Thread 717700589

Revisiting Baldur's Gate 2 in 2025 feels genuinely refreshing. How did we manage to lose this school of writing in video games?
The prose is beautiful yet compact, and even the party’s dedicated idiot manages to carry himself with more dignity than what you’d see in most modern CRPGs.
Is it simply the power of sincerity?

>>717700589 (OP)
Us zoomers never got to play old school D&D editions. My introduction was with 5e. How do you expect the new generations to be able to pull off something they've never experienced? Hell, there was nothing in life to experience other than vidya, TV, school, uni and unemployment. Boomers and Xers at least led their lives. Anyway, I'll use the AI to bring back 2e. Just you wait.

writers used to write for games

>>717700589 (OP)
>this school of writing
What school of writing?

>>717700589 (OP)
Nobody with brains works in the game industry anymore because it doesn't pay worth shit, there's no job security, and on top on that it's annoying as shit when every idea has to be greenlit by three team leaders and four HR women

>>717700589 (OP)
The 90s was at the right balance before everything went to shit.

>>717700589 (OP)
>How did we manage to lose this school of writing in video games?
Common Core destruction of Gen Z and Alpha
brought to you by the same (((faggot))) that allowed the Xbox to be shat out of M$'s ass

>>717701581
Back in say Ultima's day, all the way to Id, it would be common for the entire dev team to be at the same D+D table. Now, can you imagine any AAA game where everyone on the credits has EVER played any TTRPG? Or even finished ANY rpg of any type to completion?

>>717704342
Devs should take the Bethesda Softworks' Arena method. You should play a campaign or two in the game's setting to test it out and see if it's a good idea. IDK how this would work now since tabletops are all about tieflings and combat wheelchairs, female space marines and mechanics against dying.

>>717701581
the edition of the D&D edition has no effect on writing potential. there is no reason that writing should be worse in newer editions.

>>717704237
the new games are written by gen x and worst of all, muttlennials. gen z and alpha have nothing to do with it.

>>717706574
5e is a very different game from 2e. The PCs are vastly overpowered, and are expected to do everything by themselves except for caring about the equipment, encumbrance, employing henchmen, everyone has infravision, almost everyone casts spells, there's 6 death saving throws, the modules are written by retards for retards. If you've been playing 5e, you've been trained to see your character as an action hero instead of adventurer.

Do I have to play bg1 to play/understand bg2

>>717700589 (OP)
>How did we manage to lose this school of writing in video games?
Writing ability across the board has dropped, have you tried watching any films or TV lately? They're fucking awful. I don't know if this some fundamental generational problem with literacy in general or simply a mandate from above that anything isn't the safest, most boring possible plotline is too much of a risk to shareholder value to publish.

>>717700589 (OP)
Calling it "prose" is cringe. Just say "writing."

>>717706896
prose is not cringe and has a specific meaning as it applies to both speech and writing, midwit.

>>717706825
yes

>>717706825
Yes, and you should. It's a genuinely cool game.

>thought that she's annoying back in the days
>replaying the game now
>she's a sweet cinnamon roll, her "whining" is just childish attempts to draw your attention to herself, tries to cheer you up several times, had adorable banter with all good-aligned party members
>becomes more mature in ToB and even more pleasant, can tell Korgan to fuck off instead of throwing a tantrum

>>717706823
A 20th level AD&D Fighter will do a lot better against 50 guys with crossbows than a 20th level 5E Fighter though. Bounded accuracy is retarded like that.

>>717706825
No. BG1's story is pretty simple and you can easily pick it up playing BG2, which mostly has a separate story.

>>717706823
>The PCs are vastly overpowered
Are they? I feel like a fucking mook as a 12 level sorc in BG3 compared to the wild bullshit i could do as a 12 level sorc in BG2.

>>717707842
I think wizards are nerfed, mostly everything else buffed, compared to old school D&D.

>>717700589 (OP)
Baldurs Gate 2 and Fallout 2 are the 9gag of video games.
They are deeply unserious, in a very cringe way, and people who like them are fags.

>>717700589 (OP)
You know, regarding these two characters specifically...

In the sequel, I never felt that Minsc was anything like his old self. He didn't even resemble his portrait from the other games.
Jaheira on the other hand was written exactly the way she was in the older games and was even recreated precisely from her BG2 portrait. For extra points, even her menu portrait is a recreation.

Minsc is ruined by BG3, but Jaheira stayed strong.

>>717707919
A level 12 thief in BG2 is a one punch man who can murder dragons in a single backstab. And i don't think any fighter in BG3 can be as broken bullshit as Korgan who is just a whirlwind of rape and death.

>>717707994
What's interesting about BG3 Jaheira is that she was written by a complete literally who

>>717708159
thats because bg1/2 has very little writing for companions and they are all sparse runny loose shit

>>717708159
And voiced by a literally who. But that woman studied Heidi Shannon's performance/accent and replicated it as best she could, which she did very well.

Matt Mercer didn't even try. What I don't get it, Jim Cummings is still doing game voiceovers right now, why isn't he here? Did they ask?

>>717707736
>"she's a sweet cinnamon roll"
>continuously makes fun of Jaheira and her dead husband
>is entirely insufferable if you ever choose to pursue Jaheira
Had to kick her out of the party at that point

>>717708252
I didn't like Minsc VA in BG2 too either but yeah Matt Mercer wasn't good.

>>717708506
Jaheira treats her harshly first for no reason.

>>717707752
There is no 20th level AD&D guy, he becomes the quest giver npc at aroung level 8-10, they're literally guildmasters or rulers at that point. you're supposed to start playing wargames past that level. AD&D is more like Mount & Blade Warband than any CRPG.
>>717707842
Even in 2e your wizard is probably starting with 1hp. Tripping on a rock could be deadly.

>>717708659
She already had feelings for the MC and felt threatened by the presence of the new pretty young thing in the party, it makes sense, doesn't justify her behavior in a social setting but it does explain why she would do it.

>>717706825
BG2 is a direct continuation of BG1 but the stories are mostly self contained

>>717701581
>us zoomers
Please kill yourself.

>>717701669
Cubism.

>>717708252
>What I don't get it, Jim Cummings is still doing game voiceovers right now, why isn't he here? Did they ask?
I can't confirm it but I remember there was some controversy concerining Jim Cummings. Something to do with an ex? I believe Larian likely didn't call him back to reprise Minsc because of that. Which is a real shame.

Millennial writers have sociology degrees whereas Gen X and older tended to have philosophy/folklore degrees or just an interest in those things.

>>717709071
>She already had feelings for the MC
A week after her husband died which only makes her more disgusting honestly.

>>717700589 (OP)
Grim

>>717709695
It's not like she wanted to fuck the guy right then and there, she was conflicted the whole game about her feelings, even questioning if she deserved to be happy despite what happened, leading to her personal quest. After what Irenicus put the party through I don't blame her one bit for basically imprinting onto the only other man who truly actually cared deeply about her.

What is the best BG2 class kit and why is it bounty hunter?

>>717708159
I like to imagine that particular writer was the only one who actually played and loved BG1 and BG2, and when presented with the shitshow of 3's script basically fought tooth and nail to write for Jaheira, to keep some semblance of dignity to the one character who deserves it.

>>717711386
I never use traps, unfun cheese. real men break the game with cleric/mage sequencers

>>717709695
>A week after her husband died which only makes her more disgusting honestly.
Did you not fucking do her romance? She spends the entire time trying to fight off her feelings, feeling guilty as shit for betraying Khalid, to the point that (assuming you aren't focusing entirely on her quest) she spends weeks trying to talk herself out of feeling anything romantic for CHARNAME. Oh, and don't forget how she breaks down in tears when the Master Wraith uses Khalid's image to hurt her and make her feel like a whore for allowing herself to love again.

>>717711386
Maze traps are cool, but they just aren’t worth it over the flexibility and power of Fighter/Thief IMO. Especially with how much Use Any Item benefits from the baseline competency F/T has in combat. I favor multiclasses over kits in general, but If I had to pick a coolest kit it would be Wild Mage. NRD is the best.

>>717712417
>Oh, and don't forget how she breaks down in tears when the Master Wraith uses Khalid's image to hurt her and make her feel like a whore for allowing herself to love again.
KINO
Married woman with long dormant feelings for her hot young ward fights herself to desperately deny said feelings due to societal and emotional perceptions regarding grief and morning and attraction and lust.
She would have the better romance, unfortunately you can put like two babies in Aerie

>>717708252
Bizarrely none of the og VAs returned even though they're all in business.
Some people Jim Cummings had some controversy regarding his ex, but that doesn't explain everyone else

>>717712340
>time stop harm

>>717712417
>Oh, and don't forget how she breaks down in tears when the Master Wraith uses Khalid's image to hurt her and make her feel like a whore for allowing herself to love again.
Good, she is a whore and no amount of "boo hoo I feel bad" changes the fact that she wanted to ride MCs cock after barely mourning her husband.

>>717708218
BG1 doesn’t have much. BG2 has shitloads. Jaheira’s romance has 38 conversations in Shadows of Amn alone.

>>717712790
Wild Mage is too, well, wild. NRD only stops randomly killing your party in TOB, but even then you still have 25% chance to dick yourself in the ass every time you cast it. Sorcerer just shits out powerful spells in the meantime and dragon disciple chills inside his own incendiary cloud on top of it.

>>717709695
>>717710695
>Adopts three subhumans
Why did Jaheira, Minsc and Viconia have to show up in BG3?

>>717713553
Sorcerer is powerful but kinda boring IMO. Wild Mage is powerful and interesting. But Sorceror is very good of course.

>>717714543
Sorcerer is really vanilla, but i don't think anything comes even remotely close to his obscene firepower. Personally, i think Dragon Disciple is even better and more flavourful and fun. You're a fantastic tank with just the basic bitch blur/mirror image/stoneskin, you can nuke yourself with your own fire spells, you have a fairly powerful breath weapon once per sleep.
Wild mage is fun, but i found his flavour of fun to be kinda obnoxious at times, especially when you nuke your own gold reserves in a game where you really need all the gold because of the amount of insane shit you can buy.

>>717700589 (OP)
>Revisiting
Anon, you make this thread every day. It's time to move on from this 2/10 casual rpg and play a real video game.