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Add Additonal Camera Lock Options

November 2, 2014, 10:13 am
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With the release of Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition we were greeted with the long awaited feature to lock the camera. However, we are not done yet. Overhall can take this chance to add more options as to how we can lock our camera in all I.E. games. The first (and most sorely needed) is the option to lock the camera in the traditional 640x480 view. All I.E. games (IWD II excluded) were designed around this view and it would be nice to implement it for both new and old players alike. Many players would kill for the chance to experience Baldur's Gate: EE in that classic view without constant interruptions like cutscenes or the accidental move of the mouse wheel. The second needed lock option is the 800x600 view, introduced in Baldur's Gate 2. For some players, they prefer this view because it's far enough to get a better tactical view than 640x480, but not far enough to ruin the immersion of a closer camera. This will also help players experience Icewind Dale II in it's native view when the enhanced edition comes out. There are plenty more options that can be implemented, but for now you should stick to these two options first.

640x480 view, let's call this "Classic"

800x600 view, this can be "Tactical"
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Kit Descriptions

November 2, 2014, 3:52 pm
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Does it bug anyone else that the Kit Description pages for kits don't include specific details of the base class?

For instance you're playing a Sun Soul Monk and have no in-game way to when (for example) your magic resistance kicks in...

I know there are manuals, etc... But they involve coming out of the game to get the required info.

I'm considering a Feature Request for this and want to see if anyone else agrees.
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Your favourite BG quotes *SPOILERS*

December 2, 2013, 6:54 am
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As years go by and that second playthrough changes to tenth playthrough, players of BG tend to learn some bits of dialogue and banter by heart. As these games are heavy with text, and it takes long time for one person to hear them all, I'd like to hear some of this community's favourite Baldur's Gate quotes! Remember to tag spoilers if needed.

Anyway, here are some of my favourites:

Irenicus (hell, pretty much anything said my this guy): "I cannot be caged. I cannot be controlled. Understand this as you die, ever pathetic, ever fools!"

Oogie: "Recent evidence suggests that a barrel full of monkeys is not half as much fun as previously claimed, and is, in fact, rather horrifying!"

And this one especially:

[spoiler] Sarevok: "I orchestrated a war to slaughter thousands. I have felt the cold embrace of death. I have witnessed the horrors of the abyss. But you, Viconia... you scare me." [/spoiler]
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What should overhaul do next?

November 18, 2013, 4:34 pm
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So BG1 and BG2 now both have an enhanced edition.

We will see the inevitable patches in the coming months, but now Overhaul is drifting directionlessly in the black void of post-development uncertainty.
image

Clearly only you and I can solve this existential dilemma. So what is the answer?

Should they:
1. Continue producing large amounts of post launch content for both games of breathtaking scale?
2. Start enhancing another infinity engine game?
3. Start enhancing another D&D game?
4. Start enhancing another game?
5. Stop enhancing games, and start making their own games which they may or may not be able to enhance another 12 years down the line?
6. Start making Baldur's gate 3?
7. Start making what is basically Baldur's gate 3, but not actually called Baldur's gate 3?
8. Start making an entirely new D&D game?
9. Start making an entirely new rpg?
10. Start making an entirely new game?
11. Something else?

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Air elemental not turning green?

November 3, 2014, 5:01 pm
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Have you noticed it? After the telepathic control is concluded, they never seem to turn green.

I've got the latest patch.I would appreciate If you guys could try it on your own games (it's the 5th and 6th level arcane spell) and tell me if this is an actual bug.
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Cheating or not? (Spoilers!)

November 3, 2014, 6:10 pm
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Okay, I have a couple of questions regarding what is considered cheating or not.

1. I am running a solo monk. At the demon knights' altar in the Underdark, you are supposed to put an animal on the altar to sacrifice. This is achieved by summoning an animal, generally. However, since I am a monk, I cannot use magical items. So, I used debug to summon a cow on the altar. Is this considered cheating?

2. You can get the Golden Pantaloons if you imported a character from BG to BG 2. However, I started my monk fresh. Keeping in mind that if you imported a character, the golden pantaloons are EXTREMELY easy to get, would this be considered cheating?

Yes, I know that TECHNICALLY, these things are cheating, but I'm asking for an opinion. Thanks in advance.
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BP2 Gladiators as Campaign Party Members

November 3, 2014, 11:34 pm
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While I'm not at all fond of the Black Pits modules, I do think Beamdog has demonstrated a certain knack for creating potentially-interesting characters. So, food for thought: which Black Pits 2 gladiator would you most like to see as an NPC mod for BG2?

(Note: Symm Haximus, Lawful Neutral Dwarven Defender, is not listed because as far as I can see there's no way for him to actually survive the events of "Gladiators of Thay", but if he's your pick, go ahead and say so!)
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Can haz BGII:EE 1.3 patch beta?

November 4, 2014, 1:16 am
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Please?

Pretty please?

I've been good. Eaten all my vegetables... okay, that's a lie, I didn't eat them, but I sent the turnips to Anduin. That's good, right?

Since we're being assured that the patch is close to done over and over again, and ID:EE has been released which was a criteria, and that it really just needs QA at this point, could you drop the beta patch in "Road to 1.3"? I'm sure a lot of us would be happy just to play it in its current state and let the release drag on for however much longer it's going to be to help iron out the final flaws and make the patch as good as it can be.
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Win 8 Touch Support?

November 4, 2014, 9:30 am
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Is touch control for windows tablet something that is talked about?
I have the games on PC but would love to be able to play them on my tablet. I could even pay extra for this feature.
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Two-Handed Weapon Style - Is it Worth it to Specialize (Put 2 Points?)

November 4, 2014, 11:33 am
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Curious if experienced players feel that the 2nd point in Two-Handed Weapon Style is worth it? The first point obviously gives you a better crit chance and more damage. The second however only reduces speed factor by 2. I'm wondering if I'd be better served putting the remaining dot into bows or something similar.
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BG2 Solo SCS Spell Guide

November 5, 2014, 6:43 am
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BG2 Solo SCS Spell Guide

Introduction

Spell guides: there are dozens already out there and while everybody's opinions differ, we all know that Magic Missile, Mirror Image, Skull Trap, Stoneskin, Breach, Protection From Magical Weapons, Project Image, Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting and Time Stop are all you need, right?

Trouble is that nearly all the spell guides already written are for the vanilla game, where indeed a handful of powerful spells are all you need to conquer everything. See a mage? Breach him. Melee opponents getting to you? Stoneskin. Want to kill a bunch of enemies? Horrid Wilting. And so on.

When I first started playing with SCS I was amazed at the additional complexity of the AI. In particular the improved mages were remarkable. In the vanilla game I had never blinked at seeing a Yuan-ti mage. Now with SCS they were an utter nightmare, they hung around for ages, dispelled all my protections, and peppered me with Magic Missiles. The game had changed and the old tricks no longer worked.

At first I had no idea how to get through layers of magical defences. Then I read through the spell descriptions and gradually began to work it out. So I need a Secret Word to get rid of that. But first a Spell Thrust to remove this. And only then can I Breach. Do I have a Secret Word and Spell Thrust? Of course not. Who in the vanilla game even looked at those spells, let alone memorise them?

For the last few years I have exclusively played solo no reload. Party games no longer appeal to me, I know the companions, I love the roleplaying, the story is great. But I've already been there and now the challenge I'm interested in is the strategic combat aspect: to fight the full array of BG2 opponents at their utmost power, with their AI enhanced by SCS. And to do it without any kind of cheesy tactics or crutches, and most importantly, with just the one life. To survive everything they can throw at me and to find a way around it and ultimately to have the Bhaalspawn prevail.

I have lost count of the number of no-reload SCS games I have played. Most fail quickly (damn you Dire Charm!); some last longer (how the %*$! am I supposed to deal with the Shade Lord's aura?!). Some get very far and then succumb to restart-itis (Okay I'm in Suldanessellar but how cool would a Berserker-Assassin with Swashbuckler AC bonus but no armour and no traps be?).

One thing I've realised from my experience is that while all kinds of classes and combinations can do well if utilised intelligently, mage types have a far better chance of survival than any other class. Moreover, the sheer complexity of arcane magic adds a huge amount to the strategic element of the game. If you're ever going to beat a no-reload SCS, you need to understand the magic system.

I decided to write this spell guide from a specific perspective. This is not a vanilla BG2 spell guide, nor is it a guide for party play. This guide is for a solo character with SCS. My explanations and ratings for each arcane spell below are based on my experience playing the game under no-reload conditions. Naturally if you play with reloads, you might not weight so heavily towards some defensive spells that I rate highly. I should also add that I play with Item Randomiser, which I think is a wonderful mod which makes every game different. As such, I have not assumed that you will have specific equipment that would otherwise be easily or quickly obtainable and which would make certain spells obsolete.

Finally I should point out that this guide is written for BG2, ie SoA and ToB. If you're playing from BG1 then bear in mind that while the majority of the guidance and explanation is still relevant, some of the nuances are different. For example spells like Sleep are very useful in BG1 and totally useless in BG2, so the rating below would not be applicable for the BG1 portion of the game.

Two Types of Casters

In the descriptions below I make reference to two types of casters: pure spellcasters and fighter-types.

Pure spellcasters are those classes that rely almost exclusively on magic. These include single class mages, sorcerers, cleric/mages and most types of thief/mages. Pure spellcasters have to use spells to cover all functions: summoning, damage, defence, debuffing, crowd control etc. They therefore require a wide ranging spellbook and do not get too much mileage from spells that enhance combat prowess.

Fighter-types are those classes for whom magic complements their weapon skills. These include the various types of fighter/mages and swashbuckler/mages. Fighter-types have slightly different requirements from their spellbook: they do not need magic for their damage output, they can use their weapons and thereby get by with fewer damaging and summoning spells. Fighter types can instead concentrate on defensive spells as well as debuffing and crowd control. They are especially interested in spells that enhance combat capability.

While the value and utility of most spells are similar for spellcasters and fighter-types, certain spells have nuances that favour one type more than the other. I have noted these where applicable. Likewise some spells get a higher rating for one type over the other.

Explanation of Ratings

I have rated each spell out of 5, with 1 the lowest rating and 5 the highest. Below is an explanation of what each rating means.

1: These spells are either useless or of such limited utility that you will hardly ever need them. You will pretty much never need to memorise these spells.

2: These spells are of limited utility. They have some value and may be helpful in certain situations or for a specialised strategy. But on the whole they are not spells you will use regularly. You will rarely need to memorise these spells.

3: These are solid spells that will serve you well. You will likely use these spells regularly and they will be an important part of your spellbook. You will memorise these spells frequently.

4: These are strong spells and will form a key part of your regular strategy. You will be using these spells in any tough encounter and will memorise them on an everyday basis.

5: These spells are essential for your character to thrive and survive. These are the spells around which you will form entire strategies. You will need to prioritise these spells and ensure you never leave base without them.
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Wild mage adventures

March 14, 2014, 4:40 pm
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Ahoy people, a while back I asked for advice in choosing spells for a sorcerer build and what spells to pick.
However I decided to restart BG with the Wild mage and boy is it fun :-)
I personally find them much more enjoyable, but I know the sorcerer class has it's merits too.

The main two reasons are: It adds some unpredictable spice to battles and makes things much more interesting, as well being able to swap spells out on the fly ( to prepare for different battles and situations )
With the Sorcerer class its great to be able to fling more spells about then a normal mage bbbuuttt your stuck with said spells, I found it getting abit boring after awhile.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to carry my Wild mage all the way through to BG2 EE and TOB and can't wait!
I'm in this for the long haul now :-D

Peace,
Ozma.
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What is typical Canon sequence for rescuing Imoen in BGII

November 6, 2014, 2:10 pm
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My current understanding is that after escaping Irenicus's Dungeon there follows a Chapter in which Charname and Party complete one or several quests. At least one of the possible quests to be encountered in Athkatla is more or less prompted by the game automatically according to Charname's class. Other choices arise with the possibilities of recruiting various NPCs appropriate to Good-Evil alignments and acquiring desirable items.

And there is a benchmark goal of gathering a certain amount of GP which will enlist the support of a powerful organization in your efforts to secure the release of Imoen [should that be your chosen storyline].

My question is whether a consensus exists about a reasonable number of Quests to build Party strength via Level and Items. Is it even going to be possible to come back and complete, for example, the Thief's quest, after rescuing Imoen or will I be locked into some further plotlines. If so, it would be good to rescue her ASAP or thereabouts so she won't miss out on XP. If not, then I would definitely do more of the Quests before attempting the perhaps impossible rescue....


Here is my current idea: Complete Copper Coronet quests with
Charname [FM-dualweilding Longsword and Flail]
Jaheira
Minsc
Yoshimo
Aerie

Explore just exactly how a certain potion actually tastes. [a moderate exploit only...while Minsc and Aerie are enthusiastically distracted by imagining their newly formed Djemma pact]

Recruit Valgyar and complete his quest
Switch Valgyar for Nalia and complete her quest
Secure the Fighter Stronghold
Rescue Imoen [Yoshimo exits]

Would that be normal or rushing things just a bit?? ~Eventually, I see Anomen and Keldorn in the party after Nalia, Minsc and Aerie are fare-welled...

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Custom PC & NPC Portraits

January 1, 2014, 12:23 am
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Building on the original thread, started by @Syntia13, this is intended to be a hub to share alternate, fan-made portraits for the enhanced editions of the series. In order to keep the thread running and make it a comprehensive source for portraits, please abide by the site rules and a few guidelines:

Thread Rules

1: Respect artists' creations and their right to them. If portrait-makers ask that you not edit their work, don't. If a mistake is made, simply edit your post to remove the image, apologize, forgive and forget.
2: Do not share images for which you have not received permission from the artists, when possible.* This is particularly true of art from DeviantArt, which hosts many artists who do not want their work shared elsewhere.
3: If you request that a portrait be made, recognize that the artists in this forum do this simply because they enjoy contributing to the community. Be patient, be respectful and say thank you.
4: Be supportive! Many of the artists here are just beginning to learn how to make portraits. Be positive and constructive in your comments, and avoid pointless negativity.
5: If you are making and posting portraits, state who you used as a model (if applicable), either here or on your website. Understand that this still does not make the likeness your property, and be prepared to remove the image if so requested by the copyright holder.

*Understandably, the source of some older portraits is unknown. If in doubt, go to Google Images and drag the portrait to the search bar. You may find the artist or source through that method. Again refer to Rule 1.

Guide to Using Custom Portraits

Portraits in the enhanced editions use three images in bitmap (.bmp) format, the largest of which is only shown during the epilogue in Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal. The three sizes are 210x330, 169x266 (displayed in the character sheet) and 54x84 (displayed on the right UI bar).*

To use custom portraits for your PC:
1: Navigate to your Baldur's Gate directory in (My) Documents.
2: Drop the custom portraits into the Portraits folder.
3: In the game, select Custom when choosing a portrait and select the medium and small sizes. Alternately, if you have already begun your game, select Customize/Appearance from the character sheet.

To use custom portraits for NPCs:
1: Rename the portrait files to match the NPC whose portraits you want to replace. For example, Jaheira's portraits are named JaheiraL, JaheiraM and JaheiraS. There are some portraits in BG1 that do not conform to this, and those in BG2 have their own naming format. Consult this site.
2: Place the portraits in your override folder, located in the directory where you installed the game.

*Note that after the latest patch, the games allow a single large portrait size to be automatically adjusted to the proper sizes. I currently do not recommend this, as it causes pixelation in the small 54x84 version.

Artist Links

If you like the portraits you see here or at any of the sites below, leave a comment here or on the artist's website. We love making portraits, and we love hearing how you connect to them through the game.

@artastrophe: http://artastrophe.deviantart.com/
@Coutelier: http://coutelier.deviantart.com/
@Enkida: http://enkida.deviantart.com/
@Isandir: http://isandir.com
@jakaminski: http://jakaminski.deviantart.com/gallery/
Neunerx: http://neunerx.deviantart.com/gallery/
@Nixxi: http://nixxical.deviantart.com/
@Peachplums: http://peachplums.deviantart.com/
@Syntia13: http://syntia13.deviantart.com/

Suggest others whose portrait sites you are familiar with!
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What are your favorite quotes, dialogs, and NPCs from the new content? (spoilers)

June 26, 2014, 1:45 pm
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Here are some of mine:

"I try to have at least three phenomenally bad ideas a day. I'm counting this place as two." ~Charname, spoken to Dragomir.
(I actually like a lot of Charname's responses in Dragomir's tomb but this is the best one.)

I like the monk that guards the bridge to the twofold temple. It is funny how subtly moronic he is. One of my favorite parts of that dialog:

[spoiler]
Charname: "How is it someone whose skull has never known the moist, warm touch of a brain can remember to breathe?"

Monk: "What're you getting at?"

Charname: "You're not very smart, are you? Quite the opposite, in fact. You're stupid. A dunderheaded moron. An idiot. A cretin. An oaf of such staggering thick-headedness that even other oafs look at you and say, "Wow, what a dimwitted simpleton he is." You're an imbecile, a dolt, a lackwit so lacking in wits that I can feel my mind growing more sluggish and dull each passing second I talk with you. You're senseless, obtuse, laughably thick: a clodpate. In short, what I'm saying, you lethargic dullard, is that you're a brainless lout too stupid to live. Therefore, and I say this with absolutely no regret whatsoever, I am going to kill you."

Monk: "Huh?"

Charname: "Just draw your sword and die, already."

Monk: "You think I'm stupid, PRO_RACE? I'll show you stupid!"
[/spoiler]

Then there is Baeloth. He is just great. One of these days I will have to finish the Black Pits 1&2...

Wilson's dialogs are funny too:

[spoiler]
Wilson: "Growl?"

Charname: "I am CHARNAME. What are you called?"

Wilson: "Growl. Growl growl."

Charname: "You call yourself Wilson? How pedestrian."

Wilson: "Snuffle growl."

Charname: "Forgive me. I didn't realize it was so common. To be honest, I've not had the opportunity to speak with many bears."

Neera: "Uh... You know that's a bear you're talking to, right?"
[/spoiler]

Does anyone else have any favorites in the new content?
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'Good' Evil character alignment.

November 6, 2014, 7:40 pm
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So I think most of us can agree evil characters don't always view their actions as evil. I'm trying to come up with a blackguard type character who believes only through using forbidden magic and not-so-righteous ways can he achieve bringing peace to The Sword Coast. What alignment would this character be?
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Multiclassing Conundrum?

November 6, 2014, 7:40 pm
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Hypothetical: I want a party that has a mage, a cleric, and a thief in it, but I only have two slots, so the simple solution is make one a multiclass, and the other a pure class or kit.

So I can choose from Mage/Thief, Cleric/Mage, or Cleric/Thief. So two questions raised:

1: Which multiclass is probably the best to use together? (assuming no other party members will have these classes)

2: Which of these classes are best to use a kit over the vanilla standard?

*EDIT: This is assuming a level 1 party
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"Advertise" Your Written Play-through(s)!

July 23, 2014, 11:14 am
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So as I'm sure we all know, there are a lot of really cool written play-throughs of the BG saga on these forums. Some of them are very challenge based, while others are more for the role-play. There are several prominent writers of these as well as a few who have just started and only have one or two of their play-throughs up. Sometimes one of the more well known writers will make a new play-through, (example: @Blackraven‌) but someone who reads all of their work will miss it and only find it a week or two later. (example: me) The idea behind this thread is that writers of these "play-throughs" can "advertise" their play-throughs, thus making for easy access for others, as well as a visible and concise back catalogue for new members of the forums. I'm not going to include my own writings in the main post, but I'll place them in the comments, same as you all. The "format" for these would be...

[Title of the thread/character's name/what kind of challenge it is/however else you'd want to title it] [release status i.e complete/BG1 complete/on break/on hiatus/ongoing/etc.]

[Link to first page of the thread]

[short description of the thread]

Any extra details or notes you might want to add beyond the description is up to you, though I don't know what you'd put in that section.

Now, I'm not sure whether to leave this in General Discussion or Challenges and Playthroughs. I think I'll leave it in General Discussion for at least a week, just so it can garner attention. Once that's done I'll toss it into C&P, since it definitely belongs in there.

With all that done, I'm going to tag a few people who I know have written play-throughs on the forums, since they'll hopefully be interested. @Lemernis‌ @Heindrich‌ @lolien‌ @bengoshi‌ @meagloth‌ @MacHurto‌ @BelgarathMTH‌ @SionIV‌ @Aurorus‌ @Gotural‌ @SharGuidesMyHand‌ and Blackraven (previously tagged)
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Is an Archer (kit)/Mage possible? (IWD EE)

November 7, 2014, 5:58 am
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I ask because I cant dual my Archer (kit) as a Mage. I am not sure if I did something wrong with stats or if it is not possible to dual rangers. The weird thing is that the game allows me to dual into a cleric, but not a mage, so it seems to be something with stats, but then I edited the stats with EE Keeper to no avail...
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OLD: NWN 1 vs NWN 2 - Which do you prefer? (Neverwinter Nights)

November 7, 2014, 5:22 am
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As the title says: NWN 1 vs NWN 2 - Which Neverwinter Nights game do you prefer?


I have played neither and am thinking about trying out one of them.

Which game is your favourite? And, if you want to give your thoughts about it, why?

(I wanted to add a poll, but have no idea how to...)

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This thread is now obsolete due to another post with a poll.
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