Baldur's Gate The Baldur's Gate Series Thread

[Sunsetspawn]

So I finally decided to fire up BG2: Shadows of Amn and I'd like to post thoughts here. These past few years have left me bored with most modern gaming, so I've been playing classics that I'd never touched before to see if they really are what they're claimed to be, or if nostalgia has blinded everybody.

First thoughts...

So, I have a big selection of spells with the magethief and the druidfighter when I fire up the spell toolbar, which is fine. I understand that starting me with a few simple spells would violate the story and I'm a storygameplay fag. Nothing fucks my suspension of disbelief faster than gameplay violating lore; that shit is dildos. Anyhow, the fact that I can't right-click on spells in the bar to get a description is fucking criminal. I don't know what your goofy little symbols represent yet, except for the ones with arrows because hurr derr direct attack spell, so I need to read about them...

a lot. So instead I have to open the goddamned cookbook all the time.

On to problem 2. What the fuck are those Paladin abilities I have? What book has those? I chose an Inquisitor because my experience on here tells me that the mages are going to be motherfuckers, so it was either that or Wizard Slayer. So my Inquisitor has special spell-like abilities on the task bar, and I'll be fucked if I can find a description of them anywhere. The only descriptions I can find are of the two that are unique to the Inquisitor.

Whatever, there's plenty to like, but bitching is where it's at, son. Post more tomorrow, gotta get sleep.

 

[Volourn]

RTFM

 

[octavius]

You're trying too hard.
Also, start with BG1.

 

[Average Manatee]

The extra abilities on your bar are innate bhallspawn abilities. They mirror low level mage and cleric spells. Most of them should really be obvious what they do, even though the exact statistics of how they work aren't visible. They are chosen either dependent on your alignment or taken from an imported BG1 character (where you get different ones depending on your reputation at certain points in the game). If in doubt, it's not exactly hard to find online info on D&D in general or BG2's implementation of it.

Also, start with BG1.

haha, no. BG2 is superior and there's no real plot reason to do so.

 

[Oesophagus]

haha, no. BG2 is superior and there's no real plot reason to do so.

stat books bro. Or if you don't care about playing bg1 just shadowkeeper stats by +1

 

[Grunker]

Install BGT. Start with BG1 and play through it all. BG2 is surperior but BG1 is great as well.

Also, I brofisted a Volourn-post. I now feel dirty and must take a shower.

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

Don't play BG1, if you do it that way I can guarantee that you'll get bored and won't finish BG2 or won't even get to it.

Also, if you're looking for tasty mage duels, inquisitor will make sure you won't see them. It's a very imba subclass and makes all mage encounters absolute cakewalk.

 

[Shadenuat]

haha, no. BG2 is superior and there's no real plot reason to do so.

If he started with BG1, he'll have to do with only a very few spells from the beginning, and he'd gradually learn which spell does what through the game. Same with class abilities.
BG2 is a sequel, a real sequel, not Mass Effect sequel, where you're supposed to know what Magic Missile does.

 

[Average Manatee]

haha, no. BG2 is superior and there's no real plot reason to do so.

If he started with BG1, he'll have to do with only a very few spells from the beginning, and he'd gradually learn which spell does what through the game. Same with class abilities.
BG2 is a sequel, a real sequel, not Mass Effect sequel, where you're supposed to know what Magic Missile does.

It's a boring, drawn out generic game with little of interest making up 90% of the content. Fuck everything else, being a boring game trumps any positive you can come up with.

 

[Shadenuat]

It can be finished relatively quickly if you only follow the main plot.
And for everything else, exists Icewind Dale 1.

 

[SCO]

BG1 is very similar to BG2 except less 'condensed' (until the city is open anyway) - keep that in mind when people say 'it's boring'. If you install a few mods, like aurora, they get very similar (banters, etc). I don't counsel you to install npc mods except BG1 npcs though. NPC mods are where slash fanfic authors go to die.

Also, parts of it are superior to some parts of BG2, for instance, there are some alternate solutions involving the charm spell.
And Throne of Bhaal except Watcher's keep sucks. In fact, the best dungeon of the series is in the expansion of BG1, and this means you'll miss it.

 

[Ulminati]

Get Tutu and play BG1 in BG2 for slightly less obnoxious UI and better scaling to high resolutions.

 

[hoverdog]

Get Tutu

 

[Lilura]

The Inquisitor is indisputably a strong class you can solo the game with, but I'm not sure if they're a good pick for a newbie because their innate Dispel ability is sort of a "lazy" way of dealing with spellcasters, you don't learn how to properly counter what these most interesting foes do, there is a whole batch of debuffing spells you'll never need to learn, you just casually drop your 2xDispel nuke and then hack the laid bare foes into pieces.
lolDispel is also a double-edged sword in that unless you judge the AoE well you'll also debuff your own party.

This is how an "epic" mage encounter works for an Inquisitor:

lolTrue Sight
lolDispel
Hack-hack-CHUNK!

They also lack most of what makes a Pally differ from a fighter, so no Lay on Hands, no Turn Undead and no lvl1-3 Cleric spells (Armor of Faith!) to cast. They can wield Carsomyr but their innate debuff still Dispels at a higher level than the sword's on-hit debuff.

For newbies who want to go "basic melee" I recommend Undead Hunter or Cav (Pally kits) or Dwarven Berserker or Barb. With the exception of stealth you have to deal with mages/dragons/supernaturals on fair ground (ie, with your own mages) but you still have some strong resistances to what negative status they can inflict on you to not be put off too much by them.

And I have to second playing BG1, though it isn't necessary to enjoying BG2.

 

[Kem0sabe]

Just wait for the Enhanced Edition of BG2 before playing it, it will be so much better than the original... and you can use the mouse wheel to zoom and see Boo in all his pixelated glory!

 

[SCO]

Ban Kem0sabe for unsophisticated sarcasm

 

[Kem0sabe]

Ban Kem0sabe for unsophisticated sarcasm

10m to lunch... sophistication wen´t out the window 50m ago.

 

[Hobo Elf]

haha, no. BG2 is superior and there's no real plot reason to do so.

If he started with BG1, he'll have to do with only a very few spells from the beginning, and he'd gradually learn which spell does what through the game. Same with class abilities.
BG2 is a sequel, a real sequel, not Mass Effect sequel, where you're supposed to know what Magic Missile does.

This. Starting out with BG2 can be overwhelming. Plus BG1 isn't as bad as some of the chumps ITT would have you think. It's the same shit but with a lower level party, so it's a matter of preference; do you like low level D&D or high level D&D? Personally I like low level parties, thus I prefer BG1 over BG2. Also, it has less OP magical items and when you do find a magical weapon or piece of equipment it feels special and important. BG2 is just munchkin hevan.

 

[villain of the story]

Has there been a mod attempt to merge BG1+BG2? Though I guess it would be impossible but maybe with that new engine rewrite, it might be done.

 

[Lilura]

Get Tutu

It seems you have a problem with Tutu, is it how it unbalances BG1 in certain ways or do you just prefer BGT?

 

[octavius]

Get Tutu

 

[SCO]

Has there been a mod attempt to merge BG1+BG2? Though I guess it would be impossible but maybe with that new engine rewrite, it might be done.

That's BGT. You can't return though (it's possible to implement, but it wouldn't make any sense, obviously, and it would be a heck of a lot of work, removing all the duplicate npcs; quests pertaining thereof).

Also Bioware spectacularly fucked up with Imoen (there are about 5 different 'Imoen's in different stages of BG2), just as a example of how this sort of thing is coded in the main game; everyone knows Imoen is immortal in the first dungeon of BG2 because of story reasons, not everyone has had to deal with the pain of the horrible approach that Bioware took to code that.
The end result is that identity is not assured in IE, and thus you can't really do things that depend on it. A mod that is supposed to work in both BG1 and BG2 (and BGT by extension) needs to change most of these 'Imoen's. Making the transition back and forth seamless, would mean that scripts that refer BG1 'Imoen' would suddenly need to refer also to (most of) the BG2 'Imoen's.

 

[ZagorTeNej]

This. Starting out with BG2 can be overwhelming. Plus BG1 isn't as bad as some of the chumps ITT would have you think. It's the same shit but with a lower level party, so it's a matter of preference; do you like low level D&D or high level D&D? Personally I like low level parties, thus I prefer BG1 over BG2. Also, it has less OP magical items and when you do find a magical weapon or piece of equipment it feels special and important. BG2 is just munchkin hevan.

Definitely, as a consequence of you tripping over uber items in BG2 (the expansion TOB is especially bad in that regard) (almost) nothing in the sequel compares to the feeling of finding a +1 magical weapon (so you don't have to carry around spare ones anymore due to plot reasons) and/or finally saving enough money to buy full plate armor in BG1, overall BG1's loot system is one of my favourite ever (along with PB games).

I also liked a semi sandbox approach BG1 had more, in addition to some small things like npcs (especially enemies) sometimes divulging extra information when they're under the effects of charm spell and having several stat checks (I remember a few charisma ones).

I also prefered Durlag's Tower over any other dungeon in the series, awesome atmosphere and encounter design.

 

[Grunker]

Get Tutu

+1

What the hell, Ulm? :O

 

[Corporate_Jew_Master]

You're trying to hard.
Also, start with BG1.

Dear lord.