Well, I finished IWD/HoW/TotL. I played in "Normal" mode and whilst I found the game to be relatively fun, it is certainly no Baldurs Gate and the ending was kind of a letdown. It wasn't as hard a I expected either. As I'm still very much in the mood for RPing, I have three choices at this point and wanted a bit of advice on the best course

1. Replay IWD in the Harder mode, maybe even using one or two of my buffed chars to seed the party whilst adding some new classes I haven't tried (Bard, Cleric etc)

2. Buy IWD II and hope it's better

3. Try Neverwinter Nights and maybe get into some of the online multiplayer action.

4. (yes, I know I said three) I still haven't got past the very early stages of Planescape Torment and could try that again.

If any of you were me (scary thought) where would you go next? Feel free to add options if you feel I might find them enjoyable.

As a bit of background, I started RPing many MANY years ago with dice and paper, discovered the Ultima series and got hooked on those then found Baldur's and IWD. The only other game I really tried was Thief, but was put off by the interface so I really have little experience with any other DnD type games out there but I'm willing to listen to anyone who feels strongly about a particular game. Oh yes, while I like a bit of the rough and tumble, I prefer solving puzzles and having an engaging story line.

Thanks in advance

Russell the Green

I was about three quarters of the way through IWD the first time I played it when a shell hit my computer. When it was fixed I had to start from scratch and I found the whole thing very tedious. Unlike BG or BG2 there are really no additional quests ect so replaying dish's up few suprises. My advise is get IWD2 its better! Although it is more enjoyable as you can relate better to the location after having had the first IWD experience.

A shell?

You do understand that I mean a artillary shell not a sea shell.

I'd play the game again, but differently than you did the first time. The second time I played a lot different than the first time through. I mixed up the races, classes, weapons, spells, dialogue choices- basically everything. In addition to the different game threads you didn't choose the first time, sometimes a different character class will get options the others won't as well.

Another benefit to replaying is that you have a better feel for what works and what you'll ultimately need, and you can progress your party with that in mind. If the game was too easy for you to begin with without knowing what's to come, then bump the difficulty way up and see how you do. Or try to play it with fewer characters. The ultimate, which I haven't done, is to play a single character in HOF mode.

Ultimately, it's the same game- same scenery, etc.- but changing what you do keeps it fresh.

Lymond

Try Morrowind that should last you quite a while!!

I would opt for Planescape Torment AND NWN. [img]smile.gif[/img] PsT is an OUTSTANDING game and a true classic. Well worth finishing. The Original Campaign in NWN is somewhat lacking, but the expansion packs are much improved and are almost required (at least SoU) for online play. [img]smile.gif[/img]

I've played both IWD and IWD2 (both on regular and in HOF modes). HOF can be a REAL challenge and worth trying, but you will still be retracing the same territory. So if the first run through left you asking for more, a second pass may or may not be to your liking. IMHO, if you weren't overjoyed by IWD, then give IWD2 a pass. It's a good game and I liked it, but it's basically just an ADD 3rd edition version of IWD. There are some good parts to the game, but the ending is a disappointment. It's not a fiasco like Pool of Radiance 2 or the bug ridden TOEE.