BG2 Appreciation thread

[DraQ]

I've recently started my adventure with BG2, and, so far, I'm very positively surprised, especially given how awful, boring, and awfuly boring was it's prequel.
BG2 delivers both, intrigue (entertaining even if it could have been a bit heavier), character interaction, gorgeous backgrounds and phat lewt (maybe a bit too much of the last one, but it's still better than in BG1 where there was no interesting loot to distract you from horrid gameplay and everything else).

This game is quite awesome, maybe not Torment grade awesome, but it's exactly how an average RPG would look like if we lived in a perfect world. Alas, we don't.

 

[RK47]

I wouldn't mind shelling out 10 bucks per month if Troika could come up with decent TOEE modules that takes 10 hours to complete. It's definitely more fun and cheaper than buying those DM Guide books. Now that's awesome 'average' than Neverwinter rtwp bullcrap.

 

[Rulion]

I loved it. A lot of people on these boards slam it, but PS:T and BGII are tied for my top two favorites when it comes to plot. And the inter-party banter? They really nailed it.

Fallout, while having an amazing atmosphere and entertaining combat system, didn't do much for me in terms of plot.

 

[MetalCraze]

a lot of people here actually don't slam BGII, except for NPCs like Aerie.
Draq, be sure to get her in your party - to understand the whole awesomeness of D. Gaider as a designer.

 

[Amon Gesoto]

BG II was great. It had it's problems with mages, but otherwise a good game, and a good RPG. It also had a host of memorable characters.

 

[RK47]

Yes, and don't forget about Anomen.

 

[Amon Gesoto]

I had Anomen in my party for two days, then I bashed his face in with a warhammer.

GREATEST. FEELING. EVER.

I'd also like to point out, that while alot of BG's character are annoying, at least they invoke something other than boredom.

 

[Lesifoere]

Ah, but have you ever tried having him in your party with your Bhaalspawn as female?

Then bashing his skull in becomes that much more satisfying.

 

[MetalCraze]

Yes, and don't forget about Anomen.

basically I did to him the same thing as a person above (fix: as two persons above). I also looted his body to sell the stuff for the money. the only reason I didn't do it to Aerie is because she's a good mage, while fighters are something you don't have to search for.
the only really good joinable NPC in your party in SoA is Viconia. not only because she's a good cleric, but because unlike with other npcs where you have to lick their asses to get something good from them (unfortunately you have to do this in most RPGs) - you can actually influence her and even change her alignment - or make even a bigger bitch out of her. Obsidian tried something like this in KotOR2 but with much lesser success.

 

[Saxon1974]

I loved both games, but I actually like BG I better than II. I agree that BG II had better gameplay and a deeper more interesting story, but I just liked the feel and atmosphere of part I better, but I still loved BG II.

 

[HanoverF]

I appreciate that it's off my hard drive now and forever.

 

[afewhours]

I loved both games, but I actually like BG I better than II. I agree that BG II had better gameplay and a deeper more interesting story, but I just liked the feel and atmosphere of part I better, but I still loved BG II.

I have that same strange reaction. BGII is better in every possible way, but I have this strange fondness for BGI that just isn't there for the second game. I think BGI being a lower-level campaign has a lot to do with it. AD&D just feels... cleaner at lower levels. There's also something cheerfully inconsequential about the first game - less drama, more simple fagging around in generic-fantasy land. I quite enjoy that sort of thing. Kinda explains why I still have my copy of Hillsfar knocking around.

I liked the primacy of ranged combat in BGI as well. BGII just seemed to revolve around Keldorn's broken Dispel Magic ability.

the only really good joinable NPC in your party in SoA is Viconia.

Well, the sexy domineering drow shtick was predictably a hit on teh internets, so that was a sound move by Bioware. I was always quite fond of the litfag Haer'Dalis, myself. Bards are always a good laugh, but even more so when they're Chaotic Neutral and spouting ridiculous poetry at every opportunity.

 

[Zomg]

I like BGII because it drives me to craft the perfect criticism for it that will make everyone realize that they hate it.

 

[Kaiserin]

I like BGII because it drives me to craft the perfect criticism for it that will make everyone realize that they hate it.

We're all waiting with baited breath, I assure you.

I thought it was a cool game, most certainly one of my favorites. But, I'm also pretty firmly set in the target audience for it. I won't say that I liked BG1 more, but it did capture D&D a bit better in a less 'omg I killed god and took his sword' kind of way.

 

[Jeff Graw]

BG2 was great. Awesome villain, best dragons ever, traveling in a "plane ship", and giant miniature space hamsters. What more could you want? Sure, dialog "choices" were lacking, but that merely dropped BG2 from all-time-classic-pretty-much-faultless territory to still pretty fucking awesome territory.

 

[The Feral Kid]

I won't say that I liked BG1 more, but it did capture D&D a bit better in a less 'omg I killed god and took his sword' kind of way.

Agree with your point and I will say that to this day I prefer the pastoral dnd feeling of BG1 to the overpacked blockbusterness of BG2. Plus BG1 had a much better story.

 

[MetalCraze]

Well, the sexy domineering drow shtick was predictably a hit on teh internets, so that was a sound move by Bioware

actually no.
she is the only NPC there that doesn't constantly whine about her past and is more focused on the problems at hand and the future, unlike that emo bunch with it's constant omg-they-cut-off-mah-wings/my-husband-khalid-is-dead/roenall-doesn't-leave-me-alone. also as I've said the fact that you can influence her, rather than lick her ass like with each other single npc there makes her better. also while with other npcs you either listen to them or make them shut up forever, with her it's much more complicated. probably because of that her story-line is the shortest in the game.
there will be another similar NPC in ToB, but I don't want to spoil.
as for the male npcs Korghan is the best as well. sure he has no big variety of dialogue choices, but I like how he can tell other NPCs what I think about them, but can't tell them, because they will turn emo and leave the party. besides he has 5-grade axe skill and is a freaking terminator with it. especially if you will give him that enhanced throwing axe +3, which in fact counts as a melee weapon in a fight due to how it was built and immediately returns to Korghan after it was thrown - making Korghan an ultimate death machine.
the party consisting of Korghan, Keldorn with Avenger sword (which you can boost up to +7 in ToB - that's why you must have Keldorn in your party to kick ass, unless you're a paladin yourself), 2 mages, Viconia and a thief is unstoppable.

 

[afewhours]

Meh. I found the whole "blah blah surface dwellers are so stupid blah blah teach me more about this surface dweller thing called "love". Wow! I'm Neutral Good! blah blah redemption." as emo as anything else. Vicky was just marketed at a slightly different niche.

I'd say Haer'Dalis, Valygar, Mazzy, Yoshimo, Edwin, Minsc, Korgan, Cernd, Jan and Keldorn were less emo and angsty than Vicky.

Don't get me wrong. I have a high tolerance for emofaggotry when the mood strikes me, and an even higher tolerance for Clerics with 65% magic resistance and WIS 18, but I certainly wouldn't hold Vicky up as some kind of holy anti-emo.

 

[MetalCraze]

Meh. I found the whole "blah blah surface dwellers are so stupid blah blah teach me more about this surface dweller thing called "love". Wow! I'm Neutral Good! blah blah redemption." as emo as anything else. Vicky was just marketed at a slightly different niche.

True Neutral*
also notice that I've never said she was anti-emo or anything. but she certainly was the lesser emo out of all female (Mazzy wasn't emo because she actually didn't get much of a dialogue time, like male npcs) and some male npcs there. but I liked her mainly because of the influence thing which made for a good in-party C&C.

 

[afewhours]

True Neutral*

Ack. Fair enough. I only know how Vicky's romance progresses in ToB from trawling through the code in WeiDU, so 'tis an easy mistake to make.

 

[Texas Red]

There is a problem with Viconia. You see, drows, as a female dominant society, specifically breed men with retardedly large penises and huge muscle weight. They are also trained from childhood on how to handle women. Therefore you character will NEVER satisfy Viconia.

Aerie on the other hand... even if she did have sex, it was with some emo, wimpy elf.

 

[MetalCraze]

it is possible to have sex with Aerie in the game. you even have a consequence of that

Spoiler

yes she gets pregnant - which leads to an extreme emo faggotry in ToB, compared to which Vicky is an ideal and Jaheira is much much better than she is

 

[Amon Gesoto]

Jaheira and Viconia are the only characters really worth romancing. If only because there are times when they aren't being emo or self-absorbed enough for you to see some form of character.

Aerie just cries. Or if she doesn't cry she's on the verge of crying. A half into her romance I kept waiting for the dialog that went

Spoiler

"You feel bad about having your wings cut off, do ya? WELL WHAT ABOUT FEELINGS, BITCH?! I HAD MY GOD DAMNED SOUL SUCKED OUT! So mother fuck your wings. "

I honestly tried to do the romance for Anomen, just so I could exhaust that possibility. I tried, I fucking tried hard to sit thru that man's shit, but I just couldn't. I bashed his face in again. I could't stop myself, nor did I want to.

 

[Murk]

I though Yoshino had major potential as a good character to develop and explore, and it kind of did, except it... well, yeah. No spoilers I guess.

Viconia was awesome in how she was influenced, how she didn't get along with damn near anyone else, and because she had like 19 dex and 18 wisdom her strength made me go waaahh waahhh waaaahhhh.

I still think Edwin rules.

BG 1 had that insanely fun random exploration aspect, which ran old after your second or third romp through, where-as BG 2 was definitely more of a "oh, so you amanged to actually get through the city of Baldur's Gate huh? EAT MORE CONGESTED CONTENT! BWAHAHA" but like, in a good way.

 

[Texas Red]

What exactly is wrong with Anomen? Never picked him up. Was made so irritating as you guys say on purpose?