How ‘Baldur’s Gate’ Saved the Computer RPG • Hacker News Board

Re: How ‘Baldur’s Gate’ Saved the Computer RPG

#41

Post by rebuilder » Fri, Dec 21, 2018, 3:37 PM UTC

tibbon wrote: post #14

eclyps19 wrote: post #4

If you want to play a modern game that takes you back to Balder’s Gate, definitely check out Divinity Original Sin 2. I never played the first, and I was skeptical about it living up to BG 1 and 2, but after the first couple hours I was hooked. It is very much worthy of the comparison.

I concur, and they nailed the multiplayer aspect. If you haven't tried it with a friend, it's really worth it.

It's so good in couch co-op it seems incredible that, AFAIK, there are no other games in that particular niche.

Re: How ‘Baldur’s Gate’ Saved the Computer RPG

#42

Post by meshenna » Fri, Dec 21, 2018, 3:38 PM UTC

rhn_mk1 wrote: post #12

_void wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can still remember Black Isle logo when game was starting in BG1, so no, they were working on first game as well :)

Are you sure they weren't just a distributor?

On the 10th anniversary of Baldur's Gate, Bioware put up a website that had quotes from a bunch of devs who worked on it. One of the people quoted said that the publisher, Interplay, kept rejecting Bioware's story drafts and ended up having their own team (Black Isle) write it. So if that is to be believed, Interplay/Black Isle did do more than just publish the game, but I haven't been able to find out exactly how involved they were in the development.

Re: How ‘Baldur’s Gate’ Saved the Computer RPG

#43

Post by bmurphy1976 » Fri, Dec 21, 2018, 3:39 PM UTC

Waterluvian wrote: post #22

Oh to be a kid again. I've tried a dozen or so RPGs since my childhood and I can't get into any. It's hard to sink deep enough into a world when I have responsibilities. As a kid, the Christmas break or summer break was this magical time where I could do this. My hope is that when I retire I can become re acquainted with crpgs

It's still possible. I have 3 kids a full time job and a 1 hour driving commute each way. Despite this in the past 6 years I've still managed to play through Ultima VI, Baldur's Gate 1&2 Planescape Torment, 1/2 of Icewind Dale (finally burnt out on infinity engine), Tides of Numenera, Pillars of Eternity, Torment, Fallout 3, Fallout 4, God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, Zelda a Link to the Past, Zelda Wind Waker, Hyper Light Drifter and am 95% of my way through Divinity Original Sin and I've probably forgotten some!

I squeeze in an hour or two here and there (usually at night after everybody else has gone to sleep). It can take a couple months to finish a game at this pace, but you get through them.

I like the big open-ended RPGs. I feel like I can get in and complete a couple short quests or a tricky combat situation in the short time I have allotted. It makes me feel like I'm always making progress, even if it's slow going. Compared to action games where I feel like the hour I have to play is barely enough time to warm up and play effectively.

Re: How ‘Baldur’s Gate’ Saved the Computer RPG

#44

Post by acdha » Fri, Dec 21, 2018, 3:39 PM UTC

kgwxd wrote: post #13

I never had a chance to play it as a kid. I just checked GOG, looks like they only have the "Enhanced Edition" which appears to be universally hated. I looked around but finding the original seems to be as hard as finding the unenhanced Star Wars'.

The Enhanced Editions are great – tons of warts removed, support for modern platforms, and a bunch of nice quality-of-life improvements by some of the original developers.

The company which made them offended some gamergate types awhile back so they perennially get negative reviews but that’s politics rather than a reflection on the work.

Re: How ‘Baldur’s Gate’ Saved the Computer RPG

#45

Post by goodbyehorses » Fri, Dec 21, 2018, 3:40 PM UTC

Baldurs Gate was really good, but I think people give it too much credit. Fallout 1$2 and Planescape Torment showed what really is a narrative-driven RPG game, they deserve more attention.

Re: How ‘Baldur’s Gate’ Saved the Computer RPG

#46

Post by tibbon » Fri, Dec 21, 2018, 3:41 PM UTC

rebuilder wrote: post #41

tibbon wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I concur, and they nailed the multiplayer aspect. If you haven't tried it with a friend, it's really worth it.

It's so good in couch co-op it seems incredible that, AFAIK, there are no other games in that particular niche.

Yea, this is the multiplayer I've been dreaming of. I really like how it lets you wander around separately and not get automatically stuck in all of their dialogues and decisions. Neverwinter Nights kinda tried to have some of this, but it wasn't quite this smooth.

Re: How ‘Baldur’s Gate’ Saved the Computer RPG

#47

Post by minikites » Fri, Dec 21, 2018, 3:44 PM UTC

goodbyehorses wrote: post #45

Baldurs Gate was really good, but I think people give it too much credit. Fallout 1$2 and Planescape Torment showed what really is a narrative-driven RPG game, they deserve more attention.

The Fallout series isn't exactly obscure and Fallout 1 in particular is terrible. I got a game over 5 minutes into the game because I walked too far and the arbitrary timer ran out.

Re: How ‘Baldur’s Gate’ Saved the Computer RPG

#48

Post by Aardwolf » Fri, Dec 21, 2018, 3:45 PM UTC

bmurphy1976 wrote: post #43

Waterluvian wrote: post #22

Oh to be a kid again. I've tried a dozen or so RPGs since my childhood and I can't get into any. It's hard to sink deep enough into a world when I have responsibilities. As a kid, the Christmas break or summer break was this magical time where I could do this. My hope is that when I retire I can become re acquainted with crpgs

It's still possible. I have 3 kids a full time job and a 1 hour driving commute each way. Despite this in the past 6 years I've still managed to play through Ultima VI, Baldur's Gate 1&2 Planescape Torment, 1/2 of Icewind Dale (finally burnt out on infinity engine), Tides of Numenera, Pillars of Eternity, Torment, Fallout 3, Fallout 4, God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, Zelda a Link to the Past, Zelda Wind Waker, Hyper L…

Baldur's gate also comes as smartphone apps, it's not super convenient but works, finish an RPG on the loo! :)

Re: How ‘Baldur’s Gate’ Saved the Computer RPG

#49

Post by ourmandave » Fri, Dec 21, 2018, 3:46 PM UTC

Waterluvian wrote: post #22

Oh to be a kid again. I've tried a dozen or so RPGs since my childhood and I can't get into any. It's hard to sink deep enough into a world when I have responsibilities. As a kid, the Christmas break or summer break was this magical time where I could do this. My hope is that when I retire I can become re acquainted with crpgs

And those games have a pause button so you don't have to have insane controller skillz to play 'em.

Re: How ‘Baldur’s Gate’ Saved the Computer RPG

#50

Post by ido » Fri, Dec 21, 2018, 3:51 PM UTC

Waterluvian wrote: post #22

Oh to be a kid again. I've tried a dozen or so RPGs since my childhood and I can't get into any. It's hard to sink deep enough into a world when I have responsibilities. As a kid, the Christmas break or summer break was this magical time where I could do this. My hope is that when I retire I can become re acquainted with crpgs

For me it wasn't even the big breaks. Aside from the crunches to prepare for the finals at the end of high-school I would come home from school in the early afternoon (schools in Israel operate on a 6-days per week but fewer hours per day schedule), food/housework would already be done by my mother & I basically had 2pm-10pm completely free almost every day (more on weekends & holiday).

Completing a game like Fallout 2 multiple times (it must have taken 50+ hours of play at least the first time) was nothing exceptional & I didn't need to wait for summer break to do it.