So, Baldurs Gate

[Mr. Magniloquent]

Chippy The BG1 NPC project is excellent. They especially did a good job with Xzar. He's a highly amusing psychopath.

 

[MerchantKing]

It's a shame. I have bearly any hope left for anything coming out of any so-called D&D product. It's quite a grizzly perspective but realistic.

 

[cpmartins]

I can't bring myself to *not* take Xzar and Monty, Viconia, Kagain and Edwin in BG1.

Also Yeslick, Xan, Tiax, Safana, Skie, Quayle, Eldoth, Alora... BG had a fuckton of interesting and fun party members (unlike BG2).

what's so interesting and fun about BG1 characters? they barely say anything the WHOLE game.

They have enough character and not too much. I don't give a shit about SOB STORIES that BG2 shits all over you from literally everyone. You had terrible childhood? Father abandoned you? Wife cheated? Cat murdered? I don't care, shut the fuck up! I just want a few cool lines here and there, occasional banter and that's it.

I want a merry party who adventure together, not a trainwreck emo depression party who just tell me their problems.

God, I miss playing that game for the first time. One of the greatest PC gaming experiences ever.

 

[La vie sexuelle]

I can't bring myself to *not* take Xzar and Monty, Viconia, Kagain and Edwin in BG1.

Also Yeslick, Xan, Tiax, Safana, Skie, Quayle, Eldoth, Alora... BG had a fuckton of interesting and fun party members (unlike BG2).

what's so interesting and fun about BG1 characters? they barely say anything the WHOLE game.

They have enough character and not too much. I don't give a shit about SOB STORIES that BG2 shits all over you from literally everyone. You had terrible childhood? Father abandoned you? Wife cheated? Cat murdered? I don't care, shut the fuck up! I just want a few cool lines here and there, occasional banter and that's it.

I want a merry party who adventure together, not a trainwreck emo depression party who just tell me their problems.

God, I miss playing that game for the first time. One of the greatest PC gaming experiences ever.

I finished BG1 in last month and for me it was even better than in 2009, when I played for a first time.

 

[Orud]

I finished BG1 in last month and for me it was even better than in 2009, when I played for a first time.

I finished BG1 for the 4th time or something last month. Each time I play it, the more I like it.

For example, this time when returning to Baldur's Gate after Candlekeep I wasn't jailed by the Flaming Fist. Until now, I always believed that it was a required step.
Recent playthroughs and reviews I saw of the game said/did the same thing, always. Get jailed by the Flaming Fist and escape. However this time I simply turned everyone invisible, entered the Flaming Fist HQ and went to the upper level to save the duke. I then just invis'ed back out again and just completed the game.

It's just such a freeform game leveraging the best (low to mid) level range of D&D, and I absolutely love it.

 

[La vie sexuelle]

I finished BG1 in last month and for me it was even better than in 2009, when I played for a first time.

I finished BG1 for the 4th time or something last month. Each time I play it, the more I like it.

For example, this time when returning to Baldur's Gate after Candlekeep I wasn't jailed by the Flaming Fist. Until now, I always believed that it was a required step.
Recent playthroughs and reviews I saw of the game said/did the same thing, always. Get jailed by the Flaming Fist and escape. However this time I simply turned everyone invisible, entered the Flaming Fist HQ and went to the upper level to save the duke. I then just invis'ed back out again and just completed the game.

It's just such a freeform game leveraging the best (low to mid) level range of D&D, and I absolutely love it.

BG is praised by its story, but of some reasons everybody forgot how much freedom player have in these games (including Bioware). Strange that all industry turned back to this mechanics. I wasn't only about money, like around 2008-2016 they tried to make customers dumber than they were.

 

[Hace El Oso]

God, I miss playing that game for the first time. One of the greatest PC gaming experiences ever.

One of the best, coolest credits sequences ever. Pure style after the metal battle with Sarevok in the Temple of Bhaal.

 

[JDR13]

About to start a run of the enitire trilogy + SoD. It's been years since I last played it. What mods are considered essential nowdays?

So far, the only mod I know I want for sure is the one that restores the original cinematics.

 

[octavius]

SCS for BG1 at least.
BG1 NPC Project if you run an evil party (Xzar and Monty).

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

About to start a run of the enitire trilogy + SoD. It's been years since I last played it. What mods are considered essential nowdays?

So far, the only mod I know I want for sure is the one that restores the original cinematics.

SCS is probably the only default one to recommend. BG1 NPC project is excellent, but not essential. I like Spell Revisions and Item Revisions, but those mods began deviating too far from the source after v2 and I haven't kept track of them since. I think v2 are compatible with EEs, but verify that. I LOVE aTweaks, especially the PnP Fiends component. It restores fiends to their horrifying power levels and introduces bloodwar politics to their AI. I also really like Wheels of Prophecy, as it makes ToB plot and boss fights a better--particularly for the seasoned player. If you like monks, that one completely redesigns their HLA into something worthy mechanically and thematically. Is there something you're looking for?

 

[cpmartins]

About to start a run of the enitire trilogy + SoD. It's been years since I last played it. What mods are considered essential nowdays?

So far, the only mod I know I want for sure is the one that restores the original cinematics.

I agree with all of the recommendations, especially Sword Coast Stratagems(SCS) and aTweaks. And NEVER, EVER install a story mod. Jesús Christy on a pike, they're ALL fucking horrible.
Is Wheels of Prophecy the one made by Gaider himself? been a while since I delved in BG2 modding. if so, yeah I remember it being good. Especially the changes to the last fight.

 

[octavius]

About to start a run of the enitire trilogy + SoD. It's been years since I last played it. What mods are considered essential nowdays?

So far, the only mod I know I want for sure is the one that restores the original cinematics.

I agree with all of the recommendations, especially Sword Coast Stratagems(SCS) and aTweaks.

Apparently the latest versions of these two mods are incompatible. But I must say I loved the PnP Fiends component of aTweaks.

 

[JDR13]

About to start a run of the enitire trilogy + SoD. It's been years since I last played it. What mods are considered essential nowdays?

So far, the only mod I know I want for sure is the one that restores the original cinematics.

LOVE aTweaks, especially the PnP Fiends component. It restores fiends to their horrifying power levels and introduces bloodwar politics to their AI.

aTweaks looks good, but it apparently hasn't been updated since 2012?

 

[GaelicVigil]

Chippy The BG1 NPC project is excellent. They especially did a good job with Xzar. He's a highly amusing psychopath.

Isn't that the mod where one of your characters gets pregnant and you have to take care of a baby in your inventory screen? There is also a child custody battle involved IIRC. WTF.

 

[octavius]

Chippy The BG1 NPC project is excellent. They especially did a good job with Xzar. He's a highly amusing psychopath.

Isn't that the mod where one of your characters gets pregnant and you have to take care of a baby in your inventory screen? There is also a child custody battle involved IIRC. WTF.

Uh, the first one is Arie in BG2, isn't it?

The second I think is Coran, which I think is added by the mod.

 

[GaelicVigil]

Chippy The BG1 NPC project is excellent. They especially did a good job with Xzar. He's a highly amusing psychopath.

Isn't that the mod where one of your characters gets pregnant and you have to take care of a baby in your inventory screen? There is also a child custody battle involved IIRC. WTF.

Uh, the first one is Arie in BG2, isn't it?

The second I think is Coran, which I think is added by the mod.

Yeah, that's it i think. Coran has a lovechild.

Also I may be remembering completely wrong, but I recall there was another modded quest where Imoen finally gets to try out some plug tails when she gets to Baldurs Gate in the underground whore house. Whole mini game involved with it.

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

I'm finding less is more when it comes to RPG characters. BG had a lot of characters, but BG2 starts and they don't have characters, they have * C H A R A C T E R S * and the focus shifts away from the world and onto their little dramas. Now look at us, we have soap operas instead of fantasy adventures. At least that's how I remember it, it's been a while since I played them but I remember hating almost everyone in the second game while *mostly* liking the people in the first. Imoen got left in a ditch in the opening forest screen, of course.

BG1's character interactions weren't mellodramatic as in the sequel, but the issue is that most of them were cut/wouldn't play properly in the game. Mods fixed that. There's also the fact that the character interactions were one of the most liked elements of the game, and everything that was developed for BG2 was an answer to these opinions.

 

[jaekl]

I'm finding less is more when it comes to RPG characters. BG had a lot of characters, but BG2 starts and they don't have characters, they have * C H A R A C T E R S * and the focus shifts away from the world and onto their little dramas. Now look at us, we have soap operas instead of fantasy adventures. At least that's how I remember it, it's been a while since I played them but I remember hating almost everyone in the second game while *mostly* liking the people in the first. Imoen got left in a ditch in the opening forest screen, of course.

BG1's character interactions weren't mellodramatic as in the sequel, but the issue is that most of them were cut/wouldn't play properly in the game. Mods fixed that. There's also the fact that the character interactions were one of the most liked elements of the game, and everything that was developed for BG2 was an answer to these opinions.

Maaaaan, I hate fans. Every time someone listens to fans, the result is always something that bothers me.

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

I'm finding less is more when it comes to RPG characters. BG had a lot of characters, but BG2 starts and they don't have characters, they have * C H A R A C T E R S * and the focus shifts away from the world and onto their little dramas. Now look at us, we have soap operas instead of fantasy adventures. At least that's how I remember it, it's been a while since I played them but I remember hating almost everyone in the second game while *mostly* liking the people in the first. Imoen got left in a ditch in the opening forest screen, of course.

BG1's character interactions weren't mellodramatic as in the sequel, but the issue is that most of them were cut/wouldn't play properly in the game. Mods fixed that. There's also the fact that the character interactions were one of the most liked elements of the game, and everything that was developed for BG2 was an answer to these opinions.

Maaaaan, I hate fans. Every time someone listens to fans, the result is always something that bothers me.

And in Bioware's case, they've been very receptive to their fan's opinions. Up to peak Bioware (say, the Mass effect years) they were doing just that. In fact I cannot think of another big rpg studio that operated like this.

 

[La vie sexuelle]

I'm finding less is more when it comes to RPG characters. BG had a lot of characters, but BG2 starts and they don't have characters, they have * C H A R A C T E R S * and the focus shifts away from the world and onto their little dramas. Now look at us, we have soap operas instead of fantasy adventures. At least that's how I remember it, it's been a while since I played them but I remember hating almost everyone in the second game while *mostly* liking the people in the first. Imoen got left in a ditch in the opening forest screen, of course.

BG1's character interactions weren't mellodramatic as in the sequel, but the issue is that most of them were cut/wouldn't play properly in the game. Mods fixed that. There's also the fact that the character interactions were one of the most liked elements of the game, and everything that was developed for BG2 was an answer to these opinions.

Maaaaan, I hate fans. Every time someone listens to fans, the result is always something that bothers me.

And in Bioware's case, they've been very receptive to their fan's opinions. Up to peak Bioware (say, the Mass effect years) they were doing just that. In fact I cannot think of another big rpg studio that operated like this.

L A R I A N

 

[Chippy]

I finished BG1 in last month and for me it was even better than in 2009, when I played for a first time.

I finished BG1 for the 4th time or something last month. Each time I play it, the more I like it.

For example, this time when returning to Baldur's Gate after Candlekeep I wasn't jailed by the Flaming Fist. Until now, I always believed that it was a required step.
Recent playthroughs and reviews I saw of the game said/did the same thing, always. Get jailed by the Flaming Fist and escape. However this time I simply turned everyone invisible, entered the Flaming Fist HQ and went to the upper level to save the duke. I then just invis'ed back out again and just completed the game.

It's just such a freeform game leveraging the best (low to mid) level range of D&D, and I absolutely love it.

BG is praised by its story, but of some reasons everybody forgot how much freedom player have in these games (including Bioware). Strange that all industry turned back to this mechanics. I wasn't only about money, like around 2008-2016 they tried to make customers dumber than they were.

There's also quite a few encounters with NPCs that flesh out the story and happenings within that chapter. I'll leave it to you to find them. Not just narrative encounters, but combat ones as well. Like one for instance that Bioware placed in a random building.

They also did this in the previous chapter.

 

[Glop_dweller]

I can't bring myself to *not* take Xzar and Monty, Viconia, Kagain and Edwin in BG1.

Kagain works very well with the The Helmet of Opposite Alignment.