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This Icewind Dale you speak of…

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  • BajeDadBajeDad Member Posts: 9
    edited September 2014
    As a new BG:EE player (haven't quite gotten through my first playthrough, but average char level in the party is equivalent of level 7 to 8) and a veteran IWD player, it has been interesting to follow the above posts. My 2 cents:

    BG advantages: NPC's that join your party and provide scripted RP interactions; non-linear play; great story development.

    IWD advantages: BEAUTIFUL sound (like I have not yet heard in BG), BEAUTIFUL scenery (like I have not yet seen in BG); great story, BIG variety of tactical challenges; excellent NPC "bad guy" RP development; epic and satisfying battles; with HoW expansion, ability to easily develop characters to DC or MC 12/13 -- A DC fighter/druid, for instance, can get to F9/D14+, which is actually interesting to play. There is rewarding play for proper party planning and character development (e.g., power gaming). IWD+HoW allowed scaling view, so that you could see more territory surrounding your party. Oh, and Bard's (with HoW installed) can be a POWERFUL and very fun addition to the party.

    If the same path is followed for IWD:EE as was followed for BG:EE, then I would expect IWD:EE to include HoW and TotLM expansions, which takes away a little of the linear feel (although each expansion is quite linear within itself, and TotLM can only be accessed from within HoW).

    I see how BG is really a whole different focus and experience than IWD/HoW/TotLM. Both have a great story, and very well delivered. Both are great. Whereas BG is non-linear, and discovering and experiencing the story and character interaction is the focus; IWD's story is more a mechanism to linearly drag your party through a series of areas, each of which sport a variety of interesting, engaging and exhilarating tactical challenges. IWD has NO variety of party NPCs and accompanying scripts. But in IWD there is more VARIETY of tactical challenges in any one of at least three of the different chapters of IWD (and that is not including HoW or TotLM) than I have experienced, so far, in all of BG:EE.

    IWD is for those who love to solve a variety of tactical challenges with a party of RP characters developed solely by the player.
    NimranKerthalRavenslightBlackraven
  • ElrandirElrandir Member Posts: 1,664
    element said:

    one of my favourites that I remember was a party of 6 mages each from a different school with a different alignment, it was quite a chaotic game

    @element‌ I had already thought about doing that when the game comes out. How did it go? (besides being chaotic?) Did you beat the game? I really want to try my hand at this.
    RavenslightBlackravenelement
  • jamoecwjamoecw Member Posts: 41
    i like IWD and PS:T, as well as BG. in IWD you make your own party and go on an adventure with them. their story is what you make of it. IWD has a story as well, and the various characters that move the stories along shine. PS:T is about story and characters. your choices really matter, and in true RPG fashion if you want to go the peaceful route you are allowed to. BG is a mix of these two opposing side of the spectrum RPGs, with an excessive amount of NPCs thrown in with no real reason given for the party limit (and plenty of reason why it shouldn't be there). in fact the only stuff that BG does without either of the two doing it is generally bad. however BG is better than either of the two due to the fact that it has both sides of the western RPG spectrum. so if you like the epic hack and slashness of BG then you'll like IWD, if that was not something that drew you to BG then IWD will suck, and you should seek out PS:T. if you can't take the extremes of either IWD or PS:T then BG is for you, and maybe neverwinter nights diamond (the one with all expansions and such) is what you should try when you need more BGness. for me i liked both extremes, so neverwinter was my least favorite of those mentioned (which isn't an infinite engine game anyway).

    what is really exciting is when they get IWD working good with multiplayer, that way you can set up a game with a few friends and have a real tabletop RPG experience (well a hack'n slash campaign anyway).
    Ravenslight
  • NeurologicalNeurological Member Posts: 48
    I actually liked a lot the fact that IWD is just a big single adventure, in a traditional way. Is a set story, your decisions doesn't change anything, but I don't think is a bad thing.

    Sure thing also BG is a big adventure, but in the middle of the main story you can derail to do other things and follow other stories. in IWD there are sub quests, but they are prettty simple and you can't miss them most of the time.

    Another good aspect is that every single combat is a big deal, is not just a wild dogs ambush that you get annoyed with from tiem to time, even a small horde of undead can put on your knees and you can't go somewhere else to gather XP, so every combat is a strategy challenge that make you use all your party abilities and I honostly can't wait to give it a try in multiplayer with a good party.

    As for the expansion I personally liked a lot Trial of The Luremaster, can't say much else without spoiling it and for who didn't still play it should keep the surprise.
    Ravenslightrufus_hobart
  • SilverstarSilverstar Member Posts: 2,207

    I’m assuming the rules, spells and such, are mostly the same as BG?

    Mostly, yes. I remember the original ID had "mastercraft" weapons (non-magical weapons with +1 Taco.. err, THAC0) and I think a couple additional spells like Cat's Grace and those... mind might be playing tricks on me on that one though. But overall if you're familiar with Baldur's Gate then you're familiar with Icewind Dale in terms of how stuff works.
    RavenslightbooinyoureyesjackjackThe_New_Romance
  • jamoecwjamoecw Member Posts: 41
    @ravenslight BG1&2 were based on 2nd ed. DnD. so was IWD1, so it is pretty similar. that being said there were some changes from 2nd ed. DnD that BG did that IWD didn't do, so it is closer to true DnD in a few small ways (as silverstar has mentioned the masterwork weapons and some changes to cat's grace).

    IWD2 used 3rd ed. DnD and was quite a bit different, so they might make it use that rule set like they did with BG1:EE (using BG2 to a large degree for BG1). if they do there are people that will be unhappy with that though, so i doubt it.
    Ravenslight
  • kcwisekcwise Member Posts: 2,287
    One advantage of Icewind Dale is multiplayer. The game just seems well suited to it, and for those who miss the NPCs of BG, having a good friend or two controlling characters is often even better. I played through the entirety of IWD with a friend and the experience was a great deal of fun. If Beamdog can deliver on the multiplayer promises perhaps people who miss NPCs can assemble a party of fellow players who can supply some fun and unexpected banter.
    RavenslightJuliusBorisovQuartz
  • elementelement Member Posts: 833
    edited September 2014
    Elrandir said:

    element said:

    one of my favourites that I remember was a party of 6 mages each from a different school with a different alignment, it was quite a chaotic game

    @element‌ I had already thought about doing that when the game comes out. How did it go? (besides being chaotic?) Did you beat the game? I really want to try my hand at this.
    honestly it was so long ago that I barely remember much about it, so I realy cant help you too much. I'm pretty sure I did beat the game though. I remember it taking ages due to constant need to retreat and rest etc, especially earliar on when my supply of spells was very limited.
    Elrandir
  • CoM_SolaufeinCoM_Solaufein Member Posts: 2,607
    WTF? Icewind Dale isn't installed on my computer when I did major work on it early this year. The world is going to come to an end now.
    rufus_hobartjackjack
  • SchneidendSchneidend Member Posts: 3,190
    Nimran said:

    I'm probably the only person in the world who prefers IWD's blank slate party over BG's NPCs with personality.

    I think both approaches have merit. Why people want to cross the streams and make IWD have NPCs is beyond me, though. If you can't play a game without Minsc or Bastila Shan talking to you, then IWD was not made for you.
    NimranjackjackQuartz
  • CoM_SolaufeinCoM_Solaufein Member Posts: 2,607
    Now that's what should be remade, the Kotors with a current game engine.
    DrugarEnialusMeliamne
  • ElrandirElrandir Member Posts: 1,664
    Never liked Bastila.
    NimranDreadKhan
  • SchneidendSchneidend Member Posts: 3,190
    kcwise said:

    Bastila and Aribeth (from NWN) have way too much in common. "I'm good!" "No, wait, I'm evil!" "No, actually, I'm really good, I think." "No, no, in fact I am quite positively evil, see the red gleam of my blade!" "Oh, you like me? You REALLY like me? Okay, then, tootles to you evil that didn't have to work very hard to corrupt me, I have a new boyfriend now!"

    There really should be a cleric spell for curing mental disorders.

    Bastila was okay, given I had no other options for my Dark Jedi to make out with. Even if Juhani's romance hadn't been cut, she would have been a lesbian. Shame, too, because Juhani was my first choice.

    Aribeth, however, is totally awesome if you're Evil and keep her Evil.
  • SchneidendSchneidend Member Posts: 3,190
    The Blackguard who is going to co-lead my IWD:EE party would totally romance that crazy priestess. But, then, he's got a fetish for the unusual, and crazy ice witch fits the bill.
    jackjackkcwisebooinyoureyesQuartz
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,714
    @booinyoureyes‌

    I hope we'll have a chance to turn on and off these features. The first playthrough of IWD:EE I want to make should be without those features. Maybe on the second run ;)
    booinyoureyes
  • The_New_RomanceThe_New_Romance Member Posts: 839

    The Blackguard who is going to co-lead my IWD:EE party would totally romance that crazy priestess. But, then, he's got a fetish for the unusual, and crazy ice witch fits the bill.

    Aurilites are seriously crazy evil shit. Even Blackguards don't like freezing to death and taking a whole region with them, do they?
    kcwiseQuartz
  • DreadKhanDreadKhan Member Posts: 3,857
    That would depend, is thr blackguard also an Aurilite?
    Blackravenjackjack
  • jamoecwjamoecw Member Posts: 41
    bengoshi said:

    @booinyoureyes‌

    I hope we'll have a chance to turn on and off these features. The first playthrough of IWD:EE I want to make should be without those features. Maybe on the second run ;)

    sneak attack and crippling strike are toggleable in the config menu, the rest he linked to were not disableable once you installed the expansion (which is the features he linked to).

    the expansion started the move to 3rd ed DnD. IWD2 finished it (well as much as any IE game), which is why i wondered about the EE version going full 3rd (using IWD2's ruleset). i'd be fine either way, though some people won't, so making all changes from the base game prior to the expansion toggleable would be nice (if any of the devs are reading this). if they are going for UWD1's ruleset this would be fairly low hanging fruit too.
  • SchneidendSchneidend Member Posts: 3,190


    Aurilites are seriously crazy evil shit. Even Blackguards don't like freezing to death and taking a whole region with them, do they?

    My standby Blackguard character, Drake, is actually Lawful Evil and more of a cultured, empire-building kinda guy. So, you're right, their long-term goals are incompatible. But, then, Drake has also grouped with crazies like Korgan Bloodaxe, Shar-Teel, a Chaotic Neutral Paladin of a sea/blood/war goddess, and a pyromaniac Chaotic Neutral Sorcerer in his several years of being in my stable of standby characters. He epitomizes "ends justify the means" evil. Doesn't mean he wouldn't have an ice-meltingly torrid affair with an ice witch and careen around Icewind Dale with her for a while.
    booinyoureyesJuliusBorisovEnialusMeliamne
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