Infinity Engine Battle Royale

jjstraka34

In my opinion, the Black Isle's Infinity Engine games, for all their flaws and quirks, are the definitive example of what a computer RPG can achieve. It's effectiveness in conveying story, implementing combat, portraying the world, and character interaction make it unmatched to this day. In all we got 5 classic titles, so which one takes the throne. After your vote feel free to rank all 5 classics as well. Let the battle commence!!

Kamigoroshi

I have to go with the Velocity Engine that Reflexive and Black Isle used for Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusade. That engine was better than the Infinity Engine in almost every aspect, while still retaining the "feeling" of it. It's almost like an Infinity Engine a' la Icewind Dale II Mark II. And with more detailed graphics to boot.

Nokkenbuer

I'm assuming that by BG/TotSC, you're referring to the engine used in the original game, not the BGII engine into which the game is imported in its Enhanced Edition?

Aristillius

Are you asking about which engine reiteration which is the best or which game is the best?

DreadKhan

Vanilla BG1 engine makes my eyeballs sad.

Y U SO CLUNKY

jjstraka34

Nokkenbuer said:

I'm assuming that by BG/TotSC, you're referring to the engine used in the original game, not the BGII engine into which the game is imported in its Enhanced Edition?

I'm referring the games themselves, with expansions. The EE are essentially like a old movie getting remastered.

Aristillius said:

Are you asking about which engine reiteration which is the best or which game is the best?

Which game, obviously each game's engine has it's own quirks but they are run on the same basic premise and utilize the same ideas.

So yeah, I should reiterate, which of the GAMES that use the Infinity Engine as a core and are based in the D&D universe do you enjoy the most.

Nokkenbuer

While that's an interesting comparison, @jjstraka34‌, I'm pretty sure the Enhanced Edition of Baldur's Gate runs off the engine for the original Baldur's Gate II, with some adjustments. That's kind of like asking whether I like a 1950's Chevy engine or a 2000's Chevy engine more, except that the 1950's Chevy is running on a modernized engine. In the end, are you still asking about the engine, or the product itself?

jjstraka34

Nokkenbuer said:

While that's an interesting comparison, @jjstraka34‌, I'm pretty sure the Enhanced Edition of Baldur's Gate runs off the engine for the original Baldur's Gate II, with some adjustments. That's kind of like asking whether I like a 1950's Chevy engine or a 2000's Chevy engine more, except that the 1950's Chevy is running on a modernized engine. In the end, are you still asking about the engine, or the product itself?

Just the games, I used the engine as a topic head because, along D&D, it is the one thing all five games had in common, that's all.

ZanathKariashi

Torment was the best true RPG out of the bunch...and was at least as good at everything else as the other infinity engine games (not to mention the spell presentations blow everything else on the list out of the water)...now THAT was meteor swarm. When you cast a spell in Torment, you really FEEL like you're wrecking someone's day.

TheElf

^ If they did those spell effects in a game like BG2, I'd have to smash my disc.
Anyway no contest for me. Favorite game of all time, I've finished a playthrough with every single class and more kits than I'll ever admit.

DreadKhan

Torment is still the future of 'serious' RPGs, the closest to the pnp system imho, as it has the most problem solving options. Mental ability can allow you to find alternatives that the present hack and slash doesnt allow. But I enjoyed each of the series' for their own aspects: IWD is like a beautiful art-action movie, BG is more interactive novel, while Torment is more PnP, with all the absurdity that of comes with in person roleplay (and Planescape as a setting).

It feels like apples, oranges and bananas, which arent productive to compare.

jackjack

jjstraka34 said:

Nokkenbuer said:

I'm assuming that by BG/TotSC, you're referring to the engine used in the original game, not the BGII engine into which the game is imported in its Enhanced Edition?

I'm referring the games themselves, with expansions. The EE are essentially like a old movie getting remastered.

Aristillius said:

Are you asking about which engine reiteration which is the best or which game is the best?

Which game, obviously each game's engine has it's own quirks but they are run on the same basic premise and utilize the same ideas.

So yeah, I should reiterate, which of the GAMES that use the Infinity Engine as a core and are based in the D&D universe do you enjoy the most.

Based on this, I have to go with BG/TotSC. If this were on engine alone, BG2.
BG/TotSC > *

Demonoid_Limewire

Baldur's Gate for the win. I chose 2, but honestly, i like 1 equally, even though they have many differences. A tie between them. No less than 4,8/5. Shortly after it, Icewind Dale 1 goes. A pretty good and solid title. Also at 2.5 ruleset. Pretty game and more of a hack and slash. Nothing can go wrong with it. No less than 4,7/5.

Well, i agree that Planescape Torment is a great title, arguably the best game of the engine. But i never finished it, and it never appealed to me. I like story based games, generally, but this one, unfortunately, did not spark my fancy... I rate it 4,5/5 for being fair, and 2 for personal tastes (or arguably, lack of them to me thereof...).

Finally, although i liked pretty much the setting and artwork of Icewind Dale 2, i found it a horrible experience, both thanks to the new rules, and the inability to import characters from the end of the previous title; especially the latter aggravated me PRETTY very much... I stopped playing it after 1 hour or so, and never finished it. 1/5 and i am being too generous with it.

jjstraka34

Icewind Dale excels at creating the atmosphere of the far north in a fantastic way, and with the 3E rules in IWD2, they are different enough to both stand on their own. Baldur's Gate/TotSC is just a simple, classic adventure tale, rewards exploring and is about developing yourself as a character. SoA/ToB takes everything about the first game and cranks it up 100 notches. It's like Terminator 2 in comparison to the original, which is still a classic, but from the moment you appear in Irenicus' dungeon you know things have been jacked up considerably. Planescape is on a completely different level than all of the others, and though it may not be as great a complete package as Baldur's Gate 2, it's story is possibly the best, most complex, and most profound ever told in a video game medium, and must really be viewed as a narrative work of art.

Edit: Icewind Dale probably can't compete in this poll with the other 3 simply because it doesn't have the ambition of the other titles. It's beautiful, and is the most impressive in terms of challenge and being able to fine-tune your character, but the lack of NPCs and the (while still good) more generic story arcs set it just below the BG saga and Planescape imo. ALL the games are worth playing, and replaying. If coming across them for the first time they are surely the best bang a high-fantasy RPG fan can get for his/her buck nowadays.

DreadKhan

IWD2 was home to some pretty epic puzzles @jjstraka34‌ some are pretty hard to work out. I had to quit at a particular one out of frustration... took awhile to get over the puzzlerage actually, but its a very good game once you are able to solve the dang puzzles! Most skills had at least some use, and my biggest complaint other than frustrating (but admitedly satisfying) puzzles was the poor distribution of some magic items... lots of half decent items are only available when they are out-dated. some should have been found very early are only found late.

IWD2 had some really epic fights actually, while maintaining a very interesting story from both the gamer level and from the intellectual one. You cant sympathize with Sarevok, and barely with Irenicus, but one cant hardly NOT sympathize with the villains of IWD2. Not many authors can write villains as well these.

IWD has replay just as a good movie can be rewatched, or a great book read many times. The storytelling is up to it, if you allow immersion. If you're looking for a more interactive experience, its not as good, but you judge it by the wrong standards. The market for storybased games isnt as well developed I think, so its a bit tougher to market. Perhaps too much game for a film buff (ie pretty hard, complicated rules etc), and the gamer can feel constricted by feeling like he's a part of a narrative vs 'playing your own narrative'. IWD was somewhat more experimental than I think many gamers realize, let alone appreciate. Looking at it as 'hack n slash' suggests a player might not have grasped what I see as the true essence of the 'game'.

SharGuidesMyHand

jjstraka34 said:

Nokkenbuer said:

While that's an interesting comparison, @jjstraka34‌, I'm pretty sure the Enhanced Edition of Baldur's Gate runs off the engine for the original Baldur's Gate II, with some adjustments. That's kind of like asking whether I like a 1950's Chevy engine or a 2000's Chevy engine more, except that the 1950's Chevy is running on a modernized engine. In the end, are you still asking about the engine, or the product itself?

Just the games, I used the engine as a topic head because, along D&D, it is the one thing all five games had in common, that's all.

If we're ranking the game rather than the engine, then I vote BG1 - although it had the most flawed and prototypical version of the IE, I still believe that it was fundamentally the best game of the bunch.

IWD1 and PST used the best versions of the IE IMO.

karnor00

I think PST is the best game to use the infinity engine. However I think that BG2 was the best use of the infinity engine.

PST is a great game because of the story - it could have used pretty much any platform and it would have been a great game.

BG2 however I think fits really well into the infinity engine. It's a much more combat oriented game, with a relatively simple plot. I think that the infinity engine does combat really well - it has a nice mix of simplicity to use, while still providing a great amount of tactical depth.

DetectiveMittens

Looks like I'm the only one that likes IWD2 Who doesn't love 3rd ED

ZaramMaldovar

Baldur's Gate 2 has a special place in my heart. Baldur's Gate is a great RPG, but it just can't hold a candle to it's successor, which is superior in pretty much every category.

DetectiveMittens said:

Looks like I'm the only one that likes IWD2 Who doesn't love 3rd ED

Third Edition seems confusing to me, but I will learn to love it as time goes on, as my first Tabletop Game will be a session I start next summer with a few of my friends.