His personality and voice and character obviously! I would never choose a character based on their abilities. For me it's all about their personality and the dynamic that character brings to my story and to the party.
*In Baldur's Gate 1, he's the only non-evil companion who's really good at hitting things. *In Baldur's Gate 2, he's the only companion who doesn't make you go through any annoying sidequests.
In the original BG1 he has the most epic side-quest. Travelling the wilderness all the way to the edge of the map, then going up the stairs of those forebodding ruins to rescue the Invoker in Distress. The stuff of legends, right Boo?!
Even when I don't keep him I usually do his quest. It provides some continuity with BG2, but it's also one of the rare excuses you have to actually go deep into the wilderness areas.
For me, it's definitely because of Minsc's loveable but wacky personality. And who doesn't love miniature giant space hamsters?
I think there's also an element of Minsc being a somewhat tragic character. He's brain damaged, yet powerful - if you keep him with you and guide him, he can be a hero. On his own, he loses those he's meant to protect and gets himself lost. You almost want to protect him, and in so doing, he truly can help you with your goals.
He also reminds me of people who can roleplay a low INT character well. He's not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he has a good heart and a willingness to endanger himself for others.
They don't really make fantasy worlds like Baldur's Gate any more. Nowadays, it's all DARK AND EDGY AND SERIOUS BUSINESS FOR SERIOUS MATURE ADULTS rubbish.
For me, it's definitely because of Minsc's loveable but wacky personality. And who doesn't love miniature giant space hamsters?
I think there's also an element of Minsc being a somewhat tragic character. He's brain damaged, yet powerful - if you keep him with you and guide him, he can be a hero. On his own, he loses those he's meant to protect and gets himself lost. You almost want to protect him, and in so doing, he truly can help you with your goals.
He also reminds me of people who can roleplay a low INT character well. He's not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he has a good heart and a willingness to endanger himself for others.
And a hamster for when the player needs a RP reason for coming up with a good plan.
Minsc has an outstanding voice actor, the enthusiasm is infectious (same guy that voices Xzar I think). He's strong as an ox and send him into the gnoll lair with some decent gear and let him go postal, it's like watching a 12th level kensai operate! I'm talking 4th of July style chunk-age. Make sure you play "Raining Blood" by Slayer as you stand in awe at the bottom of the keep. Having said that he sucks at protecting people, except for Boo who is obviously the only thing on Faerun that he gives two coppers for. It's also fun to give him the +3 cursed sword.
Personally I have RPG-OCD. So I can not have anybody in my party that will appear in the sequels because I can't justify their stat, ability, and gear changes (and no I don't do mods ever and I know you will suggest that I do)! So after I get the original gang together I drop them off at the camp fire at the fair and pretend that Jaheira received special orders from the Harpers to focus on guiding Imoen instead. So they quest in the south while I live out my own saga with the likes of Skie, Branwen, and Xan.
If you look at the party as a whole instead of just individual spots, you'll see that Minsc is a jack of all trades master of none type of character. Sure there are better tanks, archers, and scouts, but he is a solid second stringer.
Need an extra tank for a particular battle? Give him a two handed sword, slap some plate armor on him, and send him in along with your other tank(s).
Need an additional archer to help Coran rain death down from a distance? Give him a composite longbow and tell him to fire at will.
Need some muscle that can sneak around with Imoen and help out in case she spots trouble? Put him in some leather armor and let him hide in shadows and keep an eye on Lil Immy as she scouts the enemy and looks for traps.
So, Minsc may not the best in any one class, but he is the most versatile one. Plus, you get him pretty early on so you control just about all his level ups.
@Quartz The reason I prefer Minsc is because of Kivan's quest timer. If you pick Kivan up early, you have to deal with his quest timer or you have to delay picking him up.
@mickeyblueeyessj I've honestly never ever had him bail; and I often pick him up very first thing, and I explore the wilderness a-plenty. But then I don't do the whole "use all my spells immediately -> rest immediately -> repeat" bit of cheese so that's probably why.
In my experience of BG, Minsc's Space Hamster 'Boo' does not really play much of a role in what Minsc contributes as a character or tactical factor.
One point that no-one has made is that my imagination of Charname usually has him shaking in his boots so to speak for a few chapters while the whole Bhaalspawn identity unfolds and he has no idea what he has landed in the middle of. In that darkness Minsc is like a lightning bolt of clarity.
Minsc continually refocuses the energy of Charname's inner turmoil, mixed with concern for his teen-aged half-sister, Imoen~ from one huge "WHY ME!!!!!", where the only sensible course of action is big-time flight-mode until things begin to make sense ~ back to the common everyday-ness of all Hack and Slash Adventurers.... Butt-kickin for Goodness, or whatever !!!
That being said, once you can recruit Coran and most of the heavy lifting of Ankhegs and Wyvern Skulls has been done, the option of benching a heart-sick Minsc to make room for both Branwen/Viconia and Yeslick, or perhaps both of the Archers, Kivan and Coran, or perhaps preferring the Paladin skills of Ajantis [who also needs BG's prime Dex boosting item without BG2 stats] against Undead ~ becomes much more interesting.
But this is also because by that juncture Charname is much further along in the whole "coming-of'age" thing and has begun to see clearly the thread of his/her whole life-story with an overpowering insistence that is independent of Minsc's exuberance.
Another point is that I really like having that big body on the screen. Gives a visual solidity to all battle preparations that steadies my nerves.
I also definitely agree that the excellent voice-acting and other factors make him a memorable character that adds spice to our Gametime-lives. Maybe Life itself is better, I mean RL as well, with a bit of Minsc and Boo.
Minsc is cool. He comes with lots of health, can use just about anything, and you get a nice two-handed sword from the genie at the beginning. Minsc can handle that baby well, and the healing benefits certainly don't hurt him.
Somewhat on topic, who else loved Minsc and the voice acting back in the day when bg1 first came out and now continues to enjoy Jim Cummings voice not only in the enhanced editions but also when your kids watch Curious George?
The first time my son watches it a few years ago I about crapped myself when I first heard Chef Pisghetti talking.
Minsc is so popular not because of his class, not because of his STR, not because of his silly INT and WIS, and even not because of the mere fact there's a travelling miniature giant space hamster hamster in this pack.
Minsc is a unique character in the first place. He's very different from other characters in computer games. He's voiced over wonderfully well and almost all his phrases have become legendary.
Exactly this. He is a great **character**, more than the combined total of his stats and abilities, because of Jim Cummings' brilliance and the greatness of the writing in the games. D&D is about storytelling and characters, the numbers and stats are just icing.
However, from a technical standpoint, I still find Minsc to be perfectly capable of kicking butts for goodness. He's not a "tank" (and no ranger should be), he's a "gunship". An Apache attack helicopter if you will. He hits HARD and can MANEUVER around the enemy and is VERSATILE, able to fill multiple roles.
No, he's not the "best" at anything. But this game really isn't that hard that it matters. Minsc is "fun" and that's why I 'spec folks like him.
I was a 15 Strength fighter/mage and was just thrilled with his exceptional strength and then in BG2 SoA, some of his lines were just too good! I remember wondering if I really heard him say his catch phrases. I'd have to wait until he said them again "Yeah, he really told the bad guys to jump on his sword!". So funnily awesome!
Minsc is just this good-hearted big crazy guy who is totally loyal to you. I miss him in my evil runs
As is usual in the Baldur's Gate saga, what makes Minsc great for me is how well his dialogs are written. They could have easily gone too far with either his temper, lack of intellect or apparent insanity, but they didn't.
Minsc comes across like a guy with whom you could be really good friends. He's loyal, cheerful and optimistic, relentless against the wicked and gentle to the weak - and he doesn't take life and himself too serious.
With almost no party chatter, BG1 can be a pretty quiet game. A character like Minsc helps break the silence with memorable voiced lines. All of our favourites are like that.
Tactically, he's a good second fighter (approaching the enemy after your defender has approached) with a 2 handed weapon or a good defender with a shield. And with a 2 handed sword, he can easily switch to a bow. Something that Khalid with a shield can't quickly do.
Well, with the updates, anyone can switch from schield/sword style to bow style easily (with no need to pass from the inventory):-)
Minsc comes across like a guy with whom you could be really good friends. He's loyal, cheerful and optimistic, relentless against the wicked and gentle to the weak - and he doesn't take life and himself too serious.
Indeed. He's the guy you can pal-around with at the tavern, telling stories and just enjoying a good brew, and he's also the guy you WANT by your side at the tavern when the cups and fists start flying.
I admit I haven't read all responses yet, so this might be already mentioned. Minsc is a ranger who also has barbaric rage as an innate ability. Taking into account that npc wizard AI in bg1 always goes for charms first, he is the right tank for most wizard fights.
Of course this leads to some funny moments occasionally. On my current playthrough I try to save a dryad from an ogre mage. Minsc goes berserk, kills mage, then dryad , then Jaheira and screams buttkicking for goodness.
Comments
*In Baldur's Gate 2, he's the only companion who doesn't make you go through any annoying sidequests.
Even when I don't keep him I usually do his quest. It provides some continuity with BG2, but it's also one of the rare excuses you have to actually go deep into the wilderness areas.
I think there's also an element of Minsc being a somewhat tragic character. He's brain damaged, yet powerful - if you keep him with you and guide him, he can be a hero. On his own, he loses those he's meant to protect and gets himself lost. You almost want to protect him, and in so doing, he truly can help you with your goals.
He also reminds me of people who can roleplay a low INT character well. He's not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he has a good heart and a willingness to endanger himself for others.
Personally I have RPG-OCD. So I can not have anybody in my party that will appear in the sequels because I can't justify their stat, ability, and gear changes (and no I don't do mods ever and I know you will suggest that I do)! So after I get the original gang together I drop them off at the camp fire at the fair and pretend that Jaheira received special orders from the Harpers to focus on guiding Imoen instead. So they quest in the south while I live out my own saga with the likes of Skie, Branwen, and Xan.
Minsk is voiced over by Jim Cummings. He also voiced Firkraag, Gorion, Tazok, Abazigal, Gromnir Il-Khan and Demogorgon.
Xzar is voiced over by Frank Welker. He also voiced Elminster.
Need an extra tank for a particular battle? Give him a two handed sword, slap some plate armor on him, and send him in along with your other tank(s).
Need an additional archer to help Coran rain death down from a distance? Give him a composite longbow and tell him to fire at will.
Need some muscle that can sneak around with Imoen and help out in case she spots trouble? Put him in some leather armor and let him hide in shadows and keep an eye on Lil Immy as she scouts the enemy and looks for traps.
So, Minsc may not the best in any one class, but he is the most versatile one. Plus, you get him pretty early on so you control just about all his level ups.
That said, Minsc is certainly the most versatile in Baldur's Gate II.
One point that no-one has made is that my imagination of Charname usually has him shaking in his boots so to speak for a few chapters while the whole Bhaalspawn identity unfolds and he has no idea what he has landed in the middle of. In that darkness Minsc is like a lightning bolt of clarity.
Minsc continually refocuses the energy of Charname's inner turmoil, mixed with concern for his teen-aged half-sister, Imoen~ from one huge "WHY ME!!!!!", where the only sensible course of action is big-time flight-mode until things begin to make sense ~ back to the common everyday-ness of all Hack and Slash Adventurers.... Butt-kickin for Goodness, or whatever !!!
That being said, once you can recruit Coran and most of the heavy lifting of Ankhegs and Wyvern Skulls has been done, the option of benching a heart-sick Minsc to make room for both Branwen/Viconia and Yeslick, or perhaps both of the Archers, Kivan and Coran, or perhaps preferring the Paladin skills of Ajantis [who also needs BG's prime Dex boosting item without BG2 stats] against Undead ~ becomes much more interesting.
But this is also because by that juncture Charname is much further along in the whole "coming-of'age" thing and has begun to see clearly the thread of his/her whole life-story with an overpowering insistence that is independent of Minsc's exuberance.
Another point is that I really like having that big body on the screen. Gives a visual solidity to all battle preparations that steadies my nerves.
I also definitely agree that the excellent voice-acting and other factors make him a memorable character that adds spice to our Gametime-lives. Maybe Life itself is better, I mean RL as well, with a bit of Minsc and Boo.
Plus he's funny.
"Jump on my sword, evil! I won't be as gentle!!"
The first time my son watches it a few years ago I about crapped myself when I first heard Chef Pisghetti talking.
However, from a technical standpoint, I still find Minsc to be perfectly capable of kicking butts for goodness. He's not a "tank" (and no ranger should be), he's a "gunship". An Apache attack helicopter if you will. He hits HARD and can MANEUVER around the enemy and is VERSATILE, able to fill multiple roles.
No, he's not the "best" at anything. But this game really isn't that hard that it matters. Minsc is "fun" and that's why I 'spec folks like him.
I was a 15 Strength fighter/mage and was just thrilled with his exceptional strength and then in BG2 SoA, some of his lines were just too good! I remember wondering if I really heard him say his catch phrases. I'd have to wait until he said them again "Yeah, he really told the bad guys to jump on his sword!". So funnily awesome!
Minsc is just this good-hearted big crazy guy who is totally loyal to you. I miss him in my evil runs
Of course this leads to some funny moments occasionally. On my current playthrough I try to save a dryad from an ogre mage. Minsc goes berserk, kills mage, then dryad , then Jaheira and screams buttkicking for goodness.