First time playing. Shall I use any Gift bags?

[Bowmangr]

I want to experience the normal game first without variant and modications/cheats. I noticed that the gift bag options change the rules of the game, sometimes they are effectively cheats.

Are there any gift bag options that are quality of life modifications or things that make even the very first playthrough better without being cheats or modifying the game.

I want to play the game as intended by its developers first, before meddling with mods. Only modes that don't interfere with this will be used but naturally I don't know which mods do this and only this without wrecking the balance.

Any help?

[gregfromthepeg]

I would just play it without mods the first time. Most of the gift bag items are for convenience, but then they disable achievements. The fact that they disable achievements seems to me that the gift bags weren't part of the original vision.

The game has enormous replayability so I would use gift bags on a second play through.

[sj123]

1) Gift bags will disable steam achievements
2) Most of gift bags content make game easier, but, believe me, when you become familiar with mechanics you'll see that this game not so hard. It may looks like it is challenging, but there are too many 'exploits/smart tactics/op mechanics'. Game can be completed when max difficulty setting is on AND with rules like 'no damage', 'not wear items', 'solo without lonewolf' etc. So why make it even easier?

[LukanGamer]

use them if want they make game funner and can get rid of some annoying things.

If achievments matter (which they don't) then get mod to re-enable them.

[Godwoken Dovahkiin]

Always play the vanilla game before modding tbh. If you ever want to do a 2nd playthrough it will feel fresh at least.

[RainingMetal]

If you don't care about achievements (I have the Switch version of the game), then go nuts with the gift bag mods. Here's what I would and wouldn't enable:

* 8 Action Points: What you see is what you get. Helps out immensely when you skip your turns to save AP.

* Nine Lives: I never liked the black cat, even though I get it out of Fort Joy. This mod just makes it so that it follows you wherever you go, and you CAN'T unsummon it. It's really a waste of time, even in the early game.

* Herb Gardens: Never worry about money again, so long as you plant Drudanae. Also helps with making potions like the Resist All potion.

* Source Meditation: If you don't care to find ways to get those precious Source Points and just want to max out whenever, this is for you. However, you may find the value of talents such as Source Vampirism redundant.

* From the Ashes: Helps if you don't want to spend Resurrection Scrolls. However, don't forsake them just in case you want to revive someone in the middle of a fight.

* Animal Empathy: Save up a Talent Point so that you don't need Pet Pal to access certain quests. The attitude bonus for Pet Pal with this enabled does help animal NPCs and their teammates fight for you in certain battles.

* Hagglers: Now you can have collective Bargaining points count for the whole team.

* Combat Randomizer: Stay away from this one if you don't want to be crushed by the game's already tough difficulty.

* Crafter's Kit: Don't know the exact recipes that this mod enables, but just use it anyway.

* Divine Talents: Same deal, but with Talents. Some of them might be useful.

[RainingMetal]

* Enhanced Spirit Vision: A real Quality of Life mod that lets you see ghosts forever without having to use Spirit Vision constantly.

* Fort Joy Magic Mirror: Use this to customize your party members' talents, skill points, and instruments immediately.

* Improved Organisation: Pointless. You already have the means to sort things in your inventory.

* Pet Pal: Doesn't hurt to have, though I never use Incarnate infusions anyway.

* Sourcerous Sundries: You a fashionista? This helps keep underlevelled gear relevant, but at a price.

* Endless Runner: Just enable it. You walk so slow without this mod.

[Tamika]

If you want to use the Larian Gift Bags there is a mod on the Nexus that you can use to re enable the achievements when using mods, we use it and works perfectly.

[Martial.Lore]

No! No, no, no, no, no!

(Just my opinion.)

[Mastigos]

The gift bags aren't mods in the sense that they are unofficial. They're mods in the sense that they are optional.

But the optional nature of gift bags does not mean they aren't legit. They are perfectly legal, which implies that they do not upset the game's balance. If anything, they fix the balance.

So if you want to play through a game where all character builds are balanced as much as possible, I would absolutely use the gift bags.

[ButtStorm]

Originally posted by RainingMetal:

* 8 Action Points: What you see is what you get. Helps out immensely when you skip your turns to save AP.

8 Action Points = not 6 but 8 points generated per turn with hothead. this makes hothead a considerable talent for a one or two units. provided that you would wear items w/ immunities or make fane have this talent - grants absurd advantage making the character comparable to one with lone wolf (which is majorly overpowered) while allowing to have large party

[Linarkspain]

Seeing how badly balanced the game is (which is basically the only bad thing the game has), yes, use those that make the gameplay more fun for you. Seeing how Larian thought characters like Mummie Dearest, with insane amounts fo AP, damage, potions and tankyness are OK to appear in a secondary quest without any mercy, don't have any mercy yourself!

[Godwoken Dovahkiin]

Originally posted by lobo_simao:

Seeing how badly balanced the game is (which is basically the only bad thing the game has), yes, use those that make the gameplay more fun for you. Seeing how Larian thought characters like Mummie Dearest, with insane amounts fo AP, damage, potions and tankyness are OK to appear in a secondary quest without any mercy, don't have any mercy yourself!

Jesus... just how bad are you?

[LukanGamer]

This was Jan 25 pretty sure by now he choose rather or not to use them, and for future people those actually curious will likely open a new post (sadly)

or know the simple fact: If you want sure if not ok also.

[Linarkspain]

Originally posted by Godwoken Dovahkiin:

Originally posted by lobo_simao:

Seeing how badly balanced the game is (which is basically the only bad thing the game has), yes, use those that make the gameplay more fun for you. Seeing how Larian thought characters like Mummie Dearest, with insane amounts fo AP, damage, potions and tankyness are OK to appear in a secondary quest without any mercy, don't have any mercy yourself!

Jesus... just how bad are you?

Jesus... just how big of a butthurt fanboy are you?

Btw, the git gud insult is still topping the pathetic insults list, you should stop it.

[LukanGamer]

Originally posted by lobo_simao:

Originally posted by Godwoken Dovahkiin:

Jesus... just how bad are you?

Jesus... just how big of a butthurt fanboy are you?

Btw, the git gud insult is still topping the pathetic insults list, you should stop it.

While he is 1 the biggest worst Fan Boys, your comment if not taken as just a joke or whatever (way I toke it They will give us no mercy so neither shall we who-rah!), its not that unbalanced (imo it should be way harder as I prefer immersion in my RPgs).

And the over reacting to someone saying something and you taking it as gitgud instead of a question and calling it out as a old insult is just as old sooo yaaa.