IWD vs. BG2

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BG2 sucks ass. IWD is sweet. There's my definition on how it all works. I'm open for disagreement and arguments. I would'nt mind rudeness either!

 

Was there any point in posting this topic since there is already one in the Icewind Dale Forum? Which incidentally you already posted your... ah... opinion in.

 

Yeah, IWD is great...if u like being guided all the way through a rpg/hack 'n slasher.

I don't.

 

Whoah, woah.... Its not that black in white is it? Granted, its in bad form to post in both forums about the games, esp. vs. each other, but lets not let it be down to the better insult!
I love IWD, I didn't notice I was "guided" so much until the end. I enjoyed it, and for me, I measure games as much for art and voice as anything (its my bag I guess) and on that score, IWD wins hands down. They're both great, though, for different reasons.
If I could digress a bit, it reminds me (Jan) of when the dude with the mullet pulls up next to me in the Trans Ams (6.6L) and I'm in my MGB-GT and they want to race. If you want to race you don't get it (and you have no taste, but it's a big world).
Oh well...

 

Playing IWD-HoW now, but not having finished it yet, I can at least show up some trends that came to my mind:

IWD-HoW:
-I really like the random-item generator in IWD. It may be comfortable in BG-1 and 2 that, when you play it again, you know where to find particular items - in IWD this is restricted, making the game more interesting when playing it again. This would have been a nice feature for BG-2 as well.
-IWD has - till now - a nice atmosphere and a good storyline. Compared to BG-2 I´d say slightly better but not as good as BG-1. I really like the stroytelling in IWD with the illustrations. I also love the Dorn's Deep scene with the blue mykonoid illumination (great place for screenshots).
-IWD has wonderful items, especially for thieves - the ring of the fighter-thief, elven chain +1 dex; a great variety of powerful daggers, short- and longswords; the rogue's hood, resulting in my elven fighter-thief bveing a better archer than my dedicated bowfighter Messy Fentan - only problem is her lack of hitpoints, otherwise she´s about my best char with my halfling paladin. Ther are also some cool greatsords, axes (I love the two-handed axes), flails and maces around.
-In IWD the monsters are neat and strong, hordes of orcs, goblins, orogs, yuan-ti with shamans - and this time they are pretty powerful and much more than cannon fodder. Anyway - fighting my way through the endless dungeons of Shadowdale I sometimes lost orientation, thinking I was playing diablo again . However the monster battles are *real battles* and not just the two sort of fights in BG-2: little skirmishes or major fights.
-IWD has some nice different spells for mages iirc - I would have liked to see some of them in BG-2 as well. However, mages in IWD are on the BG-1 level and not as interesting as in BG-2. There is nontheless a lot of nice mage equipment around there.

BG-2:
BG-2 has some great advantages of his own:
-I actually like the differenced weapon proficiency system for it allows to optimize a fighter.
-Mages and clerics are by far more dangerous in BG-2. Entering the Dorn's Deep barracks there is this fight vs. about 20 opponents, including lots of archers and two drow mages: both fell easy prey to my missile weapon fraction (and didn´t even think about casting a protective spell).
-I also like the more differenced thieving abilities in BG-2.
-BG-2 has very attractive opponents, gitiyanki, mindflayers, beholders, vampires and foremost: DRAGONS !!! The BG-2 trolls and mykonoids are stronger than their IWD counterparts.
-BG-2 has Minsc and Boo and uncle Lester and Jan Jansen.
-BG-2 has the kits and the subclasses !!!
-BG-2 has NPC interaction and romance (BG-2 has hottie Viconia )

So I like both games - both are fun to play and I think that Lord Sparhawk just prefers the different playing style in IWD compared to BG-2.

[This message has been edited by Ragusa (edited July 05, 2001).]

 

I think BG2 is better. First of all, IWD is hack 'n slash, and BG2 is thinking and Hack 'n slash. Plus, I don't understand the colors of IWD magic.

 

I am feeling too lazy to write my views again. the easiest way for me to explain it is I think IWD lacks soul. There's nothing about the story or charcaters to make me really care about it and so the experience was ok as a hack and slash but was quickly forgotten. As such, BG2 was much better for me. I also think BG1 and Planescape were better than BG2 (close though). Planescape was the richest experience but BG1 has more replayability (for me). If you want to see more of my thoughts (yeah right ), look here:
http://www.sorcerers.net/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000632.html

Here are some other links to BG1 cv BG2 and Planescape v everyhting:
http://www.sorcerers.net/ubb/Forum2/HTML/001760.html
http://www.sorcerers.net/ubb/Forum2/HTML/001962.html
http://www.sorcerers.net/ubb/Forum3/HTML/000078.html
http://www.sorcerers.net/ubb/Forum3/HTML/000089.html
http://www.sorcerers.net/ubb/Forum3/HTML/000092.html

If you really want to see every perspective, use the search option in the various forums as there are lots of posts comparing the merits of the various games.

[This message has been edited by Slappy (edited July 05, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Darien Noella (edited July 07, 2001).]

 

BG 2 Sucks!! I'm currently playing both games at the same time, and Icewind Dale is much better. I like the inventory system better, and the fact you create your own party.

 

No matter the fact I hate BG2 too, I can't agree with the post above.

As I experienced both games had the same inventory system. Also, BG2 has multiplayer mode where you can edit all chars.

So, pal, think of something else

[This message has been edited by Extremist (edited July 05, 2001).]

 

I don't know if this has been discussed before...i'm new here. But my opinion is that there's no match between BG and IWD...IWD is a good game; BG is simply a materpiece!!!!!

 

i must agree... IWD lacked something for me. Was too hard to start out, always dying. No NPC's to make life interesting. By far i enjoy BG and BG2 alot more.

 

I find that IWD was fun until about the fifth chapter, after that there wasn't anything really new in the game. I find that it was a little too easy, there never was any difference between good and evil in it either, it never mattered what you said, because in the end you had to say the right thing. Also I didn't like the fact that I didn't know who the bad guy was until the last chapter. All in all it was a fun game, but I don't think I'd play it again.

BG2 was great in that it has a good story and lots of NPC interaction,on the downside it is the same each time you play it. I like all the new classes and kits with the exception of the wizard slayer! I don't know what they were thinking when they made that!
I think I'd play BG2 again sooner thab IWD though.
Hope this made sense.

 

iwd had better spell graphics and better graphics all around

 

Dudette, if your specs can handle it, BG2 can make IWD look like Dungeon Hack in all areas.

 

BG I'n'II were better, mainly cos you couldn't just think "hmm, i'll have a perfect party, with the perfect amount of fighters blah blah blah"

Also the sheer linear style gaming often just got tedious and repetative, with no real chance to go real adventuring.

As a pen and paper Ad&d player/dungeon master I hate linear plots, I much prefer it that if you dont want to do it, dont. Obviously you need SOME linear points, otherwise players would just do whatever and never reach the points of the game which are essencial, you might throw in the odd bounty hunter to get a thief moving along the plot, or a church threatening a paladin of its faith to help them with something or lose his paladin-hood or a complex network of similar motivation means.

BGII is the closest to this paradice Ive seen so far in the gaming world. All ive got to say is that one day I think that Interplay/Black isle/WOTC and everybody else will create a master piece worthy of toppling the predecessors.

 

The scenery in Icewind Dale took my breath away and the music was really great too. But personally I'd rather look at it than play it. I never finished the final battle- I just couldn't be bothered. Fighting is my least favorite part of gameplay so I found most of IWD really boring... "C'mon, ANOTHER fight? When do I get to the plot???". I was really peeved when I finally realised there WAS no plot- just a series of weak storylines strung together.

Also, I found the difficulty of the battles was off the chart given that the middle of the scale is supposed to represent "Core D&D Rules". What crap. The Baldur's Gate games give you unrealistic opponents for your level (don't get excited all you 3rd level dragonslayers, I mean relative to the pen and paper game) but IWD was just ridiculous. There was nowhere on most of the maps to sleep without getting attacked even after more than ten attempts- that would NEVER happen in Dungeons and Dragons, not with a reasonably competent DM anyway. I know, I know, these games aren't supposed to exactly mimic D&D, but frankly, in my opinion the closer they are, the better they are.

Having said that, there were a small number quests in Icewind Dale that I just loved, that surpassed anything in the BG games- the Arboretum quest comes to mind. I particularly liked that it was interwoven through most of the chapters- wow, a subplot! Now, stick the music, graphics and nonviolent "subplot" quests of IWD into a BGI type storyline, and you will have the best game in the world.

 

I like elements of both...But I'm leaning towards IWD. I like the fights in IWD - they tend to be harder plus the scenery and graphics are awesome!!!

On the other hand, I do enjoy the NPC's in BG2 - they definitely make the game fun! But I don't like all the gopher jobs in BG2...It gets really old after 30 or 40 hours!

So I'd give a slight edge to IWD.

 

I played BG2 both times through by doing minimal sub-quests, but different ones each time (so using the same char both times through wasn't dull), the thing is, I didn't import again and whip the exp cap off. Just started again as a CG Necromancer. Strange I know, but its the only class I seem to like, I have tried to play with various other classes and got bored pretty sharpish.

 

Now that I finished IWD and started HoW I think that BG & BG-2 are better than it. The only time IWD got a real grip on me was in the elven fortress area - this was really awesome, great scenery and a nice story.

However, IWD is too linear - you just follow one game path. I really liked the great numbers of well equipped, strong enemies for a while. But later, especially while cleaning the frostgiant caves it became really tedious for me (yet another fight? ... oh well ... )and later there aren't any great playing options left - just clear lower dorndeep and you end up in the final fight <yawn> there were almost no subquests in IWD.

So IMHO the BG storyline is unmatched by BG-2 and IWD. So for me a BG-1 & BG-2 fusion patch would be perfect for my gaming style (play straight on with the BG-2 features, graphics, weapon proficiencies, spells [better: from both BG-2 & IWD] kits and rules from candlekeep to hell).

 

At first I didn't like how you could only create one character in your party. But then I started to appreciate the fact that I could focus on developing my character as I wanted.