Why don't I like this game?

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Seriously. I can't figure it out for the life of me. It doesn't seem fundimentally all that different from the original IWD or even the BG games, and I like the 3rd Edition rule setup a lot better than the original. I also prefer the "create your own party" thing, rather than the "choose between mediocre NPC's theme" from the BG series. It looks pretty. The story isn't fantastic, but it's not any worse than any of the others. Hell, I even got into PoR:RoMD and almost beat it, yet I can't seem to bring myself to get past the Ice Fortress.

What's wrong with me?

- or -

What's up with this wack-ass game?

 

There is definately something there that is suspicious. I still enjoyed it, mostly, but it has something about it.... It wasn't as bad in HOF mode. Then it was just bloody hard. Still, the ice fortress isn't the best bit. Gets a little better further on. Still not much consolation if its sucking right now.

<second edit: It just came to me what I couldn't put my finger on. IWD1 was a big slugfest. Not many quests, just non-stop fighting. IWD2 has tried to get a bit closer to BG2, in that there is a bit more roleplay. Now it doesn't fit either catogory. It's a bastard offspring of BG2 and IWD1. Should have stuck to IWD1 style. Then we'd know where we were.>

<Edit: just realised this was my 100th post. Ah, happy days.>

 

Meaningless puzzles? Repetitive gameplay? A storyline that makes little or no sense?

This game has 'em all...

 

You probably don't like it because it's not that good. I mean, it's not a bad game, but it's not a terribly great one either. The gameplay is really linear, most of the fights are kinda dull (if one orc is an interesting fight, then twenty orcs must be twenty times as interesting, right?), just wave after wave of mundane enemies. The story is pretty weak; you, adventurers, there! Go fight that army! We're obviously incapable of doing it ourselves! Plus I found that after all those sweet BG2 kits, the character creation options in IWD2 was a bit limited. Just basic D&D classes, with some multiclass options thrown in, didn't do much for me from a roleplaying perspective (although RP in IWD2 is tough anyway). The subraces helped, but not too much.

 

You have to give it some time; the Ice Fortress is one of the most boring parts of the game.

IWD2 gets much better after Chapter 2, around the time you get to the wandering village. Once there, the plot begins to thicken and you start to get great items (Belib's Everlasting Torch comes to mind).

 

Yeah the Ice Fortress sucks thats more than likely the problem. It's just a really dull portion of the game. Same with the stupid Time Loop area.

 

The ice fortress is a major pain in the ass. But overall i think its a good game. I'm suprised at all the smack talk about it. I don't think it compares to the BG saga, but the ability to create your whole group is sort of the root of the game. It can't have all the extras like romances and in-party fighting with that premise. It has a cool setting (no pun intended) and the ability to pick sub-races was long overdue. Dual weapon fighting was added (Drizz't lives!!) and there are tons of ways to modify your group with all the editors out there. PoR? Puhleeeze......... Give it some more time. If you still don't like it then there is always Max Payne 2.

 

Give it some more time? The game's been out a year and a half. If people don't like it now they're not going to like it any better if they replay it half a dozen times.

 

I think the "give it more time" people mean I should not be deterred by what is apparantly the most boring part of the game, which every game has, really. I'll play past the Ice Fortress (almost done, actually) and see where it goes from there. My party absolutely kicks ass, so I'm sure it'll be fun once I grudge on past the damn sno-cone castle.

edit/

HOWEVER...if I keep playing it and decide it's still lame, I shall be very put out...

/edit

 

I understand your feelings completely. I started playing the game and got it as soon as it came out. About the second level in The Horde Fortress I just lost intrest. I finally sat down and beat it just last month. For me the story did pick up once you got past the said ice fortress. I hope it does for you. OR DO I!? MUHAHAHAHAHAHA.

 

The most tedious part for me was the time loop which really brought the game to a crashing halt. It was bad enough the first time yet when I replayed the game a few months later I just used the cheat codes to jump past that bit.

 

I think that the non-stop fighting of dull monsters makes it too much like a chore, rather than fun. You have to make it a REAL challenge just to make it worthwhile.

 

I always just skip the ice fortress and the time loop with cheats.

Dont worry Death Rabbit, the rest of the game kicks ass

 

I'd lost interest at the bridge. 'Go here, kill some things, walk a little further, kill some things, etc'. The game to me is a series of skirmishes on each map until you reach the "boss".

And you have to follow the path, at least with IWD1 you could take a different route. (sometimes anyway)

 

Agreed. Linearity is what kills this game. Being able to decide where you want to go instead of being forced along a very set path is never a good idea as it seriously cuts down on replay value.

Maybe one day some enterprising modder will do a mod that allows you to undertake certain parts of the game in a different order (as with the chapter 2 & 3 quests in BG2).

 

I think the most attractive thing about Icewind Dale 2 was the implementation of 3rd edition rules. This means that characters now really become truly customisable. For me, I love creating and customising characters. That's what keeps me playing Icewind Dale 2. If I wanted great roleplaying and inter-party banters and relationships i'd go to Baldur's Gate 2. Icewind Dale 2 is essentially a Powergamers paradise. Once I have gotten to the Ice Fortress I lose interest quick enough. The story in Icewind Dale 2 is dreadful but it's the feeling of freedom with creating a party that reels the folks in.
Fingers crossed for Icewind Gate. Thats the best of both worlds.

 

I liked it enough to play it through once. I have tried several times to put together another party and go again, but I last about 2 days and I quit. I have tried making specialty parties (all elves, or recreating the Companions of the Dale (or whatever Drizzt and his crew were called, been too long since I read Salvatore), going solo and others I have forgotten, but it just seems droll to me.

I don't like pure hak'n'slash's, and I don't really enjoy pure RPG's, so IWDII was really a good balance for me. I am still looking for something like it IWDII, but different enough to interest me.

 

I played ToEE without knowing what I was getting into and after a pretty steep learning curve LOVED the game (I even made my own Chocolate Cookies of the Gods... MMMMMMMMM)

so then I went on a search of similar games and came upon Icewind Dale 2 as a suggestion at another board. Unfortunatly, I was bored to tears. I might pick it back up after this thread said to just skip the ice cave so maybe I will, cuz I like the character customization implemented in it alot. The battle system I dont like though, I really liked ToEE's turn based combat. I couldn't use strategy and magic seemed like a waste, as cool as using faierie fire and orb of darkness as a drow (sub races rocked) would have been, it was just so quick and unimpressive compared to ToEE. .I'm still in the first city, but the gameplay just bored me so much.

WHICH brings me to my next shocking point, I am currently finding Pool of Radiance quite enjoyable. Perhaps that discredits my opinion on Icewind Dale 2, but despite the sloooooooooooooow walking and the fact that I can't find the exit to the first dungeon (some help would be nice btw hehe) I'm finding it lots of fun. It's kinda like ToEE, with a higher level cap and less bugs (sorta). I seriously don't know why everyone's hating on it so much!

 

I don't know what your background is, but let me tell you that ToEE was basically a "homage" to the RPGs of the early 90's, the ones I played growing up.

One really cool company had the monopoly on turn-based AD&D games back then was SSI Inc. Their "gold box" games for a long period of time was the "gold standard" for RPGs along with the less hardcore, more mainstream, Ultima series. It's quite clear that the developers of ToEE, like me, were intense fans of the Gold Box games back in the day.

I don't think you'll find much else like ToEE around. IWD2 uses the pseudo-realtime IE engine of Baldur's Gate, quite different from ToEE's combat engine. Although you could try playing it with all the autopauses enabled. But I disagree that there is no strategy involved - there is, just not as much as toee. The other IE games have much more strategic combat though (try BG2). But they lack the detailed character creation.

Oh and since ToEE was based on Arcanum's engine, maybe that would appeal to you. I'll stop now since I'm taking this thread off-topic...

 

haha yeah I felt offtopic myself. Anyway, thx for the info. Yeah I don't have a pen and paper background, but I've played some watered down RPG's like KOTOR and the Dark Alliance series (if that even counts) but after ToEE I fell in love. I guess I'll pick IW2 back up some day, maybe skip a part or two, but right now I'm in the game no one dares mention.. and liking it!

and Arcanum I'll HAVE to pick up someday