I just want to start off by saying that I don’t really have a point to this post, nor do I expect any great discussion to come from it. I just want to vent.

I looked at the floor beside my computer last night and realised I have six games that I haven’t touched yet – Hitman 2, Serious Sam 2, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Warcraft 3, Max Payne and Divine Divinity. I’ve owned them all for 6 months or more, and I really want to play them, but I haven’t. Why? It’s all BG2’s fault! :mad:

Every time I think I’m going to start one of these games, I think, “oh, but maybe first, I’ll try just one more character – maybe a such-and-such class, since I haven’t played that before”. So the other games get put on hold yet again. Right now I have two BG2 games on the go which I am going to finish (well, one is a hardcore game which may end earlier than I want it to). Plus I have another two in Chapter 2 which I may or may not decide to complete, so I haven’t deleted them yet. And I’m already thinking about my next game – I think I’ll use a monk, which I’ve never played.

So there sit my games – staring up at me with sad, accusatory cardboard faces, gathering dust, practically crying out “Play me!” “No, play me”. So I think I’ll play my monk next. And then I’ll play one of my untouched games. Absolutely for sure.

Right after I try a Totemic Druid.

I hate BG2.

Hey, I hear ya man. 2 months ago I swore off the game. Decided never to play it again. Now here I am, with my game currently saved outside the Druid Grove (2nd visit, to pick up Cernd from his "personal" quest).

Maybe it is a topic that warrents discussion. What is it about BG2 that's so damn addicting? Stimulating? The BG2 forums (both SoA and ToB) seem to get more posts then any other gaming forum, and it came out almost 4 years ago! There are more mods and tweaks made for it then NWN (at least posted here anyway), despite NWN's ease of mod making.

What is it about this game - moreso than other games - that sucks us in so?

Hate that damn game. :grr: :nolike:

Thanks, D.R. – I’m glad you were able to re-interpret my rant the way I was hoping someone would. :D

For me, the addictiveness comes from several angles:
- The variety in gameplay due to the number of different classes and potential party composition.
- The variety of enemy types which usually require different tactics, which in turn keeps the gameplay from being repetitive.
- The way your characters grow stronger as you advance in the game.
- The way your can upgrade your equipment as you go along. This IMHO would be even better if the equipment finds were randomized along the lines of Diablo, but on the other hand, it’s kind of nice to know that a specific weapon is available if you can just get it.

All of this keeps me coming back for more. And even that isn't a very good explanation; maybe someone else can do better.

#@&@'ing game!

It would be nice if they'd incorporated random item tables into the game like they did the IWD games. Some of the randon items in those games were the best you could find. Good call.

For me, the addictiveness stems mainly from the sheer number of options you have. Let's face it: BG was a great game, but there weren't so many ways to skin the cat. But BG2 expands every class' potential. Add a bounch of interesting NPC interactions and a plethora of interesting quests, et voilà: you just have to keep on playing.

LOL! I, too, have a stack of games waiting for my BG2 addiction to abate. For me, it's the endless mods you can use to make the game different each time. Trying out a new NPC or adding new quests to the game keeps me in BG2.

Now that I'm modding, I have a whole new reason to continuously fire up games. :)

I too am a recovering BG2ic. I couldn't play anything else for a looong time. Finally I uninstalled it and put it in a box upstairs. I played every game on Splunge's list except for Divine Divinity, and they're all great except for Serious Sam. Warcraft III is just as bad as BG2 almost.

The sheer depth of the gameplay is what keeps dragging me back for one last go. That and the seemingly endless mods, good or bad. Even bad mods can give a game more replay value.

Speaking of bad mods. Has TDD gotten any better. That mod has the most insect like bugs!

If my friends are ever out and wonder where I am, the immediate answer they come up with is that he's playing BG2 - even if its not true - and the amount of criticism I get is unbelievable. Good job I can take it :/
It was the only game I played for a long time until I found a cure which I know most of you would disagree with...but it came in alittle box called Morrowind.
Unfortunatly, my friends have latched on to the idea that all I do when I'm not around them, is play Morrowind...can't win I guess :rolleyes:

Speaking of bad mods. Has TDD gotten any better. That mod has the most insect like bugs! :yot: but anyway: TDD still is the same old bug infested. No new versions out. :bang: :mad:

Its nice to have a place where there are people just like me who like to use all their spare time on this awsome video game juss like me!

Wow, can you send me those games? :D

I have photographic memory, so I can't play games twice or more. I just can't bear it. No way. Maybe some silly little arcade ones or strategy games with random maps. I finished SoA thrice and ToB almost twice (second party wasn't good enough for Amelissan, probably because of low levels - I was in quite a hurry) after the first it was a pain many a time. You know it all but you don't remember some very specific piece of information or puzzle solution. But you aren't going to explore it again and inspect every single hole, are you? Bad, bad. That's why I would probably jump unto heaven out of joy if they made a nice conversion. And that's why I liked the FlirtPack mod, sweet candy interludes that keep you from dying of boredom.

And all my characters are LG human cavaliers. Dual-wielding, single-weapon-style, two-handed swingers, mace, flail or hammer as secondary weapon choice, whatever. Heh, maybe I should try inquisitor once? Awesome powers, but you don't get draw upon holy might or armour of faith. And you don't lay hands and what paladin is one that can't lay hands?

I was also thinking about a fighter/mage of some sort. Had one - half/elven multi. He survived until Aerie quest and died of my boredom shortly afterwards.

Hmmm... but maybe a paladin of Mystra evenly multiclassed with diviner in Icewind Gate? Or a kick-ass Helmite paladin/fighter(4) with so high levels as you get in late ToB. Or an otherwise single-class paladin started as some other class, like rogue or ranger.

[ September 14, 2003, 15:20: Message edited by: chevalier ]

Baldurs Gate 2 is addictive.

Play it, and get hooked.

I dont have any "unplayed game" but i do have some seriously ignored good game that have abandoment issues because i havent played them in a while.

Moreover, i have decided to vary the weapons i use and the characters i choose to get different "gameplay" everytime i start bg2 all over again. He** i even got the dream sequences back (used easy-to-use mod to get rid of them).

The future of the other games look black. :evil:

I'm not addicted to BG2... I'm just playing it quite often...really! If I play at least 4 hours every day it doesn't mean that I have an addict to some game. Why it is so hard to believe?

For me it is the culmination of all the hours I spent after school, and when I got older, after work to refine the next D&D game for that weekend. After 10 years of DMing, my players would not run a game so I could play and fall in love with a character.

I have only had one true character (an Elven Mage, Hanover Goldleaf), he loved to smoke cigars, didn't drink much and had a "thing" for women who were 40-something. I could go on and on. I find myself thinking about Hanover all the time, even after 14 years!

BG2 is D&D. It's allowed me to have many characters now and I can't wait to make my next one. The game is almost limitless, just like rolling the dice

I've only just started modding, and sometimes have trouble getting them installed, but it has added alot of magic for me. And yes, I too hate it when it's all I seem to play.

For me, the addictiveness comes from the party interactivity mostly, exploring the different party combinations and seeing how they all get along. Also, just the fact that I'd been dying for a really good CRPG since I fell in love with Vandal Hearts on PS1 about 5 or 6 years ago.
And this one ROCKS!
Not having played anything like it before, the first time I ever played I couldn't even get past the Slavers Quest but once I had a handle, everything opened up for me and it just grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't let go.
I think the thing I most like exploring though would be the romances.

simple: download an editor
why work your ass off that game if you played it and finished it already? whats the point of going back and trying out classes? weird. your there sitting all day in your pc? try out some sports like basketball. it will take your mind off the game.

why work your ass off that game if you played it and finished it already? whats the point of going back and trying out classes? Because it's fun.

your there sitting all day in your pc? try out some sports like basketball. it will take your mind off the game. That's not really the point, and an interesting assumption on your part about all of us.

a little bit :yot: but talking about addictive..

These boards has made me skip homework for the last 14 days.. Thats very bad, cause you have a lot of homework in high school :( :aaa:

[EDIT]: But i'm not blaming anyone because its my own fault :)

I am no different from you either. :D
Well.... I should be feeling bad :( :) :D

I think I’ll use a monk, which I’ve never played. Oh, you're in for a treat! I didn't think that playing a Monk would be fun...that is, untill I found out that a Monk's fists, combined with the gauntlets of crushing are the best weapons in the game!

I used to think the game was getting a little boring, but now I have a new approch: each time I start a new game, I play with a class/race/alignment that I haven't used before, I also add at least one new mod to the game...right now I'm up to 11 different mods. I also have 5 more I have in mind for future games, and about a dozen more that haven't been finished yet. This keeps the game from becoming boring. :rolling:

I must say that I haven't played BG2 for about four weeks or so, and when I opened it up it's for refrence to my fanfic. Writing about it is so much better (the freedom!), and Warcraft 3+The Frozen Throne is keeping me hooked right now...

They should start a group called BG-Addicts Anonymous...

They should start a group called BG-Addicts Anonymous... :lol: er, maybe somebody actually should. :hahaerr:
From what I read the only cure to BG addiction seems to be to get hooked to some other computer game. Oh my God, is there really no end to this downward spiral ? :p

I know it's off-topic too, but have those mentions:

"
night_hawk
Diagnosed with general posting stupidity leading to spam

Idiot of the week
"

added by the moderators or by night_hawk?

http://www.sorcerers.net/ubb/faq.html#plaques

I haven't really got suckered in yet, since I only just finished my first game, but I'm itching to try other things, so it's probably not long...

Wil - the mods generally post a reason for the stupidity along with the lovely new plaque, in an effort to make the recipient learn a lesson from it. Besides, you can't have a custom tagline unless you get a custom avatar.

On Topic - I don't think this game would be as interesting if you could only have 1 character. The multiplayer function, along with the NPC's gives you really endless combination possibilities. Having a varied party with different strengths and combining them in different ways to interesting effect is challenging and always stimulating. The kits, IMO, quadruple those possibilities.

Thanks for the link and the explanation. That's great punishment...
Err... quick, let's find something on topic before I find the plaque under my name...

Baldur's Gate is addictive, dangerous, but BG 2 is even more so. Let's add some reasons:
(compared to BG 1)
- smoothness (in walking...)
- reliability (it never crashes)
- length (yes it's longer!)
- interactions & romances
- and even the interlude screens

Hm... My reasons as to why it's addictive (I know some of these have been mentioned preivously, but still):

Sheer number of areas, from forests to underground cities.

Amazing amount of NPC to NPC and PC banter.

Excellent usage of humor and sadness; a wonderfully moving game.

Enormous amounts of unique items with backstories.

Class-related quests and strongholds.

Ever unfolding main-story, one of the best I've ever seen in the history of my gaming life.

Potential to play through without having any NPCs to join you at all.

Several different ways to end nearly all sub-quests.

Huge array of characters.

Excellent, non cliched voice-acting (Apart from maybe Anomen, but I hate him anyway).

ALL NPCs have thier own personality, storyline, skills and prefrences without being dry, cliched, boring or bland. Some of the best planning and attention to detail to minor and major characters I've seen in any CRPG.

Ways to influence people, towns, and cities.

I could go on for ages, but these are some of my major points.

Viva BG2!

@ Deathmage
Wow, can you send me those games? :lol: I'm tempted!

Man, reading these replies, I realise I'm even bigger trouble than I thought, since I haven't tried any mods yet!

Yeah! I have a tonne of games waiting for me. I buy them, start them, then go back to BGII and most of my friend pay me out about not having completed Enter the Matrix, or that they finnished GTA vice city five times on the weekend, where are you up to?

I cannot express my relief in a severe enough fashion!!! I can finally stop going to that stupid therapist who just didn't understand. I thought I had serious issues, but now I'm not alone. And to think, I was actually going to uninstall it and scratch "NO" on all of the discs. That was close!
I have found myself not only holding BG2 up on the pedestal it rightly deserves, but also flaming any other game for the elements of BG that it lacks. I don't even shop for games anymore. IMO, it's not what BG2 has, it's what all the other games lack.

it's not what BG2 has, it's what all the other games lack Excellent point; it's too bad all developers aren't as committed to making high quality games like Bioware is.