NWN vs. BG series

[Lemernis]

NwN is about modding, having the capacity to DM, and it also for the first time allows a community of DMs and players to link multiple servers in a PW. So for example a PW that is very roleplaying oriented provides the opportunity for an evolving gameworld of stories where characters develop in relation to each other and the NPCs that the DM possesses. It is that dynamic aspect to fantasy roleplay gameplaying, the closest thing you're going to have right now to a 'virtual reality' experience of playing a fantasy character, that NwN offers. I think as progress continues in this area, and new games come out based on this design, CRPGing will only get better and better.

On the other hand there is undeniably a 'magic' to BG1/Tales. I experienced a sense of immersion with that game that I had never before and probably never will again experience. No game I have played since has measured up. I absolutely loved that game. I played it for a year and a half, but once NwN came out I had to play something else. As much replayability as BG had to offer I just could not keep playing it over and over indefinitely.

For some reason I never really got into BG2. I just didn't care for the ambience they created with Amn, and it's darker mood struck me as as overtly pretentious. In contrast BG1 had a sort of whimsical tone, it was often sort of lighthearted and humorous. I played BG2 in MP as well as SP (always prefered MP to SP) and it never hooked me. I never finished chapter 2.

[ 04-18-2003, 06:44 AM: Message edited by: Lemernis ]

[SpiritWarrior]

Yes I agree, I don't know what it was about BG1 but there was an awe in there, probably because it was the first of it's kind.

[Avatar]

BG's story is infinitely better than any story you are likely to come up with in NWN, thus BG

[FelixJaeger]

You want me to choose between one of the best RPG's and one of the best Hack 'N' Slashes around?
Some people will disagree but the majority of NWN is running around killing people, not taking part in big quests doing different tasks, the riddles, the humour and all the things that BG2 had that made me want to play it again and again.

Then again NWN has a toolset and you can play online...
Whup Dee ****ing Doo
Wow spend three hours making a mod the size of one room with and then you find out all the scripting is wrong and going online with loadsa Uber-munchkins or server errors...YAY NWN!!!

So as you can guess I'm all for BG, even though i haven't got BG1 cant find it for love nor money
Felix

[Nerull]

Originally posted by FelixJaeger: You want me to choose between one of the best RPG's and one of the best Hack 'N' Slashes around? Some people will disagree but the majority of NWN is running around killing people, not taking part in big quests doing different tasks, the riddles, the humour and all the things that BG2 had that made me want to play it again and again. Then again NWN has a toolset and you can play online... Whup Dee ****ing Doo Wow spend three hours making a mod the size of one room with and then you find out all the scripting is wrong and going online with loadsa Uber-munchkins or server errors...YAY NWN!!! So as you can guess I'm all for BG, even though i haven't got BG1 cant find it for love nor money Felix

Actually, I made a comment on the general RPG thread stating something similar. I was pretty much criticized for stating that RPGs have been going downhill lately (too much hack and slash). However, I will agree with the point that was made against me, and that was that you pretty much cannot compare NwN and the BG series, as they are apples and oranges.

However, this is asking which one I prefer, so I can say without a doubt the BG series. I play for the interaction with the NPCs; this is meager (to say the least) in NwN. I have a very erratic schedule, so playing with the same group online is not really an option. Thus, I am stuck playing online with the same type of people that Felix is talking about (level 20 trillion Monk that hits 50 quadrillion points of damage with each hit, PKers, etc.). Thus, I am pretty much limited to single-player, and this is NOT what NwN was designed for. It was designed to be "online modules" in which the DM can design a module and have their group get on and play (with the DM taking control of NPCs to increase interaction). BG was designed to be a single-player campaign with the option to play online.

In other words, NwN is great if you want to play multiplayer or have a DM that is possessing NPCs for you. However, for single-player campaign, BG blows NwN out of the water. Much of the fun in the game is designing not only your character, but also gathering together the party to complement your character. Then, you get to see how they interact with you and each other; this is what makes the BG series magical for me. In NwN, you can't even put a party together (in fact, I remember I was one of the first people on here asking "why can't I add another henchman), and the one character you can have is a two-dimensional cardboard cutout.

However, in NwN's defense, I will say I like some of the options you get in NwN (like the customizable hotkeys, the graphics, etc.). I also like the fact that you are limited to level 20; the one criticism I have for BG2/ToB is that you become a level 40 superman by the end, and the only way for the game to compensate is to throw equally unbalanced opposition against you. Oh well, I guess it can't be perfect.

[Lemernis]

As replayable as BG is--and I played it a helluva lot, for nearly two years--you can only play ~any~ game out there so many times before you need to move on to something new. I just can't keep playing the same game after two years.

What's attractive about NwN is the ability to have DMed campaigns, especially in large roleplaying PWs that link multiple servers. Then you get continually fresh supply of roleplayed interactions with other players, unpredictable outcomes, the world is evolving, ever changing, etc.

Having said that, there is something about the asethetics of NwN's gameworld that absolutely leaves me cold. It is devoid of the charm and warmth that BG has. I keep on playing NwN in the PW I'm involved with, mainly for it's possibilities, and how amazingly the scripters, coders, and DMs are slowly but surely bending the game to their will. And for the possibilities inherent in roleplaying. But not because I love the game itself. I didn't finish the NwN official campaign, and if the game only consisted of that I would have stopped playing it right away.