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Keyword: Baldur's Gate
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I miss BG.
Débuté par
blazin130791
, févr. 03 2011 02:21
#26
Posté 14 février 2011 - 11:05
Humanoid_Taifun
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It's Lethe.
Keyword: Baldur's Gate
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#27
Posté 20 février 2011 - 06:13
Shaewaros
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I have to thank Bhryaen for his list of the aspects that make BG such a great game. I agree with every single one of his arguments and I'm glad someone has been able put to words all that love we feel towards this game.
Modifié par Shaewaros, 20 février 2011 - 06:18 .
#28
Posté 21 février 2011 - 01:32
Bhryaen
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You're welcome 
And you reminded me... Lately I've been noting a #12: the beginning intro movie. There's something about it that just never gets boring for me- not once yet. I'll skip it often but only because I want to get to the game (Actually with BGT the movie only arises when you start a new game instead of automatically whenever you open the game itself.).
By contrast the NWN movie... makes no difference for me whatsoever. What does a minotaur... in a ruins... and a sword with an NWN symbol... have anything to do with the NWN story? I deleted it from the opening sequence so it goes straight to the game. It's worse than an afterthought: it's irrelevant. The plague story and Chap 1 opener is only interesting to me because it was one of the prophecized events by the Wise Alaundo (in the prelude area of BG). The SoU one was ok, but the narration was strained, and like what Virumor mentioned (apparently in another thread somewhere) concerning the lameness of the prelude section of the original NWN game, why send kobolds against a supposedly high level hero for supposedly superimportant items? And HotU was ok, but the movie was the same as a cutscene in quality: avatars moving about rather than an actual movie. Plus there is no mystery: ok, you'll have to fight a drow priestess- done. There's a major twist to the story, but it's not indicated in that opener, so you simply anticipate a very particular, perhaps routine battle for the entire way. DS2 had its over-the-top flying dragons all over the place... which never show up in the rest of the game... and I'd bet most newer games have those more sensationalized, over-the-top openers.
BG's does a lot more with a lot less. There's a rise up a tall building, there's the moon in the partly cloudy night sky, there's a simple door that breaks like wood breaks, a large helm means he has to duck his head to fit through the door (hehe), there are simple lightning flashes, there's the sound of gauntleted fingers curling up, there's a sharp metallic clang as fist hits helm and then the sound of a metal helm on stone, there's a simple breakage of a fence, there are the desperate but insufficient blows on the arm of a villain that is intent on something far more sinister, there's a grunt that indicates that even this brute with his extreme strength strains to heft such a load, and there's the rush of air before the splat. The stream of blood at the end that seems to ignite the game title also seems to ignite the game, incensing the viewer with the imperative to stop that monster, and of course, as blood, it provides a symbol for the game's main theme in itself. It's all very well-timed, just enough dramatics with nothing overdone, and gets across a very telling, compelling sequence without giving out a single spoiler. It's story-based, not effects-based.
BG's opening movie's theme (and I'm mostly speaking BG1, mind you,) is woven into the full game-length of the story, it leaves a first-time player wondering for the entire game what is meant by that cryptic dialogue and what it has to do with what you're getting into, you actually get to be at that location later where you can say "ah-ha!," it's a great location with just enough effects to provide sufficient punctuation to lines and set the scene rather than be the scene. Again, the voices are great too, and it gives you a very clear look at the enemy who's gunning for you, even though you don't know who it is yet or why. I remember hating him right away and feeling the intent through the whole game to get as powerful as possible in order to make him be the one to fall instead. Now I just see that squirming cleric as a coward who tried to inform on "others," but I still can't help wanting to stick a sword through that evil, laughing gullet any time I hear it...
There is no opening movie I've seen other than BG's that I've intently watched over and over. I tend to watch it straight through whenever starting a new character, just to let it set the tone.
And I almost forgot- to top it off- or lead it up, I should say- a very memorable quote from no less than Friedrich Nietzsche... that gives a real world source an uncanny application...
I have a similar feeling about BG's music, but I can't articulate it, so...
I admit I haven't played a tremendous amount of games, particularly the newest, but I would bet that the intro movies of most just don't measure up qualitatively in terms of content even if it's easy to do better technically. Actually The Bard's Tale also has a very good opening movie that is more sobering than the rest of the game, but it ultimately swings heavily on the comic and campy side... as does the game itself...
And you reminded me... Lately I've been noting a #12: the beginning intro movie. There's something about it that just never gets boring for me- not once yet. I'll skip it often but only because I want to get to the game (Actually with BGT the movie only arises when you start a new game instead of automatically whenever you open the game itself.).
By contrast the NWN movie... makes no difference for me whatsoever. What does a minotaur... in a ruins... and a sword with an NWN symbol... have anything to do with the NWN story? I deleted it from the opening sequence so it goes straight to the game. It's worse than an afterthought: it's irrelevant. The plague story and Chap 1 opener is only interesting to me because it was one of the prophecized events by the Wise Alaundo (in the prelude area of BG). The SoU one was ok, but the narration was strained, and like what Virumor mentioned (apparently in another thread somewhere) concerning the lameness of the prelude section of the original NWN game, why send kobolds against a supposedly high level hero for supposedly superimportant items? And HotU was ok, but the movie was the same as a cutscene in quality: avatars moving about rather than an actual movie. Plus there is no mystery: ok, you'll have to fight a drow priestess- done. There's a major twist to the story, but it's not indicated in that opener, so you simply anticipate a very particular, perhaps routine battle for the entire way. DS2 had its over-the-top flying dragons all over the place... which never show up in the rest of the game... and I'd bet most newer games have those more sensationalized, over-the-top openers.
BG's does a lot more with a lot less. There's a rise up a tall building, there's the moon in the partly cloudy night sky, there's a simple door that breaks like wood breaks, a large helm means he has to duck his head to fit through the door (hehe), there are simple lightning flashes, there's the sound of gauntleted fingers curling up, there's a sharp metallic clang as fist hits helm and then the sound of a metal helm on stone, there's a simple breakage of a fence, there are the desperate but insufficient blows on the arm of a villain that is intent on something far more sinister, there's a grunt that indicates that even this brute with his extreme strength strains to heft such a load, and there's the rush of air before the splat. The stream of blood at the end that seems to ignite the game title also seems to ignite the game, incensing the viewer with the imperative to stop that monster, and of course, as blood, it provides a symbol for the game's main theme in itself. It's all very well-timed, just enough dramatics with nothing overdone, and gets across a very telling, compelling sequence without giving out a single spoiler. It's story-based, not effects-based.
BG's opening movie's theme (and I'm mostly speaking BG1, mind you,) is woven into the full game-length of the story, it leaves a first-time player wondering for the entire game what is meant by that cryptic dialogue and what it has to do with what you're getting into, you actually get to be at that location later where you can say "ah-ha!," it's a great location with just enough effects to provide sufficient punctuation to lines and set the scene rather than be the scene. Again, the voices are great too, and it gives you a very clear look at the enemy who's gunning for you, even though you don't know who it is yet or why. I remember hating him right away and feeling the intent through the whole game to get as powerful as possible in order to make him be the one to fall instead. Now I just see that squirming cleric as a coward who tried to inform on "others," but I still can't help wanting to stick a sword through that evil, laughing gullet any time I hear it...
There is no opening movie I've seen other than BG's that I've intently watched over and over. I tend to watch it straight through whenever starting a new character, just to let it set the tone.
And I almost forgot- to top it off- or lead it up, I should say- a very memorable quote from no less than Friedrich Nietzsche... that gives a real world source an uncanny application...
I have a similar feeling about BG's music, but I can't articulate it, so...
I admit I haven't played a tremendous amount of games, particularly the newest, but I would bet that the intro movies of most just don't measure up qualitatively in terms of content even if it's easy to do better technically. Actually The Bard's Tale also has a very good opening movie that is more sobering than the rest of the game, but it ultimately swings heavily on the comic and campy side... as does the game itself...
Modifié par Bhryaen, 21 février 2011 - 01:33 .
#29
Posté 21 février 2011 - 08:26
Shaewaros
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Bhryaen wrote...
It's story-based, not effects-based.
Amen, brother.
And I almost forgot- to top it off- or lead it up, I should say- a very memorable quote from no less than Friedrich Nietzsche... that gives a real world source an uncanny application...
Those Nietzsche's words fit the theme of BG saga perfectly. On the other hand I feel philosophical quotes to be a bit out of place in fantasy games. It's great that games recognize the source of the thoughts they are refering to but it still feels weird. I also found the Hegel references in Fallout New Vegas to be out of place even though Fallout is an interpretation of an alternative future of our real world, therefore making reference to Hegel in Fallout isn't as silly as making a Nietzsche reference in BG.
It would be great to see some truly unique and thought provoking philosophical thoughts in a video game. Most religious views in fantasy and scifi video games represent a mixture of different polytheistic beliefs from norse and greek mythologies and their philosophical views are mainly based on aristotelian (Christianity in Middle Ages) or Far Eastern philosophies. In my opinion the best attempt for creating an unique philosophical system so far has been Richard Garriott's theory of virtues in the Ultima series. Of course the virtues themselves aren't anything new, they're just moral codes that people are meant to follow voluntarily. The really genuine idea of the virtues is that they aren't based on any religious dogmas or on any kind of belief in any transcendental beings or energies - therefore they're not just a clone of the buddhist belief in karma or an expression of christian virtues, despite the obvious similarities. The world of Britannia reminds me more of an existentialistic utopia based on Kierkegaard's, Sartre's and Nietzsche's thoughts, where people don't have to be told what to do or what to believe. A fragile utopia maybe, but one nevertheless.
Modifié par Shaewaros, 21 février 2011 - 08:27 .
#30
Posté 25 février 2011 - 03:39
mr.chicken
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I'm happy I found this thread. It's always wonderful to read about how much others enjoyed and loved the Baldur's Gate series.
Truly a game like none other. I have tried for over ten years to find a game that even comes CLOSE. As much as I loved Dragon Age Origins (and it really is a great game), Baldur's gate is more detailed, longer, and deeper. Not to mention Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate 2 are in many ways one game, so you can spend months and months immersing yourself in that world.
A shame Dragon Age 2 can't be an extension of Dragon Age Origins. I just love those really deep (and lengthy) roleplaying experiences. Baldur's Gate did that better than anything I've ever played.
Truly a game like none other. I have tried for over ten years to find a game that even comes CLOSE. As much as I loved Dragon Age Origins (and it really is a great game), Baldur's gate is more detailed, longer, and deeper. Not to mention Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate 2 are in many ways one game, so you can spend months and months immersing yourself in that world.
A shame Dragon Age 2 can't be an extension of Dragon Age Origins. I just love those really deep (and lengthy) roleplaying experiences. Baldur's Gate did that better than anything I've ever played.
#31
Posté 12 mars 2011 - 10:30
Zs00zsa
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I do apologize if it has been mentioned already, but I wanted to add one more thing to Bhryaen's very well detailed post:
The music. I can still hear the epic tunes of the BG1 main screen, the tranquil sounds of the forest and the tense energy of the battle hymn. A masterfully orchestrated soundtrack all in all, and one that could not have suited a game as great as BG any better.
The music. I can still hear the epic tunes of the BG1 main screen, the tranquil sounds of the forest and the tense energy of the battle hymn. A masterfully orchestrated soundtrack all in all, and one that could not have suited a game as great as BG any better.
#32
Posté 13 mars 2011 - 06:18
Marn_Cherone
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I have to agree to everything everyone said here.
Baldur's gate (I consider BG1 and 2 as one big game) is simply the purest and most beautiful RPG-experience until this day... There are so much feelings connected to this game it's incredbily hard to describe... so thx Bhryaen ;-)
Only think I'd like to add is that the musik from BGII was aswell incredible epic. Everytime the Autorun pops up and BG2'sepic main theme sounds, I get goospumbs..
Baldur's gate (I consider BG1 and 2 as one big game) is simply the purest and most beautiful RPG-experience until this day... There are so much feelings connected to this game it's incredbily hard to describe... so thx Bhryaen ;-)
Only think I'd like to add is that the musik from BGII was aswell incredible epic. Everytime the Autorun pops up and BG2'sepic main theme sounds, I get goospumbs..
#33
Posté 15 mars 2011 - 05:07
Darstragon
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What I love about both BG1 and 2 (and some would disagree with me on this) is that I feel there is a very good balance between a linear storyline and a large, world that becomes more and more freely explorable as you progress. Not an easy feet for any game, and I think games nowadays mainly go towards a mostly linear story and not much freedom, or lots of freedom and not enough linear storytelling. BG1 and 2 managed to get this in amazing balance I think.
#34
Posté 15 mars 2011 - 04:19
Morbidest
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I believe people have put together BG music albums for YouTube, if you just want to listen instead of playing. Also, there's NPC "albums" (Viconia, Jon I, Jan, etc) on YouTube.
