What games are you playing now?

@Pladio - Was that really necessary?

DArtagnan said:

As always, the plan is to get through EE and start playing BG2. As I've said before, I've never completed BG2 - or even gotten that far into it. Not crazy about the linear structure - but I have to check it all out just once.

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You might be surprised. BG2 really isn't very linear once you get past that annoyingly long starting dungeon. It is more linear compared to BG1 though.

JDR13 said:

@Pladio - Was that really necessary?

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What do you mean ?

Pladio said:

What do you mean ?

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You could have just linked to it or used spoiler tags.

JDR13 said:

You could have just linked to it or used spoiler tags.

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Couldn't have linked since I just made it for Dishonored then. But spoiler tags are a good idea

I'll edit the post now.

JDR13 said:

You might be surprised. BG2 really isn't very linear once you get past that annoyingly long starting dungeon. It is more linear compared to BG1 though.

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Sounds good. I hope the writing is better and less "randomly crazy" than in BG

DArtagnan said:

Sounds good. I hope the writing is better and less "randomly crazy" than in BG

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Eh, depends on what you think about Bioware writing in general. I thought BG2 had a terrible, "look at how gritty we are!" plot and the intrusive, incredibly annoying NPCs that've come to define their games, but I'm obviously in the minority when it comes to this game.

Menigal said:

Eh, depends on what you think about Bioware writing in general. I thought BG2 had a terrible, "look at how gritty we are!" plot and the intrusive, incredibly annoying NPCs that've come to define their games, but I'm obviously in the minority when it comes to this game.

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I find that it varies a lot, actually. I can't quite put my finger on it.

BG is from 1998 IIRC - and standards were different then, to be sure. I think SOME of the NPCs are kinda funny - but there's simply no consistency, and I quickly get sick of over-the-top crazy nonsense, that others might find quirkily amusing.

I REALLY like the "lore" parts of Mass Effect and Dragon Age, but I generally don't enjoy their approach to characters. I find the writing very "US TV show" - for lack of a better term. My experience with MOST (not all) TV shows in the US is that they are in a big hurry to make an impression, and probably because they need to sell the concept and have their seasons funded. But that means every character is in a hurry to make an impact and make it clear to EVERYONE how cool and unique they are, which is something I get sick of very, very quickly.

To me, characters are interesting when they have depth and subtlety - though I do appreciate the occasional over-the-top character - just as long as they're the exception.

But for a game like KotOR - which is based on the Star Wars universe, I found the writing quite appropriate, because I don't take that universe seriously. It's a deliberate romantic fantasy - and it's not really dark, so Bioware over-the-top stuff kinda fits with that.

Pladio said:

I'd call it an adventure game with RPG-lite elements - Maybe we should get HiddenX's scale out to see.

Adapted from HiddenX's The Witcher grading…

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Thanks on this. It's definetly not RPG, but is some strange mix of FPS-stealth-adventure-RPG. The closest recent game is DX:HR, but this one is totally different in some areas (c&c, looking for hints on safe combinations instead of upping some cracking skill, no "incompatible" boss fights, etc). Another recent game similar to this is Dark, but Dark has badly designed levels, respawning enemies after killing a boss, going unlethal is not possible, almost no lore and no c&c.

Maybe it's a genre of it's own? Whatever it is, I can't believe it feels so good. Simply can't stop playing it. Will try to analyze what sucked me in so deep when I finish it.
And I bought it because it was on sale and JDR said hey it might be an okay game. Okay? It's not okay, it's amazing! JDR never be so shy while suggesting a game!

DArtagnan said:

BG is from 1998 IIRC - and standards were different then, to be sure. I think SOME of the NPCs are kinda funny - but there's simply no consistency, and I quickly get sick of over-the-top crazy nonsense, that others might find quirkily amusing.

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I actually found BG1's NPCs far less annoying. Probably because they didn't get in your face all the time and try to make the game all about them. The plot was generic D&D silliness, though.

I find the writing very "US TV show" - for lack of a better term… But that means every character is in a hurry to make an impact and make it clear to EVERYONE how cool and unique they are.

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That's actually a very good way of putting it. To me it also makes it feel that my character is only there to see how totally awesome the wannabe-novelist designer's characters are, which isn't why I play an RPG.

Menigal said:

I actually found BG1's NPCs far less annoying. Probably because they didn't get in your face all the time and try to make the game all about them. The plot was generic D&D silliness, though.

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Agreed, they're not that annoying actually - just a bit weak and silly. I tend to shrug them off - though I sometimes crack a smile all the same.

But it's for sure they're not helping me immerse myself in that world - which is ultimately what I think they should be doing.

We'll see about BG2. I can accept "serious" and gritty writing if it's consistent and plausible. It's just that when I'm asked to take something seriously and it's about human behavior - the required standard is much, much higher than I usually see in games.

joxer said:

Thanks on this. It's definetly not RPG, but is some strange mix of FPS-stealth-adventure-RPG. The closest recent game is DX:HR, but this one is totally different in some areas (c&c, looking for hints on safe combinations instead of upping some cracking skill, no "incompatible" boss fights, etc). Another recent game similar to this is Dark, but Dark has badly designed levels, respawning enemies after killing a boss, going unlethal is not possible, almost no lore and no c&c.

Maybe it's a genre of it's own? Whatever it is, I can't believe it feels so good. Simply can't stop playing it. Will try to analyze what sucked me in so deep when I finish it.
And I bought it because it was on sale and JDR said hey it might be an okay game. Okay? It's not okay, it's amazing! JDR never be so shy while suggesting a game!

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Yeah, the game was very good and I liked it as well.

I played as a stealthy character though. I'm sure some people enjoy it more as a slaughterfest...

DArtagnan said:

Baldur's Gate EE

I still think it's a money grab, but it could have been much worse.

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That is pretty much the review - BG is BG (and BG2 is BG2) ... then add your quote for the EE's.

txa1265 said:

That is pretty much the review - BG is BG (and BG2 is BG2) … then add your quote for the EE's.

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I was hesitant to shell out for BG:EE - and even more so for BG2:EE because of the rather absurd price, but I have to say the convenience makes it too appealing when combined with something that's actually an improvement - and if I get through BG, I'll probably relent and get BG2 as well.

I hate being that easy, though

DArtagnan said:

I was hesitant to shell out for BG:EE - and even more so for BG2:EE because of the rather absurd price, but I have to say the convenience makes it too appealing when combined with something that's actually an improvement - and if I get through BG, I'll probably relent and get BG2 as well.

I hate being that easy, though

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I have surprised myself by holding off buying BG2EE for Mac or PC so far ... I know I'll buy it for iPad, but last year I bought BG for PC, then Mac, then iPad ... there is good stuff there, but I definitely didn't get the real value for my money, and have only replayed the iPad version in 2013.

I also love your 'US TV show' description of the game writing ... very, very true.

I only played Mass Effect 1, because my x-box broke before I could move onto the second game. I did like the writing and characters a lot, but then again, most of my favorite television shows are American, like Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Breaking Bad. Recently I have been playing Wizardry VII: Bane of the Cosmic Forge. I have been enjoying it, but it took me a while to get used to the old-school sensibilities, like the lack of an automap feature, or good in-game descriptions of items and spells, lack of a journal, etc. I have also been playing Jade Empire, which is fun so far, but I am still early in the game I think.

I've been loading my fairly small Steam collection onto my new laptop (crappy connection at home makes this a painful undertaking) and somehow started a fresh round of Puzzle Quest 2. That game hasn't lost its addictive qualities, that's for certain. In addition, having 2 computers in the house allowed me to get my oldest running DDO with me so we've started up some fresh toons and blasted thru to level 3 already.

I've finished the main storyline of Lego Marvel and am just hanging around New York doing sidemissions. Some of them are quite good, more like miniature levels than just "do this one thing on the main map".

I'm starting a PhD on the other side of the country next week, which means a lot of travel and staying in hotels until I can relocate (and a new laptop soon, woo!), so I've got to dig through my catalogue and find something that'll run on my old laptop to keep me amused. I'm tempted to go with World of Xeen again, but I may give the Ur-Quan Masters a shot. Hmmm… decisions, decisions.

Pladio said:

Yeah, the game was very good and I liked it as well.

I played as a stealthy character though. I'm sure some people enjoy it more as a slaughterfest…

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The beauty of the game is that you can play it as you like - but whatever you do there are consequences. For example if you ruin the plague cure illegal business, next mission you'll see more infectees! More kills lead to more chaos on streets. Slaughterfest means food for rats and rats in this game practically grow into ultimate enemies - never could have imagined that a game will contain something like a warning: don't feed trolls.

That's just a part, I have so many positive things to number, but let's wait till I finish it, hopefully it won't go lower with the excitment later.

joxer said:

The beauty of the game is that you can play it as you like - but whatever you do there are consequences. For example if you ruin the plague cure illegal business, next mission you'll see more infectees! More kills lead to more chaos on streets. Slaughterfest means food for rats and rats in this game practically grow into ultimate enemies - never could have imagined that a game will contain something like a warning: don't feed trolls.

That's just a part, I have so many positive things to number, but let's wait till I finish it, hopefully it won't go lower with the excitment later.

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The only thing I thought the game could have really done better on would be branching paths in dialogues and storyline.

It's not like I replay every game, but I wouldn't have minded with this one.

Menigal said:

I actually found BG1's NPCs far less annoying. Probably because they didn't get in your face all the time and try to make the game all about them. The plot was generic D&D silliness, though.

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The NPCs in BG1 barely even have dialogue.

As far as the writing in general, I thought BG2 was better. While I like the plot in BG1 well enough, I found Sarevok to be a generic, cliche antagonist. By comparison, Jon Irenicus is far more interesting and much less transparent. He's still one of my favorite villians in any crpg.