I have a confession to make, I've never successfully made it through a play through of either IWD or IWD2. I own both (and HoW, in fact). Quite frankly, both games were a massive disappointment to me at the time of their respective releases. Essentially, I found the games too focused on combat.
However, I'm intrigued by Domi's IWD2 NPC Project and Kulyok's IWD NPC Project. I was a big fan of both modders' work on the BG1 NPC Project. My question is, thus, for those who have played one or both respective mods (and share similar criticisms - or at least can understand mine - to IWD and IWD2 that I do) do they enhance IWD and IWD2 enough to make them enjoyable games? If so, which would you recommend playing?
IWD/IWD2 NPC Projects and Learning to Enjoy These Games
I recently finished IWD with Kulyok's mod and I am in the process of playing through IWDII with Domi's mod. I think both mods are amazing.
Neither changes the fundamental nature of the games--i.e., they are still going to be heavy on the combat--but both add tremendous depth and RP "flavor." Both include romances and even if you're not into that, the NPCs still add lots of atmosphere.
I think the games are great (with the mods), so I definitely recommend giving them a try.
Two words of warning.
1. If you install Kulyok's mod and intend to do a romance, play the main story all the way through to Lower Dorn's Deep. You might want to play a little bit further, but don't go too far. At that point, start the HOW story. Before you go to the Sea of Ice (last chapter of HOW), start and finish ToLM. Finish HOW. Then go back and finish the main IWD story. The way the romance is set up, if you finish IWD and then do HOW/ToLM, the dialogs won't make sense.
2. Domi's NPCs are not milk and cookies types. (At least not the ones that I've met.) They will kick you in the teeth. Don't get put off by it. Enjoy it. She definitely has a different storytelling style than Kulyok, but that is not a bad thing! Both modders are phenomenal as far as I am concerned!
Neither changes the fundamental nature of the games--i.e., they are still going to be heavy on the combat--but both add tremendous depth and RP "flavor." Both include romances and even if you're not into that, the NPCs still add lots of atmosphere.
I think the games are great (with the mods), so I definitely recommend giving them a try.
Two words of warning.
1. If you install Kulyok's mod and intend to do a romance, play the main story all the way through to Lower Dorn's Deep. You might want to play a little bit further, but don't go too far. At that point, start the HOW story. Before you go to the Sea of Ice (last chapter of HOW), start and finish ToLM. Finish HOW. Then go back and finish the main IWD story. The way the romance is set up, if you finish IWD and then do HOW/ToLM, the dialogs won't make sense.
2. Domi's NPCs are not milk and cookies types. (At least not the ones that I've met.) They will kick you in the teeth. Don't get put off by it. Enjoy it. She definitely has a different storytelling style than Kulyok, but that is not a bad thing! Both modders are phenomenal as far as I am concerned!