Differences between BG1 and BG2..?

Cleave

Hello everyone. I never played any DnD games before, and was not familiar with the rules/universe of DnD in the slightest when i started playing BG2 some years ago after i bought a used copy for 10$ in a sale somewhere in a random market where I live.

After spending hours and hours reading everything in the game, from item to magic descriptions, to skills and powers, I was so amazed at the deepness of it all that, to this day, i never had that much interest in any other videogame that comes out... always feeling like "bah, not as cool as BG2".

So I am very eager to finally try BG1, since i really couldn't ever get over the low resolution settings of that game to play it. But I hear from reading these forums that it was a different experience than playing the second one.

So what i'd like to know is what differs between the 2 of em, as gameplay goes.

I hear it has more of an open-world atmosphere..? Anyone wants to clarify that for me? surely it's not like Skyrim where you just pick a direction and walk for hours until you get somewhere..

Also, in BG2 we started out having 4 characters.. do we start alone in BG1?

Any other things i should know maybe? Careful for the spoilers please

Thanks!

Lemernis

BG1 'funnels' you less than BG2 does. There's greater freedom to ignore plot imperatives and spend time sidequesting. There's also more countryside to explore.

I don't think it would be spoiling you to share that you do have the option to embark on your journey alone, but you can recruit some comrades right away.

There are more NPCs to choose from in BG1 and they are wonderfully realized characters.

You're a heck of a lot more vulnerable starting at level 1 with literally 0 XP at the very beginning. You have to be wary of potential dangers that may lurk around any bend.

BG1 has a less dark and brooding atmosphere than BG2. It's a more sunlit and even cheery world. Whereas in BG2 there's a feeling of being oppressed (even cursed), in BG1 there's a kind of charmed feeling that the world is your oyster.

Magic is at a lower level in BG1. There are no HLAs either. There is something very satisfying however about manipulating spell levels 1-5. You still have plenty to work with, and it will definitely still be challenging.

Hope that helps!

Charlytan

What you heard about BG1’s open world is absolutely correct. In BG2, when you wanted move to an area, all you had to do was hit a zone out, then click the destination. The game would then compensate for the time it would take to reach there, and you would load into that area. (Unless waylaid by enemies, and must defend yourself!)

In BG1, you actually have to travel through the zones in between in order to get to your destination. For example, if BG2 used BG1’s travelling method, you would have to leave Amn then move through about 8 different zones on foot, before you could reach the Druid’s Grove place. It made the game’s world seem so much bigger.

I wouldn’t say it’s completely like Skyrim, but you’re absolutely correct about picking a direction and walking for hours (game time) until you find a town. If you’ve ever played Everquest, you could think of it being something like their zoning system. (In the early days of EQ, you had to actually RUN through zones to get to places.)

As for your next question; you actually do start off alone, but optionally, you may acquire companions fairly early in-game. It just depends on how you play, and who you wish to recruit. XD

Aside from those features, the others would be the difference in some of the spells. Between BG1 and BG2, some of the spells from BG1 were tweaked and rebalanced in BG2. But I think since they’ve already made it clear that they’ll be using most of the features from BG2 then these “rebalanced” spells may end up in BG1.

Lastly, this isn’t a spoiler, but rather a warning… In BG1, NPCs are NOT as forgiving as they were in BG2. So be very cautious on what you do. o.o'

Cleave

Thanks for the answers!

@Lemernis True, I always felt kind of oppressed in BG2. One of the things that bugged me at first was that I couldn't use any spells in cities, or the Cowled Wizards would kill me on the spot. Can we use magic in cities in BG1?

@Charlytan So i take it there is no fast travel? -edit- post under this one answered this. Looks cool, i like it.

Syntia13

Just to clarify the 'traveling on foot' point... you only have to do this when you visit the area the first time. You start out with a blank map, and after you've visited a new area it is added to your map. IMO this system reflects perfectly the situation of your PC - as the prologue will tell you, you spent all your life in a Library-Castle, and never ventured outside, so you have no (firsthand) knowledge of the local geography. So when you start your adventure, you are (quite literally) out in the woods, blindly feeling your way around.
After you found/explored a new area, the game then assumes you know the way already, so you can travel to that location from any place just by clicking it on your map, just like in BG2. (Of course, the further the distance the bigger the chance of being ambushed on the way).

Also, even though there is this big world you can explore at your leisure, there is a very nice semi-linear plot that is quite personal, engaging and difficult to ignore (as opposed to Skyrim, where you can ignore the "main" quest without any consequences, and which doesn't even try to entice you to complete it).
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As for the party - you play the 'prologue'/tutorial area alone. As soon as the game proper starts, a joinable NPC runs to you, insisting on joining, and there are other 2 NPCs in the same area, just a few dozen meters from your starting point. So basically you can start your adventure with a four-person party, just like in BG2. There are heaps of other adventurers you will meet at various stages of the game, more than there were in BG2 (I think it was 25 in vanilla BG, with BG:EE this went up to 28).
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What you need to know - everything is out to get you, and you are vulnerable like a newborn. Seriously. Level one character can and will die messily from the silliest things, which you'd walk over in BG2 without even noticing it. So do not underestimate any, I repeat, ANY creature which runs at you with a red circle around its feet. Chances are it is deadly to you, at least at the early stages.
Make sure to read the spell descriptions again, as some of them are different from BG2. (At least they were in original BG. BG:EE uses the newer engine, so it's possible the spells were upgraded to BG2 versions as well).
It is a good idea to keep a spare sword in your backpack. Just saying... >_>
It's a bloody good game, and I'm sure you'll enjoy the heck of it.
Only 11 days left till release day! Rangers and hamsters everywhere, REJOICE!

(I realize the last line was redundant. I'm just too excited to care. XD )

RedGuard

I think something to be aware of is for many who come to BG1 after BG2 is that it may feel like a downgrade in many ways. I still like BG1 and think it's worth a playthrough or two, but it's not as fun to me as BG2 is.

It's also good to keep in mind that you are at a lower level than what you are in BG2 so there isn't so much in the way of spells, enchanted armour and weapons. Though what is there is arguably a good selection for the level range.

The traveling to places you need to go can at times be quite tedious. Some of those maps can seem quite large and empty, only being filled by a couple of things of interest. If you're one of those players who like the Elder Scrolls and are intent on never using the fast travel then it may be more your thing, but if not then they are at least able to be skipped once you've been through them at least once (more or less).

mch202

Also a difference ( quite huge actually ) is that BG1 dont have NPC interactions and Romances, Unfortunately BG:EE wont address it either - this is maybe the main reason why BG1 will always be 'behind' BG2, hopefully the NPC project will be updated. Personally I still favor BG1 over BG2.

neleothesze

@RedGuard I came from BG2 to BG1 and liked BG1 better. The plot of BG2 was a bit too restrictive for my taste while BG1 'lack of direction' felt refreshing.

The (again, relative) sparseness of points of interest in the wilderness areas makes things more realistic Not every hill will hold a wolf-den in real life and not every field will be infested by kobolds/rats/etc but your PC is suddenly all alone and the ability to pick any direction and not be overwhelmed by quests, mobs or lore and gradually ease into the world and story is great.

I played the Elder Scrolls series from Morrowind onwards and I can tell you that I loved that they added fast-travel in Oblivion and Skyrim but wouldn't for the world miss out on the simple pleasures of picking flowers and mushrooms for alchemy, swimming and diving for pearls or wandering aimlessly waiting for DESTINY to come and hit me over the face with a Corprus stick. In this respect BG1 satisfies me more than BG2.

@Cleave I don't consider this a spoiler... In BG2 you could mix and match party members until you found the perfect setup for your playthrough and NPCs you kicked out could return to an easily accesible area (eg. Aerie and the circus, Yoshimo and the Copper Coronet, etc) I'm unsure if BG:EE will add the feature to send companions to inns like BG1NPC so you shouldn't leave your mates in areas you're unlikely to return to. This should spare you some trouble.

Shin

It could also be said that BG2 ups the ante and pulls out the stops more. It's a larger game where you get a chance to take your character a lot farther (especially if playing a caster) and see many more nuances of the FR world than the countryside around Baldur's Gate. Both games have their own charm in different ways, though to me BG1 feels like an appetizer that sort of lets you get your feet wet and try out your character, while BG2 is more like the main course where things really get serious.

As some people have pointed out, BG1 has the feeling of being new and vulnerable to a greater extent than BG2 - but BG2 has plenty of places you can stumble into and realize you are in over your head as well. Also, in BG2 both you and your enemies get more tools at your disposal, so encounters tend to be more varied.

RedGuard

@neleothesze Personally I found the world and story of BG2 much more to my liking. Even though BG1 you were more free to explore, I felt the story in BG2 was much better told and that Irenicus was a much more compelling villain (though I still like Sarevok as well).

The party interactions also help with that (something BG1 is missing really). In BG2 the story gives more recognition to who is travelling with you and they actually feel a part of the story and the party banters are also much appreciated, it really fleshes out the world. BG1, to me at least, can seem quite empty and plain at times.

Though I must admit I'm really just speaking of the vanilla BG1. I have looked for mods for BG1, but there doesn't seem to be that availability that BG2 seems to have in terms of mods and the ones I do find often assume you have BGTutu or Trilogy installed.


Also, it should be pointed out that some NPC's come as a pair. BG1 has quite a few of those. It's not a big deal, but you may have to plan your party around that.

neleothesze

@RedGuard You're right about party interactions fleshing out characters a bit more; I'll even add that the NPC quests making you feel more involved in your companion's lives. But some plot decisions ruined the immersion they tried so hard to achieve. Foisting Jaheira, Imoen and Minsc on you, killing Khalid and Dynaheir, no chance to resurrect them or side with Xzar against the assassin and these are just a few of the ones that come to mind because they involve my favourite characters. As for mods, you're right, most of the big ones assume you use Tutu or BGT and those are exactly the ones which greatly enhance the BG1 experience. In my mind some things blend into each other and I probably wouldn't be waxing lyrical on Morrowind without a FPS Optimiser or BG1 without BG2's walking speed ^_^

RedGuard

@neleothesze I can certainly understand being annoyed at being to interact more with your favourite characters. Though I'm personally far less attached to those characters since I never really got attached to them since they were never really fleshed out in BG1.

Xzar does seem interesting though and I would have enjoyed more options in that particular quest, but at the same time I don't feel as though what happened was inappropriate either since if felt like he got what he deserved (though admittedly this from the POV of someone who usually plays a good aligned character).

Khalid is someone I never got interested in. He was just there because of Jaheira in my eyes. If BG1 had given him the character development Jaheira saw in BG2 then I'd probably feel something for him, but that's not what happened.

Dynaheir however I felt could have had potential. She never really annoyed me or anything, so I think it's a bit sad that she never saw further development. Though as people have said time and again, hers is an 'informed death' (though I think Minsc is a reliable source). Maybe there's an argument for a return in BG3 if they can come up with a compelling enough story?

lol, at the mention of walking speed. I feel like you could click on one side of the map, walk away and make some tea and come back in time for your character to actually get to where you clicked. Thankfully BG:EE will have that sorted.

reedmilfam

I don't see BG1 as a downgrade at all. It's not as spiffy in some ways, but they're very similar gameplay wise.

I found that I loved the way the story unfolded in BG1, as I didn't really know what was 'going on' and learned as the game progressed. You know more than I did, as you played BG2. Still, it's a fun story and neat to see the backgrounds of some of the characters.