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The Jan-or-Nalia question really highlights the master question of how to approach BGII...are you a power-gamer or a role-player? I know people talk about this a bit too much sometimes, and many people tend to be a bit puritanical about it (as if, from a role-playing perspective, you wouldn't want the most powerful group you could muster). But, bottom line (IMHO) is that Nalia is a much better mage than Jan and high thief skills aren't that essential. So Nalia is a "better" choice...right?

Well, hold on there pardner. Jan is a very unusual character. He's a blast to play, and his scripting is fabulous (genius mix of comic and tragic...much better than Cats...I'm going to see it again and again...). So, if you're a role-player at heart, Jan's a great pick for your party.

So asking a question like "who's the best" is very subjective. Beauty of BGII, and one of the things that ups its replayability value, is the great variation in the limited NPC available. (I'm a heretic here: I love that there are much fewer NPC's than in BGI...makes you really pick and choose carefully. There's no "perfect" party, so the role playing is more realistic.)

Stick it to the man.

Yes indeed I knew after I posted that someone would point this out..and I agree on all terms with Hazim, it depends on your playing style. I like to roleplay and after going through BG1 and Icewind Dale, I was so in the mood for new Npc's.

This is why Jan is more valuable to me than Nalia, in fact I picked Nalia's face as my main characters so when I first joined up with Nalia in the game she looked like Dynaheir from BGII. Not very new and exciting.

But I ramble.
So Jan it was, Hehe and I can't resist the cuteness of the little people

And who knows who will leave the safety of my group later in Chapter 3 and beyond.


Speaking of Chapter 3, Im off to slice some Dragon wish me luck! lol

Um, yeah my uberparty isn't complete overkill since I started the game with a roleplaying state of mind (an alien concept?). Edwin is your only true mage in the game unless your hero is a mage but he's evil aligned. You lose Imoen most of the game by the way.

Shrugs, I enjoy melee. It's a completely different set of tactics needed and I can play the game with or without the need of heavy nukes in your party. Your preference. I find parties too one dimensional boring anyway. In regards to the roleplaying concept, just because you RP doesn't necessarily mean you will disregard the best additions to your party. If Korgan, aka Kaigan reincarnate, was a chaotic good dwarf, no doubt he would have been added to my ranks just as well.

[This message has been edited by bullions27 (edited 11-23-2000).]