IWD2 gets an HD Let's Play!

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Hello fans of Icewind Dale 2!

I am recording a Let's Play of Icewind Dale 2 and publishing it on Youtube. Both audio and video are high quality, recorded with Fraps and available in up to 1080p resolution. I provide a voice commentary throughout and I try my best to make it interesting.

Without further ado, here is the link:

LINK

Feel free to drop by and leave a comment. I am open to suggestions and requests by veteran IWD2 players, as long as it doesn't involve restarting from scratch and is in line with the philosophy I describe in the introduction.

I do advertise sorcerers.net in the walkthrough so thanks for letting me advertise my LP here, and enjoy.

 

Interesting. Good luck in getting it all archived (if that is the plan) should be really helpful for some people when complete.

Is this your first time running through the game?

 

Thanks! I never got past Chapter 4 before, so this will be my first time actually finishing the game. I do make practice/note-taking runs before recording a segment though. I'm pretty well-versed in the IE titles although by no means an expert.

 

Interesting that you chose to go with Ultimate Powergaming Party. Surely not a true POWER gamer's choice, but I guess it should keep things interesting.

Then again, as the author of the JUPP (Jukka's Ultimate Powergaming party), I might be more than a little biased, so feel free to ignore me.

 

Oh you are? I briefly mention the JUPP in one the of "Party Creation" segments, and I do make it clear that this kind of extreme optimization is not my cup of tea. I hope you'll take it all in stride, I didn't mean to diss your work, which I admire.

I do explain my reasons for choosing the UPP in segment 2.

 

Don't worry, I'm plenty aware that JUPP isn't for everyone.

As a matter of fact, using it wouldn't leave much surprises in the game and that would invariably make the longplay rather dull. At least you get to actually use tactics and good gameplay instead of just mowing everything down without any major opposition.

Please make sure that you go through your character's stats, especially the amount of exp they've accumulated, periodically during various parts of the game. At least at the end of each chapter would be nice.

 

Good idea! I'm already halfway through Chapter 1, but I'll try to integrate that for the remainder of the LP.

 

Interesting idea, good luck with this project.

 

Let's hear it! Glad to see some people will actually care.

Don't hesitate to comment on the videos themselves, too.

 

I am currently preparing the first segment of Chapter 2. There are several ways to deal with Illium and I'm not really sure of the pros/cons of each.

- Arrange a meeting with Illium through Odea. Intimidate Illium into letting us pass. Sherincal appears, slays Odea, blasts the diplomat off the cliff (ouch). Fun to watch, but seems like a sub-optimal choice. At the very least, I don't get xp for Odea.
- Go speak with Illium and intimidate him into letting us pass. Not sure what happens at this point, can we kill everyone anyway and get the best of both worlds?
- Go Speak with Illium and let the conversation end in bloodshed. Kill everyone.

Here's the reference: http://www.sorcerers.net/Games/IWD2/Walkthrough/chapter2/chapter2.php

 

Select the 1st choice. It's better for watching and should yield better results.
If you miss some XP you'll get it back later because of the dynamic XP calculation.
More important is loot, insta kills by Sherenical don't allow drinking healing potions or spending magical ammo.

 

A very impressive run, and admirable how you take the time to explain your strategies. I'm a bit sad you mentioned UPP & JUPP but not my guide, but I'll try not to be petty about it <sniffle>. It looks like you're at the Horde fortress at the moment (vid 59), I'm missing 57 & 58, where you battle on the fort rooftop - I'm curious how other people handle that... I tried to make videos myself about a year ago, and I chose the rooftop battle as my first experiment. But the video quality was poor. I tried Fraps and a few other programs, but it was either choppy, or soundless, or half the characters were invisible most of the time... I just gave up. What recording program do you use, and is it a free download?

From what I've seen, you use summons often to avoid your party being targeted. It's a very useful strategy, but why don't you send in a hiding rogue after the summon? Then you're sure enemies won't accidentally target your party.
After you've completed the normal game, you'll probably move on to another game. Still, it would be appreciated if you made one or a few vids explaining how to activate Heart of Fury Mode, and maybe showing what the gameplay is like to people.
Anyway, keep up the great work, I'll be keeping an eye on your videos!

 

Right on with the entertainement value, but I'm wondering if I should still kill them all afterwards (similar to how I treated the Iron Collar mercenaries in the Prologue).

I started my LP by doing a quick search of the various party building guides that were out there. I stumbled on the UPP and liked it a lot, then JUPP and another on a forum which I thought were too complicated for my taste, and at that point I decided on the UPP and started recording. Sorry I missed your guide (link?), but I wasn't really trying to make a comprehensive search, just to find something I liked and get started ASAP.

I use the latest full licensed version of Fraps on Windows 7 x64, with an HD 4890 for the graphics, an overclocked Core2Duo, a 5$ desktop mic, and loads of free disk space. It worked flawlessly out of the box (except for IWD2's usual crappy performance), but I've had problems before, notably on Vista with the 8800GTS. I think recording in 800x600 as opposed to a higher resolution helps keep the framerate high.

As for the missing parts, they're coming. Sometimes uploads fail for no apparent reason (it just says "Error"), and with my average file size being around 350MB it takes a while to get them online.

Thanks for the tip.

Sure! I've yet to try HoF but the LP would be a nice excuse for doing just that.

Thanks !

 

My guide is IWD2_4dummies, it might be the one you stumbled upon on a forum. I take no offense when you say it's too complicated, I go into exacting details with my party creation guide, so it is quite complicated. For example, I'd never pick Concentration and Spellcraft at level 1 with a rogue1/wizardX like you did; I'd wait until level 2 when the wizard gets them as class skills (and actually makes use of them). Essentially, you robbed yourself of 4 skillpoints, which you could've put into Pick Pockets, to get the Lucky Knucky from Jemaliah. Luck is a very poweful force in a dice-rolling game.
I just hope people find my guide readable enough to at least get some tips out of it. I also take great effort to explain mods, and even wrote a partial walkthrough for the wonderful Icewind Gate 2, a conversion of BG2:SoA into the IWD2 engine... So, the IWD2_4dummies pack is basically a DIY kit for getting the most out of the game.
I like to differentiate my guide from the others, by stating that I practice 'versatile powergaming' as opposed to ultimate powergaming. An example:

Your sorcerors take a level paladin later in the game, to get a whopping charisma bonus to saving throws. Very powergamey. The UPP and JUPP authors then opt to keep leveling in sorceror, making no compromise to spell power. That's the 'ultimate' part. A good decision when focusing solely on the potency of their spells, and you appreciate the simplicity. But it should be noted that these sorcerors are very weak in melee. People argue that mages have no place in melee, but that's a roleplaying concession, not a powergaming argument.
My versatile sorceress starts out quite the same, but with a few more mix-in levels: At level 12 I take ranger (mostly for a Light of Selune quest & item, but it's relevant later on too), and later take a Monk level. What this does, is put the spell progression 2 levels behind a simple Paladin1/SorcererX, obviously. But she gets the Evasion feat from Monk (no damage taken if reflex save successful), and it works obscenely well combined with sky-high reflex saves from the paladin level. In Heart of Fury... I don't want to spoil anything for you... suffice to say that she can then dual-wield 2 weapons that together give an awesome Spell Resistance, beating even a Drow sorceror in terms of spell protection. And believe it or not, the Paladin1/Ranger1/Monk1/SorcerorX can make a very good melee participant when the need arises!

That's merely a 'short' summary of one of my characters, to show just how much thought I put into character creation. I must say that I found the actual creating of the characters to be the most fun part of the game, and I often opened up the character arbitration screen, to replace a character with a slightly altered version, and cheated the XP up, as if I had had that character in my party all along, instead of the version I discarded... Character creation took up a disproportionate part of my gamaplay time. We all play the game our own way, right?

 

kmonster, do you have mathematical proof to back that claim up or are you just waving your hands? Since, if I recall correctly, I've proven that statement to be wrong previously. (Yes, you're partly right in that the dynamic exp will keep exp differences in check and smoothe them out in the long run, but once the exp advantage is there, it is there for good.)

Coin, I've read your guide a few times and it's solid advice through and through. Partway overlapping with both UPP and JUPP of course, but that's kind of unavoidable for the sake of completeness.

However, I'm kinda put off by the fact that some of the character builds in there are completely based on mod-introduced, overpowered weapons. Permanent Executioner's Eyes by just holding a weapon in off-hand? Set base STR to 22, effectively making STR a dump stat for a melee guy? Gimme a break.

On the subject of Paladin(1)/Sorcerer(x) vs your three mix-in variant: The Ranger level is based on an item gained via a mod, and considering that bows are already nibbling at melee weapon's heels in terms of dps, allowing it to have a STR damage bonus is pretty much going to make the bow better. Cool, surely, but IMHO rather overpowered. Agreed on the Monk mix-in level, although cramming it in before 20 levels of sorcerer are reached is a trade-off you need to consider. Completely fine on a secondary arcane caster, but I'd be reluctant to stray from the path of arcane on my main until level 20.

 

You have shown that a party of 6 deep gnomes ends at lower level than a party of 6 humans, but not that an XP difference always stays forever.
It's not about a simple XP difference at one point in the game like here, the 3 level ECL penalty adds 3,000 XP penalty for reaching the next level each time you level up,

The proof that having a few hundred less XP in the first chapter 2 area is evened out during the game is simple: Continue playing the game, when the XP you gain from fighting standard monsters in this chapter drops from some XP to 0 XP because you levelled up you know the XP difference from the previous event was evened out.
This happened to me several times during the game and it's not unlikely that the XP difference was gone before.

A little XP difference early in chapter 2 will be evened out soon.

 

That's high praise, and I appreciate it. I read your guide too of course, And I admire the number crunching you've done in it. The insight into XP gains is invaluable, and it's good you still take the time to improve the guide so many years after its first release. My 5th and current version of my guide contains a lot more information than the original did. I just fear that the sheer volume of data, combined with the imperfect layout, make the guide unclear and hard to read.

Since I'm the only guidewriter describing the features of the mods I use, I see it as a responsibility to also discuss advantages offered by them. But I make it clear when I'm talking about mod items, so people aren't accidentally misled.
I do name the exploit in my guide. I originally planned to give the mod item Angurvadal +5 to my 8STR Bard to give a gamebreakingly cheesy boost of +14STR. In reality, my bard ended up using it only for the extra carry weight, and never actually engaging in melee. The way I used my bard, as documented in my leveling scheme, I felt that combat would be a waste of the bard's song talent. Sometimes my 18STR druid did use the weapon in the off hand (weighing less than 3lbs., the sword is practically designed for it), giving a +2dmg boost, nothing too crazy.
The Bastard's Son sword is one of many bastard swords improved by the relevant Ease-of-use mod component. I do believe I warn people in my guide, that if they don't install the component, bastard swords aren't worth the effort. Personally, I found the main hand weapons Cold Fire (1d10+3 +3d6fire +3d6cold) and Bastard Sword of Heroism to be far more overpowered (4d10+3, +5enchanted). Bastard's Son is useless for big battles, when you actually cast Executioner's Eyes on the party. Then I prefer an off-hand weapon that gives an extra main hand attack. And there are even more overpowered modded weapons - I'm thinking of the Flasher Master Bruiser Mate, a returning crossbow bolt that fires an area effect stun on enemies... Those Slayer Knights don't know what hit them - no way they're making the save 5 times per combat round - that's gamebreaking cheese!!!

The timing of the ranger level is indeed moved forward, to take advantage of the ranger quest in normal mode. But this can be put off right until you leave for Kuldahar, since you can always take a ranger level and backtrack to the area. The bow is overpowered; my sorceress can't quite do that amount of damage with the melee weapons I give her. Crucis intended it to be used by a roleplaying ranger, dealing 60+dmg on criticals. But due to the exploit, my ranger1/sorceressX can do the same, effectively competing with her damage spells - I often opted to just keep firing that bow.
Anyway, the monk level is something I took at level 23 (Heart of Fury), so I'm basically saying the same as you, that spellcasting power should not be compromised for it. After sorceror lvl20 however, all the important spells are acquired already, you advance less significantly in spell power, and new spells are available more slowly.
In Heart of Fury mode, spell damage is of practically no meaning to my sorceress, since she gets Evasion+high reflexes, and can dual wield items to get the same Spell Resistance as a Drow.

 

I have used the Angurvadal sword in my two previous playthroughs. But instead of using it just to boost some poor sod's carrying capacity or giving a small edge to someone, I found it single-handedly solved the problem with stat shortage for a Dreadmaster-based decoy.

By starting with STR6, DEX20, CON14, INT13, WIS20, CHA1 she was a beast as an archer with one of the crossbows that doesn't limit your attacks to 1/round in the early game. While at the same time protecting the flank when situation called for it. Once I got to Kuldahar, I had enough money to buy the sword for her, thus gaining two for one deal - an excellent tank with superhuman STR, without the loss of maximum AC much, much later on during HOF mode when she finally took the Monk level. (I used a Paladin(1)/Rogue(2)/Illusionist(x) as my main tank from the word go.)

I'm just saying that whenever anything but cosmetic mods are introduced into the mix, what is "best" can and often does start shifting wildly. Therefore, doing a massive project like "Let's Play HD" based on something like that is like doing a playthrough on a different game altogether.

 

Oh yeah, I understand completely why he'd prefer to do a walkthrough of the unmodded game.
What I do disagree with you on, is that my party guide is geared towards the modded game, and therefore offers unsound advice for players of an unmodded game. The only thing I can think of is what I mentioned earlier; if you don't install 'Improved Bastard Swords', then the feats aren't worth it. But I warn about this many times in my guide, and advise people in such a case to take axe feats instead.
The characters aren't designed to utilize certain items. All I do, is plan a mix-in of ranger early, to be able to purchase a certain mod item bow. But the ranger mix-in is part of the versatile combat strategy:
My weakest characters need some basic melee combat skills, to be able to stand their ground. My Deep Gnome rogue1/illusionistX can't spare a level to take ranger (because of the ECL), but has enough feats to afford a point in Armoured Arcana. That way she can use bucklers that have 5% Spell Failure and -0 for non-shield proficiency.
My Human paladin1/sorcerorX on the other hand, needs all her feats badly, but can get by with one level mixed-in. So the ranger level offers her dual wielding ability in light or no armour (an easy condition to meet for a mage).

None of this is really dependant on mods. Sure, the available items get better with more mods, but that's all. The basic party works with or without mods.

Dr_Asik, I watched the horde fortress videos today. It was much like I handled it as well. I was hoping for something grandiose, like running around with one character, so the whole map targets him, and then encasing him in an Otiluke's Resilient Sphere. A great opportunity to unleash fireballs and other nasty area-effect spells on a huddled crowd. That's what I had planned when I wanted to shoot a video... I don't recognize your accent BTW; where are you from?