Possible to Solo NWN2/MotB Enjoyably?

The title says it all, but I'll rehash it for the sake of consistency: is it possible to solo the OC of Neverwinter Nights 2 and/or Mask of the Betrayer?
I ask as I am, for the most part, particularly opposed to playing party/team-based games. I found myself struggling to get through NWN for that very reason (and quit ere I had completed the game), while those games I enjoy most attest to my tastes (Arx Fatalis, VtM:Bloodlines, Deus Ex, Gothic II). I've found that party-management and the like never suited my play-style, wherein I find it impossible to immerse myself in the persona of a single character, taking on a part equivalent more to a god than a person: observing a group do things, as opposed to doing them myself.
Still, what with the rave reviews on so many RPG-centric sites concerning said titles - and my own dearth of games to play, up until May rolls around - I thought I'd give it a try. So, again, would it be possible to solo the campaign for NWN2? I'm not familiar with the D&D ruleset, thus I cannot even begin to imagine whether it's possible to create a single character who could conceivably make it through the breadth of said title alone.
Any pertinent replies would be appreciated, as would recommendations for character set-ups. Thanks!

You *can*, though certain companions are required at certain times. So you would be fighting against the structure of the game the whole way.

I am right with you - my preference is for single player games, so when I got NWN I tried to solo that after playing with companions, and found it much harder (duh) and also found I missed the interactions.

You really will find it hard to say the least without a few henchies. There are some parts of the storyline that mandate a particular NPC be in your party. That I did not like at all, but it is there. You could tell them not to attack during encounters if you want to try playing alone, but they must be there as a triger to proceed at certain points.

I think it would be pretty easy with a pure melee classes like barb and fighter where you have a ton of HP. Probably ranger and paladin would be tricky till they get a few levels on them. Other classes would be pretty tricky in places like certain battles were you opponents do a lot of damage quickly but as long as you buff up your resistance for the type of damage they do beforehand I think you could scrape through.

I soloed the entire NWN1 but didn't solo NWN2 as I was playing a pure druid which I think would be almost impossible to solo certain parts of the game without using really cheap tactics.

Thanks for the replies, guys (and girl). I appreciate the word of warning as regards the party members you're obligated to have tag along. I suppose I'll do as you suggested, Cm, and simply instruct them not to attack.
Also, it's good to hear I'm not alone in my preferences, txa1265. I was beginning to think I was the only one who preferred doing things alone these days (that's one of the same reason I generally abstain from MMOs as well, especially those which place your personal success in tandem with others, requiring you to "group" in order to accomplish certain tasks).
I'll try ditching what party members I can, though, of course, if it grows too difficult I'll likely have to fall back on playing as it was designed.
Thanks again…

If you don't object to their very presence you can get by with paying the companions little attention. The plot is mainly focused on the character you create and while there are times when you have to take them the ease of the game (especially the NWN2 OC) means you can tell them to sit in a corner or (as I did) let their AI manage them. The extent of party management in both games was throwign equippemnt at the right people, leveling them up and organising spells. Balder's gate its not.

Wasn't NWN completely non-party player? That's what I hated about it the most. The henchman were more like puppets.

NWN 1 was like that, but in NWN2 you have a lot more control over their actions and you can select their spells ect and even take over their avatars if you want to.

yeah nwn1 you can solo fairly easily… especially OC. hell, in most of cases you are better off without henchmen. They just attract attention from more group of enemies.

as for nwn2.. it will be tough. In some cases you must have certain NPC. and its more enjoyable with companions in nwn2 due to the dialogues. Hell, I've laughed my ass off whenever bishop throwed some insults at other NPC/companions.

MotB doesn't require specific henchmen anywhere, except at the very beginning. It certainly won't be easy to solo (there are more challenging fights in MotB than OC), but definetly doable with the right character.

Thread, arise!

And I'm not even playing a necromancer. Huh.

Anyway, my question deals with this thread obliquely - can you play with party members in NWN 2, but not really control, manage, or deal with their inventory/etc much? I'm in chapter 1 on NWN currently (as a sorcerer) and am really enjoying Tommi as a henchman, but really, really liking that I don't have to maintain him that much. I like that he runs off to open doors, handle traps, etc. I don't want to deal with his skills or inventory and such. I heal him every now and then mostly because he seems to forget to do it himself, but more or less he acts as a quasi-independent meat shield, which as a squishy mage-type, I'm grateful for.

So my two questions are… will I be able to continue playing this way throughout the OC in NWN, and can I play similarly in NWN2, or do I actually have to manage my party?

I suspect that if I can play it like this… "solo+party", the camera issues in NWN2 will be much less aggravating.

Thoughts?

You can script your party members quite nicely and even in standard settings they usually don't behave to stupidly. IIRC you need to manage their inventory at least somewhat.

PS: If you want to solo play as a cleric or druid. There is no better class for that (close combat + decent hit points + magic + armor for cleric).

Thanks Roi! The Druid is always intriguing for me due to their pet. I find it always helps you last a bit longer. In NWN, I always have to run away from the fight and hope my familiar and henchman will get the baddies' attention. If not, I'm toast pretty fast, even with shield + bless.

k, I tried this for a few hours last night and this morning. I remember why I had canned it a couple years ago. The dialog? Awful. The controls? Clumsy and awkward. The highlight key doesn't highlight NPC names, which is it's primary function. Trying to set the controls the same as NWN works, but the edge rotate is SO SLOW with no way to increase it. They added top/bottom edge tilt which is useless (IMO) as it messes with your isometric angle, which is the way you're likely playing. tall objects and building ceilings don't hide when you run past them, making it difficult to see and select your party members.

Animations are poorly done and stiff - your character's run animation is faster than your movement speed, making it look like you're somehow forward moonwalking all the time… it's jarring.

On top of all that, it still runs only moderately well on a system that is several years newer than the game and is wayyy above the recommended spec. And they had the audacity to reuse the exact same voice acting from the first game - I know, because I chose the same VO person. That is appalling, imo. A full sequel should have all new voiceovers - what exactly did the audio person DO over the couple years they worked on this?

All in all, it's just frustrating. From the way your party races off screen to attack the next baddy that you can't even see, to the general lack of polish - this one is coming off the ol' hdd but quick and will be replaced with DA:O - a far, FAR better game, all imo, of course.

Sigh. Going to keep playing NWN (in Chapter 2 now with my Sorcerer) and see if I can finish DA:O and Drak2. I think I'm pretty close to finishing up the last two… Was hoping NWN2 would be the "next game", but alas. It is not to be.

Yeah, it's pretty poor. I've been playing it recently with a friend and it feels like a bunch of crap talking and way too many loading screens.

Reason I thought i'd comment though.. "i like druid cos the pet makes me live longer"

Yeaaaah… I think not. Try a fighter 12, zerker 10, weaponmaster 7, cleric 1.

With a 2hand weapon that roll just mashes through the whole game.

If you want a good healer? assimar cleric with healing and time domains. Take for 4 heal skill for augmented healing feat.

Dont like 2hand weapons? I was toying with a dual weapons build. Yuan-ti with 15 str, 20 dex…

fighter 16, bard 1, RDD 10, zerker 3…. put your level up stat points all into dex, 1 into str… you'll have 24 str, 26 dex and perfect2weaponfighting feat unlocked for level 21, also the 24 str you need for Overwhelming critical. I have mine dualwielding greatswords just for a laugh.

Yeah, the game sucks… But its fun to make classes

handy tip for building fighters: you can afford to take 11 medium BAB levels and still get 6 attacks a round. 11 monk is greater flurry too…

Most overpowered build I've played:
http://nwn2.wikia.com/wiki/Kaze_no_Kama

By the end of MotB a Kaze no Kama can pretty much kill any enemy in a single round, and has high enough saving throws/armor class to never get hit by anything. It's simply stunning. Soloing is no problem at all.

Anyway, the only way to avoid dealing with NPCs in NWN2 is to not use them. It's more along the lines of BG and DA: O than NWN, Jade Empire etc.

Hey, don't diss my NWN2. I love that game, still one of my all time favorites. The only problem I have with the original campaign is the most boring prologue/first chapter of any Obsidian game.

On the other hand, both addons are amazing, I have a useful (<- important word there) keep in the OC and it's DnD 3.5. It actually can't get any better.

Edit: Yes, I know, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But in this case my opinion is better.

Unfortunately, the boring start of NWN2 prevents me from replaying it more often. A shame really. The rest of the game is really good, as is both MotB and SoZ.

Originally Posted by Maylander
Most overpowered build I've played:
http://nwn2.wikia.com/wiki/Kaze_no_Kama

By the end of MotB a Kaze no Kama can pretty much kill any enemy in a single round, and has high enough saving throws/armor class to never get hit by anything. It's simply stunning. Soloing is no problem at all.

Nice! Mysteries of Westgate is next up on my list. I wonder if this character would be good for MoW? I need to start planning out my character. Probably a thief type would be best, but I've heard a Cleric having the trickery domain would be nice too.

Though I can't imagine a party without a member having thieving skills (open locks, disarm traps, and a little pickpocketing).

I never played MoW, but basically the Kaze no Kama works well in every setting where you can get decent weapon enchantments (elemental). In other words: If you're playing a campaign with mostly basic weapons and simple enchantments, it won't be all that great.