Hmmmm what next for Baldurs?

[DonkeyWan]

HMMM, on a not totally unrelated point, can I just outline a difficulty I see arising?

Baldur Gate 1: Levels 1-9ish

Baldur gate 2: Levels to 19ish

Baldurs gate 3: (since 'tis supposed to be a trilogy as such) where does the level stop? do you meet dragons now instead of Kobolds? I mean one irritant in Baldurs gate 2 is meeting previously nasty critters (when your level 4-5) are now so much smoke. It has been noted that Baldurs 2 is easier, how much easier will 3 be if you can import a godlike figure?

Finally where does that leave us for Baldurs 4? obviously it won't appear, or if so, will take us back as a start character.


Basically my point is, this game is the definitive of its genre, all others will never match this level of gameplay, immersion etc. Where does that leave us for the future? Just as quake 2 defined the genre of 3-d shoot 'em ups so too does Baldurs of roleplay. Can you name a RPG that even comes close to Baldur's? Does this mean, much as occurred with the 3-D shooters, we will now be exposed to a series of tatty copies that never reach the same level as that of Quake and Quake 2. What I mean is, have we done a fukyama on it, reached the ultimate point of development, and are we now on a slippy slope downward to a saturated market of inferior tat. I really am quite worried. I don't want to finish the game, becaue I feel I would be losing something important to do so.....

What do the rest of you think?

ToB takes you to lvl 40ish. Whatever B3 is it will have to start from something lower, I'd think

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In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is pimp

[Killer]

welcome to newerwinter nights level80

[Charean]

Originally posted by DonkeyWan: Basically my point is, this game is the definitive of its genre, all others will never match this level of gameplay, immersion etc. Where does that leave us for the future? Just as quake 2 defined the genre of 3-d shoot 'em ups so too does Baldurs of roleplay. Can you name a RPG that even comes close to Baldur's? Does this mean, much as occurred with the 3-D shooters, we will now be exposed to a series of tatty copies that never reach the same level as that of Quake and Quake 2. What I mean is, have we done a fukyama on it, reached the ultimate point of development, and are we now on a slippy slope downward to a saturated market of inferior tat. I really am quite worried. I don't want to finish the game, becaue I feel I would be losing something important to do so..... What do the rest of you think?[/B]

I think you have a valid point. Considering what the company is now doing.. Neverwinter Nights may be the next biggie, if it takes off like it is supposed to. It is hard to top Baldur's Gate - a game that thorough - for there was obviously a lot of thought put into it. Frankly, there would have to be godlike beings to make a game that is actually better than Baldur's Gate 1&2. Perhaps the question isn't whether or not there will be a better game out... but will there be something as engaging and challenging? It may take a couple years, and I am not the most patient of people, but I will wait and see.



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Defender for the Light -
Goodness knows there is a lot of Dark out there!! - Where are my matches?!?
The secret is knowing the rules so you can bend/break them selectively!!!
Aquisition master of the Finest of Humours - and the Killer Joke
Musketeer of Fast Fourward
Looking for lost brain - I left it only for a moment....
Muse and Eternal Love of KDogRex

[Vaskez]

Hehe, don't worry if u keep up to date on all the official and unofficial edits development u'll know how this issue of difficulty will be solved. I'll tell ya. First of all, u're damn well gonna need all the experience u can get in ToB. If u have seen the screenshots u will notice that they have golems by the hoards all over whereas in BG2 u rarely had to fight more than 3 at a time. People used cheese tactics on dragons and the infamous close the door on the monster and heal trick. New developments in scripting will make the monsters much more intelligent and they will be opening doors, making threat assessments (so u can no longer by time by letting them fight a few kobolds) so they will always attack your most dangerous party member. In all the unofficial MODS (of which there are now 6, 7 or 8 or something will use advanced AI and tougher monsters. So u see the game will be much harder because the monsters will be more realistic and not because u have dragons instead of kobolds

[Vaskez]

Originally posted by Vaskez: Hehe, don't worry if u keep up to date on all the official and unofficial edits development u'll know how this issue of difficulty will be solved. I'll tell ya. First of all, u're damn well gonna need all the experience u can get in ToB. If u have seen the screenshots u will notice that they have golems by the hoards all over whereas in BG2 u rarely had to fight more than 3 at a time. People used cheese tactics on dragons and the infamous close the door on the monster and heal trick. New developments in scripting will make the monsters much more intelligent and they will be opening doors, making threat assessments (so u can no longer buy time by letting them fight a few kobolds) so they will always attack your most dangerous party member. In all the unofficial MODS (of which there are now 6, 7 or 8 or something) will use advanced AI and so cleverer monsters. So u see the game will be much harder because the monsters will be more realistic and not because u have dragons instead of kobolds

[DonkeyWan]

Sure better AI, but ultimately that doesn't solve the problem of importing godlike (continued) characters, the question being, what the hell is realistically tougher than a dragon or top level character? and how realistic is it to keep bumping into golem after golem, dragon after dragon?

[Vaskez]

Originally posted by DonkeyWan: Sure better AI, but ultimately that doesn't solve the problem of importing godlike (continued) characters, the question being, what the hell is realistically tougher than a dragon or top level character? and how realistic is it to keep bumping into golem after golem, dragon after dragon?

Ok, u are right, but u will be amazed how much difference better AI will make. You know u are too tough for a monster when u can just stand there and beat him without attacking at all, just retaliating to his hits, casting no spells having no protections etc. Now, so in ToB u will be too tough for goblins and kobolds but other monsters still have their place. They could have bigger bands of hobgoblins attacking u, with better AI, making formations and their shamans being protected and casting blind and things like that on you, after greater malison and lower resistance. Sure they would get wiped out after a while but they would certainly hurt u. Anyway, the dragons were only so easy because ppl either used cheese tactics, or summoned creatures and the dragon wasted time attacking them, so the player had time to cast spells, etc. If the dragon was smarter, he'd always take out mages and ignore dire wolves etc. and a dragon with the same stats as before will be much tougher. Firkraag, no matter how many times u have beaten him, has good stats and with better AI, especially if he summons allies of his own (better AI) will be much tougher for example.

Anyway, what's wrong with starting a new character on a new story and building up again, if they wanted to make more sequels...

[jabidas]

The Addon is the end of the throne of Bhall saga that is final and set in stone

Neverwinter nights will start you at level 1 again but you can retain your stats

If there are other bg games i will be suprised cause the license to make AD&d games got sold

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[Deddard]

Maybe they can make some of the encounters level - dependant (like the types of golems etc. can be in BG2) that would solve some of the problems.
Starting at a level 1 whilst still importing a character seems a bit weird - imagine if you've taken the cap off BG2 and got a few million points under your belt, carry them over to NWN, only to find your stats count for zip!!
And I don't want smarter dragons - well, not 'til I can take the ones in BG2 out anyway!!!!