Larian Studios Forums Divine Divinity (English) General Divine Divinity - Awesome!

Hi, this is my first real post on these forums and what better way to begin than by praising a game that truely deserves praise.

I am so happy to see some really great CRPGs coming out of Europe. Games like Divine Divinity, Arx Fatalis, and Gothics 1 & 2 embrace the style of gameplay that American developers used to crank out back in the 80s and 90s.

Anyway, I missed Divine Divinity when it first came out simply because I wasn't 'plugged into' European gaming sites and American gaming sites provide little if any fan-fare for the aformentioned games... thank you RpgDot for showing me the light...

Anyway, here are some of the things I find about Divine Divinity that make it such a great game:

Interactive Objects:
Finally, a game that is the spiritual successor to Ultima VII in this department. Great job with object placement on the world instead of objects being static and part of the backdrop of the world (a-la Baldur's Gate). I wish more developers understood how much this type of interactivity adds to the immersion of a game, even when such interactivity is not specifically related to a quest. I wish more developers understood how boring and uninteresting a gameworld is when object interactivity is minimal and all you can do is open/close doors and smash barels. A huge sense of 'possibilities' is created when a player just happens to move a rock or a pillow and finds something underneath. In a subsequent Divine Divinity game, I would be equally pleased with the implemenation of the exact same level of object interactivity found in Divine Divinity. But if you guys were to go nuts and make object interaction as deep as object interaction found in Arx Fatalis then all the better!

Story:
Divine Divinity has a great story. It's just about on par with BG II. A few surprising twists made for much entertainment. From the dramatic Iona's deception to the simple boy 'disgracing' the church to the enigma of the imp universe - these are just a few things that created a huge amount of atmosphere. And I also like the mild humor strewn throughout the game.

Books:
In-game books contribue to the story (and history) but I wanted to break out books separatley. First, I think in-game books in a CRPG is very important. I really like the level of detail in the books. There are a lot of diffent books that can be found in Divine Divinity and none of the books are too lengthy which I really appreciate after playing Morrowind. I liked Morrowind a lot and I liked reading in-game books in Morrowind too, but sometimes the books were too long for my taste. I feel Divine Divinity strikes a better balance. I also like that some books raise your skills (also like Morrowind).

Music:
The music in Divine Divinity is probably the best CRPG music I've ever heard. The music in the Farmlands and the music in the Dwarven Bread Inn are both fantastic. Great job!

Quests:
Love the quests. Very few simple Fed-Ex type quests - although a few quick Fed-Ex style quests in a CRPG are always welcome. I really like how some quests require the player to interact objects together. Very neat, interesting, and above all, very fun! Love the quest log, it's elegant, easy to use, and takes note of all important data - sometimes Morrowind's quest log ommitted key info leaving the player stumped as to where to go next or who to report to. Didn't have any of this kind of trouble in Divine Divinity. Also, I'm very satisfied how some quests alter the environment, such as the quest where the merchants need a replacement wheel but when you come back the cart is destroyed and the bodies have been drug off to a different location - really makes the game have that 'alive' feeling.

NPCs:
NPCs are interesting and I am very satisfied with how conversations are carried out in the game. Conversation choices disappear from the list when they are used up making it easier on the player to see what hasn't been selected. This is an area where Morrowind was very punishing for people like me who have to read every single conversation choiced. This NPC history of dialog is awesome - just awesome. There is a good balance of dialog such that no single NPC bogs you down too long in conversation. I also like how quests can trigger the movement of NPCs to different locations. Also noteworthy of mentioning is how different conversation choices are available based on your reputation - very neat and reminds me of Morrowind and NWN. My only nit-picky gripe would be to have NPCs operate on a schedule similarly to Ultima VII. This is one of those immersion factors much like object interaction that really adds to the 'alive' feeling of a game. Gothics 1 & 2 have this feature and it really is great.

Map:
The map is awesome and I can put as many notes on it as I want! The system reminds me of Ultima Underworld; flexible, easy to use, quick to access and detailed enough so that I can find places where perhaps I didn't make a note. In a word, superb. My only mild gripe is that I wish my notes could be longer. For the most part though, I had enough space to type to remember things good enough. One other comment about the map... since you 'uncover' the map as you adventure, I think it would be rewarding and fun if you earn experience as you unveil the blackness... it would encourage players to explore everywhere and uncover as much of the map as possible.

Character Attributes:
I just love how regardless of which class you choose at the beginning of a new game, you still have access to any skills for the other classes. Finally, my mage can repair items and pick locks. Hallelua!

Cut Scenes:
The pre-rendered cut scenes are all nicely done. But better still, most scenes play out via the game engine which is what I prefer as it better holds one's suspension of disbelief.

Polish:
Based on my research of Divine Divinity via the internet, I can see that when the game was first released it was patched many times. My play experience with the most current patch (English, v1.34) yeilded 0 problems (not done playing but I'm about 90% complete). With that, I have to say that the game's interface is quite polished. Everything is presented clearly and operates intuitively and elegantly from the main menu to the in-game screens. I think the only thing that took more than a second to figure out was how to split up stackable items. I particularly appreciated how certain skills were designed with special attention so as to make them feel a part of the in-game screens. Such as the enchanting skill. This skill requires a screen of its own to make it easy to use and that's exactly what Larian did. Good job.

Customization:
I am very satisfied with how you can customize your character in terms of skills and gear. Finding a great equipable item in Divine Divinity is very satisfying. Partly because the equipment looks cool and partly because there isn't an overabundance of 'god' items in the game. So when you find something remarkable, it's a treasure! I also was pleased to be able to have my own house. Being a 2D isometric game, it's inherently a lot easier to decorate your house just the way you want to because object placement is so much easier than say in a 3D game like Morrowind.

Well this post got pretty long so I'll end it here. Fantastic game! I can only hope and dream that Divine Divinity 2 will be just as great and I'm looking forward to wraping up Divine Divinity and checking out Beyond Divinity.

I agree with you on all terms but object placement, In morrowind you can put anything on top of anything but in this you can only place items on certain Tables and the ground which limits placement alot. Other then that I agree this game is excellent in every respect! And luckily for me there is little difference betwwen your starting chars because I am restricted to only one :P

This is true. I guess what I mean is that perhaps since DD is a 2D game that it's just easier because it's simpler. It drove me nuts trying to place items just the way I wanted them in Morrowind because of the way you 'hold' items and because of the way they'd position themselves when you 'released' them.

It wasn't a showstopper flaw by any means. It's just that I had a lot more fun in DD decorating because I didn't have to spend as much time nor micromanage the process nearly as much as I did in Morrowind.

Bottom line, I'm just happy to be able to decorate my own in-game pad, regardless of difficulty.

i would have to say that the two best parts of the game are the music and the gameplay. gameplay meaning, you can walk around and do just about anything you want. you don't have to stay on the only the main quest. you can choose to do it whenever you want. the only thing i would change is i would make the monsters like Diablo 2. once you kill them then they reapear the next time you enter the game. this way you would be able to level up alot more.

Nice post ImPissed, I agree with you all the way and truely hope we will find all these great aspects of the game in Divine Divinity II also <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/kitty.gif" alt="" />

These great aspects of the game already are in Beyond Divinity.

I hope that Divinity II will be as good as the two first games.

Barta

Why not better? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

Hi Ubereil
Do you answer to my post ?
Is your answer sarcastic ?

Barta

Yes, I answered (did I spell that correctly? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" />) your post. And, yes I was being sarcastic. I really whant DD2 to be WHORSE that DD and BD since good games makes me feel so small and unimportant.

Ubereil








By the way, I was being sarcastic <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/memad.gif" alt="" />!

play Diablo 2 you will feel really great and intelligent...



not more than was barta when she asked i think... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" />

BACK TO ON TOPIC:

I've just finished another DD play after having finished BD...
well 2 really great games nothing to say about it!!! (well there are always things to say but... for the most little things, IMO)

Still i prefer DD <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" /> and i'm thinking it has more replayability issues...

@ Ubereil

My first post was an answer to Macbeth who wrote :


For him Beyond Divinity does not exist.
I am also waiting for Divinity II but Beyond Divinity does exist and it's a pretty good game !

Then you wrote :



It could be ironic or sarcastic. A better game could mean that DD and BD are not very good.
Now i know that you enjoy bad games because you need to feel great and important.

Have a look at this thread maybe it will help you.
The self-confidence thread

Barta who always give good tips

He replied it to this sentence:
I hope that Divinity II will be as good as the two first games.

Then he said "why not better?" in the meaning of why not a better game then the 2 first games <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

GJ Uber GJ...

And just to make thing whorse Merendrious already answered and explained what I menat, so I can't do that either... I'm really building up a reputation here (unfortunally, that's true, but not in the whay I whant it to be).
And Master Guroth, I've already played D2 and didn't feel mighty and interligent at all, I just felt bored (and annoyed because those ****** souls where so overpowered. Meet three and be dead in two seconds. Yuppe.(BTW if some1 needs a game with a linear plot and lot's of fights I've got the perfect game for you <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />! Yes Icwewind Dale ll (what the **** does that heve to do with D2??? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/memad.gif" alt="" />)). (I might have bad confidence, bad timeing, bad humour, and lacking englishknowlegde witch leads to a lot of misunderstandings, but AT...LEAST...I...WRITE...LONG...PHARENTESES!!! (woho <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/disagree.gif" alt="" />))
(and just to make things better you got no money if you had 10 rätt på stryktipset which I had <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/puppyeyes.gif" alt="" />)

Ubereil

well you're not the only one... i was joking!!! I never get past level 6 in D2 because it was more than boring me... well maybe not for the same reasons anyway!!!



and you're not the only one either because it was a bad joke and my english is more than bad (kiya please if you ever read this don't kick me!!!, private joke)
and my humour is nothing but worst (even in french, overall in french)...
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" />

BTW I was not joking when i spoke about DD and BD... And no, it was not sarcastic, even if nobody thought that, i have to say it!!!

Maybe we could become friens? (PLEASE, I REALLY NEED A FRIEND <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/puppyeyes.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/disagree.gif" alt="" />)

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/puppyeyes.gif" alt="" />
thats how i always look!

Hey, lighten up man! Your conclusion is all wrong. ImPissed's post was about <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/div.gif" alt="" /> and I simply agreed, <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beyond.gif" alt="" /> simply wasn't mentioned which does not mean it doesn't have these qualities.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif" alt="" /> : don't just twist the words of others like that!

Maybe it whasn't my falut after all <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />

I say whats the use. Some poeple just love miscommunication, Lets them feel in control?

Now lets all assume Im talking to them without any implications or proofs. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

First i am a woman. Look at my pic !
Second i agree my conclusion was wrong.

Barta