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Icewind Dale 2 (PC, Single- & Multi-Player RPG)
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slow
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I'm usually a critically thinking person. But for god's sake, this game has graphics worse than Planescape, but my major problem is AI... the AI in the game is retarded. If you ever got frustrated over the game because it doesn't do what you're telling it to do, you haven't seen anything until you play ID2.
Post Sun Sep 15, 2002 11:04 pm
 
Peter Stauffenberg
Seer of Delphi
Seer of Delphi




Joined: 05 Mar 2003
Posts: 436
Location: Oslo, Norway
   

I'm playing Icewind Dale 2 again now just to finish it. I started playing in September, but got bored of the dated graphics and battles that weren't very fun.

I will complete IWD2 this time (so far I'm in the middle of chapter 4), but I have to admit it's a bit of a disappointment. I feel there are way too many spells in the game. You only use a fraction of them anyway. NWN is so much better in that respect since most of the spells you have are useful.

I also feel the battles in IWD2 are created to give the PCs a really hard time. It's like the developers have been so afraid to make a game some would claim was too easy so they made it a bit too difficult.

But the worst thing about the game for me is how slow it is. I have a very fast PC (P4-2.26 GHz, GF4-TI440, 512 MB RAM etc.) and it slows down a lot in combat. The spell heavy combats are so slow that it takes seconds from you click on a button till you get a response. I thought initially I had a driver problem, but I read in the forums that many IWD2 players have the same problem. I guess it has something to do with the game engine is not optimized for Windows XP, Direct X8 etc.

I also feel the item and character graphics could have been a lot better, but I guess the dated graphics engine cannot give us nice NPC portraits and item images like NWN etc.

The thing I like the best about IWD2 is the story. I think it's very good and that is the main reason I fight the shortcomings of the game and play on. The music is excellent too. I also think the background graphics is very well done as well.

The pathfinding is still as bad as it was in IWD1, BG and BG2. There will always be a character or two ending up going in the wrong direction. So I've now started to move the characters in smaller groups so they don't get lost.

I feel IWD2 is a good game for people who really liked the Baldur's Gate engine, but if you are used to games looking and sounding more like NWN then I believe you will feel that IWD2 is disappointing.
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Post Sat Apr 12, 2003 9:17 pm
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Dhruin
Stranger In A Strange Land
Stranger In A Strange Land




Joined: 20 May 2002
Posts: 1825
Location: Sydney, Australia
   

The debate of 2D hand-painted over 3D tiles is a long and passionate one .

A number of the flaws you note are inherent in the Infinity Engine. Perhaps IWD2 was one IE-game too many but I quite enjoyed one last trip. I agree the combat was weighted a little heavily but I've always enjoyed IE combat anyway.

For me it's not obvious that NWN graphics are better than the IE-games (although IWD2 isn't the best example). I love the detailed and varied hand-painted backdrops over the repetitive tiles of NWN and for me this is fair compensation for the poorer avatars.
Post Sat Apr 12, 2003 11:45 pm
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Seawasp84
Village Dweller
Village Dweller




Joined: 17 Jul 2003
Posts: 1
Location: British Columbia
The Original Icewind Dale
   

I don't know if anyone still plays the original, but I have been playing it on a friends recommendation, so far its pretty cool, but now I find all my hours of playing have come to a screeching halt. I am in Dragon's Eye level five and have been locked out of the hall way that goes to room 7 and 8 where Yxunomei is located. I was using my thief to disarm all the traps, wasn't paying attention to where I was going and found myself in her room, realizing my obvious mistake I retreated to the rest of my party. The door slammed shut and I have found now way to open it. Any help that anyone could provide would be incredibly useful. I have even tried cheat codes, but none of them work for me, the game just says, "Nice try cheater".
Post Thu Jul 17, 2003 4:56 pm
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Entertained
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A positive note
   



I am a little more than displeased with some of the responses found in this string, but then hey this is a free country. People will always critisize even the best of things. It's inherent of human beings to try and find something wrong even when it's really good.

I personally didn't like the graphics (except the portraits) NWN game. Reminds me too much of "Block like characters all jammed together" and not quite so smooth. The isometric view gives the user a "God's View" of the scenario as it develops instead of trying to turn around in a million different directions to find that I have turned yet again down another wrong corridor. Not that NWN was bad. I really liked it....just that I prefer isometric views and the 2D engine works very well for me.

Yes....the Infinity Engine is dated, but hell....it still looks good. My colleagues of the "Gold Box Series" I think would stand next to the isometric view too.

True.... all things considered it could have been better, but then again you only had to form an opinion based on a review of the game. Instead, you bought it and it was either too hard on you or your PC hasn't been defragged in so long that it just NATURALLY runs slow - so of course you had problems with the game and it's interface. It's called maintainence. Hard is challenging. If it were too easy, I am sure you would bitch about it too. Find a tactic that fits the fighting scenario...use your brain instead of hack and slashing your way through the objectives. Give the DEV teams and the programers their props, because without them you wouldn't be writing about such an awesome game.

Truly your best Bio Ware and Interplay. Great Job! Keep up the great work.

MJW
Wash, DC
Post Wed Oct 01, 2003 10:47 pm
 
Iumelen
Village Dweller
Village Dweller




Joined: 02 Oct 2003
Posts: 1
   

IT are a damm fun game, but the gameplay are the same agian as in all the Baldur Gates games just after D&d 3ad ... and i think there use to many of the samethings as in them, But a ok good game and fun you play with the real life friends.
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Post Thu Oct 02, 2003 3:16 pm
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Arma
Mysterious Lady
Mysterious Lady




Joined: 24 Oct 2003
Posts: 1230
Location: in the middle of hell
   

I must say that although I haven't played the first part, IWD2 turned out to be a really good game, and I liked it better than NwN, for several reasons :
1. I liked IWD 2 because I got to play with a 6-persons party, which gave me a really, really good reminescence for BG
2. I liked the idea for sub-rases, and I have yet to see this in a D'n'D CRPG
3. The grafiks are old, Ok, and the engine is now terrible, ok, but remmeber that this is a 5-year-old-engine! at least. Few RPGs have great grafiks and a great gameplay at the same time. Exceptions only show that this rule is correct.
4. I kinda liked the story!
5. I also kinda liked the bad-guys, and Isair and Madae kinda reminded me of my old-time favorites Bodhi and Irenicus, only with changed sexes.
I also hope the the guys in Black Isle and Interplay have enough guts to make an IWD 3, with a new engine ...
Post Wed Oct 29, 2003 11:08 am
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Northvégr
Village Dweller
Village Dweller




Joined: 20 Jun 2004
Posts: 5
Location: Sweden, though my whole bloodline hails from Finland
   

Icewind dale II is an great game
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Post Tue Jul 06, 2004 8:06 pm
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Some guy
Guest






replying
   

personally i like icewind dale 2 however they never patched it and many things don't work and the best feat improved initiative still does not work and i will never ever ever ever forgive bioware or interplay for that ( even tho i think that both of them went under) ><
Post Sun Aug 22, 2004 8:31 am
 
Guest







   

I'm really estonished reading that ID2 has poor graphics. They are not poor,they are in 2D,and far more beautiful and detailed ( as for BG,PlaneScape,and others ) than whatever we can see nowadays in 3D games,like NWN for instance ( unless you prefer seeing hundred times the same square tree with its unique shameful leaf ). Don't believe magazines,reviews or whatever which are all saying that's it's poor and oldshool because it's not in 3D, it's nonsense, not objective, just 'fashion'.
Post Fri Aug 27, 2004 1:34 pm
 
-=[Xtr3Me]=-
Village Dweller
Village Dweller




Joined: 27 Aug 2004
Posts: 13
Location: The Netherlands
   

Latest fashion for 2D MMORPG's....but still, it is a mystery for me that people 'like' to play 2D MMORPG's.....you know, cuz I rather play them in 3D. 3D gives you more sight what's going on around you...but that's my opinion...
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Post Sat Aug 28, 2004 11:02 am
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Guest







   

quote:
Originally posted by Dhruin
The debate of 2D hand-painted over 3D tiles is a long and passionate one .

A number of the flaws you note are inherent in the Infinity Engine. Perhaps IWD2 was one IE-game too many but I quite enjoyed one last trip. I agree the combat was weighted a little heavily but I've always enjoyed IE combat anyway.

For me it's not obvious that NWN graphics are better than the IE-games (although IWD2 isn't the best example). I love the detailed and varied hand-painted backdrops over the repetitive tiles of NWN and for me this is fair compensation for the poorer avatars.
Post Sun Mar 27, 2005 8:56 pm
 
Barzenak
Village Dweller
Village Dweller




Joined: 24 Apr 2005
Posts: 4
   

It is all about what you are looking for in a crpg. I own a ton of them and my fondest rpg's don't have the killer graphics. I dug BG, IWD, IWD2 , Morrowind and Gothic. I have KoTR and find it hasn't been all I thought it would be. Arx Fatalis has some good features ruined by the combat spell casting in my opinion. OK...it is cool but not effective. I enjoy the Infinity games more than NwN because even as a paper ad&d player I played in a large group and these take me back. NwN 2 needs a party system to rock. More textures and different looking npc's..no cookie cutter copies. I still have IwD2 on my hard drive after years. I get frustrated with it..take a break and come back. I am in chapter 6 but hit a brick wall with a dragon. Yet, I feel compelled to one day finish the game. Last of the IE games that I so loved and spent hundreds of hours between BG< BGII etc..
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Post Sun Apr 24, 2005 1:11 pm
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Enderandrew
Keeper of the Gates
Keeper of the Gates




Joined: 07 Mar 2005
Posts: 111
Location: Omaha, NE
   

From everything I've heard, Interplay rushed this game moreso than any other game they released. They barely had time to put the basic content in the game, and they decided to overhaul the rules system at the same time.

I know many of the BIS devs say it is an absolute miracle that game was released.

It should also be noted that Feargus picked up the rights to Icewind Dale when Interplay went under.
Post Tue Aug 16, 2005 8:02 am
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Misuven
Village Dweller
Village Dweller




Joined: 12 Sep 2005
Posts: 2
Custom Pictures
   

I'm a big fan of the Baldur's Gate series, and I've been importing characters from each part to the next, spanning the ENTIRE series with the same character. But, I tried to import a BG2 character into IWD2 and the game simply will not recognize thats it's there. Does anybody know if what i'm trying to do is possible? My great SCHEME was to create a level 20 character from Throne of Bhaal and put him in IWD2. Then I could zoom through the game, 'cause it realy does get hard (and a little bit boring). I don't have the manual to look up any instructions. I even changed the character files from BG2 into the correct file types for IWD2. Still no luck. My whole reason for registering on thise site was to get some help for this problem. Please don't let my efforts br in vain!
Post Mon Sep 12, 2005 3:26 am
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