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Which game had the better portraits? - Edwin, Imoen, Jaheira, Minsc & Boo and Viconia

ButtercheeseButtercheese Member Posts: 3,766
Hello everybody :)

From all the companions from the first Baldur's Gate, only five (well, six ;) ) return for the sequel:
Edwin Odesseiron, Imoen, Jaheira, Minsc & Boo and Viconia DeVir.
They all get new portraits and I would like to know which you prefer: The original ones or the sequel ones.

Here for comparision:
image
  1. Which game had the better portraits? - Edwin, Imoen, Jaheira, Minsc & Boo and Viconia143 votes
    1. I like all their BG1 portraits best.
      23.78%
    2. I like all their BG2 portraits best.
      26.57%
    3. I like some of each (please comment which).
      49.65%
JuliusBorisovlolienMush_Mushgorgonzola
«13

Comments

  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    Viconia and Jaheira -> BG1
    Imoen, Edwin, Minsc (and Boo) -> BG2
    ButtercheesedockaboomskiRavenslightJuliusBorisov
  • BaldursCatBaldursCat Member Posts: 432
    I love Edwin, Jaheira & Minsc's portraits for BG1. Edwin in BG looks like exactly the kind of bloke I'd date in RL, were I not married, he looks a little more dwarven in the BG2 portrait, which while there's nothing wrong in that in itself it feels odd because he isn't a dwarf. Minsc in BG1 looks like the bloke I married, right down to the animal companion :-D hehe.

    On balance I prefer Imoen's BG2 portrait, she seems a little younger in it, which is more appropriate but you can see what she's been through in her face, there seems to be more personality there.

    Viconia's BG2 portrait is better overall even though it feels a little more cartoonish, just because you properly tell she's drow.
    ButtercheeseRavenslightJuliusBorisov
  • ButtercheeseButtercheese Member Posts: 3,766
    edited March 2015

    Edwin in BG looks like exactly the kind of bloke I'd date in RL

    [spoiler=Photo of my actual boyfriend]image[/spoiler]
    BaldursCatNonnahswriterRavenslightJuliusBorisov
  • BaldursCatBaldursCat Member Posts: 432

    Edwin in BG looks like exactly the kind of bloke I'd date in RL

    [spoiler=Photo of my actual boyfriend]image[/spoiler]
    That is such a cool photo!

    ButtercheeseRavenslightJuliusBorisovmeagloth
  • NonnahswriterNonnahswriter Member Posts: 2,520

    Edwin in BG looks like exactly the kind of bloke I'd date in RL

    [spoiler=Photo of my actual boyfriend]image[/spoiler]
    Thorin, is that you? o.O
    ButtercheeseRavenslightJuliusBorisovCrevsDaak
  • HeindrichHeindrich Member, Moderator Posts: 2,959
    BG1>BG2:
    Jaheira

    BG2>BG1:
    Imoen, Minsc and Viconia

    Don't care/about the same:
    Edwin
    RavenslightJuliusBorisov
  • CaeriaCaeria Member Posts: 201
    Edwin, Jaheira, and Viconia have better BG1 portraits, leaving Minsc and Imoen to have better BG2 portraits. Edwin's BG2 portrait is just awkward. Jaheira and Viconia is actually pretty close for me, though, since they have rather nice portraits in both games.
    RavenslightJuliusBorisov
  • KamigoroshiKamigoroshi Member Posts: 5,870
    For me it's Edwin (BG1), Imoen (BG2), Jaheira (BG1) and Minsc (BG2).

    None of Viconia's portraits are fitting. Her BG1 portrait depicts a homicidal Wild Elf. While her BG2 portrait has both the wrong skin and eye colours... making her more similar in appearance to a Half-Drow than anything.
    ButtercheeseRavenslightJuliusBorisovlolien
  • TressetTresset Member, Moderator Posts: 8,262

    None of Viconia's portraits are fitting. Her BG1 portrait depicts a homicidal Wild Elf. While her BG2 portrait has both the wrong skin and eye colours... making her more similar in appearance to a Half-Drow than anything.

    @Kamigoroshi I get that drow are supposed to have red eyes, but what is wrong with her skin?
    Ravenslight
  • TressetTresset Member, Moderator Posts: 8,262
    I don't do lore well, apparently.
    Ravenslight
  • SharGuidesMyHandSharGuidesMyHand Member Posts: 2,579
    With the exception of Viconia's portrait (which was apparently modeled after a Penthouse centerfold), the BG2 portraits are ugly as sin IMO - the faces aren't even properly proportioned in some of them.

    While I do have a few small complaints about the BG1 portraits (for example, I hate how some of them are overly cluttered with shade/glow effects), they're leaps and bounds above the BG2 ones IMO.
    RavenslightNatenTuth
  • BaldursCatBaldursCat Member Posts: 432

    With the exception of Viconia's portrait (which was apparently modeled after a Penthouse centerfold), the BG2 portraits are ugly as sin IMO - the faces aren't even properly proportioned in some of them.

    I think Aerie's is probably the worst of them, it looks a little like it's been through one of those photo warp programs. Anomen & Keldorn's are probably the most well proportioned.

    Ravenslightgorgonzola
  • KamigoroshiKamigoroshi Member Posts: 5,870


    Clerics are supposed to be semi-warriors though, and the BG1 portrait captures that aspect, along with some of her evil essence.

    The BG2 portrait, while "sexier" perhaps, is completely wrong - it depicts a nymph mage rather than a drow cleric.

    Incidentally, this is actually my favorite (alt) portrait of Viconia, which improves upon the original IMO.

    image

    I also do like the dynamic of Viconia's BG1 portrait more than her BG2 one. Even if her skull crushing pose might not be the most natural one for her evilish with true neutral aligned personality. However, that still doesn't change the fact that she's depicted as an Wild Elf with copper coloured skin with punky lilac hair. Which makes it for me as unfitting as the blue skinned BG2 portrait, really.
    Ravenslight
  • SkieSkie Member Posts: 90
    Edwin - easy BG1
    Imoen - meh, both are fine. The BG2 makes sense.
    Jaheira - easy BG1
    Minsc - BG2
    Viconia - easy BG2
    RavenslightJuliusBorisov
  • RavenslightRavenslight Member Posts: 1,609

    Edwin in BG looks like exactly the kind of bloke I'd date in RL

    [spoiler=Photo of my actual boyfriend]image[/spoiler]
    Beautiful portrait! It made me smile as it reminded me of my husband the first time I saw him, cowboy hat and all. Love me a man with a beard!
    ButtercheeseBaldursCatJuliusBorisov
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    BG1 for Jaheira and Edwin. BG2 for Imoen, Minsc, and especially Viconia.

    I usually wind up finding a set of fan-made portraits that I like even better, though.
    ButtercheeseRavenslightJuliusBorisovst_live418
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    @ScotGaymer , Jaheria can wear plate in game, unless you're using mods to change that. All fighter-druids can wear plate in the unmodded game.
    RavenslightButtercheeseNonnahswriterJuliusBorisov
  • JenzafarJenzafar Member Posts: 303
    BG2 Jaheira (and Aerie) drive me bats to this day with their crazy eyes. I like original Edwin best without the booger chain on his nose, and as for Viconia . . . I don't know. Neither of them look drow to me, and the BG2 version bothers me the same way magazine covers of dark-skinned women bother me when the skin color has been obviously lightened. A lot.

    But I generally like the BG2 portraits of other characters better than most of the BG1 options.

    To be honest, though, I've been gradually replacing all the original portraits with fan art.
    RavenslightJuliusBorisovShadowHunterst_live418
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