@toanwrath: BGT is "Baldur's Gate Trinity". It covers most of the same ground Tutu does, only it does it with one installation. You go smoothly from the BG1 portion to BG2 (including, I believe, keeping the same party).
After reading the first reply to this thread, I was like... what? The vanilla copy of the Baldur's Gate (non gog.com version) works perfectly fine on my Windows 7 64-bit system rigged for the heavy anvil of flight simulation. Undoubtedly, I'm sure BG:EE works even better, but nonetheless, I had no issues with good ole vanilla (I don't even have to set compatibility mode).
I voted for the vanilla copy mostly because Baldur's Gate does not feel like Baldur's gate without going back to what it once was. The old 640x480 graphics (which actually comes out quite nicely on my 1080p monitor), the 20x max ammo per slot, the classic Nietzsche quote at the beginning, and the clunky pathfinding (yeah, I adore even that).
I guess BG is more of a nostalgia piece for me than anything else. It's a good game, though never quite so great as BG2 for me. What makes it shine in my video game colelction is the nostalgia, and when I want nostalgia, I want to go straight back to the original.
Granted, BGT is great, and I would have voted that as a close second.
BG:EE I'm giving the benefit of a doubt. My biggest issue right now is the bugs that were introduced to the game, and the fact that it doesn't quite feel as much of an improvement over even the original itself. The DLC that was included with it is still currently bugged, and I am still waiting to see the full glory of multiplayer. Perhaps when the bugs are squashed, when the DLCs are fixed, and when the multiplayer is operating as it was meant to be, then I might actually put it above BGT. Still, Vanilla will always be at the top for me
@toanwrath BGT is Baldur's Gate Trilogy, is like TuTu that it allows you to play BG1 in BG2 engine, but it's the whole deal, you can start from BG1 and continue to SoA and ToB in a single game. In TuTu you have to import your character to BG2 game. BGT has greater continuity too, the NPCs will be like how you left them when you enter BG2 (in terms of stats, used tomes, experience, proficiencies and mage spells etc.) It offers a more seamless experience.
I have my own heavily modded BGT game. With nearly every quest and difficulty enhancing mod installed. Also, I have edited my game heavily, by using DLTCEP, I have put newtough monsters to some areas, new loot, custom but not overpowered items, and edited most of the enemies, increasing their levels, granting them new spells and scripts to use them. Like, Davaeorn is a lvl 18 invoker with a single Comet spell. It is masochistic and overpowered but it is my own game, unlike any other, and I love it because of all the customisation and hardwork I've put into it.
Howevever, BG:EE is new and too cool for words! I love the new graphics, the interface, and especially the zoom feature. Graphics have really improved, and the game looks and feels better than ever! It is also a very refreshing change from my heavily modded game, like most kits and spells and even items are now different than what I am used to. Also, it was a surprise how difficult the game came to me since it was a whole different animal now. Not to mention it is supported by the designers and this lovely forum. BG:EE is good and now I want to play it, and hopefully, when the mods are available too, it would be the best thing ever happened to computers since Windows. I plan to get myself an Ipad and play BG:EE comfortably on the go too! That had always been my dream.
Never used any mods, was perfectly fine with vanilla version when I played it. On the day of release I had mixed feelings about BGEE and somewhat disappointed, but now with the recent patches, it is becoming worthy of the title Enhanced. The most important fix was probably being able to change engine fps, the slow walking speed was just way too tedious...
Now I only have one gripe that remains. I dislike the cinematics, I would've been fine with the old ones. They're too sped up, too short, not dramatic enough, and clearly missed the important touches the original ones had. I hope they go back to the drawing board on this one.
All in all, if Overhaul can keep the same commitment, make small improvements and polish, I can only see good things in the future. Looking forward to BG2EE and whatever else.
I'm always a proponent of the original. It just worked well, albiet with some interface issues here and there. But it was a much more challenging game (always a plus to me). With these kits and other refinements, the game is just too easy. Tutu and EE are about the same really..they both have their share bugs and problems and while I imagine that EE will eventually be quite good, and an excellent game to bring others into the series after futher tuning, the original will always be my favorite.
It's tough to choose between EE and TuTu and the mods. I'm rather hoping that once all the bugs and patches are released that it'll equal if not be better than TuTu. However I still need NPC Project and possibly SCS before I'm willing to start the BG Campaign again on EE
BG: EE for me. While I have seen the occasional issue, this was certainly true of the original and Tutu as well, and I've only experienced one crash (of all things, it was when attempting to enter Farmer Brun's house in the Ankheg area) and that was resolved second go.
The dev support has been superb - 4 patches in a week, fixing major issues? You don't tend to get that with other games, even with much bigger teams. I can't wait to see what happens with BG 2: EE, especially with all the lessons learned from the post-release to this game.
I still prefer TuTu with all the mods, but it's becoming a tougher choice by the day: right now it's only because there are a few mods I consider more or necessary for my gaming enjoyment.
Once we get that Weidu update, my allegiance will make a complete flip.
Of course EE is technically better. Resolution, arrow stacks, instant saving/loading, what have you. Still, I love the aesthetic of the first game so much... it just fits together so well. EE is (at least at the moment) more of a Frankenstein job - the game does work better and has additional arms, but it seems cobbled together. If Beamdog could provide us with a stoney skin for the GUI and somehow manage to get the BG1 sprites back into the game, I'd happily settle for EE in this poll.
i honestly prefer bg2 due to the npcs, and the boots of speed. but i still enjoy bg1, just wish more enhancements had come with the game. Like maybe a single stronghold where you could just store stuff and do extras.
but, even with the enhancements, i wouldn't give the game a 10. maybe an 8.5 or 9, but the walking speed is just.....so.......slow.
1. Original BG1 for me. Works perfectly on all my computers.
2. BG modded breaks the balance of the game with OP items, spells and changing the NPC's stats and weapon proficiencies to make them OP.
3. BGEE is too much removed from the original, cut original content, cut dialogue, cut original ingame voice overs, cut cinematics, dreadful replaced cinematics, introduced more bugs than fixes, and now introducing level scaling depending on how many people are in your party (No challenge for solo players compared to the original), changed too much from the original that it doesn't feel like it's enhanced, just different.
Hard to beat the original BG/BG2 with the CORRECT set of mods installed. There are some incredible mods out there. Especially for BG2. Hopefully we will see those coming soon: Rogues Rebalancing, SCSSI & II, Ashes of Amber, Spell Revisions, Level1NPC, Ascension, wheels of prophecy, Quest pack, Assassinations, Banter pack, Item Randomizer, Sword and Fist, Song and Silence...
BGTuTu with the NPC Mod. If they make the NPC mod compatible with BG:EE then I will vote BG:EE.
Sadly, from the sounds of things the guys at Gibberlings 3 may not take the time to make NPC mod compatible. I read something about many of the originals authors of the NPC banters and quests not being active any more and it seems like too much work for those who remain. I really hope this is not the case.
The second image (BGEE) is a better representation of the third image (BG1) than the first image (BGT). This is not debatable.
This really isn't subject to opinion. BGEE presents an objectively better representation of Baldur's Gate at higher resolutions than the original game or a modded install of BG2.
@GoodSteve: and you clearly have no clue what Baldur's Gate is supposed to look like. That "super zoomed in" is, you know, what the game screen is supposed to look like. That BGT you voted for, that's super zoomed out. Baldur's Gate is NOT supposed to look like that. Sure, the sprites and backgrounds will look sharper, but at the same time you're forcing the game to display a map that 75% obscured by fog-of-war.
Baldur's Gate is an RPG. It's -not- supposed to look like an RTS.
So I suppose Baldur's Gate 2 (which shares the same "super zoomed out" style as BGT) isn't an RPG then? We'll lump it together with star craft and command and conquer, I mean, that IS what it looks like right? "If it looks like a duck" and all that, huh? Get real.
I know exactly what Baldur's Gate used to look like, I'm looking at my original 5 disc set (well 6 with ToTSC) on my shelf right now. To say that the old resolution is what it is "supposed to look like" is bullshit. If that were the case why would there be a feature in BG:EE to zoom out? And why is the default zoom set to that of the BG2 style when you first start the game? That "super zoomed in" is, you know, what the game screen USED to look like. To say that looking at the same resolution but at a much closer view makes the game "look better" or be more "genuine" is a load of crap. You're looking at the same thing only drawing more attention to the dated looking pixelation.
But all that aside what you originally said was "Don't see how anyone could possibly prefer the original OR modded BG over the EE." That had nothing to do with "this one has better graphics" or "this one is closer to the original" what you said is you don't know how someone could prefer one to the other. I do. Some people prefer their cucumbers pickled too, bro.
Actually, the "all the way in" zoom level is slightly closer than vanilla BG1. There was a tweet about it back in... I want to say May.
The best representation of what BG:EE's graphics "look like" would be at default zoom level, because that's where the upscaling algorithm isn't being used to alter the graphics at all. Anything bigger or smaller than that is a demonstration of the zoom feature (which is great, don't get me wrong), rather than the game's ability to duplicate the vanilla game's look.
And, congratulations, you don't know what BG2 looks like, either.
Using the widescreen mod is what zooms the game out. The game--not BG1 and not BG2 and not any other IE game--does not display properly at any resolution greater than 800x600.
If you enjoy using widescreen mods, by all means, feel free to continue enjoying the widescreen mods. Just don't try to argue that they're not displaying the game improperly. Because, you know, they very clearly and obviously are doing just that.
So I suppose Baldur's Gate 2 (which shares the same "super zoomed out" style as BGT) isn't an RPG then? We'll lump it together with star craft and command and conquer, I mean, that IS what it looks like right? "If it looks like a duck" and all that, huh? Get real.
I know exactly what Baldur's Gate used to look like, I'm looking at my original 5 disc set (well 6 with ToTSC) on my shelf right now. To say that the old resolution is what it is "supposed to look like" is bullshit. If that were the case why would there be a feature in BG:EE to zoom out? And why is the default zoom set to that of the BG2 style when you first start the game? That "super zoomed in" is, you know, what the game screen USED to look like. To say that looking at the same resolution but at a much closer view makes the game "look better" or be more "genuine" is a load of crap. You're looking at the same thing only drawing more attention to the dated looking pixelation.
But all that aside what you originally said was "Don't see how anyone could possibly prefer the original OR modded BG over the EE." That had nothing to do with "this one has better graphics" or "this one is closer to the original" what you said is you don't know how someone could prefer one to the other. I do. Some people prefer their cucumbers pickled too, bro.
Are you serious? BG2 was super zoomed out? Have look at actual unmodded BG2 at the highest officially supported resolution of 800x600. http://i.imgur.com/14xmi.png
And, congratulations, you don't know what BG2 looks like, either.
Using the widescreen mod is what zooms the game out. The game--not BG1 and not BG2 and not any other IE game--does not display properly at any resolution greater than 800x600.
If you enjoy using widescreen mods, by all means, feel free to continue enjoying the widescreen mods. Just don't try to argue that they're not displaying the game improperly. Because, you know, they very clearly and obviously are doing just that.
I actually don't run the widescreen mod when I play BGT but the widescreen BGT picture that you linked earlier I still prefer to a zoomed in BG:EE.
So, congratulations you've proved neither of those things... but points for effort, I guess?
I didn't say that BG2 used the same resolution as the BGT with widescreen mode. I said: "So I suppose Baldur's Gate 2 (which shares the same "super zoomed out" STYLE as BGT) isn't an RPG then?" (Emphasis mine)
Both are zoomed out, which according to you, and seemingly only according to you since both are available in BG:EE, is "-not-" how the game is supposed to look.... even though with the simple scroll of a mouse wheel the game, well, looks like that.
I'm not sure what you're trying to say here, or what you're trying to infer that I said, but my point was, and is, that I prefer the BGT look. I'm not entirely sure why this is such a problem with you or why you can't seem to wrap your head around that.
Anyways, since you know how the game is supposed to look you should go tell Overhaul they're doing it wrong and restrict the zoom out feature. For the good of the community and all that.
Comments
I voted for the vanilla copy mostly because Baldur's Gate does not feel like Baldur's gate without going back to what it once was. The old 640x480 graphics (which actually comes out quite nicely on my 1080p monitor), the 20x max ammo per slot, the classic Nietzsche quote at the beginning, and the clunky pathfinding (yeah, I adore even that).
I guess BG is more of a nostalgia piece for me than anything else. It's a good game, though never quite so great as BG2 for me. What makes it shine in my video game colelction is the nostalgia, and when I want nostalgia, I want to go straight back to the original.
Granted, BGT is great, and I would have voted that as a close second.
BG:EE I'm giving the benefit of a doubt. My biggest issue right now is the bugs that were introduced to the game, and the fact that it doesn't quite feel as much of an improvement over even the original itself. The DLC that was included with it is still currently bugged, and I am still waiting to see the full glory of multiplayer. Perhaps when the bugs are squashed, when the DLCs are fixed, and when the multiplayer is operating as it was meant to be, then I might actually put it above BGT. Still, Vanilla will always be at the top for me
I have my own heavily modded BGT game. With nearly every quest and difficulty enhancing mod installed. Also, I have edited my game heavily, by using DLTCEP, I have put newtough monsters to some areas, new loot, custom but not overpowered items, and edited most of the enemies, increasing their levels, granting them new spells and scripts to use them. Like, Davaeorn is a lvl 18 invoker with a single Comet spell. It is masochistic and overpowered but it is my own game, unlike any other, and I love it because of all the customisation and hardwork I've put into it.
Howevever, BG:EE is new and too cool for words! I love the new graphics, the interface, and especially the zoom feature. Graphics have really improved, and the game looks and feels better than ever! It is also a very refreshing change from my heavily modded game, like most kits and spells and even items are now different than what I am used to. Also, it was a surprise how difficult the game came to me since it was a whole different animal now. Not to mention it is supported by the designers and this lovely forum. BG:EE is good and now I want to play it, and hopefully, when the mods are available too, it would be the best thing ever happened to computers since Windows. I plan to get myself an Ipad and play BG:EE comfortably on the go too! That had always been my dream.
On the day of release I had mixed feelings about BGEE and somewhat disappointed, but now with the recent patches, it is becoming worthy of the title Enhanced. The most important fix was probably being able to change engine fps, the slow walking speed was just way too tedious...
Now I only have one gripe that remains. I dislike the cinematics, I would've been fine with the old ones.
They're too sped up, too short, not dramatic enough, and clearly missed the important touches the original ones had. I hope they go back to the drawing board on this one.
All in all, if Overhaul can keep the same commitment, make small improvements and polish, I can only see good things in the future.
Looking forward to BG2EE and whatever else.
The dev support has been superb - 4 patches in a week, fixing major issues? You don't tend to get that with other games, even with much bigger teams. I can't wait to see what happens with BG 2: EE, especially with all the lessons learned from the post-release to this game.
Once we get that Weidu update, my allegiance will make a complete flip.
If Beamdog could provide us with a stoney skin for the GUI and somehow manage to get the BG1 sprites back into the game, I'd happily settle for EE in this poll.
but, even with the enhancements, i wouldn't give the game a 10. maybe an 8.5 or 9, but the walking speed is just.....so.......slow.
2. BG modded breaks the balance of the game with OP items, spells and changing the NPC's stats and weapon proficiencies to make them OP.
3. BGEE is too much removed from the original, cut original content, cut dialogue, cut original ingame voice overs, cut cinematics, dreadful replaced cinematics, introduced more bugs than fixes, and now introducing level scaling depending on how many people are in your party (No challenge for solo players compared to the original), changed too much from the original that it doesn't feel like it's enhanced, just different.
Hopefully we will see those coming soon: Rogues Rebalancing, SCSSI & II, Ashes of Amber, Spell Revisions, Level1NPC, Ascension, wheels of prophecy, Quest pack, Assassinations, Banter pack, Item Randomizer, Sword and Fist, Song and Silence...
Sadly, from the sounds of things the guys at Gibberlings 3 may not take the time to make NPC mod compatible. I read something about many of the originals authors of the NPC banters and quests not being active any more and it seems like too much work for those who remain. I really hope this is not the case.
Don't see how anyone could possibly prefer the original OR modded BG over the EE.
This really isn't subject to opinion. BGEE presents an objectively better representation of Baldur's Gate at higher resolutions than the original game or a modded install of BG2.
@GoodSteve: and you clearly have no clue what Baldur's Gate is supposed to look like. That "super zoomed in" is, you know, what the game screen is supposed to look like. That BGT you voted for, that's super zoomed out. Baldur's Gate is NOT supposed to look like that. Sure, the sprites and backgrounds will look sharper, but at the same time you're forcing the game to display a map that 75% obscured by fog-of-war.
Baldur's Gate is an RPG. It's -not- supposed to look like an RTS.
I know exactly what Baldur's Gate used to look like, I'm looking at my original 5 disc set (well 6 with ToTSC) on my shelf right now. To say that the old resolution is what it is "supposed to look like" is bullshit. If that were the case why would there be a feature in BG:EE to zoom out? And why is the default zoom set to that of the BG2 style when you first start the game? That "super zoomed in" is, you know, what the game screen USED to look like. To say that looking at the same resolution but at a much closer view makes the game "look better" or be more "genuine" is a load of crap. You're looking at the same thing only drawing more attention to the dated looking pixelation.
But all that aside what you originally said was "Don't see how anyone could possibly prefer the original OR modded BG over the EE." That had nothing to do with "this one has better graphics" or "this one is closer to the original" what you said is you don't know how someone could prefer one to the other. I do. Some people prefer their cucumbers pickled too, bro.
The best representation of what BG:EE's graphics "look like" would be at default zoom level, because that's where the upscaling algorithm isn't being used to alter the graphics at all. Anything bigger or smaller than that is a demonstration of the zoom feature (which is great, don't get me wrong), rather than the game's ability to duplicate the vanilla game's look.
Using the widescreen mod is what zooms the game out. The game--not BG1 and not BG2 and not any other IE game--does not display properly at any resolution greater than 800x600.
If you enjoy using widescreen mods, by all means, feel free to continue enjoying the widescreen mods. Just don't try to argue that they're not displaying the game improperly. Because, you know, they very clearly and obviously are doing just that.
So, congratulations you've proved neither of those things... but points for effort, I guess?
I didn't say that BG2 used the same resolution as the BGT with widescreen mode. I said: "So I suppose Baldur's Gate 2 (which shares the same "super zoomed out" STYLE as BGT) isn't an RPG then?" (Emphasis mine)
Both are zoomed out, which according to you, and seemingly only according to you since both are available in BG:EE, is "-not-" how the game is supposed to look.... even though with the simple scroll of a mouse wheel the game, well, looks like that.
I'm not sure what you're trying to say here, or what you're trying to infer that I said, but my point was, and is, that I prefer the BGT look. I'm not entirely sure why this is such a problem with you or why you can't seem to wrap your head around that.
Anyways, since you know how the game is supposed to look you should go tell Overhaul they're doing it wrong and restrict the zoom out feature. For the good of the community and all that.