30 replies to this topic

[Bardess]

Beat me, kill, me, but I would vote 3.

[Daulmakan]

I think it's a combination of 2 and 3.

It's perfectly normal to devote less playing time to it as time passes by. After all, after hours and hours of repeating the experience, even with the wonderful mods that abound, the gaming impact just isn't the same as it was in its early stages when one began to play it.

However, I don't think it's too late. On the contrary, I think this is one of the most durable games out there. The vanilla BG series already had a very decent roleplay value, and the modding community has geometrically increased this attribute.

Anyway, just think of the old arcade games that are still running around on MAME. If those are being played like they are these days, I wouldn't expect BG to go away anytime soon.

[Kaeloree]

Well said, Daulmakan

[Gabrielle]

I do not understand the question. Too late for what?

[Tempest]

Baldur's Gate may be an old game, but it's still my all-time favorite game, irregardless of genre or platform. Other games have come close, but none have the same *feel* as BG. Plain and simple: Baldur's Gate is the standard by which I judge all other rpg's.

[Gabrielle]

Oh I see. BG will not fade away. It is no longer popular like it used to be, all of those new games with their pretty graphics. All show and no go.

BG2 is what I judge a game's romance if it has one. Both Kotor's and NWN2 didn't even come close to the greatness of BG2's romances. I wouldn't even call them romances.

I may buy and play some of the newer games but games that are old like BG are played many, many times over.

[Kellen]

I have to go with option 3 as well. I hope to play it again, but honestly it's been more than a year since I played through the game last.

[Pain Elemental]

Voted 1, I keep trying the newly released games, but they just miss the impact of BG2.

[Bardess]

I got so used to some things and lines in BG2 (especially Irenicus's) that I have to make a huge pause between playing for another time. I played BG1 less, maybe I should return to that next.

[Jyzabyl]

As long as there are fabulous clever little people out there coming up with new content, BG will stay on my to do list.

[Kulyok]

"Aerie, Nalia and Jan in my party, all at once? Casting Lightning in an enclosed space? On Firkraag, who has 65% magic resistance? No way. What are you smoking... ? Though, wait. Hmm, this gives me a mod idea..."

#2 for me - I do not think it will be forgotten. Like Diablo 2 or Myst, it will remain a classic, though with a significantly smaller player base.

[berelinde]

As long as I can keep getting it to run on my system, I'll keep playing it (and modding it, most likely).

[Bluenose]

I find that I do play it less, so it's option 3 for me. Part of the problem is that it is such a good game that I have played it many times before. That first thrill of discovery can't be recovered no matter what. I won't ever be surprised by core content again, although as long as people are coming out with mods there will still be new things for me to try. It will never leave my hard drive as long as my computer can cope with it.

[Delight]

Frankly, to me Baldur's Gate was outdated at the moment it came out. It's non-stat affected dialogs were outdated in comparision to those from Fallout, the world was very static and artificial when compared to Ultima 7. Not to mention the linearity...
Taking that into account, I think that it won't be too late as long as people are going to create mods for it.

[Bardess]

"Aerie, Nalia and Jan in my party, all at once? Casting Lightning in an enclosed space? On Firkraag, who has 65% magic resistance? No way. What are you smoking... ? Though, wait. Hmm, this gives me a mod idea..."

Well, if you cast Lower Resistance on him a couple of times (and you start it while he is not hostile), you will see lightning is an effective spell for him. It hits him twice at a time, I think, because he is so big. That was my brother's tactic. Too bad Lower Resistance is a rare spell (but you can get it for free if you are a sorcerer )
I wish these things were discussed more often.

[Kulyok]

At Sorcerer's Place and Gamebanshee, they used to, and still do. If you use the search function, it's all there, sorcerer's lists, spells, tactics and everything.

[vilkacis]

Wait, what were you saying? I couldn't hear you over the sound of Pool of Radiance mangling my computer speaker...

Meh, I play old games almost as much as I play "new" ones. BG will be fun as long as there are new mods coming out. It'll be "too late" when the community abandons it.

[berelinde]

Meh, I play old games almost as much as I play "new" ones. BG will be fun as long as there are new mods coming out. It'll be "too late" when the community abandons it.

Hear, hear!

[GeN1e]

Vilkacis - well said.
I too often find old games more attractive than new ones. I think I can even explain why exactly - because they lack in graphic. Which means I can use my imagination and draw the picture as I see it, not as artist does. Heh, I can imagine how I'll sit at BG after ~10 years and my children will ask me - 'dad, what kind of nightmare you're playing in?'

My vote would be 2, even if I'd prefer 1.

[IronDragon]

Nearly a decade after its release Baldur?s Gate is still played, still talked about, still modded, still the topic of endless fanfic. How many other games can claim half as much? The creators of BG struck gold when they assembled this game. Sadly no one has come close to doing anything this good and this playable again. And given what I hear from the game designers no one is willing to even try.