Do you give yourself the "BGI Bonuses" at the start of BGII?

[Klorox]

If you're playing a character who you did not play in BGI, do you give him/her the additional stats & experience you would have gotten if you had played him/her through BGI (+1 STR,DEX,CON,INT,CHA, +3 WIS and 161,000 XP)??

Just wondering. I can't decide if I think it's just way too cheesy or not. What do the rest of y'all do?

[fable]

No, I don't. Each to their own, but speaking (only) for myself, I find it cheesy. The advantage was deliberately eliminated from BG2 to prevent creeping munchkinism.

[Nightmare]

I don't. I prefer not to give Minsc or my PC an automatic 19 strength at the get go, because not doing it makes the game a little more difficult and makes buying the Girdle of Hill Giant Strength that much more important.

[Crenshinibon]

I don't, although I do import the characters from BG1 and may use them several times (as in finish BG1 with a fighter and use to make a Kensa/thief in one run (you are offered to kit at the start of BG2) and a Kensai/Mage another run).

[Thrifalas]

Nah. +1 in stats doesn't mean nothing in terms of power, so I can't really be bothered to. A... well, anything, with 18 in all vital stats compared to one with 19. Who sees the difference?

I used to care about stats and items on my characters a whole bunch, too, untill the Eclipse Party made me realize that true strenght in this game lies in gameplay and not stats and items. Or well, items slightly, but still. After that realization I've had a lots easier beating Eclipse and Ascension without any cheese at all, at their respective experience level. (4m resp 5m.)

[galraen]

I often do, I started when a Tutu game crashed and it would have meant a total restart. It's a bit cheesy I guess, just laziness 'cos I can't be bothered with another BG1 run through.

I think Fable's wrong though, the tomes weren't used in BG2 because they were already available in BG1, nothing to do with munchkin-ness, Ruad, now that's 100% Gorgonzola!

[CFM]

On increasing BG2 stats based on the assumption that you would have had them in BG1, I vote:
Don't Use, Too Cheesy.

But I'm strange. I always give my dudes 18-17-16-15-14-13 ability scores, my personal balance between too wimpy and too strong. These tomes would screw up my cool 18-13 spread.

But what I do do is give tomes to Jaheira, Minsc, Edwin, and/or Viconia in BG1 to help account for their ability score differences in BG2. I even level their hit points in BG1 to what they start with in BG2. I be strange.

[Toxeus]

Never, it's too cheesy.
Personally i prefer to play nonideal guys, with just a bit above average stats, don't like overpowered dual-classes either.

[Celacena]

depending on rolls, I often have a character that starts with one or two 9s or 10s.

a visit to the machine of lum in WK often brings the stats up to over 18 - with the girdle, you can afford a low STR if you want. once you get the bag of holding, STR doesn't matter to mages much.

I don't SK the scores, but I usually have the patience or 3 or 4 18s on creation.

with the ring of human influence available so early, you can risk a 3...

[wise grimwald]

But I'm strange. I always give my dudes 18-17-16-15-14-13 ability scores, my personal balance between too wimpy and too strong. These tomes would screw up my cool 18-13 spread.

But what I do do is give tomes to Jaheira, Minsc, Edwin, and/or Viconia in BG1 to help account for their ability score differences in BG2. I even level their hit points in BG1 to what they start with in BG2. I be strange.[/quote]

You baint be strange. Unless we be all strange. We all have different quirks.
I don't have the problem as my characters have all come through BG1.
My current party be composed of the Brothers Grimm who started out as clones of a good fighter in BG1 and who dualled to Cleric, Mage and Thief. Yes, I know that there were only two Brothers Grimm. Because they all dualled at the same time, the game was quite difficult at the beginning, but now they be very strong and we haven't visited Lum yet!

[Xandax]

I do (did), because it was simpler then importing my character anyway, saved some time.