okay, aside from the original game, do I need anything else to try out some of those sample modules I have heard are posted around the internet? or do I have to go and hunt down the additional second section to Baldur's Gate II in order to work with those modules? There was one that featured Drizzt Do'Urden I wanted to get my hands on...

I would not recommend playing with the mods yet, as most of them require you to have some pre-knowledge of the game first. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Do you have ToB? No matter whether you have the expansion or not, you will still need to patch and Baldurdash your game. The sticky FAQ thread will guide you to them.

The Mods for BG2 are not stand-alone campaigns like most of those fo NWN. All are additions to the OC.

Another question: can Baldur's Gate I or II be played online with others, or is it purely a one-player game? I haven't even looked at the box since I brought it home more than to be pleased with the fact I got it for nothing.

There is a multiplayer option, but it requires some forethought. Framerates have to be set the same for each computer, and the host pc needs to get the IP address to the rest of the party.

it pretty hard to play with other people online. First off, you need to find a dedicated group to play with as well as coordinating who or what to do.

Still once you find a person who is willing to join you, it makes the game pretty enjoyable.

Again, you can't make it into sort of MMORPG like Ziroc's Undermountain. It's playing single player campaign with more players each controlling one or more characters.

minor spoiler:

i remember the time when i had 3 players with me in a multiplayer session. One stupid idiot was a mage and just cast a spell in the docks in broad daylight. I didnt have any license and was given the warning already.. suffice to say, we had a blast with cowled wizards popping up and all of us went into a mad battle lust. Was all good fun and we survived. lol. The best thing here is that you cant control other players so the random variable is quite appealing.

This game is much more story-centered than action when compared to a lot of the games out there.

It's not like Diablo, for example.

This is a game I think is much more enjoyable to experience by yourself.

it's probably worth saying that i've read a lot of posts over the years from people being unable to get the multiplayer to work (and my own half-hearted attempts have been complete failures)