Poll: ToB or TDD?

pooburgler · Post by **pooburgler** » Sun Feb 17, 2002 2:29 am

I don't know how to use that poll posting crap so I'm just going to ask:

Under the following criteria of: overall playability, technical stability, entertainment value, compatability, and believability, which would you rate as a better playing experience?

1. SoA with Throne of Bhaal (official expansion)

or

2. SoA with The Darkest Day (TeamBG's unofficial expansion)

please vote according to the above listed criteria and don't be afraid to say why you voted as you did.

Grojlach · Post by **Grojlach** » Sun Feb 17, 2002 4:26 am

Hmm...
Throne of Bhaal is the only one I've finished, but apart from the TDD bugs, TDD seems to have a lot of potential... Even though the difficulty level in TDD is a lot higher than is the case in ToB, if you ask me.
I suppose I will refrain from voting until I've played the main quest in TDD.

Craig · Post by **Craig** » Sun Feb 17, 2002 4:45 am

Not fair...

This is unfair, Bg1 and 2 is fair core difficulty or normal i fair but not thisToB is official and gives you squat in SoA(sept s few new dungenons and 8000000 as the max xp)in TDD the stuff is endless, reason ones an add on the other an add in!

fable · Post by **fable** » Sun Feb 17, 2002 9:54 am

There really is no ground for comparison, here. The one game is an official add-on, with all that a lot of money and large team can provide. The other is a fold-in module, made by a very dedicated but small group of developers who weren't hired to do anything--they did it on their own.

Note: If this thread even starts to degrade into TDD bashing, given the initial poster's enormous dislike for the personalities of TeamBG (who designed TDD), I will close it.

Grojlach · Post by **Grojlach** » Sun Feb 17, 2002 10:10 am

Originally posted by fable

Note: If this thread even starts to degrade into TDD bashing, given the initial poster's enormous dislike for the personalities of TeamBG (who designed TDD), I will close it.

One thing fable, I think that TDD was not designed by TeamBG; there were TeamBG tools used and Ken of TeamBG arranged the the advertisement and spreading department, but the game itself was not a real TeamBG product until about a few weeks before it was first released.

HighLordDave · Post by **HighLordDave** » Sun Feb 17, 2002 2:01 pm

I did not like ToB. I thought that the plot was too linear, the bad guys seemed to run together after while, and there was +3 and +4 stuff just lying around left and right. While that kind of thing is fine for a dungeon crawl like IWD, I think I expected better out of a BG2 expansion.

I have just started TDD and aside from the occasional bug, I think it adds a lot of replayablility to BG2 that ToB does not. It seems to me that ToB was more concerned with tying up all of the loose ends in the Child of Bhaal storyline than being a good expansion pack.

pooburgler · Post by **pooburgler** » Sun Feb 17, 2002 8:52 pm

Originally posted by fable

Note: If this thread even starts to degrade into TDD bashing, given the initial poster's enormous dislike for the personalities of TeamBG (who designed TDD), I will close it.

while I have made no secret in other posts of my personal diadain for a certain individual who runs a certain website (an opinion I might add shared by an easy majority of those I've discussed this with) I still have a lot of respect for the tools they have made. Anyway, I rechecked the first post of this thread and it seems to me that there is nothing there to warrant this attack against my post based on jumping to conclusions. What it appears like to me, is an earnest attempt to research whether I should bother installing TDD or not. I made a post similar to this at planetbaldursgate and yes it DID turn into a major TDD bash, however I in no way encouraged it at the start of the thread.

fable · Post by **fable** » Sun Feb 17, 2002 9:35 pm

Then @Pooburgler, you have nothing to worry about--since if this topic closes, it won't be due to your personal bashing.

pooburgler · Post by **pooburgler** » Sun Feb 17, 2002 10:39 pm

Indeed

I have to admit, my last post was a bit of a probe, and I'm happy to see that the nazi-istic (my own word, sorry) attitude I received from that certain person at that certain un-named website is not present here at gamebanshee's forums.

That wasn't a TDD bash by the way... heh heh

TheHalflingBarb · Post by **TheHalflingBarb** » Mon Feb 18, 2002 6:31 am

actually

actually.. i've noticed that almost every post that contains 'TDD' in its topic gets VERY few replies. obviously not many people have botherede to d/l it.

i would love to get it but every time i have tried it messed up. tried getright and gozilla and have had just about enough of their shenatigans

God of Air · Post by **God of Air** » Mon Feb 18, 2002 1:56 pm

The TDD issue

I think people dont reply to it because most dont have it, I am on 26k and i have download accelerator, tried to download it and at about 30 percent itwent back to 0. and also anyone noticed that that file planet only have about 4 server that are always crap??

Quitch · Post by **Quitch** » Mon Feb 18, 2002 3:02 pm

Originally posted by fable
There really is no ground for comparison, here. The one game is an official add-on, with all that a lot of money and large team can provide. The other is a fold-in module, made by a very dedicated but small group of developers who weren't hired to do anything--they did it on their own.

Note: If this thread even starts to degrade into TDD bashing, given the initial poster's enormous dislike for the personalities of TeamBG (who designed TDD), I will close it.

That they both add a great deal to the game, combined with the fact that you can only have one of them installed at a time, means there will always be a very good reason for comparison.

The fact that TDD continues on after SoA makes this comparison even more logical.

HighLordDave · Post by **HighLordDave** » Mon Feb 18, 2002 3:15 pm

Re: The TDD issue

Originally posted by God of Air
and also anyone noticed that that file planet only have about 4 server that are always crap??

That's not an accident; they want you to subscribe (ie-pay for) their "Personal Server" service so they make their free download section as inhospitable as possible.

Quitch · Post by **Quitch** » Mon Feb 18, 2002 6:35 pm

I think you'll find it's because there are a massive number of people using the service. You try and find another FTP dedicated to games that offers even close to the bandwidth of FilePlanet.

Perhaps people should stop complaining, and realise that systems such as that ensure that files will be free for some time to come.

Arch_Angel · Post by **Arch_Angel** » Mon Feb 18, 2002 7:06 pm

@ God Of Air: Don't use download acellerator for any large downloads. I have got it as well and it tends to reset itself quite a lot with any large files. I used Flashget for downloading TDD.

Although I have d/l'd it, I have never actually played. I'm waiting for it to be TOB friendly so I can have both addons on my machine at once. Doesn't really worry me if it takes ages, they'll get there one day

Obsidian · Post by **Obsidian** » Mon Feb 18, 2002 8:47 pm

I think the best solution is going to be to wait until TDD is ToB compatible.

TDD has some great quests and the new NPC's are fun indeed, but haven't had their potential explored. It's a bit buggy, with one side quest not working (for me at least) but it is outstanding work for a bunch of guys who do it for fun and the betterment of all of us.

ToB is powergaming. Plain and simple. You are becoming a god, it becomes a little hard to find creatures to fight you and items to wield for a person of your stature. I think they should have worked in a battle with a torrasque though. Interesting that would have been.
Yes, it is linear and meant to tie up the story of the prot. heritage. What did you expect now really?

Like I said, wait a bit, if you have ToB, play the Ascension expansion, by the time you finish it in its entirety, TDD comp. with ToB might be done. If not, try TDD. It's a good thing. Wait it out if you want to play both.

TheHalflingBarb · Post by **TheHalflingBarb** » Tue Feb 19, 2002 9:02 am

terrasque

a (the) terrasque? i'm not so sure... have you read the stats on that thing before? i dont even think level 30+ god characters could kill the terrasque.
i guess it could have been fun.. i just wouldnt want them to make it like i hear the demogorgon is (i dont actually have tob - i simply hear he is a joke). demogorgon is a demon prince, he should have been incredibly hard.

a great gold wyrm would have been another interesting addition to TOB. thats another creature that would have been insanely powerful.. albiet one that i can actually imagine a really high level character killing.

HighLordDave · Post by **HighLordDave** » Tue Feb 19, 2002 9:06 am

You can't kill it, but a god could beat it into submission then Wish it dead and send it into hibernation for a period of time.