I noticed some venting about how BG1 NPCs end up in BG2 in several different threads recently, and for what it's worth I totally agree. Of course the joinable ones that you can continue adventuring with are developed well enough. But even there I think there is some dissatisfaction. It would be impossible to please everyone, though, of course. For both joinable and non-joinable reappearing adventurer NPCs.
My own brief takes:
Imoen - I guess I can live with her becoming more angst-ridden, and the murky metaphysical Bhaal essence soul stuff. But I personally liked her a whole lot better as a chipper pure Thief. And I know she duals well to Mage. I know. I still don't like her that way, i.e., as a spellcaster. I realize I'm probably in the minority there.
Minsc- Minsc I have no problem with in BG2. I know there's a lot of folks who feel his comedic relief schtick wears thin quickly. It kind of does for me too. But he is too endearing for me to go as far as disliking him. What endears him in BG1 isn't compromised in BG2.
Jaheira - I'm not a fan of romances in the BG series. So while she has a lot to offer in that regard, it's not a major draw for me. I guess her quest is pretty good (though I've rarely had her in the BG2 party and can't remember much about it anymore). Honestly, I liked her much better paired with Khalid, as it felt to me like their personalities sort of resonated with, and enhanced, one another.
Khalid - I know he has to die as a plot device for the Jaheira romance, but I actually liked Khalid a lot. I sort of missed him in BG2. I would have loved to see him develop into a Fighter-Mage with an additional tome or something (he was originally conceived as a F/M, I believe. He'd be multi-classed but same idea as if he'd dualed?)
Dynaheir - It bugs me a little that they killed her off. I guess it has to be in order to not have her paired with Minsc, though. I guess I can accept it.
Edwin - Original developers get the gold star here for developing him in BG2, as it is hilariously well done.
Viconia - I think they did okay here. Again, I'm no big fan of the romances, but hers is tolerable. Sort of like Edwin I think they wisely didn't veer much from what made her successful in BG1 and in fact developed it well.
Faldorn - Can't believe they made her an adversary (even making you kill her off). And a sort of fanatical crazed one at that. I would like to have seen her developed into more of a cool cucumber spy type. She is spying for her order in BG1, actually. Anyway, as a TN type of character I like to imagine her as much more poised and centered.
Garrick - At least they didn't do anything odd with him in BG2. If he can't be playable in BG2, that's fair enough. He's not the most popular NPC to begin with, so I didn't expect him to be playable. But I'm at least grateful that they didn't do anything jarring with his presence.
Coran and Safana - Possibly the biggest fail of all. Two of my favorite NPCs--and ones that I really don't see turning on the PC. If they had been evil, maybe. I suppose Safana has it in her as a CN character. But Coran? Nah.
Xzar and Monty - Okay, this is actually the biggest fail now that I think of it. What were they thinking?
Ajantis - I only recently learned that he makes a cameo in which he is doomed to die. (Or possibly if I knew it back when I had forgotten it.) I guess this does not trouble me too greatly. I liked him well enough, but it's okay with me that he doesn't reappear as joinable. We do have Keldorn and Anomen in BG2.
Quayle - I was never clear--is this supposed to be the same Quayle from BG1? He is totally incongruous with BG1 Quayle. This is a fail, although not a major one. It just doesn't feel anything like the character from BG1.
Tiax - Here they did alright. He's pretty funny in BG2, and very much still in character.
The Enhanced Edition NPCs I have yet to try in BG2, so I'll leave that to others to speak to.
***
Did I miss anyone?
What do you all think?
My own brief takes:
Imoen - I guess I can live with her becoming more angst-ridden, and the murky metaphysical Bhaal essence soul stuff. But I personally liked her a whole lot better as a chipper pure Thief. And I know she duals well to Mage. I know. I still don't like her that way, i.e., as a spellcaster. I realize I'm probably in the minority there.
Minsc- Minsc I have no problem with in BG2. I know there's a lot of folks who feel his comedic relief schtick wears thin quickly. It kind of does for me too. But he is too endearing for me to go as far as disliking him. What endears him in BG1 isn't compromised in BG2.
Jaheira - I'm not a fan of romances in the BG series. So while she has a lot to offer in that regard, it's not a major draw for me. I guess her quest is pretty good (though I've rarely had her in the BG2 party and can't remember much about it anymore). Honestly, I liked her much better paired with Khalid, as it felt to me like their personalities sort of resonated with, and enhanced, one another.
Khalid - I know he has to die as a plot device for the Jaheira romance, but I actually liked Khalid a lot. I sort of missed him in BG2. I would have loved to see him develop into a Fighter-Mage with an additional tome or something (he was originally conceived as a F/M, I believe. He'd be multi-classed but same idea as if he'd dualed?)
Dynaheir - It bugs me a little that they killed her off. I guess it has to be in order to not have her paired with Minsc, though. I guess I can accept it.
Edwin - Original developers get the gold star here for developing him in BG2, as it is hilariously well done.
Viconia - I think they did okay here. Again, I'm no big fan of the romances, but hers is tolerable. Sort of like Edwin I think they wisely didn't veer much from what made her successful in BG1 and in fact developed it well.
Faldorn - Can't believe they made her an adversary (even making you kill her off). And a sort of fanatical crazed one at that. I would like to have seen her developed into more of a cool cucumber spy type. She is spying for her order in BG1, actually. Anyway, as a TN type of character I like to imagine her as much more poised and centered.
Garrick - At least they didn't do anything odd with him in BG2. If he can't be playable in BG2, that's fair enough. He's not the most popular NPC to begin with, so I didn't expect him to be playable. But I'm at least grateful that they didn't do anything jarring with his presence.
Coran and Safana - Possibly the biggest fail of all. Two of my favorite NPCs--and ones that I really don't see turning on the PC. If they had been evil, maybe. I suppose Safana has it in her as a CN character. But Coran? Nah.
Xzar and Monty - Okay, this is actually the biggest fail now that I think of it. What were they thinking?
Ajantis - I only recently learned that he makes a cameo in which he is doomed to die. (Or possibly if I knew it back when I had forgotten it.) I guess this does not trouble me too greatly. I liked him well enough, but it's okay with me that he doesn't reappear as joinable. We do have Keldorn and Anomen in BG2.
Quayle - I was never clear--is this supposed to be the same Quayle from BG1? He is totally incongruous with BG1 Quayle. This is a fail, although not a major one. It just doesn't feel anything like the character from BG1.
Tiax - Here they did alright. He's pretty funny in BG2, and very much still in character.
The Enhanced Edition NPCs I have yet to try in BG2, so I'll leave that to others to speak to.
***
Did I miss anyone?
What do you all think?