Should I bother with Baldur's Gate?

[The Madman]

Coincidentally, I'm also a fighter / mage (multi-class) and my alignment is Neutral Good. As for my party members, is it possible to find members I denied entrance into my party the first time I met them? Just in case I want to change my party later. I ask because I recently met Garruk, but didn't really want him in my party, and I have no idea if he's even still available to me.

I'm guessing you meant Garrick, and I'm honestly not sure whether he's one of the characters that hangs around or not after refusal. Some characters do, usually plot-important ones, while others will scamper off and never be seen again if you refuse them.

Don't worry though, you're not missing much with him, he's neither very useful nor that great of a character.

Incidentally it's no spoiler to say the 'canonical' group is Imoen, Jaheira, Khalid, Minsc and Dynaheir. That's the group BG2 assumes you had with you when it begins and which makes the most sense story-wise. Other important characters that show up again in BG2 are Viconia and Edwin, who you might or might not meet later in Baldur's Gate. Many of the other possible companions from BG1 might make cameo appearances in BG2 or show up briefly for a quest, but aren't integral to the plot in any way. Garrick for example shows up briefly but it's actually assumed he wasn't part of your group in BG1, or if he was that he only was briefly... which makes sense because he's really not that good so he generally doesn't tend to stick around once better companions become available.

By the way if you're playing the original BG and not the enhanced edition, I very highly recommend the BG1 NPC Project mod. It's good enough I'd even say it's worth restarting for, since what it does is it makes all your companions on BG1 much more interesting with more expansive dialogue (which remains true to the developers intentions) and makes BG1 tie in better with BG2. The mod requires tutu to be installed, but since it seems you've done that already all you'd need to do is download and run the mod and it'll install just fine.

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

BG 1 was a groundbreaker in terms of what could be achieved with an RPG, but if you fire it up you will immediately appreciate how dated it is. Playing with several level 1 characters for ages requires you to spam quick save in case one of them randomly loses all their health in a single blow. If you can persevere through that, it's fun exploring the world of The Sword Coast. BG 2 definitely has the more engaging storyline though.

The single player campaign of NWN2 is my favorite rpg campaign.

You mean the original campaign for NWN2? The one with Sand and Neeshka and all that?

Huh, well I guess it had to be someones favourite campaign. Mask of the Betrayer I could understand, loving NWN2 for its fan campaigns I could understand, but loving the game for its OC leaves me scratching my head. I mean it wasn't terrible, I've definitely played and even enjoyed worse, but there was just so much filler and the ending was just so bad...

Yeah, I mean, all power to anyone who DID enjoy NWN2, and the story wasn't terrible by any means, but it left me quite... meh. So many RPG storyline stereotypes crammed into one game, and don't even get me started on part where it goes all courtroom drama...

 

[Jolly Co-operator]

Coincidentally, I'm also a fighter / mage (multi-class) and my alignment is Neutral Good. As for my party members, is it possible to find members I denied entrance into my party the first time I met them? Just in case I want to change my party later. I ask because I recently met Garruk, but didn't really want him in my party, and I have no idea if he's even still available to me.

I'm guessing you meant Garrick, and I'm honestly not sure whether he's one of the characters that hangs around or not after refusal. Some characters do, usually plot-important ones, while others will scamper off and never be seen again if you refuse them.

Don't worry though, you're not missing much with him, he's neither very useful nor that great of a character.

Incidentally it's no spoiler to say the 'canonical' group is Imoen, Jaheira, Khalid, Minsc and Dynaheir. That's the group BG2 assumes you had with you when it begins and which makes the most sense story-wise. Other important characters that show up again in BG2 are Viconia and Edwin, who you might or might not meet later in Baldur's Gate. Many of the other possible companions from BG1 might make cameo appearances in BG2 or show up briefly for a quest, but aren't integral to the plot in any way. Garrick for example shows up briefly but it's actually assumed he wasn't part of your group in BG1, or if he was that he only was briefly... which makes sense because he's really not that good so he generally doesn't tend to stick around once better companions become available.

By the way if you're playing the original BG and not the enhanced edition, I very highly recommend the BG1 NPC Project mod. It's good enough I'd even say it's worth restarting for, since what it does is it makes all your companions on BG1 much more interesting with more expansive dialogue (which remains true to the developers intentions) and makes BG1 tie in better with BG2. The mod requires tutu to be installed, but since it seems you've done that already all you'd need to do is download and run the mod and it'll install just fine.

The mod sounds interesting, but would I have to restart my game for the installation to work?

 

[DementedSheep]

BG1 was good at the time but...it's a bit dated. You start off at level 1, this means you can't do shit and are very dice roll dependent. I still remember starting off with having one piddly spell that couldn't even kill a single gibberling. I ended up running around in circles while Imoen killed things chasing me with a bow. Then you get Xzar!..so you can have two spellcasters with a single spell that can't kill a gibberling. Ah those where the days.
It's also before bioware really got into the interacting with companions and banter. There is some and they did still have character, I'm fond of the lines they give you when you click on them but it's not like DA:O. BG2 is when they really started giving you lots of companion dialogue. Furthermore the story is the same whether you import a save or not. It even outright tell you who you were suppose to have been travelling with (Khalid, Jaheira, Minsc, Dynaheir and Imoen)

If you have a lot of time on your hands and want to experience the whole thing play BG1 and 2 with the TuTu mod. Otherwise you can just skip to the second though it might make the story with your character a Imoen a bit weaker.

 

[The Madman]

The mod sounds interesting, but would I have to restart my game for the installation to work?

You would, but I'd say it's worth it.

Arguably the biggest problem with BG1 when compared to BG2 and later rpg is its relative lack in dialogue and personality for your companions. To give an example: You have already heard everything Imoen has to say in the entirety of BG1. Everything. And yet she's a major character in BG2 and Throne of Bhall. This mod gives her some real dialogue and personality that's in-keeping with how she was originally envisioned as well as her portrayal in later games.

In short, she actually talks and has opinions on stuff. She's a real character as opposed to a last minute addition to the game when the developers realized they needed another rogue class in the game and that the early game was too difficult for a lone adventurer. Same goes for many of the other characters who with the mod installed will talk and argue and crack jokes among themselves as well as with the player.

You're still fairly early into the game, especially seeing as taking a character from BG1 through to the end of Throne of Bhall can easily take 100+ hours. I'd say it's worth it. Plus you can export your existing character if you like and restart with them a second time, only now at a higher level and with better gear so the early stuff isn't a grind to repeat. Don't worry, companions scale with the players level as well.

 

[Jolly Co-operator]

The mod sounds interesting, but would I have to restart my game for the installation to work?

You would, but I'd say it's worth it.

Arguably the biggest problem with BG1 when compared to BG2 and later rpg is its relative lack in dialogue and personality for your companions. To give an example: You have already heard everything Imoen has to say in the entirety of BG1. Everything. And yet she's a major character in BG2 and Throne of Bhall. This mod gives her some real dialogue and personality that's in-keeping with how she was originally envisioned as well as her portrayal in later games.

In short, she actually talks and has opinions on stuff. She's a real character as opposed to a last minute addition to the game when the developers realized they needed another rogue class in the game and that the early game was too difficult for a lone adventurer. Same goes for many of the other characters who with the mod installed will talk and argue and crack jokes among themselves as well as with the player.

You're still fairly early into the game, especially seeing as taking a character from BG1 through to the end of Throne of Bhall can easily take 100+ hours. I'd say it's worth it. Plus you can export your existing character if you like and restart with them a second time, only now at a higher level and with better gear so the early stuff isn't a grind to repeat. Don't worry, companions scale with the players level as well.

Alright, I've installed the mod, exported my character, and then imported him into a new save. When will I first notice the changes in dialogue? Just so I can verify that the mod is actually working properly, before I start playing that file in earnest.

 

[The Madman]

Alright, I've installed the mod, exported my character, and then imported him into a new save. When will I first notice the changes in dialogue? Just so I can verify that the mod is actually working properly, before I start playing that file in earnest.

Easy, right after you leave Candlekeep Imoen will have some new dialogue where you and her bury Gorion if you go to the place where he died.

Have fun!

 

[Nex Vesica]

If you're looking for a sci-fi equivalent and enjoy Star Wars, I'd recommend at least the first Knights of the Old Republic. The writing is pretty solid, the system is a pretty basic and easy to pick up d20 system, and the gameplay is alright, nothing too special but still enjoyable. The second game in the series is a bit harder of a sell. It was a rushed Christmas release, so there's a lot of stuff that got cut, especially in the later parts of the game, so the story really suffers, and it was pretty buggy. Fortunately, there are some major restoration mods/game fixes which do a lot to clean it up.

 

[Jolly Co-operator]

Alright, I've installed the mod, exported my character, and then imported him into a new save. When will I first notice the changes in dialogue? Just so I can verify that the mod is actually working properly, before I start playing that file in earnest.

Easy, right after you leave Candlekeep Imoen will have some new dialogue where you and her bury Gorion if you go to the place where he died.

Have fun!

Hmm, I don't seem to have gotten the dialogue. Is there anything I have to do to initiate it?

EDIT: Nevermind, I found the problem and fixed it. Thank you so much for the suggestion. I've only just gotten to the Friendly Arm inn, and already the cast feels far more alive than they did un-modded.

 

[briankoontz]

I can't imagine anyone playing the greatest cRPG of all time. Don't even bother. Play Soulbringer instead and ironically "enjoy" how terrible it is.

 

[kingthrall]

Dragon Age: Origins is one of my favorite games of all time. Looking for another game similar to it, I discovered that it's the spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate, and now I'm curious about it. I was wondering, do you think I'd like Baldur's Gate if I liked Dragon Age? I've also heard that the second game is considerably better than the first. Should I even play the first, or just skip to the second?

EDIT: Also, if anybody knows of any other games similar to Dragon Age, feel free to list them.

EDIT: Thanks for all the responses and recommendations. I've decided to try a few games, as they're all quite cheap right now. I've gotten Neverwinter Nights 2, and both Baldur's Gates (I'm currently installing the Tutu mod).

Baldurs gate 1 is great to learn the reasons why Baldurs gate 2 is so good. Its like the plot for the second feels even more juicy when you have played the first one, regardless of gameplay.

The characters are much deeper explained in comparison to dragon age, the music also is a hundred times better than the namby pamby oo llaa laa stuff.

Baldurs gate 1 + 2 are far cheaper and take hours of game time to play, you will get your monies worth and not spend a Inquisition which is going to be another disappointment inclusive of Origin trojan software on your computer.

I say just play them, the more hours you play the first the more you will get into it and forget about its age and get used to the gameplay. I know I did, especially coming out of a newer game its an adjustment worth doing.

 

[Unspoken_Request]

Coincidentally, I'm also a fighter / mage (multi-class) and my alignment is Neutral Good. As for my party members, is it possible to find members I denied entrance into my party the first time I met them? Just in case I want to change my party later. I ask because I recently met Garruk, but didn't really want him in my party, and I have no idea if he's even still available to me.

I know you got an answer for Garrik, but the more general answer is some remain available (Khalid, Jaheira), while others are lost forever (Xan and Garrick).

Also bear in mind that you can lose party members if you do not act according to their moral tenets or if you wait to long to complete a quest they are associated with.

Please, give us some of your impressions as you go through the game.

Incidentally it's no spoiler to say the 'canonical' group is Imoen, Jaheira, Khalid, Minsc and Dynaheir.

Of course, it's no major spoiler or anything, but, if I were playing the game for the first time, I would not like to learn in the middle of my first playthrough that the way I am playing the game is not the best from a narrative point of view.
I would feel like I am losing a bit of my freedom of playing the game the way I want.

 

[Scars Unseen]

By the way if you're playing the original BG and not the enhanced edition, I very highly recommend the BG1 NPC Project mod. It's good enough I'd even say it's worth restarting for, since what it does is it makes all your companions on BG1 much more interesting with more expansive dialogue (which remains true to the developers intentions) and makes BG1 tie in better with BG2. The mod requires tutu to be installed, but since it seems you've done that already all you'd need to do is download and run the mod and it'll install just fine.

The mod now also works with BGEE(and it worked with BGT as well, so tutu isn't required at all). I will agree that it is a must have mod for the game.

 

[Jolly Co-operator]

Coincidentally, I'm also a fighter / mage (multi-class) and my alignment is Neutral Good. As for my party members, is it possible to find members I denied entrance into my party the first time I met them? Just in case I want to change my party later. I ask because I recently met Garruk, but didn't really want him in my party, and I have no idea if he's even still available to me.

I know you got an answer for Garrik, but the more general answer is some remain available (Khalid, Jaheira), while others are lost forever (Xan and Garrick).

Also bear in mind that you can lose party members if you do not act according to their moral tenets or if you wait to long to complete a quest they are associated with.

Please, give us some of your impressions as you go through the game.

Incidentally it's no spoiler to say the 'canonical' group is Imoen, Jaheira, Khalid, Minsc and Dynaheir.

Of course, it's no major spoiler or anything, but, if I were playing the game for the first time, I would not like to learn in the middle of my first playthrough that the way I am playing the game is not the best from a narrative point of view.
I would feel like I am losing a bit of my freedom of playing the game the way I want.

I'll post some impressions. I've been a little busy, so today is the first day I'll have to really be able to play the game in earnest.

 

[RandV80]

Th thing I always thought was interesting with Balders Gate is it's not a game where you end up being an epic badass by the end. It's basically a AD&D levels 1-6 campaign, and something like a +2 long sword may be the best weapon in the game.

Is that a good or bad thing? Depends on the person I guess, but considering the rarity it's certainly a novel idea. I've always liked it because it's a very rare experience in RPG's. And Balders Gate 2 takes care of the 'epic' part, as it's a level 6-15+ campaign and has a wide variety of powerful loot to find.

 

[Unspoken_Request]

A heretical opinion amongst proper RPG connoisseurs but I found Dragon Age legions better than Baldur's Gate I or II.

Yes BG's combat is arguably better but outside of that there's little to offer. The setting lacks any kind of cohesion and reeks of your standard D&D smorgasbord fantasy where they simply throw every fantasy trope at you and see what sticks. I suppose if you like DA:O's character interactions you might get a kick out of BG2's cast but I found them not particularly noteworthy.

BG is D&D transfered to video games. The story takes place in the Forgotten realms, which is more or less the standard D&D fantasy world. As such, criticizing BG's world for including D&D tropes is pretty unfair. It is a bit like criticizing a Star Wars video game for having Jedis, Wookies, Droids, hyperspace or any other SW/Scifi trope. By definition, appreciation of Baldur's Gate 1&2 is dependant on whether someone likes D&D's take on fantasy/tolkienite worlds.

On cohesiveness, I tend to agree with you, but with nuances. The Forgotten Realms world is so huge compared to the standard video game world that it can indeed easily appear less cohesive compared to most video game worlds. This being said, how realistic is it to have one-note worlds where almost every important event, character, monster or vilain revolves around one single theme or narrative?

Due to its size, the FRealms always had many stories going on simultaneously, which in turns leads to a very rich - albeit diversified - lore.
On a sidenote: BG1&2 are probably some of the only games that can be compared to the Elder Scrolls in terms of the amount of lore that is crammed into the game.


Finally, I disagree that BG has little to offer outside of the combat. Irrespective of what you think of the world, the story is very good and there are some great characters. BG2's main vilain is great! And Minsc remains awesome to this very day.

 

[teh_gunslinger]

Dragon Age: Origins is one of my favorite games of all time. Looking for another game similar to it, I discovered that it's the spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate, and now I'm curious about it. I was wondering, do you think I'd like Baldur's Gate if I liked Dragon Age? I've also heard that the second game is considerably better than the first. Should I even play the first, or just skip to the second?

EDIT: Also, if anybody knows of any other games similar to Dragon Age, feel free to list them.

EDIT: Thanks for all the responses and recommendations. I've decided to try a few games, as they're all quite cheap right now. I've gotten Neverwinter Nights 2, and both Baldur's Gates (I'm currently installing the Tutu mod).

I tried both BG1 and the original NWN and never got too far into them, honestly. The difficulty of BG1 can be unforgiving (ugh, dat first miniboss outside the inn and the random ogre in the wilderness...) but I imagine it's good if you have the patience. The original NWN was just a bit too hacky/slashy. Neither game holds your hand much.

If you liked the story aspect of DA:O, I would agree with what others and said and recommend Planescape: Torment. Fuck, I'd recommend that game to anyone. It's a masterpiece.

If you enjoyed the combat aspect more then have a look at Dragon's Dogma. Not an amazing game - like BG1, it can be harsh and unforgiving - but it plays similarly to DA:O at times.

For some reason it tickles my chuckle gland that you call the assassin at the inn a mini boss.

What a strange concept.