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What do you guys think of Icewind Dale?

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  • LorfeanLorfean Member Posts: 43
    I love the Icewind Dale games -- I've played through the first one more times than any other IE game; I think they look and sound gorgeous, I love creating my own party, both games have great bestiaries and tactical combat, and the 2E AD&D rules (in the first one) were much better implemented than in the BG's.

    The second one does suffer a bit from being rushed, but it has such an impressive and enjoyable interpretation of the 3E rules, great character creation options, and an awesome redesigned interface with greatly expanded functionality, that it's easy to look past its flaws and have a wonderful experience.

    I think there are several things that the IWD's did better than the BG's, but like Jolanthus says -- I appreciate the differences between the series and love them both.
    GypsySocks
  • GotNoUsernameGotNoUsername Member Posts: 49
    The Problem with IWD 2 is that the D&D 3 rules don't feel epic at all :-( and the armor system is a mess
  • Permidion_StarkPermidion_Stark Member Posts: 4,861
    Funnily enough just reading this discussion does make me want to give IWD another go, if only to hear the great theme that plays when you are in the fishing village at the start of the game.
    Tr_ondpurebredcorn
  • CandramelekhCandramelekh Member Posts: 109
    IWD2 is like a hollywood movies. Lots of graphics, but stupid as stump
    elminster
  • KonabugaKonabuga Member Posts: 135
    I've enjoyed all Infinity Engine D&D games. I've completed both IWD 1 and 2 a couple of times. Beautiful art, great music and fun battles.
  • WoldanWoldan Member Posts: 41
    I absolutely loved IWD, beautiful locations, great soundtrack, a huge variety of interesting enemies. A very fun game, but sadly totally lacking depth, story and atmosphere.
    Merging together IWD with Baldur's Gate so that we get a hybrid game with IWD graphics, locations and enemies with Baldur's Gate depth and atmosphere, now that would make my awesome-o-meter explode.
    QuartzFillaFillason
  • ZeckulZeckul Member Posts: 1,036
    edited August 2012
    Woldan said:

    I absolutely loved IWD, beautiful locations, great soundtrack, a huge variety of interesting enemies. A very fun game, but sadly totally lacking depth, story and atmosphere.

    Depends what you compare it to. IWD has tons of background detail, lore, dialogues and story elements compared to many games bearing the "RPG" moniker. It's not the deeply personal intrigue of a Baldur's Gate or Mask of the Betrayer, but as "random-adventurers-save-the-world" plots go it's still one of the best I've played.

  • EilerEiler Member Posts: 93
    edited August 2012
    I did not find IWD 1 or 2 as interesting to play due to the not having back stories and internal party interactions built into the game for your party members since you generate them yourself. It was a step back imho to the old gold box SSI/TSR which weren't bad for hack and slash dungeon crawls but they were very story weak. IWD did not engage me nearly as much as even BG1.

    In my opinion Ice wind dale 1 was OK a little to much fighting and less quests and Story, but Icewind dale 2 is even worse the story is too similar to the first one and the new rule-set feels a little too stiff.
    Does anyone know if they already decided which rule set they may use in BG3. The B1 +B2 rule-sets where great we just need more kits and spells and quests, what lifts BG1 + 2 over the most games is the story the characters and the huge amount of quests. I also plan to play planescape torment again.
    Can some one outline wich rules where uses in what games and which you like best and why?

    PS: Sorry if we have this topic already pls merge it , I miss a search option in the forum ? Where can I find it ?

  • mch202mch202 Member Posts: 1,455
    I love the Icewind Dale, atmosphere, settings, music, areas - are all of this are amazing.

    However, what I didnt like is its extreme linearity and the absence of Jointable NPC and NPC Banters, the party felt "lifeless" just like some puppets with strings. I didnt feel that my dwarf warrior is a dwarf warrior, beside its stats, no grumpy complaints or funny comments.. if you get what I mean.

    Also the linearity of the game gave me a hard time to finish it, I lost interest quickly, More unrelated plotline areas could do wonders to the game.

  • Twilight_FoxTwilight_Fox Member Posts: 448
    ''I've probably played IWD 1&2 more times than BG1&2 and can appreciate the difference in the two games to love them both.''

    Agree
  • RedGuardRedGuard Member Posts: 672
    I either had one of them or a demo and I couldn't finish it. I just felt lost and with no purpose. I much prefer BG over IWD.
  • GotNoUsernameGotNoUsername Member Posts: 49
    I fished IWD 2 today and it leaks the epic feeling and has a lot less items as BG 2 and most level 30 chars and especially mages feel much more powerless, as in the 2 edition rules. I'm no fan of the 3.0 rule set witch raising basics (like INT and os on ) it seems to trivial and the armor system was a lot better in BG1+2 (and IWD1). I had a short look in the 4th edition rules ? It seems very similar to the 3rde edition , I hoped for a reboot of the old ruleset :-(
  • WoldanWoldan Member Posts: 41
    edited August 2012
    Zeckul said:

    Depends what you compare it to. IWD has tons of background detail, lore, dialogues and story elements compared to many games bearing the "RPG" moniker. It's not the deeply personal intrigue of a Baldur's Gate or Mask of the Betrayer, but as "random-adventurers-save-the-world" plots go it's still one of the best I've played.

    Sorry, I should have been more specific, what I meant is lack of interesting NPC's, side quests and party members with a personality, IWD could have been so much more. Also all the characters were pretty bland and there wasn't a lot of interaction besides the ''I'll tell you what I must to drive the story forward'' dialogues.
    The only interesting character I remember is Oswald Fiddlebender.

  • DragothDragoth Member Posts: 9
    I like more Icewind dale 2, but both games are excellent. The frozen north and it's locations were very amazing.
  • GypsySocksGypsySocks Member Posts: 40
    I can't get enough of Ice Wind Dale. They did such a great job with it. I loved the beautiful backgrounds, and the strategy required to beat fights. I didn't mind that the characters were impersonal, because over time I gained attachment to my creations anyway. I think the story was good, and it didn't bother me one bit that it was a linear story. I do wish that they had included the other towns of the 10 towns, but the story did not require you cross paths with them. My personal favorite part of the entire game has to be Veil of Shadows, and raiding Kresselak's tomb, to saving the town of Kuldhar from freezing over, to Dragon's eye. I love Baldurs Gate tremendously, nothing will compare to it in my opinion. But the amount of sheer pleasure I will get from an IceWind Dale Enhanced Edition will dwarf what I feel right now.
    WoldanJolanthusArdul
  • fighter_mage_thieffighter_mage_thief Member Posts: 262
    edited August 2012
    When I first tried BG 2, I actually didn't like it and traded it in for IWD 1, and had a lot of fun beating IWD 1. Never tried IWD 2, but later tried BG 2 again, and now think it's better than BG and IWD, but found some drawbacks to each. In BG 2, I wasn't crazy about the kits (they just seem too gimmicky imo), and I didn't like the new character graphics, a major turn-off for me at the time. Also, IWD felt like a great adventure, in a cold wasteland, fighting many monsters that weren't in BG 1, like goblins, orcs, trolls, giants, and elementals, etc., some of which I didn't know were in BG 2 as well. Lots of goblins, orcs, and undead in IWD, which I love fightning. By contrast, I found landing in Waukeen's Promenade and spending so much time in a large city was not as appealing. I guess I'm more of a countryside or wastelands adventurer than an urbanite. I also found that having the game end when the bhaalspawn dies to be really annoying, so liked IWD for not having that. That being said, choosing names is always very challenging for me, which hurt in IWD lol. Also, the lack of character development mattered little to me in IWD, because I felt there wasn't much in BG 1 either, but given the amount of dialogue and storyline that takes place in BG2, I now think BG2 is just the better game (more rp). On the other hand, I always sort of prefer games in their earliest stages, building up from level 1, and when I got BG2, I had lost my saves, and it felt cheap creating a level 7 character. My fondest memories are of killing half ogres, fireballing large groups of gnolls, beating the mercenary greywolf or that duelist near firewine ruins. To this day, I still prefer the character graphics of BG 1 and IWD 1, but multiplayer support is more important to me tbh lol.
  • JolanthusJolanthus Member Posts: 292
    See I'm not fussed about the lack on npc's because I can create a party of characters that I can roleplay (not rollplay) with. They are already fully developed in my mind and so they banter in my head while everything is going on.
  • purebredcornpurebredcorn Member Posts: 77

    Funnily enough just reading this discussion does make me want to give IWD another go, if only to hear the great theme that plays when you are in the fishing village at the start of the game.

    I absolutely love the music from IWD.

    Permidion_Stark
  • drawnacroldrawnacrol Member Posts: 253
    I really enjoyed playing IWD 1 & 2 despite never finishing either. The environment and levels were really well taught out but I could never get the enthusiasm to complete the last few areas for some reason. I loved the amount of weapons and areas. There was a ton of dialogue IMO despite what people say. I must give it another try sometime.
  • SacherySachery Member Posts: 33
    I love both IWD 1 & 2, but I love BG 1 & 2 more.

    A game I dont see peole write about is Arcanum, a game some are both uniq & good. Alot of freedom and some very special quests.
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,315
    Sachery said:

    I love both IWD 1 & 2, but I love BG 1 & 2 more.

    A game I dont see peole write about is Arcanum, a game some are both uniq & good. Alot of freedom and some very special quests.

    Arcanum was very buggy though. Especially in spell functionality. At least that is what I recall from it.
  • mellotronheartmellotronheart Member Posts: 13
    the theme from Kuldahar is still one of my favorite pieces of game music
    QuartzEnialusMeliamne
  • QuartzQuartz Member Posts: 3,853
    edited August 2012
    When I was a little kid I enjoyed IWD *over* BG, because I was awful at Baldur's Gate and in Icewind Dale I actually could beat the game.

    Then I grew up, stopped sucking at Baldur's Gate, and uhhmmm ... looking back it's pretty bad. I think Permidion_Stark put it very well. (As does every else, hah!)

    I didn't really like not having any NPC's that could join the party. The only bonus (and it's a small bonus) is that you don't have to deal with npc's that have a really low ability in something they need like Keldorn from BG2 whose a Pally with only a friggin 9 dex (That pissed me off) or Khalid (So glad he dies) a Fighter with a 15 STR (What the F??!)

    Keldorn should be receiving your Gauntlets of Dexterity. Khalid should be receiving the Gauntlets of Ogre Power. You're welcome.
    mch202 said:

    However, what I didnt like is its extreme linearity and the absence of Jointable NPC and NPC Banters, the party felt "lifeless" just like some puppets with strings. I didnt feel that my dwarf warrior is a dwarf warrior, beside its stats, no grumpy complaints or funny comments.. if you get what I mean.

    Also the linearity of the game gave me a hard time to finish it, I lost interest quickly, More unrelated plotline areas could do wonders to the game.

    Really well said. This is what makes me not enjoy the game nearly as much as BG.
  • AmardarialAmardarial Member Posts: 270
    IWD 1 with more races and kits plus NPC's would be amazing for a EE (IWD 2 only if it uses IWD 1's engine/rules otherwise 3e was such a turn off given how it was lazily implemented, either make it 100% 3e or 100% 2e not a strange mix of the two, also had Prestige classes!!!)
    Dragonspear
  • neleotheszeneleothesze Member Posts: 231
    Back when I got IWD 1 and 2 bundles they were an impulse buy. I knew they were a bit like Baldur's Gate but not much else about them so I admit I was disappointed with them and never bothered finishing either game. :')

    Now about 1-2 years ago I found out about the NPC project, installed it and it changed everything. I guess I just couldn't sail through the story without someone commenting on the events ^_^. It all boils down to the fact that I had different expectations and didn't see them realized because once I had some chatty NPCs in my party I could focus on the story and the environments and then it became - for me - a great game. :)
    Dragonspear
  • CoM_SolaufeinCoM_Solaufein Member Posts: 2,607
    IWD is one of the best games released. I loved exploring the frozen wastes and the old dwarven ruins.
  • AurenRavidelAurenRavidel Member Posts: 139
    Icewind Dale's soundtrack may be my favorite of all time. If nothing else, it introduced me to Jeremy Soule, so I'm thankful for that. I think it was mediocre, but not necessarily bad. It's just more about tactics than it is about story, which may appeal to some gamers, even if it doesn't so much to me.
  • PaladynPaladyn Member Posts: 23
    I really, really liked firs one. It was something magical in moment, when party returned from freezing wastes or dark dungeons and entered warm Kuldahar. What I liked more, was that you could have something akin to stronghold, if you did a quest with innkeeper. It was something I missed in BG 1

    Funny thing, I installed GemRB on my android phone. At first I chose to play BG 1 but switched to IWD, as I wait for BG EE and don't want to mess vaersion of story.
  • CadrosCadros Member Posts: 253
    I like IWD1+2 but at the moment my IWD 2 keeps on bugging out which is pretty irritating, and I don't have the motivation to fix it, so obviously Im not that bothered.
  • KharasKharas Member Posts: 150
    Personally I really liked both IWD and IWD2. And I actually liked the story in IWD alot, mind you that were with the expanion. IWD2 were a good game, I enjoyed it alot, but the story could use more polish.

    I am very much looking forward to when the IWD serie get the EE treatment so I can return once more and beat some demon ass :)

    On the other hand.. I tend to agree with other posters that have mentioned the lack of party banter and romance options.. that rather bugged me as well.

    But the one thing that will always stand out with IWD for me.. is that absolutely amazing soundtrack and the atmosphere it created.
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