Durlag's Tower - Quest Issues due to Touch Interface
LazarusNine
Member Posts: 44
This issue ties into the discussions already being had regarding potential problems with the touch interface, but I thought it would be worth mentioning a potential issue that actually inhibits forward progress (i.e. the inability to identify 'interactable' quest items) rather than those that are more a matter of inconvenience (i.e. tapping around for a building's entrance). We've discussed at length the difficulties entering buildings and picking up certain items, etc. Apparently, this is being addressed in the yet-to-be-released iPad update. However, while increasing the acceptable touch radius for certain areas will make it a lot easier to collect loot and enter into buildings, there is also a need to 'highlight' certain objects that are not currently being highlighted by the game's 'magnifying glass' button. Generally, this is a convenience issue, but I've run into a bigger problem in Durlag's Tower, which makes the quests virtually unplayable for a first-time player choosing not to use a walkthrough.
[Caution: Spoilers] - Durlag's Tower
In order to enter into lower regions of the dungeon in Durlag's Tower, you must speak to the warders and complete certain tasks, such as turning grapes into wine and reforming a mallet to then use on a gong. To start the wine press, you must use a machine part on a machine to activate it and provide power for the press. There is no obvious art that displays the control panel and the area that needs to be interacted with does not highlight when pressing the magnifying glass. As a result, a new player would have no idea if ANYTHING in the machine room is capable of being interacted with. The same is true for the wine press itself, unless you click on it, which most people might do, but perhaps not all.
In the trophy room, the gong is not immediately obvious as such and it does not appear to be capable of being interacted with. In the original game, a mouse-over would have suggested that it could be used in some way. A similar issue arises when seeking out the forge, which needs to be used to combine the mallet handle and mallet head. If this was my first time playing through Baldur's Gate, I would find this rather frustrating. If you walk into the forge room, for instance, the only things that appear when pressing the magnifying glass are the containers that can be opened, one of which has a trap. There is no indication that anything else of any use exists in the room. A simple mouse-over would have made it immediately clear. Only through a consultation of a walkthrough can one find out that there are specific areas that need to be interacted with. Surely that shouldn't be necessary.
My suggestion is that these types of areas/items/triggers, which are necessary to identify in order to progress through the game, must be visible when pressing the 'magnifying glass icon'. Otherwise, we have no idea of their existence. At least in the case of the gong and forge, there's some artwork that suggests the possibility of interaction, but in the case of the control panel in the machine room, there is no indication that one exists - it appears as just another wall panel on the gangway above the machine.
Please refer to the following posts for people having problems related to this one:
https://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/11786/know-bugs-and-issues-with-bgee-ipad/p1
http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/11211/hard-to-tap-certain-npcschestsentrances
http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/12529/firebeads-home
Many thanks to the developers for such an incredible game (and on an iPad!) and the rest of the forum community for identifying issues and helping improve our gaming experience.
[Caution: Spoilers] - Durlag's Tower
In order to enter into lower regions of the dungeon in Durlag's Tower, you must speak to the warders and complete certain tasks, such as turning grapes into wine and reforming a mallet to then use on a gong. To start the wine press, you must use a machine part on a machine to activate it and provide power for the press. There is no obvious art that displays the control panel and the area that needs to be interacted with does not highlight when pressing the magnifying glass. As a result, a new player would have no idea if ANYTHING in the machine room is capable of being interacted with. The same is true for the wine press itself, unless you click on it, which most people might do, but perhaps not all.
In the trophy room, the gong is not immediately obvious as such and it does not appear to be capable of being interacted with. In the original game, a mouse-over would have suggested that it could be used in some way. A similar issue arises when seeking out the forge, which needs to be used to combine the mallet handle and mallet head. If this was my first time playing through Baldur's Gate, I would find this rather frustrating. If you walk into the forge room, for instance, the only things that appear when pressing the magnifying glass are the containers that can be opened, one of which has a trap. There is no indication that anything else of any use exists in the room. A simple mouse-over would have made it immediately clear. Only through a consultation of a walkthrough can one find out that there are specific areas that need to be interacted with. Surely that shouldn't be necessary.
My suggestion is that these types of areas/items/triggers, which are necessary to identify in order to progress through the game, must be visible when pressing the 'magnifying glass icon'. Otherwise, we have no idea of their existence. At least in the case of the gong and forge, there's some artwork that suggests the possibility of interaction, but in the case of the control panel in the machine room, there is no indication that one exists - it appears as just another wall panel on the gangway above the machine.
Please refer to the following posts for people having problems related to this one:
https://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/11786/know-bugs-and-issues-with-bgee-ipad/p1
http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/11211/hard-to-tap-certain-npcschestsentrances
http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/12529/firebeads-home
Many thanks to the developers for such an incredible game (and on an iPad!) and the rest of the forum community for identifying issues and helping improve our gaming experience.
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Issue: Hidden Interface Objects not Displayed by "Hints Button" and no ability to find on iPad.