Author Topic: BG, and what made it better (Read 7324 times)

Echon · « **Reply #25 on:** January 19, 2006, 11:14:39 AM »

Quote from: Lu on January 19, 2006, 10:48:03 AM

I still think that checking what you have in your backpack while in combat should mean instant death

I think that would be overkill.

-Echon

Drew · « **Reply #26 on:** January 19, 2006, 11:17:38 AM »

Quote from: Lu on January 19, 2006, 10:48:03 AM

Quote
My fighter/mage/thief only had one quick weapon slot
They added another quick weapon slot in TotSC, didn't they? I still think that checking what you have in your backpack while in combat should mean instant death

No, they didn't. Fighter/Mages and Bards gained another slot, but the F/M/T and the M/T did not gain another slot.

Marauder · « **Reply #27 on:** January 19, 2006, 01:31:02 PM »

Neither did the cleric/thief.

Pausing in the inventory is, IMO, wrong. The reason a fighter has four weapon slots is because that's the only thing he has in his belt.( and don't tell me your character keeps his two-handes sword on his back. Drawing a weapon longer than your forearm from your back is humanly impossible.) The mage, on the other hand, has spell components, a spellbook, yadda-yadda-you-get-the-idea. But yes, at least 2 weapon slots are realistic.

I agree that the BG2 engine is slightly better with kits, sorcerers, tab key and what not. But the artwork isn't nearly as beautiful. Neither are the avatars or paperdolls. Or shields. A flaming fist mercenary just didnt look right in tutu. And since when did shields have pointy shit sticking out of them?

In my opinion. hehe

Veloxyll · « **Reply #28 on:** January 19, 2006, 08:52:57 PM »

Since ages. Spiky shields were existant in the middle ages, although I did prefer the look of the BG1 shields.
As for 2h swords at the waist (or better yet, Polearms and Staves!) I don't quite think it would work.

And one weapon quickly avaliable to hand is a class feature, live with it

Drew · « **Reply #29 on:** January 19, 2006, 09:47:12 PM »

It isn't a class feature. It's an engine feature. You can easily have two daggers in your boots, two more behind your back at waist level, a long sword on one side and a dirk or a short sword on the other quite easily. Don't forget the bastard sword/hammer/some other backup weapon strapped to your back. Unless the engine will allow you to reach all that shit when you want it, then pausing on the inventory screen is kind of a necessary evil.

Veloxyll · « **Reply #30 on:** January 20, 2006, 12:54:40 AM »

Can you cast spells with all that though? Or disarm traps?

Drew · « **Reply #31 on:** January 20, 2006, 01:11:28 AM »

Daggers aren't big, so yeah. You can. If we're using Pnp as a benchmark there will be no problem.

Borsook · « **Reply #32 on:** January 20, 2006, 02:08:29 AM »

The no pause in the inventory screen would actually work very well with the last ver of IE - IWD2 where you can configure all the buttons as you wish...

Marauder · « **Reply #33 on:** January 20, 2006, 07:57:21 AM »

I'd like to see a reference to a shield from the middle ages that has the shape of any of the BG2 shields.

Generally two-handed weapons, if too big for hip carrying, are carried over the shoulder.

I agree that one could easily have 6 daggers, but having 6 halberds is pushing it.

Drew · « **Reply #34 on:** January 20, 2006, 08:07:09 AM »

Quote from: Marauder on January 20, 2006, 07:57:21 AM

I agree that one could easily have 6 daggers, but having 6 halberds is pushing it.

Quote from: Borsook on January 20, 2006, 02:08:29 AM

The no pause in the inventory screen would actually work very well with the last ver of IE - IWD2 where you can configure all the buttons as you wish...

Agreed.

jester · « **Reply #35 on:** January 20, 2006, 08:33:20 AM »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shield

aigleborgne · « **Reply #36 on:** January 20, 2006, 09:15:33 AM »

I prefer BG2 engine, especially for higher resolution. I'm playing in 1024x768 (higher don't work on my comp.) and couldn't play again in 640x480. I have tried but really, I can't see anything in bg1 screen.

About the storyline itself, I like the whole trilogy.
For a first time play, I had a preference for bg1 over bg2. But now, I find them equal.

The main thing is that I prefer unmod bg1 over unmod bg2, but I prefer mod bg2 over mod bg1. Maybe because there are many good bg2 mods that make the game better. bg1 have far less mods.

Anyway, I like to create a character in bg1, and play the whole trilogy with it.

Marauder · « **Reply #37 on:** January 20, 2006, 10:25:10 AM »

Quote from: jester on January 20, 2006, 08:33:20 AM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shield

Hmm, but that kind of shields weren't used in the in Europe in the middle ages... But then, neither was the katana, wakischachi(sp?) or the ninja-to (which doesn't even exist).
Meh. So BG2 is broader in it's sources of inspiration for equip.

But i stilll think katanas and all that stuff are out of place in the setting BG is trying to create. But I might just be narrow-minded

OT: What really made me like BG was the fact that you could trot around the countryside, looking for nothing in particular. You'd allways find something.

Think about it. What would it be like,, in BGII, if you were travelling to the windspear hills, but on the way you notice a keep which seems to be under siege by it's own guards?!

jester · « **Reply #38 on:** January 20, 2006, 11:00:05 AM »

Yeah, broader in its inspirations! That's the ticket. I am not entirely sure why you want to pin a game about dwarves, elves and magic down to be about the European middle ages, but you are missing all the fun, if your gaming pleasure hinges on helmstraps and codpieces and their availability to a peasant in the Auvergne in 1130. You just wanted to see some possible shield shapes and I thought the link provides them quite nicely or is at least a decent starting point.

Marauder · « **Reply #39 on:** January 20, 2006, 11:25:28 AM »

Quote from: jester on January 20, 2006, 11:00:05 AM

Yeah, broader in its inspirations! That's the ticket. I am not entirely sure why you want to pin a game about dwarves, elves and magic down to be about the European middle ages, but you are missing all the fun, if your gaming pleasure hinges on helmstraps and codpieces and their availability to a peasant in the Auvergne in 1130. You just wanted to see some possible shield shapes and I thought the link provides them quite nicely or is at least a decent starting point.

It did. As I said, I'm a details guy.(did i say so?)

Chiz · « **Reply #40 on:** January 20, 2006, 02:58:54 PM »

Okay, Bg1 was better because:

Low levels
Better story (BG2s is good, Irenicus is a great foe but it gets too personal)
The shields
Free exploration
Nice looking woodland areas

But BG2 was better because:

High levels
Better graphics (hi res etc)
Less fedex quests
Additions like weapon styles, kits, new items etc
NPCs with personalities.

TOB sucked in various contradictory ways.

I loved being able to wander aimlessly about in BG1, but at slow walking speed it became painful after a while. There is still lots going on in BG2 but it seems much more forced, rather than a bunch of random ideas. Dialogue was just as good in both, for the most part.

Lu · « **Reply #41 on:** January 20, 2006, 09:19:31 PM »

Quote

NPCs with personalities

I'd rather see it in the BG1 advantages part, if it can only be referred to one of the games

Chiz · « **Reply #42 on:** January 21, 2006, 10:56:41 AM »

But they never said anything, they all had perhaps a single quest which they didn't care much about (apart from minsc). Sure, you can get a feel for the NPCS by looking at the bio and so on, but that was all.

Another plus for BG1 though: the portraits were better.

jester · « **Reply #43 on:** January 21, 2006, 11:31:52 AM »

IWD beats both BGs hands down when it comes to portraits. IWD style portraits had a more epic feel to them. That said I mostly use replacements anyway.

Drew · « **Reply #44 on:** January 21, 2006, 04:40:19 PM »

I agree that IWD portraits are better, but I really wish that the selections had more racial diversity. In BG2 you have a couple of each race to choose from.

Lu · « **Reply #45 on:** January 21, 2006, 06:15:44 PM »

Quote

But they [BG1 NPC's] never said anything [...]

Are you saying that Jan Jansen is the most interesting and developed NPC in BG series? And do you wish Kivan were a chatterbox? Not that I have anything against the gnome, but between a hero who reminds me so much of Icelandic Sagas characters, like Minsc and Kivan do, or a drug dealer from Washington Square, I'd rather go for the hero

Quote

they all had perhaps a single quest which they didn't care much about (apart from minsc)

Jaheira cares a lot 'bout going to Nashkel mines ASAP, and so do Xzar and Monty fellows. Coran cares a lot 'bout hunting a wyvern. And so on, and so forth, and all that kind of thing

Veloxyll · « **Reply #46 on:** January 21, 2006, 11:43:11 PM »

But once you've done that, that's it. There's nothing more to the characters. Once you've rescued the Nashkel Mines, Jaheira has nothing more to say. Once you've rescued Nalia's Keep, or helped Korgan get his goodies from the tomb, there's still more to the character.

Lu · « **Reply #47 on:** January 22, 2006, 01:22:16 AM »

I've never said that having many banters in BG2 is bad. What I still insist on however, is that BG1 joinable NPC's impress me more than those whom you only meet in BG2
Yet all guys and gals that you can have in your party in these games are interesting and well depicted characters, IMO. Even Imoen

J.C. Bengtson · « **Reply #48 on:** February 15, 2006, 09:16:54 PM »

On the subject of pausing on the inventory screen and/or changing equipment during combat.. funny that in reality, Army soldiers have little problem reaching into their packs to pull out a rocket launcher while they're getting shot at and firing it within seconds. Sure, there's likely something they ducked behind to give them the time to do so, but then again if you're using fantasy worlds as a benchmark.. there's Bags of Holding, among others, from which you might be pulling your weaponry from. Then you don't even have to reach behind yourself or even deal with the weight of the item until it's retreived.

So the pausing on the inventory screen is fine by me; I'd only complain about the subject if you could change armor incombat (which you can't), so.. ahh, that's it.

P.S. I like BG2 more. :)

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Author Topic: BG, and what made it better (Read 7324 times)