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Got bored after not playing for a long time :/

Discussion in 'Icewind Dale 2' started by egervari, Sep 22, 2004.

  1. egervari Gems: 2/31
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    I guess my IWD2 kick is finished. I got to level 7 or 8 at the beginning of chapter 2 and I'm extremely bored. It's not that the game isn't presenting any challenges - it is, considering the party I'm taking. It's just that the game's pace is so slow or something. I'm actually curious why I liked this game so much before. I mean, I wrote a guide about it and I remember I was very active in user communities back when black isle was still a company. I guess my dissastisfaction stems from the games obvious faults, which I overlooked before for the sole reason that the game was new. But now, the graphics look dated (even worse than bg2), it lacks 3d spell effects, the engine is more choppy unless I turn directdraw acceleration *off* (how does that make sense?) and the game did I mention the pacing was bad?

    I think the main problem is that you can swing forever and not hit anything unless you have a decent BAB score. Since I'm not packing any fighters, doing any melee just seems frustrating, even though clerics are supposed to be very good in melee (in comparison to 2e rules), plus all those benefits.

    Ultimately, I wanted to enjoy the game again but it's not happening. In chapter two, things start to get good, but I remember that I'll hit dragon eye sooner or later, and I wish I could just skip that level. I just think the battles take way too long than they have to. You can spend like 30 or 40 minutes on a single battle with 10 guys (taking into account reloads or just the fact that your guys suck and they can't kill crap all).

    Then I remember the AC is implemented very poorly. It might be exactly what the rules says, but it's not right. I had two cleric characters with nearly equal equipment and the character that was more fighter-oriented and had more HP was dying the most. It just made no sense. It still happens, even when the AC is higher than the one that never gets hit.

    I also remember that the areas aren't very memorable. At least IWD has it's moments - imagines that you simply cannot forget. I think the original IWD was paced so much better too. I just remember going through the game very quickly, having a blast. That didn't mean that it was too easy (although I guess it was), but still, it just seemed fun.

    The fetch quests really bored me. I just feel that the developers were trying to waste the player's time. I generally feel like that a lot actually. I just wish people would make games where you are always doing something productive, as in advancing the story or doing interesting quests as opposed to inventory micromanagement and inventory collecting (I dunno, but it's more annoying in IWD2 than any other game). The puzzles are just dumb too if I remember correctly.

    But now I'm bored since I have my stoneskin, fireball, mirror image, dispel magic, haste, animate dead, etc. I know that given enough time, I'll eventually get to level 20+ at the end of the game and I should be happy right? Well, I wanted to play a lot of IE games again and this was supposively the first on my list to do, but I think I'm just going to play BG2 again. Sucks because I wanted to enjoy it again.

    Seems strange that one day I can promote the game and write a huge faq about it and the next just be plain bored of it.
     
  2. Harbourboy

    Harbourboy Take thy form from off my door! Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    It just means that you've got your value for money out of that game and are moving on to the next one. If you still found IWD2 exciting then you'd never get to play anything else.
     
  3. Enagonios Gems: 31/31
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    Its just not something that you can play over and over. I could play BG or BG2 with diff chars one game after another. Last time I played IWD2 was when it came out. This time around I played til Dragon's Eye and got too bored.
     
  4. Sir Rechet

    Sir Rechet I speak maths and logic, not stupid Veteran

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    Having written a guide for IWD2 myself (a continuation on your work, so to say), I agree that it starts to get boring rather fast after that.

    But hey, that's pretty much expected. After you've been to all places, killed all the monsters (and for my part, dissected every numerical detail there is to be dissected) a couple of times, it's no surprise that the suspension of disbelief doesn't work anymore. It all becomes mechanical and repetitive. What's the point of playing a game, if you know you could finish it with your eyes blindfolded, using your off-hand only? Sure, one could penalize oneself by playing with self-made restrictions (such as solo), but I find these kinds of methods of little help in warding away the boredom of it all.

    I've had the stamina to play the game through a couple of times, but I can hardly classify the two-three last ones as anything more than just a proof on the mathematical facts I've laid out in the JUPP document. I like maths and statistics, but dislike the fact that it takes ages to complete one run of IWD2 to get 'hands on' proof to things.
     
  5. Harbourboy

    Harbourboy Take thy form from off my door! Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    But if it took less time to complete, you would complain that it was a rip-off. You can't win!
     
  6. Tiberius Gems: 6/31
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    I've played it twice and came to the same conclusion. I get bored a Dragons Eye, But Harbourboy is right, if you could crank right through it, we would be discussing how much it sucked.
     
  7. Harbourboy

    Harbourboy Take thy form from off my door! Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    I spent most of 2003 playing IceWind Dale 2. That was a year of entertainment for about $30. I'm not going to complain about that. I've had plenty of other games that I've been bored of after a week.
     
  8. Tiberius Gems: 6/31
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    Agreed.
     
  9. Orkrist the Cleaver Gems: 13/31
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    IWD2 never did it for me. I played to Dragon's eye and dropped off, loaned it to a friend who is giving it back to me after reaching Dragon's Eye...Hmm, something is up. The game doesn't have the magic that IWDI had, soundtrack and artwork to name a few. IWD2 is a great game, no doubt, but not an equal to the first. It gets old and a bit tedious at points. Now that I have it back I'll probably finish it though, especially now that Winter is coming.
     
  10. Soren Vracian Gems: 2/31
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    I found that there were far too many parts in IWD2 that I just wasn't looking forward to doing if I started again... Targos, Ice Temple, that forest maze, thos stupid white dragons that give no XP... etc.

    Though I didn't have a problem with Dragon's eye and found that dungeon to be fun, well the Yuan-Ti especially. I hated them in IWD, and it was great to see that they were worse off than ever before:)
     
  11. Cernak Gems: 12/31
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    I've run several parties through IWDII, but, oddly, I haven't yet taken any of them beyond Chult. I like the first part of the game a lot, but get a little bored with all the buffing that's necessary to keep going. (And yes, the "tasks" in Targos and the Endless Forest are not the best thought out XP builders.)But I've just started trying to take my HOF-from-Level-One party through the Chult Temple; so we'll see how it goes. From what I read here, maybe I should just replay IWDI, a pretty good game. But generating all those characters! ARRGHH!
     
  12. Enagonios Gems: 31/31
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    Finished it the first time it came out. this time im at dragon's eye and i've put it on hold. gonna try plaing ToEE when I'm not busy with Burnout3 and Zone of the Enders 2 for PS2.
     
  13. Paine Gems: 4/31
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    I've only finished IWD2 once so far and I find myself spending more time thinking up cool party themes than feeling the urge to play again. There were just too many stupid, tedious parts of that game that were way too meta (the inane Targos fetch quests, mother-frelling Battle Squares). This sounds really strange, but IWD2 made me feel like I was *playing a game* too much. The fact that in that one complete playthrough I literally had to start over and play Targos & the beginning of Chapter 1 three times due to bugs and/or my own stupidity and bad luck does not really help the situation. I won't bitch too much about this game though since it was a bargain bin purchase and making up parties is fun. I just wish I was making up parties and taking them through a different game. :p

    I will probably play through it again one more time with an evil group. I got the bug to do a "dream team" of Final Fantasy villains and want to be mean to people for no particular reason after being so goody two shoes when I played before.
     
  14. Dalakdan Gems: 2/31
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    I think the reason why you guys get bored is because you have played through the game and subconsciously know where the switch or hidden stair is. Whereas, I havent finished it. When I first bought the game I played for about three months and I got to the wandering village and got bored with it. But a month ago on one glorious day I was surfing through a Lord of the Rings site. I found a name translator, I entered my name, and it gave me my name translated into elvish, dwarfish, etc. and I instantly thought..."That would make a perfect IWD2 group" and now I have the best party ever and my interest for this game has never been higher. However, I am in Dragons Eye now and starting to get bored (only because I can't get out) but once I find my way out my boredom will vanish.
     
  15. Dias Gems: 4/31
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    [​IMG] I've never been so eager to post a reply :cool:
    First of I've finished the game only once creating a party based on Mr. egervari's faq which in my opinion was pretty straightfoward and simple therefore applicable in creating different parties as opposed to Jukka's (no offense).

    I think that the game was pretty good, aside from the fact that it was buggged to hell, and black isle didn't bother to produce a string of patches, which I thought was needed (still don't know if that improved initiative fix works or it just doesn't). My first impression of the game was whoah! Everything is different I mean the interface and all kinda like for a spaceship or something. I missed the first game's classic appeal, the opening narrative which was brilliantly dubbed by Mr. Ogden Steirs if I'm not mistaken, I watched that each time I played.

    If only the first game's storyline replaced the latter, wow :D I mean I think that would create a good game, and I just don't get why there are areas that are such a drag, for me it was the forest or such you go through before the Ice Temple and you pass a dam, I mean, man! Not to mention that damn temple with the guardian.

    And with all due respect to Black Isle Studios (rest in peace) and all those behind the game, I think that it could have been a lot better.I mean the game was like bad rehash of the first one, it's like they just threw in some new stuff and a liitle advertising here and poof! :toofar: You got yourself a new game? I don't think so :p

    In conclusion I think that the first one was a lot better storywise, lookwise, patchwise, etc. If only it could be in 3rd edition rules, (now that's an idea:idea:) The game's potential wasn't maximized, though newbies will have a good time with it I think.

    P.S.
    On a different note I've been looking for Mr. Egervari's Diablo 2 L.O.D. faq for the barbarian(if there is any) hope someone here can help.

    You guys rule! :D not! :p
    Well a little :p
     
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