IWD 2 > IWD?

theJoshFrost

So, along summer, I was playing IWD for the first time, and I managed to get about 60% through it before getting bored. Go to town, return to dungeon, return to town, go to dungeon. It was immensely boring.

But, this weekend I bought IWD2 on GoG, and it's really pulled me in more than the first one has. You start from nothing and work your way up, your deeds are actually mentioned by guards and the people in the town, and I quite like the slight modifiers to gameplay with the 3rd edition rules.

Any one else share my sentiments? Why or why not? I know most people on this forum hate IWD, so I was curious if as many people hated the second one.

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Permidion_Stark

I started playing IWD again recently hoping it would be better than I remembered. It wasn't. I gave up after coming to a dungeon complex where I had to fight an endless succession of bombardier beetles. My characters came through unscathed but I died of boredom.

Maybe I'll give IWD2 another go and see if I like that any better.

Ken

I really like IWD, but never cared much for IWD2. It was too hard to actually know if those skill points/feats did anything at all, and retarded things like Monk missing Monk animations.

WonKo

IWD2 has stronger dialogue options (especially the prologue and 1st Chapter) but the latter stuff is probably on par with IWD1.

elminster

I'm shortly after the ice palace in IWD2 and though in the prologue/first chapter it was good I've found that I've really lost interest in the next few chapters (I think I'm on chapter 3 but I could be mistaken). I liked the storyline of IWD more, though I will say 3rd edition adds some interesting aspects to IWD2.

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Awong124

I just finished a playthrough of IWD HoW TotL a couple weeks ago, and just started a playthrough of IWD2. Other than the game mechanics I much prefer IWD over IWD2. IWD is also more interesting because it contains much more unique magical items. IWD2 just has a lot of generic magical items. IWD2 is cool because I get to dual wield though, and in general I prefer 3E over 2E. But I'm just at the start of chapter 2 in IWD2 and I'm already starting to get bored.

sandmanCCL

IWD2 is several hundreds times harder, because you can't go immune to critical hits.

That's why IWD2 is better. Sole reason for me.

Awong124

So far I actually find battles in IWD2 easier. I think I beat the Bugbear boss battle against Guthma at the end of chapter 1 without any of my characters losing a single hp.

Djimmy

I like them both.

theoricus

I like IWD+HoW more than IWD2. Easthaven is so climatic, especially that tavern... Moreover, i think 3ed rules in iwd2 somewhat destroyed the pure fun of playing in exchange for choosing feats etc.

theJoshFrost

I also find IWD2 to be easier than the first one, refreshingly easy actually. I think IWD2 is the Infinty Engine game where I've had to cheese the least amount. Maybe that's because I know the 3rd edition rules better, so I can actually craft my characters a more fine amount than in the 2nd edition ones, where I just guess on what stuff does most of the time.

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reedmilfam

Both are dull and monotonous in my opinion. Take all NPC dialogue and story out of Baldur's Gate. ALL of it. Gone. Just click on monsters and level up. Fun?

ajwz

To this day I am completely undecided whether the battlesquare is the coolest or worst part of IWD2

sandmanCCL

@ajwz: totally with you there. I've fluctuated between loving it and hating it myself. I mostly love it, but when I play with parties with level adjustments, I tend to hate it.

I wonder if IWD would be better if it made one of your party members a main character, so if he died it was completely game over. As is, you can lose half your party and as long as you have the coin and the ability to haul your gear to safety, it's no harm, no foul.

I still submit IWD2 is harder simply because your fighters can be crit. I can't tell you the number of times I've lost my front line to some troll or even a goblin rolling 20 twice in a roll.

The_New_Romance

I prefer the first IWD, simply because I'm much more familiar with the implementation of 2E rules in videogames. 3E in my opinion makes it all to complex. It's a great ruleset if you know it well, and it allows total customization, but it's just too easy to gib yourself with bad choices that might sound cool at first. I also dislike point buy for character creation.

Metal_Hurlant

I also prefer IWD over IWD2.

Tetraploid

Overall I probably prefer IWD2. I like the larger variety you can achieve in character design, and that many side quests can be resolved in more than one way, giving some opportunity to roleplay a less-good party (though obviously you still end up following the same main plot).

Also, one of the things I really liked about IWD2 when I played it was the way it linked to IWD. There was something quite fun about exploring areas that were familiar and yet different. So in some ways I enjoyed it simply because it followed IWD, regardless of other changes!

Seldar

First part of IWD 1 is boring indeed. But once you have finished the main quest at Kuldahar, it becomes very immersive, and you visit some very beautiful places like the Severed Hand, Profondorn and the Dragon's Tooth

AurenRavidel

I prefer the original, although I must praise the sequel for having some excellent character creation options. It was cool being able to choose from a wide variety of specialty priests.

O_Bruce

I never managed to beat sequel, thought still I prefer it over IWD 1 for two reasons. First of all, boss battle music. Second, Sherincal.

Moomintroll

Really prefer the story in the first one, and the locations.

HaHaCharade

No contest for me, IWD > IWD2. I don't think IWD is boring, tho I do wish they would have added some more content and better expansions (Trials of the Luremaster and HoW were subpar in my opinion). It's supposed to be a dungeon crawl really.

HaHaCharade

Permidion_Stark said:

I started playing IWD again recently hoping it would be better than I remembered. It wasn't. I gave up after coming to a dungeon complex where I had to fight an endless succession of bombardier beetles. My characters came through unscathed but I died of boredom.

Maybe I'll give IWD2 another go and see if I like that any better.

Yeah... I admit the HORDES of Cold Wights and Bombadier Beetles make for ridiculously inane encounters, but I think they were just trying to make it more difficult. I think Kresselack's story/voice acting is great and love the stuff with Yxunomei. Definately some cool stories imo.

francfort40

Both are great games and have never bored me, i would love to see an IW3, Iw4 and so on...

Zeckul

Icewind Dale has more charming visuals, music, voice acting and overall superior atmosphere, style and personality. Icewind Dale 2 has the better gameplay and replay value because of 3E rules. Overall I have a slight preference for IWD1, but both are great games in their own right.

FrozenCells

I'd agree with @Zeckul completely but prefer IWD2 because IWD1s dungeon crawl just grinds me down...

roboticsun

You could say that. It seems, that this game has everything what's needed to be great sequel of Icewind Dale: more fighting, more character development, more locations.....but something in it just bored the hell of me and I have no idea why. Still the best part of IWD is heart of winter expansion imo

BelgarathMTH

I kind of like them both equally. They've both got their strong points and weak points. IWD2 showed us how the game engine was capable of evolution toward any ruleset edition.

And, I'd love to see *both* of them given the EE treatment.