AD&D 2 edition the best for me but simple and clear AD&d 3 have better chracters bulids but dont like AD&D 4 edition add unnecessary change and decreases deities selection.
My personal all time favourite is and will always be 2nd edition. It's just a personal preference. Characters (rolled the traditional way) have ordinary ability scores. Numbers for hit points and the like don't inflate into the hundreds (I look at you DDO and what you allowed with 3rd edition rules, hit points of 500+ for level 20s, strength of 100+ or AC of 90+ for godly geared characters, etc.).
I could live with 3rd edition version (or rather 3.5). But having played Neverwinter Nights 1 & 2 the latter ruleset allows for a lot of freedom which sometimes can get really cumbersome on level up. Especially with all those multiclassing options and prestige classes which are available. But despite that I'm still waiting for a 3rd edition CRPG that includes mystic theurge.
I can't say much about 4th edition. Haven't bothered to look at this monstrosity.
Ops, voted third when I meant 2nd, it seems to be the only (though slight) possibility out of the avaiable options. 3rd is unlikely to be because its both old and lacks any tie with the franchise (like 2nd) and the fact that 4th is already being dumped for the 5th shows that Wizards need all the help they can get in bringing their fanbase together. DnD Next is the most likely possibility to me.
Which one would *I* like? A turn-based, strategy focused and more thorought implementation of either 2nd or 3rd (or, potentially 5th) would be my choice. But knowing the franchise, that shouldn't even be a option.
It will be whatever the current edition of DND is.
That being said,
I think people draw a connection between their enjoyment of Baldurs Gate and the ADND rule set it uses.
I believe this is a mistake. Baldurs Gate is memorable because of the writing, story and level design. Games using newer editions of DND don't stack up to Baldurs Gate simply because they don't compare game play or story wise.
It will be whatever the current edition of DND is.
That being said,
I think people draw a connection between their enjoyment of Baldurs Gate and the ADND rule set it uses.
I believe this is a mistake. Baldurs Gate is memorable because of the writing, story and level design. Games using newer editions of DND don't stack up to Baldurs Gate simply because they don't compare game play or story wise.
I think this is true to a very high degree. But the game mechanics of the BG series plays an enormous role in the games' enduring popularity and longevity. The devs just seemed to get everything right in one package, which is such a rarity. Anyway, I would agree, though, that story/characters is at least half of the appeal.
Kamuizin as usual is right in this regard...most polls don't end up changing the game. But that doesn't mean they are not important, IMO. These kind of polls are informative. They tell us about the fan base and what it is about the product that's appealing.
It is my worry that D&D needs to attract more gamers. The 2e diehard fans are wonderful and devoted customers, but I don't think they can support the company forever. And to attract new customers, you have to do something different.
That said, I think giving a new edition of D&D a 'flagship' game is a very good idea.
I should point out that if the game is done properly, it likely won't matter to me what edition it is. Good writing, good villains, good NPCs, great art and atmospheric music....not much else matters for me.
Of course I like the 2nd edition for nostalgia's sake, as it's the closest to the 1st edition rules i played in PnP D&D when I was young, but I also like the 2nd edition for what it's like:
Especially the restricting dual- and multiclassing restrictions give restrains that actually add to the enjoyment of the game because you need to make tough choices. You can't just add a level of class this or that to make a character more versatile. Every race has it's own strength or weaknesses in terms of what they can be, they're not interchangeable and you have to make a choice from what finite posibilities they're actually are. It stimulates creative thinking, making strategies based on each character's strength and weaknesses and synergy and teamplay within CHARNAME's party.
It will probably be the latest edition(and that is 4th ed), unless Overhaul and WotC coincide the release of the 5th ed with BG3.
Given that BG2:EE is scheduled for release in 2013, and given that BG3 will likely be built from the ground up, the ruleset probably will not be 4e. 5e is already being playtested. It all depends on how long it takes for BG2:EE to get released and to design a whole new game. There will probably be a newer edition than 4e by then, though.
Id like AD&D 2nd edition rules, same type of graphics but HD and Id like them to "make Black Isle" keep their promise of making the save exportable from BG2.
4E, the most underrated of them all, had both supporters and detractors agreeing on ONE thing: it's perfect for a videogame (let's leave aside comments on whether this is a good or bad thing for pen and paper games). It's also the most balanced edition.
That's why, other than being sad for it being first bastardized with that Essentials c*** and soon abandoned for a "new new" edition... my biggest complaint has been that they never made a videogame out of it. A GARGANTUAN OPPORTUNITY WASTED.
If they made a 4E Baldur's Gate game, I think I'd quit my job for it.
4E, the most underrated of them all, had both supporters and detractors agreeing on ONE thing: it's perfect for a videogame (let's leave aside comments on whether this is a good or bad thing for pen and paper games). It's also the most balanced edition.
That's why, other than being sad for it being first bastardized with that Essentials c*** and soon abandoned for a "new new" edition... my biggest complaint has been that they never made a videogame out of it. A GARGANTUAN OPPORTUNITY WASTED.
If they made a 4E Baldur's Gate game, I think I'd quit my job for it.
From what I'm able to glean on these boards and here and there out on the interweb, Neverwinter Nights 3, which will be an MMO, will use 4e.
D&D Next, because 4th really wouldn't work in a BG-styled game, and Next will most likely be the current version (and we all know WotC would enforce its use) if there is a BG3 in the next few years.
3rd edition was great for its complexity and versatility. There was enormous customization power with all the prestige classes, skills, spells, feats, etc. Playing a single character in 3E was involved and enjoyable. But the complexity that made it a great tabletop game makes it cumbersome in a real time RPG computer game, especially when you're managing 4-6 extremely complex characters at once. The only thing I disliked about Icewind Dale 2 was its use of the 3E rules over 2E. The hybrid used by BG2 would be a great compromise.
4E already has a game. It's called Final Fantasy Tactics.
I really dont like distributing points to skills like searching, making armor, potions etc in 3ed in games its mostly useless. It's a good edition if you play pen and paper version with dm
From what I'm able to glean on these boards and here and there out on the interweb, Neverwinter Nights 3, which will be an MMO, will use 4e.
After Final Fantasy XI, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Champions Online, World of Warcraft, Dungeons & Dragons Online and Star Wars: The Old Republic... I had decided to quit with MMOs, since they need too much attention, and my increasingly busy lifestyle doesn't allow me to focus on them.
I even passed up on The Secret World. And that required an immense force of will effort.
And now you had to go and ruin it all with this post!!!
Hehe... jokes aside, man. Thanks for the info. I'll check it out.
Add 5th edition, because that's what it's going to be. 2nd/3rd edition are in the past, and WoTC (and a lot of people) hate 4th edition. Not to mention 5th is also going to be the current edition when BG3 is released, most likely. So BG3 will act as partial marketing for 5th.
I'm voting 2E. Baldur's Gate II included a few aspects of 3E, such as the specialized kits, which should definitely stay. So maybe we'll call the original Baldur's Gate II + ToB model 2.5E. The Baldur's Gate games, specifically SoA and ToB, really were their own genre as far as the DnD edition goes. I think that's part of the reason the Baldur's Gate series has such a devoted fan base. But I'd like to see it return to the model presented by SoA and ToB with some enhancements, improvements, and additions in that regard. I'm aware of WotC's intentions, but if this poll is representative of the devoted fan base on whom WotC is depending for this project to be a success, then the majority should, from a financial perspective, get what they want, here. The fan base, by and large, does not want a fundamental overhaul of the mechanics.
That said, I'm not complaining either way. I know I'm going to spend my money to get every single EE that comes out regardless of what WotC decides. Baldur's Gate is a timeless game and deserves that much. Maybe WotC is betting on that, too.
I would like to see a mix between 2nd and 3rd edition. Though it will most likely never happen.
I much prefer the way casters and their primary stat was dealt with in 3rd edition. Example: 13 int meant a wizard would only ever be able to cast up to level 3 spells.
I prefer the stat system in 3rd edition as well. The roll system was tiresome (esp. in a video game were you could continually reroll.) I like the fact you only had a limited amount of points to spend and if you really wanted to have a 18 str/ 18con/ 18 dex fighter, you had to seriously gimp his wisdom/int and charisma resulting in a powerful fighter but very vulnerable to alot of spells due to the really bad saving throws.
I prefer the class system of 2nd edition with kits thrown in as extras. I dont like the system in 3rd edition were you can just pick anything everytime you levelled. Also prefer the levelling system in 2nd edition.
I like feats and skill system of 3rd edition. I do like that any class can attempt to disable a trap, but they do so at a far slower rate than thieves.
I'd be fine with anything but 4e to be honest, but it's gonna be 5e whatever I vote for. Still, from what I've heard 5e at least reverses some of the pointless deviations from actual D&D that 4e had so it might be good, I have reasonably high hopes for it.
Comments
I could live with 3rd edition version (or rather 3.5). But having played Neverwinter Nights 1 & 2 the latter ruleset allows for a lot of freedom which sometimes can get really cumbersome on level up. Especially with all those multiclassing options and prestige classes which are available. But despite that I'm still waiting for a 3rd edition CRPG that includes mystic theurge.
I can't say much about 4th edition. Haven't bothered to look at this monstrosity.
Which one would *I* like? A turn-based, strategy focused and more thorought implementation of either 2nd or 3rd (or, potentially 5th) would be my choice. But knowing the franchise, that shouldn't even be a option.
That being said,
I think people draw a connection between their enjoyment of Baldurs Gate and the ADND rule set it uses.
I believe this is a mistake. Baldurs Gate is memorable because of the writing, story and level design. Games using newer editions of DND don't stack up to Baldurs Gate simply because they don't compare game play or story wise.
It is my worry that D&D needs to attract more gamers. The 2e diehard fans are wonderful and devoted customers, but I don't think they can support the company forever. And to attract new customers, you have to do something different.
That said, I think giving a new edition of D&D a 'flagship' game is a very good idea.
I should point out that if the game is done properly, it likely won't matter to me what edition it is. Good writing, good villains, good NPCs, great art and atmospheric music....not much else matters for me.
Especially the restricting dual- and multiclassing restrictions give restrains that actually add to the enjoyment of the game because you need to make tough choices. You can't just add a level of class this or that to make a character more versatile. Every race has it's own strength or weaknesses in terms of what they can be, they're not interchangeable and you have to make a choice from what finite posibilities they're actually are. It stimulates creative thinking, making strategies based on each character's strength and weaknesses and synergy and teamplay within CHARNAME's party.
It's also the most balanced edition.
That's why, other than being sad for it being first bastardized with that Essentials c*** and soon abandoned for a "new new" edition... my biggest complaint has been that they never made a videogame out of it. A GARGANTUAN OPPORTUNITY WASTED.
If they made a 4E Baldur's Gate game, I think I'd quit my job for it.
4E already has a game. It's called Final Fantasy Tactics.
I even passed up on The Secret World. And that required an immense force of will effort.
And now you had to go and ruin it all with this post!!!
Hehe... jokes aside, man. Thanks for the info. I'll check it out.
That said, I'm not complaining either way. I know I'm going to spend my money to get every single EE that comes out regardless of what WotC decides. Baldur's Gate is a timeless game and deserves that much. Maybe WotC is betting on that, too.
http://nw.perfectworld.com/
http://www.crispygamer.com/node/13011
I much prefer the way casters and their primary stat was dealt with in 3rd edition. Example: 13 int meant a wizard would only ever be able to cast up to level 3 spells.
I prefer the stat system in 3rd edition as well. The roll system was tiresome (esp. in a video game were you could continually reroll.) I like the fact you only had a limited amount of points to spend and if you really wanted to have a 18 str/ 18con/ 18 dex fighter, you had to seriously gimp his wisdom/int and charisma resulting in a powerful fighter but very vulnerable to alot of spells due to the really bad saving throws.
I prefer the class system of 2nd edition with kits thrown in as extras. I dont like the system in 3rd edition were you can just pick anything everytime you levelled. Also prefer the levelling system in 2nd edition.
I like feats and skill system of 3rd edition. I do like that any class can attempt to disable a trap, but they do so at a far slower rate than thieves.
Just my thoughts.