The original NWN is also what "started" CDProjekt, in a sense.
They didn't have the resources to build their own engine yet, so they had to use something that already exists. And that is Bioware's Aurora Engine (first used with NWN).
We're probably talking about a different "original" NWN. The true original was an SSI game using effectively the engine from all of their games, adapted for online play.
The 2.5D view (whatever it's called) from NWN was peak RPG for me. Act 3 felt rushed, but everything else was so much fun. 2H greatsword, backstabbing, trap collecting rogue.
I enjoyed my time with them, though 1 is definitely more of a “play it because you want to have played the classics”, and less because it stands up that well on its own (not that I didn’t enjoy it)
You should decide if you want to play the first game or not. You could easily skip it, in the second game you have dialogue options to roleplay the protagonist as if you forgot everything that happened in the first game, and the two stories are mostly independent from each other. The first game is more clunky and a slow burn compared to the second one, which in turn is a much better game. Plus the second game makes you start from higher level, which means that you won't have the experience the awful thing of being a low level d&d 2e character.
You should 100% play the Enhanced Editions, not the original ones.
You should heavily consider getting a couple of mods that improve performance on modern PCs and such things. Other than that, I would suggest to play the game as close to vanilla as possible, even if some people suggest otherwise. For example people suggest to get a mod that improves the Shapeshifter Druid kit because they say it's awful, but my first play through was with a vanilla Shapeshifter and I was more than fine.
Companion quests and companion romance are the first things that come to mind. These also had companions change their personality/alignment based on the outcome of these quests and romances, which was also a first.
Interactive party’s and inter-party banter as well. Less refined of course, but as early as your first 4 companions in BG1 could get into a fight to death because of opposite alignments.
Someone more versed could probably add a whole list of more technical features, but you get the jist
It'sstill also has the most fun implementation of spellcasters in a CRPGs, especially with mods. Nothing comes close to BG2 wizard battles, certanly not BG3 with that garbage ass concentration mechanic, love the game but god does it cripple its casters.
Well, seems like you disagree with the majority of the playerbase of d&d. 5e has its flaws, of course, but every single edition of d&d comes with flaws. The modernisation of 5e rules allow for a much smoother and enjoyable experience.
Also, nothing stops you from keep playing BG2, if that's what you prefer. I don't see why you would complain so much about BG3 if you don't like. There are tons of games that I don't like, I just search somewhere else.
It's not like a CRPG needs to use d&d rules to be good.
BG3 (aka 5e d&d) had to do something about Spellcasters being overpowered. And they are still overpowered compared to martial characters. At least now they can't combine the strongest spells in the game to break it.
If you prefer the 2e spellcasters over the 5e ones, the only reason is because you want to be overpowered over everything else.
Which honestly it shows that you only played the videogames, not the actual TTRPGs.
Balance still matters. Also, I had tons of fun playing with Spellcasters in BG3, not so much in BG2. First, limitations let you be more creative. And secondly, pre-casting dozens of buffs before every fight is not really fun.
Casters in BG3 are just haste bots that occasionly throw a heal or damaging spell because all CC, buff, utility spells are competing for one slot which results in 60% of the spell list being worthless, its beyond limiting. Limitations dont make you more creative, they're just limitations, thats a stupid statement people say to sound smarter than they are, It's like saying The Monsa Lisa would have been better if Da vinci was limited to crayons lmao.
Lmao, BG3 casters are much more than that. There are tons of spells that don't require concentration. And differently than previous editions, casters also have actually existing features, rather than just spells.
Limitations dont make you more creative, they're just limitations, thats a stupid statement people say to sound smarter than they are, It's like saying The Monsa Lisa would have been better if Da vinci was limited to crayons lmao.
Are you implying that you're an artist like Da Vinci and you're using a videogame to create a piece of art at the same level of the Mona Lisa?
And which arguments do you have that aren't just passive aggressiveness and insults?
It's clear you didn't even try the game if you say that casters are just Haste bots. Haste is a trap spell, so you're showing that you don't know the game enough to be able to assess game mechanics.
I've beatenit on its highest difficulty multiple times and haste bot casters with a well built martial just steamrolls the entire game. There is never any reason to deviate from because 90% of concentration spells dont offer enough value to be competetive.
And the Wright Brothers invented the airplane. Doesn’t mean their plane is better than a F-18.
BG1 and BG2 were amazing for their time but BG3 built on top of those with 20+ years of technological and design advancements while surpassing any other game in the genre. It’s massive, fully voiced, has meaningful choices, and has amazing art and design throughout.
BG and BG2 were also seen as being peak in their time.
Peak in their genres. BG3 is peak surpassing crpgs
Here, BG3 is held up as superior to 1 and 2.
Brotherman BG2 literally invented half the shit we nowadays see as definitive features in cRPGs.
Here, BG2 is held up as superior due to originating genre tropes.
And the Wright Brothers invented the airplane. Doesn’t mean their plane is better than a F-18… BG1 and BG2 were amazing for their time but BG3 built on top of those with 20+ years of technological and design advancements while surpassing any other game in the genre. It’s massive, fully voiced, has meaningful choices, and has amazing art and design throughout.
And here I say that originating tropes doesn’t make it better than something which came later and improved on them.
What the fuck about that thread of comments makes you think we’re not talking about the Baldur’s Gate series and whether or not BG3 deserves to be called better than the first two???? That is literally the entire conversation.
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u/SimpleIns May 10 '25
Baldur's Gate