Dumann: To kill the time, I've got a quick question for you guys: A while back I bought a bundle with a lot of the RPG classics like Baldur's Gate, Forgotten Realms Demon Stone, D&D Dragonshard, Temple of Elemental Evil, Icewind Dale, Planescape Torment and Neverwinter Nights. When I've recovered from the insomnia I'm planning on catching up with those classics. Which would be the best to start with for somebody that missed out on these games in the past? (since he was too busy playing Bullfrog games) Or are they all extremely hard core with a steep learning curve and do you recommend another similar game first?
To start out with? NWN 2 is closest to modern RPGs which is both good and bad. Act 1 is rather slow, but Act 2 is fantastic, and 3 is quite fun. It also has 2 great expansions, Mask of The Betrayer is extremely good. IWD 2 is fun if you like more combat oriented, less options than NWN, but still quite a bit of difference in dialogue options. IWD 1 is probably the most combat oriented and runs on 2E rules which are a bit harder to grasp for modern players. A lot more unforgiving. NWN 1 is one of my absolute favorites, and again has a brilliant expansion in Hordes of the Underdark. Planescape is the most story oriented of all of the DnD games, which is rather awesome. However, it... you either love it or you hate it, there is no middle ground. BG 1 is mainly to set up for BG 2, personally I dislike BG 1 but a lot of people like it. I mainly dislike it because it frequently feels like your party talks amongst themselves but not with you, as in you cannot initiate dialogue with them, they deign to speak to you. I am just now starting ToEE, so far it is a lot of fun, but again more combat oriented than something like NWN or BG.