Baldur's Gate I & II - Gather your party before venturing forth

IT'S HAPPENING!!!!

baldursgate3.game/

A few more details:

venturebeat.com/2019/06/06/baldurs-gate-iii-is-coming-for-pc-and-stadia-when-its-ready-takes-place-after-dds-descent-into-avernus/

Looks like it follows up the upcoming 5E module Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus. Maybe like how the original BG games followed up on the Time of Troubles?

We could sticky them to the top as they are topical again.

If the idea meets the approval of others I think a regular of the BG thread should make a BG III thread so that they can be the OP.

Only outstanding question is whether to split the current BG thread of posts discussing BG II specifically or whether to start a
new BGII thread for sake of tidyness?

Open to feedback.


NOTE: The category title change is kind of a way to flag that it's no longer just BioWare - that Larian and Beamdog are 'on topic' for Baldur's Gate.

Yeah, I know. I just find it interesting that something from the cancelled D&D project from Beamdog seems to have made it into Larian's BGIII...even if it is a coincidence, but then maybe not, whatever universe plot WotC is working on probably impacted both Beamdog and Larian's games design.

I don’t know all that much about forgotten realms lore outside of what happens in game, so the whole trailer I was going wtf. I had to google mind flayers. So... that’s really just how they reproduce/become adults huh. Anyway, the hype is real!

Debating who I should choose for my "good" party playthrough in BG1 (and BG2, when I get there). Is the "canon" party (Imoen, Jaheria, Khalid, Minsc and Dynaheir) any good or will sticking with them in BG1 hamper me in the long run?

It's a perfectly fine group with almost everything covered except for a cleric, unless you play one yourself. Jaheira can fulfill that role to a degree, but druids don't get all of the same spells as clerics do. It won't really be much of an issue in BG1 though, but in BG2 I wouldn't want to be without a cleric. Having said that, people have soloed these games with almost every class and kit imaginable, so running a full party that just lacks a cleric is an incredibly small handicap, all things considered.

There's really no positives or negatives to who you have in your party in BG1 when finishing and going over to BG2, other than the continuity if you go with the canon group. If you have absolutely none of them in your party, it will still be treated as if you had been adventuring with Imoen, Jaheira, Khalid, Minsc & Dynaheir for a long time before the start of BG2. If you like the default, canon party then you should stick with them, they're all good in their roles albeit not necessarily the best (Dynaheir not being as good a mage as Edwin is immediately comes to mind). 

I don't know how you feel about modding, but even if you don't want to change or add anything else, I highly recommend at least the BG1 NPC Project. Without it, your party is kind of...silent. Seriously, there isn't very much dialogue from party members in the original, unmodded BG1.

Nice to see BG on Xbox.

Started a very slow playthrough with a Paladin to mark a past such playthrough more than 20 years ago.

With the BG3 hype, I'm now trying for the first time the older BG games. I would say that BG1 didn't age gracefully, even with the enhanced edition. The difficulty can be all over the place, you just have to know what's brokenly overpowered. Kinda like a more extreme version of Dragon Age Origins. The party members are dead silent unfortunately, I would like to know more about Jaheira or Baelrun for example. The game itself is pretty clunky, even more-so than Planescape Torment which I played a few years ago especially with bigger fights in the former. I guess it would become better in BG2, being considered one of the greatest games of all time. That said, I still feel that after my current playthrough I must try to break the game with a mage-heavy party like I did DAO with a 3 mage 1 rogue party.

Steam stats:
10% have made it out of Candlekeep 
1.3% finished BG1EE
0.5% finished Siege of Dragonspear
5% finished Irenicus' base (intro dungeon)
0.4% finished Throne of Bhaal

So good luck. If u have questions you can ask em here.

Mages are definitely powerful throughout the game starting from the level 1 sleep spell all the way to the level 9 time stop in Throne Of Bhaal.

I recently played the BG1 EE version but I just couldn't get motivated in BG2 EE. The thought of trudging out to Nalia's place was unappealing, especially since I can't stand her. I don't think I even made it to the Temple District before losing interest. Was looking forward to being immune to level drain, too, as an Undead Hunter. Oh well. I might pick it up again later on.