I've read about Polish history recently, once I found out that my wife's great-uncle was in the Polish Cavalry that faced the Panzers on horseback ... and survived.
And yes, she is from The Old Country. Chicago. [RIMSHOT] Thank you, I'm here all week.
I've read about Polish history recently, once I found out that my wife's great-uncle was in the Polish Cavalry that faced the Panzers on horseback ... and survived.
Oh man the Wellyn quest is up there for saddest moments for me because he just wants to sleep. Everything that's already been said about it is so on point.
I voted for Khalid because I always used him in BG1 so finding him dead like that in BG2 was such a shock to my system. When I first played the game I was so surprised by all the changes that my companions had gone through and now Khalid was just... gone. I was expecting to join up with him at some point. Jahiera's emotion over his death hammered it home too.
Once I finished the game, Chateau Irenicus is one of the saddest places for me. On my first play through I didn't understand the elven room (or even that it was elven) but now I see it as such a sad little reminder of who he was and his love for Ellesime. The room is so heavily trapped up and the moment someone crosses the threshold golems come pounding in to kill them because he values it so strongly. It's heartbreaking to realize how much his love has grown twisted. The guy in a jar who begs for death also made me so sad. He was waiting for Irenicus to come back for him - he was so loyal and he's just lingered forgotten in a jar. I couldn't appreciate all the little nods in the opening level until I finished the game but now it all makes sense.
Anomen and Aerie's plots also get my vote. Anoment just wants so badly to be good and his will is so fragile that Charname can push him over the edge. If you take him down the evil route, I literally jaw dropped when he maced the other guy's daughter because I knew it was over for him. If you take him the good route, then the abuse his dad hurls at him is also hard to see. He's a mediocre person trying to live up to the standards of the paladins and I'm a suck for that aspirational vibe. I know so many people get sick and tired of hearing Aerie "whine" but her story is so heartbreaking because she's literally physically mutilated as a youth. The idea of someone sawing the wings off her back like that and how much it must have hurt sends shivers down my spine.
The starving people in Amkethran also made me flinch a little. By that point I've killed demons and giants and every sort of monster. I'm a powerhouse known across the realms! And then this little moment reminds me of the toll that all of my actions have had on innocents. They're literally starving to death and the battles that made me powerful and rich are depriving them of the basic necessities of life.
Another sad bit when I think about it is the abandoned people forever stuck guarding the temple of the dead Amuanator. Stuck in that reoccurring cycle is terrifying to me and depressing.
The saddest moment I've ever experienced in Baldur's Gate was when I had rolled a 100 for a Blade and, having had the restraint not to press "reroll", would ultimately ruin it by accidentally pressing "start over" with my mouse cursor once I was ready to begin playing. And yes, sadly, that actually happened. It was a couple of years ago and I mentioned it on these very forums right after. And I'm still not over it.
The saddest moment I've ever experienced in Baldur's Gate was when I had rolled a 100 for a Blade and, having had the restraint not to press "reroll", would ultimately ruin it by accidentally pressing "start over" with my mouse cursor once I was ready to begin playing. And yes, sadly, that actually happened. It was a couple of years ago and I mentioned it on these very forums right after. And I'm still not over it.
*wipes away tear*
Bummer. The only time I rolled a 100 it was for a Totemic Druid. I REALLY needed that roll for basically a summoner who throws darts in her spare time, NOT...
Melyssan's betrayal. Definitely hadn't seen that coming, she looked so nice Also Aerie's romance ending. They say my protagonist ends up married with Whining Aerie. Had he known, I'd wager he'd opted for godhood.
More seriously, Viconia's story has pained me a lot. Not just her ending, but her entire story is a terrible one and I can't help but feel deep sympathy for her and take her on every single playthrough I make just for that reason.
@Arunsun I can't stand Viconia as a character. She is a manipulative, emotionally abusive, pathological liar. Why the so many players fawn over her is a mystery. HOWEVER. I agree that her romance epilogue is Diabolus ex Machina bullcrap. If you want a tragedy, don't pull it out of your bum.
@Arunsun I can't stand Viconia as a character. She is a manipulative, emotionally abusive, pathological liar. Why the so many players fawn over her is a mystery. HOWEVER. I agree that her romance epilogue is Diabolus ex Machina bullcrap. If you want a tragedy, don't pull it out of your bum.
Well, question of perspective I suppose. And another evidence that BG is well-written. I see her as more of a victim of that system, that grew in a society that forced her to behave like that, because it was do-or-die back then. And that had after-effects. All the defaults you mention, she has them, true enough. But her romance is primarily about gaining her trust, so that she will open to you, and eventually you can somewhat redeem her and free her from her past (hence the alignment change).
@Arunsun Besides the Aerie thing, I agree with you. I didn't see Mellisan's betrayal coming the first time either. I've never really tried the Viconia romance, but I like her as a character.
Furthermore, if you didn't want to end up with Aerie, why did you romance her all the way to TOB in the first place?
@Arunsun I realize that comment may have come off as hostile. I'm not great at social interactions and didn't realize that right away, I apologize it was not by intention.
@Arunsun Besides the Aerie thing, I agree with you. I didn't see Mellisan's betrayal coming the first time either. I've never really tried the Viconia romance, but I like her as a character.
Furthermore, if you didn't want to end up with Aerie, why did you romance her all the way to TOB in the first place?
Well, the first part of my post was humour more than my real thoughts. As to why I romanced Aerie throughout both SoA and ToB, well, I have tried every romance at least once. Truthfully, I dislike Anomen much more than I do Aerie, and she somewhat becomes more confident in ToB too.
@Arunsun I've never tried Anomen's romance, then again I've never gotten very far with a female character in the series before, but at some point I'll give it a try. It's been years since I've had Anomen in my party, but I always likes his character. It's true that he is pompous and arrogant, but he has a very interesting personal quest that has potential no matter which direction you take it.
I realized later that you might have been attempting to be humorous, but I don't always catch on to these things very quickly (Hooray Aspergers!)
In my playthroughs, Kivan often goes slightly crazy in the Cloakwood Mines. His natural Ranger antipathies to being cooped up and anxieties triggered from having encountered Tazok in Bandit Camp overwhelm him. After Tazok never shows up and Charname announces intention to delay pursuing quest into Baldurs Gate City [instead doing some TotSC material] Kivan abandons ship to pursue Tazok on his own.
Branwen leaves with him and Charname recruits Yeslick and Coran as replacements. Doubly challenging because Charname has found a kindred spirit in Branwen even though he has never quite admitted it to himself. Minsc is also torn-up as a fellow-ranger and may or may not join Kivan.
And, if only Kivan had stuck it out, he would have gotten his revenge and probably ended up fabulously wealthy instead of his more likely fate of being butchered in vain. On the other hand, maybe he and Branwen recruit Ajantis, Quayle and Safana... Hmmmm!
Most of the poll options didn’t affect me much. Lavok’s death and Valygar’s introspection afterwards is an underrated moment though, and Anomen’s character development is another.
@ThacoBell Fair enough, but I stand by my statement that the Greater Doppleganger appearing as Elminster is evidence that dopplegangers don't have to kill someone to take their form.
That being said, the only instance of this is the Greater Doppleganger, so you may be right.
True, but Elminster also isn't a resident of Candlekeep and is never seen within its walls. Nobody would have interacted with him enough know sometihng was wrong, except for maybe poor Gorion. Though I would like to see a Doppleganer TRY to kill him.
I am with ZaramMaldovar on that - always though "something wrong" was about monks in the library - to point at the doppelgangers found right on the same floor, not the people around like Wintrop. And presence of Elminister and Gorion was (for me) an obvious clue that everything inside the dungeon is an illusion taken from your memories (with help of that special doppelganger posing as Elminister).
On a subject - I feel as a cold blooded monster now, because I never though of BG as a sad story. Out of all suggestions Yoshimo's Betrayal for me was the most memorable and emotional, but far from "sad". This is probably the reason I like BG so much - no sadness, but action and determination. Or I am indeed heartless.
Comments
But for the female protagagenists, Durlyle is a complete wuss, no woman in their right mind would want to be saddled with that loser.
"Oh noes, you are so forward, let me give you some poisoned flowers that I asked you to risk your life collecting"
"Gee, thanks Durlyle, you're a prince"
The Germans didn't bomb Pearl Harbor, that was the Japanese.
And yes, she is from The Old Country. Chicago. [RIMSHOT] Thank you, I'm here all week.
I voted for Khalid because I always used him in BG1 so finding him dead like that in BG2 was such a shock to my system. When I first played the game I was so surprised by all the changes that my companions had gone through and now Khalid was just... gone. I was expecting to join up with him at some point. Jahiera's emotion over his death hammered it home too.
Once I finished the game, Chateau Irenicus is one of the saddest places for me. On my first play through I didn't understand the elven room (or even that it was elven) but now I see it as such a sad little reminder of who he was and his love for Ellesime. The room is so heavily trapped up and the moment someone crosses the threshold golems come pounding in to kill them because he values it so strongly. It's heartbreaking to realize how much his love has grown twisted. The guy in a jar who begs for death also made me so sad. He was waiting for Irenicus to come back for him - he was so loyal and he's just lingered forgotten in a jar. I couldn't appreciate all the little nods in the opening level until I finished the game but now it all makes sense.
Anomen and Aerie's plots also get my vote. Anoment just wants so badly to be good and his will is so fragile that Charname can push him over the edge. If you take him down the evil route, I literally jaw dropped when he maced the other guy's daughter because I knew it was over for him. If you take him the good route, then the abuse his dad hurls at him is also hard to see. He's a mediocre person trying to live up to the standards of the paladins and I'm a suck for that aspirational vibe. I know so many people get sick and tired of hearing Aerie "whine" but her story is so heartbreaking because she's literally physically mutilated as a youth. The idea of someone sawing the wings off her back like that and how much it must have hurt sends shivers down my spine.
The starving people in Amkethran also made me flinch a little. By that point I've killed demons and giants and every sort of monster. I'm a powerhouse known across the realms! And then this little moment reminds me of the toll that all of my actions have had on innocents. They're literally starving to death and the battles that made me powerful and rich are depriving them of the basic necessities of life.
True, but if you complete the quest right at least they get their happy ending.
*wipes away tear*
(It was still pretty cool though!)
That is definitely a sad moment, have you posted it on the Facepalm Thread?
I've abandoned some pretty high roles, I know I re-rolled a 93 by mistake once.
I can't remember whether 95 or 98 is the highest roll I've gotten before or not and I can't remember whether I took it or accidentally re-rolled it.
When my Dad was creating his last character he actually re-rolled a 95 on purpose and ended up getting a 98, so maybe that's what I'm remembering.
Also Aerie's romance ending. They say my protagonist ends up married with Whining Aerie. Had he known, I'd wager he'd opted for godhood.
More seriously, Viconia's story has pained me a lot. Not just her ending, but her entire story is a terrible one and I can't help but feel deep sympathy for her and take her on every single playthrough I make just for that reason.
Besides the Aerie thing, I agree with you. I didn't see Mellisan's betrayal coming the first time either. I've never really tried the Viconia romance, but I like her as a character.
Furthermore, if you didn't want to end up with Aerie, why did you romance her all the way to TOB in the first place?
@Arunsun
I realize that comment may have come off as hostile. I'm not great at social interactions and didn't realize that right away, I apologize it was not by intention.
I've never tried Anomen's romance, then again I've never gotten very far with a female character in the series before, but at some point I'll give it a try. It's been years since I've had Anomen in my party, but I always likes his character. It's true that he is pompous and arrogant, but he has a very interesting personal quest that has potential no matter which direction you take it.
I realized later that you might have been attempting to be humorous, but I don't always catch on to these things very quickly (Hooray Aspergers!)
Branwen leaves with him and Charname recruits Yeslick and Coran as replacements. Doubly challenging because Charname has found a kindred spirit in Branwen even though he has never quite admitted it to himself. Minsc is also torn-up as a fellow-ranger and may or may not join Kivan.
And, if only Kivan had stuck it out, he would have gotten his revenge and probably ended up fabulously wealthy instead of his more likely fate of being butchered in vain. On the other hand, maybe he and Branwen recruit Ajantis, Quayle and Safana... Hmmmm!
On a subject - I feel as a cold blooded monster now, because I never though of BG as a sad story. Out of all suggestions Yoshimo's Betrayal for me was the most memorable and emotional, but far from "sad". This is probably the reason I like BG so much - no sadness, but action and determination. Or I am indeed heartless.