Current Events > is Baldurs Gate 1 and 2 any good?

(+) Yeah! (+)

they look like really old type of RPG but the enhanced edition does it some justice and is it difficult to play?

They are good games. "Difficult to play" is kind of subjective. It will take a little more time/thought to pick up the interface than modern games that leave the control scheme up on the screen all the time, and it's a "real-time" game but you'll probably want to pause it frequently to input new orders to your party members.

Mechanically it shouldn't be hard to figure out and enjoy though. And they are true role-playing games so you actually have dialogue options and choices to make...
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yea i played them a couple years ago and they're still a lot of fun to play. it's similar to play like the old diablo games and i still think they aged well. game should be easy enough to pick up and play. does have a decent enough challenge and you can replay it on harder difficulties. fun co-op game as well.

Yes, big time good.

BG2 is still a GOAT RPG

Cocytus posted...

Yes, big time good.

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BG2 is meh and overrated

BG1 is a great game. It WAS one of the best games of all time when it came out. However it has dated horribly.

it's difficult and confusing for newcomers not used to that kind of game.
Graphics suck.
Story-telling is just long text-boxes.

And the areas are stupid. Insanely large with only 1 or 2 things of interest in the entire place that you have to comb if you want to find them.

The game also shoe horns you into needing to sleep which is not fun and just an annoyance on long journeys

The story is good, lovable characters, it is fun to explore and there is a lot to find. So much great sound design and feels. Such a truly whimsical experience and one hell of a timesink

It's an amazing game and deserves all it's praises, you should try it.

But only the fanboyist of massive biased rose tinted fanboys can't look at Neverwinter Nights, Dragon Age, Skyrim, Witcher, Oblivion and say that Baldur's Gate hasn't been surpassed.

BG is like losing your virginity. Sure it was amazing when it happened and you look back on it fondly, and if you haven't lost your virginity I reccomend doing so.

But anyone who claims losing their virginity was their best time and that they can't have better sex now, then thats on them and their own issues. Everyone else has gotten better since then.
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UnfairRepresent posted...

BG2 is meh and overrated

This is mind-boggling in how wrong it is.
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DrizztLink posted...

UnfairRepresent posted...

BG2 is meh and overrated

This is mind-boggling in how wrong it is.

Said with a straight face from a man with a "Drizzt" username.

TC you won't know this but that's a character from DND, the universe in which BG2 is set in.

Take every single post he says the same way as you'd take someone called GokuBulma34 telling you that Dragonball GT is a masterpiece or TrumpFanClintonsux telling you that Net Neutrality is a terrible thing.

It's fanboyism
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Nice ad hominem, try again.
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That's not an ad hominem.

Ad hominem would be saying "we need to cut taxes because pat is an idiot "

Telling someone that you have a fanboy username so take everything you say as something someone with a fanboy username would say is good sound advice and no attack or deflection of any point. Let alone an insult
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BG 1 will kick your ass if you don't pick some kind of a fighter character, but the game is trying to make you feel like a little fish pulled out of the pond and tossed into the ocean, once you gain a couple of levels it's not so easy to die. If you're not familiar with AD&D, some things will feel a little weird at first, like how your To-Hit score (THAC0) and Armor Class get better as they go down, but once you get used to it it's not too bad. Save often, and pause often during fights, positioning is important. There are a lot of areas to explore, some of them are optional, and Unfair is right that they do feel kinda empty.

BG 2 does away with the emptiness, one of the few examples I can give of a sequel streamlining things the right way. I've replayed BG 2 so many times I know it like the back of my hand, it's my favourite game I've ever played. Once you learn to use magic in both of those games for protections, buffs, and debuffs instead of the damage spells, it's not so difficult any more, there's a fair amount of fights where you need to protect yourself from being disabled by negative status effects or else you get destroyed.
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I'm downloading Baldurs Gate 2 enhanced edition so excited!

satoes posted...

I'm downloading Baldurs Gate 2 enhanced edition so excited!

Don't want to start with 1?
It's better
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UnfairRepresent posted...

DrizztLink posted...

UnfairRepresent posted...

BG2 is meh and overrated

This is mind-boggling in how wrong it is.

Said with a straight face from a man with a "Drizzt" username.

TC you won't know this but that's a character from DND, the universe in which BG2 is set in.

Take every single post he says the same way as you'd take someone called GokuBulma34 telling you that Dragonball GT is a masterpiece or TrumpFanClintonsux telling you that Net Neutrality is a terrible thing.

It's fanboyism

Don't listen to Unfair TC, BG2 is excellent. Also note how they mention Skyrim, Dragon age ect, but fails to mention Pilars of Eternity, Divinity OS and Tides of Numenera, all spiritual successors to BG and critically acclaimed.
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Majority have said 2 is better and elsewhere I've had someone tell me it doesn't kick my ass as much as the first in difficulty terms but I'll probably get to the first later

satoes posted...

I'm downloading Baldurs Gate 2 enhanced edition so excited!

There are plot points from BG 1 which are relevant to BG 2, I would suggest playing the first game at least once so you get the references
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Not to derail TCs topic, but right now I'm playing Divinity Original Sin 2. It's my first game of this genre and holy shit I am LOVING it. Should I check out Baldurs Gate when I'm done with it? I've had my eye on Torment: Tides of Numeria and Wasteland 2 as well.
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Yeah, I would start with the 1st if you could. It is all one story and you continue your character throughout it all.

Can start with the second one fine though, but do miss out on a bit of the story is all, but it is largely all explained to you.
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UnfairRepresent posted...

That's not an ad hominem.

Ad hominem would be saying "we need to cut taxes because pat is an idiot "

Telling someone that you have a fanboy username so take everything you say as something someone with a fanboy username would say is good sound advice and no attack or deflection of any point. Let alone an insult

Yes it is a form of ad hominem - akin to an appeal to motive or possibly poisoning the well in this case. Which can be legitimate, but a d&d username by itself isn't enough to question the truth of the statement. For example, I don't have a d&d username and happen to agree with his original point :P
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HaVeNII7 posted...

Not to derail TCs topic, but right now I'm playing Divinity Original Sin 2. It's my first game of this genre and holy shit I am LOVING it. Should I check out Baldurs Gate when I'm done with it? I've had my eye on Torment: Tides of Numeria and Wasteland 2 as well.

Seem my above post.

BG is a great game but Divinity etc is just BG upgraded so.... It's sort of a "IF you liked it here is some more of it" but if you want something different or spectacular, then it won't provide it. Just a second helping
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InYourWalls1 posted...

UnfairRepresent posted...

That's not an ad hominem.

Ad hominem would be saying "we need to cut taxes because pat is an idiot "

Telling someone that you have a fanboy username so take everything you say as something someone with a fanboy username would say is good sound advice and no attack or deflection of any point. Let alone an insult

Yes it is a form of ad hominem - akin to an appeal to motive or possibly poisoning the well in this case. Which can be legitimate, but a d&d username by itself isn't enough to question the truth of the statement. For example, I don't have a d&d username and happen to agree with his original point :P

UnfairRepresent is a well-known troll around here, I thought people just learned to ignore him by now
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satoes posted...

Majority have said 2 is better and elsewhere I've had someone tell me it doesn't kick my ass as much as the first in difficulty terms but I'll probably get to the first later

It's easier sure but it's worse and you'll miss out on a lot of story.

Like starting with a meh desert and then following it with a good meal
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UnfairRepresent posted...

BG is a great game but Divinity is just BG upgraded so...

What?

They aren't much alike at all. Besides being isometric games, they differ quite a lot.

Completely different combat systems, and story isn't really that much of a focus point of the game - rather being able to do what you like is.

If you want an upgraded Baldur's Gate, then things like Pillars of Eternity or Tyranny are more like that.
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UnfairRepresent posted...

and if you haven't lost your virginity I reccomend doing so

This made me laugh out loud
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Funkydog posted...

They aren't much alike at all. Besides being isometric games, they differ quite a lot.

Compared to Skyrim? dragon age? Witcher etc?

No Divinity and Pillars are more like BG
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UnfairRepresent posted...

Compared to Skyrim? dragon age? Witcher etc?

No Divinity and Pillars are more like BG

I didn't say otherwise?

But Divinity isn't much of a successor game to Baldurs Gate like Pillars at all.
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Funkydog posted...

I didn't say otherwise?

No you just argued with me for saying it.

So in other words you're arguing for no reason and just agree with me
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Guys, stop feeding him Jesus Christ...
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UnfairRepresent posted...

Funkydog posted...

I didn't say otherwise?

No you just argued with me for saying it.

So in other words you're arguing for no reason and just agree with me

...what?

I mean, really, what? Normally you at least make some sense in your illogical arguing, but I genuinely don't have a clue what point you think you have or are trying to claim this time.

Either way. If someone wants games like Baldurs Gate, Tides of Numenera, Pillars of Eternity and Tyranny are all good examples of it. Divinity is a great one as well, but the combat system (like Numenera) is very different.
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Funkydog posted...

I mean, really, what? Normally you at least make some sense in your illogical arguing

Now Drizzt, that's an example of an Ad Hominem,.
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Also,

Neverwinter Nights can be fantastic, but for the player made modules rather than the base game itself. The base game is rather meh, but the modules players have made can be fantastic. Also roleplaying servers still up, if you are into that kind of thing as well I believe.
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Holy hell this topic derailed.. anyway is Divinity that kickstarted game that got really high reviews? I didn't know it was in vein of the same genre

Funkydog posted...

Also,

Neverwinter Nights can be fantastic, but for the player made modules rather than the base game itself. The base game is rather meh, but the modules players have made can be fantastic. Also roleplaying servers still up, if you are into that kind of thing as well I believe.

100% agree with this.

NVN's modding community is one of the most underrated things on the internet and the fact so many of the old modules are lost now is depressing.

The base game is dated just like BG and very dungeon crawly but the good fan made modules are an endless source of fun
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satoes posted...

Holy hell this topic derailed.. anyway is Divinity that kickstarted game that got really high reviews? I didn't know it was in vein of the same genre

Divinity(2) and pillars were both kickstarted and got great reviews.

Divinity is done in an isometric style, but has a different combat system and less focus on story and more focus on letting you do any zany thing you want.
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Baldur's Gate 2 is a fantastic, fantastic game that massively improved on the first (itself still very good). It deserved almost every bit of praise it received although it's obviously showing its age these days. Still well worth playing.

You also won't miss much story by playing Shadows of Amn first; the major plot point from the first game is covered pretty much immediately and nothing else is carried over (there's no choice/consequence aspect to importing your character from what I remember, it's purely your character's level).

Hope you enjoy it anyway TC! What class are you planning on rolling with?
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LividDK posted...

You also won't miss much story by playing Shadows of Amn first; the major plot point from the first game is covered pretty much immediately and nothing else is carried over (there's no choice/consequence aspect to importing your character from what I remember, it's purely your character's level).

I mean, you do get to carry some items over and you get stat increases carried over if you used tomes on the main PC, but all the items are soon replaced with better so eh. >.> Only real one is the pantaloons, and not sure that is more than a joke item at the end :P
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Funkydog posted...

LividDK posted...

You also won't miss much story by playing Shadows of Amn first; the major plot point from the first game is covered pretty much immediately and nothing else is carried over (there's no choice/consequence aspect to importing your character from what I remember, it's purely your character's level).

I mean, you do get to carry some items over and you get stat increases carried over if you used tomes on the main PC, but all the items are soon replaced with better so eh. >.> Only real one is the pantaloons, and not sure that is more than a joke item at the end :P

Yeah, you're right. I was thinking more along the lines of story or character consequences but you do get some advantages for importing a character. I only ever did it once that I remember but I never felt weak or disadvantaged for starting with a fresh character.

Speaking of the pantaloons, don't they do something in the Throne of Bhaal expansion? Something to do with a golem?
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LividDK posted...

Speaking of the pantaloons, don't they do something in the Throne of Bhaal expansion?

Why yes, you also have to collect the Silver Pantaloons from Shadows of Amn and the Bronze Pantalettes from Throne of Bhaal, then take them to the appropriate person to get a purposely overpowered item
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synth_real posted...

LividDK posted...

Speaking of the pantaloons, don't they do something in the Throne of Bhaal expansion?

Why yes, you also have to collect the Silver Pantaloons from Shadows of Amn and the Bronze Pantalettes from Throne of Bhaal, then take them to the appropriate person to get a purposely overpowered item

Good memory!
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Uh, yes. They are God damn amazing games, and are essentially the cream of the cRPG experience. Play them.
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LividDK posted...

Yeah, you're right. I was thinking more along the lines of story or character consequences but you do get some advantages for importing a character. I only ever did it once that I remember but I never felt weak or disadvantaged for starting with a fresh character.

Oh yeah, no story consequences at all.

Well, technically one involving a certain drow, but otherwise none I recall.
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most of the major story elements of BGI are communicated to the player

certain sidequests have much more punch if you've played BGI though, most notably that of Lord Jierdan Firkraag. and your starting party--at least some of whom will be with you through the whole game--have experiences in BGII that playing the first game will enhance.

but i played 2 before 1 and didnt feel lost. the single most important detail--the big reveal of BGI, really--is told to the player at the outset of 2.
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Darkman124 posted...

the single most important detail--the big reveal of BGI, really--is told to the player at the outset of 2.

But then the big reveal is spoiled for you when you play BG 1
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