The GWJ CRPG Club - Game 7: Baldur's Gate (In Progress)

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For more information on the GWJ CRPG Club, go here.

Baldur's Gate is the GWJ CRPG's Club's seventh winner, the victor in one of our largest runaway election victories to date. Released in 1998, and then again as an enhanced edition in 2012, this RPG is a Bioware classic in the genre.

For our purposes, you can play either the standard edition or the enhanced edition. The game is currently playable on Windows, Mac OS, Android, and iOS. If you'd prefer to wait to play on the Switch, that version will be released on September 24, 2019. DLC for the game is optional. See the Helpful Links section for more information.

We'll be playing this game until December 31, 2019 . This thread is for friendly discussion as we play through the game. Share your reflections, successes, defeats, tactics, wishes, impressions, and whatever here! The more conversation the better, so post away.

For BIG spoilers, please use the spoiler tag. (No! I am your father!) Tactics, strategies, general story progression likely won't need them.

Anyone and everyone is welcome to participate, and can start at any time, so join the fun! One quick favor: If you decide to play, make a post here along the lines of "I'm in!" to let us know. If you start and finish the game before the end, you'll level up your GWJ CRPG Membership.

Helpful Links
Steam Ultimate Edition ($4.99 - Summer sale)
GOG ($4.99 - Summer sale)
Google Play ($9.99)
iOS Version ($9.99)
How Long to Beat (31-82 hours)
Wikipedia Page
Baldur's Gate Wiki
Baldur's Gate EE Achievement Guide
Metacritic (91 metascore, 8.9 user score)
Walkthrough
IGN Wiki Guide and Walkthrough
List of BGEE Recommended Mods for New Players
List of all known mods that work with BGEE

Members Completed
Alien Love Gardener
Shadout
tboon
ubrakto
Clumber
WizKid
Sorbicol
pyxistyx
imbiginjapan
Redherring
Math
benign1
*Legion*
beanman101283
RnRClown

Members Playing
Godzilla Blitz
merphle
Tkyl
Hardek
jdzappa
Running Man
JohnKillo
LastSurprise
tundra
tormodh
blackanchor

You did it, you crazy old bastard. (Baldur, not Godzilla Blitz!)
Definitely planning to play this. Not sure when I'll start though.

I'm in for this one. As with Origins, I've never taken a second play of this game through to the end, but with the BG3 announcement, I'm hopeful of sticking this one out!

Sidenote, the mod scene for this game is extensive, and it appears the major ones have all been made compatible with the Enhanced Edition. The Beamdog forums have a few threads on this, but these two stood out to me:

List of BGEE Recommended Mods for New Players

List of all known mods that work with BGEE

I’m in, anyone up for trying their hand at multiplayer?

Thanks ubrakto! I've added the links to the first post.

If anyone has other links they think would be helpful for all, please feel free to post them and I'll add them to the first post for posterity and easy finding.
_______

I'm in as well. Both Dragon Age: Origins and Arcanum were different enough that they didn't feel like a traditional RPG game, so I've been feeling the itch to get back into something like Baldur's Gate. I'll be out of town for a while starting on Monday, but hope to start this weekend then and then pick up once I get back in mid-July.

I’m in. Might be a little while before I get started in earnest, but I’m looking forward to finally trying this out.

For folks who’ve played before, do you recommend following a walkthrough?

I admit I’m not enthused about learning the intricacies of the old D&D ruleset. I didn’t care for it back when I played KotOR, so I don’t expect to enjoy an even older version of the rules. I’ll probably play one the Enhanced Edition’s easier difficulty levels.

I'm in but I really need to push forward with Arcanum first.

Are we all playing this EE or the "Original" version(s)

Count me in!

*Sigh*

Well. I did pick up Siege of Dragonspear during the GOG sale, so I guess this is as good an excuse as any to lead into that one. I'm in.

I'm in!

I’m in

Me too. Won't finish most likely but why mess up my string.

I’m in!

Any suggestions on characters? I started a Druid but am not loving her. Debating on a barbarian or paladin.

So, I'm In. BUUUUUUUUT.

Technically I JUST completed Baldurs Gate and Dragonspear. So i'm actually picking up at the start of Baldurs Gate 2 with my ongoing semi-solo character run.

This is she...

IMAGE(https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/780727862547921682/172D065B2885D641A0A599E20F3EC855F037EC07/)

Right now i'm not entirely solo as I'm running with Viconia as backup. I'll not mention too much about BG2 here but i'll be paying attention to what's going on as you all play through the first one

Purchased the enhanced edition on steam for $5, Not sure I'll actually get around to playing though, I think I'm kinda burned out on the genre. If nothing else, I can vicariously enjoy the game through all of you until while it sits in my library a bit.

Well, I'm off... sorta. I spent about an hour rolling the dice to hit a 98 for a paladin (cavalier). I haven't tried this class with an Infinity game yet, and the kit seems fun with its immunities to poison, fear, etc. and the ability to cast remove fear. (I seem to remember poison and fear being big nuisances in BG1.) Was very close to opting to go with a dual-class Kensai/Mage, but not knowing if I'll finish this, let alone carry through to BG2 (where the choice might pay off), made that seem silly.

Mods installed:
ModMerge (evidently quite important if installing mods in the Steam or GoG versions of the EE?)
The NPC Project (adds a lot more character interaction)
Unfinished Business (adds a boatload of content, much of it unfinished cuts from the original game)
Additional Mini Quests and Enhancements
Chatty Imoen (loved her arc in BG2 and like the idea of her being more chatty in BG1)

@pyxistyx Love the character portrait! Can I ask where you got it from?

I'm so in! Rolled up my favorite multi-class combo, a little gnome cleric/illusionist.

jdzappa wrote:

I’m in!

Any suggestions on characters? I started a Druid but am not loving her. Debating on a barbarian or paladin.

I wasn't sure on this either, but I found a lot of fighter/barbarian/berserker/paladin suggestions. So I've started with Paladin Godzilla.

IMAGE(https://i.imgur.com/QopDZzs.jpg)

I played through the tutorial/starting village, and now am starting my adventure.

So far so good. Still Level 1, but my party is up to two members.

ubrakto wrote:

Well, I'm off... sorta. I spent about an hour rolling the dice to hit a 98 for a paladin (cavalier)...

Ha! Now that's determination. I got a 95 on my second or third roll, rolled for a minute or so, got nothing close to the 95 and went back to it. (You can "store" a roll, which is nice of them.)

Seeing as this is my first time through the game, I didn't install any mods. I'm wondering already if there is a mod to speed up walking speed though.

ubrakto wrote:

@pyxistyx Love the character portrait! Can I ask where you got it from?

reverse google image search to the rescue!

Can't believe nobody has linked this fanatical bundle yet: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-an...

I'm in, but need to finish (by which I mean start) Arcanum first.

ed: I gave in to temptation and got both EE's and the Dragonspear DLC on Steam even though I own the originals (on GoG) and still have my physical(!) copy of BG2.

I'm in. I have to travel though for a family vacation. Maybe the Android version will be okay?

I’m in!

beanman101283 wrote:

I’m in. Might be a little while before I get started in earnest, but I’m looking forward to finally trying this out.

For folks who’ve played before, do you recommend following a walkthrough?

I admit I’m not enthused about learning the intricacies of the old D&D ruleset. I didn’t care for it back when I played KotOR, so I don’t expect to enjoy an even older version of the rules. I’ll probably play one the Enhanced Edition’s easier difficulty levels.

I would recommend no walkthrough, but that you’ll probably want to familiarize yourself with 2nd Ed D&D rules. But I think a lot of the joy of this game is that there’s a lot to explore, beyond the main story. And the story is kind of fun to see unveil, if you don’t already know what’s coming.

If you have never played before, there’s something worth knowing: if the main character dies, you get an instant game over. There is never an opportunity to revive the MC. This is different for every other character, and there is a story reason why the game instantly ends. You’ll find out part way through the game.

LastSurprise wrote:

I would recommend no walkthrough, but that you’ll probably want to familiarize yourself with 2nd Ed D&D rules. But I think a lot of the joy of this game is that there’s a lot to explore, beyond the main story. And the story is kind of fun to see unveil, if you don’t already know what’s coming.

Good advice, but worth noting they've set up the difficulty options pretty nicely so that you don't have to wade into all the crunchy THAC0(?)-type stuff if you don't want to. Normal mode looks pretty reasonable. Easy mode takes a bunch of edges off, and there's a Story Mode now that basically keeps anyone in your party from dying (if I'm reading that right). And, of course, you can ramp it up the other way too.

Oh there's some really cool stuff there. Might be able to mine a better portrait for my character. Thank you!

Godzilla Blitz wrote:
ubrakto wrote:

Well, I'm off... sorta. I spent about an hour rolling the dice to hit a 98 for a paladin (cavalier)...

Ha! Now that's determination. I got a 95 on my second or third roll, rolled for a minute or so, got nothing close to the 95 and went back to it. (You can "store" a roll, which is nice of them.)

Seeing as this is my first time through the game, I didn't install any mods. I'm wondering already if there is a mod to speed up walking speed though.

I was driving my son (14) crazy, as he was looking over my shoulder and wanting to see the game. Didn't know he'd have to settle for me just rolling dice for an hour. Funny bit was, I had hit a 93 pretty quickly and was all set to go with it, and when I went to look up some stuff about stat distribution for the paladin class, I saw references to people rolling upwards of a 101, and I said to him, "Oh, we're beating a 93."

Ha! I could see myself doing the same thing. I thought 95 was about as good as I was going to get, so I cashed in early.

Do characters gain levels slowly in this game? By now I figure I should be Level 2, but I'm about a third of the way there.

In, as soon as I find my computer. And get an internet connection. Just moved into a new house.

TFW you get a 96 but hit Reroll.

Godzilla Blitz wrote:

Do characters gain levels slowly in this game? By now I figure I should be Level 2, but I'm about a third of the way there.

Yes. Also max level is way lower than you’re probably used to.

Spoiler:

Max is 7-8 depending on class, unless you have Siege of Dragonspear DLC installed, in which case max is 10-12 depending on class.

I’m in.

Confession: I've played maybe 1/3 of the way through Baldur's Gate, but got bored and distracted each time, so I've never actually won it. BG2 however, I've won three times.

Will I join in and try to beat it this time? Tentatively I'm saying "no" but I might change my mind.

Oh, I'll throw my support behind the bard class if anyone plans to carry their PC through to the sequel. The bard has a cool stronghold and a late stage ability that lets them use any item. So my fast, dual-wielding blade bard was eventually also decked out in full plate armor.

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