View Full Version : 2 character party game balance (Ease-of-Use Mod?)


Arch Stanton
Thu, 12th Jun '03, 3:35pm
Planning to play a multiplayer game of IWD2 with me and another guy playing one character each. One should be a druid and the other one, well, something else, doesnt really matter. We previously tried with a druid/wizard and a fighter/rogue. At best the game was fun with interresting ways being found to overcome only being 2 characters, sort of like a tactical "Diablo" with 3ed D&D rules in all their glory. The game quickly degraded, though, into luring all the monsters close to an area exit and then running back and forth to rest whenever the druid ran out of spells or the fighter got hit by a "hold person". All the while gaining little to no xp because of the bad CR implenentation. Never got further than the Goblin Fortress. I like a challenge when I play games, but this is just as boring as an easy game and it feels like cheating. Anyway, I looked around and saw that the EOU mod might be the perfect solution (or well, some of the components in it). However, now I'm a bit concerned that the mod will make it too easy?

* The "Additional Druid Spells" & "Alternate Shapeshifting" components both seem to try to make up for the druids being perhaps a bit underpowered, but wouldn't using both of these make the druid into a total badass, screwing up the game balance? Should only one of them be used?

* The "Always Get Some XP Per Kill" sounds all fine and dandy, but with only 2 characters, would they reach uber-lvls and be able to kill boss-monsters with impunity?

I'd really like some input and suggestions what I should do to make it so that the game is fun and tactical, and still playable with 2 characters, even though its obviously designed for 6. Thanks

Duke Eltan
Thu, 12th Jun '03, 4:15pm
"Always get exp for kill" doesn´t really give you that much extra. Sure your characters would get some levels higher. But that is the advantage of having fewer partymembers.

Although, I would skip the druid.
You seem to enjoy playing one though that might be your solution. I think, however, the game would get much easier if you had a pure wizard, or sorcerer, instead of the druid. Protection spells in all its glory, but the fighter harldy needs any and the wizard get some great spells so you should be fine. And healing potions is pretty cheap, esoecially since you only need to buy for 2 chars instead of six. And you only need to buy a third as much equipment to so you should have plenty of gold if you just pick all up =)

Harbourboy
Fri, 13th Jun '03, 2:24pm
The improved XP tables just make sure you get SOME XP for each kill. It doesn't add up to much more in total at the end (e.g. getting 100 points for a lizardman in Chapter 5 isn't going to contribute much when you need about 20,000 points to get to the next level). It just stops the fights from seeming completely pointless.

As for druids, the mod does make them more powerful but they end up with more powers than you can ever use in one fight. I hardly ever seem to get around to using druid spells or shapeshifting because a Sorcerer has usually blasted away before the Druid gets a chance to do anything. This might be different in the 2 player games you are talking about though.

hEGE
Fri, 13th Jun '03, 9:27pm
If you want druid in your multiplayer game try ranger1/druidXX and fighter4/barbarianXX. So you get ewerythingf skill and etc. what you need in game. And wiemer's Easy mod just install that experience part, so yuo get experience all to time. This is working fine. We are just begin of chapter 6 and we unkillable!!!

Arch Stanton
Mon, 16th Jun '03, 2:45pm
Thanks alot for the advice guys, will screw around with it a bit and see how it works out:)