Luckily I am having some free time over Christmas this year, so I am planning to play (and hopefully finish) Baldur's Gate 1. I never played this gem, but I heard a lot of good things and since I loved Pillars of Eternity, I think this is a game for me. Now my question is: Which version should I pick? The Original Version or the Enhanced Edition?

I read a couple of pros and cons regarding the Enhanced Edition here and there, but unfortuantely almost nobody gave any reasons (despite something like "It doesn't fit the game!" or "It is a really polished version now!"). Therefore I am really interested in your opinions, if you have played either of these (or actually both) versions. Which one is "better"? And most importantly: Why?

Thanks in advance!

The one that has more of the features that *you* like. Because no stranger can possibly know what your preferences are, therefore no stranger's opinion should matter -- It's too subjective.

Not helpful? Yeah, I know, but there it is. If you wish to know what other people think, rather than ask "which is better", then that's a different kettle of fish. On that note, I will direct you here, because it's been discussed ad infinitum.

Its really personal preference. Do you want to play with mods? If yes, buy the original, because more mods are compatible with it. Do you want to play it straight from the installed GOG version? Then buy the Enhanced Edition as it takes some tinkering to get BG1 original to play on most modern computers. Do you want to experience the game as it was originally released? Then go with the original, because the Enhanced Edition plays BG1 with the BG2 interface and character classes. Do you want more content and NPCs, then go with the Enhanced version as it adds a few things not present with the original version like new quests for the Dorn, Neera, and Rasaad NPCs.

There is no right answer to your question. Personally, I prefer the Enhanced Editions because of the new content and ease of use. But there are many people who prefer the original version because they don't feel the new content is up to the same quality level as the original game or want to mod it. I hope this helps answer your question. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

Dang, you 2 are right: It is a personal thing. Well, let me focus more precisely on what I am thinking about:

I want to go with the Enhanced Edition, because I know I will enjoy the comfort that comes with it (compatibility, user interface, resolutions etc.) UNLESS one or more of the following things turn out to be true:
- The EE has balance changes that ruin the game (for example weapons, characters etc. that you don't have/meet in the original version and which are too strong -- Fallout New Vegas Ultimate Edition is a perfect example where this ruined the start of the game)
- The EE has bugs that will take away the comfort I am hoping to get (crashes, unfinished quests... -- if that is still a problem)
- The EE has changes that significantly make it a different game (for example endings that are not available in the original version, characters that you can't meet anymore, places that do not exist anymore -- for whatever reason; "art" they usually call it :p)

The EE is definitely different to the original. If you want to experience the game as it was intended, playing the original sold on GOG will be fine - I'm playing trough it right now, precisely to make a comparison between vanilla BG and BG running on BG2 engine, and while it's not necessarily the enhanced edition, I can already tell that there is a noticeable shift in atmosphere. It's also running perfectly fine on Win 8.1. While I really like these enhanced editions, the problem with them is that often even developers themselves won't remember the reason why they made a lot of design decisions, let alone a third party developer. And even the slightest change will inevitably cause a shift in how the game plays, how it feels and how you'll perceive it. Then again, that is not to say it'll necessarily be a change for worse - just that your feelings will be different.

This is exactly why the enhanced edition is so jarringly different. It has *everything* that you mention in point 1: weapons, (out of place) characters, plus new spells, abilities, etc., that all add up to make it a completely different experience... a different game, basically. There are still bugs, but there are still bugs in the original. Same goes for any game. See point 1 above re. different game experience. Note that the original content was kept by requirement. Only the added fan content, which is very jarring, make significant changes regarding characters and places.

Also, the Enhanced Edition adds new classes and spells, not all of which are balanced at low levels.

They also "fix" some things that I would rather not have fixed. For example, some spells that stack in the original don't stack in the Enhanced Edition.

So after all it seems as if it comes down to the question: Is it a different game, or a worse game?

For me it is a worse game, if things are fundamentally broken -- in a way that they actually don't work (game breaking). It is a different game, if it "just" turns away from the original version. If the latter, I assume that the EE is the way to go for me.

Aren't there some classes/race combos that are more powerful than others in vanilla bg1? If so then all the EE does is change what is unbalanced. From what I read that is or was just how D&D played. True, it's all opinion, but come on. Think about it, if you never played this era of game before then just get the EE because of the "quality of life" enhancements you'll get to experience the type of game with less frustration and modding. Then if you like it you can get the original on sale and get carpel tunnel syndrome looting bullets and quarter staves.

You *clearly* haven't played both games.

I *still* have the 6 discs.************

Then how do you conclude "all the EE does is change what is unbalanced", when EE *completely* and *utterly* unbalances the game?

Never said I was an expert. In fact I had to start it several times over several years to finish it. And I don't know anything about D&D so I don't know what's better than anything I just play for fun. When the EE was released I bought it for nostalgia and the EE is simply more fun for me. I found the game challenging but manageable and I finished my first play through.

There are a few things that are better in the EE. For example, certain spells that would simply be a minor inconvenience, such as Maze, would trigger a game over in the original version if cast at the PC. There's additional content as well but brace yourself for some extremely cringe-worthy voice acting. The EE also makes it a lot easier to get multiplayer games started. Aside from that, I only have opinions, which shouldn't influence which one you decide to get.

I always liked the style of the BG1 shields and armor more. The "spikey" look for the equipment in BG2 was never my favourite. Over the top. I thought it a shame they didn't at least include both types with the original BG2 to add variety and choice, same for the EE. I think it'd be a (petty, I admit) annoyance for me to see that BG1 art style in the play field changed to the BG2 one.

I don't see a lot of advantages to EE so far. The only one that really attracts me is the promise of easier multiplayer gaming and set up, especially with newer players. The extra content otherwise seems too close to mods already available.