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To 1.5 or 2: That is the question **No spoilers please**

LghtngfanLghtngfan Member Posts: 16
in Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition
Greetings!

As I'm now on Chapter 7 of BG1 and playing the series for the first time, I'm wondering if I should wait until the Siege of Dragonspear comes out and play that one before I play BG2 for the first time, or should I play them in the release chronological order. Any thoughts? Then again, should I wait until SoD comes out so that you vets can get a better handle on it once you've seen the new game? Since I have no clue how 1 and 2 tie together since I haven't gotten there yet, I'd appreciate your opinions in the vaguest form possible. :)

Thanks!
Sheyna

Comments

  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    Just go ahead to BG2 and come back to SoD later. It has worked for 15 years, no reason it shouldn't work now and in the future.
  • dunbardunbar Member Posts: 1,603
    My first instinct is to say; hone your game skills and character development by re-playing BG1 with different permutations of classes, alignments, npcs etc. etc. so that you (and not just your character) are ready to progress to the next level (SoD) and thereby get the most out of it.
    On the other hand if I were in your position I would probably be champing at the bit for MORE!
    On balance, if you have the patience, I feel it would probably be more satisfying to do the whole story in sequence.

  • LghtngfanLghtngfan Member Posts: 16
    FinneousPJ said:

    Just go ahead to BG2 and come back to SoD later. It has worked for 15 years, no reason it shouldn't work now and in the future.

    I see what you're saying, but I'm not really talking about the technical aspect of whether it will work or not. Most everyone will have the experience of playing 1 and 2 (because they either played during the original release or when Beamdog first created the EEs), then 1.5, so I was wondering if I should do that or savor the treat of playing all three straight through without the knowledge of what will have already taken place in BG2.
  • PibaroPibaro Member, Translator (NDA) Posts: 2,989
    No one ever played SoD, so no one can help you decide.
    But...
    You could be the first and maybe the only one ever, able to play bg1' bg 1,5 and bg2 in this order!!!
    You can make history!!!
  • NatregNatreg Member Posts: 100
    Well, why not try Icewind Dale instead while waiting. You can play the enhanced one and then go paly Icewind Dale 2. That should give you plenty of things to do until SoD is released.
  • ArunsunArunsun Member Posts: 1,592
    Icewind Dale sounds like the perfect compromise, you will get to play a very very good game similar to Baldur's Gate but with a different scenario, and I am quite sure it will keep you occupied for a while, maybe till SoD comes out.
  • NatregNatreg Member Posts: 100
    Also, not really sure about this, but I remember something about some link between Icewind Dale and Siege of Dragonspear or something. I may be wrong, or it may have changed, but I think that was a rumor when it was just Adventure Y.
  • LghtngfanLghtngfan Member Posts: 16
    Pibaro said:

    No one ever played SoD, so no one can help you decide.
    But...
    You could be the first and maybe the only one ever, able to play bg1' bg 1,5 and bg2 in this order!!!
    You can make history!!!

    That was my thought process ... the funny thing is that I may have to avoid the SoD boards because I'm sure most people will have already played BG2, and people will reference "what will have already happened" in BG2, even if they really don't mean to. (I need to open up my Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to find out the grammar for writing about things that may have already happened. LOL)
  • LghtngfanLghtngfan Member Posts: 16
    Arunsun said:

    Icewind Dale sounds like the perfect compromise, you will get to play a very very good game similar to Baldur's Gate but with a different scenario, and I am quite sure it will keep you occupied for a while, maybe till SoD comes out.

    The funny thing is that since I've read quite a few of the Drizz't books, I was looking forward to playing IWD, because that's my favorite area of Faerun. But since I'm brand new to these games, I wasn't sure if there was a game link between the BGs and IWD. Are these games connected in any way (I mean, other than the obvious that they both take place in the Forgotten Realms)? Does BG's events have anything to do with IWD? Also, out of curiosity, did BG2 come out before IWD when they were originally published?

    Thanks for the great advice, guys! Keep it coming!

    Shey
  • BillyYankBillyYank Member Posts: 2,768
    The events in IWD take place hundreds of years before BG (and the Drizz't books). There's a few nods to the other series, like you can find Varscona in one of the stores.
  • LghtngfanLghtngfan Member Posts: 16
    BillyYank said:

    The events in IWD take place hundreds of years before BG (and the Drizz't books). There's a few nods to the other series, like you can find Varscona in one of the stores.

    Ha! Now I'm wondering if I should have played IWD first ... lol
  • NatregNatreg Member Posts: 100
    If I remember correctly, Icewind Dale came out before Baldur's Gate 2. As far as I know there aren't any important links between their stories, however as I said on the previous post there was a rumor about Siege of Dragonspear having some link to Icewind Dale. I don't know if this will be anything important at all, or just some cameo or little mention. However, even without any links, Icewind Dale is a very good game on it's own.

    Icewind Dale happens more or less 1 hundred years before Baldur's Gate, on 1281 DR, whereas Baldur's Gate takes place on 1368 DR. Icewind Dale II I think takes place some 20 years or so after the first Icewind Dale.

    There is no need to play Icewind Dale before Baldur's Gate, mostly no one did back then since it came after Baldur's Gate anyway.

    Take into consideration that Icewind Dale is very different from Baldur's Gate since it's more of a Dungeon Crawl game and it's way more linear. There is no optional exploration for the most part, but the story is good, and it has many roleplaying moments. If you enjoyed Baldur's Gate strategic combat you will probably like Icewind Dale.
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,725
    I would go on and play BG2EE for now, and when SoD is out, start a new BG1 playthrough with another character (with different alignment, class and party members).

    There're always many options to make another BG playthough, and then another BG playthough, and then another BG playthough...
  • LghtngfanLghtngfan Member Posts: 16
    Natreg said:

    Icewind Dale happens more or less 1 hundred years before Baldur's Gate, on 1281 DR, whereas Baldur's Gate takes place on 1368 DR. Icewind Dale II I think takes place some 20 years or so after the first Icewind Dale.

    Oh, so there *is* an IWD 2. Any word if Beamdog is going to be giving it the EE treatment?
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,725
    Lghtngfan said:

    Natreg said:

    Icewind Dale happens more or less 1 hundred years before Baldur's Gate, on 1281 DR, whereas Baldur's Gate takes place on 1368 DR. Icewind Dale II I think takes place some 20 years or so after the first Icewind Dale.

    Oh, so there *is* an IWD 2. Any word if Beamdog is going to be giving it the EE treatment?
    As of today, September, 2, 2015, there's no official information on it. You can read about Trent Oster's views on a possible IWD2EE here: http://www.pcgamer.com/nightmares-abound-for-icewind-dale-ii-enhanced-edition-beamdog-boss-says/

    BTW, @elminster and @Genryu can share their experience of playing not enhanced IWD2 on modern PCs.
  • NatregNatreg Member Posts: 100
    Lghtngfan said:

    Natreg said:

    Icewind Dale happens more or less 1 hundred years before Baldur's Gate, on 1281 DR, whereas Baldur's Gate takes place on 1368 DR. Icewind Dale II I think takes place some 20 years or so after the first Icewind Dale.

    Oh, so there *is* an IWD 2. Any word if Beamdog is going to be giving it the EE treatment?
    I really hope they do, but on the meantime you can buy the original version on GOG.
  • LghtngfanLghtngfan Member Posts: 16
    bengoshi said:

    Lghtngfan said:

    Natreg said:

    Icewind Dale happens more or less 1 hundred years before Baldur's Gate, on 1281 DR, whereas Baldur's Gate takes place on 1368 DR. Icewind Dale II I think takes place some 20 years or so after the first Icewind Dale.

    Oh, so there *is* an IWD 2. Any word if Beamdog is going to be giving it the EE treatment?
    As of today, September, 2, 2015, there's no official information on it. You can read about Trent Oster's views on a possible IWD2EE here: http://www.pcgamer.com/nightmares-abound-for-icewind-dale-ii-enhanced-edition-beamdog-boss-says/

    BTW, @elminster and @Genryu can share their experience of playing not enhanced IWD2 on modern PCs.
    Thanks, @bengoshi ... I appreciate the link. With me being new to the franchise, I wasn't aware IWD2 was a 3e game, and didn't have the same look/feel of the other games in the series, so I can appreciate BD not being head-over-heels about publishing it.

    What about Planescape: Torment, which is mentioned in the article you linked. Is this cannon to Forgotten Realms or another D&D world all together? (Sorry for my newbie questions.)
  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    @Lghtngfan PST is set in Planescape rather than FR.
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,725
    edited September 2015
    In fact, we're expecting what Beamdog will say on this: whether they will (after SoD) choose IWD2EE, or PSTEE, or maybe creating a new game?
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,315
    edited September 2015
    Forgotten Realms is a different campaign setting than Planescape (which is where Planescape Torment is set).

    The simplest explanation I could give is that Forgotten Realms is a much more traditional setting (its what most people likely are familiar with when it comes to D&D) while Planescape is really out there (theme wise).
  • LghtngfanLghtngfan Member Posts: 16
    elminster said:

    Forgotten Realms is a different campaign setting than Planescape (which is where Planescape Torment is set).

    The simplest explanation I could give is that Forgotten Realms is a much more traditional setting (its what most people likely are familiar with when it comes to D&D) while Planescape is really out there (theme wise).

    Thanks Elminster ... I just ran to peek at Wikipedia (not my favorite source material due to its nature, but it works in a pinch for a quick overview), and I immediately thought of the Planes of Power expansion of EverQuest. But I can see how it's both more interesting and more complicated than the traditional AD&D.
  • HarkHark Member Posts: 6
    Lghtngfan said:

    Greetings!

    As I'm now on Chapter 7 of BG1 and playing the series for the first time, I'm wondering if I should wait until the Siege of Dragonspear comes out and play that one before I play BG2 for the first time, or should I play them in the release chronological order.

    I haven't completed BG1, BG2, or ToB, and I have been playing them since they were first released. I recommend that you wait on SoD before moving on to BG2 if it doesn't get delayed forever.

    I'm getting very close to completing BG1, and intend to play through the whole Saga with the same character. Especially since the character that I've built this time around is by far the most fun and interesting that I have ever played in all my years with the Baldur's Gate games.
  • LghtngfanLghtngfan Member Posts: 16
    Hark said:

    I'm getting very close to completing BG1, and intend to play through the whole Saga with the same character. Especially since the character that I've built this time around is by far the most fun and interesting that I have ever played in all my years with the Baldur's Gate games.

    Thanks Hark ... and you got me thinking of something else, too. In poking around for general information about the whole series, I know that you can port characters over from BG1 to BG2. But I never thought about you being able to port from 1 to 1.5 to 2. Have they announced that you will be able to do that? (I've been avoiding the SoG area in case of spoilers for 2 or the end of 1.) And how would that work? Would you be overpowered for 1.5 and subsequently 2? Do characters in BG2 automatically start at level 10? I just have a vague idea about how porting characters works.
  • NatregNatreg Member Posts: 100
    Lghtngfan said:

    Hark said:

    I'm getting very close to completing BG1, and intend to play through the whole Saga with the same character. Especially since the character that I've built this time around is by far the most fun and interesting that I have ever played in all my years with the Baldur's Gate games.

    Thanks Hark ... and you got me thinking of something else, too. In poking around for general information about the whole series, I know that you can port characters over from BG1 to BG2. But I never thought about you being able to port from 1 to 1.5 to 2. Have they announced that you will be able to do that? (I've been avoiding the SoG area in case of spoilers for 2 or the end of 1.) And how would that work? Would you be overpowered for 1.5 and subsequently 2? Do characters in BG2 automatically start at level 10? I just have a vague idea about how porting characters works.
    Yes, you will be able to play the whole saga in order. You can import your whole party from the end of the first game. I think that they are gonna tweak the start of the game difficulty to adhere to the XP you will get on Siege of Dragonspear, but there is nothing specific, maybe they'll change the spawned monsters depending on the XP you have or something.

    I suppose that characters in BG2 without any imported character, and importing from BG1 would remain the same.


  • LghtngfanLghtngfan Member Posts: 16
    Natreg said:


    Yes, you will be able to play the whole saga in order. You can import your whole party from the end of the first game. I think that they are gonna tweak the start of the game difficulty to adhere to the XP you will get on Siege of Dragonspear, but there is nothing specific, maybe they'll change the spawned monsters depending on the XP you have or something.

    Ok, cool .... and this begs yet another question from me: Was the ability to port characters between BG1 and 2 part of the original game? (I mean, were they expecting you to do that?)
  • NatregNatreg Member Posts: 100
    edited September 2015
    Yes, that was part of the original game, however as far as I know (I haven't played BG2 much), you could only import the main character, and certain items. Which means that if you upgraded any stat to any of the party members that return on BG2 they won't have it, as a matter of fact, their stats are not exactly the same as in BG1 either.

    In the case of SoD it seems you will import the entire party, and probably all the items as well, so it's a bit different, however, importing from SoD to BG2 will probably work as in BG1 to BG2, only main char and certain items (plus a few new ones from SoD).
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