Baldur's Gate novelization - worth a try?

The Nomad · Post by **The Nomad** » 2007-02-27 01:37pm

I've recently come across references of Baldur's Gate novelizations by a Philip Athans. I wonder if they'd be worth my money and time, though considering that in years I've never heard of them I have my doubts.

If you've read them, what's your opinion?

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2007-02-27 01:46pm

Jesus Fuck NO!

That bit aside, honestly no. They are poorly written and the characters have no of the feel of the game. The dialogue is stilted and the descriptions are from your worst fanfic nightmares. I've read them in the bookstore and still felt robbed of both my time and energy.

Ar-Adunakhor · Post by **Ar-Adunakhor** » 2007-02-27 02:16pm

Stay away from them if you value your sanity and have the slightest interest in the original story. Most of the characters and story points were warped beyond recognition or outright butchered. Examples? The PC is a mercenary and a sadist, Irenicus is now a warrior, Imoen happily gets it on with Phaere, the PC gets Khalid killed to bump uglies with Jaheira, ect.. It's like he saw the story and used it as a place to get the names for the characters from... but didn't actually use anything else.

All that aside, the guy can't write to save his life. Vague descriptions, no plot, no character development, shitty battle scenes, and a style that many fanfiction authors could give pointers on improving. I have heard that the third book, (by a different author) is better in this respect but still horrible due to the utterly mangled books before it.

Don't waste your money. If anything, find it available for free somewhere like I did (library, Barnes & Noble, whatever) and slog through enough to make you give up in disgust. I personally made it about 50 pages before skimming the rest of that fetid pile.

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2007-02-27 02:22pm

Ar-Adunakhor wrote:The PC is a mercenary and a sadist,

It's nearly possible to play that as your PC (within the constraints of the possible choices Bioware thought of, anyway)

Ar-Adunakhor · Post by **Ar-Adunakhor** » 2007-02-27 02:23pm

Vendetta wrote:
Ar-Adunakhor wrote:The PC is a mercenary and a sadist,
It's nearly possible to play that as your PC (within the constraints of the possible choices Bioware thought of, anyway)

True, but you must admit the game all but shoves you onto the "good" path.

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2007-02-27 03:09pm

It's always an advantage to be good in a Bioware game, up until Jade Empire certainly. (though KOTOR could fuck you in the ass if you had no force attacks).

The Grim Squeaker · Post by **The Grim Squeaker** » 2007-02-28 01:31am

Dear everfucking lord, keep away from it.
To my immense shame I have all 3

and frankly I would have burned them if not for the fact that I can only find one of them (the Second) and that it has some good sex scenes (Vampire vs weak willed human protagonist, guess what happens

)

LordShaithis · Post by **LordShaithis** » 2007-02-28 02:27am

The one and only time I played all the way through to the end of BG1 was with an evil party. I managed to kill Drizzt, as well as nearly every single potential party member on the good side. Poor little Imoen, dragged around by her demonspawn "brother" only to be unceremoniously murdered in the woods.

SilverWingedSeraph · Post by **SilverWingedSeraph** » 2007-02-28 02:34am

LordShaithis wrote:The one and only time I played all the way through to the end of BG1 was with an evil party. I managed to kill Drizzt, as well as nearly every single potential party member on the good side. Poor little Imoen, dragged around by her demonspawn "brother" only to be unceremoniously murdered in the woods.

The thing is, if it was written well, it could still be a good story. In fact, that sounds like it would be quite an enjoyable read. Heh... Imoen annoyed the crap out of me anyway. Killing Drizzt is fun, but it makes things easier if you enlist his help in killing Bhodi.

I think the problem is that they guy who wrote the book has something fucking wrong with his head. I've heard not a single good thing about the book, not from even one person, so that's enough to put me off reading it. Having an evil protaganist can still make a good book, but crappy writing can ruin it completely.

LordShaithis · Post by **LordShaithis** » 2007-02-28 02:45am

Yeah, I assume that if everyone says the books sucks then it must suck. Thread makes me want to go back and play some more BG1 though. Mowing down good party members like I was the Terminator and they were all the "wrong" Sarah Connors in the first part of the movie was some fun shit.

Darth Tanner · Post by **Darth Tanner** » 2007-02-28 09:58am

I'd always heard good things about these books... guess I was wrong. I was always intending to get the series on ebay as their out of print but whenever they came up for sale they would quickly reach £30+

Guess someone out there must like them regardless of public opinion.

LordShaithis · Post by **LordShaithis** » 2007-03-01 12:38am

I don't know who Phaere is, but the name sounds feminine. So they made Imoen a lesbian? That seems sort of out-of-the-blue and gratuitous.

Ar-Adunakhor · Post by **Ar-Adunakhor** » 2007-03-01 12:45am

LordShaithis wrote:I don't know who Phaere is, but the name sounds feminine. So they made Imoen a lesbian? That seems sort of out-of-the-blue and gratuitous.

Oh, it gets better. Phaere was the evil first daughter of the Matron in the underdark, you know... the one who tried using you to summon demons and kill her old lover? I'm sure Imoen was so compatable with her personality.

LordShaithis · Post by **LordShaithis** » 2007-03-01 12:23pm

Well I only played BG1, so I don't know about any drow matron. But if you walked up to me and said "They made one of the Baldur's Gate characters a lesbian, guess which one!" Imoen wouldn't even be among my first three guesses.

I mean if you're going with an evil protagonist and really want to toss in some gratuitous lesbianism to fuel book purchases from fourteen-year old boys... hello? Shar-Teel?

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2007-03-03 04:34pm

Shar-Teel isn't in Baldur's Gate II, having disappeared without trace, so including her would have stretched things even further.