Basic questions (don't have game yet)

Curt · 07-11-2003, 01:25 PM

I've played the whole BG series through Throne of Bhaal and am now in IWD1 (got the IWD1/HoW collection).

I like IWD1 a lot but had some questions about IWD2...

1. One of the aspects of the BG series that I really liked was that I could take the group of characters that I'd been playing through the whole series. Can you import your characters from IWD1 to HoW and IWD2? (Heard this wasn't the case...)

2. If you start from scratch in IWD2, what level do you start at? Subsequently how high can you go in IWD2?

3. Are there special high level abilities in IWD2? ToB had those, very cool!

4. Lastly (for now) what did you think of IWD2 in comparison to IWD1/HoW and the BG series.

Rikard_OHF · 07-11-2003, 01:40 PM

1. No
IWD2 is set about 200 years after IWD and while elf could have survived, they foudn to just not allow it
Also it'd be a bit weird to have lvl 15 characters fighting a group of goblins
wouldnt be fun

2. you start as lvl 1 max level is about 20 or 25

3. no BG2 ToB had special abilities because they couldnt think of anything to add for extreemly high leveled players, IWD2has lvls to about 25 so you dont have special abilites like in BG2
but you do have feats and special class abilities conform to 3E DnD (which imho is better system then ADnD)

4. I liked IWD2 more then IWD1 because of the new 3E DnD rules. But BG2 is way better then iwd could ever be because it has such a great story and IWD is more based on fighting

Xen · 07-11-2003, 04:25 PM

I liked BG series muuhh more...

That is just me though

Micah Foehammer · 07-11-2003, 05:20 PM

1. Yes and No. You CAN import into HoW but NOT IWD2. IWD2 uses 3E rules while IWD and HoW use 2nd edition.

2. The game is designed for you to start at level 1, but you can always use the old export / import trick and start whenever you want. If you do start from scratch with a party of 6, expect to end up somewhere around level 16 when you finish - assuming normal difficulty.

3. No special abilities as in ToB, but 3E rules allow for special skills and feats which allow you to flesh out your character a LOT.

4. ToB bored me to tears after ONE go through. If you liked IWD, you'll probably like IWD2 - if you didn't like IWD/HOW avoid IWD2 like the plague. Personally I think NWN is better than all of them.

Magness · 07-11-2003, 06:54 PM

1. Your characters in IWD move pretty much directly into HOW. BTW, there's also a free expansion to IWD/HOW called Tales of the Luremaster. It was an awesome little dungeon crawl expansion. Don't know where you could find it. But if you can find it, get it. It's a great little add-on and well worth playing.

You can't import from IWD1 to IWD2. IWD1 uses the 2nd ed rules and IWD2 uses the 3rd ed rules. And the import files from IWD1 are incompatible with Iwd2.

2. Max level? The game covers up thru level 30. However, the max number of levels you can get are dependant on a few factors. One, the size of your party. A party of 6 playing in normal mode will make it up to about level 16. If you want to replay the game in HoF mode, your party of 6 will be able to make it up to about level 26.

3. Special High level abilities. No. However, you get take "feats" every few levels that give useful abilities.

4. Comparing to IWD1/HoW. Stylewise, fairly similar. Very combat oriented with a linear plot. If you can enjoy this style, you should like IWD2.

Comparing to the BG series.... Stylewise rather different. In the BG games you only created one character and made parties up with game supplied NPC's. As you've seen in IWD1, you creat your entire party. It's the same in IWD2, you create your entire party. If you really love playing with a party of NPC's and don't like making up your own party, you probably won't like IWD2.

I'm flexible enough that I've liked both the BG and IWD games.

And let me re-iterate.... the IWD add-on Tales of the Luremaster (TotL) is an EXCELLENT little, but official expansion to IWD1/HOW and HIGHLY recommend finding it, downloading it, and playing.

Without giving any serious spoilers away.... during IWD1 or HOW you can meet a certain gnome (or is he a halfling, I don't remember) who talks you into joining him on an adventure. He teleports you to an abandoned fortress and you can't get out until you defeat the Luremaster. It's a great little dungeon crawl adventure.

Rikard_OHF · 07-15-2003, 11:14 AM

Copied from IWD2 FAQ

Q: Can I bring my characters from Icewind Dale?
A: No. Icewind Dale II takes place a generation after the events in the original Icewind Dale game.

Q: Can I play Icewind Dale II without playing Icewind Dale?
A: Absolutely. While the storylines are related, you do not need to have played the original Icewind Dale to enjoy Icewind Dale II.

Q: What does Icewind Dale II improve on from Icewind Dale?
A: We have added the Third Edition Dungeons & Dragons rule set into the game. There are also a whole bunch of new areas available in Icewind Dale II, you'll also have a lot of new features, spells, items, interface mechanics, and special abilities available to you in Icewind Dale II. Here's a short list of what you can expect from Icewind Dale II:

A variety of new character classes like the Barbarian, Sorcerer and the Monk.
New Player Character Races and Subraces like the Half-Orc, Drow, Tiefling and others, each with their own special abilities.
New Priest, Druid, and Wizard Spells
New Random Treasure generator for enemies
New Player Character Portraits
New Player Character Sound Sets
Q: How many new areas will we have to explore?
A: Icewind Dale II begins in the town of Targos, one of the Ten-Towns of the Icewind Dale region. From there, adventurers can delve into the Underdark, visit the Cold Marshes, and return to Dragon's Eye... and these are only a few of the areas available in Icewind Dale II.

Q: How much playtime are we looking at in Icewind Dale II?
A

laytime varies based upon a player's skill level, knowledge base and play style. There is no certain way for us to gauge how long it will take you to finish it. In terms of scope, Icewind Dale II is large. Larger than the original Icewind Dale and its expansion, Heart of Winter, combined. An improved Heart of Fury mode, a more challenging version of the game, also increases the playtime and replayability of Icewind Dale II.

Q: Can you get any NPCs to join your party in Icewind Dale II
A: Like the original Icewind Dale, you won't have any NPCs joining your party. You'll be creating your entire party of up to six characters at the beginning of the game. You can also choose from a selection of pre-generated player characters provided with the game.

Q: Will we be able to use our characters or NPCs from Baldur's Gate or Icewind Dale?
A: You cannot use characters or save games from, Baldur's Gate, Tales of the Sword CoastTM, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn or Planescape: Torment.

Q: Are there any new magic items?
A: Oh, yes - our resident itemsmiths have been quite industrious. Expect a bunch of new magic items scattered throughout Icewind Dale II, some of which are placed in specific areas or on specific creatures, others of which have been incorporated into the random treasure tables. So keep an eye out for them - once you get a hold of one, you won't be disappointed. Though your enemies might be.

Q: Are there any new spells?
A: There are over fifty new spells in Icewind Dale II. These spells have been equally divided between the druid, cleric, and wizard classes, so feel free to unleash your new arsenal of magic on your enemies. A few examples of the new spells include Delayed Blast Fireball, Negative Plane Protection, Reflected Image, and Wondrous Recall.

Q: Are there any new monsters?
A: Icewind Dale II introduces a plethora of new monsters to the series including Bugbears, Worg-riding goblins, and Driders. This is only a small sampling of the new creatures in the game.

Q: Can we play specialty priests in Icewind Dale II?
A: Yes, your Cleric can choose from nine different faiths, your Paladin will have the opportunity to select a faith and your Monk can select an order. These choices dictate which multi-class the Paladin or Monk can freely change to and still retain their status.

Q: What resolution does Icewind Dale II run in?
A: Icewind Dale II allows you to play in 800 x 600, 1024x768, 1280x960, 1600x1200, and 2048x1536 resolutions.

Q: What are the system requirements for Icewind Dale II?
A: Tentatively, these are the required and recommended specifications for Icewind Dale II:

REQUIRED:
Intel Pentium II 350Mhz or AMD K6(R)-III/400Mhz
64MB RAM
8x CD-ROM
DirectX compliant video card
DirectX compliant sound card
Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP
DirectX 8.0 or higher

RECOMMENDED:
Intel Pentium III 500 or AMD Duron or Athlon processor
128MB RAM
DirectX compliant video card
DirectX compliant sound card
16x CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
Broadband (Cable/DSL) Connection for multiplayer
Windows XP
DirectX 8.0 or higher

Q: Can we meet any historical characters like Drizzt or Wulfgar in Icewind Dale II?
A: No. The game takes place before Drizzt is on the surface of Faerûn and Wulfgar hasn't been born yet.
Q: Are there any new Player Character races?
A: Icewind Dale II will be adding the Half-Orc as a playable new character race, and we are including sub-races, too. A few examples of the new sub-races are the Drow (aka Dark Elves), Gold Dwarves and Tieflings. The sub-races will grant racial advantages, but are kept in check with various disadvantages.

Q: Are there any new Player Character classes, or dual/multi-class combinations?
A: Yes. We are adding the Barbarian, Sorcerer and the Monk originally developed by BioWare for Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn as available classes. Multi-classing has also been converted to the 3E system so there are almost an infinite number of multi-class combinations: Ranger/Druids, Cleric/Bards, etc.

Q: How many CDs will Icewind Dale come on?
A: We are currently planning for Icewind Dale II to be on 2 CDs. This may change depending on resources and how much data we can fit on the CDs.

Q: Is there a level cap, and if so, what is it?
A: If you play in the improved Heart of Fury mode, you can reach as high as 30th level. This allows your characters to become REALLY powerful.

Q: Can we import customized portraits and voice sets in Icewind Dale II?
A: Yes. You can import portraits into Icewind Dale II in the same manner as Icewind Dale.

Q: Is Icewind Dale II as linear as Icewind Dale?
A: Icewind Dale II is as linear as the original Icewind Dale. Just like Icewind Dale, however, dialogue options and NPC reactions can change according to the speaker's race, alignment, class, gender, or ability scores. You can also play through Icewind Dale II multiple times and find many new and unique magic items.

Q: What's the story of Icewind Dale II?
A: The call has gone out across the Sword Coast; the Ten-Towns of Icewind Dale are paying handsomely for mercenaries, soldiers, and adventurers of all types to sail north and defend the town of Targos from the encroaching goblinoid hordes. An unknown power is attempting to force the Ten-Towns to bow to their will. You and your stalwart band of would-be heroes to find out who or what is behind this and stop them at all costs.

07-11-2003, 01:40 PM	#2
Rikard_OHF Beholder Join Date: March 4, 2001 Location: Het Hertogdom Gelre!!!!! Age: 39 Posts: 4,364	1. No IWD2 is set about 200 years after IWD and while elf could have survived, they foudn to just not allow it Also it'd be a bit weird to have lvl 15 characters fighting a group of goblins wouldnt be fun 2. you start as lvl 1 max level is about 20 or 25 3. no BG2 ToB had special abilities because they couldnt think of anything to add for extreemly high leveled players, IWD2has lvls to about 25 so you dont have special abilites like in BG2 but you do have feats and special class abilities conform to 3E DnD (which imho is better system then ADnD) 4. I liked IWD2 more then IWD1 because of the new 3E DnD rules. But BG2 is way better then iwd could ever be because it has such a great story and IWD is more based on fighting __________________ [img]\"http://confed.xl-designs.com/siggeh18.gif\" alt=\" - \" /><br /> <img border=\"0\" alt=\"[bunny]\" title=\"\" src=\"graemlins/bunny.gif\" /> Return of the Bunny Army! <img border=\"0\" alt=\"[bunny]\" title=\"\" src=\"graemlins/bunny.gif\" />

07-11-2003, 05:20 PM	#4
Micah Foehammer Ma'at - Goddess of Truth & Justice Join Date: November 15, 2001 Location: Asheville, NC Posts: 3,253	1. Yes and No. You CAN import into HoW but NOT IWD2. IWD2 uses 3E rules while IWD and HoW use 2nd edition. 2. The game is designed for you to start at level 1, but you can always use the old export / import trick and start whenever you want. If you do start from scratch with a party of 6, expect to end up somewhere around level 16 when you finish - assuming normal difficulty. 3. No special abilities as in ToB, but 3E rules allow for special skills and feats which allow you to flesh out your character a LOT. 4. ToB bored me to tears after ONE go through. If you liked IWD, you'll probably like IWD2 - if you didn't like IWD/HOW avoid IWD2 like the plague. Personally I think NWN is better than all of them. __________________ “Every tavern’s an opportunity, I say.”

07-15-2003, 11:14 AM	#6
Rikard_OHF Beholder Join Date: March 4, 2001 Location: Het Hertogdom Gelre!!!!! Age: 39 Posts: 4,364	Copied from IWD2 FAQ Q: Can I bring my characters from Icewind Dale? A: No. Icewind Dale II takes place a generation after the events in the original Icewind Dale game. Q: Can I play Icewind Dale II without playing Icewind Dale? A: Absolutely. While the storylines are related, you do not need to have played the original Icewind Dale to enjoy Icewind Dale II. Q: What does Icewind Dale II improve on from Icewind Dale? A: We have added the Third Edition Dungeons & Dragons rule set into the game. There are also a whole bunch of new areas available in Icewind Dale II, you'll also have a lot of new features, spells, items, interface mechanics, and special abilities available to you in Icewind Dale II. Here's a short list of what you can expect from Icewind Dale II: A variety of new character classes like the Barbarian, Sorcerer and the Monk. New Player Character Races and Subraces like the Half-Orc, Drow, Tiefling and others, each with their own special abilities. New Priest, Druid, and Wizard Spells New Random Treasure generator for enemies New Player Character Portraits New Player Character Sound Sets Q: How many new areas will we have to explore? A: Icewind Dale II begins in the town of Targos, one of the Ten-Towns of the Icewind Dale region. From there, adventurers can delve into the Underdark, visit the Cold Marshes, and return to Dragon's Eye... and these are only a few of the areas available in Icewind Dale II. Q: How much playtime are we looking at in Icewind Dale II? Alaytime varies based upon a player's skill level, knowledge base and play style. There is no certain way for us to gauge how long it will take you to finish it. In terms of scope, Icewind Dale II is large. Larger than the original Icewind Dale and its expansion, Heart of Winter, combined. An improved Heart of Fury mode, a more challenging version of the game, also increases the playtime and replayability of Icewind Dale II. Q: Can you get any NPCs to join your party in Icewind Dale II A: Like the original Icewind Dale, you won't have any NPCs joining your party. You'll be creating your entire party of up to six characters at the beginning of the game. You can also choose from a selection of pre-generated player characters provided with the game. Q: Will we be able to use our characters or NPCs from Baldur's Gate or Icewind Dale? A: You cannot use characters or save games from, Baldur's Gate, Tales of the Sword CoastTM, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn or Planescape: Torment. Q: Are there any new magic items? A: Oh, yes - our resident itemsmiths have been quite industrious. Expect a bunch of new magic items scattered throughout Icewind Dale II, some of which are placed in specific areas or on specific creatures, others of which have been incorporated into the random treasure tables. So keep an eye out for them - once you get a hold of one, you won't be disappointed. Though your enemies might be. Q: Are there any new spells? A: There are over fifty new spells in Icewind Dale II. These spells have been equally divided between the druid, cleric, and wizard classes, so feel free to unleash your new arsenal of magic on your enemies. A few examples of the new spells include Delayed Blast Fireball, Negative Plane Protection, Reflected Image, and Wondrous Recall. Q: Are there any new monsters? A: Icewind Dale II introduces a plethora of new monsters to the series including Bugbears, Worg-riding goblins, and Driders. This is only a small sampling of the new creatures in the game. Q: Can we play specialty priests in Icewind Dale II? A: Yes, your Cleric can choose from nine different faiths, your Paladin will have the opportunity to select a faith and your Monk can select an order. These choices dictate which multi-class the Paladin or Monk can freely change to and still retain their status. Q: What resolution does Icewind Dale II run in? A: Icewind Dale II allows you to play in 800 x 600, 1024x768, 1280x960, 1600x1200, and 2048x1536 resolutions. Q: What are the system requirements for Icewind Dale II? A: Tentatively, these are the required and recommended specifications for Icewind Dale II: REQUIRED: Intel Pentium II 350Mhz or AMD K6(R)-III/400Mhz 64MB RAM 8x CD-ROM DirectX compliant video card DirectX compliant sound card Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP DirectX 8.0 or higher RECOMMENDED: Intel Pentium III 500 or AMD Duron or Athlon processor 128MB RAM DirectX compliant video card DirectX compliant sound card 16x CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive Broadband (Cable/DSL) Connection for multiplayer Windows XP DirectX 8.0 or higher Q: Can we meet any historical characters like Drizzt or Wulfgar in Icewind Dale II? A: No. The game takes place before Drizzt is on the surface of Faerûn and Wulfgar hasn't been born yet. Q: Are there any new Player Character races? A: Icewind Dale II will be adding the Half-Orc as a playable new character race, and we are including sub-races, too. A few examples of the new sub-races are the Drow (aka Dark Elves), Gold Dwarves and Tieflings. The sub-races will grant racial advantages, but are kept in check with various disadvantages. Q: Are there any new Player Character classes, or dual/multi-class combinations? A: Yes. We are adding the Barbarian, Sorcerer and the Monk originally developed by BioWare for Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn as available classes. Multi-classing has also been converted to the 3E system so there are almost an infinite number of multi-class combinations: Ranger/Druids, Cleric/Bards, etc. Q: How many CDs will Icewind Dale come on? A: We are currently planning for Icewind Dale II to be on 2 CDs. This may change depending on resources and how much data we can fit on the CDs. Q: Is there a level cap, and if so, what is it? A: If you play in the improved Heart of Fury mode, you can reach as high as 30th level. This allows your characters to become REALLY powerful. Q: Can we import customized portraits and voice sets in Icewind Dale II? A: Yes. You can import portraits into Icewind Dale II in the same manner as Icewind Dale. Q: Is Icewind Dale II as linear as Icewind Dale? A: Icewind Dale II is as linear as the original Icewind Dale. Just like Icewind Dale, however, dialogue options and NPC reactions can change according to the speaker's race, alignment, class, gender, or ability scores. You can also play through Icewind Dale II multiple times and find many new and unique magic items. Q: What's the story of Icewind Dale II? A: The call has gone out across the Sword Coast; the Ten-Towns of Icewind Dale are paying handsomely for mercenaries, soldiers, and adventurers of all types to sail north and defend the town of Targos from the encroaching goblinoid hordes. An unknown power is attempting to force the Ten-Towns to bow to their will. You and your stalwart band of would-be heroes to find out who or what is behind this and stop them at all costs. __________________ [img]\"http://confed.xl-designs.com/siggeh18.gif\" alt=\" - \" /><br /> <img border=\"0\" alt=\"[bunny]\" title=\"\" src=\"graemlins/bunny.gif\" /> Return of the Bunny Army! <img border=\"0\" alt=\"[bunny]\" title=\"\" src=\"graemlins/bunny.gif\" />

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07-11-2003, 01:25 PM	#1
Curt Elite Waterdeep Guard Join Date: June 27, 2003 Location: San Diego Age: 61 Posts: 18	I've played the whole BG series through Throne of Bhaal and am now in IWD1 (got the IWD1/HoW collection). I like IWD1 a lot but had some questions about IWD2... 1. One of the aspects of the BG series that I really liked was that I could take the group of characters that I'd been playing through the whole series. Can you import your characters from IWD1 to HoW and IWD2? (Heard this wasn't the case...) 2. If you start from scratch in IWD2, what level do you start at? Subsequently how high can you go in IWD2? 3. Are there special high level abilities in IWD2? ToB had those, very cool! 4. Lastly (for now) what did you think of IWD2 in comparison to IWD1/HoW and the BG series.

07-11-2003, 04:25 PM	#3
Xen Symbol of Moradin Join Date: June 5, 2002 Location: Slovenia,Ljubljana Age: 36 Posts: 8,554	I liked BG series muuhh more... That is just me though

07-11-2003, 06:54 PM	#5
Magness Quintesson Join Date: January 7, 2001 Location: Manchester, NH, USA Posts: 1,025	1. Your characters in IWD move pretty much directly into HOW. BTW, there's also a free expansion to IWD/HOW called Tales of the Luremaster. It was an awesome little dungeon crawl expansion. Don't know where you could find it. But if you can find it, get it. It's a great little add-on and well worth playing. You can't import from IWD1 to IWD2. IWD1 uses the 2nd ed rules and IWD2 uses the 3rd ed rules. And the import files from IWD1 are incompatible with Iwd2. 2. Max level? The game covers up thru level 30. However, the max number of levels you can get are dependant on a few factors. One, the size of your party. A party of 6 playing in normal mode will make it up to about level 16. If you want to replay the game in HoF mode, your party of 6 will be able to make it up to about level 26. 3. Special High level abilities. No. However, you get take "feats" every few levels that give useful abilities. 4. Comparing to IWD1/HoW. Stylewise, fairly similar. Very combat oriented with a linear plot. If you can enjoy this style, you should like IWD2. Comparing to the BG series.... Stylewise rather different. In the BG games you only created one character and made parties up with game supplied NPC's. As you've seen in IWD1, you creat your entire party. It's the same in IWD2, you create your entire party. If you really love playing with a party of NPC's and don't like making up your own party, you probably won't like IWD2. I'm flexible enough that I've liked both the BG and IWD games. And let me re-iterate.... the IWD add-on Tales of the Luremaster (TotL) is an EXCELLENT little, but official expansion to IWD1/HOW and HIGHLY recommend finding it, downloading it, and playing. Without giving any serious spoilers away.... during IWD1 or HOW you can meet a certain gnome (or is he a halfling, I don't remember) who talks you into joining him on an adventure. He teleports you to an abandoned fortress and you can't get out until you defeat the Luremaster. It's a great little dungeon crawl adventure.

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