D&D General Classic Gold Box D&D CRPGs coming to Steam

toucanbuzz · Mar 11, 2022

not-so-newguy said:
How do these compare to Baldur's Gate 1?

They're true to the AD&D rules with actual turn-based combat on a grid and original magical items/equipment. No "everything moving at once and you can't aim your fireballs." In that sense, it's identical to today's D&D combat. Pool of Radiance was hardcore in that you could take on "hirelings" (who might later betray you), and unless the coding was changed, it made combats tougher the higher your ability scores were.

Obviously the graphics are less and there's not really any meaningful NPC interactions where you discover their backstory and they become more powerful, yada yada.

But, they're still a blast. Map exploration, hidden secrets in certain dungeons, stumbling across a sphere of annihilation or a room with 20+ beholders, there's a sense when playing them for the first time (without a cheat book) "what's around the next corner." Later, designers added "challenges" (pretty much impossible battles unless you did the "export/import" character thing to duplicate "must have" magical items like Boots of Speed).

Jer · Mar 11, 2022

Demetrios1453 said:
Classic Dungeons & Dragons 'Gold Box' games are coming to Steam

The classic Dungeons & Dragons 'Gold Box' PC games are coming to Steam later in March, including the 'Eye of the Beholder' series.

www.engadget.com

If you want some late '80s/early '90s nostalgia, you can get it starting March 28th from Steam (they're already available on GOG, but Steam is more accessable). Despite their very archaic graphics, clunky UI, and 1e/2e rule set (high level non-humans? Hahaha, no.), they're still fun to play if you can handle the limitations....

Are they going to include the decoder wheel and the instruction manual so you can get past the copy protection measure popular at the time of "we give you a code and you look it up and give us the related word" so you couldn't just pass electronic copies around?

(I'm kidding - I'm hoping the copy protection is broken on these. If it is I might buy them for the third time since the copies I have still require me to use the code wheel or an associated document that has all of the codes in it at least)

Demetrios1453 · Mar 11, 2022

Jer said:
Are they going to include the decoder wheel and the instruction manual so you can get past the copy protection measure popular at the time of "we give you a code and you look it up and give us the related word" so you couldn't just pass electronic copies around?

(I'm kidding - I'm hoping the copy protection is broken on these. If it is I might buy them for the third time since the copies I have still require me to use the code wheel or an associated document that has all of the codes in it at least)

The GOG versions skip the copy protection, so I assume the Steam versions will as well.

Demetrios1453 · Mar 11, 2022

I've found some other articles in this, and they are saying that Gold Box Companion and other tools that help with QoL improvements will be included.

This one, for example: 21 classic DnD RPGs and a city-builder come to Steam

And for anyone curious about which bundles are recommended, the FR 2 and Krynn bundles would be the "classic" ones, where you can take characters through several games and go from levels 1 through 40...

Shiroiken · Mar 11, 2022

darjr said:
There is some lore in them too. Though I think all of it is on the net.

IIRC, some of the lore is problematic, needing some retcon to fit into the Forgotten Realms. I remember reading the novels going WTF on some of it.

Jer said:
Are they going to include the decoder wheel and the instruction manual so you can get past the copy protection measure popular at the time of "we give you a code and you look it up and give us the related word" so you couldn't just pass electronic copies around?

Dragonlance games had the best. They just gave you a page and paragraph of the associated book, so you had to not only own the game, but the book as well.

Demetrios1453 · Aug 7, 2022

Resurrecting my own thread here, but I've since gotten the Steam versions, and have (re-)played all four of the FR "Pools" games, as well as the first two Dragonlance games (I've just imported my characters into the third and final one), Anyone interested in me posting some thoughts on these, such as overviews and hints for those who might be interested in playing them (especially in how the Gold Box Companion interface interacts with the original games), and maybe some reviews?

Nightfly · Aug 7, 2022

I loved Pool of Radiance back in the day. But man, the graphics on these games are just painful. Like, gives me a headache kind of bad. Maybe it's my old eyes. I wish someone would redo these games with moderate graphics.

Seramus · Aug 7, 2022

These games are what made me so addicted to the Exploration Pillar. Pool of Radiance was one of my very first video games, and I've adored poking my nose into every cranny, and turning over every rock, ever since. And since someone mentioned it earlier in the thread, Might and Magic games are also amazing for exploration.