Baldur's Gate #BaldurGate: Siege of Dragonspear

[Ezrite]

I wonder why all things concerning Baldurs Gate and the Shining lady has the answers of "I SERVE BALDURS GATE TO THE END", "I serve Baldurs Gate I think" and the last "I serve Baldurs Gate for now, but just for the money, mother Ducker"

There is no positive or convincing of the Shining Lady good points. I mean, a good RPG would let me join her.

Who is she supposed to be? THe Good Sarevok? And to continue the theme of Gorions Warden being good, Sarevok being the evil side of the Bhaal spawn duo...what is Argent? Lawful? And you chaos?

 

[Ezrite]

What pisses me off the most is that there is no RP elements what so ever, the feeling of choices and consequences.

Beside the stupid SJW shit pulled in it is not to bad. But it feels more like a "what if" branch than a expansion between BG1 and BG2 with how shoe horned I hear the ending is. Give me a god damn chance to join Baldurs Gate or go with Caelar. I mean, it pretty much is a restart button at the end anyway so let me end the story here already by changing lane on the road with the Bhaalspawn joining Caelar Argent and beating up the Sword Coast.

 

[Rivmusique]

What pisses me off the most is that there is no RP elements what so ever, the feeling of choices and consequences.

There's more than there ever was in the other BG games.

 

[Lilura]

Indeed, you can almost count the alignment, class and stat-based checks in BG/BG2 on one hand.

Yes, it's all very token reactivity/C&C... just like all IE RPGs with the exception of PS:T. Crying about token C&C/reactivity in Siege is just being stupid: go play a real cRPG like Swordflight or Arcanum, if that's what you want.

 

[vonAchdorf]

Selling a $130 CE for a $20 DLC / expansion was quite an optimistic idea, not necessarily unrealistic of course, because there surely are BG nostalgia dollars abound, but delivering it months after launch seems to be a bad idea. You may want the gimmicks when they are fresh, not when you shelved the game for weeks already.

 

[Ezrite]

Yeah I get it, there is more than in BG1 probably. But it do not put in the factor that you are hard coded to support Baldurs Gate, a place which do not really seem to enjoy your presences and that all of a sudden think you are in liege with Sarevok. Did they forget the part where one blew up several floors of the Iron Throne with fireballs and destroyed every single operation that Rieltar and son started up? To me, Caelar brings forward a good and interesting point but I bet they pull out a Dragon Age II plot device and go "Is evil in reality, lol". Bullshit.

 

[Ezrite]

Indeed, you can almost count the alignment, class and stat-based checks in BG/BG2 on one hand.

Yes, it's all very token reactivity/C&C... just like all IE RPGs with the exception of PS:T. Crying about token C&C/reactivity in Siege is just being stupid: go play a real cRPG like Swordflight or Arcanum, if that's what you want.

Mind you, when they tried so hard to portray two sides that is equally bad or good. I think it been a bad thing they done here. Also it is about 20 years since BG1 was released. I think you can expect more options. Since they tried so hard to make it more alive and banterish. As a matter of fact, I would say the same about Baldurs Gate 1 and 2. But there is obvious evil villians while Caelar come of as not as bad. Irenicus is probably not as bad either on reality nor Sarevok but circumstances turn them to evil or wicked deeds. Mind you, we discuss Dragonspear here and not the series at a whole, atleast I did not. So to call me a idiot (stupid) is not something I hold in high regard. I think it is valid to complain about this to a company of Beamdog who been so arrogant towards fans and self proclaimed good people.

 

[Dreaad]

Indeed, you can almost count the alignment, class and stat-based checks in BG/BG2 on one hand.

Yes, it's all very token reactivity/C&C... just like all IE RPGs with the exception of PS:T. Crying about token C&C/reactivity in Siege is just being stupid: go play a real cRPG like Swordflight or Arcanum, if that's what you want.

Well I think the saddest part is how 90% of the time even the dialog doesn't change . Mind you, most of the IE games had this to some degree or another but nowhere as bad as what's going on in SoD. There's one conversation in particular

Spoiler

The on where you 'decide' if you should just surrender yourself to her plans to save people or if you should stay with the army and try to fight.

it's insane, because there is like 50+ lines of dialog that do not change at all regardless of what you say. It often doesn't even make sense because of the way it was written and the responses you can make. That section was severely disappointing.

 

[Metal Hurlant]

I found that very odd.

Spoiler

I tried to surrender to see what would happen and after some dialogue options, the game took my choices away and the military commanders refused to hand me over.

And it's not the military commanders that refuse to hand you over because I could have easily killed them. It's the railroading story that takes over and pushes you in a direction you don't want to go.

 

[Lhynn]

I found that very odd.

Spoiler

I tried to surrender to see what would happen and after some dialogue options, the game took my choices away and the military commanders refused to hand me over.

And it's not the military commanders that refuse to hand you over because I could have easily killed them. It's the railroading story that takes over and pushes you in a direction you don't want to go.

Not the only place this happens, some of it is very amateurishly handled for no reason.

 

[Dreaad]

To me it just seems retarded, if you offer completely no reactivity, even in the dialog.... which is so easy most moders pull it off. Then just have a fucking cut scene, why bother with writing 5 pointless sentences. 50,000 lines of dialog . If I was writer forced into that shitty job I would at least troll and write 20 one word answers to every break in the conversation, what fucking difference would it make.

"You should surrender Bahl Spawn!!"

1.) Shit!
2.) Gay!
3.) I hate crusades.
4.) I want to kill the refugees.
5.) Who are you?
6.) Where am I?
7.) Time to die!
8.) Please can I go home now?
9.) Wat?
10.) King cOmRade!!
11.) Okay. But first can I explore the surrounding area for loot, thanks?
12.) Okay. But first can you kill Glint.
13.) Hey don't I get a say in this.
14.) I don't understand.
15.) I don't speaka the common.
16.) You'll never take me alive!
17.) So three gnomes walk into a bar.....
18.) If I go with you, how much will you pay me?
19.) Hey did you know I'm not actually a man? After defeating Serevok I used magic runes to change my sex organs and finally fulfilled my dream of becoming a xer. Please respect me.
20.) Balls.

 

[Metal Hurlant]

From the Obsidian forums.
http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/85798-baldurs-gate-siege-of-dragonspear-released/page-9

Gromnir buys SoD to reject endemic and persistent stoopidity

Further down the page, this comment sums it up.

That's awesome, speaking about stoopidity, and at the same time, throwing away money just to "show how dem internetz R wrong"

LOL

 

[Lhynn]

Romance adds a more realistic level of character interaction

Obsi forums.

 

[Reinhardt]

SoD? C&C? Ha! My hardest choice for last 2 days - 6+2 npc or full 8 person party. Yes, i'm still creating characters.

 

[Excidium II]

8??

 

[Reinhardt]

8??

ToEE. Even party creation screen beats everything that SoD has to offer.

 

[Murk]

ToEE Character creation is better than like 90% of games man.

Also, Gromnir still larping? Jesus

EDIt: Volourn is fighting the good fight tho :brofist:

 

[Delterius]

I wish we could put Volourn, Gromnir and Prosper in a room.

 

[Ezrite]

I found that very odd.

Spoiler

I tried to surrender to see what would happen and after some dialogue options, the game took my choices away and the military commanders refused to hand me over.

And it's not the military commanders that refuse to hand you over because I could have easily killed them. It's the railroading story that takes over and pushes you in a direction you don't want to go.

This is what happens when you try to shove to much "unique story" of your own inbetween two parts of someone elses creation.

 

[Immortal]

I wish we could put Volourn, Gromnir and Prosper in a room.

I would pay to see that... Can we add Hiver?

From the Obsidian forums.
http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/85798-baldurs-gate-siege-of-dragonspear-released/page-9

Gromnir buys SoD to reject endemic and persistent stoopidity

Further down the page, this comment sums it up.

That's awesome, speaking about stoopidity, and at the same time, throwing away money just to "show how dem internetz R wrong"

LOL

Gromnir is the first BR SJW I've ever seen.. but then... he's also the first creepy as fuck cos-player who talks in third person about video games and has some weird obsession with oldies music and black and white westerns...

 

[Ezrite]

I just finished it, I liked Caelar Argent, nice to see a non evil villian for once. But that forced tie in to BG2....

 

[Dreaad]

Spoiler

Really? What was there to like about Caelar? Just curious. She didn't really have an opinion on anything, wasn't in control of her crusade, didn't do anything amazing, her plan isn't even her plan. She's just some idiot with divine blood no?

If it's just that she's 'not evil', I mean at the end she makes a big speech about how she would kill thousands of people and burn down cities (her excuse being, those people don't do anything useful anyway lel) if it would mean saving her uncle..... sounds pretty evil to me. She's by far the stupidest antagonist in the series, besides maybe that half ork leading the kobolds inside the Nashkel mines.

 

[Infinitron]

http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/117110-baldurs-gate-siege-of-dragonspear-reviews-4.html

A few more critiques of Beamdog's Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear expansion have rolled in following the lazy weekend, starting with a favorable piece on Brainy and Nerdy that scores it a 9/10 while also calling out a caveat that its bugs must be fixed to earn such a rating:

Let us summarize the impressions we had of the game: the story was quite reminiscent of the first two games, the interface is a bit better, the music was quite wonderful, quests were varied and you encountered many diverse monsters along the way to keep your interest peaked. Baldur’s Gate Siege of Dragonspear managed to add a part to the amazing game and it is mostly consistent with the rest so it is a real triumph in our opinion. If the bugs get fixed then this game definitely deserves 9 out of 10.

Then we stop by TechRaptor for a less enthusiastic review that concludes with a score of 6/10:

This can sum up the experience in a nutshell for Siege of Dragonspear, unintentionally jarring. It is not a bad game by any stretch of the word, and for those familiar with the Baldur’s Gate setting, combat system, or simply want to play a “modern” add-on to an old-school RPG, it should at least be considered for a purchase despite the problems plaguing the title. Passion may drive us to be ardently against something that attempts something new, but that new experience may surprise you if you let it.

And then we take in a 47-minute video review via Matt Chat #336 that finishes off without a score:

 

[Rivmusique]

the interface is a bit better

 

[Ezrite]

Spoiler

Really? What was there to like about Caelar? Just curious. She didn't really have an opinion on anything, wasn't in control of her crusade, didn't do anything amazing, her plan isn't even her plan. She's just some idiot with divine blood no?

If it's just that she's 'not evil', I mean at the end she makes a big speech about how she would kill thousands of people and burn down cities (her excuse being, those people don't do anything useful anyway lel) if it would mean saving her uncle..... sounds pretty evil to me. She's by far the stupidest antagonist in the series, besides maybe that half ork leading the kobolds inside the Nashkel mines.

You know, Lawful Stupid is around for a reason.

Spoiler

But we cannot help that they ruined her a bit in the end. I mean, Sarevok was a fucking retard to. He would have started a war with Amn, a place that is a country, not a city state and he would have attracted the more mighty Bhaalspawns that we later see in Throne of Bhaal or even Jon Irenicus to himself. So when he sits there, land locked in a gruesome combat, he get kidnapped by Jon Irenicus while the other spawns wreck whatever resistance his loyalist can offer. Jon Irenicus? Well I guess he was better written but is a bit to damn desperate to get his "revenge". I still think she had an idea, a concept and had her men be loyal to her into the very end. But not being able to warn her of that fucked up elf was annoying. Maybe Jon was smarter and had a concept but Sarevoks idea is as fucked up insane as Caelars. And Caelar had some pretty damn loyal and powerful allies. Like that one The Barghest and his band in the end. It was late and I could not be arsed to kill him and his band, hell was easier.

Most villians are often stupid or far fetched I think. The more elaborate and fucked up ideas they have, the more insane and crazy they sound. Invade hell? Start a war of slaughter so you become a Bhaalspawn? But then the villian that is "lol I just do it cause I can and to spread chaos and evil" is also a really boring and dull concept of douchebag evil.