First Impressions?

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No, actually, as you get into the game and explore the deeper wilderness, enter the Cloakwood, etc, it seems to me that the fights are harder than in vanilla BG and also scaled better to your party XP/level. The 2nd Cloakwood area had a ton of Ettercaps, all the various Spiders, plus I ran into 4 Dread Wolves and 2 Bears, 1 Brown, 1 Cave. Plus the giant spider hive with the big fat broad sitting in the middle. I am entering the mines and seem to be adding a ton of XP now. Xzar is level 7. I believe that is right in line with the vanilla. I think they eliminated/replaced some of the random battles that didn't make sense or scaled poorly with the timeline.

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DR,

The game has been greatly increased by Overhaul. Well worth the 20 bucks. Which is a drop in the hat . The new NPCs alone are a very nice upgrade. I am finding new items that are useful when I find them.

Spoiler

Ex. - I found a Buckler shield that added +1 Con. Pretty nice for Monty since he now starts with ** in slings and shortswords.

and

Spoiler

I found a Ring that turns you into a Zombie..it's cursed.

.

Basically, there are a ton of changes and the game runs better IMO. And the zero load times are NICE! I have encountered only one bug. It wasn't game breaking and reloading did away with it. I have read some complaining about XP or Win7 issues, but I am not encountering any on my Win7 system. The screenshots do not do it justice I think. I have BGEE, Tutu and Vanilla BG all on my PC. I have looked at all three consecutively. BGEE outshines them by far.

On a different note....Has anyone who has added Dorn Il-Khan answered his question of "which party member is talking about me?"

 

Actually that encounter group is normal for vanilla BG. Level 7 for a wizard was practically mid/end-game for the vanilla BG, so the fact that you were traveling with a level 5+ necromancer explains the beefed up encounters. If you're wondering why this never happened to you in BG1, it's probably because you normally reach Cloakwood with everyone being level 3 or so (6 members) back in vanilla.
We simply gain XP much faster in BG:EE.

I hate the fact that they introduced the concept of "scaling" on non-random encounter fights in BG1 at all. Vanilla BG1 didn't do anything as extreme as forcing you to fight a dragon at levels 1-3, so it all amounts to making the player feel good about themselves instead forcing them to consider every option their class/party members offered so they could beat certain encounters. Or simply learning to cut their losses and retreat (BG1 alone had the distinction of the being the only game in the series which forced me to give up on an encounter and return when I was better geared/leveled - makes perfect sense considering how you're supposed to be a novice and all).

As I said, to me this change makes early game encounters seem as fake as Illasera claiming to be one of the big 5 in ToB which is why I hate this mechanic. For others though, it might be a plus. Depends on your gaming background/why you game.
If you're considering whether to buy the game or not I'd focus on which BG1 features you like the most. Because if you played BG1 more for the NPCs/banters/story, it would be a shame to miss BG:EE. I do wish it was better priced though... might be best to wait a while and let the modders/developers do their thing (wasn't there a free DLC or two planned?) before buying it.

 

Considering new games cost a bit more than 20 bucks these days, what's the issue? It's equivilant is a case of beer.

New fixes with the 12/4/12 update..

Multiplayer connecting to non-host bug fixed
Fixed Right click map crash bug
Crash reporting has been improved
Dorn stuck in Kryll cutscene fixed
Fixed crash for OpenGL drivers that don't support compression
Fixed Neera dialogue problem with Edwin in party
Fixed Rasaad dialog loop
Fixed Dorn movement on early Kryll letter retrieval
Version # now displays on main screen
Added support for 'Program Options', 'Maximum Frame Rate'
Fixed function key assignment issues
Updates to English, French, German text
Improved Mouse Wheel support
Min/max damage correctly displays strength modification
Help tooltip says 'Help' instead of 'Rest'
Fix for Half-Orc Biography
Fixed Dorn looping dialogue problem
Fixed Neera and Rasaad item descriptions
Fixes Gallus in the Black pits proficiency selection
Added toggle for hardware mouse cursor
Disabled stairs in tutorial until Belt tells you to use them
Lothander / Rasaad bug fixed
Flaming Fist reputation loss bug fixed
Neera plot Thayan bodyguard XP fixed
Fixed party members attacking each other bug
Bastard sword strength requirement description updated to 11
Tranzig not using spells fixed
Fixed Neera is busy and won't rejoin party bug
Added autosave for Start of Black Pits

 

Hmm. Ok, maybe I will give it a shot one of these days. Over the x-mas break perhaps, if I'm not knee-deep in FarCry3.

 

The improvements sound pretty impressive. It really is a shame that more couldn't be added to the other NPC's, but it's exciting to finally have a Monk as a party member. Would you guys say that he's effective in BG1 as a low level Monk? That class is mainly powerful in BG2 at higher levels so I'm wondering how well it functions as a low level class in BG1.

 

Considering that any of the NCPs can be effective, the Monk handles himself well. He is no match for a generated PC Monk, as his stats are definitely not maxed out. He does come with his own magic item that helps him in combat somewhat. Casting teh 2nd level spell "Strength" on him makes him a viable frontliner. I would also give him the girdle of piercing and boots that help with AC as well.

Something I don't remeber from BG2.... can Monks use the "Strength" potions, as in Potion of Hill Giant Strength?

 

I don't see the point in being overly critical. They had the choice of either re-creating the entire game from scratch, with a 3D game engine, which would be a MAMMOTH undertaking and not worth their time. OR, keep the game as is but just 'spruce' it up, add new things that improve the experience, without losing the old 'BG feel'.

I think they did well. It's easily worth the ten quid, or 20 bucks. I spend that ordering a pizza.

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The monk is OK. Dorn is a real power house though. I tend to keep Kagain around just to tank the damage.

 

The Monk has stunning Blow, if it connects your target is practically dead unless it's immune. Solid NPC.

You could buy 3-4 good games like Heroes of Might and Magic 3 on sale off of GoG with 20 bucks and they could keep you occupied for years.

Based on my experience with the game I agree it's easily worth 10 bucks. 15 bucks, maybe. 20 is meh, though I'd relent once we get more content/fixes (we will though, soon). Modders are already at work, even the BG2 ones. I expect unofficial ports of the new NPCs to BG2 should be popping up soon, the BG2 NPCs are going to have serious competition when that happens.

 

GoG sells stuff they had nothing to do with, so buying cheap games from them is not in the ballpark of comparisons. Overhaul greatly enhanced the product. They also have costs involved, much greater costs than a GoG can ever have... apples & oranges my friend.

 

More like gold to copper. Those games don't compare to BG series, or IWD, or HotUD, or any other cRPG of that level (Elder Scrolls/FO/etc).

 

They're not RPGs, and just because the infinity engine games are superior doesn't make those games any less playable.

Chess is a superior game to Solitaire, but that has never stopped me from playing the latter.

 

Continuation:
-side note- at the time of playing, the latest patch was not installed)

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Tarnesh exploded, and Immy sets on to collect the collectibles of the late Tarnesh. Rest in pieces...literary.
Again no Immy banter or mention of Tarnesh spell-book. Which is lame among other things. To me, it feels like an old friend has stopped talking to me....for whatever reasons.


As we make our way around the inner Yard of the FAI exploring (to shoo away the FoW) I notice some Eye-candy improvement. The is a soft glow surrounding the entrance of the Inn, windows and the Temple entrance beside the stairs. Things seem more vibrant and some parts even softer; detailed. It's nice and it is a big bonus to the overall feel. Makes me wondering how much of the world-space was improved this way. The dawn/dusk lighting seems a bit enhanced too. But may also be the imagination my inner romantic....


Immy heads for the Temple of Wisdom, wanting to identify a ring she found earlier and the belt that was in Gorion's possession.

We hook up with 'Uncle Khalid and Auntie Jaheira' (as mod-Immy used to call them) a somber affair this time round. But still we invite them in.

We also spot the new dark-looking guy instantly and I have to admit, he sticks out like as sore thumb. Kinda funny in a way, you know, putting such a gloomy persona in a Inn, cheery like the FA.

Anyway, we chose to ignore the dude for now and Immy goes upstairs to collect some famous and nice quests. Spider Infestation and Lost Belt.

We rest the party.
The lack of Sleeping-Vid is kinda jarring.
The first time I had the party resting again, thinking something went wrong. But i realized later, that we did rest. The Day/Night o'meter clearly showed the progress of the day.
A 'huh' moment, if there ever was one

It still is jarring as hell every time we sleep and I have trouble getting used to it.
It totally robs the player of a well deserved mental break. I was thinking for reasons the Devs might have had, for removing it...but no matter what, I end up not getting it.

Anyway of we go.

After Joia gets her Flame-dance Ring back and we some exp. points, we march on to meet the Belt stealing Ogre of the Coastway.

Once again the party is out of their usual (BG style) game.
The well etablished everyday approach to the Ogre for a meek party like that, was to have Jaheira cast entangle and Immy and Khalid do the pin-cushion with the Ogre.
But it turns out ( after 5 reloads worth of testing ) that the bugger is either immune or not impressed with the entangling vines. Dude! WTH!?

Even worse, after another botched attempt of Entangling and ordering Immy off into a distance while Khalid and Rickard (my toon; Undead Hunter) hold of the Ogre for a bit- she still runs back to face him point-blank and gets made into smashed Rouge.
Not for the last time it turned out later. This is buggering me for now.

Anyway Ogre disposed belt gained, we explore the rest of the map and are not wondering anymore that we only encounter a few animals. No bandits around the looted caravan. Not even a lowly thug. A few wolves and ....well that's about it.


Beregost:

After a few minutes on foot we encounter the new Girl. Neera. Following a nice scene, that had some nice dialog, and flashy spells, we invite her in.

Lacking a Mage and being generally curious about her we promise adventure and protection.

The initial banter with her had me intrigued and made appetite for more. She is well voiced and her character shines tru. I had my doubts about her, fearing her persona will turn out to be another Neeshka; Immy clone. But none of that so far.

I use the talk button to talk to her and I am pleased that she comes with more banter and interesting stuff to tell.

Then again, after trying to do the very same to Immy, Khalid and Jaheira, it made me wince; seeing the 'red text', telling me -there is nothing to talk about -popping up in the console window.

In a modded BG with any of the banter-packs this would not have been the chase.
But in BG:EE it's kind jarring too. Especially since it makes the new NPC's ( that comes with 'talk to them' banters ) feel and look like mods. In this otherwise non modded game.

Meaning again, that if one likes the experience that the Banter-packs offered, he/she better stick to the new NPC's only. Otherwise the rest of the NPC's will be mute-er, than some.


We enter the Red Sheaf and battle ensues in which Immy, once more ordered back, charges dead ahead...ending up dead. IMMY, YU NO BOW N ARROW?!?!?
I haven't lost Immy in my BW setup in ages. Was not amused. Dunno what causes this.
After a reload and some change of tactics, we beat Karlat into a moral failure and finish off his fleeing hide with a magic-missile he cannot outrun.

The usual:
Loot, hoot, eat sleep.
Wanting to explore Beregost more we leave the Sheaf and encounter...nothing. Total freeze of my game. Nothing moved and worked, till I called upon the divine power of Task-Manager.

At this point, I annoyed realized, that my latest save was some time back and I have to do some of the stuff again. A bit angry and frustrated i call it a night.

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I dunno what to think right now of BG:EE. But my feelings toward it tend to the 'Nay' end of the spectrum.
The crashes and strange bugs aside, I still have those weird sound problems. Sometimes a spell will be deafening loud while everything else remains almost a whisper.
The choppy sound of the Vids is also a mystery.

What kind of enhancing makes the non-enhanced game run better than the new one??

 

Aren't you the one talking about apples and oranges?

GoG is a retailer, Overhaul Games is a developer - of sorts. The only thing GoG does to a game, is add a DOSbox-shell, if necessary, to make the older game run on modern machines. They're mostly special in that they offer the games DRM free, which Overhaul games apparently doesn't. That's the reason people say they would like to see it GoG, and not on this beamdog thing.

On the pricing: $20 is in the grant scheme of things not a lot of money, but I'm a miserly dutchman and I don't buy games that cost $20 if I already own them.

@Darion, do different scripts affect the issue with Imoen running headlong into a fight?

 

Sounds like a soundcard issue. Are your drivers up-to-date? Or the way driver updates seem to work anymore (update and enjoy new bugs), maybe they need to be rolled back.

That is the heart of the issue, clearly. For some of us (and we're not exactly 'pimps' either), $20 - beer or pizza money - is a negligible amount to spend on a game, particularly one that represents the rebirth of a beloved franchise. For the can't-part-with-that-$20 miserly types, that's fine if you just like to hang onto your money and want to curl up and spoon with that twenty at night rather than send it away. But if losing it is really going to put you in a bind, your game budget should probably be 0 anyway.

 

$20 is not a lot of money. But here is why I think it's absurdly high.

Overhaul didn't actually develop this game. 95% of this release is still the same Baldur's Gate + TotSC that can be purchased in the bargain bin at your local Best Buy for $5. They didn't re-render a single environment texture, character sprite, or inventory paper doll, re-engineer any significant game mechanic, or re-write the original story or dialogue options in any significant way. This is, for all intents and purposes, a mod. A mod for a game that the vast majority of those buying BG:EE already own. That still may be worth $20 to you, and if so, happy gaming.

But consider that when you can go on Steam at any time and find a wealth of publisher-generated and independent games – new properties fully developed from scratch in 2011 and 2012 – that upon release cost $5, $10, $15, $20, I personally think Overhaul has a lot of balls asking for so much considering how little work they actually put in here. I was personally expecting a lot more "enhancement." A significant retooling of the Infinity engine. Semi-modernized graphics. A redesigned user interface and inventory screen (beyond minor tweaks). At least some brand-new environments. There are new cinematics, but whoopdeedoo. The 3 new NPC's seem cool, but again - NPC mods have been coming out for a decade.

In short, if you're fine paying $20 for that, then that's great for you. From where I and others are sitting, $10 would have been more appropriate. $15 tops. And I'm hardly cheap. I have a box full of turd games I bought at full price sitting in my office that I never play. It's the principle. They hyped a major overhaul, delivered a minimal update, and turned around and charged a price reflecting a major overhaul. Color me unimpressed.

 

Your right, solitarire is fun though an inferior game to Chess. But, were comapring value, not the fun-a-meter. My original point is 20 bucks doesn't feed the family at McDonalds these days, it's basically a drop in the hat. I don't get the negative feedback about the price...

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"Color me unimpressed." That gave me a laugh out loud moment at work... thanks.

That was also my first impression when I heard of it's soon to be release this summer. They did over-hype it a bit. But now that I have played a bit of it I definitely beleive it's not a turd...

Also, think about this... we are unlikely to get another BG type game in a long time. Most here think of the series as one of the best all time. The majority of the mods out there are for BG2, not BG1. Not a lot of content has been modded for BG1. I believe there was 4 NPC mods. Overhaul just created 3 more. Good NPCs to boot, it's no Indira or Mur'Neth Mod that's for sure. This project brings back one of the greats in an enhanced version. And most importantly, it lays the foundation for BG2 Enhanced Edition. The possibilites for that one are limitless. This was the test drive and BG2EE can be the big hit. At least I very much hope so... If/when BG2EE comes out and has a big success, it was because some of us chose to support the project from the get go...

What else is there to look for in the CRPG world these days? Diablo 4? Dragon Age 3? How long will we wait for a Project Eternity? I'm not getting any younger, I want what I can get NOW, not 3 years from now. Have you seen how small the selection of Computer Games is at the stores. They are pretty much down to one shelf. .. I miss the gold old days of Electronics Boutique in every mall.

I am surprised more on these boards are not supporting this game in the forums. Hell, this is or was the premiere fan forum for BG2 IMO...

 

That is not my intent nor my meaning Tal, so please don't take it that way. I will clarify. BG2, at least IMO, has been the main "theme" around here. That no longer seems to be the case as there hasn't been a lot of support for the Enhanced Edition. There was a buzz when it was announced, but you don't see many threads popping up about it since it was released.

 

I was under the impression that we were still doing first impressions. (heh)

Seriously though, I think the game does have the support of most of the people here. That's why we're talking about the flaws. AFAIK no one has said "Don't touch BG:EE -ever-" yet. It doesn't help that it seems most who go online these days would probably rather spend hours trying to tackle a difficult encounter themselves instead of posting about it here in the forums. That leaves the "UI/new NPCs are great!" posts. Myself I don't do those (although I do like them a lot).

 

I think we ALL support(ed) this game, hence our disappointment at it being little more than a mod and nowhere near the "overhaul" that was promised. That's the problem. My wishing there were more RPGs released right now won't change the fact that BG:EE is, for all intents and purposes, a game I have already owned and adored for 12 years. I certainly hope Overhaul makes enough money to justify updating BG2, and furthermore I hope they do a much more robust job the next go 'round. That doesn't mean I'm holding my breath for it to happen, nor that I'll shell out my own $20 to encourage them. They over-promised and under-delivered, plain and simple. I'm in no hurry to reward them for it.