Actually, in the Original Saga CD version of BG1 that I have, the maximum path search nodes is 400,000. IWD also has a maximum of 200,000 or something. The 32,000 maximum was only for certain (patched) versions of the original Baldur's Gate as far as I know.

Actually, I have found that setting path search nodes to 400,000 not only makes no difference, it actually makes the pathfinding worse because the characters get "stuck" more easily. Without the Advanced Pathfinding function of BG2, I recommend something more moderate like 100,000 instead.

Strangely enough, even though IWD 2 uses the enhanced BG2 version of the IE engine, and it came out after BG2, the game actually lacks the Advanced Pathfinding function, which annoyed me greatly...

Even so, I never had much problem with Firewine. The pathfinding in BG is more a constant, minor annoyance that slowly drives one mad over the years rather than being a big issue at any one point in time.

That's not an issue of the pathfinding... the IE games have issues even when the way is clear and not blocked.

One thing I'd add here is that my tests with 32,000 nodes actually weren't. I was editing Baldur.ini in the program directory but it turns out that there is another Baldur.ini in:

C:\Users\Matt Mower\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\GOG.com\Baldurs Gate

I found this out when I tried to enable the console and it didn't work and went hunting. Once I edited the right ini file it worked.

However my observation is that increasing the path nodes in BG-1 makes things considerably WORSE not better. Now I have party members go off on extended vacations to other parts of the map on a more frequent basis than before.

Fighting in the Cloakwood mines was an absolute nightmare with this.

I'm not going to install Tutu since this is, I guess, part of the charm of the original. But I have to wonder if they were pushed to get the game out because play testers must surely have complained bitterly about this at the time.

Anyway, I've been heartened to learn I was not alone with this problem :)

Thanks folks.

Matt