Baldur's Gate 2

After getting burned on Lionheart, I decided to go the other way and get a good game (or so I hear) for cheap rather than the other way around.

Now the thing is, I never really enjoyed the first Baldur's Gate all that much, or any of these real time D&D type games - Planescape: Torment being the exception, which I liked despite the game engine. The story was really the saving grace of that game, in my opinion.

So anyway, I picked up Baldur's Gate 2 along with it's expansion and a bonus disc that has some extra items and stuff for ~$20. I spent the money figuring 10 billion BG fans couldn't be wrong. I'm going into this game planning to play it through probably once, maybe twice if it really grabs a hold of me. The point of this post is to hopefully get some suggestions on how to best enjoy the game the first time through. Things like character suggestions, playing tips, etc.

Maybe I'm going about it the wrong way, but I just don't expect much out of this. I basically bought it to hold me over until the next crop of games come out. Something to pass the time with. I don't plan on milking the game for every experience, or to collect every item, or play through with every possible character. I just want to blast through it, not spend to much time worrying about experiencing every little thing, and hopefully get my $20 worth.

That being said, I was thinking about going with a Monk since I generally find unarmed characters cool to play with. It's easier for me to role-play a character like that and make character appropriate decisions. In other words, it's easier for me to stay in character when I have such a clearly formed picture in my mind of what a Monk should be like. The dig is, I don't want to play through the game when like 99.5% of the cool shit I find is useless because I don't use weapons, cast spells, or use armor. Now if any of you have played this game with a Monk character and found it fun anyway, please speak up. Any tips on playing a monk or making the experience more enjoyable would be much appreciated, too.

The other class that appeals to me is Kensai. It just sounds fucking rad, and also easy to role play. Thoughts and tips on this character type also appreciated.

Thanks for taking the time!

 

I don't personally own the game, but I played it at a friends house for awhile... and i learned this: Monk's aren't fun. If anyone found away to enjoy the Monk, let me know, b/c Milo has reminded me of the BG series, so I guess now I'm gonna go out and buy that game just to see if the Monk does sound as bad as it does on here...

 

Play as a swashbuckler. That kicks ass, because there aren't any good thieves in the game anyway, and it's really fun to steal things. You can go wrong with a swashbuckler. You can just steal for a living.

 

yeah but swashbucklers cant backstab. if you're in it for the long haul play as an assasin. the bonuses you'll be getting wonce you get to the throne of bhaal will be ridiculous. there are tons of good magic users in the game so dont choose that. as for other character classes, i really enjoyed playing through as an Archer, archers are probably the best fighters in the whole game. at the end of bg2 i had about 7 attacks and killed most of the non magicaly protected enemies in a few shots. plus they get hide in shadows and a bunch of clerical spells for good measure. and there are some really cool bows and stuff specifically for archers.

and personally i would stay away from the monk and kensai classes just because it takes the fun out of looting bodies and decking your character out with really cool armor and weapons etc. its just boring.

and dont dual/multi class your characters, level advancement is way to slow and if you dual class your character the skills they gained in the other class wont be usable until you are of an equal level in your new proffesion. ex. if you are a level 10 thief, and you dual class to mage, you will not be able to use your thief skills until you are a level ten mage, at which point the locks will probably be to hard to crack for a level ten thief, and the enemies will be to perceptive to backstab. that is, unless you really focus on the skills you want early in the game, but watering down your character like that is just pointless, the followers you get are to diverse and well rounded for you to need to do something as silly as fuck up your PC.

i dont know why people in this forum seem so anti baldur's gate. its got a great story and great character development, i dont know why you guys seem so biased towards turn based games. you're in for a great roleplaying experience milo. it has even more plot twists and turns that fallout 2.

 

99.99% of the dialogue choices are meaningless. You can literally blindfold yourself and pick a line at random and still end up with all the same information. None of your choices, dialogue or otherwise, matter in the end, because the story is already set in stone and the player is obliged to go along with it. Without meaningful dialogue, how can it be a great roleplaying experience? Okay, you can choose whether you want to specialize in katanas or longswords, but BESIDES THAT?

 

the story might be set in stone for the most part, but wasnt fallout two? its the same situation, the quest tree is very diverse, and there are a lot of class, and alignment specific options. you can play as two characters and though then end might be the same, the way you get there can be completely different.

 

It wasn't my intention to compare BG2 to FO2. My point was that BG2's dialogue was shallow, that your choices had no effect, and that was in the end a very poor excuse for a roleplaying game. "Tactical adventure" I've seen others call it.

By the way, there was only one way through BG2. Go with the thieves or go with the vampires, it's the same thing.

 

I kinda agree with you Canis, but I don't in other senses... like BG2 is a great game, the engine used to build it is beautiful... but the game itself could have been done bettter.... with more choices and randomamity like real D+D. you know... we should get everyone who speaks a lot on this board together in one central location (we'll debate it sometyme :lol: ) and rebuild BG2, and make an Arcanum 2, and some other games we speak so much about... that actually sounds rather fun...

 

you could have your own thieves guild, druid grove, you could protect a village as a ranger, and you could have your own keep as a fighter, i'm not sure what clerics and paladins did but i know they had something else, and there were quests attached to each of the various residencies you could procure so you didnt do every side quest with your elf. Dialogue did matter in some cases, but mostly only in side quests. Plus a lot of the time you've got to consider the possibility that the story line calls for (whoever that bad guy was) to be controling your moves from afar etc. or the fact that you are the son of a god so SOME fate and direction needs to be involved. Also the infinity engines reliance on pre-rendered backgrounds sort of denies the ceators as much "randomamity" in game creation... you could cross the arcanum world map in real time, but would you like to render that for a pre-rendered background? not that theres anyone who would want to cross that much empty space... but anyway. Also there ARE different ways to complete the sidequests, but are mostly dependant on how you are playing (good/evil) but the choice is made by the PC which way to complete them, and this can be triggered through dialogue. but generally the good way yields the most experience and loot, because more npcs will still be alive and will generally like you better. Also, there is some follower interaction, you can charm your way into bed with a few female followers, but they react differently depending on what you say. I think they will actually leave your party if you piss them off, and one male follower will try to court one of the female ones and if you have already successfully gotten her attention he will challenge you to a duel to the death, and the two of you will hafta fight until one of you is dead. so while the story line is moderatly rigid, at least they through in some "randomamity" to a degree.

 

In my opinion, BG2 is the worst infinity enigne game out there. Its awfully linear, forces you to be good and is filled with D&D clichés.

It isn't a completely worthless game, but its a far cry from Planescape and heck, even BG1 and Icewind Dale. At least Icewind Dale didn't pretend to be something it wasn't.

 

If you want an easy game go for a fighter, berserker is a good choice. Don't put points in charisma, intelligence or wisdom. Put all you have into strength, dexterity and constitution.

As for the game itself it is linear indeed but I enjoyed playing it twice or thrice nevertheless. Perhaps because it's just a neatly presented fairy tale. Oh yeah, the add-on sucks completely. It is just utterly senseless and boring like hell.

 

The expansion does blow...

Though BG2 is tons of fun... just don't buy every game in all the series, or you will get really really bored like i did.

After playing BG, the expansion, BG2, and it's expansion, then Icewind Dale and its expansion, and Icewind Dale II, i'm a bit burned out from the series... Though they were great games and lots of fun. If story is more important to you, then go with BG, but Icewind Dale is great for if you really love the series. Icewind Dale II has more uses for the different classes, like tracking enemies as a ranger.

 

Okay, I was going to hold off on this...

The entire Baldur's Gate series is a blight on the landscape of gaming history. As far as I'm concerned, neither game has a single redeeming feature - BG was far too slow paced, character levelling happened once in a million years, the followers were uninspiring, and it was just fucking boring. I couldn't get past the 'Second Act'.

Any sequel is going to be just as bad, in my opinion. I've got a friend who likes the game, and I normally respect his taste in such areas, but on this one I disagree completely with him. I refuse to play any BG game ever again.

 

well Jar, I apologize for being blunt about this, but refusing to even take second look at the BG series makes you rather blind-sighted, and ignorant in the matters of gaming... you need to experiance many different mediums to be a true gamer... otherwise you end up just a hobbist to one style of gaming, which isn't a kool thing, b/c you stop enjoying other games... Diversity is a gift, use it.

 

i dunno matt, i agree that he might want to give it a second chance, but if he doesnt like it i dont think its a bad thing, it just doesnt suit his tastes... and whether or not diversity in tastes makes him a "true gamer" is a bunch of garbage. there is no pride to be had in being a "gamer" which as far as i can tell involves buying games as soon as possible and playing them all the time. being a person with diverse and varied tastes is much more satisfying than spending all of your money every month on new releases. not that playing games are a bad thing, but "gaming" as a hobby always strikes me as kind of ridiculous. a hobby should be constructive. like building model trains, or playing the guitar, etc. as far as i can tell "gaming" (games aside) soley involves the spending of money, and the only thing you get out of it is mindless hours of non-constructive B.S. so while i myself really enjoy playing a variety of games, i dont consider it a hobby, its more like a pass-time.

 

I don't mean going out and buying a game and playing it until the next one comes out... that's a geek, not a gamer... and that's MY defination of a gamer: someone who can play a variety of games, and love them or hate them for the good and bad in them. I don't spend all my tyme gaming... I spend a lot of it working in the wood shop me and my dad have... I also spend a lot of it at school...

 

No, it makes me a connoisseur of fine games.

Point out to me where I said anything about not playing other games? I play shooters, turn based strategy, real time strategy, and dabble in others from time to time. I just prefer role playing, and GOOD role playing at that. I tried NWN and thought it sucked, and seeing as most people regard NWN>BG2>BG, then I doubt I'll like BG2.

You can stop it with the cliches now.

 

I like the cliches! besides, you might discover that you truly do love BG2, through some extrodianry and highly unbelievable circumstances... but you should give it at least a try... go to a friends house and play it for an hour or two!! if you dislike it after that, come back and tell us... but you should give it a try that way you can yell at me and have a true and pure defense.... :lol:

 

listen you! if he doesnt like it, then he doesnt like it! now shut up you stupid slut! :lol: