[...] And personally, I would rather see an IWD II EE and PST EE, rather than a "BGIII". While we're at it, please don't make a BG III, the Bhaalspawn's story is over.
Just like Lord of the Rings, it's the story of the Fellowship. Baldur's Gate is the story of Gorion's Ward/CHARNAME.
I'm more than open to a BG-like game with a new engine. Charname's story is done.
I'd like a continuation of Gorion's ward's story. Charname Aven The Human wants to go kill the spider queen, and put Viconia on that throne. Charname' Zod wants to beat up Demogorgon again. That fool went and promised Zod some loot and then attacked him. Soon Zod'll be Demogorgon's boss and he wants to stick it to monkey faces again. It doesn't have to be the Bhaalspawn story, but I'd like to see Sigil. The only problem with continuing the story, I think, might be the actual game mechanics; fighting and spells and what not. Story wise, i think there is fertile ground. The realms are a seemingly endless ladder of higher powered beings, and Charname is not at the top. The thing I doubt about continuing the Bhaalspawn story is the gameplay. With such high power characters, it seems that the spells and abilities would almost definitely need to be redesigned.
I'd like to share a little love for Beamdog. The DLC quests for ToB are making that expansion a lot fuller. ToB isn't great. The dialog choices have no effect on the the outcome, at all. I had Charname attack Mellisan on the first encounter. The only time there is a chance is when he appears in Saradush and Gromnirs men start attacking the people at the gate. During that fight I just had everybody target Mellisan, she just warps out and says something like, "hey, you're in a bad mood, I'll talk to you later." From there on out it's business as usual, one thing after another. Might as well replace the dialogue with 1. [Option 1 -good] 2. [Option 1 -evil] 3. [Option 1 -reluctant]
The extra content makes the expansion a lot better. Even just Rasaad's quest, which comes with the EE, is a positive improvement.
This dwarf has a plan to tunnel under the river. Her cousin doesn't know about the plan and wants to float accross. One dwarf in the middle of the road says its a trap. What's a trap man? Are these other dwarfs part of the trap? Maybe I should just try a frontal assault. An actual choice of action? I was genuinely surprised when I encountered that.
The dialogue could be better. It's been noted before. We generally have three response types, a good, a bad, and a meta game aware, nonchalant quip. But the art is really good, and the fights are also good. I especially enjoyed the Neera quest fight in the place in Waukeens promenade in BGII. None of them alone are great, but they begin to add up.
Some people from BGII are really endearing. I always take and forgive Yoshimo. But that type of lightning is hard to bottle. I love Yoshimo's responses, "I can dance on the head of a pin as well.", "Verry well, Heee yah."-- and the like. But I like Rasaads "I need something to punch, or kick." Neera irritates me, but so did Nalia.
Hmm. I guess my love for Beamdog has mostly been a knock on BGII. I guess my point is that BGII has some really high points and so we might forget the weakness and tend to judge the new content more critically than we remember the old. BGII had some really great moments, but it overall had a lot of moments. All those quests coming from joinable and non-joinable NPCs. The EE content has quests coming from NPC's too, but less of them. I think that's my biggest knock on what Beamdog has added so far. I wonder how it works out at inflation adjusted quest per dollar. I would guess Beamdog stacks up well. I'm looking forward to SoD.
I think it's perfectly possible to continue the Baldur's Gate story with a new protagonist.
Anything's possible, the question is "should it be done?" The answer is 'no'.
I do love a logical, detailed, well reasoned discussion.
I agree with the "no", and i mean a big fat NO. The reason? Baldur's Gate is about the story of charname, where he is the main character. There is not a canon ending but anyway the story ends with what happens in Tob. I could agree with a spin-off with the same engine and everithing but a Baldur's Gate 3 without charname as protagonist is just a bait for customers.
After all I wrote about continuing BGII, I ultimately agree that it shouldn't be done. There's so much more to be gained by starting fresh. New time, new places. Even old places different age.
I think it's perfectly possible to continue the Baldur's Gate story with a new protagonist.
I maybe agree, if continue means revisit the Sword coast. I don't see the point in continuing the Bhaal spawn saga, unless if like I said above its about this new god becoming a super god, or something less silly than that.
I'm looking forward to starting a fresh BG I again. Returning to when finally getting to throw a web is awesome for my new character. So if continuing means, for instance, the new story starts when the new protagonist is saved from a troll on a slaver's ship, dry docked in the slums of Athkatla. Charname leads the other children on a long adventure back home, only to discover the horrible truth of their origins. They're cyborgs!! Or something. Hey, I can't write the whole thing here. But yeah, i agree with continuing in that case.
Comments
1. [Option 1 -good]
2. [Option 1 -evil]
3. [Option 1 -reluctant]
The extra content makes the expansion a lot better. Even just Rasaad's quest, which comes with the EE, is a positive improvement.
The dialogue could be better. It's been noted before. We generally have three response types, a good, a bad, and a meta game aware, nonchalant quip. But the art is really good, and the fights are also good. I especially enjoyed the Neera quest fight in the place in Waukeens promenade in BGII. None of them alone are great, but they begin to add up.
Some people from BGII are really endearing. I always take and forgive Yoshimo. But that type of lightning is hard to bottle. I love Yoshimo's responses, "I can dance on the head of a pin as well.", "Verry well, Heee yah."-- and the like. But I like Rasaads "I need something to punch, or kick." Neera irritates me, but so did Nalia.
Hmm. I guess my love for Beamdog has mostly been a knock on BGII. I guess my point is that BGII has some really high points and so we might forget the weakness and tend to judge the new content more critically than we remember the old. BGII had some really great moments, but it overall had a lot of moments. All those quests coming from joinable and non-joinable NPCs. The EE content has quests coming from NPC's too, but less of them. I think that's my biggest knock on what Beamdog has added so far. I wonder how it works out at inflation adjusted quest per dollar. I would guess Beamdog stacks up well. I'm looking forward to SoD.
The reason? Baldur's Gate is about the story of charname, where he is the main character.
There is not a canon ending but anyway the story ends with what happens in Tob.
I could agree with a spin-off with the same engine and everithing but a Baldur's Gate 3 without charname as protagonist is just a bait for customers.
I'm looking forward to starting a fresh BG I again. Returning to when finally getting to throw a web is awesome for my new character. So if continuing means, for instance, the new story starts when the new protagonist is saved from a troll on a slaver's ship, dry docked in the slums of Athkatla. Charname leads the other children on a long adventure back home, only to discover the horrible truth of their origins. They're cyborgs!! Or something. Hey, I can't write the whole thing here. But yeah, i agree with continuing in that case.
However, there is a canon 5th edition situation: CHARNAME is dead, Bhaal is back. That sounds like a set up for an epic story to me. You could say the same thing of The Force Awakens, or Lord of the Rings for that matter.
“Don't adventures ever have an end? I suppose not. Someone else always has to carry on on the story.”
-Bilbo Baggins
If you want to discuss the latter, you can create a new thread or use the existing ones:
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/35292/future-potential-projects-iwd2-ee-ps-t-ee-bg3-your-opinion/
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/32410/no-i-dont-want-a-bg3/
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/34858/would-rather-have-iwd3-than-a-bg3-or-new-ip-if-license-fail