So, Baldurs Gate

[Silva]

Just stumbled on some fella asking me to clean a house of rats. Then I enter the house and an EPIC WAR SONG begins as I fight little rats.

 

[ProphetSword]

I personally don't understand the love for these games. It's possible they have fantastic stories, but I wouldn't know since I can never get past the horribly shitty combat engine. For me, these games don't even deserve to stand in the shadow of the worst Gold Box game.

Clearly, I am not a fan. But you might be, so play it and find out. Or don't.

 

[Infinitron]

If you're going to play BG1, I would suggest you use the EasyTutu mod

Prepare to be Grunked.

 

[Delterius]

Someone recommends EasyTutu in 2013

 

[MicoSelva]

Whats the Running button in BG 1 ? The character is too slow.

Try changing the FPS to 60 in the config file.

 

[Xor]

Baldur's Gate 2 is really an incredibly open game, at least by modern standards. You're set free to do whatever quests you want with the nebulous goal of getting 20k gold almost right away. Then you have two factions to side with to advance the story, both of whom have different quests, then when you get to Brynnlaw there are about 4 different ways into Spellhold, then you can choose to go straight to the underdark or go through the Sanguine city first. Then you get to the underdark, and there are a ton of options - kill the silver dragon and go straight to the exit or go into the drow city, kill everything in the drow city to get the eggs or go in disguise, help the silver dragon by using the fake eggs (which you can only do if you don't kill the male drow whats-his-name) or betray the dragon by letting the drow use the real eggs, interrupt the ritual and kill everyone, let the ritual complete and kill everyone, use the eggs to make a request of the demon yourself after betraying all the drow. The end is pretty linear - you have to fight Bodhi to get into the elven city and there's no C&C in there that I can remember, but that's fine - it's the endgame and it doesn't really need branching.

ToB is linear as hell which is too bad. But getting to level 40 is fun, anyway, so that makes up for it.

 

[octavius]

I personally don't understand the love for these games. It's possible they have fantastic stories, but I wouldn't know since I can never get past the horribly shitty combat engine. For me, these games don't even deserve to stand in the shadow of the worst Gold Box game.

The combat engine is not that bad once you get used to it. I prefer to think of them as different, rather than inferior and superior. While I prefer turn based, I also find the simultaneity aspect of the IE games better at simulating the chaos of small scale battles.

But if you take the actual combat engine out of the equation, the IE games are superior in every regard:
Better encounter design.
Much wider variety in items, skills, classes, monsters and spells.
The monsters actually have some AI, which can be modified so well that enemy spell casters behave almost human like.
Thieves actally have use of their thieving skills.
The fog of war on each map, and the ability to send a scout to map adds another strategic layer to the game, where you can make more informed decisions on when to buff and when to avoid combat.

 

[Grunker]

I would suggest you use the EasyTutu mod

:rag-

Someone recommends EasyTutu in 2013

nevermind

 

[Abelian]

The main reason I suggested Tutu that was due to the improved resolutions, editable map notes and being able to import kit classes to BG2.
Myself, I prefer the style of BG1 in terms of character sprites and even the grey stone-work UI.
There also the BG1 Widescreen Mod that will only take care of resolution issue.

 

[Silva]

Ok, I found the file and increased the fps to 60. In time, I must say, as I was almost sleeping and giving up once again. The game became surprisingly fun now. Even the combat, which I always found boring.

Oh, and Ive just found a letter informing there is a bounty on my head, which reads as the following:
"Be it known to all of evil intent, that there is a bounty of 200 gold for the child of Gorion´s head..."

"Be it know to all of evil intent" ? This doesnt make sense. Why would the people issuing the bounty write something like that ? Its like someone in real life writes a book entitled "Hacking for Evil Dummies" or something. This is the kind of D&D thing that breaks my immersion.

 

[Delterius]

Good and Evil aren't just moral absolutes in Forgotten Realms, they are an actual, 'tangible', thing -- which can be even quantified via diviniation. Childish but you'll get used to it since it doesn't really matter, D&D CRPGs tend to phase that out, mostly.

 

[octavius]

"Be it know to all of evil intent" ? This doesnt make sense.

It does in Forgotten Realms where there are spells like Detect Alignment.

 

[Abelian]

They probably should have used this instead:

 

[Xor]

Now go do that voodoo that you do so well!

 

[Silva]

"Be it know to all of evil intent.." ? This doesnt make sense.

It does in Forgotten Realms where there are spells like Detect Alignment.

So its the norm in AD&D tabletop games ?

"Ooooh, come in my mouth!"

"I can't, mrs, I'm lawful-good"

I mean, characters actually think and talk like that in-game ?

 

[Kalin]

 

[ProphetSword]

My understanding was that characters didn't discuss alignment as it wasn't proper, but recognized it as a real thing. Can't recall what book I read that in after all these years.

 

[ProphetSword]

The combat engine is not that bad once you get used to it. I prefer to think of them as different, rather than inferior and superior. While I prefer turn based, I also find the simultaneity aspect of the IE games better at simulating the chaos of small scale battles.

But if you take the actual combat engine out of the equation, the IE games are superior in every regard:
Better encounter design.
Much wider variety in items, skills, classes, monsters and spells.
The monsters actually have some AI, which can be modified so well that enemy spell casters behave almost human like.
Thieves actally have use of their thieving skills.
The fog of war on each map, and the ability to send a scout to map adds another strategic layer to the game, where you can make more informed decisions on when to buff and when to avoid combat.

Getting used to something is not the same as liking something. I can respect that some people like these games...I'm just pointing out that for others, the real time combat destroys the actual game part, even if the story is good. Ultimately, they are still games and not books.

My fondest wish is that someone will remake these games with a decent turn based combat engine, but that will never happen.

 

[Infinitron]

The story is good?

 

[Silva]

"Hey nigga, Im Evil ok ? I admit, so save that detect alignment to other encounter.. Im from the Waterdeep guetto and I had to get a sword and do bad things because I didnt have another option.. it was that or seeing my wife and kids starving. I heard there are worlds where I would be Shades of Gray or something.. but the local cosmology says Im Evil... so wha can I do ? Im a victim, man.. a victim of the cosmology"

 

[ProphetSword]

The story is good?

I assume so. Why else would everyone praise these games as the second coming? Am I wrong? Please tell me yes, so I can quit worrying that I'm missing out on something.

 

[Silva]

im still in the beginning of the first one, so I cant judge it. But the second one has a good story, with good characters and a great great villain with a remarkable voice acting (Irenicus ?). So, if you´re in it for the story, I think its worth it.

 

[octavius]

The story is good?

I assume so. Why else would everyone praise these games as the second coming?

Why else? You think you need to be a storyfag to enjoy the BG games? As a combatfag I rate them higher than even the Gold Box games for the reasons I mentioned above.
I can also add things like party members being more than just numbers, with their banters, interjections and personal quests.

 

[Invictus]

Good to know you are having fun Silva I happen to like Baldur's Gate just fine
Not to hijack your thread but what mods are you using and what would be the essential mods for Baldur's Gate nowadays...I used to play with tutu but reading some of your reactions to it I am guessing there might be some better mods available
I am thinking of keeping the game pretty vanilla...but no thanks no EE for me
Please someone give Octavius back his kitty!

 

[Silva]

Invictus, Im playing the Enhanced Edition and finding it really good. But as I understand it the vanilla version + Mods provide the same experience for cheaper.

About the series huge success, its obvious the D&D brand is a big factor here. It seems to me the game managed to capture very well the D&D essence with its gear-based tactics of potions and spells and swords+1 uses etc which the fans always loved. And I dont blame them. If there was a Shadowrun PC game that perfectly captures the tabletop game essence, I suspect I wouldnt matter that it dont have much C&C or dynamic dialogues or multiple ways to succeed at quests or many things to do outside of combat like Baldurs Gate. (I lie. I would get pissed if a Shadowrun PC game was like that )