Fresh from the feminism trope discussion, did you know every playable female NPC in the orginal BG2 needed to be rescued in the game:
Imoen: From spellhold Jaheira: From the attacking bandits Mazzy: From the shade lord Nalia: From her betrothed Aerie: From Kalah Viconia: From the fanatics looking to burn her.
Neera is probably a bit of an improvement in this regard. I mean in the sense that she has been fighting the Red Wizards for months. Even then though they do overwhelm the camp eventually.
Fresh from the feminism trope discussion, did you know every playable female NPC in the orginal BG2 needed to be rescued in the game:
Imoen: From spellhold Jaheira: From the attacking bandits Mazzy: From the shade lord Nalia: From her betrothed Aerie: From Kalah Viconia: From the fanatics looking to burn her.
Of course you can make the game look sexist if you go out of your way to do it.
What about Quayle, who you also rescue from Kalah? What about Cernd, who you rescue from prison in Trademeet? What about Valygar, who you "rescue from death at the hands of the Cowled Wizards?" What about Minsc? Sure, he breaks himself free, but you're the one who gets him mad enough to do it. What about the male slaves you rescue from the slavers? What about the male Harper agent who you rescue from thugs? What about those guys you rescue from the soul-trap machine in the Underdark? Aren't they all male? What about those three male prisoners you rescue from the dungeon in Saradush? What about the guy who you rescue from Kiser in Saradush? What about the merchant who you rescue from Yaga-Shura's army? What about that male monk you rescue from Abazigal's lair? What about the smugglers you rescue from the monks in Amkathran? What about the priest you rescue from the monks in Amkathran? What about Imoen, who rescues YOU at the beginning of BG2? Even if you are male. Hey look, a woman rescuing a man.
Okay, so I know you could probably think of plenty of other women who you rescue in the game. My point is that you can call pretty much any story sexist if you just look at certain details of the story.
@OlvynChuru I stuck with playable female NPCs because those are the more developed characters and not just NPC plot backgrounds. There really is only a handful of vague quests one can accomplish without getting too confusing and rescue so-and-so is definitely a vague one that can be overused without it feeling like *this again*.
You do or can rescue a slew of playable male NPCs as well including Minsc (chateau irenecus), Jan (if you get him arrested), Haer-Dalis (his main quest), and Cernd but Valygar is stretching it. There are many more male NPCs that you never need to rescue throughout the game but ALL the female NPCs do? They all fit the damsel in distress troupe at one point? Could atleast one of them not need your help in getting free?
This isn't to say the game is sexist, it is more to make you go hmm, that's true. And if you are an inspiring creative mind, you may want to take things like this into consideration when creating your own work and characters especially if you don't want to them to fall into a stereotype.
A good way to look at a character is to ask, will they still work as the opposite gender? What if Anomen was female? Does the plot that was given to him fit if he was a female? I think so. Does Mazzy, or Imoen? Sure. Does Keldorn? Not as much with the whole family business. The negligent father doesn't fit a mother's role and could be considered sexist the opposite way.
This isn't to say the game is sexist, it is more to make you go hmm, that's true. And if you are an inspiring creative mind, you may want to take things like this into consideration when creating your own work and characters especially if you don't want to them to fall into a stereotype.
I don't know if this has been mentioned before... but did you know that...
The statue Prism gives his life to complete is that of Ellesime of Suldanesselar! I just noticed this now. Obviously the name meant nothing to me the first time I saw it. Looks like Irenicus is not alone in going a bit crazy for her...
A good way to look at a character is to ask, will they still work as the opposite gender? What if Anomen was female? Does the plot that was given to him fit if he was a female? I think so. Does Mazzy, or Imoen? Sure. Does Keldorn? Not as much with the whole family business. The negligent father doesn't fit a mother's role and could be considered sexist the opposite way.
I think Anomen's quest (seeking to join the Order of the Radiant Heart, the resentment over Keldorn's advice, deciding whether or not to seek vengeance for his sister's murder) can just as well work if gender-flipped, and the distant father-family business part can too with a little bit of tweaking, but his personality, to me, is a lot like the stereotypical cocky, obnoxious, "alpha male." So many of his interactions with female NPCs/charname strike me as "Anomen mansplains things to women." That's not meant as a defense to the idea of "sexism" in the "well, there's a trope against men" sense; if anything, it makes it worse that he is the only romanceable original Bioware NPC since that seems to support the very sexist trope that a peacocking, negging, arrogant alpha male is what women want, even when they say they don't.
Did you know, that in my head, all the doorways, entrances and drain covers in BG that welcome you with the helpful advice to "gather your party before venturing forth" were developed by an offshoot of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation (of the starship Heart of Gold fame). I'm also beginning to suspect that their work on the Infinite Improbability Drive may have involve harnessing Wild Magic.
If you talk to him (when returning with the antidote) and are wearing chain or splint mail armor Dreppin tells you that bandits may try to take your metal armor from you, which is the risk you have to face given its added protection. If you talk to him while wearing anything else he mentions that it is good you aren't wearing metal armor.
Did you know that a certain cursed protection scroll actually summons enemies? It's the one that looks like a Protection from Fire scroll. It summons dire wolves and war dogs, so if you have a ranger or druid, you could charm them.
Did you know that a certain cursed protection scroll actually summons enemies? It's the one that looks like a Protection from Fire scroll. It summons dire wolves and war dogs, so if you have a ranger or druid, you could charm them.
I never never never EVER used a cursed scroll.........do more interesting things happen ???
Yes, I find that cursed scrolls of petrification are my preferred way to separate evil characters from my high rep good party, if I don't want them to leave the game permanently. They get stoned, your party goes to 5 people, and when you un-stone them they are neutral and stay where they are standing, regardless of the parties current rep.
I think they should make all the rich background material from the original manual available to EE customers. I always liked to read in the manual and I think people new to the games would, too.
Yes, I find that cursed scrolls of petrification are my preferred way to separate evil characters from my high rep good party, if I don't want them to leave the game permanently. They get stoned, your party goes to 5 people, and when you un-stone them they are neutral and stay where they are standing, regardless of the parties current rep.
They are also a less risky way of breaking up an NPC couple than sending one of them on a Basilisk hunt.
Yes, I find that cursed scrolls of petrification are my preferred way to separate evil characters from my high rep good party, if I don't want them to leave the game permanently. They get stoned, your party goes to 5 people, and when you un-stone them they are neutral and stay where they are standing, regardless of the parties current rep.
They are also a less risky way of breaking up an NPC couple than sending one of them on a Basilisk hunt.
...and recoverable.
BTW, there are a bunch of them available in Lucky Aello's shop.
Does Keldorn? Not as much with the whole family business. The negligent father doesn't fit a mother's role and could be considered sexist the opposite way.
Not necessarily - society tends to take a harsher view towards negligent mothers than negligent fathers, so the idea of a woman who abandoned her children to serve her god as a paladin might have actually been the more compelling option (see: Samara from "Mass Effect").
Did you know that on the first floor of Dragon's Eye, there are two lizardmen who have a conversation? In order to see it, you need to turn invisible or use stealth when you go near them; otherwise they just attack you. This short conversation is in the lizardman language, unfortunately, but it does exist. These two lizardmen are located just before the small bridge.
Did you know that using the Ring of Air Control to become Invisible is considered using magic in Athkatle and if you do it without a license, a cowled wizard will appear?
Did you know that using the Ring of Air Control to become Invisible is considered using magic in Athkatle and if you do it without a license, a cowled wizard will appear?
Actually it is true for most of the spells which are originally arcane. Including items, and innate spells too as far as I remember.
I'm pretty sure that any item use that has a spellcasting animation counts as a spell to the Cowled Wizards, while an item's ability that just happens (such as ring of invisibility) does not.
In the forward to the 2009 reprint of "Legend" by David Gemmell his widow writes of one of his reactions when the book was first published: "He hated the first paperback cover which, he said, looked like a hamster in armour".
Perhaps this one has already been mentioned, but I only just discovered this thread and don't have the time to read through it, sorry!
Did you know that despite people's insistence that Viconia appears only to be a victim in BG1 and suddenly turns into an evil bitch in BG2, when you first meet her in BG1 the guard that is chasing her is actually seeking to avenge his family, who Viconia murdered? The only evidence given for this is if you charm him before the battle begins, proving that Viconia is not all that much of a damsel in distress circa BG1.
Its not his family, its a family (I know she addresses it repeatedly in BG2 but I don't immediately recall what she says about it).
"I am a proud member of the Flaming Fist. Our headquarters is in Baldur's Gate, though we also operate in Beregost and the Friendly Arm Inn. Our squad's mission is to hunt down a drow elf who killed a farmer, his wife, and his kids. It was a very brutal murder, but what can you expect from the drow?"
Comments
What about Quayle, who you also rescue from Kalah?
What about Cernd, who you rescue from prison in Trademeet?
What about Valygar, who you "rescue from death at the hands of the Cowled Wizards?"
What about Minsc? Sure, he breaks himself free, but you're the one who gets him mad enough to do it.
What about the male slaves you rescue from the slavers?
What about the male Harper agent who you rescue from thugs?
What about those guys you rescue from the soul-trap machine in the Underdark? Aren't they all male?
What about those three male prisoners you rescue from the dungeon in Saradush?
What about the guy who you rescue from Kiser in Saradush?
What about the merchant who you rescue from Yaga-Shura's army?
What about that male monk you rescue from Abazigal's lair?
What about the smugglers you rescue from the monks in Amkathran?
What about the priest you rescue from the monks in Amkathran?
What about Imoen, who rescues YOU at the beginning of BG2? Even if you are male. Hey look, a woman rescuing a man.
Okay, so I know you could probably think of plenty of other women who you rescue in the game. My point is that you can call pretty much any story sexist if you just look at certain details of the story.
I stuck with playable female NPCs because those are the more developed characters and not just NPC plot backgrounds. There really is only a handful of vague quests one can accomplish without getting too confusing and rescue so-and-so is definitely a vague one that can be overused without it feeling like *this again*.
You do or can rescue a slew of playable male NPCs as well including Minsc (chateau irenecus), Jan (if you get him arrested), Haer-Dalis (his main quest), and Cernd but Valygar is stretching it. There are many more male NPCs that you never need to rescue throughout the game but ALL the female NPCs do? They all fit the damsel in distress troupe at one point? Could atleast one of them not need your help in getting free?
This isn't to say the game is sexist, it is more to make you go hmm, that's true. And if you are an inspiring creative mind, you may want to take things like this into consideration when creating your own work and characters especially if you don't want to them to fall into a stereotype.
A good way to look at a character is to ask, will they still work as the opposite gender? What if Anomen was female? Does the plot that was given to him fit if he was a female? I think so. Does Mazzy, or Imoen? Sure. Does Keldorn? Not as much with the whole family business. The negligent father doesn't fit a mother's role and could be considered sexist the opposite way.
The statue Prism gives his life to complete is that of Ellesime of Suldanesselar! I just noticed this now. Obviously the name meant nothing to me the first time I saw it. Looks like Irenicus is not alone in going a bit crazy for her...
Better start stacking those cursed scrolls
BTW, there are a bunch of them available in Lucky Aello's shop.
Did you know that on the first floor of Dragon's Eye, there are two lizardmen who have a conversation? In order to see it, you need to turn invisible or use stealth when you go near them; otherwise they just attack you. This short conversation is in the lizardman language, unfortunately, but it does exist. These two lizardmen are located just before the small bridge.
Did you know that despite people's insistence that Viconia appears only to be a victim in BG1 and suddenly turns into an evil bitch in BG2, when you first meet her in BG1 the guard that is chasing her is actually seeking to avenge his family, who Viconia murdered? The only evidence given for this is if you charm him before the battle begins, proving that Viconia is not all that much of a damsel in distress circa BG1.
"I am a proud member of the Flaming Fist. Our headquarters is in Baldur's Gate, though we also operate in Beregost and the Friendly Arm Inn. Our squad's mission is to hunt down a drow elf who killed a farmer, his wife, and his kids. It was a very brutal murder, but what can you expect from the drow?"
She askes for an orgy !? (maybe Translation is a bit,... urgs)
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And the worst there is no answer Option,...