Originally posted by Robin_Hood:
<STRONG>@Kayless: Umm...this is completely off-topic, but is it really possible to save the cat, because it was already dead when I found it and I was feeling really bad </STRONG>
I think it's random, but it is possible to get the cat resurrected. It's been a while since I played this part but Game Banshee's guides should be able to help.
Originally posted by Robin_Hood:
<STRONG>And I think the music in SoA was MUCH better than the music in BG.</STRONG>
Aside from the romance music I felt that BG2’s music was lacking. BG1's music is much more to my liking, particularly the Gorion’s Battle track (which is awesome). My all-time favorite tracks however are from Icewind Dale. Lonelywood and the Icewind Dale theme are some of the best music themes of any of the games.
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
IMHO (and I know my humble opinion will piss off a lot of people, I think Planescape:Torment was better than both games (shock, horror) in many ways, especially graphics (spell effects, resolution), settings, and the overall storyline (inc character development). It's just a crying shame the ending sucked so hard- there should have been a sequel. Having said that, BG2 is altogether more immersive (and superior to BG1 IMHO)- bring on TOB...
Planescape Torment is indeed a wonderful game. Much of BG2's improvements came from PS:T. Like the first BG, Planescape doesn't bombard the player with constant combat and features a lot of role-playing opportunities. Oh, and I thought the ending was both appropriate and very cool to watch.
[ 06-12-2001: Message edited by: Kayless ]
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
I rate BG1 because of its better storyline, plot and dialog.
The storyline in BG2 seems be constructed too much around the player - everything (almost) is directed towards the pc and his quest while in BG1 the world got on with its buisness and you had to deal with it - not the other way round.
Many quests seemed to me childish and badly worked through - take the firkrag quest - pointless exept to get a big sword, this should have been part of a bigger plot.
All so I felt that a could believe the BG1 story within the forgotten realms setting but BG2 seemed to me out of charecter.
therefore BG1 takes the crown.
I didn't really bounce Eeyore. I had a cough, and I happened to be behind Eeyore, and I said "Grrrr-oppp-ptschschschz."
How odd that someone should post this topic as I just built a new computer over the weekend and decided to install BG1 as well as BG2. It was sort of a rush to watch the original install itself as I remembered with how much anticipation I had to play this game for the first time. I had battled through pools of radiance, azure bonds, silver blades, champs of krynn, etc. etc. etc. For me, BG1 was the best experience I have ever had playing a CRPG. It had all the elements I had been looking for since time became too short to run campaigns on pen and paper with friends. It was cool to read everyone's responses thus far and it was evident to see which of you had started playing these games several years back and those who started with SoA. To break the two down and decide which is truly better is too difficult a task. Both games were excellent and had their own strengths and shortcomings. For example:
BG1: much better music, 640X480 interface a lttle tough to swallow after playing BG2 three times through, Party movement kinda sucks (they are slow and stupid), storyline far surpasses BG2, it is great how the PC becomes immersed in a world instead of the world revolving around him as in BG2, the fun of being low level, finding a +1 weapon, finding a fireball scroll, and so on. It is simply more fun to play at a low level. You really have to rely on every resource.
Now onto BG2:
superior graphics, superior NPCs (true, there are fewer but their involvement made it so much more entertaining), dragons (regardless of my affinity for low level char's, they are cool)
The biggest main difference between the two games for me is party size. If I have a party of six in BG1, it was still a challenge. The same party of six in BG2 (i.e.- well balanced) and the game is not a challenge even when stepping up the difficulty to insane. The joy here, however, is that you can choose to build some real oddball parties in BG2 and still find some success which is cool because it has been fun to explore the all the kits.
I'm entering rambling mode so it is time to give someone else a turn.
Crush enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of the women.
Also, why does everyone seem to like the little postit notes on the map- I think they are awful. I just come out of a dungeon, in a town I've never been, and magically, I know that the small house down the road is "Cerd's house" a guy I never met-.
I really was amused when you were forced to track down JAheria's curser- Instead of following the plot line- I clicked on the spot marked "derelict home" and went there.
Those markers cater to the lazy and ignorant, imho.
"Those are brave men out there, let's go kill them"
I'm of two minds on the BG1 or BG2 issue. On the one hand, BG2 is obviously the more elegantly designed game, and it show what Bioware and Black Isle learned from the earlier games. I especially don't miss the fixed 640 x 480, slow movement, and all the wandering from one forested area to another in BG1.
OTOH, I also agree with a lot of what Desslock wrote at GameSpot about ToB:
"Since the premise of the D&D worlds originally created by TSR (Greyhawk,Forgotten Realms, etc.) is that characters who are 12th-25th level are kings and emperors, it seems ridiculous for D&D computer games to focus on elevating player characters to 30th or 40th level (key "features" of the recent Icewind Dale expansion pack and the pending Baldur's Gate II expansion)and equipping them entirely with artifact-level items. In pen and paper D&D, focusing on creating such crazily powerful characters is called "munchkin-ism", because the power gamers who focus on it are depriving themselves of so many more rewarding aspects of role-playing."
I generally agree that it seems a bit silly to consign, as I have, so many +2 and +3 items to the Bag of Holding for later resale. And it seems downright ridiculous to me that the Holy Avenger is going to be upgradable in ToB. I mean, isn't +5 just about enough?
OTOH (and there always seems to an OTOH), I have to say that Bioware handled acquiring the artifact-level items very well. Most of them certainly aren't just there for the taking. For example, finally presenting all 4 parts of Crom Faeyr to Cromwell provides a great sense of accomplishment.
Finally, one thing I do really wonder about: Your BG2 character is supposed to be exportable to Neverwinter Nights. Dropping a level 40 character into a brand new game? How's that going to work?
I too believe the BG1 was a better game than BG2. It introduced people into the story and events of the Child of Bhall blablabla...
Like all stories, the sequal is never as good as the first because peoples expectaions are too high for the sequal. Much like Hannibal the Movie was after Silence of the Lambs.
BG2 however is more 'cool'. BG1 is more or a story.
Sloanzilla writes: I really was amused when you were forced to track down JAheria's curser- Instead of following the plot line- I clicked on the spot marked "derelict home" and went there.
Those markers cater to the lazy and ignorant, imho.
No need to resort to flames, Sloanzilla. We're discussing matters of opinion relating to playing preferences, and it's quite possible, believe it or not, for several people to have differences of opinion and all be correct. If anything, the inability to acknowledge that others are entitled to equally accurate ideas of their own seems rather ignorant, to me.
IMO, the labeling of buildings is a good thing *for BG2,* because there's a lot of buildings in a small area. I'd rather play the sub-games involving conversation, exploration, and combat, than act as a mapkeeper: just my POV. And I've played CRPG's since Wizardry I first appeared.
Yet I've got a friend who swears by noting everything down. She uses graph paper to draw objects, and keeps a detailed list of every person, thing, and incident that occurs at any location in the game. That's what she likes, but it would irritate the hell out of me.
To the Righteous belong the fruits of violent victory. The rest of us will have to settle for warm friends, warm lovers, and a wink from a quietly supportive universe.
My all-time favorite tracks however are from Icewind Dale. Lonelywood and the Icewind Dale theme are some of the best music themes of any of the games.
I've gotta get my hands on that game! I've been drooling on it for a long while but it's so damn expensive here in Finland! It's more expensive than BG2:collector's edition! And with HoW added to that; too expensive. I guess I'll just have to wait for a IWD-HoW combo...
Centuries ago in England........It was an era of chivalry and magic. The evil Prince John unleashed an iron fist of tyranny upon the people. They called out for a champion.........one man answered that call. His name, was Robin Hood. Fearless in his quest for justice Robin Hood challenged the power of the high warlords. While protecting the helpless and the poor. Willing to face death for what he believed, along with the beautiful, lady warrior, Jaheira, the mighty Minsc, and the wise Keldorn. Robin Hood forged a legend that lives on today in............
OH I COULD REALLY KILL SOMEONE! I JUST SPENT HALF AN HOUR AT LEAST TO REPLY TO THIS WHEN THE BLOODY COMPUTER DECIDED TO USE THE BACK SHORTCUT INSTEAD OF THE BACKSPACE COMMAND! ARRRRGH! NO! WHY?!?!
That's why I usually copy my text to the clipboard if I type longer than 5 minutes... Been there.
[url="http://www.sorcerers.net/Games/BG2/SpellsReference/Main.htm"]Baldur's Gate 2 Spells Reference[/url]: Strategy, tips, tricks, bugs, cheese and corrections to the manual.
Hmm. I never thought I get so many feedback. The reason that I think I don't like BG1 is because I played BG2 first. I am probably used to the 800x600 resolution and onslaughts of quests everywhere that I go. I think I'll give BG1 another try although I'll have to learn to walk around a lot to find things to do.
"I find your lack faith of disturbing" -Darth Vader
Originally posted by Robin_Hood:
<STRONG>I've gotta get my hands on that game! I've been drooling on it for a long while but it's so damn expensive here in Finland! It's more expensive than BG2:collector's edition! And with HoW added to that; too expensive. I guess I'll just have to wait for a IWD-HoW combo... </STRONG>
Icewind Dale is your standard dungeon crawl adventure but it’s great for what it is. The music rocks and dragon in HoW looks tougher then all the ones in BG2 combined (it’s got a much better sprite IMHO). The expansion is a little short though, but Black Isle is releasing a free downloadable add-on called Trials of the Luremaster due out this month (hopefully).
Originally posted by humanflyz:
<STRONG>Hmm. I never thought I get so many feedback. The reason that I think I don't like BG1 is because I played BG2 first. I am probably used to the 800x600 resolution and onslaughts of quests everywhere that I go. I think I'll give BG1 another try although I'll have to learn to walk around a lot to find things to do.</STRONG>
That’s a key element to this discussion as well. I started with Baldur’s Gate and worked my way up. Starting backwards like you did is definitely going to change your point of view. It’s unfair to judge BG1 because of its technical limitations though, since it’s an older game. Besides, I rather like the original’s sprites, since mages would actually hold their staff’s like a walking stick and not some thwacking club. Both games are great, they just focus on different things (BG1: exploration, quests, etc. BG2: NPCs, equipment, leveling, etc.)
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
Thanks Kayless - I will keep an eye out for that one! I loved IWD and HOW but was disappointed that HOW was over so quickly (I was at the final battle saying it can't be already!) Great game!
Parachute for sale, like new! Never opened!
Guinness, black goes with everything.
I've often wondered how huge the changes were to the Infinity engine when it came to backwards-compatibility with the sprites, storyline components, maps, etc, etc.
If the interface to many of these data sets were the same (or similar) between the versions of Infinity used in BG1 and BG2, how hard would it be for Bioware and gang to re-release a 'collector's edition' of BG1 based on the newer engine???
Would any of YOU buy it???
If you got BG1, BG2 & ToB one the one DVD, all using the latest engine, I for one would certainly and gladly pay full price for it!!!
</STRONG>
