Does it get better?

Remove all ads!

First of all, I am NOT trolling. This is a serious question. I have tried playing this game several times and just simply cannot get involved in it. I play RPG's for the story and roleplaying and absolutly love the Fallout Series (not Tactics just the real RPGS) and Planescape Torment and despite not caring for the combat nor the character leveling of Arcanum, I battled through because of the wonderful story. Baldur's gate though simply does not engage me and I have not made it to Chapter 2. Does the dialoge and character interactions get any better? Are there more roleplay oppurtunities like in Planescape? I mean, every NPC I've met so far just shoot out a few sentances and says can I join. There is nothing like the Dialog in Planescape or even Fallout (though there are a few like that in the Fallout games, but the main ones are all involved in the story). I just want to know if I should battle on through or if I should just go to Baldurs gate 2. Got both from a friend and would like to play them in order but only if it is worth my time. Currently replaying Planescape and love the intricate dialog. Any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

The NPC interactions in BG1 leave a lot to be desired, and the dialogue tends to be fairly straightforward. The core story itself is fairly good IMHO. I would recommend completing it at least once because it will make BG2 much more enjoyable.

Just my two coppers.

 

Ah, a kindred spirit. I had the EXACT same problem playing throught BG1. Well, Jschild , to tell you the truth, the only reason to play through BG1 is to acquire the tomes that raise your stats so you can import your character to the VASTLY superior BG2 and make your BG2 gaming experience more enjoyable. BG1 is pretty much one menial boring quest after another, with very little in the way of a central storyline to tie it all together until pretty late. I'd just play it until I got bored, grab whatever tomes I could in the alloted time (you should be able to get the charisma and constitution tomes pretty quickly) and then just import your character to BG2. I've played through BG1 twice and never managed to get past the city of Baldur's Gate itself; I just get swamped with too many silly quests that I don't want to waste my time doing, and yet if you don't do them you won't be at a high enough level to progress very far in the game. Just skip it; it doesn't get much better.

 

Sad but indeed true, people there is a 2 after the game for a reason: it has a prequel.

Anyway the moment you hit the cloakwook mines (chapter 4?) the story really get's involved, it had before but you hadn't probably noticed.

 

Don't get me wrong--I love BG. I remember playing it for the first time and simply being in shock. I still think the core story in BG is better than BG2. Overall, though, I have to give the nod to BG2. The NPC interactions and the non-linear quests make it a lot more flexible and believable as an RPG.

I don't think it makes any sense to chastise someone simply because they are not enjoying BG the same way that I did. I don't want to threadjack and turn this into a BG v BG2 thread... but implying that BG is awesome and there's something wrong with you if you're not enjoying it is counterproductive.

 

My two cents worth:

The game play in BG2 is obviously superior to BGI. That is only to be expected though. Technology improves, and better games are produced - no surprise there. However, I will say this, the story line in BG1 is vastly superior to BG2. I would recommend completing it once, just to have a better feel for the story in BG2. (Oh, and getting the tomes to improve your stats doesn't hurt either.)

 

No, it gets worse. By the time you reach a certain palace, and have something to happen there; you want to tear your hair out of sheer frustration -the AI is just plain stupid then (in case you haven't already noticed). BUT if you like just adventuring around, bashing some monsters and praying that your characters wont get stuck; go ahead.

 

I have to agree that BG 2 is better in a lot of aspects, but BG 1 is still a great game. It has some of my favorite fights...the ones where it is somewhat based on luck. My first time through when I got to the FAI and fought, I had trouble with it, and yet I was thrilled by it. I miss those first impressions which I will never have again. But the game does start off somewhat slowly, but that is what it should be. You are fresh out of Candlekeep with no clue what is going on. YOU have to make the story start and it isn't untill about chapter 4, the Cloakwood Mines, where you grasp what is happening. The side quests, can be bothersome, "Get me this, deliver that," but you expect to find some boring things now and then, but over all, I am very glad I bought this game. I can understand how there might be no going back to BG 1 if you started BG 2, but to appreciate the story, the game, and the effort that went into this saga, it is a good idea to at least play it once. There is something satisfying about watching a young, naive, shelltered lad/ladie turn into something very powerful through weeks of gaming.

 

I appreciate all the comments but some people seem to think that I have played BG2, which I haven't, just have heard much more about how good it's story is and while the combat is ok, the story is what I want to enjoy but all the sonstant fe-ex quests with no npc interaction (oh i was attacked by hobgoblins and they took my Belt, im so sad --- Thank you for bringing back my belt) is just boring the heck out of me.

 

Most side quests in BG1 are indeed boring and silly. Seems all their fantasy was used on the main quest. Because, IMO, it is one of the greatest stories of all games. So just follow the main quest and pickup what you get along the way. You´ll understand BG2, greatest game ever probably, alot better if you´ve completed BG1 first.

 

There is more than enough xp points to not do all the side quests, unless you would like to try and see what all of them have to offer. feel free to skip some "get this, give that" quests. The city of Baldur's Gate can be much the same way, too, so just a warning.

 

Does anyone else think that the setting and the music in BG1 is sooo much better than in BG2?
Anyways, I have some friends that played BG2 first, and then i let them try BG1 for a while, because IMO the gaem is superior according to BG2. You know what, they didn't even complete Nashkel Mines before they got tired of it. The real adventure starts when you get to Baldur's Gate, doesn't it?

 

Well, the best advice I can offer is that if you're not having fun with it after playing it several times (and neither have I) then just skip it and go on to Baldur's Gate 2. Seriously, if you're not enjoying the game, why play it? It's just a waste of time. Games are meant to be fun; if you're not having fun, then what's the point? That's the most important thing, really.

 

If this tells you anything; I've finished BGII 4 times and I've finished BGI over 15 times (I had BGII before it's prequel). Story wise the prequel is way better, I also liked those low level batles more, even though the AI sucks. It takes some time for the story to develop, but if you focus on the plot you can progress relatively fast. Don't skip this game.

 

While I'm enjoying the game more, just finished Ulcaster, I still can't see how its story is very good. The writing is ok but every quest is barely a paragraph long. Planescape Torment and both fallout games had far better dialogs. I am plaing to max out my character working through all the areas and then just quickly finish the plot (making sure to get all the tomes) then looking much more forward to Baldurs gate 2.

 

The plot gets interesting when you reach chapter 4. From there on there'll be alot of twists in the storyline. And yes, most the sidequests are short and boring, like someone sad earlier in this thread, the programers used up their fantasy in the main quest. When you'll get to Baldur's Gate a litle more interesting sidequests will star to apear. And one more thing; BGI has better music than it's sequel

 

Actually, I think that the only time you don't know what's going on in BGI is Chapters 1 and 2. Certain non-playable NPC's tell you exactly what you have to do to complete chapters 3 and 4, and if you aren't into the story by then, then there's probably not much hope for you with this game.

 

Well, there was virtually no story in Chapter 3 other than Elmenster telling me to find the bandits, other than that just more hack and slash. Just starting chapter 4 and only going to play the core story with the exception of gettting the tomes unless it picks up more, which i've heard it does in Baldur's Gate.