I have played both BG games and have yet to find any other game to even come close(diablo and 'pool of radiance' just not my bag!!) I am curious about IceWinddale...how does it compare to BG series. Also was it released before or after BG games. Thanks.

IIRC, Icewind Dale was released between the two games. (i.e. first came BG1, then Icewind Dale, then BG2)
I have played the entire BG series including expansions, but I had never tried IWd before. Now I just rented it from the library and it looks promising. It uses the same game engine, interface, rules etc. There are some differences though. From what I hear, the emphasis is less on roleplaying and more on hack & slash. Also, you get to create your entire party, instead of creating a single character who is joined by computer-controlled NPCs.
I'd certainly advice you to try it: the nordic atmosphere, the snow etc gives a nice new feel to the familiar format, and the music is said to be really good.
Another game you should really try is Planescape: Torment. It's also based on AD&D. It's precisely the other way round from IWD: the emphasis is on roleplaying. The NPCs are very detailed and well-worked out, and the setting (Sigil, the City of Doors) has a fantastic, spooky atmoshere.

Have fun!! [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img]

Melusine is right - there is far less role-playing in IWD. You make all six of your characters, there are no recruitable NPCs, and as such, there is no NPC interaction like you saw in BG2. Additionally, the storyline is rather linear - there aren't a lot of choices as far as how you do something, or when you do something. It isn't quite as hack n' slash as Diablo, but it's still notably more so than the BG series were.

Now, that doesn't mean that IWD is a bad game - because it isn't, but it is significantly different from BG and especially BG2. I played it hoping that it would be similar to BG and found myself disappointed.

Torment is also a very different game than BG2 was, as there is far less emphasis on combat and a far greater emphasis on roleplaying and quests. In fact, alot of the experience that your characters gain in Torment is obtained by talking, not fighting [img]smile.gif[/img] . It also features an entirely different way of developing your characters from the other two games. Your characters will interact with each other, some have quests of their own, and in this regard it is similar to BG2. The story-line is fantastic, and the amount of detail that went into it is impressive. Torment is still, to date, my favorite game ever released by Bioware, Black Isle, Interplay, or any combination of those three companies.

In summary, none of the available choices are exactly like BG2, it's just a matter of what you enjoy more - roleplaying, or combat. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 01-12-2002: Message edited by: Erydian ]</p>

As Erydian said. Personally, I'm big on the RP elements in BG2: the endless quests, the inter-party dialog, the configurable characters, etc. There's a lot of that in Planescape: Torment. I also like the fact that your actions in P:T can actually change your alignment a lot more than they do in BG2, though ultimately they have little effect on the final battle. What *does* change the gameplay quite a bit is how you handle your main character's statistics. Design him to have high strength, constitution and dexterity, and the game assumes a heavy combat orientation. Opt for more intelligence, wisdom and/or charisma, and you'll be answering more questions, and finding non-violent options on a few important occasions. The party NPCs in P:T are also a remarkable bunch, although there's little of the BG2 interaction among them, as opposed to with you.

Go out and get Planescape:Torment right now. Drop what you are doing and run to the nearest software store. If you found Diablo to be "just not my bag" but BG I and II were great, you will love Planescape. IMHO, it is the best RPG ever, just slightly inching past BG I.

How's that for a glowing recommendation?

Sreenaur z'hinden,
Mourn Yauntyyr
Elderboy, Qu'ellar Yauntyyr
The City of Tzach Neveril

Yup, IWD is more linear and you create your party from scratch at the beginning, no chance of picking anyone up. If someone dies, you'll have to continue with five (unless you can ressurrect).
There aren't as much quests, especially not many miniquests, but it's still a lot of fun to play. And hte mucis. The music is WAY better than in BG or BG2.
Plus, the settings are often pretty large, and it does have plenty of depth, if not in the major storyline.

As for P:T, you should check that one out too [img]smile.gif[/img]

Creating a party at the beginning of the game is pretty fun actually. Remind ya of the good old days with Gold Box and stuff. And then again IWD will, and mark my words, will be a great refreshment to play after BG if you like games that are like BG series. It does have some nice RP and if you're bored and looking for somthing similar to BG then IWD is just for you.

Now about Planetscape, that game is very dull I warn ye. Its based around ghosts, and all that stuff which I dont really like, but thats just mine opinion hehe, so if you liked BG, the trust me, you will not be dissapointed with IWD.

Cheers!

The spell animations in Planescape was beyond compare, if you played a mage. I never got bored watching "Axe of Torment" or "Fire and Ice" or "Elysium Tears" do their work. I am glad they "paused" the game once the spell's casting time was up to see the animation kick in. Some spells had their own cinematic cut in scene, like Celestial Fury(?) and Meteor Shower(?). I find the BG series you tend to miss a fair bit of some of this eye candy since your looking carefully at all your character while the spell is launched.

But as which game to get?? You can find them cheap since both of these have been out for a while now, PS was Dec 1999 and IWD was July 2000 I believe.

And Yes ..... Planescape Torment = heavily driven story (impressive)
IceWind Dale = good BG'ish fighting

Icewind dale looked pretty much on par with BG1 in terms of character animation. With HoW, it's been upgraded to BGII standards (critical hit screen shake, detailed static animations etc) and consequently now looks better in places than BGII IMO (especially since it then allows you to play in 800x600 res). I agree with the linear story line, but there are some truly awesome items that you find a plenty, and the areas you venture through have soooo much atmosphere, not only from the *excellent* musical score, but from the ideas gone into the creation of many locations (Kuldahar for example in an entire village built within the roots of a great oak). It has a high replay value also since you keep finding new items due to the random items that are placed within an area upon entering.

Overall a damn good game well worth buying.

You can hardly miss with EITHER IWD or Planescape:Torment. They are both outsanding games. Planescape is a lot richer in terms of plot line than IWD by far and it is definitely a unique setting. IWD, especially with Heart of Winter and Trials of the Luremaster expansions installed, offers a LOT of replayability. The character classes are not as varied in IWD as the BG2 series with its multitude of new classes and the varied kits available in the latter.IWD offers standard AD&D fare - Paladins / Rangers / etc. However, the artwork and music in IWD and the expansions are simply outstanding. The NPCS in Ps:T are some of the most outsanding that I have ever seen. THey are truly "unique". PsT should be available fairly cheaply now; so if you can afford it - why not get them both! You might even check to see if a IWD / HOW bundle is being offered.