Well, the simple solution there is to just get rid of classes.... 
I wish. But 3rd Edition was built entirely around classes. It was the game's very core.
Fourth edition... honestly, it sounds like I would hate it, because all of the old AD&D munchkinizing tendencies are exacerbated by attempts to cater to console gamers looking for naught but XP and powerups.
Oh, I'm sure you'd hate it. So many people do. As Written, I do as well. I just love its core mechanics, but pretty much everything they build onto that is bland as all hell.
Oh, good; I was worried we were power-gaming. 
Heh. But like I said, stat progression is far more linear in Editions past 2nd, so the difference between the 31 strength Fire Giant and an 18 Strength fighter is the same as that same fighter would have compared to a Strength 6 character.
The way all stats work in 3rd and 4th Edition is that they give you a +1 bonus to all checks related to that attribute for every two points you put into it. 10 is +0, 18 is +4, 31 is +10.
So mid level characters cannot ignore thrashings by high levels ones for a full minute; I guess that is some improvement. The core problem remains though: The mid level character can still absorb far more damage than a low level one; the high level character just inflicts such an overwhelming amount of damage it does no matter. Against anyone less, like the low level character or even an equal level character, we still have a scenario where even if the attacker is consistently hitting an opponent doing nothing more than trying to avoid the blows it will take a while to kill him.
Yeah, but that's fine. If he's doing nothing but trying to avoid blows, then he should be fairly successful against an opponent of a similar level.
Oh, actually if he's doing nothing but avoiding attacks, he should use the total defence action for a +4 to AC.
I am not saying it should never be an option, can never make sense within any gameworld, but it should not be the norm for ALL gameworlds where characters survive long enough. And even if someone like Lan took an Aes Sedais fireball to the face or got hit with balefire he would be as dead as quickly as Baerlon drover.
Pretty sure balefire would be a save-or-die effect anyway
.
The first rule of being a ninja is "do no harm". Unless you intend to do harm, then do lots of harm.
~Master Splinter
Victorious in Bergioyn's legendary 'Reverse Mafia'. *MySmiley*
~Master Splinter
Victorious in Bergioyn's legendary 'Reverse Mafia'. *MySmiley*
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
1438 Views
BGI is a lot more fun because a lot more challenging, IMHO.
- 08/09/2012 02:33:17 PM
1309 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
1302 Views
ahh yes i remember, every hit is a backstab for 30 seconds or something.
- 08/09/2012 07:07:12 PM
1372 Views
Right; it is pretty much an instakill, considering the multipliers at the level it becomes available
- 08/09/2012 09:03:47 PM
1260 Views
fireballs are so epic in BG1
- 08/09/2012 05:41:34 PM
1312 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
1414 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
1230 Views
There's an unfortunate Wizard in the Firewine Bridge Ruins...
- 09/09/2012 12:58:18 AM
1325 Views
Oops.
- 09/09/2012 01:43:23 AM
1318 Views
- 09/09/2012 01:43:23 AM
1318 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
1381 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
1800 Views
Multi-player was actually pretty simple if you just used it to create your whole party.
- 08/09/2012 02:19:35 PM
1285 Views
well yeah, because there was no connection to figure out
- 08/09/2012 06:59:49 PM
1395 Views
Right; I was never a big multiplayer fan anyway, but customized parties were nice
- 08/09/2012 08:53:45 PM
1406 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
1483 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
1328 Views
Suggestion since you're not using the NPCs anyway...
- 15/09/2012 11:34:28 PM
1388 Views
That is a good thought; I never played IWD.
- 16/09/2012 03:31:01 AM
1287 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
1231 Views
- 17/09/2012 06:57:19 PM
1231 Views
Re: How would I know you just got a game released in the late nineties?
- 17/09/2012 11:08:09 PM
1412 Views
- 17/09/2012 11:08:09 PM
1412 Views
I still like GURPS' character points best.
- 17/09/2012 11:40:12 PM
1280 Views
Heh, I'm not surprised.
- 18/09/2012 01:47:55 AM
1276 Views
If you want to avoid hyperspecialization, avoid classes.
- 18/09/2012 07:36:43 AM
1490 Views
I've never played GURPS, so I don't know how its system works.
- 18/09/2012 03:32:21 PM
1370 Views
I recommend it, but it is a bear to run.
- 19/09/2012 03:37:19 AM
1714 Views
Re: I recommend it, but it is a bear to run.
- 19/09/2012 08:35:24 AM
1328 Views
It is the difference between "what if...?" and "whatever...."
- 19/09/2012 10:58:31 PM
1368 Views
Re: It is the difference between "what if...?" and "whatever...."
- 20/09/2012 12:31:10 AM
1293 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
1277 Views
Things are a little different if you are the GM, yes.
- 24/09/2012 08:33:23 AM
1515 Views
Re: Things are a little different if you are the GM, yes.
- 24/09/2012 07:24:51 PM
1402 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
1530 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
1324 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
1448 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
1326 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
1263 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
1261 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
1380 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
1228 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
1220 Views
But what's the point in playing the game if you don't use the NPCs?
- 08/09/2012 06:47:38 PM
1235 Views
Not having a bunch of potentially useful but AI ruined incompetents constantly fumbling.
- 08/09/2012 08:55:53 PM
1362 Views
Yeah, but optimising the whole group sounds ridiculously easy.
- 09/09/2012 01:03:51 AM
1229 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
1281 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
1228 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
1285 Views
Just how many thieves do you even need?
- 10/09/2012 06:22:58 PM
1265 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
1249 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
1310 Views
TotSC made BGI a LOT more fun.
- 10/09/2012 07:46:03 PM
1190 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
1226 Views
Remember, BGI was released only about two years after Doom.
- 13/09/2012 12:05:11 AM
1289 Views
If by "two" you mean "five," then yes. DOOM was released in 1993.
- 13/09/2012 03:22:58 PM
1256 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
1362 Views
I don't mind the graphics in it
- 12/09/2012 04:38:47 PM
1289 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
1281 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
1246 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