NWN2 Frustrated

Egh, I am sick and tired of this game, why won't it let me play the way I want to play?

[rant]
it seems like the game just won't let me play the way I want to.
First I made an archer, which seemed a nice idea, but every 3 steps you get a bleeping cutscene (FF: D&D?) putting me in the front, so that didn't work. A mage had the same problems, everybody just trails behind me and I take all the aggro.

Then I tried a Rogue. Same problem, plus every cutscene magically dispelled my Stealth useless.

So now I went for a Drow Ranger, yes, neutral good (so sue me, R.A. Salvatore ). I thought a duelwielding ranger would be able to stand in the front and tank, while still being more interesting then a fighter.
And now I can't even Persuade the villagers to help fight in the militia, even though I stuck points in persuade, it's not enough.
It seems like the only character the campaign allows to play with my playstyle (good guy who can hold her own and has good leadership skills, can talk her way out of a fight), is a stick-up-her-**** paladin. Yuk!

I don't want a hybrid caster/buffer like bard or cleric, so that is out of the question, buffing is just so boring. I prefer playing rogues, casters (once I've played throgh the game at least once and have a feeling for what spells are needed) and archers, non of which seem to suit the main campaign.

I don't think I'll ever finish the game...

[rant]

Well, it is not my playstyle, but seems to me you might handle it by taking control of one of your party to keep them in front as you travel. Then use the "guard me" command to keep them infront of you during battle. I doubt that will work any other time during the game.

Hey I am right there with you on this, it took me at least 10 hours to get out of Harbor Village for the same reasons.
It's complete BS the way those cutscenes force you into ambushes, even if you playing a Fighter and leave some members back to try to keep them alive, then it forces them up to you and the main fight, killing them of course.

Don't forget Puppet mode.

Well if not a hybrid what about a full Cleric, this is the best and most efficent class in NWN2 OC.
Just outside of Harbor town there is an great magic mace, actually two but one if free.
I would suggest Tyr, since you will get a great quest for a Holy Weapon, well you can with any diety as a Pally or CLeric.
You can start NG if your playing a mostly good character which leaves you some wiggle room in alingment choices.

There are good rationals for taking one or two levels of another class, since the real story starts as you are level 3 it's not a big deal, though honestly a strait Cleric would be a great choice, especially getting all those great Harm spells.

CmGamer, I know that is an option, but it isn't my playstyle either
i suppose my main frustration comes from starting up KoToR again at the beginning of last week, and having exactly the same problem with a stealth character. I ended up playing with Carth most of the time, and my character just trailing behind him like an nPC. I was hoping in nWN2 with all the classes there would be something more suitable to my taste, allowing me to be a leader in all ways.

Acleacius, I'm glad I'm not the only one
What I ment is that a Cleric is a hybrid caster, and I always get bored with every cleric I play for some reason. I severely dislike being the buffer and healer of a party.
I suppose the problem is I want someone who is fun from a roleplay-perspective and a gameplay perspective.
I ended up making an Aasimar paladin anyway, since it seems to suit my playstyle, I'll just have to get over the stick-up-the-bottom holier-then-thou attitude and RP my pally more likeable. Actually, it wasn't that bad once I resigned to it.

Thank you both for reading and replying to my rant, after several characters in KotOR and in nWN2 running into the same problem, I just had to vent

Heck I wouldn't worry about buffing at all, since you wouldn't be buffing if you weren't playing a Cleric.
I would play a agressive damge dealing Cleric, heavy armor and magic mace/moriningstar, first round soften them up with a cause harm and smash away.

Though it sounds like your happy with your snotty little Pally.

no ones mention the best class-druid! though technically a hybrid caster, you also get an animal companion.

Druid would not work well if you play a male in the OC. Clerics, Bards, etc, which are great support characters work very well in MP games, but are limited in the SP campaigns. Playing a Bard in some of our online NWN sessions provided more fun than any other character!!

I am thinking the same as the original poster, but myself I've only played the game through once using a warlock character, who fortunately could take some hits before dying. There doesn't seem to be a solution to this in the OC but I wish that all the mod makers would not use the same approach. I consider this as a fault in design of the OC.

Also, I don't understand why the AI cannot move companions using magic/ranged attacks away from each other or from the only (remaining) enemy to work better as a group and to get to cast without disruptions. No, they just stand there and keep on trying to cast stuff (= dying) unless you move them further yourself and wish they stay there. But as it is not really turn-based, you can't easily control all your party members; or is it possible to change this in the options?

There seems also to be something wrong with the druid AI, Elanee never seemed to cast a single spell, only changed to animal form and melee attacks even if I tried the different companion casting options in the character screen. There were maybe a couple of exceptions when the first attack wave was already killed. A pity, as her summoning spells would have made a difference in many fights. BTW, she did have the 'cast in animal form' feat.

But I liked the game because it mostly delivered what it promised unlike some other recent products.

You can prevent her changing into animal form in the Behaviour section. For me, it's a must!! BAD design (AI) decision to make that her default action!!

Well, actually the animal form was not a problem but her not casting any spells was. Although when she has turned into a huge bear her ar** seems to be in the way almost all the time...

I'm actually having a good time through with a ranger/arcane archer. Main thing is to not min-max so much that you loose flexibility. While all the class feats etc. make my character an ace archer, he can also pull out a sword and shield and melee pretty competantly (wood elves are good for this). I'm also playing on hardcore which gives AoOs for using bows in mellee, further increasing the need for pulling out weapons in close quarters.

There is actually an AI mod which fixes most problems like NPCs with Healing not casting it, well this patch fixes it and many more.
It's done by the same guy whom did the NWN AI patch/mod, iirc.

And the link to it is where??

http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=NWN2HakpaksOriginal.Detail&id=11

Even's AI, i think it's called. like most of the nwn2-made mods, it can be downloaded on NWN2 Vault.....too lazy to give links, but just do a search- as you know.

Thanks for the link, I'll give it a try some time in the near future.

I can only play puppet mode or I'll go totally postal. Theyre such idiots!

I think that's the 'artificial' part of their intelligence!!

I played one run through with every possible idiot (err NPC) in the party as possible so I could hear all the story elements possible from every NPC at each mission.
By the end I had 12 party members and had completly lost my mind and really just left them all at the start to keep them out of trouble.

Man that really eats into your xp though even if you aren't using them in fights xp is based on level of course but on how many NPCs in your party.

Someone was going to try to solo the game when ever possible but doing the NPC side quests, they never reported back on how it went or what problems they ran into, so I may give that a try.
I am guessing you could possibly get a Drow up to 20th level soloing amap, certianly a Celestrial.

Just a quick update:

I'm at Old Owl's well now, and I'm really enjoying the game once I unleashed my inner-paladin.
I am amazed by the fact you actions do have real consequenses compared to some other recent RPGs, and I love the well-written banter between the companions.

My paladin has gotten quite a few chances to solve conflicts diplomaticly, which I really appreciate, and I still seem to be getting the full whack of XP. The same is with taking companions, animal companions, summons and familiars along by the way, they don't cost any XP like in NWN1, so there is no reason not to take them along.

I haven't been into a game this much since KOTOR, I'm glad I stuck with it now.