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apprentice
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OP
apprentice
Joined: Jan 2007
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me??i liked its spooky atmosphere and music more than anything else lol  .you??
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Support
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Support
Joined: Mar 2003
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Atmosphere and music is certainly part of it. If I had to focus on one aspect, I'd say world interactivity; stuff stays where you put it, you can collect chests to organize your loot, set up camp where you want, etc. That extends to the character and quest design, as well. Playing the demo before the game was released, the first thing I noticed was that there were actual quests and a story, not just straight hack and slash. I had previously gotten bored with Diablo 2, and didn't finish (as with the first one). Exploring Aleroth I killed some rabbits for their meat and experience points, looted houses, did some non-combat quests, found stuff under piles of other stuff, etc before entering the catacombs and getting into the spooky atmosphere.
Trying the demo for some action RPG awhile after finishing DD, I was quite disappointed I could walk into an area with a dozen chests, yet only one could be opened or interacted with. I went upstairs in a house and found a large pentagram on the floor, with candles at each point. Of course I tried to light the candles, cause that might make something happen, but they were merely painted background. Empty chests and candles that didn't trigger anything when lighted would have been fine, but the extreme lack of interactivity turned me off the game less than 5 minutes into the demo (though being a straight action RPG it would have needed something more than a 'kill monsters / upgrade equipment' cycle to hold my interest).
Back to the DD demo, I wanted the game before I got to the fourth level of the catacombs (or was it the third?), but after the existential skeletons I had to get it the day it came out. Humour and the various easter eggs added to the game.
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apprentice
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OP
apprentice
Joined: Jan 2007
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Atmosphere and music is certainly part of it. If I had to focus on one aspect, I'd say world interactivity; stuff stays where you put it, you can collect chests to organize your loot, set up camp where you want, etc. That extends to the character and quest design, as well. Playing the demo before the game was released, the first thing I noticed was that there were actual quests and a story, not just straight hack and slash. I had previously gotten bored with Diablo 2, and didn't finish (as with the first one). Exploring Aleroth I killed some rabbits for their meat and experience points, looted houses, did some non-combat quests, found stuff under piles of other stuff, etc before entering the catacombs and getting into the spooky atmosphere.
Trying the demo for some action RPG awhile after finishing DD, I was quite disappointed I could walk into an area with a dozen chests, yet only one could be opened or interacted with. I went upstairs in a house and found a large pentagram on the floor, with candles at each point. Of course I tried to light the candles, cause that might make something happen, but they were merely painted background. Empty chests and candles that didn't trigger anything when lighted would have been fine, but the extreme lack of interactivity turned me off the game less than 5 minutes into the demo (though being a straight action RPG it would have needed something more than a 'kill monsters / upgrade equipment' cycle to hold my interest).
Back to the DD demo, I wanted the game before I got to the fourth level of the catacombs (or was it the third?), but after the existential skeletons I had to get it the day it came out. Humour and the various easter eggs added to the game.
VERY good points,i did enjoy these aspects of DD indeed!!it's a shame to forget them really.thanks raze 
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: May 2003
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I liked the fact that npc's really got pissed off and would verbally tell you off. The gossip girls in recordists made for something unexpected in a game.
The interaction with your environment was one thing I loved with DD. Moving a bed to find a hidden trap door. Able to pick up someone's dinner off their table and use it to heal yourself.
For quests I fondly remember the vampire cave, lose some permanent stats to save a kid.
Every time there I run into trouble on the road, there is always a dwarf at the bottom of it. Don't they know how to drive above ground?
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apprentice
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OP
apprentice
Joined: Jan 2007
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I liked the fact that npc's really got pissed off and would verbally tell you off. The gossip girls in recordists made for something unexpected in a game.
The interaction with your environment was one thing I loved with DD. Moving a bed to find a hidden trap door. Able to pick up someone's dinner off their table and use it to heal yourself.
For quests I fondly remember the vampire cave, lose some permanent stats to save a kid. i hope that ego draconis will capitalize on these plus points,i waited for DD2 for far too long and im glad it's going to finally hit the shelves 
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member
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member
Joined: Mar 2007
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Well I completely agree with the points already mentioned. Another point for me was the effects of your individual gameplay decisions for the game world itself. Things like the church and the orphan come to my mind (he moves to the poor quarter if expelled) or the thing with the rivalling merchants in Verdistis (the story with the burning cart) or the whole story line about the friendly female assassin-prostitute. The humour was also awesome. The philosophic debate of the two skeletons, the debate of the women about their men (and their own sexual adventures) and some of the gravestones. Pretty cool stuff 
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam 
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stranger
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stranger
Joined: Jul 2008
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For me, Divine Divinity is the embodiment of a true rpg masterpiece.
One of the few games which made me talk to myself.
Just had to point that out : )
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: May 2003
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Moving stuff like beds isn't possible in D2. You can still rob someone's dinner and heal yourself. Stuff like barrels and boxes can be moved around and vases can be knocked over.
One plus thing, that I didn't expect is NPC's interact with each other a lot better. In a tavern there is a problem that once dealt with, the tavern owner regains his customers. They litterly walk in off the street and to their table. Also an npc can walk out of the pub which loads onto a different map and into the town.
In a house there will be to crates, one on top of each other. You have to jump on them to get to the rafters as there is a key up there (was actually easy to see so not much of a spoiler). If you destroy those crates, they are gone for good and you won't ever be able to get this key again.
Shops randomly generate merchandise like in Divinity. You can save/load until they sell something good. Same thing for rewards if you want a good item, best to get xp during the first quests before going outside.
You can read tombstones like in Divinity, each one has something about the deceased and often rather humerus.
As for the vampire quest, I've yet to see anything as self sacrificing as that. The game does feel like playing Divinity only in 3D when in Farlow. The missing elements are highly obvious, but the new ones added are very much welcomed. Some npc's are very, very and highly emotional.
Oh, I forgot there are plenty of books to read!
Last edited by LightningLockey; 11/08/09 02:35 PM.
Every time there I run into trouble on the road, there is always a dwarf at the bottom of it. Don't they know how to drive above ground?
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stranger
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stranger
Joined: Jan 2008
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The humour. Definitely the humour.
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journeyman
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journeyman
Joined: Jul 2009
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- You could move a lot of diferent objects adding a lot to interactivity
- The Main plot quests were clearly defined and the side quests came normaly on the way
- The perfect balance between open-world exploration and a subtle sense that you had a "gut feeling" where to go more or less (not feeling overly lost)
- The sarcastic humor
- The size of the maps and diversity of situations encountered
God i loved DD1.
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addict
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addict
Joined: Oct 2004
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- You could move a lot of diferent objects adding a lot to interactivity
- The Main plot quests were clearly defined and the side quests came normaly on the way
- The perfect balance between open-world exploration and a subtle sense that you had a "gut feeling" where to go more or less (not feeling overly lost)
- The sarcastic humor
- The size of the maps and diversity of situations encountered
I'll side w/ all of this. I also liked... -- How some of the quests had more than one solution/outcome, as well. -- It was somewhere b/t the depth of a deep RPG and an action-RPG. Some action-RPG's, they just lack some depth and decision-making options on the questing aspect. Divine Divinity felt like one of the first to try both lines and do it well. Silverfall and Silverfall: Earth Awakening was another one that I thought did this well, as well.
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veteran
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veteran
Joined: Mar 2003
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- The free-roaming aspect of the game
- the books
- the background-stories
- the sidequests
When you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it.
--Dilbert cartoon
"Interplay.some zombiefied unlife thing going on there" - skavenhorde at RPGWatch
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enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2009
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the humor, the sheer content, the books, the NPC's, the skills
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veteran
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veteran
Joined: Mar 2003
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I think the two main selling points for me were the freedom to pretty much go where I liked when I liked and the system, which allowed me to develop my character in any way I wanted with scant regard for what class s/he technically was.
The atmosphere was really good. A LOT of work had been put into the background history of the world and it showed. I liked the attempt to fit all the races into the world, too, rather than the usual CRPG approach of 'well, they all live somewhere, I guess'. The world felt more real than most.
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addict
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addict
Joined: Oct 2004
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I think my only complaint really w/ Divine Divinity was the English voice-acting (audio) was more on and off than a light switch. EDIT: I think the two main selling points for me were the freedom to pretty much go where I liked when I liked and the system, which allowed me to develop my character in any way I wanted with scant regard for what class s/he technically was. Yeah, I really dug the class-less system, as well. My character turned out, by the end, to pretty much be a fighter/thief that also knew a healing spell.
Last edited by MysterD; 09/09/09 12:36 AM.
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enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2009
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Its realy hard to say the good points of a game.
Its a combination of diferent feelings and mechanics that all combined makes the game whole and interesting. For example, Baldurs Gate is an incredible game, but for some reason i cant realy explain, it didnt apeal to me as much as i wanted and saw other friends fanatic about it. I cant quite explain why or what flaws it had, but it didnt simply touch my mind.
Divinity, on the other hand, was for me a game i'll never forget. The free exploration was incredible, you would never know if a few squares to the south you would find a dungeoun or a talking sword or a magical tree or a new epic armor. But, on the other hand, it seemed you magicaly knew where to go to solve the main quest.
There are of course other more tangible strenghts like awesome music, a simple but efective combat system, or the fact you could carry everything up to empty dishes on your inventory and of course, the ironic dark comedy.
All in all, a great game. A milestone in RPGs and (for me) a class-defining game.
Last edited by KnightPT; 09/09/09 01:47 PM.
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veteran
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veteran
Joined: Mar 2003
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I can tell you what was wrong with Baldur's Gate: it was simply TOO big. I suspect it's why BG2 got cut down in size a lot compared to BG1. While it was great to explore the vast outdoor areas of the Sword Coast, there were too many areas with not a lot really going on that you just wandered through killing stuff. In terms of actual substantive content, the number of outdoor areas could easily have been halved without losing anything. DD got the balance right: the sense of scale enough to make it seem like a real world, without there being too much of it. Not that I didn't love BG. I'm just not blind to its flaws
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member
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member
Joined: Mar 2004
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I can tell you what was wrong with Baldur's Gate: it was simply TOO big. I suspect it's why BG2 got cut down in size a lot compared to BG1. While it was great to explore the vast outdoor areas of the Sword Coast, there were too many areas with not a lot really going on that you just wandered through killing stuff. In terms of actual substantive content, the number of outdoor areas could easily have been halved without losing anything. DD got the balance right: the sense of scale enough to make it seem like a real world, without there being too much of it. Not that I didn't love BG. I'm just not blind to its flaws LOL...Can't say I have ever heard that before. I suppose geographically, BG1 was bigger, as in there were mulitple areas, that could be explored between plot destinations. For the most part, BG2 cut out these types of areas. But it can't touch BG2 content wise, especially if all the sidequests are played out, it's not even close. That being said, I loved the exploring in BG1...found lot's of cool toys and npc's and sidequests that that escaped a lot of folks initially, I'm sure. DD did provide a good mix though, and I look forward to the same thing in Ego Draconis.
Is reality just a fantasy?
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enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2009
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I can tell you what was wrong with Baldur's Gate: it was simply TOO big. I suspect it's why BG2 got cut down in size a lot compared to BG1. While it was great to explore the vast outdoor areas of the Sword Coast, there were too many areas with not a lot really going on that you just wandered through killing stuff. In terms of actual substantive content, the number of outdoor areas could easily have been halved without losing anything. DD got the balance right: the sense of scale enough to make it seem like a real world, without there being too much of it. Not that I didn't love BG. I'm just not blind to its flaws Perhaps, yes. I think a good RPG you need to have the feeling you are free to explore everything, and be allowed to, but realy encouraged to follow a couple paths without them being mandatory. A feeling that you are hinted in what its best for you to do (*) but you dont necessarily need to go there imidiately. (Its a hard balance to acomplish i'm sure) On the other hand the side-quests and free-roaming need to be fun without making you stockpile 50 simultaneous quests and need to go to point X to POint Y and feel lost in geting 20 quests in-between. Free roaming is fun if you can explore 100 square miles and have interesting stuff to do there, but no so much fun when you can explore 1000 square miles and feel lost with so much to do. Not sure if i was clear, but as i said before, its realy hard to explain that balance that makes me like an RPG. (*) (like in D1 you KNOW you need to visit the false divine one in the castle with an invitation, but you are free to go there when you feel its a proper time, or when you know you need to go to the dark forest because some quests point you there, but you decide that first you want to check whats in the sewers of verdistis. There is a choice there, an exploration, you dont feel lost.
Last edited by KnightPT; 09/09/09 06:30 PM.
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veteran
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veteran
Joined: Mar 2003
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Guys... I think I'd describe the ideal as a world that is big enough to feel real without being big enough to get lost in. So too big or too linear are both bad. A friend of mine who was playing BG1 quite literally got lost and spent ages wandering around because he had no idea where to go next. When it first came out, a lot of people were raving about how good it was (The main reason I got it was so many of my friends saying I HAD to try it). Few of them actually finished it though, because of the size. I did. Go figure 
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