Want to get into an epic RPG: Baldur's Gate? BG II? NWN 2? Advice welcome

[poohbear]

Dragon age 1 is a good one if ure looking for something similar to BG, but my all time favorite is witcher 2. Incredible RPG & the best one since the BG days.

 

[TheKub]

I tried to kill Drizzt, but he's super fast and one-hit all my fighters. i'll get back to him sometime later for revenge!

If you want to be cheap I believe I used a tactic in the past where you would send 3-4 members of your group to stand around him boxing him in then dismiss them so they are no longer in your party. Then you could use rage attacks to kill him.

 

[TheVrolok]

No, I dont think BG1 is essential. If you want to play BG2 without playing BG1, just read the wikipedia synopsis on BG1. Its important to know who the player character is, but otherwise, not much else is important. It helps to know where you might have seen a character before, but its not essential.

I played BG2 for the first time without playing BG1. I was a little confused at first, but its not a big thing.

I think you would be missing out on a lot in BG2 if you don't play BG1 first. Sure, you can read the plot/character elements in the Wiki, but by playing the first game you get "to know" the characters, you "grow" with them, you experience the plot with them, etc. By that point, you feel far more woven into the story by BG2. In BG2, I found myself smiling immediately when I noticed a small reference to BG1 that would have otherwise been missed. It's like having a good group of friends with which you share inside jokes. That said, I played these games when they came out, and I was 13-15 or so. I may not find myself as involved without a younger man's mind.

 

[Sulaco]

Can anyone sort of briefly summarize what they felt made BG II superior? Or BG 1 inferior, as the case seems to be?

I think what I'll do is find the discs for BG II and reinstall it. Then purchase BG 1 from GoG for $10, and give it a few hours. Generally with RPGs I try and give them about 10 hours or so before passing judgement. Is that a fair amount of time to get a feel for BG1 and see what it has to offer? I really don't want to coerce myself into grinding through 20 hours of gameplay just to discover it's not getting any better. Hence, asking these questions in the first place.

Thanks.

 

[you2]

Bluntly I just found bg1 to be boring. bg2 has more action but still held a tight story.

 

[shortylickens]

Can anyone sort of briefly summarize what they felt made BG II superior? Or BG 1 inferior, as the case seems to be?

I think what I'll do is find the discs for BG II and reinstall it. Then purchase BG 1 from GoG for $10, and give it a few hours. Generally with RPGs I try and give them about 10 hours or so before passing judgement. Is that a fair amount of time to get a feel for BG1 and see what it has to offer? I really don't want to coerce myself into grinding through 20 hours of gameplay just to discover it's not getting any better. Hence, asking these questions in the first place.

Thanks.

Better overall story. Much better dialog, both related to the main quest and also character interactions. Better quests in terms of depth and problem solving and also avoiding all the usual D&D cliches. More intricate dungeons and better use of monsters with special abilities. This goes hand in hand with all the higher level spells and more utility spells, a lot of potential for good tactics there, if you know how to take advantage of it.
And better equipment, including special items which again, make for better tactics. Using the Horn to summon the berzerk warrior is a great way to deal with mind flayors for example. Summoning a horde of nishruu or hakeshar is good for liches and the mega-mages you find, not because they can damage or kill them, but occupy their spells.

All the zones of the town are well labeled and each one has meaningful, unique encounters and quests.

Better selection of classes and more ways to mix & match them. Kits, which can make for some real powerhouses, like the undead hunter which is excellent for all those vampire gangs you'll deal with.

Watchers Keep, which is so awesome I cannot describe it in the 12 minutes before Acct 301 starts.

I'll get back to you later.

 

[TheVrolok]

Can anyone sort of briefly summarize what they felt made BG II superior? Or BG 1 inferior, as the case seems to be?

I think what I'll do is find the discs for BG II and reinstall it. Then purchase BG 1 from GoG for $10, and give it a few hours. Generally with RPGs I try and give them about 10 hours or so before passing judgement. Is that a fair amount of time to get a feel for BG1 and see what it has to offer? I really don't want to coerce myself into grinding through 20 hours of gameplay just to discover it's not getting any better. Hence, asking these questions in the first place.

Thanks.

I wonder if those who felt BG1 was inferior played BG1 at release, and then BG2 at release or played both much later. I could understand someone who played BG1/2 years after release saying that BG2 > BG1. Because yes, the game came out 2 years later and there was quite a bit of improvement in gaming during those 2 years (every year passing in the 90s was a massive improvement for gaming).

BG2 engine is much prettier and adds a lot of functionality (more environmental interaction, etc.), there is a lot more interaction between party members and there are romance options available. Basically BG2 is an improved and polished BG1 with a continuation of the story.

Is it better? I have a hard time saying it's better outright. It's newer? Yes. It's updated? Yes. It's even more in depth? Yes. Because it builds upon it's predecessor, but without BG1, BG2 falls. If there were 2 different games, yes BG2 may be "better." But to me, and maybe this is my issue, they are inseparable. I can't say BG2 is better, because it's just an evolution of BG1. Pedantic maybe? Clouded by nostalgia? Perhaps.

 

[TheVrolok]

Watchers Keep, which is so awesome I cannot describe it in the 12 minutes before Acct 301 starts.

Watcher's Keep ... so awesome.

 

[Borealis7]

i found the Underdark much more awesome than Watcher's Keep.
everything in the Underdark is just epic.

Beholders, Mind Flayers and Drow. Oh My!

 

[s44]

Watchers Keep, which is so awesome I cannot describe it in the 12 minutes before Acct 301 starts.

I can describe it perfectly: only half as awesome as Durlag's tower (from the BG1 expansion).

I seriously hope OP isn't reading this thread any more. A good part of the BG2 experience is your jaw dropping as you realize that the game ALSO has __.

 

[pwnagesarus]

i found the Underdark much more awesome than Watcher's Keep.
everything in the Underdark is just epic.

Beholders, Mind Flayers and Drow. Oh My!

Agreed. Underdark is easily one of my favorite parts of the Baldur's Gate series.

Watcher's Keep was a great dungeon crawl but by then my party was developed enough that for most of it, the pucker factor wasn't very high. I am tempted to start ToB over again with the Ascension mods.