This is a great game- good graphics, good combat, good story.

I was especially impressed that the person who wrote the second edition manual designed this game. I think that it was great for a mind who was part of DnD creation to contribute to the process.

There were a few issues which I grew tired of. How people would not follow you from one area to the next (fixed in BG II), how enemy spells would be interrupted if you left the area, how much walking you had to do (fixed in BG II), and the exp cap.

I especially liked the animations for the spells, Misc, the customizability, the plot that would change depending on your actions, and the role which alignment played.

They did a great job.

I saw BGII and it's a whopping 800mb installation, according to the box's printed requirements. That's the biggest game I've seen so far.

Well I have Baldur's Gate 1 fully installed on my computer and it takes up 2.5 GB.

Peter.

But then I really ought to buy the game rather than get it from a friend and use a crack.

Peter.

You should use a full install anyway since it is much faster, and you don't have to CD swap.

Two corrections to the first post:
The second edition manual should be
The second edition DnD manual

Misc should be Minsc

Peter, I saw the BG box and don't remember it saying it's that big. How can it be so big? That's ridiculous if they made it so big; it takes up way too much space. I didn't know there were any games bigger than 1GB yet. Are you sure it's that big? Still, these two games seem interesting to me but I'll have to wait to get a better system to play them on. Besides, by that time they should be a lot cheaper. I hope.

The game is only that big if you install five whole CDs onto the computer, as I had to as I haven't got the CDs. If you do a custom install it is much smaller.

Peter.

So is it on only one or two CDs then, if I bought it in the store? And how big is BGII? The box said 800MB but often games are bigger than what the system's minimum requirements call for.

Baldur's Gate 1 is on not one or two, but five CDs and the British version at least had the most incomprehensibly •••••• case which ensured that taking one CD out would mean the other four would roll out onto the floor.

I don't have BG2 but I can ask a friend how much space it takes up on his. The 800MB file will be for custom installation, my friend with his 40GB hard disk will certainly have it fully installed on his system. :-)

Peter.

When I one day get a new system it'll definitely have a much bigger harddrive than my measly 8gig one, which is bigger than the 3.2 one in the older puter. The 8gig is almost full now cuz of so many games. In fact, I've deleted some that I've not played in awhile for the extra room.

BTW, BG1 is available on a single DVD-ROM.

Oh, and Peter, they replaced the stuupid case with a proper plastic one for BG2.

Oh good. I couldn't bear the game if they had another one of those.

:-)

Peter.

I was reading a review of BGII on CNET.com and they said how it's about as big as you said it was, Peter. Man, if I get a new system I'll probably have to customize it to have a second HD just for such big games. If I want to get such big games, that is.

Well 8 gigs should store at least five games, so you can just uninstall the ones you play less and keep the five or so you play the most installed for now.

I hardly play anything except Total Annihilation and TA: Kingdoms, for example. I doubt you will be playing more than five or six games at the same time so at this moment in techological evolution 8 gigs should be enough.

Peter.

That's exactly what I do, Peter. In fact, I did that Monday cuz I'd gotten a big 820mb game (see the Combat Games board) and Dungeon Keeper 2, which froze my puter while I was trying it out. I've got more games than my hd will hold. I tried that insipid Dracula: Resurrection. Don't bother. It's like Myst where the only way to get around is by pointclicking on locations you want to go to, like doorways. Myst is better, though, cuz other things move in the game, too. Or is that just Riven, which I've got, like with the tram?

To all,
I have just tried making a B.G. role-playing board under the kitchen sink, Role-playing boards, and then you should see B.G. give it a try!

WOW! This game rocks! I've been playing it now for the last 2 nights, including tonight. It took me a little while to learn some of the key functions and whatnot by playing around, and I'm still learning, but it's fun, too. I can't imagine how much I've missed doing in Castlekeep, and while on my way to the Friendly Arm, where I and 3 companions are now. I'm looking for that ring that girl asked me to get for her. The girl who was robbed by hobgoblins. The graphics aren't quite as sharp as I'd expected on my 1.3 system, but they're passable. I also expected that after installing the first disk the others would be asked to be put into the machine, but they weren't, not until I clicked on the Friendly Arm picture on the world map, that is. I guess that'll happen with the rest of them, huh?

One thing I didn't like about it right away is that dumb disk holder. I expected individual jewel cases or some other, better storage place to put them. The cardboard one can scratch up the disks if you're not careful taking them out or putting them back in.

Something else. If I play too long the game suddenly lags big time. I dunno if the machine is slowing down or the group is getting tired (I've rested them a couple times on the way to the Friendly Arm), but it pisses me off a little. Again, I thought this machine would do better. Also, when I quit the game it messed up the computer and somehow restarted it, unless that was my doing. Oh, well. I know it's got tons of hours of gameplay, so it'll be awhile before I get any of the other BG games. I got this one for $20, and The Sword of the Coast (or just whatever its name is) was only $15, but I didn't get it, or the two BGII's yet, either. Why are there two part twos, anyway? Or is it like Tad Williams' 3 part story Sorrow, Thorn... and something or other, where the third part is divided into two massive books? That's what it reminds me of.

This is the only game I've been playing for the last week now, that just that hooked on it. I'm not very far cuz I keep reloading to try out different strategies but it's still very fun. I'm in Ulcastle, I think it is, where the Halflings live. I've pretty much gone into all the little hovels and the last one is where the halfling has the secret hidden door to the dungeon where the kobolds and Ogrillons are hiding. I killed the Ogre Mage and saved right away. Now I'm trying to get thru the dungeon but not sure how. It'd be really nice if in RPGs you could shoot range weapons without having to lock onto a target, cuz then I could shoot detonation arrows into the maze to clear out some of the bad guys. That's one thing I don't like about RPGs. You have to wait for the enemy to appear before you can fire on it. That'd be a big improvement on RPGs, or are there any that already let you do that, and if so which ones? If it takes me too long cuz it's just too hard then I'll give it up and leave the village, cuz I don't think it's really necessary to complete the game, right? Please tell me I'm right.