How does IWD 2 compare to IWD?

[NobleNick]

Hi Guys,

I will probably finish IWD/HoW/TotLM about the time that IWD3 is available, and IWD2 is selling for $10 including add-ons; but I thought I would ask now, while the memories of IWD are still fresh in your minds. How does IWD2 compare to IWD in terms of:

1.) Graphics;

2.) Player interface (screens/controls);

3.) Sounds, voice sets and music;

4.) Ability to build your own party (rolling characters, etc.)

5.) Ability to Export/Import characters into new IWD2 games;

6.) Game difficulty, length, and required playing style;

7.) Storyline and plot twists.

8.) Replay value (e.g., like HoF mode)

9.) Expo caps, richness of magic spell sets, etc.

10.) Things that irritated you about IWD:HoW that were solved in IWD2 (or the other way around.)

What's a party,
without a song?
Bards rock.
Party On!!

[Magness]

1. Graphics: It's still the 2D Infinity Engine. If you've liked the graphics in previous IE games, you'll like IWD2.

2. User Interface: It has supposedly been improved. I say "supposedly" because they've moved things around. I feel that it's better, but it's largely a matter of opinion.

3. There's a small number of new voice sets. But largely, I think that this is one place that they saved production $$$. This doesn't bother me. But some people always want every new game to be 100% new.

4. Ability to create your own party. Considerable changes. Why? BIS designed IWD2 to use the 3rd ed DnD rules. No more rolling up stats. All characters start with 10 points in each stat. Add in racial modifiers. Then you get 16 stat points to add around to the various characteristics. No more rolling stats until you get the godlike stats you're looking for. The tends to produce more "reasonable" characters.

5. Ability to import characters into IWD2: Unless they're coming from a previous IWD2 game, forget about it. 3rd ed rules. All previous games are 2nd ed rules.

6. Game difficulty, length, and required playing style:

Difficulty: I've completed the game once and am nearly thru my 2nd party. It still has the difficulty slider bar so you can crank up the difficulty however much you want. There are some very difficult (IMHO) puzzles.

Length: Plenty long. Lots of gaming enjoyment.

Required playing style: None. Build whatever party you want. BIS designed IWD2 assuming a minimum party of 4, but you can go with fewer PC's if you want.

7. Storyline, etc: On the surface, there's no secret about the base plot. The Ten-towns have been attacked by hordes of goblins, orcs, etc. Your party has gone to the town of Targos to assist in its defense. That's how you enter the story.

Unlike IWD where you basically had one base of operations (Kuldahar) for nearly the entire game, in IWD2 your base of operations shifts as you proceed thru the game. Obviously, your starting base of ops is the town of Targos.

The story takes place 30 years after the events of IWD. You will learn of the history from 30 years past, you will travel to a few of the same places, and meet some of the NPC's from IWD.

8. Replay value: IMHO the replay value is excellent.

Monk, Barbarian, and Sorceror classes have been added.
Many new races have been added. Teifling, Aasimar, Gold Dwarves, Deurgars, Drow, Wild Elves, Deep Gnomes, Strongheart Halflings, Ghostwise Halflings, Halforcs are the new races.

3rd ed rules applying to classes noow apply. That is, there are no race/class restrictions. Multiclassing is VASTLY different. A little too hard to explain quickly.
Any character/class/races can wield nearly any weapon. No more clerics can only use blunt weapons, for example. (Heck, battleguards of tempus favor axes!)

9. The XP cap is at 30th level. But a party of 6 will only reach 16th level in a normal non-HOF game. I have no complaints about the magic set, but I tend more towards physical combat.

However, since IWD2 is based on the 3rd ed rules, magic has been adjusted.

a. Bard magic is now CHA based and more like sorceror magic, than wizard magic.

b. There are something like 6-9 (don't honestly remember) different types of cleric. "Types" meaning different types of clerics based on who the cleric worships. Off the top of my head ... Ilmater, Lathander, Selune, Helm, Tempus, Ohgma, Talos, Mask, maybe one other. Different cleric types focus on different types of divine magic. Ilmater is more about healing. Talos is more about offensive magic.

c. Sorceror magic is CHA based. Wizard magic is INT based.

d. In IWD, Elemental summoning spells were the best monster summoning spells. No longer. If your party is not protected from evil, summoned elementals will turn on you. Even if you are, you cannot control them. They'll attack enemies, but you cannot control them. In IWD2, the monster summoning spell of choice is Animate undead. As you go up in level, the more potent the type of undead you'll summon. Skeletons, Zombies, Boneguards, Drowned Dead, cold bones, mummies. All of increasing strength.

10. Irritations. I'm not nearly as picky as some on these boards. I just love having a new IE DnD game to play. However, the pathfinding doesn't seem to have improved any.

There are some monumental battles. There are 2 battles that are purely defensive, i.e. your party is defending the Ten-towns against the attacking goblin hordes (and I do mean "hordes"). The 2nd of these defensive battles is my favorite battle of the entire game.

There are some new monsters. Driders, Half-dragons, Hook Horrors, Chimera to name the few that I can remember.

I give IWD2 a major thumbs up.

[Nanobyte]

Originally posted by NobleNick: about the time that IWD3 is available

Sorry to diminish hopes here, but ID2 is said to be the last of the IE gaming experience. I assume Bioware is going to go for something new, or maybe in a few years, when technology is far advanced, come back and start where they left off. It all depends, but for now, the only projects they will be working on is potential expansions.

[Azred]

I shall comment only on playing style. In IWD, you could scout ahead, trigger a handful of enemies, defeat them, then scout some more. In IWD2, though, as soon as you trigger one goblin they all gang up on you. [img]graemlins/wow.gif[/img] I am using the terrain more and making foes walk into my area effect spells (as those spells were meant to be used).

NobleNick, I haven't seen you in a dog's age! [img]graemlins/happywave.gif[/img]

[NobleNick]

Azred, old friend, and mentor of my technicolor posts! Hi!

Yes, has been a while. Had classes to get back to (when last you saw me I was getting my fanny whooped in a graduate class in Electromagnetics and Fiber Optics. Almost had to pay my employer back for that $3,500 class: Ouch! That would have hurt!!) Then I celebrated (NOT having to pay anything) by taking the summer semester off and immersing myself into Diablo II. Fun; but my interest in IWD has unfortunately rekindled when I am back in class! You should see me around; but thinly.

What is your RPG of choice these days?