What I would like to know is if the new UI is going to be implemented in BG:EE and BG:EE2, or if it is even optional. Furthermore it would be interesting to know if the new companions are going to be in BG2:EE at some point
What I would like to know is if the new UI is going to be implemented in BG:EE and BG:EE2, or if it is even optional. Furthermore it would be interesting to know if the new companions are going to be in BG2:EE at some point
I'm pretty sure that they'll point to keep each IE game updated with the last engine version, so I foresee a good load of patches for the other EE games after SoD release.
One thing I am disapointed in is that I see a dragon in the screenshots.
Well, dragons are supposed to be rare. And within the Baldur's Gate saga you kill a lot. In BGII-SoA I count 3 shadow/black dragons, 1 red dragon, 1 silver dragon, and in Throne of Bhaal I counted 1 or 2 (can't remember for sure) green dragons, 1 blue dragon, 1 shadow dragon and 2 silver dragons.
I'm getting a dragon indigestion. Couldn't we get more fun things like... dunno a dinosaur pet or different demons and devils?
Which isn't to say there are plans to bring Corwin, Glint, and M'Khiin over to BGII:EE--to the best of my knowledge there aren't. But as Trent's presentation last night made clear (well, maybe not that clear with th echo thing, but if you were in the room it was clear), Beamdog embraces and listens to the fans. If the characters are seen to be popular, using whatever metrics the higher-ups do to measure that sort of thing, it's possible roles could be expanded into BGII:EE.
I don't want to set up any unrealistic expectations here: as it stands at this moment, 7:27am Edmonton time July 10,, there are no plans to carry the characters over.
But if after playing Siege of Dragonspear you *wanted* them to be carried over, make some noise, let people know. Stranger things have happened and I think I could be quite happy writing Glint and M'Khiin for the rest of my life.
Just a couple of the comments from the broadcast that made me smile ear to ear:
“If you’re the kind of player that likes to dig into all the nooks and crannies of a game, this game is riddled with crannies.”
“The game will tell us when it is done.”
I personally tend to prefer some of the old UI that keeps getting replaced, but if it makes things more user friendly for a new generation of players then I can adjust.
I’m really looking forward to playing this new content!
Which isn't to say there are plans to bring Corwin, Glint, and M'Khiin over to BGII:EE--to the best of my knowledge there aren't. But as Trent's presentation last night made clear (well, maybe not that clear with th echo thing, but if you were in the room it was clear), Beamdog embraces and listens to the fans. If the characters are seen to be popular, using whatever metrics the higher-ups do to measure that sort of thing, it's possible roles could be expanded into BGII:EE.
I don't want to set up any unrealistic expectations here: as it stands at this moment, 7:27am Edmonton time July 10,, there are no plans to carry the characters over.
But if after playing Siege of Dragonspear you *wanted* them to be carried over, make some noise, let people know. Stranger things have happened and I think I could be quite happy writing Glint and M'Khiin for the rest of my life.
New companions are looking interesting! I wonder if they are locked behind alignment or if you can pick all 3. Vholgin will be sweet!
But...are any of them evil? Sounds like they are either Neutral or Good unless Shamans can be evil unlike Druids.
Sounds like it: Corwin is an Archer and a member of the Flaming Fist, which means LG; Voghiln was NG in the Black Pits 2; Glint's deity is Baravar Cloakshadow, who is also NG. The goblin shamaness is probably the best bet for a new evil NPC (although, if Baeloth is sticking around for the entirety of the campaign, he might be a full-fledged party member rather than an easter egg).
A lot of the new UI elements are just about organizing the information better, to be honest.
There's a lot of rhetoric about "Making it more accessible for new players", and that's certainly true, but it's also about redesigning the framework with everything that we've learned after seventeen years of playing and three years of working with the code.
The Mage spells screen is a good example of this--if we can show you the spell icon, spell name, and spell description without forcing you to open an entirely new window, then that probably makes the most sense.
The Character Sheet screen is another example. The Record screen we had before had all the information you'd need, but it was all contained in a single enormous text box that required a lot of scrolling to find what you were looking for. The new setup allows us to show more information (such as "What exactly IS Lore, and why do I care about it?") and organize it in a way that lets any player--new or seasoned--find what they're looking for with greater ease.
I want to make it clear that the changes are not about "dumbing it down"; if anything, they're about making the UI smarter.
One thing I hope we can see is on when rolling for stats to see the actual bonuses/minuses of each stat number. I still don't know how much HP I get at 16 con on my Cleric/Mage, I just know I want to have 16 con >_>
Project Bear/Sharktrap has been shelved for the time being.
Please could you explain why? This is extremely disappointing because I was really hoping for a new full-length Forgotten Realms game unrelated to BG. Is this because Wizard's has given n-Space exclusive rights to new Realms games?
A lot of the new UI elements are just about organizing the information better, to be honest.
There's a lot of rhetoric about "Making it more accessible for new players", and that's certainly true, but it's also about redesigning the framework with everything that we've learned after seventeen years of playing and three years of working with the code.
The Mage spells screen is a good example of this--if we can show you the spell icon, spell name, and spell description without forcing you to open an entirely new window, then that probably makes the most sense.
The Character Sheet screen is another example. The Record screen we had before had all the information you'd need, but it was all contained in a single enormous text box that required a lot of scrolling to find what you were looking for. The new setup allows us to show more information (such as "What exactly IS Lore, and why do I care about it?") and organize it in a way that lets any player--new or seasoned--find what they're looking for with greater ease.
I want to make it clear that the changes are not about "dumbing it down"; if anything, they're about making the UI smarter.
It also brings it closer to how Icewind Dale 2 handled the character record page (compartmentalizing information). Which I think is really great. Along with its greatly improved modability I'm hoping to see people make some killer mods for it
Project Bear/Sharktrap has been shelved for the time being.
Please could you explain why? This is extremely disappointing because I was really hoping for a new full-length Forgotten Realms game unrelated to BG. Is this because Wizard's has given n-Space exclusive rights to new Realms games?
I can't comment on the status of Forgotten Realms rights--well, I suppose I could, but I don't know a thing about them, so it wouldn't be helpful or informative, so I won't--but I can say they had nothing to do with Sharktrap shutting down.
The Adventure X, Y, Z designation was an in-office term used primarily as a way to keep projects in order. After BGEE, BG2EE was Adventure X, the Siege of Dragonspear expansion was Adventure Y, and then there was Adventure Z, which was completely unrelated to the Forgotten Realms. The idea was to push into Free To Play, but a few months back it became clear that space was already pretty full and the decision was made to focus on the Beamdog's core strengths, which is RPGs, with the obvious immediate focus being on the Forgotten Realms and Siege.
A lot of the new UI elements are just about organizing the information better, to be honest.
There's a lot of rhetoric about "Making it more accessible for new players", and that's certainly true, but it's also about redesigning the framework with everything that we've learned after seventeen years of playing and three years of working with the code.
The Mage spells screen is a good example of this--if we can show you the spell icon, spell name, and spell description without forcing you to open an entirely new window, then that probably makes the most sense.
One thing I've always wondered about is if it would be possible to simultaneously show available spell scrolls with the mage/cleric spells screens. Ditto for when you are looking to cast a spell. I now keep a notepad with all my available scrolls (and potions) written down, so that when I am choosing spells to memorize (or to cast) I can coordinate across what's in my spellbooks versus my scrolls. It would be nice to hava a built-in system, though.
One thing I hope we can see is on when rolling for stats to see the actual bonuses/minuses of each stat number. I still don't know how much HP I get at 16 con on my Cleric/Mage, I just know I want to have 16 con >_>
Incidentally it's +2 per level (divided by 2 at each actual level-up, because you're multiclassed). But I agree with you entirely. You shouldn't need outside tables or an encyclopedic knowledge of 2E rules to know the main effects of your stats.
Project Bear/Sharktrap has been shelved for the time being.
Please could you explain why? This is extremely disappointing because I was really hoping for a new full-length Forgotten Realms game unrelated to BG. Is this because Wizard's has given n-Space exclusive rights to new Realms games?
I can't comment on the status of Forgotten Realms rights--well, I suppose I could, but I don't know a thing about them, so it wouldn't be helpful or informative, so I won't--but I can say they had nothing to do with Sharktrap shutting down.
The Adventure X, Y, Z designation was an in-office term used primarily as a way to keep projects in order. After BGEE, BG2EE was Adventure X, the Siege of Dragonspear expansion was Adventure Y, and then there was Adventure Z, which was completely unrelated to the Forgotten Realms. The idea was to push into Free To Play, but a few months back it became clear that space was already pretty full and the decision was made to focus on the Beamdog's core strengths, which is RPGs, with the obvious immediate focus being on the Forgotten Realms and Siege.
Oh, I see. Very good to know this. And thank you for the reply. I do agree Beamdog's strength is in RPGs, and I for one have absolutely LOVED everything you've done thus far with my beloved old IE games. I truly hope Wizard's recognizes the great work you've done and let's you do a brand-new Realms game using 5e rules.
Tell me more about this drag and drop UI. Are we talking NWN2-esqe?
I can't comment on NWN2 since I haven't played with it, but to clarify - when we talk about the new UI infrastructure with the drag & drop editing, we are talking more about making UI modding easier and more powerful, and not so much on the fly UI user configuration.
What I would like to know is if the new UI is going to be implemented in BG:EE and BG:EE2, or if it is even optional. Furthermore it would be interesting to know if the new companions are going to be in BG2:EE at some point
That was answered in the Q&A - yes, we'll be bringing the engine updates to BG:EE and BGII:EE. While I can't comment on timing, we understand how important it will be to folks to take their characters through the entire saga, so it is a high priority to keep these releases as close together as is feasible.
@Cerevant@Dee Since SoD is an expansion to BGEE, are the maps integrated? Will we be able to travel from SoD to the regular BG1 areas and back, or are they closed off once SoD starts?
@Shin I'm going to steal from the late Robert Jordan his famous "don't want to talk about this yet" response: you'll need to PAFO ("play and find out!")
I honestly don't know. The idea's been tossed around a bit but it's one of many things that ended up on the Let's Seriously Discuss This and See If It's Feasible from a Resource Management Standpoint AFTER The Announcement list. If I had to lay odds, as it stands, I'd say we're 70/30 in favour of something along those lines happening, but it's not a lock.
Sorry I can't be more specific than that at this time, it's just really up in the air right now, but as I say, it definitely *is* in the air, not the garbage pail.
Comments
optional. Furthermore it would be interesting to know if the new companions are going to be in BG2:EE at some point
See also http://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/comment/655085/#Comment_655085
Well, dragons are supposed to be rare. And within the Baldur's Gate saga you kill a lot. In BGII-SoA I count 3 shadow/black dragons, 1 red dragon, 1 silver dragon, and in Throne of Bhaal I counted 1 or 2 (can't remember for sure) green dragons, 1 blue dragon, 1 shadow dragon and 2 silver dragons.
I'm getting a dragon indigestion. Couldn't we get more fun things like... dunno a dinosaur pet or different demons and devils?
But...are any of them evil? Sounds like they are either Neutral or Good unless Shamans can be evil unlike Druids.
Which isn't to say there are plans to bring Corwin, Glint, and M'Khiin over to BGII:EE--to the best of my knowledge there aren't. But as Trent's presentation last night made clear (well, maybe not that clear with th echo thing, but if you were in the room it was clear), Beamdog embraces and listens to the fans. If the characters are seen to be popular, using whatever metrics the higher-ups do to measure that sort of thing, it's possible roles could be expanded into BGII:EE.
I don't want to set up any unrealistic expectations here: as it stands at this moment, 7:27am Edmonton time July 10,, there are no plans to carry the characters over.
But if after playing Siege of Dragonspear you *wanted* them to be carried over, make some noise, let people know. Stranger things have happened and I think I could be quite happy writing Glint and M'Khiin for the rest of my life.
“If you’re the kind of player that likes to dig into all the nooks and crannies of a game, this game is riddled with crannies.”
“The game will tell us when it is done.”
I personally tend to prefer some of the old UI that keeps getting replaced, but if it makes things more user friendly for a new generation of players then I can adjust.
I’m really looking forward to playing this new content!
@AndrewFoley Really, really glad to hear this!
There's a lot of rhetoric about "Making it more accessible for new players", and that's certainly true, but it's also about redesigning the framework with everything that we've learned after seventeen years of playing and three years of working with the code.
The Mage spells screen is a good example of this--if we can show you the spell icon, spell name, and spell description without forcing you to open an entirely new window, then that probably makes the most sense.
The Character Sheet screen is another example. The Record screen we had before had all the information you'd need, but it was all contained in a single enormous text box that required a lot of scrolling to find what you were looking for. The new setup allows us to show more information (such as "What exactly IS Lore, and why do I care about it?") and organize it in a way that lets any player--new or seasoned--find what they're looking for with greater ease.
I want to make it clear that the changes are not about "dumbing it down"; if anything, they're about making the UI smarter.
The Adventure X, Y, Z designation was an in-office term used primarily as a way to keep projects in order. After BGEE, BG2EE was Adventure X, the Siege of Dragonspear expansion was Adventure Y, and then there was Adventure Z, which was completely unrelated to the Forgotten Realms. The idea was to push into Free To Play, but a few months back it became clear that space was already pretty full and the decision was made to focus on the Beamdog's core strengths, which is RPGs, with the obvious immediate focus being on the Forgotten Realms and Siege.
Sorry I can't be more specific than that at this time, it's just really up in the air right now, but as I say, it definitely *is* in the air, not the garbage pail.