What's better BG1 Or BG2

THE JAKER · Post by **THE JAKER** » Sun Oct 14, 2001 1:45 am

hey Ned LOVE that new signature!!!!

One point that has been touched on here is the issue of the Wilderness Areas. BG1 obviously has a lot of wilderness, BG2 not much. I personally like exploring the wilderness, but my feeling is that in BG2 the characters start to get so powerful that exploring wilderness and fighting bears and gibberlings in just silly - so you get to skip over the wilderness and get straight to the point. It would not make any sense to be walking through the forest and stumble upon a demi-lich. I always like all the strolling around the beautiful countryside in BG1.

Hey Saturn when are you going to get BG2?? I don't even see it much in the stores anymore.

Quitch · Post by **Quitch** » Sun Oct 14, 2001 11:03 am

Playing through BG for the third time (third time I'm going all the way that is), I have to say that the real problem with the majority of the wilderness is that you are wandering it simply for XP and encounters. Sometimes, it's to reach a Gnoll Fortress, or to reach some mines, but most of the time it's pointless XP wandering, and that really detracts from it.

Myself, I'm looking forward to clearing these last 4 wilderness locations so I can head into Baldur's Gate (or maybe Ulgoths Beard).

Xyx · Post by **Xyx** » Sun Oct 14, 2001 11:36 am

Originally posted by Quitch:
pointless XP wandering

And still... all that wandering around and exploring for no other reason than just to see what was out there gave me a huge sense of freedom I had never had before in a CRPG. I really liked it (first time, anywayz), and missed some of in BG2.

THE JAKER · Post by **THE JAKER** » Sun Oct 14, 2001 11:58 am

"Pointless EXP wandering" - very funny way of phrasing it.

In my games of BG1 it's more like "organized EXP reaping" - imagine Tommy Lee Jones in "The Fugitive":

"We are going to go over EVERY INCH of this
area. We are going to check every palace, temple, castle, inn, house, and shack for experience. We are going to destroy every bandit, ogre, spider, kobold, xvart, bear and gibberling that we can find in a 100 square mile area. Anyone that so much as LOOKS at us funny is going to get turned out for experience."

Tybaltus · Post by **Tybaltus** » Sun Oct 14, 2001 1:46 pm

As far as NPC's go I like both quantity and quality but in this case-BGI vs BGII you cannot have them both-argh. If BGI had better NPC reactions than BGI would rule! Gameplay and plot, though, BGII is a lot better especially with ToB. To think before I got BGII Diablo II was my favorite game! Well thats a laugh-click, click. Anyway BGII does beat BGI in almost all points of view but BGI was fantastic for its time.

Sailor Saturn · Post by **Sailor Saturn** » Sun Oct 14, 2001 8:41 pm

Originally posted by THE JAKER:
Hey Saturn when are you going to get BG2?? I don't even see it much in the stores anymore.

I won't be getting BG2 until either Christmas or early next year. I've got close to a thousand dollars in the bank. It has to last me until the end of the school year. Now, I would be able to afford to get BG2 now, except for two things. 1.) I'm having to get some major repair work done on my car which is taking about half of my money and most the other half will be spent on GameCube when it comes out. So, no money for BG2.

I see it in Wal-Mart, Target, and Best Buy all the time; but it's $40.

Kayless · Post by **Kayless** » Mon Oct 15, 2001 10:14 am

This topic pops every now and again.

While the large expanses of wilderness could be annoying at times, I felt they gave the first Badur’s Gate a much better sense of ambiance. BG1 feels more like a living, breathing world without having every region a dungeon. While BG2 is much better in practically every technical area, BG1 holds a place in my heart the more polished sequel fails to reach. Here’s a quote from Star Trek: TNG that pretty much sums up the way I feel:

Picard: "The first vessel I that I served on as captain, was called the 'Stargazer'. It was an overworked, underpowered vessel, always on the verge of flying apart at the seams. And every measurable sense, my Enterprise is far superior. But there are times, when I would give almost everything, to command the Stargazer again."

Scotty: "Yeah, it's like the first time you fall in love. You don't ever love a woman quite like that again."

[ 10-15-2001: Message edited by: Kayless ]

Ned Flanders · Post by **Ned Flanders** » Mon Oct 15, 2001 11:30 am

posted by Quitch

Playing through BG for the third time (third time I'm going all the way that is), I have to say that the real problem with the majority of the wilderness is that you are wandering it simply for XP and encounters. Sometimes, it's to reach a Gnoll Fortress, or to reach some mines, but most of the time it's pointless XP wandering, and that really detracts from it.

Not picking on you here, Quitch, but you bring up a good point about the wilderness areas. Some people have expressed this opinion of how the wildnerness areas are just pointless XP wandering. If that is the case, just stick to the paths or the perimeter of wilderness areas and get through them quickly. The game doesn't say you have to explore all those areas, especially the areas SE of nashkell mines. They have no bearing on the game.

My first time through the game I stayed to the paths from candlekeep to the friendly arm inn and then down to beregost. It was only when I got to beregost and had to explore the entire grid to see the whole town did I realize I could go back and fully explore those areas instead of just sticking to the paths.

So, if you don't want to explore the wildnerness areas, you don't have to, you can simply run through them once in a straight line and never have to go back.

@THE JAKER, the fugitive analogy is hilarious. I could actually hear Tommy Lee Jones barking out those commands as I read it.

KaaZe · Post by **KaaZe** » Mon Oct 15, 2001 9:19 pm

My first run was the same. I pretty much just followed the path's and went where I was supposed to. I was in my second game that I really started to look around and explore.
I dont hate the open area's or do I hate BG2's direct style. But I could hope for something of a mix between the two. BG2 could have had more outside area's.

Ohh and Sailor Saturn, I cant believe you havnt played it yet. But then again, I sometimes wish I could go back to day 0 and play again without knowing the plot... it really is a great game.

Im currently have a go at PoR, but ohh boy that game is just no where near the BG series... How about releasing that NWN

Sailor Saturn · Post by **Sailor Saturn** » Mon Oct 15, 2001 9:54 pm

Originally posted by KaaZe:
Ohh and Sailor Saturn, I cant believe you havnt played it yet.

Yeah, well, I only just got Baldur's Gate in, like, August. I got IWD on June 18th.(Got it because I had also just bought the book Icewind Dale Trilogy)

Quitch · Post by **Quitch** » Tue Oct 16, 2001 5:22 am

Sorry but I think you do have to explore the wilderness if you want to have the kind of experience (and gold) you need to see you safely through some parts of the game.

I mean, taking on Durlags Tower without having soaked up every XP point there is.

KaaZe · Post by **KaaZe** » Tue Oct 16, 2001 5:34 am

I have just started a new game in BG1... got so fed up with PoR that I had to something. Now its the time to try my first multiclassed character out. Theif/Mage, that should pose a interresting challenge in BG1.
This time around im gonna try out as many of the NPC as I can. But, I will ofcourse have Viconia in my party... and I bet Edwin is gonna be there too.. Old habbits are hard to break!

Sailor Saturn · Post by **Sailor Saturn** » Tue Oct 16, 2001 8:15 am

Originally posted by KaaZe:
I will ofcourse have Viconia in my party...

She's probably the one I'll miss most when I solo.

KaaZe · Post by **KaaZe** » Tue Oct 16, 2001 10:41 am

Originally posted by Sailor Saturn:
 She's probably the one I'll miss most when I solo.

Never can seem to finish a solo game. I just find it so dull without the NPC's. Tried to solo BG2 once, got a good way into the start of the game, then I lost interrest. But I have been thinking about maybe making a drow war party with Viconia. That could be kinda cool. Just two drow's, checking out the surface dwellers.

fable · Post by **fable** » Tue Oct 16, 2001 11:08 am

Originally posted by Quitch:
Sorry but I think you do have to explore the wilderness if you want to have the kind of experience (and gold) you need to see you safely through some parts of the game.

I mean, taking on Durlags Tower without having soaked up every XP point there is.

Absolutely. Quest difficulty is spaced in such a way as to require many random encounters at key points. The same thing applies to cash. You have to kill bandits, get animal skins, etc, to afford anything. Most quests provide very little in the way of tangible financial reward.

Mind, I don't object to the system. I just wish the wilderness regions genn'd enemies more regularly, so you didn't have to wander around in some cases for a minute, in some cases for ten.

Xyx · Post by **Xyx** » Tue Oct 16, 2001 12:42 pm

I don't think XP Wandering(TM) is the thing for high level characters, but BG2 could certainly use one outdoors area in Chapter 2 that you don't have to be given a quest for just to have it show up on the map...

Originally posted by Quitch:
Sorry but I think you do have to explore the wilderness if you want to have the kind of experience (and gold) you need to see you safely through some parts of the game.

Nahh... You're capped out long before having explored everything.

Originally posted by fable:
Most quests provide very little in the way of tangible financial reward.

On the contrary, I felt. The "XP wandering" gets you some unenchanted weapons, a few cheap gems and a handful of cash, but the quests give you magic that sells for big $$$.

Finrir · Post by **Finrir** » Wed Oct 31, 2001 6:41 pm

I prefer BG1 over BG2. I like the story better, it was cool seeing how the iron crisis ended up relating to the big-evil-armored-dude who killed your father.
There were interactions between NPCs example:
Jaheira-"You are amusing. In the what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you type of way.
Xzar-"Oh speak no more less I indulge my sweet tooth."

I loved exploring the wilderness areas, but you cant really blame BG2 for having so little. Wolves had lost their edge when put against level 12 as opposed to level 1 characters.

Best of all you actually felt like you deserved the experience or that nice little +3 2-handed sword. Example:In BG1 Deaveorn was one of the harder bosses with his deminsion doors and lightning bolts. He was worth 6000 exp. In BG2 you could get 6000 exp by copying a spell into your spellbook. In BG1 you got your first +3 weapon after an extremely hard battle in durlags tower (well with your chracter level). In BG2 you could buy a +3 weapon from a bartender. Notice the difference?

A Half-orc · Post by **A Half-orc** » Fri Nov 23, 2001 6:36 pm

Yeah but Finir, think of it this way, in BGI 6000 exp, or a +3 weapon was godlike. It was great when the most difficult mages cast only fifth level spells. But in BGII/TOB when you're fighting 2 dragons at once (Improved Abazigal) or a Demi-Lich with unlimited imprisonments, regen, and canly only be hit with +4 or better weps a +3 wep, or 6000 exp won't make a difference.

Craig · Post by **Craig** » Tue Nov 27, 2001 3:12 pm

Not to mention the game looks better, runs faster, and the maps actually label important places rather than just leaving it to you to figure out where everything is. This a good point BgII is like a mash of PS:T and IWD but they sipped it all a bit if you put The Wilderness factor into BGII and the intense dialouge and npc interaction BgI they would both be gold; its two halves of a coin you might call heads you might call tals...

ernme4vr · Post by **ernme4vr** » Tue Nov 27, 2001 3:46 pm

In accordance to the whole BG1/BG2 argument, I add this. I enjoy BG2, as it makes me feel I am actually playing the good ol' table top, pencil, paper, dice-rollin' hunk o' fun we al know AD&D to be! Put on attack rolls, and it's almost orgasmic!

As others said, BG1 has the over-head dark storyline, as you know jack squat about anything going on in the beginning. What would have been cool, if they didn't resolve the whole deal with Sarevok in the end of BG1, and what's with that ending? Gaah!!!

Whoa, I'm ranting here...

The part I like the most are the NPC intereactions. What I have found from experience, is that the NPC's that follow you from BG1 are the better, more memorable NPC's. I don't care what you say, if Minsc never existed in BG1, he'd in no way fit in BG2. I'd miss that big oaf! The BG1 NPC's did have personality that you can hold on to. I loved Jahiera, Khalid, and Minsc. Pity they killed Khalid. The NPC's of BG2, that were created in this game are kinda annoying *cough, Aerie, cough, Nalia, cough*.

I enjoy my followers from BG1, as the story of them coming through the Sarevok ordeal makes them much more enjoyable.

One more thing. NO ONE will take Boo from me!

- King of Hearts