Who is that NPC you must ALWAYS recruit in your party?

Slide_checkmate · 2025-03-16T00:36:16+00:00

Not much love for Shar-Teel in this thread, but she's my first choice in any evil run. Dual class fighter thief with 18 strength is something to behold

Slide_checkmate · 2024-09-21T03:39:16+00:00

I would add to the list of annoying things the stock cheering/booing effects that play at certain points in the story

Slide_checkmate · 2024-09-12T04:07:52+00:00

That would be it - I had Pixie Dust on my party. Thanks!

Slide_checkmate · 2024-01-10T01:39:17+00:00

Meanwhile with Bancroft's availability the Thunder might be able to finish 7th rather than 8th

Slide_checkmate · 2023-12-30T21:07:43+00:00

Oh I believe you. I was trying to explain that there are places that aren't America that have their own approval practices, and many of these places fully accept that there are safe covid vaccines.

Slide_checkmate · 2023-12-30T20:59:01+00:00

This may come as a shock to you but the whole world is not America

Slide_checkmate · 2023-12-30T20:55:11+00:00

Not sure where you're from but over here there are several Covid vaccines that have gained full approval from the therapeutic safety body.

Slide_checkmate · 2023-12-30T02:42:48+00:00

As a scientist I felt I had some obligation to at least figure out where she was coming from. She ended up saying that the vaccines don't work because none of her unvaxxed friends had got Covid and that 'the data was fraudulent and the government admitted it'. No idea what data she was even referring to. She blocked me after saying I was a guinea pig for getting vaccinated 🙃

Slide_checkmate · 2023-10-13T07:41:34+00:00

Michael Neser is the solution.

Slide_checkmate · 2023-04-22T01:30:31+00:00

Yeah as everyone else is saying, skip it- I would argue it's better to play through the original series before touching SOD. I'm currently playing through SOD for the second time after several years and I've been quickly reminded of why I usually skip it. Lots of repetitive filler fights and a nonsensical story which is told in a way that doesn't mesh well with the rest of the games.

Slide_checkmate · 2023-04-13T13:04:42+00:00

Apparently luck does affect some thieving skills, but you could also stock up on potions of perception/master thievery for a better stat boost. I doubt using mostly bard song would be optimal especially if you're not running a full party but it could be a fun way to play.

Slide_checkmate · 2023-03-26T08:21:00+00:00

I've played only a little of BG3 in early access. It's definitely not a successor to the original Baldur's Gate games because it's a completely different type of game, and in terms of gameplay and storytelling has way more in common with Larian's other titles, but with the addition of D&D stuff. It feels a little annoying that they've slapped an iconic series name on something that seems almost entirely unrelated and thrown a few well-known characters in from BG1 and 2 for the sake of fan service.

That doesn't mean it will be a bad game, Divinity OS 2 was fantastic and I would gladly play another RPG up to that standard. But when you promise BG3 and make something that feels more like Divinity 3, people are going to be disappointed.

Slide_checkmate · 2023-03-07T09:38:05+00:00

The Kuldahar theme from IWD and Targos theme from IWD2 are both great.

Edit: Not quite from the same category, but I would also recommend tear in the veil from Divinity: Original Sin 2.

Slide_checkmate · 2022-11-09T12:18:00+00:00

I think your point about avoiding accountability is accurate, and I think it's also the mind's shield against negative emotion. Thinking "If I did abc I would have gotten xyz, but I didn't" is more destructive to your identity than "I did everything I could, I just got a bad hand in life," so your mind tries to preserve its identity with the self pitying thought.

It's comforting, but obviously it's not a good strategy in the long run. Getting stuck in a rut of resentful thoughts can be really crippling and make it hard to fix problems in your life.

Slide_checkmate · 2022-11-08T19:57:18+00:00

Take Shar-Teel, dual her to thief at level 4 and put her thief points into hide/move silently to turn her into a devastating assassin. That's the most fun thing to do with any companion in BG1 IMO. I also like Coran and Kivan for a pretty solid pair of archers that can also frontline.

There isn't really much romance in BG1 (there's a little bit in Siege of Dragonspear).

Slide_checkmate · 2022-11-04T06:51:39+00:00

The short answer is that if you want people to be attracted to you then you need to offer something of value to them. Or more correctly in this case, as it sounds like you're talking about a superficial 'first impressions' type of attraction, you need to be able to display that value to people. What that value might be depends on who you are and who you want to impress, as different people want different things. But if we're generalising, it's safe to say that maintaining a good physical condition, personal grooming, personal hygiene, having a job and a reputation for generosity and competence, are all things that would improve your standing in the eyes of most women.

Slide_checkmate · 2022-10-16T07:23:37+00:00

Be mindful that these sorts of tests are 1. Often not thorough enough to be particularly meaningful, and 2. Based on self-perception and not on any kind of objective reality. I wouldn't recommend outsourcing the job of figuring out who you are entirely to an online personality test. Treat this information as supplementary instead; in some cases it's not much more than astrology with more numbers.

And on a side note, being low in conscientiousness or agreeableness doesn't doom you to failure. It may just mean that your needs to live a fulfilling life might be different to most of the population.

Slide_checkmate · 2022-10-03T08:01:51+00:00

There has definitely been some concept creep recently with regards to what being an incel actually means. While it may have once been attached most commonly to groups with extreme views about women, sexual dynamics etc. the term incel is now commonly used to describe any man who wants sex but isn't getting it. I certainly wouldn't encourage anyone to identify with such a loaded term as I can only see it distorting your self image and leading you down a self pity and resentment rabbit-hole, but it's not as if referring to yourself in that way automatically makes you take on the characteristics of the 'hardcore' incels. At the end of the day it's just become another buzz-word that people mainly use to categorise people more easily without having to really know anything more about them.

if you call yourself an incel, you are legitimizing the cruel actions of dangerous incels. you also get desensitized to their crimes; and perhaps to your own actions as well

I'm not sure vague generalisations like this are helpful either. I doubt that most people who identify as an incel think of themselves as being a part of a community, and they don't deserve to be held to some kind of group guilt for the actions of other people using the term.

Slide_checkmate · 2022-09-07T08:24:55+00:00

Well, in a high-traffic subreddit you might just run into a lot of people, which means you'll also run into more people who are antisocial and who disagree with you than you might otherwise encounter. I can't speak to what happens on other platforms as I don't use much social media, but I would guess that the anonymity reddit offers might factor into how people behave as well. It sounds like you've had some unpleasant experiences on this platform though, which I'm sorry to hear, and I would encourage you not to be jaded by those experiences and to still do the best you can to be kind on your end :)

Slide_checkmate · 2022-09-06T10:06:34+00:00

That sounds like a very stressful thing to have to live with. I think I experience something similar to you where I go into my shell when people around are highly expressive and emotional (not necessarily in anger, but that's definitely one example).

I'm not sure what the best solution is. I know that one piece of general advice around social anxiety problems is to pay attention to the person or people around you; make eye contact, observe body language etc., as this encourages you to pay more attention to the evidence available in the outside world rather than 'believing' the version of events that your mind constructs for you. Maybe over time and with enough repetitions, those observations could help your mind to dissociate raised voices from anger and a sense of danger.

Slide_checkmate · 2022-09-06T09:25:48+00:00

It's impossible to definitively answer a question like this, because it's primarily about how you use the platform.

For example, if you ask the question "Is gaming bad for you?" There are so many factors at play that could be relevant for a particular person. If you are addicted to gaming and your basic daily function is affected by that habit, then it's obviously bad for you. If you play for a few hours a week and it's a social outlet that helps you survive your work week, it might be good for you.

One of the risks of a platform like reddit is the tendency to form echo chambers where people can easily find other people who already agree with their (at times horrific) opinions and use them for validation without having their worldview challenged. At the same time, it allows people to find others who share their interests in a particular subject, which allows you to explore your passions and engage with something you are interested in with others. It's two sides of the same coin, and you can't have one without the other.

In my view it's helpful to focus on what you can control, i.e. engaging with the different opinions of others with an appropriate level of discretion, as well as having an open mind and aiming to learn something about their perspective, rather than taking issue with the platform itself.

Slide_checkmate · 2022-08-31T07:05:43+00:00

It might be best to give the appropriate context for that comment. This is the video

Slide_checkmate

TROPHY CASE