/vr/ - Retro Games

[Anonymous No.1449252]

Do I need to play BG1 to understand the story of BG2? Does much carry over?

Also, if I make a character based on what seems good without reading a guide, will I horribly gimp myself?

[Anonymous No.1449261]

No and no.

It might be worth your time to learn how the AD&D stat system works, though.

[Anonymous No.1449260]

BG II is enjoyable without having played the first one.

Go back for BG though if you're digging it, you may spoil yourself for the enjoyment that BG brings if you play through II first.

[Anonymous No.1449298]

How long would a playthrough of BG2 take? And how long would a playthrough of PST take? I've got a long ride tomorrow and I'm deciding which one I'm going to put on my laptop and play through. How much of a dent would I make in BG2/PST on a 7 hour bus ride?

[Anonymous No.1449306]

>>1449298
BG 2 has at least 60 hours of content.

[Anonymous No.1449326]

>>1449252
The intro of BG2 sums up the important events, and BG2 has various returning characters, but ultimately you don't need to play it to get the plot.

[Anonymous No.1449394]

>>1449326

Is there any save import is the only loss the story?

[Anonymous No.1449476]

>>1449252
Just play BG1, it's a great game.

You don't need any guide for character creation, i played it without knowing shit about AD&D and finished in two weeks. It's not that hard.

[Anonymous No.1449478]

If you play BG1 First, you get the option of importing your character over. While this doesn't carry over any equipment (Except a select few Misc. items), it carries over your stats & level.

BGII is self-contained enough that you can enjoy it alone and use your imagination to fill in the gaps. You could always look into the BGTutu mod that converts the BG1 game into the BGII System, which in my opinion makes the first game much more accessible to people. You can just as easily decide to play BG1 at a later time as a prequel and I imagine you'd still get as much enjoyment out of both.

I myself recently started my first BGII game after playing through BGI last year. I've been having a lot of fun with them and suggest you play both if you have the time.

[Anonymous No.1449592]

BG2 sums up most of the important events in the intro, although you'll miss out on some references here and there.

That said, i still think BG1 is worth playing.

Also, i wouldn't worry too much about min/maxing your character or using a guide, the stats are pretty self-explanatory in what's useful. The whole AD&D system can be a bit confusing although you don't need much more than minimum knowledge.

[Anonymous No.1449883]

>>1449298
see http://hl2b.com/

[Anonymous No.1449907]

>>1449252
You don't really need to, BG2 explains what happened in BG1 and expands on it. It's an incredible game and still regarded as Bioware's opera prima and the best AD&D videogame ever so there's that. If you like RPGs you should definitely at least try it.

But you really should get info on how AD&D combat works if you don't already know or you'll go insane, it's very different from anything you've touched trust me.

[Anonymous No.1449909]

>>1449252
You don't really need to, BG2 explains what happened in BG1 and expands on it. It's an incredible game and still regarded as Bioware's magnum opus and the best AD&D videogame ever so there's that. If you like RPGs you should definitely at least try it.

But you really should get info on how AD&D combat works if you don't already know or you'll go insane, it's very different from anything you've touched trust me.

[Anonymous No.1450018]

>>1449394
There is a save import and in BG1 you can get items that permanently boost your stats
It's not really necessary though.

[Anonymous No.1451172]

Play BG2 with these mods:

WideScreen Fix
Unfinished Business
FixPack
Spell Revisions
Sword Coast Stratagems II (but don't choose pre-buffs - there's a whole list of options, it's completely customizable)


Use Bigg's Installer for the mods. It'll help with compatibility and such.

I'm sorry to not be more descriptive. Just wanted to throw some recommendations at you before bed.

The mods really improve the original game, mehcanics-wise. Especially the spell revisions.

Check Gibberlings Three or Spell Hold Studios for mods and explanations on how to install and such. But Bigg's installer is still the easiest I know of.


Enjoy BG2. It's a fine game.

PS: There's a widescreen fix for Torment too.

[Anonymous No.1451935]

>>1449252
What a bizarre question. I know it's hard to find time to play every old game you missed (I'm doing it myself and played BG1 for the first time last year), but as this anon says:
>>1449476
Just play it. Take the time, it's really excellent.

Anyway, in answer to your first question,
>Do I need to play BG1 to understand the story of BG2? Does much carry over?
Well, kind of. You play the same character as you did in BG1, the events take place immediately after BG1 ends, you start off with three good-aligned NPCs from BG1, two of whom you were guaranteed to meet in BG1, and the other nearly guaranteed. All decent NPCs, too, so you were reasonably likely to have taken all three if you played good-aligned.
The game does give you a summary, for sure, but I can imagine it feeling a bit weird if you hadn't played BG1.

>Also, if I make a character based on what seems good without reading a guide, will I horribly gimp myself?
Like you should do with every RPG you're afraid of gimping, just roll a decent fighter. Nice and easy to play.

Just play it. It's a really good game. Use mods, as others have suggested. I went light on the mods, but I installed the one that lets you use the BG2 engine, which I definitely recommend.

[Anonymous No.1451937]

Just don't make your BG1 MC a mage.

[Anonymous No.1451961]

>>1451937
Why? Mages are OP as shit.

[Anonymous No.1451976]

>>1449252
I play thru bg1 on my chars to get the extra tomes... cause im a stat whore. 23 str ftw!