Baldur's Gate: The Original Saga box content question

ankheg

I recently decided to get one of these, since I am quite fond of big boxes. The only problem is that I don't know what the content is and I want to have a perfect version.
As far as I understand it should contain:
3 game CDs
1 soundtrack CD
ToSC reference card
1 two-sided map
Big picture of Sarevok with number
Some kind of yellow paper

So what else?

Sed

The original had 5 CDs

dunbar

My original (bought in S. Africa, so not sure of the country of origin) had 5 CDs, no soundtrack CD, no reference to ToSC whatsoever as it didn't exist then, certainly no map (that was the whole point of the original game) or anything else other than a thick book explaining the basic rules and tables of D&D.

JuliusBorisov

Just look here: http://www.amazon.com/Baldurs-Gate-PC/dp/B00001QEQA/ref=sr_1_5?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1413274711&sr=1-5&keywords=Baldur's+Gate

As it follows from this offer, the original indeed had 5 CDs.

Here's a picture of how it can look like:

The original BG manual should indicate on the cover: "Including Volo's Guide to Baldur's Gate" which is basically Volo inserting various pages in the manual with his own fictional response to various things: he also have various handwritten notes jotted down throughout the manual signed "- Volo". There should also be additional notes and banter between Elminster and Volo in this manner throughout the manual.

The TOSC manual should also have Volo/Elminster banter.

The original TOSC Quick Reference Card should fold out into a nicely sized card with reference on both sides.

The big map should be double-sided with the explorable world (with various notations) on one side and Baldur's Gate on the other.

dunbar

I agree about the "Volo's Guide" etc. but I repeat, TOSC did not exist when BG first came out (Ulgoth's Beard did not appear on the on-screen map until TOSC was released and the new CD loaded into the PC).
And again, there was no hard copy of a map, you literally had to travel blind, the only marked waypoints being; Candlekeep, FAI, Nashkel and Baldur's Gate itself (which is why everyone tried to go to BG too soon and wondered why they couldn't get in).

elminster

dunbar said:

And again, there was no hard copy of a map, you literally had to travel blind, the only marked waypoints being; Candlekeep, FAI, Nashkel and Baldur's Gate itself (which is why everyone tried to go to BG too soon and wondered why they couldn't get in).

The original 5 CD set had a hard copy. It looked like this


on the one side

and this



on the other.

Stevevdl

this is what he is asking about

GKL206

I think some confusion may be creeping in because "the Original Saga" [pictured above] is a later re-packaging, including TotSC and other people are talking about the original Baldur's Gate (where 'original' was not part of the name)... 5 CDs, not TotSC.

ankheg

The closest thing is what #Stevevdl posted although I believe this is just a 3D model. Strangley enough it doesn't have a very important little text about the bonus contens like the audio disk. I guess there are two versions, same with Baldur's Gate 2: The Collection. (bonus disk/no bonus disk) I have about 10 different BG packages, and there are still surprises.

Calmar

Ah, to have approximately as many CDs for BG as there are stars in the sky and fish in the sea... those were the days.

Anduin

This will test the memory...

I did a minimum install, as hard disk space was hard to come by. Had to swap the disc regularly.

Oh! When times changed and I could install the recommended... And the good times on my own comp. when I could install fully... Still needed TotSC disc in though...

GemHound

This is what he is talking about:

It didn't last through the years.



When I first got it, I had to have it on a minimum install since it was too big for my computer, eventually disc 3 got scratched causing the area North of Nashkel to become corrupted and game crashing.

Edit: My biggest problem with the original was the crash when moving to Nashkel for the first time(I remember sitting there reloading BG sometimes 10 times to finally get to Nashkel).

ankheg

GemHound said:

This is what he is talking about:

It didn't last through the years.



When I first got it, I had to have it on a minimum install since it was too big for my computer, eventually disc 3 got scratched causing the area North of Nashkel to become corrupted and game crashing.

Edit: My biggest problem with the original was the crash when moving to Nashkel for the first time(I remember sitting there reloading BG sometimes 10 times to finally get to Nashkel).

No, it is not... but actually I never seen this version, which is quite impressive. I have now some images of the content. (not all of it, there are some other papers)

GemHound

@ankheg That one I posted was the original we had in Canada.

As you notice, there is no mention of Tales of the Sword Coast at all. It is older than yours.

Blackraven

Wow, thanks @bengoshi, @elminster and @gemhound for making me feel all warm and fuzzy and nostalgic Now all I need is some hot chocolate and a cookie

morte_pl

bengoshi said:

Just look here: http://www.amazon.com/Baldurs-Gate-PC/dp/B00001QEQA/ref=sr_1_5?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1413274711&sr=1-5&keywords=Baldur's+Gate

As it follows from this offer, the original indeed had 5 CDs.

Here's a picture of how it can look like:

I would LOVE to buy the exact same version. Does anyone know where I could find it? As far as I know, Amazon has only "raw" copies (big box +5 CDs), usually without a manual... To be honest, the thing I care the most is this classy CD-Box - my Polish copy had a shitty paper, envelope-styled box, which I never liked and caused my CDs to scratch. This one on the other hand looks like the one I got Planescape:Torment in, which was perfect.