IMHO, *this* is the bottom line, the crux of the matter. If the OP likes playing the way they play... well all's good.

What I can't stand is when people claim, covertly or overtly, that *their* choices about playing the game are *objectively* "better" than someone elses - just irks me to no end. :) EVERY opinion about any game is *subjective* and the game is to be enjoyed - whatever it takes for someone to enjoy the game, I say is the "right" thing for *them*. Perhaps not for anyone else, but "right" for them.

So, yes, "whatever floats your boat", absolutely agree; it isn't like there are any BG "Police" coming to check whether or not someone is playing the game "right" or anything... >laffs<

You never know, suddenly a Red Dragon comes a-knocking when you least expect it :D

Totally agree that he can play the game any way he like, he paid for the game, and can do what he wants with it. However, I doubt that's how the developers intended the game to be played, so it wouldn't be right for my enjoyment. Suppose you could imort a character from the end of BG2 if you wanted, maybe even in a Tutu'ed BG1, but it wouldn't exactly be fun - at least for me. We're all different and enjoy different things though, so if doing these kind of exploits is fun, by all means keep doing it :)

Absolutely. One of my pet peeves is when people post to forums with questions like, "What mods should I install", or "What are the 'must-have' mods?" There is no such thing! That 'I' like a mod does not mean that 'you' will like that same mod. This is more a case of the questioner wanting to be lead to the water hole by the hand, and then asking if the water tastes nice, instead of drinking the damned stuff to find out for themselves! You have no idea how these virtual sheep irritate me. "Holy cow, think for yourselves", I hear myself saying over and over. :)

Hey, just because some of us are better players and, frankly, just better people is no reason to get upset. ;)

In all seriousness, this is something that comes up in the Fixpack forums occasionally, usually in the form of "if you don't like (insert player's favorite exploit here), don't use it; fixing it just ruins it for the rest of us." The problem is that a lot of these exploits can be chanced upon and--even though a beneficial exploit--ruins the immersion, even momentarily, for the majority of players. It's the reason why we chase so many of these down in the Fixpack.

We're also perfectly happy showing you how to install the Fixpack AND tweak it so you can keep (insert your favorite exploit) intact. :)

One last thing I will point out: none of these things are 'powergaming', IMO. As an incorrigible power gamer myself, and not ashamed to admit it, I personally feel that power gaming is about using the game rules - and stretching them to the very limit - to build the most powerful version of a particular character that you can. You also use the most powerful equipment you can find. But using exploits... That's not the power gaming spirit if you ask me.

My final two cents on it.

I have no problem with Fixpacks and the like [I was using Baldurdash back when it was *the* thing], since they are a *choice* that players can make with regards to installing them. I just don't think using a fixpack is objectively "better" than not doing so, it's just another way of playing.

Now, subjectively, *I* personally prefer to have the bugs squashed and the exploit holes plastered over for *my* games, but I just don't care how Frank in Nebraska or Bruno in Russia play their game....

Sure maybe they aren't playing the game the way a designer intended... but that's an issue for that designer, not for me. Maybe starting BG1 as a 30th lvl Dwarven Sorcerer/Thief isn't "authentic"... but really, who cares?

[Good work on all you, Camdawg, and your compatriots do over at G3. Lots of great resources and mods over there, people!]

That's one way to look at it, which is fair enough. Another is that people want to play the game, and then see a long list of mods and go "What of this is essential?" Nothing is REALLY necessary, at least for BG2, but of the more essential ones I would say the Fixpack and the Widescreen mod. Personally I also use a few from the Tweakpack, like Max HP and Bottomless Bags, for much easier inventory management, which others will probably label cheating. We're all different. But that's a lightly modded game, which I assume people new to the game may want, just to stamp out bugs. SCS and such is for advanced players, who need a new challenge.

I'm very, very grateful for the people over at G3 and elsewhere working hard on these mods for a game this old btw, fantastic work. Honestly don't know if I could even have gotten into BG and BG2 without Tutu and the widescreen mod.

It's fun for about 5 minutes ;)
Wish: Double length time-stop and improved alacrity - waste everything in Candlekeep ... well, almost everything - even gating in a demon to attack Gorion for you results in insta-death :(

But that was just me being silly. Wouldn't be any fun to play the game that way.

Side note on the 'dump your items on the ground' exploit - doesn't work in Baldur's Gate Trilogy as that dumps your items back at the Duchal Palace before exporting you to BG2.
I've since decided I'm glad of that because it would make Irenicus' Dungeon a bit too easy and spoil the initial 'questing for cool items' part of BG2.
(Not that I haven't also installed 'Dungeon Be Gone' for when I just can't be a**ed slogging through it ;) - though I think I'll actually play through it on my next run through).
Options are good for me so since my first playthrough, I've been experimenting with more and different mods.

Yay modders, you have my thanks too :)

Speaking of console cheats...

Give yourself a free bag of holding (modded to be bottomless) at beginning of game... game has never been this much fun!

I wish there was an uber "bhaalspawn" class and race. I don't FEEL like a demigod.
One way to address that is to spawn enough tomes to start out with super attributes, trying it right now actually... 19 in every stat :)
But sadly that only affects you and not the ... others of your kind.
I would have preferred something more natural like a custom race template that has bonus to XP gain and glowing eyes & aura similar to Sarevok (appearing at certain XP thresholds),
I also kinda hate the fact that all your awakened abilities are active.

I think originally there were going to be more Bhallspawn powers developed in TOB (at least there's a mod purporting to add these back in - was that in Unfinished Business or something else?...just checked, it's in UB) but I think they were, again, active spells and such. Would've been cool to add some other stuff - then again, you get some passive boosts and immunities from the Tears of Bhaal trials.
I also heard you should've had the option of becoming the Ravager (upgraded Slayer-like transformation).
I guess budget / time limited some of it.

Did someone just mention passive boosts from Tears of Bhaal? How could i forget THIS glitch? Have a save in multiplayer. Gather all 5 tears on a character of your own creation, export this character. Then load game, import "tear bearer", have him drop on the floor the one tear which gives immunity to +1 weapons, use gate 4 times to gain all 4 passive, permanent boosts, export your main. Load game, delete main, replace him with the boosted, exported one, insert "tear bearer" again, rinse and repeat to your heart's content.

Depending on your choices in acquiring those tears, you get different things boosted. I got -30 armor class, +30 to saving throw rolls, insane elemental resistances... It was so insane that i loaded previous save. My character became "practically" untouchable WITHOUT even casting mage spells like absolute immunity or protection from energy.

You keep on using the word glitch, glitch means a software bug, an error.
Importing allows you to cheat using a more powerful character... so does the console.
It is working as intended.

I second that. Using export/import is not using an exploit.
I'm a bit confused why someone would waste so much time just because he doesn't want to admit to himself that he is cheating.
Also, if someone has the patience to repeat the same task over and over, why not use this patience to play the game as intended and repeating different fights every now and then?

I'd argue that it is an exploit, since you're using the game engine to artificially 'pump up' a character in a manner that the developers most likely didn't intend. That said, since there's no competitive multiplayer in this game, I don't see anything wrong with it. :)

Some people here argue that using known glitches isn't cheating. And some seem to be intent to really stretch the definition of "glitch" so that they don't have to feel bad for "playing" the game in a certain way.
That's what this debate is about. The export/import function isn't really distinct from a cheat console in this regard: They are both means to change the game in some way, most likely to make it easier. You can't exploit the game this way because it isn't a bug, it's a feature.

If any of the depicted uses of the import function are exploits, then every use of this function has to be considered as exploit. I could then open a thread and write: "I know a glitch to receive all the best weapons from the game right at the beginning. Just play the game, pick up the weapons and then start a new game with the same character"