Icewind or Heart of Winter?

[LeafCaliber]

What's the difference between the two options at the start? is one an expansion? a sequal? an updated version? should i play both? should I just pick one and play that? I'm confused, please help

[Akamanah]

Use Wikipedia, Luke. HoW is the expansion. U can play standalone adventure or start main campaign, go to Kuldahar, find shaman and talk to them for teleport in HoW.

[LeafCaliber]

Originally posted by Akamanah:

Use Wikipedia, Luke. HoW is the expansion. U can play standalone adventure or start main campaign, go to Kuldahar, find shaman and talk to them for teleport in HoW.

So is it different content, or just more content? how did you do it?

[Akamanah]

Originally posted by Zyre:

Originally posted by Akamanah:

Use Wikipedia, Luke. HoW is the expansion. U can play standalone adventure or start main campaign, go to Kuldahar, find shaman and talk to them for teleport in HoW.

So is it different content, or just more content? how did you do it?

Both: additional spells, higher levelcap, new items (more content) and new storyline (different content). Expansion, in a word.

[LeafCaliber]

Originally posted by Akamanah:

Originally posted by Zyre:

So is it different content, or just more content? how did you do it?

Both: additional spells, higher levelcap, new items (more content) and new storyline (different content). Expansion, in a word.

So you would recomend just playing that one?

[Akamanah]

Originally posted by Zyre:

Originally posted by Akamanah:

Both: additional spells, higher levelcap, new items (more content) and new storyline (different content). Expansion, in a word.

So you would recomend just playing that one?

Main campaign. From it you can get in HoW, pass it and return with tons of exp. and loot.

[LeafCaliber]

Originally posted by Akamanah:

Originally posted by Zyre:

So you would recomend just playing that one?

Main campaign. From it you can get in HoW, pass it and return with tons of exp. and loot.

Fair enough, thanks

[Tevu]

I was confused too, since it didnt clearly state what the buttons mean. I thought first that "main campaign" button doesnt include the expansion and the "expansion button" includes both, campaign AND the expansion, but it was actually this way: campaign-button is the whole game, including expansion. Expansion-button is standalone expansion only.

[FatalFrosty]

Man you guys sound like you're deliberatly trying to make things confusing for other people.

The IceWind Dale button only leads to the ID section of the story.

The Heart Of Winter button only leads to the HoW section of the story, which is after the ID part.

The Trials Of The LureMaster extra dungeon is accessible through the inn inside LongWood, in HoW.

You can import your ID party into HoW when you begin so that the full thing is played as one adventure.

[solomonhume]

The expansion is an huge optional side quest during your main quest. You start the main campaign and everything will be available.

The "Heart of Winter" button is only for those who have lost their save but want to play the expansion immediately

[Toha]

What level is required to access HoW in Kuldahar? Right at the beginning of chapter 1 the shaman says my party isn't strong enough.

[solomonhume]

Originally posted by Toha:

What level is required to access HoW in Kuldahar? Right at the beginning of chapter 1 the shaman says my party isn't strong enough.

Near level 9. I would suggest go there much later

[Toha]

Well, with HoF from the start and full party you get around 800k exp by the time you get to Yxunomei, which is sufficient for 9lvl fighter dualclass to work fully. Will that be comfortable enough for HoW? Running kensai/mage, berserker/cleric, berserker/druid, archer, swashbuckler (at 15th will dualclass her to mage) and a bard.
Also, will I be able to boost my dualclassed fighters in case of 13 lvl split?

[solomonhume]

Your party can handle non HoF HoW, but not on HoF.
Besides, HoW gives comparable amount of experience and items of the main campaign. You will find the remaining game too easy if you finish HoW too early.

[Toha]

Challenge accepted. )
What are your recommendations, then? When is it best to move to HoW?

[FatalFrosty]

Originally posted by solomonhume:

The expansion is an huge optional side quest during your main quest. You start the main campaign and everything will be available.

The "Heart of Winter" button is only for those who have lost their save but want to play the expansion immediately

Dude have you played this version of the game ? Your characters are exported and a final save is done when you reach the room before the portal that leads to the last fight in ID. After that fight, it's credits and that's it. I checked Hjollder during the last time you can access Kundahar, was higher than the levels mentioned above and he still said to wait some more.

Edit; I must have not been high leveled enough I guess cause Conlan is the one that can make armor from the item drop of HoW last boss.

Then you pick Heart Of Winter and replace the starting party with your exported characters from that last save of ID, and the story picks right off after ID, and the first person that meets you in the new village is Hjollder.

The huge optional side quest is Trials Of The LureMaster, and that's in HoW.

Edit; Toha if you want a challenge, access the Trials Of The LureMaster right away when you'll start Heart Of Winter. You can access it through talking to someone in the inn. If you want to make it even worse, try doing it with the pre made party of HoW, not your party coming from ID.