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Mask of the Betrayer '15

Ivan

Arcane
Joined
Jun 22, 2013
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California
Finishing up Knights of the Old Republic 2 right now. In spite of its awful combat and quest design, it's okay by featuring strong compas.

I've been wanting to play this for a while now but got so lost when creating a character fresh. When I finally did I remember getting raped hard in the first cave. Should I play the original campaign first? I hear it has good compas. Also, it would be cool to see how Obsidian improves upon the rpg after Kotor 2. Thoughts? Will I still like the game for the story if the combat is shit (is it though)?
 

Western

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Codex 2012 Codex 2014 Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2
I found the NWN2 campaign more enjoyable than NWN1 but still very meh (has a few highish points with a trial and keep), if you have a high tolerance for mediocre/unoriginal elements give it a go but you'll probably have more fun cutting your teeth on Storm of Zehir (which atleast tried to do some interesting things) you can jump into MoTB from there. NWN2 campaign didn't really push any boundaries in terms of writing or companions compared to KOTOR 2, in fact the opposite. The combat is perhaps a little better than KOTOR2, but still poor.
 

AetherVagrant

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NWN2 Was one of the best games that took me years to play. When it came out my desktop had performance issues with it, and even years later my laptops couldnt run it acceptably. I was utterly surprised. I couldnt hang with the original nwn1 campaign, (expansions excepted of course) but the story in two is incredible if your're a dnd lore fan. there are so many amusing characters and nods to different books and campaigns over the years. its all just a little clunky, but I enjoyed the combat at least as much if not batter than BG, and i thought it one of the funniest games id played since fallout. maybe it was just being shitty rather than funny, but i managed to really lose myself in it just like as a kid.
if you arent a big dnd lore fan or if you take your dnd darkly serious with no sugar then ymmv.
Id rate it with KOTOR1, but not 2...and i ruefully admit to not playing MOTB yet.
 

Ladonna

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Messages
10,639
The original campaign is ok. I finished it. I didn't finish NWN1 campaign. I would say the NWN2 campaign isn't horrid enough to not give it a go.
 

Prime Junta

Guest
NWN2 OC gets a lot of hate but it's not entirely deserved IMO. The beginning is kinda dull and the endgame dungeon is really bad, but there's a long stretch in the middle which is quite enjoyable. There is a degree of continuity between it and MotB which adds a little something to it too.

(MotB is on a whole different level though.)
 

Bleed the Man

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The original campaign is ok. I finished it. I didn't finish NWN1 campaign. I would say the NWN2 campaign isn't horrid enough to not give it a go.

I'm a somewhat apologist for NWN2 OC despite it's problems. But the act 1 is absolutely terrible, with only some stuff at the very end worth noting, and it's looooooong. If someone can endure about 20 hours of the most awful blandness, I say give it a go, as act 2 and 3 (despite it's problems, specially 3) are definetly enjoyable.
 

Seaking4

Learned
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Sep 4, 2014
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The OC is referenced a few times in the expansion and it probably helps to play it first. If you're willing to endure one of the worst rpgs you'll ever play to enjoy MotB in its full glory then play it. If not, don't. I say don't. No one has that much free time.
 

Andkat

Educated
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Mar 5, 2010
Messages
68
The setting of the NWN2 OC is standard Sword Coast nonsense and it possesses little to nothing of what makes Mask of the Betrayer great (compelling companions, exotic and interesting setting, an effective personal plot motivation, etc.). I dragged myself through it once, but really would rather that I had never done so. Only play it through if you have absolutely nothing better to do with your leisure time (like, for instance, playing Mask of the Betrayer...or Mysteries of Westgate, which was also a pretty solid experience) or if you enjoy super generic Forgotten Realms 101 fantasy (the plot unironically goes through the motions of "my village was attacked by bad dudes" -> "save the world").

I really don't remember the plot actually improving that much beyond Act 01- I mean sure, you're in a city rather than the rubes so it's intrinsically a bit more dense and interesting, but nothing stands out in my memory as really distinctly much better (other than the Warlock companion).

There are a few references/cross-overs with the NWN2 OC in MotB, but as the actual settings do not overlap geographically and as there are no major characters shared between the two (in that what characters cross over only play a minor/incidental role in MotB) this isn't a huge issue. Really better to just read a synopsis of the campaigns and its characters than play the damned thing.
 
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Perkel

Arcane
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Mar 28, 2014
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15,810
It helps if you play OC but honestly i would skip it.

Where MotB is God tier stuff OC is shit trash.
OC beggining is especially horrid and only when you get to main city it picks up a bit.
 

Ivan

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Jun 22, 2013
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what would you guys say?

baldur's gate 1 or MotB?

Just finsihed Kotor 2 (burned out by the shitty combat system)
 

Andkat

Educated
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Mar 5, 2010
Messages
68
I was never able to finish BG1 for reasons similar to why I disliked NWN2 OC- it's basically just your cliche'd high fantasy sword coast sanitized-ish setting (as far as I could tell- also the writing was pretty unimpressive). Mask of the Betrayer is a narrative experience in the vein of PS:T or the best elements of KotOR2, whereas BG1 treads in entirely different (and narratively more mundane) territory. As far as I understand, those who like BG1 do not do so for its plot and characterization.

If you find yourself having enjoyed MotB while being OK enough with the NWN2 engine, I would also advise Mysteries of Westgate afterwards for another pretty strong, if less exotic and imaginative experience. Like MotB, Mysteries of Westgate features a basically personal, curse-themed motivation as well as a mask and also plenty of betrayals.
 
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Azeot

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Dec 4, 2013
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Trieste
just play it, there is no harm in trying and it is not that bad for a first play through...
 
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Finishing up Knights of the Old Republic 2 right now. In spite of its awful combat and quest design, it's
okay by featuring strong compas.

I've been wanting to play this for a while now but got so lost when creating a character fresh. When I finally did I remember getting raped hard in the first cave. Should I play the original campaign first? I hear it has good compas. Also, it would be cool to see how Obsidian improves upon the rpg after Kotor 2. Thoughts? Will I still like the game for the story if the combat is shit (is it though)?

I'm destined to think more highly of the NWN2 OC than the rest of the Codex, at least from a story fag perspective.

The game does a lot of things pretty well, including traditional Black Isle/Obsidian strengths. Content robustly supports playthroughs of different moral alignments, something that can't be underestimated in the context of role playing.

The story is a slow burn that doesn't develop into an arresting narrative until quite late, so I would be prepared to "sip" it. A desperate urgency to be entertained and amazed will not serve you well here.

This applies to the companions too. They'll get the job done if you let them, but none of the heights of Planescape or Kotor II. That being said, the resonance of their personal stories and beliefs with the thematic undertow of the game is pretty satisfying if you keep at ear out for it. I'm also inclined to think their banter is hilarious, and I remember them fondly.
 
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vonAchdorf

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Sep 20, 2014
Messages
13,465
I was never able to finish BG1 for reasons similar to why I disliked NWN2 OC- it's basically just your cliche'd high fantasy sword coast sanitized-ish setting (as far as I could tell- also the writing was pretty unimpressive).

The insufferable parts about NWN2 aren't the setting or the story, it's just that the retarded camera, the stupid resting mechanic and the boring trash mob fights (orc caves) are so annoying that you feel like picking on the innocent setting as well after a while.
 

Jaedar

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There is perhaps a slight point to playing the nwn2 campaign for a tutorial on the interface and such.

But really, you don't need to know just about anything from OC to follow motb 100%. There's one or two minor npcs that will be a bit lolwut perhaps.
 

ArchAngel

Arcane
Joined
Mar 16, 2015
Messages
19,889
Finishing up Knights of the Old Republic 2 right now. In spite of its awful combat and quest design, it's okay by featuring strong compas.

I've been wanting to play this for a while now but got so lost when creating a character fresh. When I finally did I remember getting raped hard in the first cave. Should I play the original campaign first? I hear it has good compas. Also, it would be cool to see how Obsidian improves upon the rpg after Kotor 2. Thoughts? Will I still like the game for the story if the combat is shit (is it though)?
MotB has pretty shit combat like all NWN2 (SoZ had a bit better combat because you could not rest easily) but MotB has the best story. Just use a mod that removes the super irritating Spirit Eater
 

Ovplain

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RPG Wokedex
I still have to play this too.:S Tried several times. Never could stop myself from jumping into the original campaign first, which I always got sick to fucking tears of and ended up scrapping the whole thing.:S
 

A horse of course

Guest
Last time someone mentioned Spirit Eating there was a riot and thirty people died.
 

hoverdog

dog that is hovering, Wastelands Interactive
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Project: Eternity
Finishing up Knights of the Old Republic 2 right now. In spite of its awful combat and quest design, it's okay by featuring strong compas.

I've been wanting to play this for a while now but got so lost when creating a character fresh. When I finally did I remember getting raped hard in the first cave. Should I play the original campaign first? I hear it has good compas. Also, it would be cool to see how Obsidian improves upon the rpg after Kotor 2. Thoughts? Will I still like the game for the story if the combat is shit (is it though)?
Just use a mod that removes the super irritating Spirit Eater
retard detected
 

Andnjord

Arcane
Joined
Aug 22, 2012
Messages
3,027
Location
The Eye of Terror
Go straight for MoTB, if you try the OC chances are you will burn out of the NWN2 engine long before finishing it (like I did, I only played MoTB years after doing the OC). In case you're feeling like your D&D skills are too rusty, don't hesitate to look at some builds online or ask Jaesun. Anything is better than playing trhough the soul crushing banality that is the OC.

And don't listen to those philistines recommending you to disable the spirit eater, just look at it as your own retard meter. Or just play a white knight lawful good character, it pretty much neuters the mechanic. But if you're feeling like a manly man go full retard chaotic evil and enjoy the madness!

PS: Going evil is a mandatory requirement for the most awesome thing a cRPG ever graced Codexia: DEVOUR SOUL!!!! (long dead gods might or might not be included in the deal)
 

Carrion

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Jun 30, 2011
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Lost in Necropolis
what would you guys say?

baldur's gate 1 or MotB?
MotB by a landslide.

Pretty much the only reason you might want to play the OC before MotB is that the latter has a few references to the story and characters of the OC, but even then MotB's story probably works better on its own, because the backstory sucks for the most part. The OC has some decent parts, but it takes forever before you get to see any of it, and the vast majority of the game is so bland and/or stupid that it's hard to really recommend it to anyone. Going through it might indeed cause a burnout of sorts and kill some of your interest in MotB, even though the expansion improves every single thing about the original game.
 

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