attn: Mourn Yauntyyr and Lifetime

[StarVid]

Well, the two of you know what I think about the writing in BG2, and how it pretty much sucks. Could you honestly recommend P:T considering the views I have of the BG series? I want something to keep me busy until NWN comes out, and I doubt I'm going to bother with BG2 anymore. I've been playing IWD, but it does get boring after a while considering I use the same strategy in battles from the beginning to the end. Thanks.

[Lifetime]

PS:T is a definate change from BG2 or IWD actually. Much of it is scripting and talking, but damn, the dialouge and writing is GOOD! Personally I also felt the whole Bhaalspawn saga thing rather contrived.. like a cheap excuse for your character to get involved in stuff, but you never really felt like he was anything REALLY special. The thing about PS:T is that its as much a mystery as everything else. In this game, your past is REALLY in doubt, and it never lets you go. Completing a portion of the game lends the same satisfaction as reading a good, fulfilling book. Most of the game is spent at lower levels, and your stats are not predetermined: every level you get gives you an additional character point to spend on Str, Con etc so you can decide what sort of character you want. Classes can be switched at any time from Fighter, to Thief, to Mage. And NPC dialouge is actually important in this game. You'll be compelled to bring along the less potent characters just because they're horribly important to the story. Definately a breath of fresh air, but whether its to your liking or not remains to be seen. Go try it!

[StarVid]

What is this?

Is this even D&D?

Near the end of my PnP days, I played a few games in Planescape (it had just come out), and the system was nothing like that. PnP Planescape followed the same rules as any other world in D&D. What else is different?

[Lifetime]

quote:

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Originally posted by StarVid:
What is this?

Is this even D&D?

Near the end of my PnP days, I played a few games in Planescape (it had just come out), and the system was nothing like that. PnP Planescape followed the same rules as any other world in D&D. What else is different?

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Its DnD alright, but its different because of the context. Your character is immortal, but he loses his memory every time he "dies". That whole gaining stat points thing is to simulate him regaining all his lost powers. You get experience more from dialouge, where you recall past experiences, and conversations with people who knew about your past, than from combat, because there's nothing you really havent done before, so all you need to do is to trigger the memory to recall your past deeds.
Your NPCs however, are more traditional DnD characters, but each have special abilities associated with race, class and storyline..

[StarVid]

yeah, but that's even more messed up than being the child of Baal. I mean, with the BG series, all you really get is a couple of minor special abilities. But with this character, you can jack up all your stats. That's even more godlike. I think I might take a pass on this game...

[ULockit I Stealit]

Lifetime,

What game are you talking about. StarVid might not be interested but I definitely am....

[Mourn Yauntyyr]

Yeah, you have godlike abilities in the end. But that certainly doesn't mean it is a "Monty Haul" campaign. Anything but, as a matter of fact. A lot of folks think that Monty Haul campaigns are caused because the DM gives the PC too much power. But I disagree - this is only the case when the challenge of the game is less than the power your PC possesses. This is *certainly* not the case in Planescape. I assure you you WILL be challenged every step of your adventures in Sigil, usually more mentally than in combat. Also, the plotline is very much non-linear - you have more options than in BG2, and actually cannot pursue each course, though every course will take you to the end of the game.

Planescape uses the AD&D system, but keep in mind that it is not set in a conventional campaign setting. For the most part you operate out of Sigil, a city which sits "in the middle of the planes". Because of its location, it acts as a gateway and neutral ground for beings of all the planes. Therefore it is a strange and wondrous city, with beings of great power visiting it on a regular basis. You won't see any gods walking the streets though, don't worry. [img]smile.gif[/img]

It is a truly amazing game, I had played probably 50 CRPGs in my time, and I have no doubt in my mind that Planescape:Torment is the best. I highly recommend every CRPG fan to go out and get it, or at least find someone who has it and try it out. If not, you're missing out on a great gaming experience.

[Lifetime]

quote:

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Originally posted by ULockit I Stealit:
Lifetime,

What game are you talking about. StarVid might not be interested but I definitely am....

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Im talking about Planescape:Torment. I believe in the year it came out it was RPG of the year for many magazines and online gaming sites. Never did well because of the popularity of more conventional games like Baldur's Gate though.

The charm of Planescape:Torment is that you never feel that you're overpowered. Sure, you could have 9 lvl-9 spells and be at over 40 levels high (practically impossible if you play without cheating) but you'll still have difficulty in combat, unlike BG2 where you practically turn everything you touch into gibs and gore.

The whole thing about your stats is for you to have more control over the path you're going. You start out having 10 for every stat and have a few points to allocate around, and gain 1 stat point for ever level you achieve. And Levelling is SLOW, believe me. If you want to gain your experience by fighting, put your points into Strength and watch your character become a combat giant. If you want to dazzle with your conversation, put points into intelligence and charisma. The game plays the way you want it to play because of your stats.

In addition, you cannot be a multi-classed character, but rather revert from one class to another at any given time. So you could be a lvl 12 fighter, a lvl 9 thief and a lvl 15 mage, but you'll never be all three at the same time. There are no swords in the game, no armors, and weapon proficiency points are gained by finding trainers to hone your lost skills in all your lifetimes of training. Weapon gear is always amusing (your first companion, a floating skull named Morte, attacks with his teeth, and along the way you can find teeth for him that give him poison attacks, or the like)

Its a very matrix-like world because of the setting (Sigil, city of doors) and theres a lot of mystical theology that you'll encounter (eg. how your thoughts can shape plains, how entire worlds can be made out of a single entity, how doors can be found by not looking..)

Its enchanting..

[Odec]

PS:T was a piece of art indeed. But the best part of the game, IMHO, was the NPCs. They were all so... unique. Why sure, the NPCs in BG2 say things every now and then and you can even have a romance with some of them... but they are still (not to step on any toes) just another fighter or mage. The NPC's in PS:T are all one of a kind with the main character being the most special of them all.

So for those of you who have yet to play this game, you know what you have to do