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Captain Oblivious posted:Yes actually. If you finish the bridge murders questline then ALSO finish Trademeet, going back to Trademeet triggers a follow up quest. Trademeet! That's it! The place where everyone gets statues!
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Jan 24, 2019 17:05
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chaosapiant posted:Trademeet! That's it! The place where everyone gets statues! Which of course you make into a thing that scares small children 
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Jan 24, 2019 17:22
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Rappaport posted:Which of course you make into a thing that scares small children Holy poo poo that’s awesome! That never even occurred to me!
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Jan 25, 2019 03:35
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chaosapiant posted:Holy poo poo that’s awesome! That never even occurred to me! smdh if u don't wait until you have enough spell levels / gak to transform every one of your party members before turning in the Trademeet quest every time u play
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Jan 25, 2019 03:42
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Dillbag posted:smdh if u don't wait until you have enough spell levels / gak to transform every one of your party members before turning in the Trademeet quest every time u play It doesn’t even occur to me. I turn it in like every other quest and move on to the next quest. To a party of heroes, a quest list is just a chore list.
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Jan 25, 2019 05:36
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Captain Oblivious posted:You’ve misunderstood what people are saying. Baldur’s Gate 1 is more “twisty” but that’s not an overall assessment of quality. While the Iron Crisis plot is cool it also only really makes any sense via some monologuing and diaries you read at the very very end. The way it’s doled out does not promote investment. This hits the nail right on the head imo. The various big questlines in BG2 are just great, and diverse and interesting and poo poo. BG1 by comparisin is really obviously made by people use to PnP storytelling and the area design and the way the plot is fed to you reflects it. BG2's storytelling and area design is way more appropriate to a video game. But BG2's main plot is weak by comparison imo. The game goes downhill a bit as soon as you finish up all the sidequests and have to go head off to spellhold.
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Jan 26, 2019 09:02
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bike tory posted:This hits the nail right on the head imo. The various big questlines in BG2 are just great, and diverse and interesting and poo poo. This last point kind of gets back to what I was saying before. I like BG2's main plot for what it is, and I absolutely love all the poo poo there is to do in the game, an adventure and an opportunity for Buttkicking For Justice around every corner. But the two sides absolutely undermine each other thematically. All the things that make BG2 such a great game operate at the expense of just how urgent your situation should be; someone's kidnapped your best friend/only surviving family member, and also he's stolen your immortal soul. Why are you wasting time on dragons and beholder cults and actors taken prisoner by interdimensional bounty hunters? (Sure, to a point it's "because you need cash" but only to a point.) BG1 in many ways is less narratively ambitious (for all that its main storyline is more complex), but it's also less at war with itself in that sense, and that I think makes some things about it work better for all that BG2 is by every other measure the superior game.
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Jan 26, 2019 10:44
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docbeard posted:BG1 in many ways is less narratively ambitious (for all that its main storyline is more complex), but it's also less at war with itself in that sense, and that I think makes some things about it work better for all that BG2 is by every other measure the superior game. I like how you put this. I am generally quit ambivalent towards plots in games, but I have always had a fondness for BG1's s that I don't have for BG2's even though I would never argue that 2 isn't a better game. I feel that, with a few modifications, BG1's plot could be adapted to a non-sword and sorcery game and be perfectly sensible. Everything builds very logically over the chapters and, when the time comes to discover the Big Bad's Diabolical Plot, it makes total sense that he would do all of those things that the player has uncovered in aid of his goal. I'm not saying that BG2 should have had a time limit on the player's seeking of finances to go save Imoen, but it would have made more sense story wise. I don't like to be rushed in games at all and I fancy that I'm not along in that, but it is very odd to take away a character to whom the player is probably attached, attach a sense of urgency to her situation and then let the player faff about as much as he likes before going off to the rescue.
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Jan 26, 2019 18:07
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BG1's plot was poorly revealed. You would only get small bits of it until the info dump when the game is almost over.
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Jan 26, 2019 18:14
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I wouldn’t say that BG2’s halves are at odds. It’s the same basic structure as that of any “cinematic” RPG used to the same effect - loose (but not exactly open) hub-and-spoke narrative and level design in the first two thirds then a linear last third that funnels you directly into the conclusion. That structure is easy to tar due to the way more openly designed games that ran out of time/funding appear, superficially, the same. But BioWare didn’t have that problem, they designed toward that structure intentionally. The way the game narrows is used to specific effect - the Bhaaspawn is confined in their movements and made to scheme and fight their way out of a physical corner at the same time that they’re made to fight their way out of a spiritual corner.* The Drow City is as nerve-wracking the first time through as it’s designed to be, and all battles with Bodhi / Irenicus are suitably climactic. It does what it set out to do. * The spiritual spat with Bhaal definitely isn’t as developed as it could be, but you could argue that, this being both high fantasy and power fantasy, the fate of the Bhaalspawn is never truly in doubt
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Jan 26, 2019 18:48
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Suspicious posted:BG1's plot was poorly revealed. You would only get small bits of it until the info dump when the game is almost over. This is a problem with the pacing more than the storytelling imo. Again, the storytelling is very obviously adapted from PnP style where the DM guides/railroads you towards certain items, notes etc. The classic example of this is just how easy it is to miss Gorion's note to the PC in Candlekeep where its revealed that they are a Bhaalspawn. I definitely didn't pick it up or read it the first few times I played BG1, and so when BG2 came out and I hit the intro cutscenes it kinda clicked and made sense but was still a surprise to hear Irenicus talking about the "child of Bhaal". The pacing is seriously off though. There's a shitload of content and stuff to do in Baldur's Gate itself, plus the TotSC content, all crammed into the section of the narrative where the player finally has a sense of urgency to stopping the Iron Throne/Sarevok. I really think they should've had the city open from earlier on, like after you take down the bandit camp. Banditry is the reason given for closing the city, after all. They could've even put the dude who reveals you have to go to Cloakwood somewhere in Baldur's Gate instead of Beregost to encourage the player up that way. voiceless anal fricative fucked around with this message at 19:52 on Jan 26, 2019 |
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Jan 26, 2019 19:49
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Finished ToB. Took everything i had to beat the final boss. I was surprised how easily the Watcher's Keep final baddie went down. Overall i enjoyed it but every fight becomes so chaotic that it'll probably be awhile before I revisit. Story was weak compared to SoA but it doesn't really matter.
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Jan 26, 2019 20:12
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TheHoosier posted:Finished ToB. Took everything i had to beat the final boss. I was surprised how easily the Watcher's Keep final baddie went down. Overall i enjoyed it but every fight becomes so chaotic that it'll probably be awhile before I revisit. Story was weak compared to SoA but it doesn't really matter. WK's final boss is like a key you've got to unlock. He goes down pretty easily so long as you can get around his defenses, but he's drat near impossible if not. TOB final boss is a chaotic slog of scripted full heals and mixed/overlapping immunities and poo poo. I'd certainly say it's harder, simply because it's much more complex.
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Jan 26, 2019 20:39
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I've never had a game blindside me like in BG1, I remember as a teenager going in blind and finally making it to Baldur's Gate and being like wow now I can go to the iron council and tell them what's going on and get help and oh, wait, poo poo! Also killing Drizzt was just about the best thing to ever happen to me in a video game at the time. I encountered him for the first time, died miserably over and over but then carefully avoided his spawn area and came back later for his sweet loot. I think the only game that ever gave me the same level of emotional ups and downs was Star Control 2: Ur quan masters and really I haven't seen games give much in terms of plot and story since, except maybe new vegas. Washout fucked around with this message at 22:49 on Jan 26, 2019 |
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Jan 26, 2019 22:36
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bike tory posted:WK's final boss is like a key you've got to unlock. He goes down pretty easily so long as you can get around his defenses, but he's drat near impossible if not. Yeah, if you know what to expect and took the appropiate measures, he's doable because his damage resistances are not high and can be damaged fairly consistently. You'll suffer a lot on your first try though. The fifth pocket challenge boss, on the other hand, is always a bitch, it's not a complex fight, it's just a big damage check, which sucks a lot for a compulsory encounter. I think it would make sense for the WK's boss to be way harder, as is an optional boss who can also be bypassed with dialogue choices, and the fifth pocket challenge, a bit easier.
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Jan 27, 2019 23:20
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bike tory posted:TOB final boss is a chaotic slog of scripted full heals and mixed/overlapping immunities and poo poo. I'd certainly say it's harder, simply because it's much more complex. It's also one of the very few fights in the game where you have to be somewhat prudent with your ability usage because it's very long and you can't just rest in-between. Unless you abuse Wish-resting of course.
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Jan 31, 2019 16:39
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Samuel Clemens posted:It's also one of the very few fights in the game where you have to be somewhat prudent with your ability usage because it's very long and you can't just rest in-between. Unless you abuse Wish-resting of course. There’s times I was able to get far enough away from enemies to rest, though it’s not consistent .
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Feb 4, 2019 09:01
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I used Wish-rest on my first set of attempts (Load save, do fight, Wish-rest, fail anyway, repeat). Eventually I loaded up an earlier save file and overhauled my spell loadouts, equipment, etc. Nailed it on the very next attempt.  I saved all of my summons/Spell Triggers for the Final phase. I was relieved to not have to Wish-rest but I just barely beat it.
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Feb 4, 2019 12:49
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grobbo posted:The great thing about BG2’s quests is that nobody in Amn seems particularly concerned with the ludicrous amount of high-concept adventure that’s crammed into every nook of their city.
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Feb 4, 2019 15:36
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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. Best of all every other podunk settlement along the Sword Coast is just as full of world-shaking events. Canonically, in 2E Forgotten Realms... that's just what life is like in Faerun.
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Feb 4, 2019 15:39
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Cythereal posted:Canonically, in 2E Forgotten Realms... that's just what life is like in Faerun. Welp the island in the center of the lake has been taken over by necromancers again. Better go tell the innkeep about it this weekend so he can point the next band of adventurers passing through at them.
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Feb 4, 2019 16:45
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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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Zane posted:no need to worry. the cabal of machiavellian wizards who hold the city by the throat have everything in hand. *Massive train of slaves are being whipped and herded into a nearby seedy bar "Excuse me, are you casting Haste? This is your last warning cut it out or get killed"
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Feb 4, 2019 20:36
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I am one of the few who are chosen
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Feb 4, 2019 20:48
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I love the BG chatter in Trademeet. "If your parents don't buy you a pointy stick, they don't love you!"
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Feb 4, 2019 20:53
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I'm Hurgan Thunderflail and this is Athkatla Today. The Khelben Blackstaff Memorial Thoroughfare has been shut down since midmorning after a pack of basilisks escaped from a shipping container. The cart owner, reportedly an artist whose name has not been released to the press, has been taken into custody by the Cowled Wizards, and city guards are working to contain the beasts. Local residents and commuters are advised to stay indoors, and to stock up on Potions of Mirrored Eyes. The Cowled Wizards have issued a statement reminding the populace that the unlicensed use of magic to protect against petrification gazes is illegal, and no special dispensations have been offered at this time. The Church of Lathander has also issued a statement reminding the populace that divine miracles, even those cast from scrolls, are perfectly legal and available from any city temple for a reasonable donation. Another body was discovered in the Bridge District last night, the latest in what appears to be yet another series of murders. Bridge District residents, who have already endured the Skinner murders, the Eyegouger murders, the Nose-Remover murders, the Earchopper murders, and the What-The-gently caress-Happened-To-His-Teeth murders this year, are jaded and wary. City officials have scheduled a press conference for noon today, and are expected to announce that they have asked a random adventurer to investigate, in accordance with standard law enforcement procedure. The weather outlook for today: mostly sunny with a ten percent chance of acid fogs or incendiary clouds in the outlying areas.
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Feb 4, 2019 21:31
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Anecdote: way back on my first run through BG2, I never heard the Minsc quip "aaah we are all heroes, you and boo and I, hamsters and rangers everywhere....etc" when I completed the Trademeet main quest and got my statues up. The 20 year old version of me thought that was the sweetest and most endearing thing i'd ever seen in a video game.
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Feb 4, 2019 21:33
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I always thought it odd that the Cowled Wizards were all level whatever that let them cast Teleport or whatever it was multiple times in one day just to go be Magic Police. Then that made we wonder what would happen if there was too much Magic Deviancy (tm) and all their on-duty Cowled Wizards ran out of teleports?
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Feb 4, 2019 22:47
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AAAAA! Real Muenster posted:I always thought it odd that the Cowled Wizards were all level whatever that let them cast Teleport or whatever it was multiple times in one day just to go be Magic Police. Then that made we wonder what would happen if there was too much Magic Deviancy (tm) and all their on-duty Cowled Wizards ran out of teleports? Neverending stockpile of teleport scrolls written by narcoleptic scribes with neverending spell points
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Feb 4, 2019 23:10
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docbeard posted:I'm Hurgan Thunderflail and this is Athkatla Today. The Khelben Blackstaff Memorial Thoroughfare has been shut down since midmorning after a pack of basilisks escaped from a shipping container. The cart owner, reportedly an artist whose name has not been released to the press, has been taken into custody by the Cowled Wizards, and city guards are working to contain the beasts. Local residents and commuters are advised to stay indoors, and to stock up on Potions of Mirrored Eyes. The Cowled Wizards have issued a statement reminding the populace that the unlicensed use of magic to protect against petrification gazes is illegal, and no special dispensations have been offered at this time. The Church of Lathander has also issued a statement reminding the populace that divine miracles, even those cast from scrolls, are perfectly legal and available from any city temple for a reasonable donation.  Saving this in my personal archives, if you don't mind.
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Feb 5, 2019 00:03
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docbeard posted:I'm Hurgan Thunderflail and this is Athkatla Today. The Khelben Blackstaff Memorial Thoroughfare has been shut down since midmorning after a pack of basilisks escaped from a shipping container. The cart owner, reportedly an artist whose name has not been released to the press, has been taken into custody by the Cowled Wizards, and city guards are working to contain the beasts. Local residents and commuters are advised to stay indoors, and to stock up on Potions of Mirrored Eyes. The Cowled Wizards have issued a statement reminding the populace that the unlicensed use of magic to protect against petrification gazes is illegal, and no special dispensations have been offered at this time. The Church of Lathander has also issued a statement reminding the populace that divine miracles, even those cast from scrolls, are perfectly legal and available from any city temple for a reasonable donation. I can hear this being read by a fantasy version of the GNN bots from Master of Orion with a sweet fantasy remix of the generic beepbeepbeep news music.
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Feb 5, 2019 05:46
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AAAAA! Real Muenster posted:I always thought it odd that the Cowled Wizards were all level whatever that let them cast Teleport or whatever it was multiple times in one day just to go be Magic Police. IIRC, the final Cowled Wizard who comes after you is level 30, which makes him more powerful than Irenicus or Elminster.
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Feb 6, 2019 01:11
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Does anyone know if disintegrate is supposed to destroy quest-critical items? I was happily meandering my way through the asylum when I lost both Imoen and one of the minotaur horns necessary for escaping the dungeon to a particularly nasty trap. I'm trying to do a no reload run, but I don't want to start over if this is a legit bug.
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Feb 7, 2019 15:52
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If you know you had it just iekeeper it in imo
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Feb 7, 2019 16:02
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I have no idea who or what Skybound is but Baldur’s Gate, Baldur’s Gate ll, Baldur’s Gate: Siege of Dragonspear, Icewind Dale, Planescape: Torment, and Neverwinter Nights All Coming to Console in 2019. I am having a hard time visualizing how this will work. Especially for the Infinity Engine titles, but especially for Neverwinter Nights. But especially for the Infinity Engine titles.
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Feb 7, 2019 20:02
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docbeard posted:I'm Hurgan Thunderflail and this is Athkatla Today. The Khelben Blackstaff Memorial Thoroughfare has been shut down since midmorning after a pack of basilisks escaped from a shipping container. The cart owner, reportedly an artist whose name has not been released to the press, has been taken into custody by the Cowled Wizards, and city guards are working to contain the beasts. Local residents and commuters are advised to stay indoors, and to stock up on Potions of Mirrored Eyes. The Cowled Wizards have issued a statement reminding the populace that the unlicensed use of magic to protect against petrification gazes is illegal, and no special dispensations have been offered at this time. The Church of Lathander has also issued a statement reminding the populace that divine miracles, even those cast from scrolls, are perfectly legal and available from any city temple for a reasonable donation. This is excellent and I would like to read both the Baldur’s Gate Bulletin and Saradush at Seven - the latest news from a bustling Tethyrian metropolis of six cramped houses, a rehashed sewer network and two half-hearted sidequests.
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Feb 7, 2019 23:02
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BiggestOrangeTree posted:I have no idea who or what Skybound is but Baldur’s Gate, Baldur’s Gate ll, Baldur’s Gate: Siege of Dragonspear, Icewind Dale, Planescape: Torment, and Neverwinter Nights All Coming to Console in 2019. I am having a hard time visualizing how this will work. Especially for the Infinity Engine titles, but especially for Neverwinter Nights. But especially for the Infinity Engine titles. This is... ambitious? I'm having a hard time imagining how this would work with no mouse and keyboard.
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Feb 8, 2019 00:32
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Beamdog should finish the unreleased Playstation 1 port of BG1 and pack it in with these as a bonus game for archival purposes.
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Feb 8, 2019 00:42
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I wonder if this is based off success from the console version of pillars of eternity, which again, I’m curious how people played on console. I would certainly buy bg ii for switch if it came to it. At least there you have a touch screen option
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Feb 8, 2019 02:16
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JustJeff88 posted:This is... ambitious? I'm having a hard time imagining how this would work with no mouse and keyboard. Pillars of Eternity played extremely well on console so hopefully they'll just copy that
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Feb 9, 2019 13:15
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