I guess I'm bored

egervari2 · Post by **egervari2** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 4:38 pm

I guess my IWD2 kick is finished. I got to level 7 or 8 at the beginning of chapter 2 and I'm extremely bored. It's not that the game isn't presenting any challenges - it is, considering the party I'm taking. It's just that the game's pace is so slow or something. I'm actually curious why I liked this game so much before. I mean, I wrote a guide about it and I remember I was very active in user communities back when black isle was still a company. I guess my dissastisfaction stems from the games obvious faults, which I overlooked before for the sole reason that the game was new. But now, the graphics look dated (even worse than bg2), it lacks 3d spell effects, the engine is more choppy unless I turn directdraw acceleration *off* (how does that make sense?) and the game did I mention the pacing was bad?

I think the main problem is that you can swing forever and not hit anything unless you have a decent BAB score. Since I'm not packing any fighters, doing any melee just seems frustrating, even though clerics are supposed to be very good in melee (in comparison to 2e rules), plus all those benefits.

Ultimately, I wanted to enjoy the game again but it's not happening. In chapter two, things start to get good, but I remember that I'll hit dragon eye sooner or later, and I wish I could just skip that level. I just think the battles take way too long than they have to. You can spend like 30 or 40 minutes on a single battle with 10 guys (taking into account reloads or just the fact that your guys suck and they can't kill crap all).

Then I remember the AC is implemented very poorly. It might be exactly what the rules says, but it's not right. I had two cleric characters with nearly equal equipment and the character that was more fighter-oriented and had more HP was dying the most. It just made no sense. It still happens, even when the AC is higher than the one that never gets hit.

I also remember that the areas aren't very memorable. At least IWD has it's moments - imagines that you simply cannot forget. I think the original IWD was paced so much better too. I just remember going through the game very quickly, having a blast. That didn't mean that it was too easy (although I guess it was), but still, it just seemed fun.

The fetch quests really bored me. I just feel that the developers were trying to waste the player's time. I generally feel like that a lot actually. I just wish people would make games where you are always doing something productive, as in advancing the story or doing interesting quests as opposed to inventory micromanagement and inventory collecting (I dunno, but it's more annoying in IWD2 than any other game). The puzzles are just dumb too if I remember correctly.

But now I'm bored since I have my stoneskin, fireball, mirror image, dispel magic, animate dead, etc. I know that given enough time, I'll eventually get to level 20+ at the end of the game and I should be happy right? Well, I wanted to play a lot of IE games again and this was supposively the first on my list to do, but I think I'm just going to play BG2 again. Sucks because I wanted to enjoy it.

Seems strange that one day I can promote the game and write a huge faq about it and the next just be plain bored of it.

Wrath-Of-Egg · Post by **Wrath-Of-Egg** » Tue Sep 21, 2004 10:43 pm

i think too that IWD is better than IWD2...
In IWD each time i hear some music it is like WOW yeah still even that i have heard it 651057e01x times... but i miss 3D&D rules and my 1200x800 resolution.. but i can bear those things...

I belive that IWD2 was bublished unfinished..

Brynn · Post by **Brynn** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 1:13 am

Egervari, if you're that bored, why don't you read your PMs?

Seriously, I wrote sg about your older account, and I'd like to know that you read and accepted my decesion. Please reply.

As for IWD II - I still like it. I think the key must be a well-balanced party. With three spellcasters it will always be a pain. I think the world and the adventures are designed for a classic fighter-mage-thief-cleric party - that's a disadvantage, I admit that. One should have much more freedom in choosing what kind of characters he'd like to instruct.

I've just started the series all over again with three people (mage/thief, ranger/clreic, fighter), and I really enjoy it. Challenge is challenge, you have to face and complete it

What made me really frustrated in IWD II is Oria's Game room. There is just no way you can beat it if you started with a party of level 1, and I say that's unfair.

Anyway, I still love the atmosphere and yes, even the graphics of IWD landscapes

Wrath-Of-Egg · Post by **Wrath-Of-Egg** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 4:22 am

i dont what you think but in my partys there is always atleast 4 spell casters.. but with the party wich i now use has 5... 2 clerics 1 sorc 1 druid and ranger/sorcerer/bard... +monk... it is nice party.. But i use cheesy songs only when there is no hope left.. wich is quite rarely..

Coot · Post by **Coot** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 9:02 am

I'm in total agreement with Egervari2. IWD2 just won't 'grab' me. I never expected it to be another BG or PS:T but there are a lot of annoying elements in the game. The fights, while not overly easy, all seem awfully alike. The puzzles are more irritating than anything else.
I tried to like it when it came out, but I never finished a game. I might give it another try one day, but...

Galuf the Dwarf · Post by **Galuf the Dwarf** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 9:20 am

Don't feel bad, Coot. IWD2 also lost its hold on me, but more so because of the glitch that doesn't seem to have a solution! I've tried working with the cache and so many other things, the only solution possibly being a patch for it (which as we all know, can't happen now).

Brynn · Post by **Brynn** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 12:37 am

[QUOTE=Coot]The puzzles are more irritating than anything else. [/QUOTE]

Irritating? Looks like we're different, then

I just loved the Ice Temple and the Fell Wood, and was totally crazy for the Monastery & the Eight Chambers!

Wrath-Of-Egg · Post by **Wrath-Of-Egg** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 6:49 am

I think puzzles in IWD2 are way too easy.. compared to IWD1.. in IWD1 it realy took quite long time to pass some of those puzzles..(perhaps my bad english skills had part in that...) but sadly in IWD2 puzzles last only 5 minutes...

... But how did i pass Lonely wood so quickly? well since i had paladin and bard in my team 2 first wandering vilage quest were done pretty fast.. and when there was no other choise than go to in that puzzle area i went through it with luck... (i haven't done that after the first time..)

Yep pretty pointless....

Coot · Post by **Coot** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 10:30 am

@Brynn: you actually... liked Fell Wood??

Wow. I bet you're one of those people who like to tell people the glass is half full too??

@Galuf: Which glitch is that?

Galuf the Dwarf · Post by **Galuf the Dwarf** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 1:41 pm

[QUOTE=Coot]
@Galuf: Which glitch is that?[/QUOTE]

The "Nathaniel vanishes without a trace after you kill Lysara" glitch. He is nowhere at all, no matter what I do, and so I'm stuck.

Brynn · Post by **Brynn** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 12:46 am

[QUOTE=Coot]@Brynn: you actually... liked Fell Wood??

Wow. I bet you're one of those people who like to tell people the glass is half full too??

[/QUOTE]

I think so

I admit it was slightly frustrating to wander around and get back to the killing trees all the time, but it was so much fun drawing a map and tracking down the Death's Candle... For me, at least...

Looks I'm alone with this, though

Wrath-Of-Egg · Post by **Wrath-Of-Egg** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 2:13 am

it was fun for first time.. but after that not..

Vanion · Post by **Vanion** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 1:49 am

Lot of really valid points in all of these posts. IWD2 really did seem lacklustre in measuring up to the older infinity games...pathfinding was simply a nightmare, and in the 800 x 600 mode, graphics were rather poor. I would have pumped the resolution, as my PC can more than handle it, but it simply felt too much like an RTS with fog of war when you do that...no really personal feeling with the characters. I didn't expect the story aspects of conversation to be up there with the BG Series or PS: T, but by the same token the puzzles really didn't lend themselves well to replayability, and in some cases the architecture of a level made things really frustrating, especially with the average pathfinding.

That said, it did have a lot going for it as well. For example, the magic items were some of the best in a Black Isle game, up there with Planescape: Torment. Having a weapon with a backstory as cool as "Wandering Sky" made me reluctant to give it up, even when much bigger and better things came along. As well as that, the sheer wealth of options that came from having planetouched and full subrace implementation was awesome. I didn't like the deep races so much due to the abundance of Drizzle the Dork Elf cliches, but they were nice to see.

The use of tactics was also some of the best I've seen...like it's been said by others, you can't just blunder in to a battle, you have to know what you're doing beforehand and be very specific in the way you go about executing an action. Made invisibility and mass invisibility into two of the most useful spells for me

Rogue/Illusionist is fun as all hell.

But I did put the game down twice, getting into online NWN and single player BG2 games before going back to it and eventually finishing it on normal mode. I might get on to HoF one day, or maybe see if I can organise some MP games with a friend.

Wrath-Of-Egg · Post by **Wrath-Of-Egg** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 2:12 am

HoF is must for every IWD2 player.. Well if you like chalenge...

But in HoF malisson and Vail of banshee are your best friends...

Heidrek · Post by **Heidrek** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 3:14 pm

HoF mode

I agree with Wrath, HoF is a great step up in the powergaming department. My only quarrel with it is that Melee is almost a pointless exercise. All your opponents hvae rediculous HP totals, almost never miss and do 20+ dmage per hit. Going head to head with enemies is a waste of time, even by 400+ HP barabarian wearing Cornugon Hide armour so he resists the first 14 points of damage from each a melee hit gets owned by many opponents. The Cult of the Dragon Necromancers in the Ice Temple fire off skull trap spells that do 200+ damage a shot and seem to be undisruptable by damage.

High level disabling and instant death spells are the real spells of power in HoF mode. Wail of the Banshee, Finger of Death, Symbol: Hoplessness, Greater Command. Without these, I'd be screwed.

Hey, does anyone know where I can find a Symbol: Hoplessness scroll? My Wizard can't cast it, and I'd really like to be able to. My Cleric and Sorceror can both cast it at the moment, but firing off 3 at the start of a fight would be nice! Pretty hard to save against 3 Symbols, in the mean time I suppose Chaos will have to do.

Wrath-Of-Egg · Post by **Wrath-Of-Egg** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 10:53 pm

thats one of the reasons why every one should use sorcerers.. and as for those cultist.. just go to melee with them quickly and they are down...

Hof dont need to powerplayed.. i am not doing that right now...
you forgot malisson.. (without it all insta kill spells are useless...

i have 2 chars that can cast heal and 3 chars that can cast mass heal (2 clerics and druid) 4 chars can cast animate dead..(bard, sorc, 2 clerics) and soon my bard 11, ranger 1, sorcerer 10 should be able to cast those banshee vails too.. +monk...

Brynn · Post by **Brynn** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 12:12 am

Will HoF give more XP for killing an opponent? B/c in normal mode if I just set the difficulty slide to "hard" it won't do that...

Wrath-Of-Egg · Post by **Wrath-Of-Egg** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 6:44 am

In HoF you will get lot more XP.. and we are talking about 200+ XP per monster.. but mostly it is 300-500 XP per monster.. and since in HoF there is many many mosnters.. so i can say that in almost every batlle there is 10-30 monsters..

Brynn · Post by **Brynn** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 7:26 am

So I level up faster? *light of greedy desire flickering in the eyes*

Wrath-Of-Egg · Post by **Wrath-Of-Egg** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 8:42 am

Well no.. not realy faster... becuse you will need more XP to get new levels..

I finished normal with 4 character party and added cleric and monk to my party.. they will level fast.. and it boost my older chars leveling little bit too..