How does IWD compare to BG?

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Just coming to the end of baldurs gate and i think it is great, i'm gonna buy icewind dale and wonder how it compares to bg. I know it got a lot of critism and was called lazy effort

[Improve your topic titles in the future "Hhhmm" just doesn't cut it around here - BTA]

[This message has been edited by Blackthorne TA (edited July 23, 2002).]

 

IWD has more and better spells. but bg2 is the best as it starts you at lev 8. so yea i think IWD is better but baldurs gate is really cool cause it has better scenery. and it has a far supiorior plot.

 

You may not like the plot as much as in BG, but this game is much more focused on combat. You'll fight a lot more, and you'll fight bigger fights. Therefor it shouldn't matter if you start at level one, because you'll reach the high levels anyway. You should probably buy a combo edition with the Heart of Winter expansion as well. You'll get nicer graphics and even more fighting .

 

As an old AD&D Dungeon Master, I liked both Baldurs Gate and Icewind Dale. Baldurs Gate has more interaction with NPC's and thus tends to a non-linear plot. Icewind Dale is more "Dungeon Trolling". Both games, including BGII, are good and worth the investment. As someone else stated, buy both Icewind Dale and the expansion, Heart of Winter.

 

"lazy effort"

WOW.

(that hurts!)

I wouldn't call it by any means a lazy effort. It's not Baldur's Gate, that is for sure.

There's not too many Fedex quests; in fact, there's probably about 5, including 'rescues'. You don't have a whole lot of choice about where you go next; the 'new' area is marked on you map as you complete each step. There's *no* character interaction, except for your cleric casting healing spells and if you click on the character portrait a whole bunch of times in a row.

I would call it "combat intensive". You get down in the dungeon; you stay in the dungeon; and it's not real often you find a way out of the dungeon. More often than not, it's 'cause the dwarfs couldn't go any deeper, and had to start tunneling on the other side of the valley. I've heard that "Baldur's Gate is the broad sword, and Icewind Dale is the scapel"; which is pretty close to the mark.

That said, my favorite is IwD. Technically, it was not the first CD&D I played; BG2 was on the hard drive for about 20 minutes before I chucked it for IwD. IwD is a book, that you just happen to be playing through. BG1 and 2 are one of those "Choose your Own Adventure" novels, where there's hundreds of sub-plots that you have to navagate.


[edit: I can remember laughing several times through BG1, either at one/two of the party members, or at an NPC telling a story. I can't say I remember laughing, _ever_, through IwD. A little more serious, I'd say...]

[This message has been edited by ejsmith (edited July 25, 2002).]

 

My favirote part of Icewindale is there is way more fighting and I love how you you make your own characters instead of just one. Some parts I don't like about Icewind Dale is that you don't have the chance to meat people and switch a member with them. And, Icewindale is a little easier I think. If Icewind Dale was a little harder and you could meat people it would be the ultimate game. I think I like Icewind Dale better than Baldur's Gate though.

 

I also prefer IWD to the first Baldur's Gate, as neither one has much party interaction and I prefer my party to the one I had in BG.

BG2 though, different story. That one has much more party interaction and is a larger game, so I prefer that one. I'm just waiting on IWD2 now .