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yargarth
Seeker
USA
58 Posts |
 Posted - 12 Jan 2007 : 04:36:31
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What is the best FR games to buy and which ones I should avoid.
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"You take a step, then another. That's the journey. But to take a step with your eyes open is not a journey at all, it's a remaking of your own mind."
-Orson Scott Card
Ender in Exile |
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Lysan Lurraxol
Acolyte
United Kingdom
33 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2007 : 09:07:42
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I have to say only two FR games are worth buying on their own, Baldur's Gate II, which is somewhat dated, and the story can grate a bit, but it has the most real characters, and some of the best writing I've ever seen in any game.
Neverwinter Nights 2 is also brilliant, the plot, the characters and the NPCs are all fabulous, also, unlike BGII, the graphics and combat are very good.
If you don't mind downloading content, Baldure's Gate and Neverwinter Nights are good, Baldur's Gate needs TuTu and BG1NPC mods to make it worthwhile, and Neverwinter Nights has a huge online community, with hundreds of extremely well made story mods. You will not want to play the official campaign in NWN, it'll make you want to disembowel puppies. |
http://lysan.livejournal.com
"Come join me in the dark..." |
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Ergdusch
Master of Realmslore
Germany
1720 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2007 : 10:43:08
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I have to differ in that NWN is also worth playing, as are the add ons ('shadows of undrentide' and 'hordes of the Underdark') However, I have not played NWN 2 yet so i cannot compare the two.
As for Baldur's Gate II - it's a great game indeed and has 2 add-ons as well ('Shadows of Amn' and 'Throne of Bhaal'). I don't know how many hours I have played that game! Loved it. By now, there are a million patches out there to download for free that enable you to all kinds of nice fun things, like adding Drizzt Do'Urden to your adventurers party. And an extensive walkthrough for the romantic affairs that you can have with your male/female group members. |
"Das Gras weht im Wind, wenn der Wind weht." |
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Nokom
Learned Scribe
USA
109 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2007 : 17:24:04
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| Hmm... Well ALL of the Eye of the Beholder games are good (pc) but very old. I do not know if everyone would like them. Also Baldur's gate dark Alliance is good if you like hack and slash (Its for ps2) and Baldur's gate one and two and Neverwinter Nights are all good for the general folks. Much like PnP converted into a pc. Hope that helps. |
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Reefy
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
892 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2007 : 22:41:27
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| The original Baldur's Gate for PC is the one I will always return to. |
Life is either daring adventure or nothing. |
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Lemernis
Senior Scribe
378 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2007 : 23:27:52
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Best: Baldur's Gate and it's expansion Tales of the Sword Coast; and Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn and it's expansion Throne of Bhaal. As mentioned there are a ton of excellent mods that give this already amazingly replayable game even longer life. (I have a post in this forum somewhere with my own personal recommended mod list.) Don't even worry about the dated graphics, a classic is a classic. Great story, great setting, great characters, great combat system, it's all there.
Very Good: Neverwinter Nights 2. This game was rushed for release. However it will in time become excellent because of an inexhaustable supply of excellent single player mods it can generate, not to mention persistent worlds. Before long the custom content community will begin churning out a steady upply of new content for modders, so you'll be able to play single player mods set anywhere in the Realms (toolset permitting). Ditto for persistent worlds. This is a gorgeous looking game graphically, and the combat system is excellent. The game is a little rough around the edges now. But as it shaped further by the developers with patches and expansions, and the modding community goes to work on it as well, it will age like a fine wine.
Good to Very Good: The Icewind Dale series. Made by the same developers as Baldur's Gate. Great combat. More hack 'n slash, less story oriented but still pretty good. You make up your own party of PCs (up to six), which can be fun. But ultimately the game suffers from the lack of interaction bewteen characers that is found in the BG series and Neverwinter Nights 2.
Decent to Good: Neverwinter Nights. I didn't bother to finish the OC. I never played the expansions but they are supposed to be quite good. I never played any of the single player mods either, but I'm sure there muct be some decent ones. Where this game truly shines is that its toolset and DM Client provides a gaming platform for persistent worlds. The NWN persistent worlds can be very good--many who have gotten a taste of roleplaying campaigns online with other players and a DM have gotten totally hooked on it. For a variety of reasons, for many folks this is the only way they are ever realistically going to experience D&D with a DM and other players. (I.e., they either don't have time to play tabletop PnP and/or have no interest in trying to find a live graming group; playing online has its advantages.)
Other: D&D Online? Never played it. But I would think there are plenty of FR campaigns going on in it. |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2007 : 23:51:06
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Yes, there's more to the NWN franchise than just the official games--there are also community-made modules (there are some great FR ones, too), premium modules, multiplayer and persistant worlds. So, the player has plenty of options to choose from, and you can literally play this game forever as there are thousands of modules to choose from (and like I said, there ARE good ones that are worth playing).
I think the Baldur's Gate games might be number one for me though. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
Edited by - Rinonalyrna Fathomlin on 12 Jan 2007 23:53:00 |
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Mace Hammerhand
Great Reader
Germany
2296 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jan 2007 : 23:58:28
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BG for me as well.
However, if someone would use a bug-free (altho I never had any problems with it) system showcased in Temple of Elemental evil...that would ROCK!!! |
Mace's not so gentle gamer's journal My rants were harmless compared to this, beware! |
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jan 2007 : 16:37:16
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I remember a game called Menzoberanzan. It was about the same style as eye of the beholder and I really liked the game. of course it's old stuff and the graphic are not so good, but it's nice if you don't have problems with the old style of games.
Baldurs gate I, II & expansions, Neverwinternight and icewinddale are also good games :) |
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Jorkens
Great Reader
Norway
2950 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jan 2007 : 17:04:48
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| I am not much of a PC gamer and I did not like Neverwinter Nights, but I would recommend the Baldurs gate games, especially Shadows of Amn. The Icewind Dale games are OK, more combat oriented than Baldurs Gate, but still enough of a story to make them entertaining. |
Edited by - Jorkens on 14 Jan 2007 04:08:02 |
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Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jan 2007 : 20:03:17
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| I like Curse of the Azure Bonds. |
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Lucius
Seeker
98 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jan 2007 : 22:01:15
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Personally, nothing comes close to the enjoyment I had from Baldur's Gate. At the time, it seemed so open, with such a range of possibilities. The people were interesting, the plot moved at just the right pace. And all of this before I even begin mentioning the soundtrack. I can't actually read a Realms novel without listening to the soundtrack now. For me, Baldur's Gate defines the Realms.
Not too sure on the sequel, mind. |
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silverwizard
Seeker
Greece
76 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jan 2007 : 11:35:58
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I'll also recommend the Baldur's Gate series + mods as the best AD&D FR CRPGs. If you care to expand your search to AD&D games in general, I'll have to recommend Planescape: Torment as the best of the best.
[edit: "Torment", not "Tormet"!!!] |
Edited by - silverwizard on 14 Jan 2007 22:59:08 |
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scererar
Master of Realmslore
USA
1618 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jan 2007 : 16:47:12
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| I really enjoyed BG II. I ran through all of the NWN sources. but I am liking NWN2 the most soo far. No one has mentions pools of radiance; ruins of myth drannor. I enjoyed this one too. it was on the right track,IMO, but fell short role playing-wise. |
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silverwizard
Seeker
Greece
76 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jan 2007 : 23:03:43
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| Some of the old FR games were really good, but few people recommend them because they will undoubtedly look really dated (no cool graphics and sound, or detailed journal keeping, automap etc.). I really liked the Eye of the Beholder trilogy (esp. 2 and 3), and Menzoberranzan was nice too (if you're willing to overlook the choice of colours for the interface, which, IIRC, was extremely unfortunate to say the least). |
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yargarth
Seeker
USA
58 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jan 2007 : 23:03:58
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| Thanks you so much for the help, I have NWN +underdark, kingmaker,and undertide but i never tried the online play. Thanks again. Any other sugestions? |
"You take a step, then another. That's the journey. But to take a step with your eyes open is not a journey at all, it's a remaking of your own mind."
-Orson Scott Card
Ender in Exile |
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Nokom
Learned Scribe
USA
109 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jan 2007 : 00:13:44
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| The online is the best part :) As I said earlier, try eye of the beholder. You should be able to get it pretty cheap on amazon or ebay |
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Lemernis
Senior Scribe
378 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jan 2007 : 02:47:03
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| Temple of Elemental Evil reportedly gets high marks for its implementation of the 3rd ed. ruleset. I bought it, but for some reason I just could not get past the fixed camera view. The fixed camera angle didn't bug me in the Infinity engine games, but it really did with this game. |
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Korginard
Learned Scribe
USA
126 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jan 2007 : 18:00:31
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I loved the gold box games, all of them. When Unlimted Adventures came out I thought it couldn't possibly get better. Such cool games and now you can make your own!!!
I remember all the custom content and modules I downloaded, how could it get better????
Well of course it did, on top of all the other wonderful games that have come and gone, NWN and NWN2 are unbelievably better than UA ever was.
Can't wait to see what we'll be playing 10 years from now!
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Zaknafein
Seeker
USA
77 Posts |
Posted - 26 Jan 2007 : 04:25:27
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| I would have to say the original Baldur's Gate. I must admit this game was the gateway for me into the Forgotten Realms. For someone who didn't have any idea exactly how deep and rich this world was this game was amazing, an interesting storyline, and fun gameplay with tons of different dungeons to battle through. I've gone through this game...maybe 4 times and I still haven't gotten sick of it. |
Zaknafein Do'Urden: mentor, teacher, friend....To Zak, the one who inspired my courage. -Drizzt Do'Urden
Full plate and packing steel. |
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Grazzt
Acolyte
3 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2007 : 04:24:48
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| Baldur's Gate. |
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J D Dunsany
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
180 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2007 : 08:44:47
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The Infinity Engine games from Black Isle have the edge over the competition, I feel. I have a real soft spot for 'Icewind Dale' as it was the first computer RPG I ever bought and the music, storyline and little Realmslore touches still linger in the memory even now.
Considerably bigger and less linear, of course, is Baldur's Gate II, which is, I'd have thought, a must for anyone interested in FR computer games.
One final thought: Yargarth asked in his original post which FR games to avoid. The only one I can think of is Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor - an incredibly poor (and rushed) adaptation of the (then new) 3rd edition rules and an unimaginative dungeon layout. Thinking of buying it? Don't bother. Stick with the Black Isle/Bioware stuff instead. 
All the best!
JDD |
"How content that young woman looks, don't you think? How content, and yet how flammable." - Lemony Snicket, The Unauthorized Autobiography |
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yargarth
Seeker
USA
58 Posts |
Posted - 07 Apr 2007 : 07:46:06
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thats interesting because...
quote:
Originally posted by scererar
I really enjoyed BG II. I ran through all of the NWN sources. but I am liking NWN2 the most soo far. No one has mentions pools of radiance; ruins of myth drannor. I enjoyed this one too. it was on the right track,IMO, but fell short role playing-wise.
J D Dunsany is that you thought the game was lacking or was it something else? |
"You take a step, then another. That's the journey. But to take a step with your eyes open is not a journey at all, it's a remaking of your own mind."
-Orson Scott Card
Ender in Exile |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
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scererar
Master of Realmslore
USA
1618 Posts |
Posted - 07 Apr 2007 : 18:19:18
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quote:
Originally posted by yargarth
thats interesting because...
quote:
Originally posted by scererar
I really enjoyed BG II. I ran through all of the NWN sources. but I am liking NWN2 the most soo far. No one has mentions pools of radiance; ruins of myth drannor. I enjoyed this one too. it was on the right track,IMO, but fell short role playing-wise.
J D Dunsany is that you thought the game was lacking or was it something else?
You can pick this one up fairly cheap these days. get it and try it out. it was interesting to me at the time. Just remember, that it came out prior to NWN. |
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J D Dunsany
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
180 Posts |
Posted - 07 Apr 2007 : 23:51:32
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quote:
Originally posted by scererar
quote:
Originally posted by yargarth
thats interesting because...
quote:
Originally posted by scererar
I really enjoyed BG II. I ran through all of the NWN sources. but I am liking NWN2 the most soo far. No one has mentions pools of radiance; ruins of myth drannor. I enjoyed this one too. it was on the right track,IMO, but fell short role playing-wise.
J D Dunsany is that you thought the game was lacking or was it something else?
You can pick this one up fairly cheap these days. get it and try it out. it was interesting to me at the time. Just remember, that it came out prior to NWN.
That's a fair point. I can remember being fairly excited when I picked it up, but being pretty disappointed within just a few minutes of playing it. To answer your question, yargarth, there are a number of interesting ideas that are poorly executed in the game. Now bear in mind that the comments that follow are from someone who hasn't completed the game. I did try to give it a fair go on two separate occasions and I'm afraid a general sort of restless disinterest set in after a few hours playing it both times. For the record, though, my observations are:
3rd edition rules. Like 'em or loathe 'em, 'Pools of Radiance' is a poor iteration of them - classes only go up to level 16 iirc and there are some very odd absences in terms of core classes - bard, druid and wizard  don't make the 'final cut'.
Combat. Is a genuine attempt to make it as close to the D&D concept of turn-based, initiative-led combat as possible. Except then they go and screw it up by giving you a limited amount of time in which to make your decision about what you're going to do on your 'go'. This sounds okay in theory, but when negotiating inventory screens and skill menus, you end up with not as much time as you might think. You end up, in fact, feeling that the game is working against you rather than helping you. Not good.
Story. A reasonable opening hook and a couple of memorable NPCs near the start eventually become a rather dreary dungeon crawl through repetitive encounters and undifferentiated environments. Not enough is done to bring the story to life and most of the time you end up forgetting about it. Result? You’re nowhere near as involved in playing the game as you should be.
Levelling up. First of all, it takes ages to get enough experience to do it. Secondly, the process is, as far as I can remember, a complete non-event, as the various skill choices etc happen automatically. Again, this boils down to the game being a rushed implementation of 3rd Edition rules. One of the good things about 3rd Edition is that it gives players greater customisation options for their characters. ‘Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor’ doesn’t really deliver on this and, compared with the later excellence of NWN (even the OC is more interesting than PoR), you end up feeling more restricted by your characters’ development.
Anyway, hope that answers your question. Imho, NWN does a much better job with 3rd Edition rules (actually, Icewind Dale 2 does an arguably even better job – but it feels more like tactical squad-based strategy a lot of the time rather than role-playing) and, with all the user-made content out there for it, I really can’t recommend it enough. That’s not to say that ‘Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor’ is not worth getting – if you’re a Realms completist, you’ll want to have it – not least because the manual features a short piece of fiction by Ed Greenwood! 
All the best!
JDD
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"How content that young woman looks, don't you think? How content, and yet how flammable." - Lemony Snicket, The Unauthorized Autobiography |
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Tyr
Learned Scribe
225 Posts |
Posted - 08 Apr 2007 : 01:31:29
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| I'd probably say NWN/NWN2 for the best imho, though for time spent it's probably going to be DungeonHack or Hillsfar for some odd reason. |
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yargarth
Seeker
USA
58 Posts |
Posted - 08 Apr 2007 : 04:49:18
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| Thank you so much for input, but are there any games you should just not even buy because they are so horrible? |
"You take a step, then another. That's the journey. But to take a step with your eyes open is not a journey at all, it's a remaking of your own mind."
-Orson Scott Card
Ender in Exile |
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swhite58
Acolyte
Australia
13 Posts |
Posted - 09 Apr 2007 : 00:54:27
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One game that's worth looking at (nothing to do with D&D) is Darklands. It's and rpg set in medieval Germany, but with alchemy, demons, witches etc. It's considered by some to be the best rpg ever. Of course, it's very old about 1994. You cab download it from those abandonware sites, and there is even an active yahoo group.
Shane |
Edited by - swhite58 on 09 Apr 2007 00:56:05 |
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Lady Kazandra
Senior Scribe
Australia
921 Posts |
Posted - 14 Apr 2007 : 14:37:18
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quote:
Originally posted by Faraer
I like Curse of the Azure Bonds.
Ditto!
Though my favorite TSR PC game is Dark Queen of Krynn.
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"Once upon a time the plural of 'wizard' was 'war'." -- The Last Continent, by Terry Pratchett |
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laethyn
Acolyte
USA
30 Posts |
Posted - 14 Apr 2007 : 15:04:52
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| Spent hours and hours playing Eye of the Beholder (the first one) |
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Topic |
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What is the best FR game? (any system)
