Game Length

bunny_basher666 · Post by **bunny_basher666** » Fri Apr 05, 2002 4:44 am

I have read that IWD 2 would be 40 hours long if played straight through without doing the sub-quests, and 80 if played in Heart of Fury mode. From one of the official BG 2 sites, I read that BG 2 was 40 if played straight through, with a POSSIBLE max playtime of 300 hours! This obviously assumes all of the sub-quests that can be played are. The expansion pack, Throne of Bhaal, was supposed to add about 20 hours of gameplay. As I have played it through 3 times, I believe these figures are correct. Please say that IWD 2 will be able to compare, the long playability of BG 2 is what I loved the most. Will IWD 2 be as long?

fable · Post by **fable** » Fri Apr 05, 2002 8:55 am

Who's to say? But one thing is true: you can't run HoF mode (according to the developers) until you play through the normal way, first.

The Stranger · Post by **The Stranger** » Fri Apr 05, 2002 9:04 am

I really don't think that this game can be as long as BG2. There will be no NPCs to stimulate side quests. Also, if this is a linear story line, like IWD1, then you will have to stick to your path, you can't wander off to do any side quests (or at least not alot). I am looking forward to this game though. I still think that they should add in a couple of random encounter generators that activate after the final battle. Just so you can wander around and play with your party for a little while longer. I always hate when it ends...

DraySkullan · Post by **DraySkullan** » Fri Apr 05, 2002 9:40 am

I hate games that you save before the final battle, then you win the final battle, then you get the end credits, but the only saved game you have is still before. It's almost like it never happened! I remember Pool of Radiance for the old C-64. After you won, you still got to wander around, talking to the people and getting praise, fighting wandering monsters if you wish. I think there were even some little after-quests to mess around with. I liked that. I like being able to use my guys after the main battle, at least to save the game with proof that I won!

koz-ivan · Post by **koz-ivan** » Sun Apr 07, 2002 7:14 pm

Originally posted by DraySkullan
I hate games that you save before the final battle, then you win the final battle, then you get the end credits, but the only saved game you have is still before. It's almost like it never happened! I remember Pool of Radiance for the old C-64. After you won, you still got to wander around, talking to the people and getting praise, fighting wandering monsters if you wish. I think there were even some little after-quests to mess around with. I liked that. I like being able to use my guys after the main battle, at least to save the game with proof that I won!

good point!

iirc, most of the games in that story arc, had some "down time" at the end of the games, you could heal / rest / level up / shop ect ect. the populace would be celebrating ect ect.

(i don't think curse of azure bonds did) but the rest had that feature. the bg / iwd games all kind of miss that feel, at least they could auto save - after the fight...

Sabretooth · Post by **Sabretooth** » Mon Apr 08, 2002 7:45 am

Originally posted by koz-ivan

(i don't think curse of azure bonds did) but the rest had that feature. the bg / iwd games all kind of miss that feel, at least they could auto save - after the fight...

There was an "Azure Bonds" game? I only read the books. Was Georgio in the game?

The Stranger · Post by **The Stranger** » Mon Apr 08, 2002 1:50 pm

There was an Azure Bonds game, It was one of the "Gold Box" series I think. It was cool at the time, but you might find it boring by todays standards.

I wonder if there is a way that they could add some side quests after the last battle that are based on your actions during the main plot... They could activate after the last battle and be some minor events that are related to your decisions throughout the game. You might have to defend yourself due to some verbal slight that you chose in chapter one. Maybe you will have to go back to town after the final battle and find it devistated because of some major monster/bad guy that you pissed off...

Onyx · Post by **Onyx** » Mon Apr 08, 2002 4:21 pm

Originally posted by DraySkullan
I hate games that you save before the final battle, then you win the final battle, then you get the end credits, but the only saved game you have is still before. It's almost like it never happened! I remember Pool of Radiance for the old C-64. After you won, you still got to wander around, talking to the people and getting praise, fighting wandering monsters if you wish. I think there were even some little after-quests to mess around with. I liked that. I like being able to use my guys after the main battle, at least to save the game with proof that I won!

Yes, i agree.
Take BG II for example. You get to the final battle, you win, and then you get a little discription of what follows after that, and if you've also played along with one of the romances, you get a bit
of that. Why not get to play that romance end thingy.
Like some kind of final chapter in you characters life,
... and your character lives on and on or whatever you do.
But you get to do it and not just get told what happends.
I mean, you drag you romance character around with you for the whole games, go to hell and back together, and then that's it.

Mr.Waesel · Post by **Mr.Waesel** » Thu Apr 11, 2002 3:46 am

What is the "Heart of Fury" mode?

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Thu Apr 11, 2002 5:00 am

Heart of Fury, in IWD, is beyond the "insane" level of difficulty.

Monsters are more difficult to hit and have more HP. They hit you more often. These effects are greater than x2 difficulty. You get approx. x2 XP for kills.

The Stranger · Post by **The Stranger** » Thu Apr 11, 2002 9:15 am

Heart of Fury was awesome! It really made the game more valuable due to the fact that you had to play it through twice. It was a nice ploy to improve the playability of the game. I have gone through IWD1 3 times now and HOF made it well worth my while.

Kerwyn · Post by **Kerwyn** » Thu Apr 11, 2002 1:47 pm

I think that the question of IWD 2's length mostly is a question about how much of the 3E ruleset they use in the game, cuz it allows for much more diversity between the chars.

I mean, whenever u lvlup, u get too choose which class to progress in, this makes extremely many char combinations available.

The Stranger · Post by **The Stranger** » Thu Apr 11, 2002 2:35 pm

I am not sure about that... The game will progress no matter what kind of characters are going through it. The plot will most likely be linear, which means that if you take triple class guys then you will have to go through the game with lower level characters.

Mr.Waesel · Post by **Mr.Waesel** » Fri Apr 12, 2002 3:16 am

Originally posted by The Stranger
Heart of Fury was awesome! It really made the game more valuable due to the fact that you had to play it through twice. It was a nice ploy to improve the playability of the game. I have gone through IWD1 3 times now and HOF made it well worth my while.

Cool! Was that option also in IWD1? i just uninstalled it after i'd finished it.

The Stranger · Post by **The Stranger** » Fri Apr 12, 2002 7:20 am

Yeah it was, but you had to finish the game first. If you uninstalled the game, you might have to go throught it again.

Onyx · Post by **Onyx** » Fri Apr 12, 2002 7:27 am

that's why i could not find this HoF mode thing. I had uninstalled the game when i finished. Damn

The Stranger · Post by **The Stranger** » Fri Apr 12, 2002 12:06 pm

Luckily it's a good game!

I am just replaying it now so that I can get a feel for having 6 characters with no minds of thier own. I also am trying to get a feel for making a party that works well together.

Mr.Waesel · Post by **Mr.Waesel** » Mon Apr 15, 2002 5:51 am

No worry, still got the saves.