Wait, what? Baldur's Gate and NWN connected?

raxtoren

I know that both take place in the same continent, but what is this?

I dl BG2 over GOG because I wanted to support the franchise and have a digital copy+wallpapers bla bla bla and to see if my save from BGEE could carry over - and it did!! anyway, I started it up (... im def getting the enchanhed edition for BG2 later as well) and then this came up during the game?!!!!!!!

1. they advs in BG2 for NWN??? very bizzare to do so during the story...
2. is it true, and what does it mean?
3. how will it work in the story?
4. BG 2 didnt look crappy in the GOG-version if you unlock HD modes.
5. Or is this just an update through GOG to make you buy NWN as well?


http://s14.photobucket.com/user/QuezcatoL/media/BGMain2013-07-2113-40-12-61_zps5b09cd03.png.html

I might pick up NWN1+ expansions/diamond versions over GOG if its true.

also I apologies if this is old news, I was 14 the last time I played Baldur's Gate II and never remember this.

Wisp

It doesn't (work as advertised). Bioware was sketching on NWN while they were making the BGs and put some stuff about NWN into the series. But the final product (NWN) did not deliver what was advertised in BG2.
The fact you are seeing this suggests you are playing without the G3 Fixpack. You should install it.

raxtoren

thanks!

Kaltzor

All the advertisement for NWN in BG2 I can think of is that loading screen message claiming you could import a BG2 character to it... Which then was made unable because it went 3rd Edition rather than AD&D

Tucker

I remember that trailer video fighting giant unber hulks with torches!!! i also remember going to the local game shop when i was a kid asking about NWN release date and being looked at like i was crazy and told no such game exists that trailer was released way to early it felt like i waited forever for the game to come out.

Edwin

I am one of few who didn't enjoy NWN as much.

raxtoren

Edwin said:

I am one of few who didn't enjoy NWN as much.

I agree, but then again
Best rpg's of all times are:
Final Fantasy 7
Kotor
Mass effect
Baldur's Gate 2
Persona 4

... according to me

IchigoRXC

That's quite the nice selection there @raxtoren, I would add Earthbound/Mother 2, Fire Emblem (pick one), pokemon and Morrowind to that list. Probably a few more to boot.

raxtoren

IchigoRXC said:

That's quite the nice selection there @raxtoren, I would add Earthbound/Mother 2, Fire Emblem (pick one), pokemon and Morrowind to that list. Probably a few more to boot.

Fire Emblem is great, however on all my playthroughs I make everyone survive... which can give me headache. If I ever pick up a NDS3D or steal my sisters(she is an adult, so not easy now), I will def get Fire Emblem 3D .

Kaltzor

I would agree on that list of RPGs except for ff7 and possibly Mass Effect... Mass Effect is good, but all the bullshit of Mass Effect 3 kind of hurts the series as a whole.

ZanathKariashi

Yeah....Bioware tends to drop the ball BADLY...when it comes to 3rd parts (ToB....ME3....TOR). DA might dodge the bullet though, since DA2 was so godawful.

Quartz

Some other excellent RPGs that haven't been mentioned:

Legend of Dragoon stands the test of time VERY well.
Shining Force is a blast. Not the best plot but the gameplay makes for some great tactics.
Skies of Arcadia seems solid so far, haven't beaten it yet.

Malicron

ZanathKariashi said:

Yeah....Bioware tends to drop the ball BADLY...when it comes to 3rd parts (ToB....ME3....TOR). DA might dodge the bullet though, since DA2 was so godawful.

While it doesn't explain/excuse The Old Republic, I think Bioware's problem is that they can't do endings. At least, they can't make endings as epic as the rest of the series.

ZanathKariashi

@Edwin

Not really....NWN's campaign is pretty universally reviled as being some of the most generic POS ever set in the FR...it's like...someone took a greyhawk campaign, changed a few names and places around and stuck it in FR.


NWN as it was releaed wasn't meant to be a game. Bioware had to basically toss out what they'd originally planned and make some crap up last minute, and decided instead to release it as a Creation Tool-kit, with a simple campaign to give people an idea of what they could do with it, and let the community handle it from there (and boy did they ever...a heavily modded NWN can put even modern games to shame graphically and mechanically, while being closer to PnP mechanics then anything...except ToEE).

Even the x-packs, while definitely better then the original, were basically just money grabs to lock away additional content, even though EVERYTHING was already in the game files. And to show off the new mechanics they'd opened up.

Eejit

Edwin said:

I am one of few who didn't enjoy NWN as much.

One paper cut-out companion at a time didn't do it for me after getting used to Jan and Minsc banter.

SirK8

NWN was all about the MP and community content. I owned the game for years before I bothered to play through the OC. I really don't even remember the storyline...

CamDawg

BG2? Try Lord Foreshadow in BG (emphasis mine):

Oh, I actually hail from Waterdeep. The great city of splendors has much more in the manner of social luxuries suited towards my particular tastes. I do, however, make a point of keeping in touch with Neverwinter, though I have only visited once previously. It was quite popular in those nights, if I recall correctly. I'm going to make a second trip in the coming year, and I'll wager it will be as popular again.

Goddard

NWN was a big let down.

The tools and concept was great, but story and game play was horrible.

The preview video looked like an upgraded version of BG2 while the released version looked like a sterile cartoon of 3rd edition D&D.

They should of stuck with the old rules, stuck with the old awesome graphics interms of effects not 2d vs 3d and they should of made it at least some what importable from BG.

NWN really was awesome in design in terms of allowing different community members to host servers, make their own worlds, and even DM.

It was pretty epic that way, but from a players perspective which is what I was it kind of felt dull. I don't mind having a million stories, but NWN ended up being just a bunch of large semi-persistent worlds.

I just wanted to play a cool story with friends since that is what I thought D&D was about. Getting together with friends and letting your imagination run wild.

SionIV

NwN was something in between morrowind and Baldur's Gate. And SoU was bloody awesome.

Calmar

I never thought about it much, but what were the plans at the time of BG2? No ToB but NWN instead to finish the story?

SionIV

Calmar said:

I never thought about it much, but what were the plans at the time of BG2? No ToB but NWN instead to finish the story?

I can't say for sure but i think ToB was going to be alot bigger, and NwN was going to be it's own game.

the_spyder

I think I remember reading at the time that the original scope of NWN was to make it compatible with BG2. Obviously that changed.

As for ToB, I think others have mentioned here that the original concept was to make BG3, but due to time and other issues, it got scaled back to merely an expansion.

ZanathKariashi

@Goddard
Then NWN should be your favorite game of all time. If you're willing to put forth the effort to make it so, it can easily rival the tabletop gaming experience with created adventures...especially if you keep a DM client open so you can make changes on the fly to handle ideas your party mates came up with, but you didn't plan for (even the official campaign can be made infinitely more enjoyable by having a DM handle certain things).

Goddard

When I sit down to play a game the last thing I want to do is work on making the game. I want to play it. The fact is it was an early 3D game left it extremely dry and very empty feeling. Even the interface was ugly and empty compared to BG which was obviously a artists creation. Coming from BG2 where it had incredible detail even if it had a less advanced engine. Also all the friends that played BG also played BG2, IWD, and IWD2 were kind of mixed up and removed because the way GameSpy worked at the time was pretty helpful. To get going and meet new players.

Mungri

NWN is a part of the same setting that BG is in (Faerun). Lore wise it would have been mentioned at times during the BG series.

However I didnt enjoy the NWN games or anymore thereafter as much as I did BG, maily due to the engine feeling so horrible to play.

Morrowind was an earlier 3D game than NWN and managed to pull off a fantastic role playing experience in an early 3D engine, NWN was just dire in comparison.

brtl33

The biggest shortcoming that I've found in 3D rpg games is either the lack of party mechanics or just terrible party control. The party AI hasn't been smart enough not to require extensive micromanagement, but I find the camera locked/following 3D view made this micromanagement tedious and awkward, to say the least. Even in games like the mass effect series, the other guys are just kinda there and you do everything yourself. Thus, what I love about BG is controlling a party and the fact that each member of the party feel useful like the main character.

artificial_sunlight

Party control is indeed tendius. I perfer to play solo in NWN. Rogue/ranger ftw! And te expansions were great. HotU en SoU had great gameplay and storylines.

Mungri

Actually I loved party control in Guild Wars 1 after they added in full customizable heroes for party members.

The engine was fluid, with loads of possible builds and party set ups available. But I already played that game to death for over 7 years, it was my my third favorite game after BG series and Morrowind.

But Arenanet completely removed that feature from GW2 because ya know, online games are meant to be played with other players and not with your own customizable party.

I had a bit of a vision for a game with a cross between BG and ARPGs, one with lots of character customization, classes and spells / abilities where you had to start of playing solo with single characters on an easy difficulty, but then once each of your characters became powerful enough, you could export them like in BG to create a party capable of taking on higher difficulty.

No NPC party members, you would have to work on making your own ones individually, then play them together to get through higher difficulties or something.

Tresset

I like NWN. Sure it isn't at BG's level of awesomeness but I still think it is good.

elminster

Tresset said:

I like NWN. Sure it isn't at BG's level of awesomeness but I still think it is good.

I liked it when it came out but I've since tried to replay it and I just can't bring myself to do so. Regardless of the campaign.

Nic_Mercy

I liked NWN's original campaign. I LOVED the expansions and the online persistent worlds that came out.

NWN1 > NWN2 solely based on the above IMO.