Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition

I know, as usual, I am late to the party, but I finally got round to playing Baldur's Gate I: Enhanced Edition. I was skeptical at first. I really was. Why on earth would I buy this game... again?!? Well, it is more than ten years old (1st release 1998, so that makes is now... 15 years at the time of writing). The video game landscape has changed "dramatically" since then. I got it cheap and thought I'd give it a try and I was really amazed by it.

Obviously they increased the resolution to modern standards... which made me aware how small all the maps were, but not only that. All those little annoying bits, that I annoyed me last time round, they ironed out. There is a quick save button! Also, they made a simple "copy Note" button, when reading a note in the game. That way you have them all, and you can easily discard the ones you found. "So" much easier and nicer. In the original, I always ended up using a chest that I knew I would always have access to and dump all the information scrolls into it.

I haven't encountered any of the new characters, but given it would appear that the new ones have a slant towards neutral/evil. Thus, I can finally play an evil party without too many constraints :) Currently, I am enjoying myself greatly and we'll see what else it brings. I heard rumours that now with BG II:EE having come out, they may be working on Planescape: Torment Enhanced Edition. The de facto best role-playing video game ever to be made.

Let's hope, they get that far. I will buy straight away. I just wonder if any new characters can live up to the old ones, which are just the most amazing creatures ever.

When gaming gets stressful

So, I was playing my old PlayStation 2 yesterday, because I am still not through all my games and I always avoided GTA: San Andreas. Mostly because I cannot identify with that HipHop culture, in general, and the main character, in particular. But finally I get round to it and I am at the point where I was able to fight for territories.

This was becoming a rather stressful affair if you ask me. It didn't help that I was dating Denise Richards at the same time. At some point, it really was hilarious. So I took her out for a date and afterwards I go to get some more territories. It just so happened that I started getting into a fight with some Ballas boys, when my cell phone rings and Denise demands some attention (Women! I tell y'all, it's no fun :D). So I stop that petty gang war business to get together with that one, when it just comes to pass that some other gang is challenging my territory.

At this point, I got a twitch on my left eye and was having those funny Al Bundy-esque thoughts constantly cussing under my breath "Goddamit woman! What are you bringing me into!"

:D It was funny how stressful it was for me :D

Helden auf kluge Weise verstärken

Wir hatten eine etwas längere Pause in meiner Rollenspielgruppe in der ich mir Gedanken gemacht habe über mögliche Verbesserung der Helden durch Gegenstände. Es ist ein relativ sensitives Thema in jeder Gruppe. In manchen mehr als in anderen, aber wenn man dem einen Helden einen tollen Gegenstand gibt, dann wollen die anderen Helden natürlich auch einen. Sie mögen es vielleicht nicht zugeben, aber jeder Spieler will einen tollen Charakter haben, der alles viel besser kann als die anderen... und wenn da nun ein anderer Held etwas tolles hat, sieht man sich natürlich seinem Ziel um einiges weiter entfernt als man denkt.

Aus diesem Grund bin ich wirklich am Überlegen, was man da machen kann. Nicht jeder Held kann etwas mit einer tollen magischen Waffe anfangen, denn nicht jeder Held ist ein Kämpfer. Was ist mit den Dieben, Magiern und Geweihten... Naja ok, Magier und Geweihte sind einfach, aber die Charaktere mit den eher sozialen Fähigkeiten sind wirklich nicht besonders einfach zu beschenken. Dadurch das Aventurien noch obendrein ein low-magic setting ist, wird der Sachverhalt keinesfalls einfacher. In Dungeons & Dragons war die Sache immer sehr einfach. Da gibt es sogar ein Buch mit Richtlinien. Ab Level X eine Waffe+Y, ab Level Z eine Waffe+A usw. usw.

DSA funktioniert einfach nicht so. Ich habe das Gefühl, dass ich als Spielleiter viel mehr gedankliche Vorbereitung hineinstecken muss und mir partout immer tolle Sachen ausdenken muss, die in stimmig in die Welt passen und dann auch noch irgendeinen Nutzen haben ohne jetzt unbedingt magisch zu sein. Auf die Dauer kann recht anstrengend sein. Hesinde sei Dank sind mir während des Schreibens ein paar Ideen gekommen, welches derische Hügelzwergenwerk ich in die Hände der Helden fallen lassen kann. Da jedoch die Gefahr besteht, dass einige meiner Spieler diesen Blog lesen, werde ich mal nichts weiteres verraten.

The C64 - Nostalgia, Nostalgia and a beer with a little bit of Nostalgia

I remember the Commodore 64 fondly. It was my first exposure to video gaming. It belonged to my eldest brother and it's greenfilter monitor had an almost irresistible pull to me. Problem these days was, I was 8 years old, couldn't speak English and guess what "ALL" games were in English... I have to admit though, it did not deter me :).

Following are a couple of games that I played almost nonstop. It was crazy considering that I actually couldn't speak English back then and the games were heavily text-based... yet, I thoroughly enjoyed them all. Here are my top ten in no particular order as I think that each game was awesome in its own way:

The Great Giana Sisters

 What a great game! My all time favorite. Chris Huelsbeck's PC-Speaker music made it all the more enjoyable. I can still hum the level tunes! Apart from the fact that it is a blatant Super Mario rip off, I have to admit, though, that I actually learnt about Mario after I played this one. To my surprise, when I played it recently, I realised that it has aged rather well!

Curse of the Azure Bonds

Hach *sigh*, my first ever computer-based rpg. It will always hold a special place in my heart. The graphics were shit, the gameplay was atrocious and the story a spin-off from an AD&D book that wasn't that good in the first place. Yet, I had to play it and beat the evil Tyranthraxus who, for some inexplicable reason, faced me as a storm giant (the only storm giant in the game) although he could have chosen any form he liked. My Paladin killed him in two rounds. That's how good that baddie was. Dust of Disappearance made that fight ridiculously easy... I loved that game. Also my first contact with the realms of Faerun. Good times...

Dragon Wars

From what I remember, THE best roleplaying system ever made. It was the only game "to this day" where you do not start as a character class, but you can increase whatever you want. It was just awesome! Shame there is no follow up with the same system but better graphics.

Can't tell you much about the story since the limited Memory of the Commodore 64 meant that a lot of the story was actually written down in the handbook in Entry form. Very often, you would encounter a place and it says in the description <Read Entry xy... 63 or whatever>. Unfortunately, my older brother lost the handbook and it was in English anyway, so no use to my 8 year old self.

Miniput

This game was simply well made. Even back then, they totally nailed the gameplay. To this day, I play miniput games (browser games and the like) and the game play as such has not change overly. What the developers achieved with limited graphics was just plain amazing! It is still a good game to now. Again one of those that aged well :)

Sid Meier's Pirates!

I am not sure if it is just misled nostalgia, but the new release of the game has nothing on the old one. I don't know what it was, but the new, fluffy and spiffy look of the new one just puts me off (together with the dancing). The original was actually just the same.. but it was better goddammit!! The game was revolutionary for its time. The way it was possible to ransack cities with just the right tactics was just plain awesome and the sea battles were breath-taking. I am sure my vivid imagination as a young pup compensated heavily for the lack of good graphics ;)

Tennis-Manager

This game is a weird one. I don't know why I spent several months worth of my childhood sitting in front of the box playing this. All you did, was increase the percentages of each skill, every time you come back from a tournament and then you watch how well you play. It was inevitable that you would reach the number one spot. Simply, because at some point you will reach 100% in every single skill. Nonetheless, there was something endearing about this game.

Winter Games

 

No other game caused as much damage to the joysticks as this game (maybe Summer games as close second). Since the game play consisted mainly of violently yanking the the joystick back and forth as fast as possible (This may have prepared some young boys for their Baywatch watching career), it is understandable that a couple of new joysticks had to be bought. Fantastic group game!

Bruce Lee

 To this day, I have no idea what this game is about, or what I achieved once I finished it. What I know is that it is a fast paced Jump and... Kick and Run Game that makes you enjoy jump kicking ugly, green and fat kickboxing women with a horrendous hair do.

Microprose Soccer

First football game I ever played. Realism looks different, but it was awesome nonetheless. For its time very good graphics and playing against my siblings was always a treat. It just worked. Awesome game :D

Vermeer

The strange story with this game is that I actually didn't know what the aim of the game was (again due to a lack of English skills). I just liked the game, for planting crops and selling the materials in order to get rich. For some reason, I was never bothered that it was open ended ;)

Honorable mentions go out to Mafia, International Karate and Test Drive. Another three beyond awesome games.

Ah well, that's it. I enjoyed that greatly. I will however resist from getting an emulator, because I will only be disappointed. I want those games to live on in my heart the way I remember them. As games that it was worth taking time out over. :)