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Is Throne of Bhaal worth playing?

I've never finished the "trilogy", I always play BG1 and SoA and then stop. I keep hearing people say that ToB is boring and monotonous.
Ace_Bower
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  • smeagolheartsmeagolheart Member Posts: 7,963
    edited April 2014
    thesoloer said:

    I've never finished the "trilogy", I always play BG1 and SoA and then stop. I keep hearing people say that ToB is boring and monotonous.

    All these years since BG2 was released I've played all the way through TOB once. Usually I play and towards the end of SOA I'm getting HLAs and the power meter goes off the chart and it's time to start over once Irenicus dies and Watchers Keep has been entered.

    The TOB plot is just lame. You are dragged on rails along the plot while being given +6 Hackmasters every fight and every guard, farmer and bad guy has at least +4 weapons.

    DelvarianLemernisCatoblepasmonico
  • jackjackjackjack Member Posts: 3,251
    I also recommend trying to finish it at least once. Myself, I can't really bring myself to do it again. It was rushed and it shows.
    DurenasBlackravenJuliusBorisov
  • ajwzajwz Member Posts: 4,122
    I'm going to answer in three parts.
    1. No
    2. Probably not.
    3. I'd leave it
    jackjackelminsterCrevsDaak
  • the_spyderthe_spyder Member Posts: 5,018
    Gotta say, try and play through it at least once. Personally, I get stopped once I reach Draco, but just getting that far is worth it. Even going to Watcher's keep is worth it, although you can technically do that in SoA.

    If nothing else, it is still part of the same game. Therefore, I think it is worth trying. As was said, even a Bad BG is till better than 90% of the rest of the games out there.
    DurenasLemernisatcDaveAce_Bower
  • CoM_SolaufeinCoM_Solaufein Member Posts: 2,607
    Its worth one try at least. My opinion it is dull and boring. ToB feels rushed. It doesn't hold anything to the greatness of BG1's expansion, Tales of the Sword Coast.
    Montresor_SPjackjackCrevsDaakWandering_Minstrel
  • DurenasDurenas Member Posts: 508
    I don't really like that it's a staged plot progression and you can't go back to places like Saradush(because obviously) or Amn(which is annoying.)
    elminsterjackjackJuliusBorisov
  • CalmarCalmar Member Posts: 688
    For some reason I haven't gotten around to play ToB so far, but it seems its actual problem is the lack of sidequests and the power inflation? It's not like the other games don't rely mostly on the player to complete the plot one by one.
    JuliusBorisov
  • iuventasiuventas Member Posts: 95
    To be honest, if I don't get attached to a character, my playthroughs often end with the party standing next to the portal to Underdark.

    The game is wonderful right to that point, but then comes "oh no, it'll be go there kill that go there go there kill some more again". It becomes painfully linear, the first part gives many choices, side quests, order of doing things is pretty much up to the player.
    Second half of SoA and ToB are stripped of that and I don't like being taken by hand and led through everything by creators.
    LemerniswintersBlackravenCatoblepas
  • Demonoid_LimewireDemonoid_Limewire Member Posts: 424
    edited April 2014
    Well, ToB differs somewhat from SoA. It is more combat oriented, more quick-actioned, more fast paced, gives off the abstract feeling of a hack and slash action RPG; minus the real time element, that is. Many people get bored by it, badmouth it, or try to pan it by locating or inventing cons in it, be it about style, or gameplay, or both. But it is a solid, and pretty good, expansion pack, mind you, nonetheless. Also, the high level abilities, simply rock. Is great. Play it through, and you won't regret it...
    GirewanBlackravenJuliusBorisovAce_Bower
  • SionIVSionIV Member Posts: 2,689
    edited April 2014
    ToB can be cut into three different parts.

    HLA / Increased level cap - 9/10
    Watcher's keep (SoA) - 8/10
    ToB campaign - 5/10

    While the ToB campaign is bad compared to SoA it's still a decent game if you look at it next to other RPG games. Not to mention there have been worse expansion packs out there. The big problem with ToB isn't that it's a bad game, it's that SoA was pretty much 10/10 and there was no way ToB could hold up that standard.

    I would actually like to compare ToB with BGEE.

    [ToB]

    HLA / Increased level cap - 9/10
    Watcher's keep (SoA) - 8/10
    ToB campaign - 5/10

    [BGEE]

    Upgraded GUI and graphics - 9/10
    Bug fixes and cleaning up/repairing the game - 9/10
    BGEE content - 2/10

    I do not wish to bash BGEE with this comparison, it was worth two copies for the upgrades alone. I just don't happen to like the added content. Doesn't make BGEE bad though, i just enjoy it for other reasons.
    CrevsDaakbooinyoureyes
  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    @CrevsDaak Why 9/10? Is there something wrong with the implementation?
  • LemernisLemernis Member, Moderator Posts: 4,318
    edited April 2014
    iuventas said:

    To be honest, if I don't get attached to a character, my playthroughs often end with the party standing next to the portal to Underdark.

    The game is wonderful right to that point, but then comes "oh no, it'll be go there kill that go there go there kill some more again". It becomes painfully linear, the first part gives many choices, side quests, order of doing things is pretty much up to the player.
    Second half of SoA and ToB are stripped of that and I don't like being taken by hand and led through everything by creators.

    This pretty much sums up my experience as well. Except I play further and it starts to feel like a chore or a grind.
  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    edited April 2014

    CrevsDaak Why 9/10? Is there something wrong with the implementation?

    There are a bunch of bugs (most fixed by now) and there are somethings that haven't been externalized yet. I think that it's worth a 9.5/10, not 9/10.
    jackjackFinneousPJ
  • mumumomomumumomo Member Posts: 635
    What i dislike in TOB :
    - raising the xp cap in SOA. This one is killing end-game SOA for small groups
    - HLA are unbalanced and far too powerful
    - level 9 spells are unbalanced and far too powerful
    - because of HLA and level 9 spells, it is globally very easy
    - extremely linear, simplistic structure (trash mobs, trash mobs, boss fight, rinse and repeat)
    - completely unrealistic (every soldier is level 15 and wields a set of +3 items)
    - tons of OP items. This removes the special feeling you got from the few available in SOA


    What i like in TOB :
    - the critical path is short, very short even if you beeline it. This is good because it's value is low
    - watcher's keep is good and can be done in SOA
    - it concludes the story, which SOA does not do

    Play it once or twice and that's it.
    CrevsDaakjackjackBelgarathMTHAce_Bower
  • chbrookschbrooks Member Posts: 86
    Yes, it is.
    ArchaosAce_Bower
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