Replay Value

[CrimsonLion]

Question for those of you that started playing BG 1 & 2 years ago, do you still every now and then break out the game and have another run through of the game?

Or in this day and age is the UI and isometric view too dated to enjoy it properly.

Personally I always found the graphics of BG2 to be more artistic then cutting edge even when it first came out and because of that reason it seems to have aged well. I do find the UI a little bit clunky at times but once you get back into the swing of the game you don't even notice it.

I've had differing opinions from friends when going back to play the game when some now find it unplayable where others still enjoy it.

Personally I find more then just nostalgia that the game is still remarkably playable even in this day and age of slick ultra-produced titles. Plus its always fun to go back and play 'god' in TOB every now and then

[Firestormalpha]

I find that it never really gets old. And AFAIK the modding community is still alive on BG so probably not gonna get old for awhile.

[CrimsonLion]

Originally Posted by Firestormalpha I find that it never really gets old. And AFAIK the modding community is still alive on BG so probably not gonna get old for awhile.

Thats good to know, the only time I have played it recently is right of the cds with only ToB installed. Will have to look out for some new mods to try! Any recent ones you can suggest?

[Firestormalpha]

Sadly, I'm something of a purist. BGtutu and fixpacks are about as far as I go. Six of Spades still lurks about though, and he or some of the others could point you in the right direction.

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

I have a cycle of every six months or so... I'll start a game of SoA, get stuck in sidequest hell, lose interest, start back up again, think, "I should take Keldorn next time", file that away, then breeze through ToB and go, "Now I want to play BG." Then I wonder why I haven't installed Tutu yet, go to install it, realize that one of my files is corrupted (one of my BG discs are scratched and an area didn't fully install), bemoan my state of affairs, then have at it. I'm currently at the END of sidequest hell... The only thing left for me to do in SoA is mop up the UD area and then off we go again to ToB!

Also, in all my years, this is the first time I've kept Anomen around to do a romance. It's okay I guess, but I'm thinking a nice mod next time.

[CrimsonLion]

Originally Posted by Illumina Drathiran'ar I have a cycle of every six months or so... I'll start a game of SoA, get stuck in sidequest hell, lose interest, start back up again, think, "I should take Keldorn next time", file that away, then breeze through ToB and go, "Now I want to play BG." Then I wonder why I haven't installed Tutu yet, go to install it, realize that one of my files is corrupted (one of my BG discs are scratched and an area didn't fully install), bemoan my state of affairs, then have at it. I'm currently at the END of sidequest hell... The only thing left for me to do in SoA is mop up the UD area and then off we go again to ToB! Also, in all my years, this is the first time I've kept Anomen around to do a romance. It's okay I guess, but I'm thinking a nice mod next time.

Sounds painfull. But in a fun way....kind of.

But I know what you mean, I guess it shows the staying power of the game though when you do feel willing to go back through it again even with side quest ad nauseam.

Speaking of which I think its been far too long without a BG2/ToB playthrough...

[Illumina Drathiran'ar]

Originally Posted by CrimsonLion Sounds painfull. But in a fun way....kind of.

The painful part is trying to time it right. Some moments in the games, especially music, are evocative of the season or time in my life when I played for the first time. I got Baldur's Gate for Christmas but ended up playing it in the early spring. The blustery feeling of the wilderness areas was matched by the chilly nights. I ended up starting Shadows of Amn in the summer, and enjoyed that muchly... The environments seemed more lush, warm, and more "southern". However, when I got to Tethyr, it was winter out. And now when I hear the Pocket Plane music I get a madeline moment of the taste of Big Train Chai tea and sandlewood candles... Weird I know. But yes, that's the most painful part. The other painful part is party formation... I'm always compelled to take Imoen, Jahiera, Viconia, and Jan with me, leaving only one spot open for that one special person... I don't think I've once played through without taking at least two of them.

I have a problem letting go.

[CrimsonLion]

Your right its funny, most of the time I tend to associate memories with music more then games although there are exceptions. Games that have become an integral part of my playing history ie BG2, Half Life etc they do tend to have memories attached to them that are brung up by playing through the game again.

Maybe thats part of why we enjoy going back to these games again and again and again....

[Armen]

it's about the only game i have (mind you i am a grown up plus my PC is weak and slow and my monitor refresh rate is too slow for games that move . . .)

i very rarely finish a game though and usually abandon them either during or just after the underdark or when a character dual has reactivated

i've reached but never finished the ToB final battle

[Sever]

I think i average a round (BG 1 or 2) every other year. I certainly don't think it's dated. It's a classic!

I usually also surprise myself at how much i forget. Even though i can never play it again for the first time, bits of it still have that new car smell.