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Acaila posted:Are there any mod NPCs that people would actually recommend? I'm thinking it might be worth a playthrough to try some out. I played the Kelsey one, but got hacked off with the party interactions that I ended up romancing Anomen out of spite that time, and I quite liked the Angelo one, though it does seem a bit retcon-tastic initially. Also I think I played the Irenicus ToB one because I love having more mages around to cast silly powerful spells http://www.shsforums.net/files/file/1070-isra-bg2-pc/ http://www.shsforums.net/files/file/1007-adrian/ Zane fucked around with this message at 20:44 on Apr 21, 2016 |
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Apr 21, 2016 20:42
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ChrisBTY posted:So ok in Torment.
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Jun 4, 2017 18:14
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ChrisBTY posted:That conversation involved Annah bitching me out for keeping Fall-From-Grace in the party and then leaving without giving me the chance to rebut. My attempt to re-recruit her involves her bitching because FFG is still in the party giving me only the choice to end to conversation or piss her off to the point that she goes red. Attempting to recruit her again involves promising her I won't deal with FFG again. Maybe I didn't coddle her enough in the previous 6 trillion conversations where she was being a pain in the rear end about something.
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Jun 6, 2017 05:55
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rhaella writes good bg2 npc mods. I'm not sure I can say that about anyone else. http://www.shsforums.net/files/file/1007-adrian/
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Jul 3, 2017 16:32
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nwn2 is just bad by every identifiable criteria. all the components are both bad in themselves AND jut and tear into each other like badly interlocking pieces of a complicated mechanical engine, screaming with countervailing pressures once the demented creation is finally in motion. it is difficult to talk about the balance or quality of things like the combat system bcz it never feels like its parts come together into an actual system you could have opinions about. motb is still really good tho. Zane fucked around with this message at 02:20 on Jul 14, 2017 |
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Jul 14, 2017 02:16
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I remember I was like 12 or 13 when I got bg1 and xzar and montaron were the absolute weirdest fuckers to me. I still don't know exactly what is going on w/ them.
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Oct 20, 2017 03:02
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Kanfy posted:Seriously, SoZ's random battle themes could've easily passed for final boss themes in other RPGs.
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Nov 8, 2017 19:12
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ps:t's combat system is unremarkable. but it also doesn't get in the way and it is sufficiently clean and well-produced (with all the ffvii magic effects) to heighten the drama and gravity of certain broader narrative situations. combat-scenarios like ravel, trias, transcendent one, etc., are all fun, and feel more weighty and substantial with the inclusion of combat as compared to without. certain unknown and dangerous areas such as the sigil necromancer's tomb, the weeping caverns, the seven hells, etc., are also cool. i would say that ps:t's combat system is well-designed in a distinctively minimalist capacity. it fulfills the design objectives it is minimally designed to achieve. it is designed more effectively than something like numenora's. why? because the turn based segments in numenora are not much more complicated but are also janky, badly put together, and throw you out of the rest of the world.
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Dec 30, 2017 04:10
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the technical sophistication or laboriousness of the prose or whatever is a huge red herring and is a really weird thing to fixate on. prose is only a vehicle for the narrative development of larger experiences or ideas. and you can't boil down the 'quality' of a piece of writing in this larger sense into a quotation or something. there's no context. anyway: ps:t has a lot of big ideas that hold together and pay off and the prose supports what it's trying to do.
Zane fucked around with this message at 03:00 on Dec 31, 2017 |
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Dec 31, 2017 02:53
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mca did a major in english literature and wrote a lot of the game and it is imo a lot better and more ambitious than average genre fiction. ps:t is a lot more than a 'tropey' genre power fantasy about being a hero and killing evil wizards. it is a fairly sophisticated existential allegory that explores, through the motifs of fantasy genre fiction, what it means to live 'authentically' as a limited human being within the world Zane fucked around with this message at 06:57 on Dec 31, 2017 |
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Dec 31, 2017 03:21
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reader response theory, within the context of traditional narrative, already explores how reader and author are coequal participants in the meaning of the text. on some level this is intrinsic to intersubjectivity. game spaces merely create more active mechanisms for this sort of interpretive engagement: by literally changing the narrative in anticipation/concert with the changing interpretation(s) of the participant(s). i don't think that we've fully developed an aesthetic or a design vocabulary for this form--which builds this coequal participation into its bones--to stand confidently on its own however.
Zane fucked around with this message at 21:51 on Dec 31, 2017 |
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Dec 31, 2017 21:47
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gender illusionist posted:The kotor 2 plot is dumb as hell.
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Feb 10, 2018 19:50
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kreia's not an objectivist. if you want to go down that path she's essentially a nietzschean. whether or not she is an interesting character is.. an interesting question to ask. star wars characters are not 'interesting' in the conventional way we find real people interesting (in the way novels try to capture them). they don't have real personalities. they represent forces and categories and archetypes (Good and Evil; Hero, Rogue, Villain; Man, Woman). kreia is interesting because she hates the dichotomous logic of these categories and wants to transcend them. this might actually make her the only 'interesting' character in the whole of the star wars series: in the sense of being an actual person reflecting on her place in the world rather than a two-dimensional character-type fulfilling their part within a moralistic fairytale. on the other hand i'm not sure if kreia opposes these categories 'realistically' from the concrete position of her more contradictory experience (opposing the abstractions of the jedi and the sith on this basis) or 'symbolically' from the more sophisticated but equally abstracted position of a rival philosophical system.
Zane fucked around with this message at 23:36 on Feb 10, 2018 |
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Feb 10, 2018 23:27
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Plain Bagels posted:Tragedy can have happy endings, so long as the story is grounded in human suffering. On a very basic level Planescape and MotB both resemble the Oresteia, which ends in Orestes being cleansed of his curse. Handmaiden is trapped between her oath (Atris) and her heritage. Atton is trapped between what he has irretrievably done in the past (damnation) and what he could do in the future (redemption). Visas--very metaphysically--is trapped between worshipping the negation of life (Nihilus) and worshipping the 'echo' that has dialectically moved through and transcended that negation (the Exile). Mira and Hanhaar are paired and I can't quite figure out all their subtleties. Hanhaar is stuck between obligation (life bond) and self-regard (apex predator) which is resolved negatively so that he becomes 'bound' to kill. Mira is stuck between disinterested humanism (refusal to kill) and nihilistic egoism (bounty hunter) which is resolved positively when she (force) awakens to the higher principle of the chaotic life energies of nar-shadaa or something. The Exile is at the center of an entire complex of contradictions. He is shattered by the contradiction between Duty (the Jedi Order's understanding of virtue) and Conscience (his own understanding of virtue) in the Mandalorian wars -- this is where Bao-Dur is trapped also. The Exile's actions at Malachor--choosing to kill millions to save millions--create a metaphysical tear in the force. Which traps him in another contradiction between life and death. Through the motif of the 'force bond' he becomes a vampire (absorbing the other companions into himself) and a catalyst (helping them to grow and realize themselves). The Exile has to dialectically pass through these contradictions towards a higher moral unity that takes all of these oppositions in (Hegel). But he doesn't have the understanding or the capacity to do so. He needs Kreia who has developed a philosophy of this self-overcoming to take him (Socratically) through the 'echo' of these oppositions once again. Kreia also teaches 'lessons' to the other companions. The more hopeless she thinks they are the crueler she is to them. She is maybe cruelest to the Disciple--who I've mostly forgotten about. It might be because he isn't trapped in any contradictions at all. He just worships the Exile. And Kreia seems to despise this more than anything because there is no hope for growth from him. Zane fucked around with this message at 21:30 on Feb 11, 2018 |
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Feb 11, 2018 21:22
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rope kid posted:I believe you are conflating tragedy and agony. Tragedy demonstrates suffering followed by catharsis. Agony, in the dramatic sense, is the struggle between two competing, mutually exclusive, ethical choices. Antigone and Orestes are classic examples. Hayden White posted:Comedy and Tragedy suggest the possibility of at least partial liberation from the condition of the Fall and provisional release from the divided state in which men find themselves in the world. In tragedy, there are no festive occasions, but intimations of states of division among men that culminate in the fall of the protagonist and the shaking of the world he inhabits. But: there is a gain in consciousness for the spectators. There is an epiphany of the law governing human existence which the protagonist’s exertions against the world have brought to pass 'agony,' in the same schema, would be very close to satire, or irony: which is often not so much narrative as the refusal of narrative through the negation of all prospective relationships and trajectories. Hayden White posted:Satire [opposite of romance]: a drama dominated by apprehension that man is ultimately a captive of the world rather than its master; that human consciousness and will are always inadequate to the task of overcoming the dark force of death, which is man’s unremitting enemy to answer the substance of your actual point of criticism, which I've gotten away from, would be to resolve whether or not the dilemmas for the characters i've laid out are either (tragically) meaningful or (satirically) meaningless. or something like that. which i guess is not always clear. Zane fucked around with this message at 06:35 on Feb 12, 2018 |
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Feb 12, 2018 05:39
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jaheira is real good. also anomen. but if you're a beginner you might not understand this fully until you grasp the attack speed and the thaco bonuses they get while also keeping almost all the spells that pure druids and clerics get.
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Mar 6, 2018 06:47
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Frog Act posted:I don't use Anomen because I'm already a pretty badass fighter/cleric for my PC and with him and Jaheira I'm just way overdoing it on Priest spells. Honestly, Jaheira seems pretty useless (except for insect swarm). I can't find her any good weapons, she doesn't really tank properly despite being outfitted for it, and her spells just...aren't that useful when between me and Aerie we already have a lot of priest spells. That being said she does have some really useful stuff I never have enough of, like Dispel Magic etc etc.
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Mar 6, 2018 19:15
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Frog Act posted:Whats wrong with my party composition? should I trade out Nalia for Keldorn instead? I really like her arcane spells otoh if you keep both jaheira and aerie (and add viconia) they fight over you in the most miserably pathetic way
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Mar 7, 2018 02:55
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I like forgotten realms. And I find your ardent purism for it weirdly charming Cythereal. But I've read a little about how 5th edition revised the universe and I've been kinda bummed out about it since.
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Mar 7, 2018 04:45
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Fair Bear Maiden posted:As far as I understand, they're investigating taking control of the henchmen, but Trent Oster was also big on saying that in his opinion Neverwinter Nights 2 did it wrong, because the true D&D experience is "taking your character sheet with you" and not "playing in control of 5-6 characters" (I'm paraphrasing, but he said something very close to those quotes in one of the livestreams.)
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Mar 13, 2018 17:56
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I've been playing around with npc mods lately and keto is fun and sort of works tonally if you can change her with lvl 1 npc mod. no tob though.
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Mar 19, 2018 20:47
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Skwirl posted:There's a difference between wanting gently caress a sexy human looking bear/wolf/whatever and wanting to gently caress an actual bear/wolf/whatever and second edition D&D would put Jaheira in the later category if she was shapshifted.
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Mar 27, 2018 07:30
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all evil party is pretty fun but they all make fun of jan.  on the other hand i've recently learned how amusing korgan and jaheira can be if you put them together.
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Mar 30, 2018 18:20
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Farecoal posted:This might be (is probably) the wrong thread but what are the best modules for Neverwinter Nights 2? Preferably ones that focus on story or atmosphere and aren't all about combat and dungeons crawling. Misery Stone Harp & Chrysanthemum (** this is a goddamn awesome module) Dark Waters 1&2 Trinity The Birthday
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May 16, 2018 03:41
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Lucas Archer posted:Random thoughts as I went back to the city to sell, recuperate and get ready to delve back into the windspear hills dungeon.
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May 19, 2018 21:02
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you guys are going off a little half-cocked. ellesime and irenicus both falter as part of the minor key of dramatic tragedy within the story. the larger point is that all humans (and elfs i guess) are inevitably fallible. the greater the (wo)man the more tragic the fall. it's a nice counterpoint to the larger dramatic comedy of your MC's hero's journey where all failings are overcome and all problems are resolved.
Zane fucked around with this message at 02:55 on Aug 15, 2018 |
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Aug 15, 2018 02:46
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the elminster conversation in ToB is actually kind of cool. i don't remember it perfectly. but he basically lets you know that you've become a serious new player in faerun's power politics and that you should watch out.
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Aug 15, 2018 05:00
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the moral choices in the bg series were always pretty straightforward. the writing was typically more interesting however since it had to do more of the work.
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Dec 28, 2018 21:53
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Ouroboros posted:What is the general consensus on the Pillars of Eternity games? I played BG2 back in the day (even finished it once I think) and I've picked up the EE, but even with the QoL changes I'm bouncing off it pretty hard, a lot of which I think is to do with the unintuitive DnD combat system and the old school UI. I remember playing 15 hours or so of PoE a few years ago and enjoying it well enough before losing interest, and in my head the idea of a modernised version of an IE game that uses a combat system designed for video games from the ground up sounds a lot more appealing. Zane fucked around with this message at 21:32 on Jan 3, 2019 |
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Jan 3, 2019 21:26
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it's more towards the former as far as i can recall. the reincarnation process as you note is unsustainable. the fortress of regrets keeps growing. this is an allegory imo for what happens if you fail to confront a personal or collective guilt or trauma.
Zane fucked around with this message at 03:19 on Jan 13, 2019 |
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Jan 13, 2019 03:05
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yeah bg1/2 is genre schlock but in the best possible way. iwd has weaker storytelling elements but it's good for what it is. only iwd2 is sort of slipshod and worth only skimming through. at the same time: you lose a lot by playing only for the story. the tactical combat and character development is at least half the reason for the series' lasting appeal. Zane fucked around with this message at 01:27 on Jan 23, 2019 |
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Jan 22, 2019 07:33
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Zephro posted:Yeah I remember this from my very first playthrough. It was both awesome that there was so much stuff going on and hilarious at the same time. Like how does anyone have time to like, grow food, clean their windows, sit down and read a book, etc? There was a spellplague a few years back, now half the gods have been defenestrated. The Twisted Rune are right over there, in that doorway is an ancient demilich, there's a civil war between the Thieves Guild and the vampires every night, the graveyard is full of the walking dead, there's a dragon disguised as a human slumming it in the local bars.
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Feb 4, 2019 18:48
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poe2 has the capacity for dialogue modding. and there are a couple expanded romance mods for rekke and aloth out there. but alas it seems the golden age has passed..
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May 20, 2019 20:24
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i know beamdog made some pitches to larger publishers that didn't work out. they also hired and lost david gaider. whatever they're trying to get off the ground it isn't very effective.
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Jun 6, 2019 20:25
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MonsterEnvy posted:There is no fault for liking any edition.
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Jun 8, 2019 06:36
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breach is a good generalized protection stripper as you mention. detect invisibility is a level 2 wizard spell and has a low cast time. bumrush with haste to move up on a wizard quickly once their protection is down. if you can find a ring of the ram it goes through all protection and can be used to interrupt if you're additionally hindered in any way. inquisitors are incredible not just because they have dispel magic but also because they have true sight (detect invisibility) and both are insta cast.
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Jun 11, 2019 05:09
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i remember my sorcerer still using the lvl 2 horror spell in throne of bhall with time stop and improved alacrity so that i could cast 10 of them at once or whatever. thems were some good times.
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Jun 14, 2019 20:01
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chaosapiant posted:What’s the general consensus on the better game: Icewind Dale 1 or 2? IWD2 was made in a super hurry over something like 9 months. it feels more like a set of hastily assembled, sometimes cannibalized, modules -- which it is. mechanically, it is a hacked together 3.0 D&D system rather than 2.0 D&D system. there are weird and annoying environmental puzzles and fourth wall breaking humour. the encounters are a bit more interesting however. they feel like they were explicitly designed to challenge infinity engine system mastery. i don't think i ever completely finished it. Zane fucked around with this message at 11:14 on Jun 15, 2019 |
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Jun 15, 2019 06:46
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korgan is a pretty chill dude. he doesn't approve of slavery -- or was it just child slavery? and he rightfully knocks viconia and edwin down to size. he respects most good chars if they're good enough at returning his insults.
Zane fucked around with this message at 22:05 on Sep 12, 2019 |
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Sep 12, 2019 21:55
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avellone didn't write the majority of motb. george ziets did. ziets was creative lead. if i recall correctly avellone was responsible for making great exertions to get kaelyn the dove in and for doing some other stuff to help out as overall obsidian creative director. e: it is amusing how people falsely attribute creatively brilliant egotistical accomplishments to avellone, above and beyond what his actual record of accomplishments are, as part of some larger negative appraisal that doesn't make any sense otherwise. let's not also forget how the forgotten realms were terribly rebooted with the launch of fourth edition by wizards at almost the exact some moment. Zane fucked around with this message at 22:26 on Sep 16, 2019 |
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Sep 16, 2019 21:00
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