Is Icewind Dale worth getting? I'm in the middle of BG 2 right now

Dangerman · Post by **Dangerman** » Sun Jan 14, 2001 3:26 pm

icewind dale is a classic, but im afraid it just doesn't compare to bg2 at all. by all means get it, but be prepared for a disapointment if you expect something better.

------------------
... and you know it's true!

Ron · Post by **Ron** » Mon Jan 15, 2001 12:02 am

Its something different. Helps to differ from the norm.

------------------
Just a couple &cent from Ron!
[url="http://www.geocities.com/thesmh/"]Shadows of the Midnight Hour[/url]
My Ultima Online Guild Page

millwall · Post by **millwall** » Mon Jan 15, 2001 3:49 am

I have played through both and although on the surface they appear similar in reality they will appeal to different types of people. IWD has a much more linear story and harks back much more to the original D&D days. The reality is that it essentially consists of a number of dungeon quests of increasing difficulty. Each one is normally split into a number of levels which you have to fight your way through to find a relic or similar. Each level is made up of a number of rooms, so its a case of clearing a room and then moving on to the next. It is very combat oriented. In BG2 you are never likely to have to face more than a handfull of foes but get it wrong in IWD and you could be hit with between 10 and 20. Also the starting levels are totally different. All your party in IWD start at level 1, and many of these will have less than 10 hit points.

At the end of the day its what you want to get from your gaming experience. If hack and slash, and honing your fighting skill is your thing then IWD is a very good game. If you prefer a good storyline with multiple side quests and real choices to make, then it probably has less appeal.

escape velocity · Post by **escape velocity** » Sat Jan 20, 2001 1:33 pm

I might be unique here, but I played IWD before I played BGII (I'm still playing BGII right now). I really liked the locations and the maps in IWD. Many of them had a very realistically creepy quality that when combined with IMHO was awesome music really gave them atmosphere when you explored them.

Don't expect much actual "role playing" from IWD. Even though you get to create six different characters, they really have very little interaction. In addition, your alignment really doesn't mean much at all -- except for certain magic items that are restricted to those of good or evil alignment. I've seen a couple of strategy guides recommmend that you take a few of each alignment type -- it doesn't really affect game play and that way you can take advantage of more of the cool weapons.

I thought that for what it needed to do, IWD had plenty of story. It is very linear, but that means that you are always pursuing things that are going to give you more information about what is going on. And there are very few of the "meaningless wierd quest" things that people have complained about with BGII.

Finally, IWD really forces you to focus on STRATEGY. There are many places where no matter what you do you are going to end up in a room with 10-20 enemies to take out. IWD definitely makes you think about approaches and tactics with all your characters -- whether they are magic users and fighters. If you don't build a balanced party and use all their talents you probably will have a very difficult time in IWD.

Well, that's my very long winded 2 cents worth...

EV

Ron · Post by **Ron** » Sat Jan 20, 2001 4:15 pm

Yea Shattered Hand comes to mind(i think thats what it was called) You are fighting like 34567 Shadow Elf things. constantly!

------------------
Just a couple &cent from Ron!
[url="http://www.geocities.com/thesmh/"]Shadows of the Midnight Hour[/url]
My Ultima Online Guild Page

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Mon Jan 22, 2001 10:55 am

I concur with 'EV' (is that a sick reference to the dreaded 'back hole disease'?

)

IWD is very combat oriented. You have to play your party as a team. Level 1 party running into a ogre? Only teamwork can help you there.

Both are great, just different types of game. Oh and I played BG1, IWD, then BG2. Love them all.

escape velocity · Post by **escape velocity** » Tue Jan 23, 2001 11:48 am

Hmmm.... I'm feeling ignorant of an interesting reference here...

someone is going to have to fill me in on what this dreaded disease really is and how EV would be a reference to it

.

All it really is a shortening of "escape velocity" (a handle I use everywhere and which inevitably gets shortened to "EV" by whomever I share a board with.

I agree though -- I have enjoyed all the Black Isle games I've gotten my hands on: BGI, Fallout2 (just incredible the story there and how much you can do), BGII, and IWD. I'm really looking forward to HoW.

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Wed Jan 24, 2001 4:49 am

Well if you have 'black hole disease' it is associated with syptoms of 'escape velocity'.

Its like diarrheoa...

Can't remember what Sci-Fi thing I hear that on.

bootlegcorndogs · Post by **bootlegcorndogs** » Sat Jan 27, 2001 4:34 pm

Frankly, I wasn't crazy about IWD, but I'm a huge storymonger. Also, BG and BG2 have spoiled me with all the NPC interaction, so it's hard for me to get into a game where you create your entire party. If you're not too hung up on that minor flaw, though, it's a cool game, and good for something to do if you've finished BG2, can't wait for the expansion, and the thought of having to go through that mind-numbing first Irenicus dungeon AGAIN just to try a new character class is enough to make you have an aneurysm. (Gah! They have GOT to introduce a way to skip the prologue with the next patch. That, and a fix for the myriad Jaheira script problems.) Basically, if you've got $30 to burn there are many, MANY worse games you could spend it on.

Avariel · Post by **Avariel** » Tue Jan 30, 2001 6:22 pm

Thanks for all the replies, I never expected one of my topics to actually GET replies, let alone 30 of them.

I actually bought IWD not too long ago, when I was actually employed, and it's a solid game.

Thanks again!

Avariel

~~~~~)-------------------