Lilura's Blog: An Ongoing Codexian Obsession

[Catacombs]

no annoying companions like Aerie crying all the time

I always wanted to strangle her anytime her text box appeared.

 

[Mark Richard]

Of course, in most cases, adding kits to BG1 completely imbalances a campaign whose combat encounters were not designed with the additions in mind, but that's a problem for EE, Tutu and BGT players to wallow in, and original game balance will forever elude them until they play the original as it was intended by BioWare.

Indeed, I'd go as far as to say that those who have only played BG1 in the BG2 engine have not actually experienced BG1 as per dev intent. They have played an abomination.

 

[Lone Wolf]

Were? They still are.

I see this thread is a den for puzzle tacticians, who love their 'encounter design' and - like Lilura - believe that 'combat is the most important thing in an RPG'. When you live in that world, you can - with a straight face - call Silent Storm a better RPG than fucking Planescape Torment.

Or completely forgettable cavalcades of tactical encounters like IWD/IWD2 as better RPGs than BG2.

 

[PompiPompi]

Baldur's gate is iconic.
I thought about getting Ice Wind dale when it was out, but someone on the internet told me it's not very good and that it barely has any story. So I never tried it ever since.
NWN is pretty awesome as well.
The only issue is that when I played the multiplayer, I had a half orc Barbarian, and there were two factions. When I challaneged one of the halfing, I countred on having Uncanny Dodge that Barbarians have, but at the time, this was not present in NWN2 eventhough it was based on D&D.
Still... I had the hope that it will be triggered magically eventhough there is no indication of it in the game.
I died from a single hit by a degenerate halfing.
I stopped playing it afterwards.
But later I saw they added Uncanny Dodge for the Barbarian. But my Humiliation will never heal from the early days.

 

[Jvegi]

completely forgettable cavalcades of tactical encounters like IWD/IWD2

They're not forgettable. They're still some of the best. Meanwhile, the story and worlbuilding elements of BG2 were further developed and experimented upon in games with absolutely forgettable encounters. Jade Empire was a very enjoyable, cinematic experience back in a day. So was Kotor 1 and ME, and DA. But without proper mechanics and gameplay those games became more and more boring, despite the ever increasing amount of NPC interactions.

BG2 does an admirable job of combining gameplay and story, but after all those years It's value has diminished. Meanwhile, outliers like IWD and PST are still relevant.

 

[Lone Wolf]

They're not forgettable.

You say that, but I finished both and couldn't tell you much beyond the barest of barebones recollections of what actually happened in those games.

but after all those years It's value has diminished. Meanwhile, outliers like IWD and PST are still relevant.

I would say the case is exactly opposite for IWD (though PST is obviously still relevant, and remains one of the best stories ever told in an RPG).

 

[Poseidon00]

Baldur's Gate 1 vs Baldur's Gate 2



How you people feel about this hot take? Is BG1 better than BG2?

Yeah, man. BG1 has more personality, more freedom, interesting companions with or without mods. I like BG2 but there is a reason I have modded for and replayed BG1 many times and have only ever done BG2/TOB a handful of times.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

I'm not sure Lilura is even still alive.

May she/he/it... rise from the cybergrave someday.

 

[ItsChon]

BG2 is a bloated, uninspiring mess of a game. I've replayed IWD and BG 4-6 times and I couldn't get more than two hours into BG2 before I dropped it with disgust. IDK what it is, but the dialogue and writing seemed cringeier than BG's too. No idea what people see in BG2.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

BG: Rogue-like maybe. Sword of Fargoal like. Keep going deeper and deeper... how far can you delve. No story, no plot, just kill shit and loot and climb out.

Maybe the next Undermountain should be that way since the first attempt was fagged up.

Maybe Pirates of Halaster-Space. Flying a spelljamming aphid through his brain.

 

[Melcar]

BG2 was more structured, had more form, forcing you to play and experience what the developers intended in a more specific and railroaded fashion. BG was more simple, bland, allowing you to fill in the massive gaps with your own imagination.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

Imagination bad???

 

[Lone Wolf]

but the dialogue and writing seemed cringeier than BG's too

Absolute insanity.

Yeah, man. BG1 has more personality, more freedom, interesting companions with or without mods.

'more personality' -> Which was? Map painting areas of the Sword Coast in Ch 1-3, with a couple of dungeons and a bunch of mini-encounters along the way, then travelling in a straight line to the end of the game?

'interesting companions' -> Most of which had virtually nothing to say; BG2 actually gave them personality, personal quests, arcs, resolutions.

'more freedom' -> The illusion thereof, certainly.

Imagination bad???

No, you're right, what makes a good RPG is the imagination you bring to the table.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

I'm not sure Lilura is even still alive.

May she/he/it... rise from the cybergrave someday.

In Memoriam, Lilura

Spoiler

Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue, 1992

 

[Darth Canoli]

I'm not sure Lilura is even still alive.

Shilling BGs for so long and lobbying for categorizing JA 2 as a RPG, the Chinese government probably sent him to a reeducation center.
We'll never hear from him again...

 

[*-*/\--/\~]

Good riddance then. Though my guess would be that thing just iggy binned the whole Codex and got bored on an "empty" forum.

 

[Efe]

she recently got married.
give her some time and her love of codex will bring her back here.

 

[Roguey]

Absolute insanity.

David Gaider definitely brought changes to the tone of writing. Josh Sawyer noticed and didn't like it either.

Lilura1 December 26, 2020

Note to readers: I'm currently playing through and posting about Storm of Zehir. The posts are being backdated in order to keep the BG1 vs. BG2 write-up at the top of the blog.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[TemplarGR]

Lilura got married? Damn, now the last chance of most codexers to get laid is Lady Error , and she is a tinfoil hated germanoid cougar. Oh well, at least we got Cyberpunk waifus.

 

[Ol' Willy]

Lilura got married? Damn, now the last chance of most codexers to get laid is Lady Error , and she is a tinfoil hated germanoid cougar. Oh well, at least we got Cyberpunk waifus.

At least you have enough of butt action, right?

 

[Efe]

Thanks to greek femboy TemplarGR , testosterone levels of codex is being kept in check

 

[Lady_Error]

Lilura got married? Damn, now the last chance of most codexers to get laid is Lady Error , and she is a tinfoil hated germanoid cougar. Oh well, at least we got Cyberpunk waifus.

I love it how all the people who believe in "conspiracy theories" themselves pretend that they don't. Yes, we may disagree on details but you are just as tinfoil hatted, if not more.

And you've got bad taste in games.

 

[Heroic Liberator]

Lilura got married? Damn, now the last chance of most codexers to get laid is Lady Error , and she is a tinfoil hated germanoid cougar. Oh well, at least we got Cyberpunk waifus.

I love it how all the people who believe in "conspiracy theories" themselves pretend that they don't. Yes, we may disagree on details but you are just as tinfoil hatted, if not more.

And you've got bad taste in games.

At least you don't claim to have spoken with God, unlike Templaroglu.

 

[Jack Of Owls]

Don't get me wrong... I like Lilura... usually... but this news of her getting married is the most surprising thing I've seen on the 'dex since learning that Maxie was once able to maintain an erection with a woman to sire a child