GameBanshee Forums

So, is everyone all excited about the upcoming expansion? I am!

Since I killed the wrong person and got shunted to the backpath, I had already started a new game (to kill time waiting for IWD2) when I heard about the expansion. Hadn't gotten very far - not even to Balmora, yet - so can start on the added stuff early in the game. Is life good, or what?

Finished IWD2 and am now killing time til Tribunal replaying Project Eden (at home) and System Shock 2 (at work - again !!? didn't I just play this again a couple of months ago?). I'd be killing time with The Thing but the price hasn't dropped to $30. yet

Is IWD2 fun?? I didn't really get if you have played it but if you have, is it worth getting? does it have any chance against BGII? if so I'd get it right away.

About the expansion I am really excited, especially since the expansion is for high level characters and my level 60 nightblade doesn't have any challenge for the moment. hopefully the expansion will be much harder than morrowind.

I'm very much looking forward to the expansion, myself.

Finished IWD2 and am now killing time til Tribunal

Try Divine Divinity. It's cheap ($40), long (can get several hundred hours out of it) and a nice cross between Diablo, BG2 and Arcanum.

Oblivion - IWD2 was tons o' fun and extremely challenging but, like IWD, a strictly linear hack-n-slash. Good, solid story, tho - think NWN as a 6 member party IE game. Nicely redesigned UI.

I, personally, thought the difficulty was a tad unbalanced. While the whole game is challenging, there are long stretches where you sort of roll over everything, followed by some absolutely, insanely difficult battles which take umpteen reloads to figure out the correct tactics for success. Throw in some intricate puzzles and you've got a lot of variety to enjoy.

On my home PC, I ran thru BG2 (with my imported ToB chars, so it went pretty fast) while waiting for IWD2 - you'll definitely miss the intraparty interaction of the BG titles in IWD2, if you're looking for that sort of thing. A bit of relief, to my mind - no Aerie with her incessant whining about her lost wings

cj - I just read a review of DD at AVault - it sounds pretty interesting. But "100s of hours" !!? Hopefully Tribunal won't take that long to hit the shelves! I'll add to my list, tho. Thanks for the recommendation. BTW, is the voice-acting as bad as the review indicated?

BTW, is the voice-acting as bad as the review indicated?

I haven't read the AV review, so I can't comment directly on it. As far as the voice acting.... I'm surprised it's even mentioned. It's typical computer game voice over acting, pretty much. Nothing that will win an academy award, but nothing so hideous you'll turn off your speakers. There actually isn't much speech in the game; most of what there is is "typical lackluster", a few bits are quite well done (the dragon riders are quite amusing).

As far as length, I'm estimating around 100 hrs on a single play through. But with an Arcanum style skills system, you can go through it multiple times with different characters and have totally different experiences as far as gameplay.

cj -

"Divine Divinity features a fair amount of unbelievably atrocious voice acting. [blah, blah, blah]" - AVault review

He goes on to rave about the excellent musical score and gives the game 3 1/2 stars overall.

I just want to point out, that Tribunal is ONLY for PC.

Mikeal -

I feel bad for the console gamers who won't get to play Tribunal. This is something we PC gamers have experienced many times.

Soul Reaver 2 - announced as PS2 only, a month before its release they said a PC version would be forthcoming after all; Blood Omen 2 did come out on PC but no word yet on Soul Reaver 3.

Summoner 2 - announced as PS2 only and "no amount of pleading, begging, or petitioning" would result in a PC release; now that it's out, a developer on their forum said "who knows what the furture may hold" but I'm not holding my breath.

the Drakan sequel - PS2 only

Now that the prices have dropped on the consoles, I *might* be tempted to buy one, except that I'd have to also have to buy a TV to run it on and that's out of my budget.

Originally posted by free_fall
"Divine Divinity features a fair amount of unbelievably atrocious voice acting. [blah, blah, blah]" - AVault review

It's mediocre, and I've heard far worse. At least many of the voices don't sound like they were laid into the soundbed by the developers.

Perhaps we should start a thread on 'games with the worst VA'.

My nominees would have to include:

Evil Islands - so bad it's campy.

Unreal: Return to Na Pali - naration during level transitions by big, bad-ass killing machine with 50" chest & 25" biceps voiced by what sounds like the office copier boy.

Even games with excellent VA, like MW, can become annoying when certain phrases are incessantly (and needlessly) repeated - "Make it quick, Outlander!" or, my personal favorite, "You talk too much, Outlander" when you just walk by and haven't said anything to the dude.

free fall, i hate that too. I'm in ebony/orc/glass combo and I get "I like what I see" and "It would be a priveledge talking to you" all the time, I cant stand it.

I can't wait!

I can't wait until Tribunal get's here. My journal is in an atrocious state at the moment, really needs some tidying up. And the new beasties look very nice. Not to mention you get to help make the decision on the next king. Vote for me.

I might consider getting Icewind Dale II if I ever manage to buy Warcraft III. I loved the Baldur's Gate series, and although I never played Planscape: Torment or Ice Wind Dale, they seem excellent games and if I ever see them in the bargain bin I will probably pick them up.

I think BGII had the very best voice acting, other than Starcraft and WC III, I loved the medic after you clicked on her several times. The Siege Tank and the Riflemen are hilarious too.

thaGforce -

I just saw a Collector's Edition of IWD at Babbage's; it includes IWD & HoW, a mini strategy guide for each, and the bonus soundtrack CD, all for $30. I didn't see anything on the box about Trials of the Luremaster, tho.

And PS:T can be had in a 2-game bargain pack (along with Soulbringer) available most everywhere, for $10.

There's the problem

It can be found at those prices almost anywhere. At the few stores near me, IWD is pretty cheap. But, I don't know if I want to get it. It's IWD II that I am after, and it's still expensive.

And PS:T, I haven't even seen it anywhere. But if I do find that game for $10, I will definitely pick it up. Thanks.

Isn't Trials of the Luremaster a download?

Originally it was but IIRC more recent pressings of HoW included it. I might be wrong on this tho.

I just read about some of the features they're incorporating into the expansion, such as the improved journal and map. This is sounding really good - I think I'll be buying it.

Originally posted by Sojourner
I just read about some of the features they're incorporating into the expansion, such as the improved journal and map. This is sounding really good - I think I'll be buying it.

I suspect those are the best reasons to buy it. Personally, I've never been terribly interested in the mainline quest. I just enjoy wandering around, growing a character and joining the guilds. Rather wish they'd add a few more on, and make 'em a bit more interactive with one another.

I've had it about three months and just started the main quest. I usually spent more time trying to make the perfect home I've also tryed guilds, and advanced in redoran and fighters, but now I'm trying the main one. I too wish they would add guilds, and make it so you could actually get stuff when you finish. But hey, the journal is enough for me.

Originally posted by Sojourner
I just read about some of the features they're incorporating into the expansion, such as the improved journal and map. This is sounding really good - I think I'll be buying it.

I think the best update, is the new map features. I HATE when i find a deadric shrine, or something like that, but I can't enter the shrine because i carry too much, or my character need's healing. So I return to some town , to heal, sleep and sell merchandise. So I decide to return to the shrine, but I can't find it! In Tribunal you can set markers on the map screen, to help you return to lost places.

Both are very good additions. I can't wait to kill the god-kings and take the throne for myself.