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Which game next after finishing BGEE2: Throne of Bhaal?

Hello everyone! I've finally come to the end of my playthrough of Throne of Bhaal and I was wondering, what game do I go to next? I've got Icewind Dale EE and Neverwinter Nights EE downloaded and ready to play and I wasn't sure if I can continue my character from the end of BGEE2:TOB through to either of those games? Or is the only game that you can continue your BGEE2 character to is BGEE3? So, any pointers on which game is best to move to next after TOB and if I can import my character from my final save in TOB would be much appreciated! Thank you!
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  • DinoDinDinoDin Member Posts: 1,567
    Congrats on finishing your playthrough.

    If you really liked the mechanics and gameplay of the BG series, I'd recommend the Icewind Dale games first. They're what plays most like BG. The difference is making your own party and a much more linear plot with fewer sidequests. If you end up liking the first Dale game, the sequel is also worth your time, though it hasn't yet gotten an official EE.

    Neverwinter Nights will be slightly similar but there are large differences. The Enhanced Edition will provide you with tons of modules (i.e. campaigns) to choose from. I'd recommend Shadows of the Undretide and then its sequel Hordes of Underdark to start. It will give you a similar player-made protagonist + companions + epic journey that you had in the BG series.

    There's no game to continue your BG char, except mods I guess. You also really wouldn't want to as the game world and ruleset weren't really designed for much post ToB.
    JuliusBorisovAerakar
  • YigorYigor Member Posts: 536
    Black Pits 2. ⬅️
    Bewilderment
  • SBlackSBlack Member Posts: 32
    After ToB your character is basically a god. Either literally or figuratively. There is really no way to progress anymore. ToB was already pushing it.
  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,366
    You could restart with him in BG on Legacy of Bhaal mode!
    Bewilderment
  • YigorYigor Member Posts: 536
    SBlack wrote: »
    After ToB your character is basically a god. Either literally or figuratively. There is really no way to progress anymore. ToB was already pushing it.

    Only demi-god. ? There are still many stronger beasts, especially in Outer Planes. ♾️
    StummvonBordwehrBewilderment
  • StummvonBordwehrStummvonBordwehr Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 1,342
    Yigor wrote: »
    SBlack wrote: »
    After ToB your character is basically a god. Either literally or figuratively. There is really no way to progress anymore. ToB was already pushing it.

    Only demi-god. ? There are still many stronger beasts, especially in Outer Planes. ♾️

    That would have been cool.

    I have always dreamt that BG3 “the black hound” would take charname from level 40 to level 60 (or beyond), and give charname something a bit more power the 1-3 hp at level up and a HLA…

    Epic fighting could have been done cooler and more than exciting than in ToB.
    YigorBewilderment
  • jsavingjsaving Member Posts: 1,083
    So, any pointers on which game is best to move to next after TOB
    None of the games you mentioned are especially similar to BG2. Icewind Dale looks the most similar on the surface but is incredibly dumbed-down role-playing-wise as well as being almost entirely devoid of the mage-on-mage battles for which BG2 is justly renowned. Planescape Torment has all the role-playing you could possibly ask for, but offers very poorly balanced combat and requires a great deal more reading than other games in the genre. Neverwinter Nights has probably the most versatile engine ever devised for D&D games and still has some co-op servers going, but its main campaign is abominably written so it doesn't offer a great single-player experience. And BG3 is essentially a reskinned version of Divinity Original Sin 2, which I enjoyed a great deal but whose gameplay isn't remotely similar to any of the other games we are discussing.

    Could you tell us a bit more about why you enjoyed BG2? That might help to narrow down which of these games would mesh best with your playstyle.
    ThacoBellBewilderment
  • masteralephmasteraleph Member Posts: 270
    Depending on what you enjoyed in BG2, IWD with the mod NPCs (see the forum here) might be up your alley.
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    Pillars of Eternity 1 is probably the closest you're gonna get to another BG experience. There's still a lot of differences though.

    Icewind Dale is probably the second closest, being in the same engine and artstyle. But its a lot closer to a hack and slash than BG ever was. Lots of fights with large groups of enemies. If you played SoD, picture that with a LOT more trash mobs and no way for your character to really interact with the story that is going on around them.
    xzar_montyYigor
  • xzar_montyxzar_monty Member Posts: 631
    I would also recommend Pillars of Eternity. Its sequel, Deadfire, is also very good, but somewhat divides opinions in the sense that its setting is very different. I loved it, though.

    Icewind Dale is extremely simplistic in role-playing terms, so it might not be to your liking at all. But then, if you do enjoy hack and slash and are not so interested in storytelling, that might be just the game for you now.

    Pathfinder: Kingmaker is a great game in theory, but the writing is quite poor and overly cheesy.

    My vote would go for Pillars of Eternity. It's somewhat dark, but the story is good.
    ThacoBellYigorSBlackAerakar
  • BewildermentBewilderment Member Posts: 24
    jsaving wrote: »
    So, any pointers on which game is best to move to next after TOB
    . Icewind Dale looks the most similar on the surface but is incredibly dumbed-down role-playing-wise as well as being almost entirely devoid of the mage-on-mage battles for which BG2 is justly renowned. Planescape Torment has all the role-playing you could possibly ask for, but offers very poorly balanced combat and requires a great deal more reading than other games in the genre. Neverwinter Nights has probably the most versatile engine ever devised for D&D games and still has some co-op servers going, but its main campaign is abominably written so it doesn't offer a great single-player experience. And BG3 is essentially a reskinned version of Divinity Original Sin 2, which I enjoyed a great deal but whose gameplay isn't remotely similar to any of the other games we are discussing.

    Could you tell us a bit more about why you enjoyed BG2? That might help to narrow down which of these games would mesh best with your playstyle.

    Hi jsaving - thanks for all that info - it's helpful! I guess my favourite aspects of BG1 and BG2 are: the story, the scope of the main plot plus also the breadth and depth of all the NPC back stories and quest-lines, the dialogue, the huge scope for role-playing, the interface of the game itself and combat/spell-casting mechanics, the D&D/Forgotten Realms setting, the mage-on-mage battles (just amazing - as you say), and how well written the story is and the humour in the dialogue. So I guess that's a long list and it might be hard to find another game that matches up to BG1 and BG2 in quite the same way?!

    Although it's not essential to me to have a D&D/Forgotten Realms setting, I would prefer that - but would be happy with any story-rich RPG with lots of side-quests/exploration that isn't D&D.

    I've watched the beginning of a LP on You Tube of Planescape Torment - and I have to say, it didn't grab me - the concept wasn't that interesting to me and I agree with you; there was a lot of reading - although maybe I'm being too quick to judge based on only looking at how the game opens.
    ArviaAerakar
  • BewildermentBewilderment Member Posts: 24
    Arvia wrote: »
    Either of the two games is nice to play, but you can't import your save and continue with the same character, they're completely different games starting at level 1, even if they are situated in the same world.

    Icewind Dale has very similar looks and mechanics, but you create your whole party, not just your main character. I'd also recommend looking at the rules and spells, they're similar but not identical to BG.
    Neverwinter Nights is a completely different experience.

    And you can't import your character into BG3 either, by the way.

    Hi Arvia, OK, thanks so much for your reply! That's very useful indeed! :smile:
    Arvia
  • ArviaArvia Member Posts: 2,101
    @Bewilderment , if D&D is not a must for you and if silly humour even in a generally serious setting isn't something that puts you off, I can also recommend Divinity:Original Sin.
    It's not D&D and plays in another world, but you control the two main characters, can travel with two other companions, have a lot of roleplaying opportunities and gradually discover a rich story and the world around you. The rules are easier to pick up than BG, in my opinion.
    There's not quite as much companion interaction as in BG2, and no romance for example, but you can talk to them, discover their background story and do their personal quest.

    Some people don't like turn-based combat and find the humour a bit too cartoonish, but I think it only lightens up the mood in an otherwise rather serious setting. Personal taste, of course.
    But since you said what you said above about what you look for in games and what isn't essential, it might be worth looking into. I liked it more than Pillars of Eternity, for example.

    Although if you already own Neverwinter Nights EE, of course I can only recommend that, too. I personally liked the story of the Original Campaign (The Wailing Death) more than Shadows of Undrentide, but both can be enjoyed and then followed by importing your character into Hordes of the Underdark, and then there are many smaller modules and fan-made content, too.
    DinoDin
  • SBlackSBlack Member Posts: 32
    edited October 2021
    The Dragon Age is series is also worth taking a look at. Epic story, great NPCs, and lots of party banter. The first game is also modeled somewhat on BG combat. Just in 3D instead of isometric 2D. Unfortunately after that it moved to consoles and the combat became a lot more action focused.
    Post edited by SBlack on
    DinoDin
  • AsaBMAsaBM Member Posts: 84
    I might suggest Neverwinter Nights 2. It's technically a sequel to NN, obviously, so it's 3.5e instead of 2e, but might scratch that itch for story blended with combat. I couldn't really get into it myself (yet), found myself constantly battling against the game's engine to play the way I wanted, but it has its audience out there. Apparently, the "Mask of the Betrayer" expansion is really good.

    It was made by Obsidian, so expect some cerebral possibilities.
  • BewildermentBewilderment Member Posts: 24
    DinoDin wrote: »
    Congrats on finishing your playthrough.

    If you really liked the mechanics and gameplay of the BG series, I'd recommend the Icewind Dale games first. They're what plays most like BG. The difference is making your own party and a much more linear plot with fewer sidequests. If you end up liking the first Dale game, the sequel is also worth your time, though it hasn't yet gotten an official EE.

    Neverwinter Nights will be slightly similar but there are large differences. The Enhanced Edition will provide you with tons of modules (i.e. campaigns) to choose from. I'd recommend Shadows of the Undretide and then its sequel Hordes of Underdark to start. It will give you a similar player-made protagonist + companions + epic journey that you had in the BG series.

    There's no game to continue your BG char, except mods I guess. You also really wouldn't want to as the game world and ruleset weren't really designed for much post ToB.

    Hi DinoDin, thank you! Thanks for your reply too - it's helpful! It's useful to know what's both similar and different in ID and NN to BG. I'll probably go to ID next as you suggest and just accept the fact that the plot is more linear than BG but it'll be good to make up a whole party though - I liked doing that when I used to play Eye of the Beholder back in the early 90s (I'm showing my age there!) Thanks for explaining about NN too and how you get a similar player experience to BG with the EE.
    DinoDin
  • BewildermentBewilderment Member Posts: 24
    Yigor wrote: »
    Black Pits 2. ⬅️

    Thanks!
  • BewildermentBewilderment Member Posts: 24
    SBlack wrote: »
    After ToB your character is basically a god. Either literally or figuratively. There is really no way to progress anymore. ToB was already pushing it.

    Yeah, I thought that would be the case, given how TOB ends (whichever end you pick) - but | just wanted to be definitely sure that there was no further progression for the BG main chara. Thanks for your reply. I guess I'm just sad BG is all over!!
  • BewildermentBewilderment Member Posts: 24
    Depending on what you enjoyed in BG2, IWD with the mod NPCs (see the forum here) might be up your alley.

    OK, good to know - thanks very much!
  • BewildermentBewilderment Member Posts: 24
    ThacoBell wrote: »
    Pillars of Eternity 1 is probably the closest you're gonna get to another BG experience. There's still a lot of differences though.

    Icewind Dale is probably the second closest, being in the same engine and artstyle. But its a lot closer to a hack and slash than BG ever was. Lots of fights with large groups of enemies. If you played SoD, picture that with a LOT more trash mobs and no way for your character to really interact with the story that is going on around them.

    OK, thanks for that - I'll look into Pillars of Eternity too. And thanks for the info about Icewind Dale, good to know.
  • BewildermentBewilderment Member Posts: 24
    xzar_monty wrote: »
    I would also recommend Pillars of Eternity. Its sequel, Deadfire, is also very good, but somewhat divides opinions in the sense that its setting is very different. I loved it, though.

    Icewind Dale is extremely simplistic in role-playing terms, so it might not be to your liking at all. But then, if you do enjoy hack and slash and are not so interested in storytelling, that might be just the game for you now.

    Pathfinder: Kingmaker is a great game in theory, but the writing is quite poor and overly cheesy.

    My vote would go for Pillars of Eternity. It's somewhat dark, but the story is good.

    Hi xzar_monty - thanks for your recommendation - I'll certainly add PoE to my wish-list. I think I'll play Icewind Dale next and then look for something more story-rich after that. So PoE and its sequel sounds like a good one to move to when I want more of a good story to engage with! Thanks! Good username, by the way! :wink:
  • BewildermentBewilderment Member Posts: 24
    Arvia wrote: »
    @Bewilderment , if D&D is not a must for you and if silly humour even in a generally serious setting isn't something that puts you off, I can also recommend Divinity:Original Sin.
    It's not D&D and plays in another world, but you control the two main characters, can travel with two other companions, have a lot of roleplaying opportunities and gradually discover a rich story and the world around you. The rules are easier to pick up than BG, in my opinion.
    There's not quite as much companion interaction as in BG2, and no romance for example, but you can talk to them, discover their background story and do their personal quest.

    Some people don't like turn-based combat and find the humour a bit too cartoonish, but I think it only lightens up the mood in an otherwise rather serious setting. Personal taste, of course.
    But since you said what you said above about what you look for in games and what isn't essential, it might be worth looking into. I liked it more than Pillars of Eternity, for example.

    Although if you already own Neverwinter Nights EE, of course I can only recommend that, too. I personally liked the story of the Original Campaign (The Wailing Death) more than Shadows of Undrentide, but both can be enjoyed and then followed by importing your character into Hordes of the Underdark, and then there are many smaller modules and fan-made content, too.

    Thank you Arvia! That's super-helpful. Definitely going to add Divinity: Original Sin to my wishlist too, based on your recommendation. I guess with humour in the writing, it's a fine line isn't it? I don't like humour that's really silly but I like it when it makes the writing more engaging/interesting/creative because otherwise dialogue becomes so stilted, dull and unrealistic. So yeah, humour is good. And Divinity: Original Sin sounds up my street if it's very story-rich with good roleplaying opportunities. Thanks for the info on campaigns to do in NN:EE as well. Much appreciated!
  • BewildermentBewilderment Member Posts: 24
    SBlack wrote: »
    The Dragon Age is series is also worth taking a look at. Epic story, great NPCs, and lots of party banter. The first game is also modeled somewhat on BG combat. Just in 3D instead of isometric 2D. Unfortunately after that it moved to consoles and the combat became a lot more action focused.

    Thanks SBlack! Good to know. I'll look into The Dragon Age series too - it sounds great. Thank you.
  • BewildermentBewilderment Member Posts: 24
    AsaBM wrote: »
    I might suggest Neverwinter Nights 2. It's technically a sequel to NN, obviously, so it's 3.5e instead of 2e, but might scratch that itch for story blended with combat. I couldn't really get into it myself (yet), found myself constantly battling against the game's engine to play the way I wanted, but it has its audience out there. Apparently, the "Mask of the Betrayer" expansion is really good.

    It was made by Obsidian, so expect some cerebral possibilities.

    OK, thanks for that AsaBM, that's useful to know. I'll add that to my wishlist. I need to play NN:EE first though!!
  • lollerslollers Member Posts: 190
    edited October 2021
    I suggest giving the first one a miss and skipping ahead to original sin 2, if only because it is the one that cares more about the story and characters and takes itself a bit more seriously. It isn't really like Baldurs Gate though, and that might be a good thing or a bad thing: baldurs gate was more focused on a singular character, and original sin 2 wanted to give the player options, but in BG the WHOLE world revolves around you, this one person, and that feels nice for some people and others think it is egostical. If you like to play alone you can make a custom group of adventurers and nothing in the story is really about them specifically. The character-focused ones come with the preset templates, and some of them such as Loshe and Fane are probably more main plot central than others. You can take posession of them upon character creation, or you can recruit them as followers, and you get a more intimate perspective based on this. Also you can play co-op with friends
    Yigor
  • CruentuzCruentuz Member Posts: 16
    I don't understand OP's question...?
    What to play next?!

    You restart from the beginning of course. With a different class. Pick some other NPCs, other gear, solve the quests another way.
    When you are done with that run...

    You start all over again!
    Enjoy! ;)
    YigorDinoDin
  • jsavingjsaving Member Posts: 1,083
    edited October 2021
    Pillars of Eternity uses a thinly disguised version of the 4th edition D&D ruleset, so bear that in mind when deciding whether to give it a try. I personally find Pathfinder Kingmaker to be more in the spirit of Baldur's Gate than Pillars was, and would happily recommend it to those who enjoy the 3rd edition D&D ruleset on which Pathfinder is based. Finally, if humor is something you enjoy then you might also consider Dungeon of Naheulbeuk, a surprisingly strategic comedy-RPG that features unofficial cameos from several Baldur's Gate characters.
    Post edited by jsaving on
    DinoDin
  • AmmarAmmar Member Posts: 1,295
    As always it sort of depends what part of BG you enjoyed.

    Generally, as people said the first NWN2 expansion MotB is really good. The main NWN2 campaign is pretty good as well in my opinion, but I think the first act in peculiar has some filler. Personally I feel it is much better by the time you get done with Owl's Well.

    IWD is good if you mostly enjoyed the combats and music.

    Then for more modern stuff both PoE and the Pathfinder games are good.
  • lollerslollers Member Posts: 190
    All of the RPGs by Obsidian are quite good, though some of them aren't my style. I don't care for south park, and alpha protocol is quite bad at what it does unfortunately, but from the writing quality it is clearly an Obsidian game.
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