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Please, no more Modernisms in Bg series!

TutaTuta Member Posts: 11
There was already a thread some time ago about things like "Bad COP" quest for Dorn, Neera's and Hexxat's "bright dialogues", California's hippies/junkies in the wild mages refugee camp. Of course, for some it may be very funny, so maybe we can expect space ships and lightsabres in Sod? Maybe McDonald? Why not? McBurger castle where you are beeing attacked by overdosed hippies throwing at you rotten cheesburgers?.. It COULD be fun for some mod but I played BG back in 2000 and the feeling of seriousness and epic adventure was there all the game. Yes, in vanilla was jokes and such, but its very important when you know to what extend you may go not to ruin the FEELING of game. There was ppl who defended cop&cheesburger approach, well to some extend it can be justified, as Faerun is in the same Multiverse where we are, so some transition of ideas and blah, blah. But in such way you can justify ewerything! Darth Vader in SoD? No problem - just a sudden fluctuation in Multiverse, portal and voila! we have new funny adventure defeating DV by magic missiles...
So, dear Beamdog, if you are hiring all those new and old actors, maybe you could rewrite at least something in BG/BG2? For example, why Neera's voice is echoed in BG2? It sounds completely different and much worse than in BG1, as someone recorded her at home on cheap mic. Change that COP quest description? First encounter of Dorn - what happened with actors? They sound like beeing deprived of sleep for a week! And many other things. So my main concern about SoD is to see "texts" and not a STORY. Just some common sense and respect for a series, please!..
Post edited by Tuta on
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Comments

  • VallmyrVallmyr Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 2,459
    edited December 2015
    Maybe it's because I haven't tried any of the new characters in BG2:EE but in BG:EE I felt the characters were fine. Nothing struck me as out of place. Judging by the post though it seems you're mostly referring to BG2:EE.

    Also, may want to check for a slippery-slope fallacy. I understand the notion but I heavily doubt we'll see a Star Wars/Baldur's Gate crossover.

    Now maybe some more Planescape references could be appreciated.
    Post edited by Vallmyr on
  • TutaTuta Member Posts: 11
    Characters were fine, its just how they were made and dialogs, both written and spoken. Baeloth sounds ok, as Dorn (only new character I really like)... Wait, I have save before Baeloth and I just copied a couple of dialogue options:
    1.Thats a shame, a nice guy like you mixed up in a situation like this.
    2.Die drow!
    After you take nr.1 follows:
    Thats a shame. How could such a nice guy like you get mixed up in a situation like this? (when I saw this it was just wtf!!?)
    2.Die drow!

    WOW! Bravo! Shakespearean language! And its just one example :)
  • VallmyrVallmyr Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 2,459
    Ohhh
    Yeah I can agree that on the player-side the dialogue can be odd sometimes.

    I do like the "Fine" exchange between Charname and Neera, though. But I see what you mean on that front.
  • TutaTuta Member Posts: 11
    Border said:

    ...It shows how talented the original writers were - they could write engaging characters, some with just the right amount of entertaining quality, without stooping to silliness to try and make their characters "interesting".

    You know, I dont think that they were especially "talented", they just were educated people, medical doctors and I know too well, what it means to go through medicine studies... Just a high IQ+common sense :)
  • Greenman019Greenman019 Member Posts: 206
    Is it really americanisms? I just found too much of the new content went too heavy on the "silly" side. Baldur's Gate got the balance right ("Hey don't click on me, I don't want any trouble"). Beamdog got it a lil off
  • TutaTuta Member Posts: 11
    Ok, I am sorry if called things wrong, no more MODERNISMS then :) English isnt my native so I dont know all those nuances, nor do I pretend on beeing expert in storywriting. But there are obvious things that ruins my game experience. While many here are concerned when to dual, how to use this or that skill and other battle mechanics, its story that drives everything forward afterall.
    About doctors - they could be phisicists or chemists or lawyers, it doesnt matter so much, when you meet clever person you know it. Just many intelligent people go to study medicine as many of my friends :)
  • TutaTuta Member Posts: 11
    Formally - yes, there are lots of humorous things. However, read all the dialogues/monologues - its completely different level. Now, imagine Irenicus monologues written by Beamdog... Ok, its too cruel, I know :wink:
  • NhullNhull Member Posts: 37
    I was fine with Dorn in BG, and BG2 I had no issues. I cant deal with Neera though, its too much. My favorite characterizations have to be Minsc (he's got a headwound, how can he not be funny...) Edwin, and Korgan.

    I dont know, but I find the Evil characters far easier to play through with, however Minsc is just over the top enough to be fun, a shame the Good/Neutral side in BG is bland (to me).
  • NhullNhull Member Posts: 37
    Regarding Imoen vs Neera, I dont care for Imoen either. :]
  • IllustairIllustair Member Posts: 878
    Let's just bring the "intelligence" topic and its correlation with doctors (or physicists, chemists or lawyers) elsewhere, esp when used as a yardstick in writing skills.

    But as to the matter at hand, be it in original or EE, still imo less/subtler the modernism is, the better. None? Much more so. BP2 in this regard felt very natural; it was short, yes, but I would even dare say that I found it more "BG" than ToB.
  • FardragonFardragon Member Posts: 4,511
    Gotural said:

    Well, the original writers did create a half-stupid Ranger with a miniature giant space hamster and a Mage obsessed with some sort of "Mouse Magic" so I don't know what you really expect.

    "Half-stupid"? I hate to think what the other half is!
  • LifatLifat Member Posts: 353
    Fardragon said:

    Gotural said:

    Well, the original writers did create a half-stupid Ranger with a miniature giant space hamster and a Mage obsessed with some sort of "Mouse Magic" so I don't know what you really expect.

    "Half-stupid"? I hate to think what the other half is!
    Half-moron? :smiley:
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,758
    I really recommend to read the @AndrewFoley 's short-story about Glint http://www.dragonmag.com/5.0/#!/article/106532/100901942?loadFresh=true

    If the SoD content has the similar level, it will be perfect!
  • TutaTuta Member Posts: 11
    So, no one else feel discomfort seeng Bad Cop quest? Well, no comments then. And I am not against allusions on modernity, but to put things bluntly - its too much! Not all dialogs/texts for new content is bad, but there obviously are things that must be changed.
  • VallmyrVallmyr Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 2,459
    elminster said:

    Vallmyr said:

    YEAH ALORA IS THE BEST!
    *ahem*
    Sorry, I'll keep my obsession with her to a minimum.

    *cough*

    No need to hold back. Alora is awesome! Even with her use of popular phrases.
    Off-topic a little but I got her just recently on my iPhone run of the game. Technically this will be the first time I actually use her as a main party member which is odd despite my obsession with her character XD
  • FardragonFardragon Member Posts: 4,511
    edited December 2015
    Tuta said:

    So, no one else feel discomfort seeng Bad Cop quest? Well, no comments then. And I am not against allusions on modernity, but to put things bluntly - its too much! Not all dialogs/texts for new content is bad, but there obviously are things that must be changed.

    The Forgotten Realms is modern. It does not pretend a historical setting (like The Last Kingdom) or Middle Earth to pretentiousness. Even the Shire is "modern" in relation to the rest of Middle Earth.
  • LifatLifat Member Posts: 353
    Could you be more specific about the lines you disliked? Honestly, I felt like the new characters and their quests fit in nicely both in bg1 and bg2, especially Neera.
  • meaglothmeagloth Member Posts: 3,806
    Tuta said:

    So, no one else feel discomfort seeng Bad Cop quest? Well, no comment then. And I am not against allusions on modernity, but to put things bluntly - its too much! Not all dialogs/texts for new content is bad, but there obviously are things that must be changed.

    You seem to have a real problem with this "bad cop" quest thing. I haven't played down but I'm assuming that's the name of the quest in the journal. That's hard to point at for being a modernism or out of place because it's not in the characte dialog, it's completely seperate from the story. It's just a title.
  • scriverscriver Member Posts: 2,072
    I want SoD to be completely devoid of Englishisms.
  • KilivitzKilivitz Member Posts: 1,459
    Ooooooooh come on now. I've said this before and as many people have pointed out, the original/pre-Beamdog dialogue was chock-full of modernisms and pop culture references.

    If anything, the new content is consistent with the game and honestly, I'd rather have that than any overly serious stuff.

    This is actually one of the things I like best about Baldur's Gate. Most RPGs nowadays (including D&D adaptations) seem to either take itself too seriously or try to convey a sense of gravitas that I find to be boring.

    And this is a bit off-topic, but recently I've tried playing Sword Coast Legends and that's exactly the impression I got. I might be too biased for my own good, but even the music is so boring in comparison. I couldn't tell Neverwinter Nights' music apart from Sword Coast Legend's or even Pillars of Eternity's if you pointed a gun to my head, whereas BG's soundtrack is full of memorable tunes. Specially the main theme.
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
    edited December 2015
    scriver said:

    I want SoD to be completely devoid of Englishisms.

    Best I can promise is the exclusion of any extra "u" that otherwise would be found in the British/Canadian spelling of words like colour.
  • TutaTuta Member Posts: 11
    Well, to all who says that bg is modern - why then all those unmodern dialogues/monologues? Why swords and not laser pistols? Why guards and Flaming Fists and not cops? Oh sorry, there ARE cops already... Why in vanilla wasnt any nature/weed loving hippies from 70s? You are breaking a gaming experience for people like me! OK, you want joke with allusion on modernity go on, I am not against it, but till this moment, all modernity I have seen in new content is limited to beeing just stupid! Its ok, if you want allusion on hippie, but its not ok if you put actual hippie - because it is very observable, this NPC is voiced and from a fantasy of sword&magic I suddenly teleporting to California mid 70s! I awoid taking Neera because of this. I havent played Hexxat and Dorn quests in full yet, Ill w8 for SoD, really hoping that there will not be such "surprises"!
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