Gothic play Gothic 1 first or go straight to 2?

[Mastermind]

Go straight to Arcania, the only Gothic worth playing.

A Bethesdard who loves D3 enjoys arcania. Is everything that you need to know...

PS : Arcania Sucks by the same reason that D3 sucks. Carnavalesque armor + a lot of ludonarrative dissonance.

Arcania has smooth gameplay (like D3), true, but the story and dialogue is a clever parody specifically designed to mock tryhard retards who use terms like "ludonarrative dissonance". I'm not surprised you hate it given that you're the punch line to the Arcania joke.

 

[Whiny-Butthurt-Liberal]

Well the penal colony in 1 is at least an original premise

Yes, a medieval fantasy RPG with the protagonist starting out as a prisoner for some unspecified crime is extremely original.

Penal colony in which you spend a whole game is quite different from a prison that merely serves as a first dungeon... or a character creation system.

Yes, but the "prison" is just a generic fantasy world with knights, mages and thieves (that you can join), with the "prison" aspect just being a justification for having an in-game wall. I mean, the prison aspect not totally irrelevant as far as the game's atmosphere is concerned... but it's also not terribly original. Slightly different, at most.

In the second game they expanded the in-game world to the entire island, so the maritime borders serve as a natural wall.

Gothic 4

There is no such thing.

 

[Cat Dude]

Games from Gothic 1-3 have horrible combat animation. If you used to play Dark Souls then don't bother to play Gothic 1-3.

 

[Marat]

By the love of Adanos, why this hate towards returning? I mean, Mount & Blade has naruto and star wars mods. But someone makes a mod which makes dragons a dangerous enemies, allow the PC to become a water mage or a Xardas apprentice and ... "they are killing gothic"

Returning, I feel, is a typical representative of russian thought in modding. Technically impressive - artistically bankrupt, and, let's face it, nobody plays Gothic because he's impressed with it's technical side. Returning adds a whole slew of mechanics that Gothic never needed, it's quests make no sense and, if I remember correctly, you couldn't complete most without looking them up, massive amounts of non-immersive or outright nonsensical content completely break the coherence of the world and irreplicable climate it built. I could go on but just thinking about how you can be so passionate about Gothic to put so much work into modding it while simultaneously not understanding in the least what made it so great makes my head hurt (yes, the "remake" is guilty of it too).

 

[fantadomat]

On a PB kick. I finally got gothic 2 running with minimal stutters. But the amount of callbacks to previous events and characters makes me think i should play through G1 first

worth it or skip G1?

It depends on your tolerance for old. Gothic 2 is better game but Gothic 1 is still worth playing. It does have weird controls that need a bit to get used to,then they become pretty practical and intuitive. I would recommend playing them in order if you can get past the initially weird controls.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Gangrelrumbler]

Well the penal colony in 1 is at least an original premise

Yes, a medieval fantasy RPG with the protagonist starting out as a prisoner for some unspecified crime is extremely original.

Penal colony in which you spend a whole game is quite different from a prison that merely serves as a first dungeon... or a character creation system.

Yes, but the "prison" is just a generic fantasy world with knights, mages and thieves (that you can join), with the "prison" aspect just being a justification for having an in-game wall. I mean, the prison aspect not totally irrelevant as far as the game's atmosphere is concerned... but it's also not terribly original. Slightly different, at most.

It's more than slightly different. First of all there are no actual knights in Gothic 1, they are all just crooks. City guards ask you for 'protection money' when you enter the first city. Half of the NPCs there are practically slaves, there are no women in sight except for 2 prostitutes servicing the boss.
There are also no knights or thieves to join in the first Gothic. There are no knights to be seen since all of them had been killed and people from both the old and new camp are as far from knights as you can get. As for thieves as far as I remember some people can teach you some thieve's skills but actual guild was only introduced in Gothic 2.

 

[Doktor Best]

Go straight to Arcania, the only Gothic worth playing.

A Bethesdard who loves D3 enjoys arcania. Is everything that you need to know...

PS : Arcania Sucks by the same reason that D3 sucks. Carnavalesque armor + a lot of ludonarrative dissonance.

Arcania has smooth gameplay (like D3), true, but the story and dialogue is a clever parody

 

[Gnidrologist]

This never should be a question. Both games play like a single wholesome story. Only difference is slightly better graphics and amount of content (especially with addon) in 2. The overall quality of design in both stays consistent and it's awesome to explore the Mine Valley in 2 and see how it has changed since 1.
As for me, i'm probably the rare person, who played both games with G1 controls, because i was perfectly accustomed to it since the first game and didn't like to relearn. It's jankyness is way overblown. Pretty standard shit for those times and still better then rolling around like a bellend that is supposed to be new shit.

 

[Dodo1610]

G1 is a very different game than the second. It's under 30h long and has a much simpler character system but the amazing atmosphere and a really unique plot. Sadly it's an unfinished game with lots of cut content and can be very buggy, so save often and early. The biggest challenge is getting into the weird control scheme but it's a pretty easy game once you join a guild and get a decent armour. But yes play it and the amazing second game will work even better when you meet the characters and places from the first game. It will feel like meeting old friends; not many games have ever achieved that in my opinion.

 

[Whiny-Butthurt-Liberal]

people from both the old and new camp are as far from knights as you can get

One of the camps was fighter-class oriented, the other was rogue-class oriented, and then there was the mage faction. Stop sperging over the word "knight", the point is that Gothic is one of the least original games in the history of gaming, at least as far as the story and setting are concerned. Fun to play and well-put together, sure. But there's not a single original/creative bone in it, or its developers.

Morrowind, otoh, was downright broken and underdeveloped without mods, but had one of the most original and creative settings in its genre.

Which is better and why?

 

[Bruma Hobo]

Well the penal colony in 1 is at least an original premise

Yes, a medieval fantasy RPG with the protagonist starting out as a prisoner for some unspecified crime is extremely original.

Penal colony in which you spend a whole game is quite different from a prison that merely serves as a first dungeon... or a character creation system.

Ultima Underworld and Exile/Avernum say hi (also the beginning of Dragon Wars). It was thanks to the game's more realistic and brutal atmosphere that the world felt kind of unique, but then again, that kind of stuff was already explored in games like Fallout, Dark Sun and (again) Dragon Wars. That's hardly truly original or creative, no matter how well crafted the end product ended up being.

 

[Whiny-Butthurt-Liberal]

Well the penal colony in 1 is at least an original premise

Yes, a medieval fantasy RPG with the protagonist starting out as a prisoner for some unspecified crime is extremely original.

Penal colony in which you spend a whole game is quite different from a prison that merely serves as a first dungeon... or a character creation system.

Ultima Underworld and Exile/Avernum say hi (also the beginning of Dragon Wars). It was thanks to the game's more realistic and brutal atmosphere that the world felt kind of unique, but then again, that kind of stuff was already explored in games like Fallout, Dark Sun and (again) Dragon Wars. That's hardly truly original or creative, no matter how well crafted the end product ended up being.

Also Arx Fatalis, now that I think about it. Well, sort of.

 

[Cryomancer]

Yes, but the "prison" is just a generic fantasy world with knights, mages and thieves

"Prison' is not a good way to "define" g1, a penal colony is a better therm. Like Ushuaia and Australia was in past.. And having 3 camps, one ruled by a iron first ore baron, other by water magicians and mercenaries trying to create a magical ore nuke to blow up a barrier and other with stoners addicted to swampweed who follows a strange religion is not "generic fantasy"...

Arcania has smooth gameplay (like D3), true, but the story and dialogue is a clever parody specifically designed to mock tryhard retards who use terms like "ludonarrative dissonance". I'm not surprised you hate it given that you're the punch line to the Arcania joke.

Gothic, since G1 is all about immersion. In what other game, when you pay someone to train you in one handed or two handed, your animation and stance changes? Cooldowns in rune magic(that shouldn't work past G3) and the awful story telling are just few of the hundreds of problems with Arcania. Luckily, PB made non canon and now, Gothic 4 arcania is just arcania because this shit doesn't deserve the gothic name.

MerlinPlays has a good video showing why G1 is great.

I feel, is a typical representative of russian thought in modding. Technically impressive - artistically bankrupt, and, let's face it, nobody plays Gothic because he's impressed with it's technical side. Returning adds a whole slew of mechanics that Gothic never needed, it's quests make no sense and, if I remember correctly, you couldn't complete most without looking them up, massive amounts of non-immersive or outright nonsensical content completely break the coherence of the world and irreplicable climate it built. I could go on but just thinking about how you can be so passionate about Gothic to put so much work into modding it while simultaneously not understanding in the least what made it so great makes my head hurt (yes, the "remake" is guilty of it too).

Most of the "hard to find stuff" are optional. If you wanna complete ret, you will have a hard task ahead.

As for the new mechanics, fatigue and other mechancis only exists on hardest difficulties. You can play on easy/normal and not care about it. The point of returning 2.0 is to bring a lot of fanfic work into gothic universe, you can dislike the Keepers and say that they killed most mysteries involving Gods, but see it as a fanfic. And you don't need to do that questline, nor the assassins questline(which is a good way to make a bridge with G3).

And ret also did a amazing thing. Make dragons fells more like legendary creatures. They have regen, summons, can cast circle 6 magic and a deadly 1k damage breath weapon with strong melee attacks, can push you 100m away knocking your down and only by being 300m near the fire/cold dragon lair, you take constant fire/cold damage.

And please. Don't compare with the remake. The remake is 100% trash. Some people on gothic community is too purist with mods. I mean, VtMB had the Antitribu mod which allows you to play as a Giovanni and Lasombra. Mount & Blade? Has WW2 mods, Star Wars and even Naruto mods. Nobody complains. When people mod a lot of OPTIONAL content and allow the PC to become apprentice of Xardas, the same guy who teaches circle 6 on G1, the purists "they are killing gothic story!!!"

 

[Whiny-Butthurt-Liberal]

"Prison' is not a good way to "define" g1, a penal colony is a better therm.

"Horribly unoriginal generic fantasy world" would be an even better therm.

 

[cretin]

im finding combat in G1 pretty incomprehensible. Chiefly against bloodflies. It seems pretty impossible to dodge their idle stinger attacks, doesnt matter what direction i move.

 

[Gangrelrumbler]

One of the camps was fighter-class oriented, the other was rogue-class oriented, and then there was the mage faction. Stop sperging over the word "knight", the point is that Gothic is one of the least original games in the history of gaming, at least as far as the story and setting are concerned. Fun to play and well-put together, sure. But there's not a single original/creative bone in it, or its developers.

That wasn't my impression in the game. Each camp has advancement routes for both fighters and mages. I don't eve know which camp do you mean by "mage oriented camp". The Old Camp where fire mages live? After all they are the faction for wizards in Gothic 2. The New Camp that is actually run by Water Mages? Or the weed oriented Swamp Camp?
What you've described is actually Gothic 2. There you have fighter's faction, rogue's faction, and the wizards. That's why it's not a strict upgrade over the first part and why Gothic 1 should not be skipped. Even if it's clunkier and has less content overall.

 

[Cryomancer]

What you've described is actually Gothic 2. There you have fighter's faction, rogue's faction, and the wizards. That's why it's not a strict upgrade over the first part and why Gothic 1 should not be skipped. Even if it's clunkier and has less content overall.

Well said. Magic on G1 is also much better than on G2. Due the fact that you don't run out of mana after each battle and have many paths to learn magic. The quickest way is becoming a swamp camp novice. But it caps you to circle 4 since you can't become a guru, only a templar(golden mod allow you to become a Guru and chances some things on the story), the new camp path takes far longer time and old camp, Corristo path is the most used by "pure" magicians.

My first Gothic was Gothic 3. When I tried G2, I spended hours and hours, talking and investigating in game how to become a water mage, only to give up, google and find that you can't... You can only be a sheep of Innos... After I finished Gothic 1, as a Templar, then re played doing the Corristo -> Saturas -> Xardas route, I got even more disappointed that Xardas who teaches circle 6 magic on G1, can't any teach magic on G2 to you. Instead, you learn how to make army of darkness and other runes on the Monastery of Innos(WTF? Fire mages teaching dark magic?) You can only ask for weapons. Luckily, Returning allow both. Water Mages and Necromancers. Templars and Gurus.

Lets be real, Templars are far more interesting as a hybrid class than ""paladins"". Far more original and interesting theme wise.

See how dope water magic is on ret 2.0.


-----------------

Other thing that I love on G1, is that there are enemies which you can't damage with low tier magic or strength/poor weaponry. Gothic 2 made you deal at worse, 5 damage per hit, so a lv 0 Bezi with poor weaponry can with patience and exploiting, kill an black troll.

Flat damage reduction is much better than percentage based reduction and Gothic is one of the few games which had it...

 

[Doktor Best]

im finding combat in G1 pretty incomprehensible. Chiefly against bloodflies. It seems pretty impossible to dodge their idle stinger attacks, doesnt matter what direction i move.

You're supposed to eat dirt at the beginning. Your character doesn't even know how to properly hold a sword. This is why you should avoid combat at the beginning and your first priority should be to learn a weapon skill. Things will pick up from there.

You will still often eat dirt though.

 

[octavius]

Flat damage reduction is much better than percentage based reduction and Gothic is one of the few games which had it...

IIRC Evil Islands had it too.

 

[Sweeper]

I'd say skip 1 due to the controls alone.
It's otherwise pretty good though.

 

[Silly Germans]

im finding combat in G1 pretty incomprehensible. Chiefly against bloodflies. It seems pretty impossible to dodge their idle stinger attacks, doesnt matter what direction i move.

Gothic 1's combat is extremely equipment dependent. If you aren't making leeway come back later when you have better armor and a better weapon. Increasing your weapon skill does little to mitigate the difference, it does change the animation and allows you easier attack chains but it doesn't increase your damage. Enemies that give you trouble in the beginning become one hit kills once you have better equipment, they can't even damage you even more once your armor value is high enough. Bloodflies should be easy to beat once you have joined a faction, obtaining their basic armor. It is generally a good idea to look out for better armor or amuletts and rings that increase your armor rating. The equipment in Gothic 2 is less pronounced since you can damage and block most enemies no matter what. In Gothic 1 it is possible that you do no damage at all or so little damage that is impractical to fight.

 

[Metro]

Controls in G1 are fine if you have two brain cells to rub together and can manage the monumental task of tying your own shoelaces.

 

[Butter]

Controls in G1 are fine if you have two brain cells to rub together and can manage the monumental task of tying your own shoelaces.

If I push a button, can I expect something awesome to happen?

 

[Lord_Potato]

Controls in G1 are fine if you have two brain cells to rub together and can manage the monumental task of tying your own shoelaces.

If I push a button, can I expect something awesome to happen?

You actually have to push 2 buttons at once.