Baldur's Gate series

Baldur's Gate is a popular series of computer role-playing games that take place on Faerûn, the main continent from Dungeons & Dragons's Forgotten Realms campaign setting.

Related Topics:
Computer role-playing game - Faerûn - Dungeons & Dragons - Forgotten Realms

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The series, developed for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS by BioWare, includes Baldur's Gate (1998), Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast (expansion pack, 1999), Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (2000) and Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal (expansion pack, 2001).

Related Topics:
Microsoft Windows - Mac OS - BioWare - Expansion pack

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The console title ' and its sequel, though taking place in the Baldur's Gate setting, are not often regarded as a part of the Baldur's Gate series, as the plot is unrelated to previous games, and they were never released (as was the original series) for Windows and Macintosh. See the Dark Alliance article for more details.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Baldur's Gate series brought many technical advancements in computer-based role-playing games, such as Bioware's famous Infinity Engine. The Infinity Engine offers a pre-rendered isometric worldview, with sprite-based characters. It was also the third computer game ever to make use of the Lua scripting language. The Infinity Engine was also used for ' and the Icewind Dale series.

Related Topics:
Infinity Engine - Sprite - Lua - Icewind Dale

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The games are based on a real-time modification of the second edition AD&D (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons) ruleset. The player's party can have up to 6 members, either created by the player according to the AD&D rules or NPCs recruited by the protagonist from the game world. Numerous side quests and plot twists are associated with particular NPCs and can be activated if they are found in the player's party. Through extensive, context-dependent dialogue, many characters inside and outside the player's party are fleshed out and given a added level of complexity.

Related Topics:
AD&D - NPC

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1999, Baldur's Gate won the Origins Award for Best Roleplaying Computer Game of 1998, and in 2000, Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast won Best Roleplaying Computer Game of 1999. Baldur's Gate has also been oft compared to Diablo, perhaps for similarities in dungeon-crawling and the assymetric view.

Related Topics:
1999 - Origins Award - 2000 - Diablo

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~