I mean, I played on highest difficulty using NPC characters and the only trouble I ever had was when using Intelligence as a dump stat made my party leading Paladin a dead man walking against Illithids. So the way as I see it, minmaxing an entire party removes the fun of NPC character dynamics and the challenge in the game.
One of the better ones causes enemies to follow you when you leave a room; no more running in, blasting the crap out of them, running out before they retaliate, then hiding and grabbing another quick spell the next round so you can do it again.
As far as the Paladin vs. Illithid thing though, the simple answer is to change your party order as needed. Really, the only time you NEED a high charisma party leader is when shopping.
Honorbound and honored to be Bonded to Mahtaliel Sedai
Last First in wotmania Chat
Slightly better than chocolate.
Love still can't be coerced.
Please Don't Eat the Newbies!
LoL. Be well, RAFOlk.
Last First in wotmania Chat
Slightly better than chocolate.
Love still can't be coerced.
Please Don't Eat the Newbies!
LoL. Be well, RAFOlk.
Baldurs Gate Enhanced Edition: Edit 2 with added video & launch delay
- 07/09/2012 09:48:16 PM
2695 Views
!!!!!
- 07/09/2012 10:49:47 PM
1338 Views
I played the hell out of BG2, but only played BG1 once
- 08/09/2012 06:07:15 AM
1437 Views
BGI is a lot more fun because a lot more challenging, IMHO.
- 08/09/2012 02:33:17 PM
1308 Views
*revelation*
- 08/09/2012 05:45:28 PM
1265 Views
You need not be behind them to assassinate (the high level thief ability.)
- 08/09/2012 06:04:31 PM
1301 Views
ahh yes i remember, every hit is a backstab for 30 seconds or something.
- 08/09/2012 07:07:12 PM
1370 Views
Right; it is pretty much an instakill, considering the multipliers at the level it becomes available
- 08/09/2012 09:03:47 PM
1259 Views
fireballs are so epic in BG1
- 08/09/2012 05:41:34 PM
1311 Views
I disagree about it being the only good third level spell;lighting bolt and haste are also excellent
- 08/09/2012 06:26:08 PM
1412 Views
Yeah, I loved Lightning Bolt.
- 08/09/2012 06:44:59 PM
1245 Views
it was such a liability
- 08/09/2012 07:11:36 PM
1287 Views
Bouncing is what makes lightning bolts great, because you get to hit people more than once.
- 08/09/2012 08:59:10 PM
1228 Views
There's an unfortunate Wizard in the Firewine Bridge Ruins...
- 09/09/2012 12:58:18 AM
1324 Views
Oops. 
- 09/09/2012 01:43:23 AM
1317 Views
- 09/09/2012 01:43:23 AM
1317 Views
that's why BG1 was so awesome. exploration=rewards
- 09/09/2012 09:09:22 AM
1289 Views
For sure; it made additional playthroughs fun even after beating the game.
- 09/09/2012 04:48:40 PM
1380 Views
Also, FB and Skull Trap are also almost interchangeable until 10th level, but ST damage is uncapped.
- 09/09/2012 02:02:17 AM
1799 Views
Multi-player was actually pretty simple if you just used it to create your whole party.
- 08/09/2012 02:19:35 PM
1283 Views
well yeah, because there was no connection to figure out
- 08/09/2012 06:59:49 PM
1394 Views
Right; I was never a big multiplayer fan anyway, but customized parties were nice
- 08/09/2012 08:53:45 PM
1405 Views
Where's the fun in having a customized party and losing all the character interaction, though?
- 09/09/2012 04:03:10 PM
1373 Views
I dislike most of the BG NPCs anyway, so I do not much feel the lack.
- 09/09/2012 04:45:12 PM
1482 Views
Re: I dislike most of the BG NPCs anyway, so I do not much feel the lack.
- 10/09/2012 01:23:44 PM
1327 Views
Suggestion since you're not using the NPCs anyway...
- 15/09/2012 11:34:28 PM
1386 Views
That is a good thought; I never played IWD.
- 16/09/2012 03:31:01 AM
1285 Views
Where did you think I just got it? 
- 16/09/2012 04:39:43 PM
1231 Views
- 16/09/2012 04:39:43 PM
1231 Views
How would I know you just got a game released in the late nineties?
- 17/09/2012 06:57:19 PM
1229 Views
- 17/09/2012 06:57:19 PM
1229 Views
Re: How would I know you just got a game released in the late nineties?
- 17/09/2012 11:08:09 PM
1410 Views
- 17/09/2012 11:08:09 PM
1410 Views
I still like GURPS' character points best.
- 17/09/2012 11:40:12 PM
1278 Views
Heh, I'm not surprised.
- 18/09/2012 01:47:55 AM
1274 Views
If you want to avoid hyperspecialization, avoid classes.
- 18/09/2012 07:36:43 AM
1488 Views
I've never played GURPS, so I don't know how its system works.
- 18/09/2012 03:32:21 PM
1369 Views
I recommend it, but it is a bear to run.
- 19/09/2012 03:37:19 AM
1712 Views
Re: I recommend it, but it is a bear to run.
- 19/09/2012 08:35:24 AM
1326 Views
It is the difference between "what if...?" and "whatever...."
- 19/09/2012 10:58:31 PM
1366 Views
Re: It is the difference between "what if...?" and "whatever...."
- 20/09/2012 12:31:10 AM
1292 Views
AD&D cannot avoid one-sided encounters without restricting epic characters to epic encounters.
- 24/09/2012 05:53:39 AM
1587 Views
Re: AD&D cannot avoid one-sided encounters without restricting epic characters to epic encounters.
- 24/09/2012 07:03:39 AM
1276 Views
Things are a little different if you are the GM, yes.
- 24/09/2012 08:33:23 AM
1513 Views
Re: Things are a little different if you are the GM, yes.
- 24/09/2012 07:24:51 PM
1401 Views
My point is no one should be at any level.
- 25/09/2012 01:23:21 AM
1515 Views
Re: My point is no one should be at any level.
- 25/09/2012 03:41:42 AM
1529 Views
I know no more about AD&D 3rd Ed. than I retain from skimming the book a few times in a store.
- 25/09/2012 05:16:49 AM
1323 Views
Re: I know no more about AD&D 3rd Ed. than I retain from skimming the book a few times in a store.
- 25/09/2012 06:05:39 PM
1446 Views
Re: [Insert relevant subject line here.]
- 26/09/2012 08:12:05 AM
1468 Views
Re: [Insert relevant subject line here.]
- 26/09/2012 05:48:34 PM
1325 Views
Re: [Insert relevant subject line here.]
- 27/09/2012 10:26:16 AM
1939 Views
Re: [Insert relevant subject line here.]
- 27/09/2012 05:23:13 PM
1261 Views
I did not realize how awful classes were until liberated from them.
- 28/09/2012 12:49:14 AM
1397 Views
Re: Things are a little different if you are the GM, yes.
- 24/09/2012 08:45:05 PM
1258 Views
I thought Yrrth a perfectly fine game world; obviously anything less generic requires some effort.
- 25/09/2012 12:14:09 AM
1308 Views
GURPS and TV Tropes are a natural fit, so I will throw in a link to their page on it.
- 19/09/2012 03:50:37 AM
1379 Views
I can't speak for IWD I, but II is okay on the story front so far.
- 18/09/2012 06:36:16 PM
1227 Views
I've still only played about 4 hours of BG1
- 08/09/2012 03:59:49 PM
1328 Views
If you have not yet, you should look into the Weidu mods.
- 08/09/2012 06:12:20 PM
1219 Views
But what's the point in playing the game if you don't use the NPCs?
- 08/09/2012 06:47:38 PM
1232 Views
Not having a bunch of potentially useful but AI ruined incompetents constantly fumbling.
- 08/09/2012 08:55:53 PM
1360 Views
Yeah, but optimising the whole group sounds ridiculously easy.
- 09/09/2012 01:03:51 AM
1227 Views
Well, there are always mods for that.
- 09/09/2012 01:37:42 AM
1178 Views
For talking to pretty much anyone, really.
- 09/09/2012 03:20:29 AM
1279 Views
True.
- 09/09/2012 03:46:24 AM
1280 Views
Well, I usually don't have thieves in my party.
- 09/09/2012 04:56:21 AM
1226 Views
there wasn't a good enough thief option in bg2/ToB
- 09/09/2012 09:15:21 AM
1170 Views
I noticed that also; another argument for creating a party via MP even if you move it back to SP.
- 09/09/2012 11:45:12 PM
1283 Views
Just how many thieves do you even need?
- 10/09/2012 06:22:58 PM
1263 Views
You can get by with half a thief, yeah, but it forces you to forego maxing out some thief abilities.
- 10/09/2012 06:47:48 PM
1248 Views
Any suggested parties for beginners? *NM*
- 10/09/2012 01:13:38 AM
695 Views
I am completely stoked about it.
- 10/09/2012 07:07:09 PM
1308 Views
TotSC made BGI a LOT more fun.
- 10/09/2012 07:46:03 PM
1188 Views
all the kits/races/dual wielding etc will be available in bgee
- 11/09/2012 09:02:35 AM
1207 Views
Ah; nice.
- 11/09/2012 06:57:14 PM
1330 Views
i'm not sure they were even state of the art at the time
- 12/09/2012 09:26:05 AM
1225 Views
Remember, BGI was released only about two years after Doom.
- 13/09/2012 12:05:11 AM
1287 Views
If by "two" you mean "five," then yes. DOOM was released in 1993.
- 13/09/2012 03:22:58 PM
1255 Views
Ah, 1998. The golden year. Ocarina of Time. Starcraft. Half-Life. *NM*
- 13/09/2012 04:16:21 PM
711 Views
That just reminds me of how sad it is that StarCraft died this year 
. *NM*
- 13/09/2012 11:55:28 PM
690 Views
. *NM*
- 13/09/2012 11:55:28 PM
690 Views
Fair enough; I was thinking of Doom in terms of when I started playing it and Doom II (1995.)
- 14/09/2012 03:56:50 PM
1360 Views
I don't mind the graphics in it
- 12/09/2012 04:38:47 PM
1287 Views
Good, me neither, but I have heard others criticize them.
- 12/09/2012 11:51:16 PM
1182 Views
I used the PS3 web browser as my primary browser for about 3 months
- 13/09/2012 01:13:22 PM
1225 Views
*nods* I suspected as much, but had no first hand experience confirming it.
- 14/09/2012 04:03:15 PM
1280 Views
I'm going to ask this here rather than start a new topic as its somewhat related.
- 10/09/2012 07:42:32 PM
1245 Views
And it now has been delayed till Nov 
*NM*
- 15/09/2012 03:52:41 AM
685 Views
*NM*
- 15/09/2012 03:52:41 AM
685 Views
On another note, shame on all of you for not telling me Jon Irenicus is Ra's Al Ghul
- 15/09/2012 04:19:21 AM
1273 Views