Just finished the training. Having fun thus far, although the character creation can be quite intimidating. Went with a cookie cutter character for the moment.
I find character creation to be very entertaining, and have spent hours doing it.
However, it has to be said that the first time I played Baldur's Gate II, I found all of it extremely intimidating. The funny part was that in those days there was no "auto" button, so you basically had to learn the whole thing.
I think you will enjoy NWN a lot more, if you give your input in every little step of the character creation process. It may seem like work initially, but you will enjoy the game all the more for it.
Basically, there are two ways you can play this game.
The first way is that you go through most of it on autopilot. You create a character, but most of the attributes you just let the computer decide for you. Then, when you start playing, you leave the party AI on auto, and up to their own devices etc. When they cast spells etc, you just watch the pretty colors on the screen, without caring if they are casting an attacking spell, a disarming spell, a defensive spell, or are simply buffing the party up.
Yes, you can play like that, but this is a roleplaying game. I can’t imagine people really enjoying it, unless they are familiar with all the intricacies of it. But that's just what I think. I think Xessive played it a lot like
Diablo, and still enjoyed it.
The way I would recommend playing, is understanding all the mechanics and more importantly, giving your input throughout.
Here is a very simple example: If you create an Elven archer, you should understand why the computer is recommending you to invest in dexterity points. Later, if you come to a stage where you have a choice between armor that boosts dexterity and armor that boosts strength, you will pick the former automatically. That’s just a simple example, but you get the idea. Of course there could be a practical reason to use armor that boosts strength, but again, it is just an example.
Also, remember to work your character towards a prestige class. Basically, the prestige classes are multiclass options that incur no experience penalty and are extremely cool (one of them allows you to grow mini red dragon wings). You can’t choose two classes for your character without losing a significant percentage of every experience point you gain for the rest of the game, unless you character’s race allows the combination (elfs can be fighter/mages), or you are pairing with a prestige class.
Aside from all the character points, I would recommend understanding the spells. Depending on the character class, there are a maximum of four spell books to fiddle with at one time. You will have your mage spells, your druid/cleric spells, your innate spells (rangers for example get a few spells), and your prestige class spells.
Before resting, you must choose a limited number of spells from the ones you know. Also, there are different levels of spells. So, say you are at an early stage, and your character knows ten level 1 spells. From those, for example, you will be allowed to choose three of them for use in the day ahead. Once you select your spells, make sure you drag them to the shortcut bar for easy use. Also, you can do the same with weapons, so that you can swap between long and shortrange weapons, depending on the combat situation.
Lastly, I would recommend going to the AI settings and gaining more control over them. I prefer to have complete control, where I select the spells they cast, the weapons they use etc., but you might want to choose something different.
