# Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 28, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition/642369 "2012-11-28T15:15:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition/642369/21 "2012-11-29T16:08:42Z")
I’ve been whistling and singing the theme song all day today. My wife asked what the hell I was singing so loudly in the shower 🙂 Dum dum, dum dum dum dum dum, la la la la!!! Didn’t get very far either, kept on rolling up characters/builds. The game won’t let me quick slot two-handed weapons if I have a shield, so my sword + buckler + longbow build is out the window ☹ This version of D&D doesn’t allow you to increase stats at level up, right? Or does it? I ended up going with an elven fighter with two-handed sword and longbow, but I might switch again to a fighter/rogue so I can loot more stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition/642369/22 "2012-11-29T16:18:03Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > Hmmm, I’ll consider getting it for android as well, assuming reviews don’t pan the interface. > > I’m not really convinced on touch screen devices for running these kinds of games. The mouse is fast and accurate. A touchscreen is neither. I assume lots of pausing… but at the same time, lots of pausing in these types of games is fine, so who knows? I just don’t want to be frustrated because I can’t pick up the sword on the ground, or can’t select a character cause he’s standing too close to another character, etc. Touchscreens really aren’t _ideal_ for any form of gaming - of necessity, you’ll blocking nontrivial parts of the screen with your finger. That said - the idea of carrying around a Really Good game on an iPad Mini is pretty tempting. You’re right to note that frequent pausing isn’t really a problem for Baldur’s Gate - I’d also point out that one could certainly zoom in whilst paused. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition/642369/23 "2012-11-29T16:19:14Z")
Just got it. See you all in a few days. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition/642369/24 "2012-11-29T16:48:40Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > Didn’t get very far either, kept on rolling up characters/builds. The game won’t let me quick slot two-handed weapons if I have a shield, so my sword + buckler + longbow build is out the window ☹ Yeah, that was one of the big drawbacks of BG1/BG2’s UI. If you have a shield, you can’t quickslot bows or 2-handers. IWD2 allowed it through the use of multiple _sets_ instead of slots. I’m still kind of miffed they didn’t seize the opportunity to port BG over to IWD2’s engine and 3E rules, to be perfectly honest. It would have been so fucking glorious… > [@](#): > > This version of D&D doesn’t allow you to increase stats at level up, right? Or does it? Nope, but there are tomes to be found in the game for +1 in each of the stats (and two of them for… Wisdom, was it ?) > [@](#): > > I ended up going with an elven fighter with two-handed sword and longbow, but I might switch again to a fighter/rogue so I can loot more stuff. You start your journey with the best rogue NPC in the game in tow unless the new NPC(s) are even better at it than Imoen. And she’s level 1, so the game can’t even fuck up her level-ups and skill allocations for you. Of course, she _is_ screechy and annoying as all getout (and you haven’t even heard the abomination that is her voice set in the French dub…) but duuuude - best rogue in the game ! And you can dual her to mage while still maxing Find Traps and Pickpocket ! (Pick Lock is for chumps. That’s what the Knock spell is for. Or in a pinch, Minsc.) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition/642369/25 "2012-11-29T17:01:02Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > Didn’t get very far either, kept on rolling up characters/builds. The game won’t let me quick slot two-handed weapons if I have a shield, so my sword + buckler + longbow build is out the window ☹ Whoose! I go to my inventory screen every time I need to swap my loadout. Beats the hoops we used to have to jump through in earlier games. > [@Kobal2](#): > > You start your journey with the best rogue NPC in the game in tow unless the new NPC(s) are even better at it than Imoen. And she’s level 1, so the game can’t even fuck up her level-ups and skill allocations for you. Unfortunately, …they dual-class her as Mage in the second game, meaning that about the time you lose your other thief, you have a thief who can’t access her abilities until she gets several levels higher as a mage. Even on my first playthrough, I simply edited her character to get her back in the game. As for pickpocketing, that’s what your bard is for. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition/642369/26 "2012-11-29T17:13:52Z")
I really wish I could make my cavalier be Neutral Good. C’mon, I’m a chivalrous gentleman, not a rules stickler. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition/642369/27 "2012-11-29T17:24:22Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > I really wish I could make my cavalier be Neutral Good. C’mon, I’m a chivalrous gentleman, not a rules stickler. Well, I’ve read that existing mods would still work with the newfangled edition, so I’d assume the save editors do as well. [Cheers](http://www.mud-master.com/gatekeeper/) (do remember to backup you save before you edit it, just in case). ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition/642369/28 "2012-11-29T17:30:42Z")
Please help me out, as I have little experience in this area. I missed out on Baldur’s Gate the first time around, but I later played Neverwinter Nights and really liked it. Is BG Enhanced likely to be something I’d also enjoy? (I.e., should I ask for it for Christmas)? ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition/642369/29 "2012-11-29T17:32:33Z")
[quote=“Johnny\_Angel, post:25, topic:642369”] Unfortunately, …they dual-class her as Mage in the second game, meaning that about the time you lose your other thief, you have a thief who can’t access her abilities until she gets several levels higher as a mage. Even on my first playthrough, I simply edited her character to get her back in the game. Sure, but a) there are other NPCs decent enough to fill that very temporary gap (c’mon, you know you want Jan in your party anyway) and b) this release is strictly BG1+ToSC, in which Imoen rules fairly goddamn hard. > [@](#): > > As for pickpocketing, that’s what your bard is for. Whatchoo talkin’ 'bout, Willis ?! Your bard is a Blade, or maybe a Skald, 'cause kitless Bard is for chumps. Blades can’t pick pocket for shit ! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition/642369/30 "2012-11-29T17:40:03Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Please help me out, as I have little experience in this area. I missed out on Baldur’s Gate the first time around, but I later played Neverwinter Nights and really liked it. Is BG Enhanced likely to be something I’d also enjoy? > > (I.e., should I ask for it for Christmas)? Depends. Story-wise, and freeform exploration-wise I’d say BG trumps Neverwinter hands down, because both NWN 1 and 2s plots were extremely generic and on rails. If what you liked about NWN was Masks of the Betrayer, that’s different - in that case, BG will still get you more freedom, but less brilliant writing (but just you wait until they port _Planescape:Torment_. Oh please, please, let them port _Planescape:Torment_) Mechanics-wise… there’s the rub. Baldur’s Gate is based on an older D&D ruleset, one that allows a lot less diversity, is much less intuitive, and frankly makes a lot less sense. We’re not quite back in “Elf is a class” territory, but not that far ahead either. So if what you liked about NWN was making crazy character builds, funky feat combos, making your own godly magic items and the like ; that won’t really happen in Baldur’s Gate. And needless to say, even with the updated engine the graphics won’t be nearly as snazzy as even NWN’s jaggy blocks. With that being said, get it, get it now. It really is/was an awesome game and if you’ve never played it you’re in for a treat. Also a hiatus in your social life. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition/642369/31 "2012-11-29T18:08:05Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > You start your journey with the best rogue NPC in the game in tow unless the new NPC(s) are even better at it than Imoen. Nope, pretty sure they wouldn’t be. Blackguard, monk, and wild mage, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition/642369/32 "2012-11-29T19:02:28Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Please help me out, as I have little experience in this area. I missed out on Baldur’s Gate the first time around, but I later played Neverwinter Nights and really liked it. Is BG Enhanced likely to be something I’d also enjoy? > > (I.e., should I ask for it for Christmas)? I’m with **Kobal2** , pick this up! The main differences in terms of gameplay are the rules (as mentioned, more restrictive, less intuitive), and the fact that you are working with a 6 person party, not just controlling a single character + issuing simple orders to your henchman like in NWN. So combat is much more tactical. You need to pause a lot and position your characters as well as use the right abilities to take the best advantage of the situation. This makes combat in an RPG soooooo much better, IMHO. NWN, WOW, Elder scrolls, and many other such fantasy RPG’s tend to have boring combat because, well, there’s only so much you can do with a sword/shield/melee weapon. Specially for a game like NWN and WOW where everything is stat based and there’s little action to compensate, combat end up devolving into watching your hero make dice rolls. When an entire party is involved however, there’s always something critical to do. Maybe you have to move your mage so that he has a line of sight to a particular enemy, or maybe you need to pull your fighter back so that he can heal, or you might have to time two complementing attacks just right to bring an opponent down. It’s like a speed chess game. Much more interesting and satisfying. Another difference is the art style of course. It’s an old 2D sprite game, so don’t be expecting Dragon Age or anything, but the graphics have their ow charm to them, IMHO, and frankly I can tolerate the older graphics on 2D games like this a lot better than old 3D games like NWN. Finally, as Kobal2 mentioned as well, the story is much better. Not quite as good as BG2’s or Planescape Torments, or NWN2’s Mask of the Betrayer, but interesting and engaging. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition/642369/33 "2012-11-29T19:19:54Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > The main differences in terms of gameplay are the rules (as mentioned, **more restrictive, less intuitive** ), and the fact that you are working with a 6 person party, not just controlling a single character + issuing simple orders to your henchman like in NWN. Disagree. (Bolding Mine to pinpoint what I’m referring to). There’s a fundamental difference in concept. The difference is that you’re not building a character - you’re _playing_ a character. It’s not “more restrictive”. The game itself demonstrates this by giving you special abilities at certain points (and many fo the NPC’s have their own specialities), and these abilities are very useful. The class/build isn’t your character; it’s just a starting point for the character to do things in a group with other heroes. This is basically how it was done in 2nd edition. It wasn’t about buying a stack of enough sourcebooks to get the ultimate combination of powers. You just picked your class (or a relatively minor variant as per the kits or eventualy _Player’s Option_). If you had a halfway reasonable request, most GM’s just shrugged and went with it. But the classes were intended to be iconic and distinctive, whereas 3e characters tend to become a big grey blob. The 3e rules were there to help you do things and not get in the way otherwise. 3e rules are there to _make_ you do certain things. Nobody had “optimal builds” in 2e because it wasn’t what the game was about. That was merely an obstacle to having fun. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition/642369/34 "2012-11-29T19:50:29Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > Disagree. (Bolding Mine to pinpoint what I’m referring to). There’s a fundamental difference in concept. > > The difference is that you’re not building a character - you’re _playing_ a character. It’s not “more restrictive”. The game itself demonstrates this by giving you special abilities at certain points (and many fo the NPC’s have their own specialities), and these abilities are very useful. The class/build isn’t your character; it’s just a starting point for the character to do things in a group with other heroes. > > This is basically how it was done in 2nd edition. It wasn’t about buying a stack of enough sourcebooks to get the ultimate combination of powers. You just picked your class (or a relatively minor variant as per the kits or eventualy _Player’s Option_). If you had a halfway reasonable request, most GM’s just shrugged and went with it. But the classes were intended to be iconic and distinctive, whereas 3e characters tend to become a big grey blob. The 3e rules were there to help you do things and not get in the way otherwise. 3e rules are there to _make_ you do certain things. Nobody had “optimal builds” in 2e because it wasn’t what the game was about. That was merely an obstacle to having fun. I was going to post a lengthy in depth retort, but then I realized I was about to dip a toe in the _scare chord_ Edition Wars, that have spilled more spit than the Blood War spilled… well, blood. Demons are not very imaginative. Anyway, let’s not go there. Instead I’ll just state that I disagree and everything that guy just said is rubbish :). ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition/642369/35 "2012-11-29T20:00:54Z")
I am gone. I’ve done had enough of this! _casts stinking cloud in the thread, summons skeletons, and runs away_ ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition/642369/36 "2012-11-29T20:10:43Z")
> [@GargoyleWB](#): > > I am gone. I’ve done had enough of this! > > _casts stinking cloud in the thread, summons skeletons, and runs away_ DrizztDefends ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition/642369/37 "2012-11-29T20:50:02Z")
> [@GargoyleWB](#): > > I am gone. I’ve done had enough of this! > > _casts stinking cloud in the thread, summons skeletons, and runs away_ > [@Jragon](#): > > DrizztDefends “Better part of valor! Better part of valor!” (Runs away.) I can’t remember the line that he kept stuttering before combat though. Funny how his stutter left him when he bailed on you. But jeez, with him, Kivan, Ajantis, and Imoen throwing arrows…the longbow was _so_ broken in that game. Especially with Arrows of Wounding or Piercing. Yeah, I’m going to have to go get this… Sorry, Honey. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition/642369/38 "2012-11-29T20:51:13Z")
> [@GargoyleWB](#): > > I am gone. I’ve done had enough of this! > > _casts stinking cloud in the thread, summons skeletons, and runs away_ ::Rolls a 20, makes saving throw. Stands boldly in the cloud:: Ha ha! Oh man, now I’m going to smell like rotten eggs! ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition/642369/39 "2012-11-29T20:58:45Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > I was going to post a lengthy in depth retort, but then I realized I was about to dip a toe in the _scare chord_ Edition Wars, that have spilled more spit than the Blood War spilled… well, blood. Demons are not very imaginative. Anyway, let’s not go there. > > Instead I’ll just state that I disagree and everything that guy just said is rubbish :). I think we need a ThreadWar on this very subject. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition/642369/40 "2012-11-29T22:16:20Z")
On “core” difficulty, Imoen, my familiar and I nearly got wiped by the single dire wolf that spawns five minutes into the story. I’ve missed Baldur’s Gate. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition/642369.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baldurs-gate-enhanced-edition/642369.md?page=3)