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Marid Audran
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Salt Lake City, Utah
May 2001
time: 22:31
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Baldur's Gate I, definitely. It was the heir apparent of the Ultima series that Ultima IX wasn't. Some very interesting joinable party members (Xzar and Monty, GO!  ), a very manageable isometric perspective, common-sense application of the AD&D ruleset, gorgeous landscapes, and plenty of adventure off the beaten path of the main plot. Low-level adventuring is the best; more novelty, more excitement, more genuine danger to your welfare, less monty haul! The dialogue was well-written, droll and hilarious in spots, and the plot was better than BGII's "evil wizard bent on world domination and revenge" shtick. You unraveled the Iron Throne conspiracy in onion lairs. Best wizard boss ever; Daeveron! "So, the stoic adventuerers have found their way down to my lair..." he purrs.
Started a trend and revitalized a genre; Baldur's Gate is my pick for best of the lot. Those old gold-box games are nice for nostalga but little else. Icewind Dale wouldn't be possible without Baldur's Gate obviously. It sported more beauteous art and improvements in spell affects but was ultimately a more shallow game; totally hack-and-slash and didn't even put on airs for role-playing.
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General Ludd
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Minion of the Dominion
Aug 2001
time: 05:31
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quote:
Originally posted by Harry Seldon
I need something with endless level ups and character building. I don't like games that run like Dungeon Siege where once you've killed everything in an area, you have to move on. I'm a very patient man and like crushing everything in my path. Something like Order of the Griffin for the TG16 or a Final Fantasy. Which of these games are most like this? |
I would say the original pools of radiance and all of the other "gold box" games.
EDIT: Er, nevermind. you said "endless level ups" No D&D game would suite you, then. D&D isn't designed for that kind of play, and even the hack-n-slash games progress more slowly, and are more tightly tied with the story then, say, Final Fantasy.
The original "gold box" games did have alot Final Fantasy-esque random encounters, though.
Last edited by General Ludd on 26-09-2003 at 05:24
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Marid Audran
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Salt Lake City, Utah
May 2001
time: 22:31
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Harry Sheldon -- Any of the IE (Infinity Engine) games should suit you then. The main difference betwixt they and RPGs like Final Fantasy or Might and Magic is that leveling up is a big deal, so the gradually rate shouldn't deter you.
Baldur's Gate (with Tales of the Sword Coast expansion pack): From lvl 1-9 approximate, give or take a level depending on character class.
Baldur's Gate II: From lvl 7-18 or thereabouts. The expansion pack (Throne of Bhaal) takes you beyond that ceiling; how far, I don't know. But to give you some perspective:
Level 1-4 character: Novice adventurer, just learning the ropes and taking odd jobs. Mortality rate high.
Level 5-8: Seasoned adventurer, knows the game. Something of an "average" rank in the majority of adventuring parties.
Level 9-14: High-level, professional adventurers; very successful dungeon-crawlers, mercenaries, would-be heroes and rabble-rousers alike.
Level 15+: Is something of the living legend rank; besides being very powerful you've often made a name for yourself in your campaigns. If they've survived this far, often near retirement.
The game pretty much stops being fun by level 20 due to the fact that your party has become so powerful little can challenge you without resorting to ridiculous contrivances ( Your party awakes stripped of their possessions in a collosieum and must battle with a horde of Mad Killer Ettins to survive!!! ) or throwing demi-gods and demon-kin your way. The novelty has long worn off; the magical and fantastical have been rendered mundane, and your party has "been everywhere, done every that."
If you're primary focus is building your own custom-tailored party Icewind Dale and Icewind Dale II may be more your speed; both games take your party from level 1 into the upper stratosphere of class levels. Baldur's Gate I/II has you create one character and then take on joinable NPCs with fleshed out personalities and individual quests.
Lastly, Planescape Torment is more of an interactive novel than a classic CRPG. You take the role of a particular character, the Nameless One, trying to recover the clues to your lost identity. The people who join you are limited in number and often the party ranks become rigid rather than mercurial as in classic adventuring parties.
The upside is that the joinable NPCs are extremely well-crafted and diverse characters, a real treat to discover. You have a hand in your class progression but most of the character development happens in-game with dialogue choices and differing paths towards completion of a certain quest. Whereas some paths close others will open; it's impossible to "do everything" the first time 'round (which adds to replay value). Your player's alignment is a reflection of your actions in-game, instead of the static, pre-determined stat of your personal "ethos," which many people complained was more or less useless. Planescape Torment is a wonderful, fulfilling role-playing game in the purest sense of the term, but the lack of complete character and party customization may turn off some gamers.
There are five IE games out there and each one packs a lot of hours of entertainment, it really depends on your taste!
Last edited by Marid Audran on 26-09-2003 at 07:46
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Comrade Tassadar
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BG2.
Which allows you to become level 40.
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Standup
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I think BG2 is the better game but i much prefer being lower level. In BG1 just going from lvl 1 to lvl 2 was such a big deal - something that's lost when you go from, say, 15 to 16.
Nothing like having to think about how to tackle that single ogre compared to "oh another half dozen trolls..."
No 'eye of the beholder' ? Wasn't that great but i think it was the first D&D game i played and it seemed fun at the time.
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25-09-2003 22:15
ACK!
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