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Who did the creators of BG1 intend you to be?

cloakanddaggercloakanddagger Member Posts: 111
edited September 2012 in Archive (General Discussion)
I was just thinking about the OG portraits from BG1. I'm pretty sure all of the portraits had an NPC in the game, except the first portrait. The bald guy with like metal in his chest. So it seems you are meant to pick him which makes sense as a son of Bhaal. And then what class were you meant to play? I mean you would think that the portrait that is intended for the player would be a very class-neutral looking character, but the man clearly looks like more of a brute, than say a mage or thief. So were you meant to play a fighter, which is also the class at the top of the creation page. What do you guys think? Also did anyone use that portrait? And if so what class were you? I never used it myself.
Post edited by cloakanddagger on

Comments

  • ArcalianArcalian Member Posts: 359
    There were several portraits with no character attached. Male paladin type, Female warrior in the snow, Generic blonde dwarf, Elf with native american look, Gnome with a golfers cap...
  • ajwzajwz Member Posts: 4,122
    I've always wondered about this as well. In bg2 it seems like they expected you to play a half orc :/
  • TanthalasTanthalas Member Posts: 6,738
    @Arcalian
    Those portraits were actually used by the pre-generated characters.
  • ArcalianArcalian Member Posts: 359
    @Tanthalas Ah, never used those.
  • g314g314 Member Posts: 201
    edited August 2012
    Arcalian said:

    There were several portraits with no character attached. Male paladin type, Female warrior in the snow, Generic blonde dwarf, Elf with native american look, Gnome with a golfers cap...

    These were used for the tutorial party. Canderous, Osprey, Arkanis, Mordaine and Deder, respectively.

    EDIT: Yeah, @Tanthalas beat me to it.
  • MoomintrollMoomintroll Member Posts: 1,498
    I'm pretty sure that we share all of the portraits with the NPCs, so they do get used by the NPCs if you pick their default one. In other words, I don't see it as set in stone.
  • cloakanddaggercloakanddagger Member Posts: 111
    So i've been watching the "Lets Play Baldur's Gate" series by HDGaming on youtube. I mean I know how to play the game because i've done it so many times, but I'm literally so pumped for the release of BGEE that I need something to feed my hunger. It's actually pretty fun to watch because the guy who is playing has a very interesting accent and he is just fun to listen to. So i'm watching him go through Candelkeep and guess who's portrait popped up? The bald guy, whom I previously thought, had no NPC. Well actually he is the Character "Obe" in the Candelkeep training area. When you go into a building and learn how to use a full party. Question answered.
  • hansolohansolo Member Posts: 136
    edited September 2012
    All 3 (now 4 :)) female romance options are some kind of Elf.
    There are no Fighter/Mage NPC options in the game, neither in BG1 nor in BG2.

    So playing a Male Halfelf or Elf Fighter/Mage would make sense.
    Just missing an appropriate official portrait for that ^^.


    edit:
    I'm not sure, does Viconia romance an Elf?
  • JalilyJalily Member Posts: 4,681
    hansolo said:

    I'm not sure, does Viconia romance an Elf?

    Nope.

  • sandmanCCLsandmanCCL Member Posts: 1,389
    The only class combination not represented in the entire series is a Fighter/Mage. (I don't count tri-class characters.)

    Just saying.
  • DemossDemoss Member Posts: 52
    Ha, my last character was a Fighter/Mage, didn't do too badly. Also that bald dude was the first one i used when i first played the game funny enough, i didn't know about the NPC's at that stage neither and i was a Ranger who used two handed swords. Was pumped when i found Spiderbane. :D
  • SargielSargiel Member Posts: 35
    I'd almost lean towards them expecting a lot of people to import their own portraits as all the defaults were assigned? I know I always had 1001 extra portraits in my Tutu install so I always had something appropriate no matter the character :)
  • CheesebellyCheesebelly Member Posts: 1,727
    @g314 : true for all except for the Bald Guy portrait and the golf cap portrait, those two weren't in the training party :)


    Good thing we're apparently getting awesome new portraits then! :D
  • SilenceSilence Member Posts: 437
    edited September 2012
    white male heterosexual fighter, ages 18-45, longsword specialization
    (jk, not a serious suggestion)
  • SilenceSilence Member Posts: 437
    Abdel!
  • LemernisLemernis Member, Moderator Posts: 4,318
    I've used the bald-headed bouncer looking dude portrait at least a couple times for a plain fighter.
  • theJoshFrosttheJoshFrost Member Posts: 171
    Silence said:

    Abdel!

    Shhh. We don't mention Abdel here. We buried him with the other bad ideas of the novels.
  • eainterplayeainterplay Member Posts: 55
    Jalily said:

    hansolo said:

    I'm not sure, does Viconia romance an Elf?

    Nope.

    I'm pretty sure all three are possible with either a human, half-elf, or elf PC.
  • AnduineAnduine Member Posts: 416
    I've used the portrait several times, albeit rarely as my main character. In BG1 and 2, he's almost always "second in command" of my party, and is a Fighter.
  • UnseeyingEyeUnseeyingEye Member Posts: 48
    @g314

    Woah woah woah!! Arkanis? Surely not Arkanis Gath!
  • g314g314 Member Posts: 201
    UnseeyingEye said:

    @g314

    Woah woah woah!! Arkanis? Surely not Arkanis Gath!

    Aye, that's what I thought when I... erm... encountered this friendly fellow in one on my Whoops moments in BG2!

    And what about Sendai? She's a Bhaalspawn in ToB but appeared in BG1 as well, just south of Nashkel.
  • CCarluNNCCarluNN Member Posts: 200
    My theory on this:

    ABDEL ADRIAN
    BALDIE DARAN

    BALDIE refers to the amount of hair on his head.
    DARAN is a variant of DAREN, in the African-Hausa language meaning BORN AT NIGHT, which in turn refers to his dark heritage.

    I have no proof of this theory whatsoever.
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