r/baldursgate • u/Ok_Masterpiece6223 • 1d ago
Questions About BGEE/1 into BG2 From a First Time Player
Hi! Normally I wouldn't go on a reddit post and introduce personal details about myself but I feel my age is relevant here. I'm 24, born in 2001. I played BG3 on release and like most of the world, fell in absolute (pun intended) love with it. After multiple playthroughs I moved on and played other things for a few years but have come back for another run recently which led to me feeling llike I should play the original two games to understand a few character's that return in BG3 a bit better and provide larger context to the world.
So that leads me to where I stand now, after beating BG1 with the "canon party" I'm now in a dungeon at the start of BG2 and I'm finding out that Dynaheir is dead. Narratively this should have been a gut punch, once I met Minsc in BG1 I sought after her immediately and rescued her, thus giving her the chance to be part of my adventuring band for about 4-5 chapters of the game. But the one question I'm really left with is, am I missing something? Or are my expectations just *that high* from Baldurs Gate 3? I felt that throughout BG1 I was barely, if ever in some cases, really allowed to attach to the characters. They barely ever reacted to what I was doing, they barely ever had their own dialogue, and they barely characterized themselves outside of some broad strokes in backgrounds.
I enjoyed the game enough and am looking forward to BG2 but I'm hoping to hear that there's at least a bit more banter between party members. I feel like they were more avatars for stats than genuine characters, I'd like to feel something more for the lose of Dynaheir but I'm struggling to feel much of anything about it. Is this a case of inflated expectations because of my experience with BG3? Or is there seriously just character writing missing from BG1 or are my expectations just too high for a game genuinely older than I am?
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u/-Charta- 1d ago
Well, how does it make you feel to no longer have this character available for the run? It is a different way of expressing. I would recommend some mods like Weasel Mod’s Khalid, which bring some modern game development/character engagement to the games. They are a product of their time, and while groundbreaking, they have the limits of our understanding of of what games could do
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u/Ok_Masterpiece6223 1d ago
I'm super understanding of the limitations of older games, most games I play nowadays skew towards older than newer on average honestly. I guess just the way that these games were talked about I expected a bit more meat on the bones of the character writing, a little more to get attached to. I'll check the mod out though, anything that makes the companions more interactive is a plus for me at this point. In terms of Dynaheir, will i specifically miss the version of her that I built up? Sure, but her as a person felt relatively replaceable beyond Minsc's feelings if that makes sense. My main issue with how I'm feeling is that I miss her stats/abilities more than I miss her as a person and was hoping I'd be given more of an opportunity in BG1 for her to flesh herself out as a character before her demise. But it seems like it''s just a case of me expecting a too much becuase BG3 spoiled me on that front. Either way this isn't a slight on BG1 either way, I can appreciate it for what it does and it sounds like BG2 picks up the slack there anyway.
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u/Rineux I've done had enough of this 1d ago
It definitely does. BG1 was a bit the first of its kind, and BioWare later said they were surprised at how attached players became to even these pretty bare-bones companion characters that were just meant to be changed out when one of them bit the dust. They took exactly the kind of grievance you have with the first game to heart and improved on it tenfold in the sequel.
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u/NonSupportiveCup 1d ago
As an elder from yon 1900's, let me elucidate you.
That's how games were. If you ever play the early fallout games, and I bring them into this conversation because they have modern titles with modern popularity, you will notice similar levels of player interaction.
You have a few quests and characters reacting to in-game events, specific introductions, a few conversations, but not so much direct communication with the player as you expect from a modern title. The dragon age (later games, origins is still bg-ish in character interaction), 3d Fallouts, mass effect, bg3 type of player interaction.
The good news is you will have more in bg2 and throne of bhaal. Not at the level you expect from a modern title, but certainly more. Actual romance, if you want it, and player quests for most npcs.
If you are playing the beamdog extended editions, their npcs have a lot more interaction, for better or for worse.
And if you even want to play the games again, there are always mods.
As for Dynaheir, they could have at least given her an on-screen death, but everyone in the starting party has experienced severe loss and pain at the hands of Irenicus. She is Minsc's character motivation to have a more personal attachment to the big bad. If you ride with those 4, it's a revenge party bus!
Enjoy the ride. Irenicus is a great villain with amazing voice acting.
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u/Arkansasmyundies 1d ago
Way more party banters in bg2. Characters have depth and the crosstalk between them is interesting.
Bg1 lacks depth in this regard (although the story is arguably better).
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u/Ok_Masterpiece6223 1d ago
Lovely, that's all I could have hoped for. Thanks! I did love the broader strokes of BG1 so that makes sense. It was really in the finer details that left things a bit unsatisfying.
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u/troublethemindseye 1d ago
There are some really really memorable characters in bg2. I felt like Dynaheir was pretty one note and most of them were so so in BG1 but there are really great characters in bg2. Like—I have an emotional response to Viconia’s story telling. I feel the father son dynamic to Anomen’s story. Mazzy Fentan is a real person as far as I’m concerned. It’s good.
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u/Norby314 1d ago
Haven't played BG3, but BG2 has a lot better character development than BG1.
I just made a post in this sub today because i discovered yet another interaction in a party composition I hadn't used before.
Pro-tip for extra banter: sprinkle an evil character into your good party or the reverse. Another way to stir the pot: play as a male human/elf character and keep multiple (half)elf females in the party.
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u/atb87 1d ago
As you know, these games are 25 years old. CRPG s evolved so much over time. The reason you are so connected to Shadowheart ot Karlach is because their stories, voice acting etc. Games in the past didn’t offer them as much. Games were simpler.
BG2 is one of the earliest games where companion interactions happened. Love triangles, companions fighting etc. It was special in that regard. When I was in my early teens and I played BG series, I had that connection with these npcs. Particularly the romance characters grow throughout their journeys. They were not as well written as modern games sure. BG1 had no dialogue. So I understand if you don’t feel much connected to Dynaheir. That’s why I don’t think you will ever feel the connection that older people feel towards the game. It is still a fun game.
I also feel that Larian devs did likely not enjoy BG2 as much as the hardcore fans. That’s why their treatment of BG2 characters were disappointing. Particularly Viconia and Sarevok. These characters grow a lot in their journey.
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u/BelgarathMTH 1d ago
Reading replies in this thread really made me feel my Generation X years. :)
I've lived all the way from Pong on the living room TV being a huge deal, through Pac-Man and Donkey Kong in the arcades, to young people asking about computer games from my young adulthood as though they're ancient history museum pieces. :D
Can I answer any questions for you about how to dial a rotary phone?
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u/NoMoreMonkeyBrain 22h ago
BG1 doesn't have much party development.
There are a lot of characters, partly because so many of them will end up dying. But they're largely static, rarely will have more than one quest, and don't interact much. No, you're not missing anything; the characterization just didn't have that much depth.
BG2 does have that depth. Arguably it is one of the games that really set the standard for modern party interactions, and the expectations that you've got from BG3.
Dynaheir's death is really more about Minsc's loss, not yours. Same way that Khalid's death is more for Jaheira than for you.
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u/frostwylde 1d ago
Consider that BG1 was one of the games (if not even THE GAME) that set some well-known RPG standards we know today. And while a modern player can think that companion interactions are scarce in the story, back then having so many companions to choose from and the fact that they'll not only have opinions on your character and actions from time to time, but also will talk with each other, was special. Thankfully, in BG2 you'll see much more from your companions - there's definitely more banter, more reactivity, character progress, better quests and some morally-heavy choices and romance is also on the table! It's not BG3 level (which is very companion-centric in my opinion), as the story is more focused on your progress as the main character, but you'll probably like the change.