I know that there is a similar thread somewhere, and my original intention was to bump that one. I was not able to locate it however, since I can't remember the title. If it shows up maybe a merge is in order. For now, however:
A significant part of the magic with ones very first play-through was that element of basically knowing nothing about anything in terms of what challenges awaited you and how you were supposed to overcome them in the most efficent manner. First of all there was no opportunity to meta-game in any way, since what you knew about the world was on par with your character would know, i.e no fire balls cast blindly in to the fog of war. Secondly you simply didn't have any idea of what weapons, spells, etc to utilise. You generally had to improvise as you went a long. As well as reload. A lot. Of course, twelve years ago, there wasn't a myriad of online walkthroughs and forums to guide you, either.
The thing is: these playthroughs were the best, since the immersion was so much greater than in later play-throughs were it became much more a question of trying new ways to beat the game. The game took months rather than days to complete, and the experiences offered were a lot richer.
From my first (or maybe not very first, but the first where I was actually getting places) play-through, my most memorable moment was without a doubt the fight with Davaeorn. I just literally COULDN'T beat him. I tried again, again and again, to no avail. In hindsight this was most likely down to my next to non-existent tactics and generally carefreee attitude towards things such as traps, buffs, and debuffs.
When I finally managed, the circumstances where dramatical, to say the least: after an initial melee charge that involved the flinging of countless canisters of flaming oil in the general direction of the evil wizard and his minions, my main char (a fighter) subsequently found himself beeing the sole survivor of the group. At this point he had already run for his life, and found himself in that chamber in the bottom right of the screen, with the chest. After a while Davaeorn caught up, determined to finish the job; however at this time his minions were gone as well as his magical protection, and a few swings with Graywolf's sword won my fighter the day before he was turned to toast.
When the dust had settled I counted five dead companions, of which three where permanently gone. And here's to the big thing: rather then promptly reloading (once again) I simply went on frow where I was. I had just won the impossible fight, it was well worth the lives of a couple of companions! My fighter simply gathered up the most valuable equipment he could carry, flung Ajantis and Kivan's relatively intact bodies on a mining cart, and began the long, cumbersome retreat back to civilized lands. After som much needed rest and some bloody expensive ressurection, my party, now a three-piece, set of for the first time to the grand city of Baldur's Gate, where their ranks would soon be bolstered by a pair of interesting gnomes...
Please share some of your memories of the very early Baldur's Gate experience!
A significant part of the magic with ones very first play-through was that element of basically knowing nothing about anything in terms of what challenges awaited you and how you were supposed to overcome them in the most efficent manner. First of all there was no opportunity to meta-game in any way, since what you knew about the world was on par with your character would know, i.e no fire balls cast blindly in to the fog of war. Secondly you simply didn't have any idea of what weapons, spells, etc to utilise. You generally had to improvise as you went a long. As well as reload. A lot. Of course, twelve years ago, there wasn't a myriad of online walkthroughs and forums to guide you, either.
The thing is: these playthroughs were the best, since the immersion was so much greater than in later play-throughs were it became much more a question of trying new ways to beat the game. The game took months rather than days to complete, and the experiences offered were a lot richer.
From my first (or maybe not very first, but the first where I was actually getting places) play-through, my most memorable moment was without a doubt the fight with Davaeorn. I just literally COULDN'T beat him. I tried again, again and again, to no avail. In hindsight this was most likely down to my next to non-existent tactics and generally carefreee attitude towards things such as traps, buffs, and debuffs.
When I finally managed, the circumstances where dramatical, to say the least: after an initial melee charge that involved the flinging of countless canisters of flaming oil in the general direction of the evil wizard and his minions, my main char (a fighter) subsequently found himself beeing the sole survivor of the group. At this point he had already run for his life, and found himself in that chamber in the bottom right of the screen, with the chest. After a while Davaeorn caught up, determined to finish the job; however at this time his minions were gone as well as his magical protection, and a few swings with Graywolf's sword won my fighter the day before he was turned to toast.
When the dust had settled I counted five dead companions, of which three where permanently gone. And here's to the big thing: rather then promptly reloading (once again) I simply went on frow where I was. I had just won the impossible fight, it was well worth the lives of a couple of companions! My fighter simply gathered up the most valuable equipment he could carry, flung Ajantis and Kivan's relatively intact bodies on a mining cart, and began the long, cumbersome retreat back to civilized lands. After som much needed rest and some bloody expensive ressurection, my party, now a three-piece, set of for the first time to the grand city of Baldur's Gate, where their ranks would soon be bolstered by a pair of interesting gnomes...
Please share some of your memories of the very early Baldur's Gate experience!