In replaying the game, I've noticed that often an area--- after my thief sweeps it-- is re-populated with villains so that as the rest of the team moves up, they have a fight on their hands. It's a nice touch to the game, but I don't remember it in the original. Now, I'm going back a decade since I played the first time, so I may have forgotten. But is this part of the modified game, or was this always part of BG1.

Thanks
Bob

PS The definition of masochism is doing the maze in Firewine Bridge map more than once a decade. It gets to where when the mage decides to walk the long way around and into a group of Commando monkeys with fire arrows, just let him and die. DIE YOU FOOL! That will teach you not to follow single-file.

The Firewine ruins are notorious as a continually re-spawning area. Most areas do not respawn as quickly, even when they do.

The Respawning question was more general.

Take the Temple Area. Until one wipes out the Vampiric Wolves, the area is pretty active. Imoen, as my scout, walks through an area. However, as the remaining team moves up into the area that Imoen saw as empty--- the team may get jumped (in the Temple Area by War Dogs, Hobgobliins etc). I thought maybe I was missing them so I did a test. Sometimes I did fail to see the bad guys. However, occasionally, the game will create a batch of bad guys between Imoen and the trailing group. Imoen will catch the groups that are there when one enters the map area, but there seems to be sites on maps that respawn mid-scouting. I did not remember this from my first walk though, so I was wondering if I just didn't notice it the first time, or if this was a change in the game.

As for my Firewine comment, I was just venting path frustration and fire arrow monkey hatred.

Bob

Many areas (though not all) are auto-respawn areas, even -- believe it or not -- the small random encounter maps. You have just been unlucky to be there at respawn time.

Seems more than bad luck, but another test is at hand. LOL.
But I'm not complaining. I liked it as a way of mitigating the overdone scouting ability of a thief with 100% plus Hide in the Shadows skill. It is fun having Imoen highlighting bad guys while my best archer picks them off one by one. But the Skill is too good on open maps. In dungeons, the ability makes more sense. Besides in dungeons one either has to use valuable slots for find traps spells with some one following Imoen, or Imoen has to come out of shadows to use the find trap skill. Either way, it isn't as overdone as on open maps.

Bob

If you think it's overdone on open maps, do it in the daytime. Even with 100% + in stealth, it will always fail at the most inopportune times, resulting in a frantic scramble for cover. :D

I know that it is more difficult in daylight but you can get it and light up enemies on the periphery w/o trouble. Pretty powerful. And if your sniper has a large shield (sling) with boots of avoidance, weaker bowmen stand little chance and you suffer little damage. Fun. Yes. But seeing a thief in broad daylight "Hiding in Shadows"... ahhh. Just doesn't seem right.

Bob

What... there are no shadows in the daylight? No robberies take place in the daylight? No holdups take place in the daylight? There's no 'right' or 'wrong' time to hide in shadows, only sensible or 'best' times. But I know what you mean.