Dark Alliance Thread

[No brains]

Does anyone like the Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance Games? They're some of my favorites, and I'm wondering if anyone else has any opinions on the games.

[Talesin]

I found them fun when playing with my brother but tedious when playing on my own. I brought them more or less for the brand name, as the older RPG style Baldur's Gate games are some of my favourite games. Was fairly disappointed when it came to the game, not because they were bad games per se but more because I had expected so much more.

But then it was quite fun playing the hack and slash style version of the game but I think it was let down by a lack of customisation as i'd gone into it expecting to roll up a character rather than sticking with the premade one. I'm assuming my memory is correct there and there wasn't a huge degree of customisation, certainly not in comparison to the PC Baldur's Gate games.

Can't say I completed either of them though I got a fair way through the second one so it might've changed towards the end.

[Lamar]

Really bored stuff so when i saw its trailer it did not satisfied me and I am really anxious so it got change my mood and i am not check it out.

[No brains]

The levels seem to be of fairly simple design, like you could make them yourself as a player.

One thing I would like to do is get a hold of whatever level design proggie they used and make a Dark Alliance 3 where Keira finally kicks an ass as a PC and it is explained that Bartley was behind everything the whole time to get more money.

[Zevox]

I played the first one on the Gamecube - it was an okay game, but nothing special. I remember preferring to play as the Elf Sorceress, since I liked the magic powers she got. Don't recall if I ever played the second game though.

Zevox

[Deth Muncher]

I played the first one on the Gamecube - it was an okay game, but nothing special. I remember preferring to play as the Elf Sorceress, since I liked the magic powers she got. Don't recall if I ever played the second game though.

Zevox

Almost exactly this.

[No brains]

I really don't like how Dark Alliance II is continually passed over even for its contributions to modern internet memes!

One of the tips in the loading screen asks, "Problems killing trolls?" This is one of the very first associations between asking for problems and trolls. Any time a troll asks, "Problems?" they should place their had on a jacinth and a jade and ask a prayer of protection from Dorn's throwing axes.

Additionally, the levels on the plane of Earth are CLEARLY the source of inspiration for the developers of the wildly popular Minecraft.

[JadedDM]

I've played the first one in PS2, just as the dwarf so far. I've been meaning to pick it up again lately and finally unlock Drizzt. I was pretty close, if I recall correctly.

[No brains]

The gauntlet to unlock Drizzt isn't so hard once you realize fifteen minutes is PLENTY of time to get it done. If you pace yourself so you don't take too much damage and use many potions, the gauntlet's a cakewalk.

[No brains]

Dark Alliance II had a pretty nice item customization scheme. You get crap (gems) cram it in you sword, and you can control what upgrades you get rather than relying on chance. It can be interesting to try one enhancement, then another and see how you can fight best.

One of my favorites is to dual weld with either the Rogue or Barbarian and use two vampiric weapons. You gain back life as you attack, making offense a considerably awesome defense. Vampiric ranged weapons are also pretty boss, as you can cut down even tight the amount of time you need to recover from getting hurt in melee.

[GloatingSwine]

One of my favorites is to dual weld with either the Rogue or Barbarian and use two vampiric weapons. You gain back life as you attack, making offense a considerably awesome defense. Vampiric ranged weapons are also pretty boss, as you can cut down even tight the amount of time you need to recover from getting hurt in melee.

Wanna get broken? Vampiric Gloves for Ysuran. A bug in the game code causes the effects to be applied to his non-touch spells. Infinity health and mana.

Also, boost Vhaidra's critical rate and attack speed with +5 Flashing Gloves and she'll have something like a 60% crit rate and hit twice a second. Given that she stuns on crit that means that the only enemies that will ever get to fight back are constructs and undead.

[No brains]

Wanna get broken? Vampiric Gloves for Ysuran. A bug in the game code causes the effects to be applied to his non-touch spells. Infinity health and mana.

Also, boost Vhaidra's critical rate and attack speed with +5 Flashing Gloves and she'll have something like a 60% crit rate and hit twice a second. Given that she stuns on crit that means that the only enemies that will ever get to fight back are constructs and undead.

Did not know that about Ysuran! I'll have to try that next time I play him!

Flashing gloves are awesome for anyone, as they improve combat reflexes and imp crit even if you're using other weapons! Dorn with two vampiric greatswords and flashing gloves is all boss!

[No brains]

A new game, LoTR: War in the North, uses the Dark Alliance game engine. Has anyone played it? Is it any good? I had heard it was 'more like Dragon Age 2 than other Snowblind games (a bad thing)'.

[Zevox]

A new game, LoTR: War in the North, uses the Dark Alliance game engine. Has anyone played it? Is it any good? I had heard it was 'more like Dragon Age 2 than other Snowblind games (a bad thing)'.
The one review I've skimmed of it basically said it had fun action-based gameplay, but a dull story and characters. Which doesn't sound at all like DA2 to me, but whatever.

Zevox

[No brains]

The one review I've skimmed of it basically said it had fun action-based gameplay, but a dull story and characters. Which doesn't sound at all like DA2 to me, but whatever.

Zevox

I do think the person i read was talking about similarities in terms of characters leveling and gaining abilities.
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When I started playing real 3.5 D&D I was baffled by the differences between DA and D&D. In Dark Alliance II, the Drow Monk could use gauntlets to enhance her unarmed attacks. Shields weren't useless. It was a bit of a rough transition...

[Zevox]

When I started playing real 3.5 D&D I was baffled by the differences between DA and D&D. In Dark Alliance II, the Drow Monk could use gauntlets to enhance her unarmed attacks. Shields weren't useless. It was a bit of a rough transition...
Shields aren't useless in 3.5 D&D either. You just need to get magical enhancements on them to start getting their real potential going.

Zevox

[JadedDM]

Nope, just cannot beat the Gauntlet. I've tried over a dozen times, and keep dying every single time. Most of my deaths occur in the room with the gargoyles. Just too many of the damned blighters, and they can kill me faster than I can drink potions.

[No brains]

Nope, just cannot beat the Gauntlet. I've tried over a dozen times, and keep dying every single time. Most of my deaths occur in the room with the gargoyles. Just too many of the damned blighters, and they can kill me faster than I can drink potions.

How much time do you have left? The room with the gargoyles is the third to last room, IIRC. Just control your aggro, get the rhythm of attacks for blocking, take your time to regenerate without potions, use otiluke's icy sphere when enemies bunch up, and you should be able to hack on through.

[JadedDM]

How much time do you have left? The room with the gargoyles is the third to last room, IIRC. Just control your aggro, get the rhythm of attacks for blocking, take your time to regenerate without potions, use otiluke's icy sphere when enemies bunch up, and you should be able to hack on through.

On average, I usually have 4-5 minutes left when I reach the gargoyles.

I usually use Repulsion for large groups of enemies and Icy Sphere for bigger foes, like the umber hulks and giant spiders. Would Icy Sphere work better for the gargoyles?

[No brains]

On average, I usually have 4-5 minutes left when I reach the gargoyles.

I usually use Repulsion for large groups of enemies and Icy Sphere for bigger foes, like the umber hulks and giant spiders. Would Icy Sphere work better for the gargoyles?

You're still good with that amount of time left.

Repulsion is a trap. It doesn't do much damage, takes too much mana, and has a horrible recharge time. Icy sphere is better almost all the time, it has better range, cost, damage, and recharge. It's better for killing enemies, and you do need to kill them rather than only scatter them.The only time repulsion would really be useful is if you're totally bogged down by enemies and your only option is escape. Even then, it still might not work.

[Starbuck_II]

On average, I usually have 4-5 minutes left when I reach the gargoyles.

I usually use Repulsion for large groups of enemies and Icy Sphere for bigger foes, like the umber hulks and giant spiders. Would Icy Sphere work better for the gargoyles?

Same here. I never made it in time.


There is a Fallout version of these games: Brotherhood of Steel. Same item/merchant system.
Guns instead of bows though.

[GloatingSwine]

There is a Fallout version of these games: Brotherhood of Steel. Same item/merchant system.
Guns instead of bows though.

No there isn't. Any attempt to suggest that such a thing existed is heresy of the highest order.

Quite apart from the dry-rape of the Fallout setting, the game sucked balls as a Dark Alliance clone. It uses the same engine but is by different people

There is, however, an Everquest version, Champions of Norrath, which is pretty damn good (and really really pretty for a PS2 game).

[No brains]

The game engine for all these games is in fact called "Dark Alliance".

See what I did there?:smallamused:

[JadedDM]

Hey, I actually did it. I finished the Gauntlet and with only 30 seconds to spare. That massive golem thing worried me, but I found that using the same tactic I use against the umber hulks worked perfectly, and I didn't take a single point of damage. In fact, I was actually encumbered with potions and couldn't pick up any more.

After I beat it, it dropped an Onyx Sword. Seemed...odd, since even if I could equip it, it was the end of the level anyway. Ah, well.

[No brains]

Yay! Glad to hear you did it! It's odd how the biggest obstacle in the gauntlet is the player's perception that it will be hard...

[Nero24200]

Thought the first was pretty good, loved the second one. It's pretty much the only dungeon crawlers I can stand (Yes, I preffered them to Diablo). I loved the little things in the second one that made the characters a little different - different NPC's to "buy" experience from, different story-based side quest etc.

[JadedDM]

Yeah, now I just need to beat the game on Extreme mode to unlock Drizzt. Even though I've only managed to win on Normal so far...