Hello members I am a new player to the game and had an attempt once upto Nulb after which the game indefinitely goes to CTD status. GOG forum directed me towards Co8 forums long time back. Finally I have decided to re-try the game with Co8 modpacks v7.9.0. I request some guidance and help initially to get a feel for the game since it's definitely a tough RPG. Except the 3.5 edition which is a good change since Baldurs Gate 2. Coming to the point 1. The "Minimizing problems with the game" as posted here gives a very detailed list of precautions. Is this enough or a guarantee that the game will run smoothly throughout? Is there any thing else important that I need to remember during the game? 2. What exactly "New Content" brings to the game? Is it an expansion or secondary maps with side missions? 3. Can I return to any place explored in the map earlier freely any time? If not, which places are safe to return? Also, are there any re-spawn points of enemy to places earlier cleared just like in Baldurs Gate 2? 4. Is it necessary to follow the game in particular order as listed in the above link OR missions/places can be taken/visited at the free will of the player? 5. One thing that bothers me with the new rule is understanding the Level(s) player has achieved in comparison to the Enemy Level(s) faced. I mean at Level 6 or 7, some enemies are still difficult to fight and some just wipe my entire party at levels 2-3 lower than my party. There has to be a catch in combat leveling system of ToEE and Enemy difficulty scaling as compared to Baldurs Gate 2. I request some pointers regarding - Leveling system + Enemy Difficulty Scaling and Party Leveling System. What makes a strong party in regards to levels and supporting tools, weapons or dependencies before entering the combat? 6. Is it possible to play on integrated graphics, v.i.z, Intel HD graphics 2500 of i3-3220? Further shall continue, if any important questions arise during gameplay. ty..
1. The game can still crash from time to time (I've found it crashes about 1/3 of the time when trying to rest in the hommlet tavern), so save often and across multiple save files as described in the guide. I'm only just now downloading 7.9 but hopefully the beeping in the moathouse is resolved (otherwise you'll have to delete some test sound files) 2. The game gets expanded out to level 20, with content taking you all the way up there. At a guess, I'd say it almost doubles the amount of content in the game. 3. Nothing respawns, AFAIK, but random encounters from resting in unsafe places are always extra spawns. 4. It's mostly a guideline on how to stay on the level curve. 5. What kind of party are you using? Are you making good use of crowd control spells and abilities? 6. I'm on a i3-550 (intel gma hd graphics) and it runs fine for me, though there can be intermittent glitches on the title screen with parts of the background disappearing while I'm trying to make my party. Any in-game glitches are rare and are resolved on restarting the game.
1. It's vastly more stable. Make sure you run as administrator, and save often in different slots. The game tends to crash most on area transitions and occasionally on leveling up or combat end. The worst offenders are level 4 of the temple and the fire node (particularly if you forget to put the sword Scather away), but it does seem that it becomes a little more unstable over time, and potentially more so if you craft a lot. 2. Lots of new content from new quests, additional levels and spells, additional areas and also a lot of improved tweaking to the original content, such as some more sensible dialogue options. In many places it's hard to remember what was there in the first place, but it certainly adds 10-15 hours to the game, maybe even more. It also makes it more stable and fun. 3. You can return any time you like - some places are re-used in later quests, so you may encounter something, but usually the divide is clear. i.e. you will find something there once before you complete the temple, and then there may be something there in the future, but not until after you complete the temple. Resting of course can always attract random monsters if your tent icon is not green. 4. As you like, but be very cautious in new areas, as first time around it can be very tough. The guide is helpful in avoiding major disappointments if you want it! It's partly out of date though for the new content however, as, apart from welkwood bog (which you should make your first destination), the rest of the completely new content has been moved to after the temple. 5. Good idea to do a search of the forum on this one for party builds, and read the 'I never knew I could do X' thread. One tip from me; make sure you have a cleric! You can also up the number of PCs in the front end X. You might be better off starting with 6 versus the usual 5. 6. Pass.
1. I would say, save often. Every time wen you level up, every time you go travelling on the world map, and you won't have to go far back. 2. The nc gives more content: mapwise, questwise & npc-wise. The original game had enough content to get your party to lvl 10, nc can get you to lvl 20 3. There are a few maps where things get repopulated - though I won't spoil the fun by saying more. 4. The nc patch is less railroady as the original, as you can pick what to do. Anyhow, once you get to the temple, the game allows you to choose your own destiny (but don't get too cocky ) 5. Random encounters are hopelessly unbalanced. In the beginning they tend to veer towards overclassing your party, and once you hit lvl 8 they tend to become walkovers. Mind you, there are some scripted random encounters (in nc ) which are an exception to the rule. You might want to read Gazra's gaming guide - you can find it in the sticky topics - to get an idea when to do which encounters. 6. /
These replies have proved very helpful. The game is running fine on i3-3220 and no crashes till now except the loading times (transition) takes around 6-7 seconds. If any one can provide me a source or link online where the 3.5 edition rules are explained in depth EDIT - Found the source on Gazra's gaming guide! Having a great time playing this game. Thank you again!:thumbsup:
These are the Pen&paper rules: http://www.d20srd.org/ Don't forget that in-game, there's a help function. Also, if you open the rolls history (bottom right of the screen), everything written in blue can be clicked for more information.
I might add that ToEE provides a constant challenge and is more like PnP gaming than any computer RPG I've encountered, because .... A-No matter what level your party/character, if you go into combat recklessly you are danger of getting killed (a lot like Fallout 1 or 2, against mutants with missile launchers or mini-guns). The 3.5 rules on stacking (and multiplying) damage bonuses for a critical hit can turn turn Scythe wielding skeletons or glaive wielding/tripping bugbears or Raging Orcs (and Gnolls) into extremely dangerous situations. The tide of battle can literally turn for the worst with one critical hit. At any level. So, stay alert and smart in how you handle battles -- all of them. Ask anyone who's played this game more than once -- critical hits by the enemy tend to be a contagious thing. (Once, my tanked up 105 hp Fighter was killed by a Raging Bugbear with one swing of the battle axe -- crit hit: 106 pts of damage.) B-The Random Encounters are often buzz killers, at any level. Even at 8th level, landing in the middle of a posse of Ettin plus Grizzly Bears can seriously deplete your supply of spell casters. Or encountering 4 Trolls. Or a dozen black bears. So, the best way to decrease the chances of Random Encounters --as well as proximity to the suddenly appearing bad guys --is by increasing Survival skill; and by purchasing a spyglass (so I've read). And by developing combat tactics for these kinds of situations. C-There is nearly always a mix of high/medium/low level enemies in any encounter. Just because you're in a room full of lowly Gnolls and Goblins doesn't mean the Ogre Chieftan doesn't have more hp than all of the rest of them combined, attacks 3/round, has extended reach, and averages 25-35 damage/hit. So, unlike most games where the encounters are 'leveled' to you, ToEE throws a little bit of everything at you at any time. But, even if you are lower level, combat tactics (other than "slug it out toe to toe") can help you prevail. Enjoy!
And that's one of the reasons I play this game over and over: tactical challenge and replayability. OK, that's two reasons! I like to save at least once upon entering any map, and at least once after every combat so I don't lose much if I have to go back. Basically, save after any event, especially if you've just completed some tedious task, or if the results of the event were remarkably beneficial.
All of these suggestions have helped me a lot friends in finishing the game. Thank you. Current taking time to go over the attributes and rules for the next run. on to topic 1. The AI is very impressive and a lot different than baldurs gate. Is there a chart or table that summarizes all enemies detailing stats, weakness, strength, weapons effective against, spells effective, etc.? 2. Also a proper table listing all the spells, what levels unlock spells and a short good and bad review of each spell in terms of most effective against and other tricks associated with spells. 3. The game crashes quite a bit although my sessions were without crash for 3 hours non-stop but beyond that CTD happens atleast once very hour. Is there any tip for long sessions without any CTD? I am using current version modpack with NC. Win 7 32 bit i3-3220 intel hd 2500 integrated graphics. 4 GB RAM
