty, but a level 13ish party will have no trouble...

Watcher's Keep(if you've got ToB installed): Is very hard, but has a ridiculous ammount of XP up for grabs (I think my party went in about lvl 18 and came out lvl 22), plus many super-powered items. Do this after SoA, but go there beforehand anyway to buy the potion case and ammo belt of the merchant outside...

As for in Athkatla, I wont go into detail, but the Riddle of the Sewers is a good quest to do early on, as are all the one's in the CC. Do the De'Arnise hold about level 11, you can handle it easy, and it will be rewarding (especially if you're a fighter type). The Planar Sphere has one very hard fight, and is better left until a high level unless you're a mage type, and the Rescue Haer Dalis quest seems innocent at first but is actually EXTREMELY difficult. Leave this one until you've come back from the Underdark and are a good high level (although it does have some nice equipment).

that's about all I can think of for now, please no flames anyone, I think that those guides are general enough to apply to most parties a rookie is likely to have chosen...

Littiz · Post by **Littiz** » Mon Apr 01, 2002 4:59 pm

IMHO there's not an "intended" path. If you do the Underdark immediatly, it'll be quite hard, and the other quests will be a breeze. And the opposite is true if you the Underdark AFTER the other quests.

It's quite impossible to find a course that can offer ALWAYS the same, intermediate, level of challenge. It's part of the fun... you have to make some hard fights, but then you have gained your power...

PLEASE oh PLEASE let this not degenerate into, "Oh ya I did the Asylum at level 10, solo, with a bard, so there

But this one, after all, is the right answer. Everything can be done at any level, with a few exceptions maybe.
Would you believe that I made the Guarded Compound with a solo 11th level mage?

And it's all about party composition, too. You can have an impossibile
encounter with a group of enemy mages in a game, and in the next you find it incredibly easy just because you have a druid with
Insect Plague....

So, my seggestion, take your path, don't worry, you can make it out somehow...

lompo · Post by **lompo** » Tue Apr 02, 2002 2:27 am

After my first run I usually choose the quest depending on which NPC I have and what equipment the group need.
Anyway I think that you can start with some quest in the city (the Promenade, slavers, Graveyard, thief stronghold, and most of the minors and NPC's) leaving Astral prison, Planar sphaere, Unseeing Eye, Guarded compound, the liches and runestone for later.
Outside: De Arnise keep and Trademeet (a must if you have Jaheira for the druids weapons) are easier than the main quests of Windspear hills and Umar hills.