Baldur's Gate - Extra Credits on Durlags Tower

Dungeons are already great! Oh wait, sorry, force of habit…

I do need to give a shout out to Skyrim's Blackreach, though. Actually for some of the same reasons they go over in the video. While I had read mentions of Blackreach in a little of the lore, I didn't really know anything specific. I think there was a quest to find some of the plants growing there, but I don't think it gave you much direction and I actually didn't find the quest itself until after I had found Blackreach.

When I walked into it, I was completely unprepared for what I found and just wandered around with my mouth hanging open for a pretty long time. Definitely THE coolest thing in the game for me!
 
Joined
Aug 3, 2008
Messages
8,238
Location
Kansas City
The main drawback of Durlag's Tower was the game's so-so walkpathing. It's a total headache to try and navigate with a party in tow.
 
Joined
Mar 22, 2012
Messages
5,521
Location
Seattle
Nah, it's not that hard, not if you've got a decent thief and a few potions and spells to raise the trap detection and most important of all - be slow and methodical.

If I was a meme creator, I might just use the Sean Bean image with "One just does not… rush Durlag's Tower". :)

I've made the argument many times on these boards about the virtues of Durlag's Tower. It virtually remains unsurpassed in AD&D story-telling atmosphere and challenge. Nothing comes close in recent memory, unfortunately - the main disappointment in this department for me being Od Nua from Pillars of Eternity.
 
Joined
Jul 12, 2009
Messages
1,974
Location
Australia
Nah, it's not that hard, not if you've got a decent thief and a few potions and spells to raise the trap detection and most important of all - be slow and methodical.

If I was a meme creator, I might just use the Sean Bean image with "One just does not… rush Durlag's Tower". :)

I've made the argument many times on these boards about the virtues of Durlag's Tower. It virtually remains unsurpassed in AD&D story-telling atmosphere and challenge. Nothing comes close in recent memory, unfortunately - the main disappointment in this department for me being Od Nua from Pillars of Eternity.

I've never understood why people would rush about in a dungeon of all places. I always have my thief ahead detecting traps and then moving. Mind you most games don't bother with such attention to details and world building etc. More's the pity..
 
Joined
Feb 13, 2014
Messages
9,312
Location
New Zealand
Eh, no. No matter of rush, it's annoying moving your party here, how poorly pathfinding is.
CTRL+J is your friend here.
 
Joined
Jun 5, 2015
Messages
3,898
Location
Croatia
It virtually remains unsurpassed in AD&D story-telling atmosphere and challenge. Nothing comes close in recent memory.

This.

I realised I was playing something outstandig after 10 minutes into the tower. I was in awe for hours after completing it (well, I could've lived with the connected boss fight in Ulgoth Beard, though).
 
Joined
Feb 20, 2009
Messages
635
Location
Germany
Eh, no. No matter of rush, it's annoying moving your party here, how poorly pathfinding is.
CTRL+J is your friend here.

Exactly. It's not really possible to rush about and still avoid the traps. But even moving in slow incremental steps can be a pain, especially if you want to maintain any kind of fighting arrangement.
 
Joined
Mar 22, 2012
Messages
5,521
Location
Seattle
Eh, no. No matter of rush, it's annoying moving your party here, how poorly pathfinding is.
CTRL+J is your friend here.

No offence, but I'd suggest it's your own skills that are probably lacking more than anything else. :p Although admittedly I micro-manage like a madman which is probably why I never have issues with path finding.
 
Joined
Jul 12, 2009
Messages
1,974
Location
Australia
No offence, but I'd suggest it's your own skills that are probably lacking more than anything else. :p

Then run an experiment and order your party to reach a single point on map simultaneously...that thief dungeon before reaching Saverok in particular, is a major pain in the ass.
Here, you have a merrygroup of ghouls behind every narrow passage and you get to play a traffic policeman with everyone acting drunk...Go that way! Why did you get stuck! You there...move, move! :p
Watcher's keep is way more enjoyable and seems devs even realized this, in how they opened it up more.
 
Joined
Jun 5, 2015
Messages
3,898
Location
Croatia
Maaaaan...one does not simply rush through a Baldur's Gate game, or really ANY old-school RPG like that!

I never get the pathfinding so-called issue. I micro-manage the movement and move at a snail's pace in those games, pausing a lot, etc., so I never had much of an issue with that. They are games to be savored and enjoyed slowly and methodically, imo. Shoot, if me and my dad can play and finish a co-op run of Icewind Dale on TABLETS, it can't be THAT bad! :D

But in terms of overall RPG experiences, the Baldur's Gate series is still unmatched in many ways. I love the continuation of one overarching story between two games, characters returning in the second game with the main character being imported from the first, D&D lore + mechanics, epic scope and long playtimes...those games have it all.
 
Back
Top Bottom