Why would you need to position people strategically when in a shop or something? You wouldn't.
A shop is certainly not an example where you would position your characters strategically, even though there are some where you'll run into encounters and it would actually make sense.
But on the other hand why would you want to move your party through the area manually with WASD if you could simply send them to the destination with a single click and start browsing your inventory/character sheet and so on while the pathfinding guides your group through the terrain.
I agree with @Mortes, while you are outside of battle, I dont see much point to press WASD from one edge of the map to the other edge while you can just "click and forget"...
I just want to emphasize that I dont mind if WASD will be implemented, I just doubt that I will ever use it.
Flag away... The people disagreeing with this guy have clearly not thought about ther answers. Take the guy who said he wanted to move north northeast; AS IF you couldn't adjust your direction while moving.
Wasd movement as an option could only improve this game... One of the very few things that could.
I don't support this idea. Baldur's Gate's point-and-click system works perfectly. It's one of the features that made it so attractive to me in the technical field in the first place. I hate using keyboard controls. They're so much less flexible to handle and only cause confusion and frustration while playing the game. Also, I'd like BGEE to steer clear of any EAware influences, thank you very much. The current Bioware is pretty much destroying itself right now.
@Jknife187 - I can understand from where the disagrees come from. the majority of the forum members, if not all, are expirienced players with IE games such as BG/IWD, we are USED TO the way it works right now, and that why you will keep hearing "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".
From a New player perspective - maybe it might come out handy as some users ( I guess.. ) are used to WASD from games such as DA:O.. for their own convenience, But if Implemnted - Only as an optional feature.
You can also look at it from other angle. Is implementing such a feaure is worthwhile??? I mean just from looking at the this thread comments you can see that the majority of people wont bother to use it.
My personal opinion is that BG is more a Strategy RPG than a Third-Person RPG ( although its third person ) - and therefore I think that using a mouse is the best method to play the game.
Flag away... The people disagreeing with this guy have clearly not thought about ther answers. Take the guy who said he wanted to move north northeast; AS IF you couldn't adjust your direction while moving.
Wasd movement as an option could only improve this game... One of the very few things that could.
@Jknife187 I'll assume that you're referring to me with this comment. As for my statement about directions, I was sort of thinking out loud (or while typing, whatever) as I've never considered WSAD controls for a 2D isometric game before, and so yes, I may have been a bit hasty in one of my justifications. It didn't take much contemplation to know that I'm not a fan of the idea though, as it just seems totally unnecessary to me.
I really don't see the point here, as it seems that the support for it isn't even for controlling the characters in battles, but rather using the WSAD controls while adventuring, which just seems infinitely easier (to me) via point and click. I don't see how having to hold down directional buttons while exploring maps will enhance the game, and I seriously wonder if the people suggesting this have actually played through the Baldur's Gate games, or if they're just assuming they want it because it's been used in the games that they have played through (such as Dragon Age).
As I already said, if there are enough people that want this (which, based on the responses on this thread, there aren't) then I have no problem with them including it, it makes no difference to me as I know that I wouldn't use it.
The reason why WASD movement doesn't work in isometric games:
Let's take North and East directions as an example.
There are 5 possible directions. North, North North East, North East, North East East, and East.
Because of these directions, some corridors are designed with those directions in mind. Using WASD keys to navigate can give a maximum of 3 directions, North, East and North East. If you enter a corridor with a North North East direction we're gonna have some great fun with your positioning. It is usually a pain in the ass to navigate through narrow space with WASD in games like this. You'd have to re-adjust some things.
So, in other words, there is no need to re-adjust dungeons and remove animations from the game to give WASD keys a movement usage.
Games like Dragon Age with more active combat systems and rotating cameras use WASD keys better. With a fixed isometric camera it becomes more limited.
There are many arguments as to why WASD wouldn't work, and at least why it wouldn't be used by most players here. Though it seems the arguments are being ignored.
Playing all the way through Dragon Age, I hated having to use WASD. I wanted strategic camera angles and controls. I didn't have to waste as spend time as in NWN, adjusting camera, placing my character correctly etc, but in Dragon Age I spent some. In BG I spent zero. I just really like that effeciency.
@Mortes like diablo and lion heart the holding of the mouse key to move the character would be best compremise to the WASD situation
@Biron5k why dont you just play the game as it works perfectly well without the use of WASD? if you cant get used to it dont play it. In my opinion your being fussy.
I can understand how people like WASD as it works quite well in games like NWN with the use of camera angles but the angle is fixed in BG and as people have mentioned your limiting your movement with horizontal, vertical and diagonal directions only which would result in tapping of the WASD keys. Also with 6 people in the party how would it be effective in combat WASD would be useless and just simply clicking somewhere moves you to that area? you can pull of straegically important movement when paused using the pointand click method, WASD would have no use in the pause part of the game, which again is an important aspect of the game.
It is designed to be a point and click implementing something like WASD would not work very well and be used very little. except from the odd person who somehow cant seem to play it with one of its strongest points " Point and click"
I wanted to knee-jerk rage against the encroachment of console-borne stupidity. Then I waited 5 seconds and thought of something.
There's all sorts of nifty little debug features in BG2 based on control+KEY; one cycles through animations, another highlights triggers (exits and spawns mostly), etc.
1. Conveniently, one of them stickies the camera to the selected character, so as you click to move him, the character stays centered on the screen.
2. There's the "snaking" formation where all party members follow the leader.
3. Scripts can allow for targeting the ground for movement and spells based on a direction and distance offset from a specified object; in this case, the character the script is assigned to. Assigning the appropriate hotkeys is easy.
I think what the OP wants is already possible if the debug feature can be toggled in the Options menu. Writing the script is not an obstacle, iirc.
Asking "WASD" like controls for Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition sounds for me like requesting Point-and-Click support for Doom Enhanced Edition
More seriously in a game like BG WASD is clearly less comfortable (beside the habits of someone to play in a different way), than Point-and-Click simply because of Pathfinding.
Two examples of why:
You want to move your party someplace away. With a single Point-and-Click, you just have to click once and the party will move to the place automatically finding its path around obstacles and corners on the way. While with WASD, you will have to keep using the keys to modify the direction as many times as required to reach the spot.
In Baldur's gate you're not always moving the party as a single entity. Sometimes you want to send various party members in various directions at the same time. With Point-and-Click you can just select them one by one and assign each one a different destination that they will all start moving toward at the same time. With WADS you would only be able to move a single party character at a time.
At the same time, we should equip our characters with some guns be able with CTRL+ALT+DEL to see like in a first person shooter. Sorry but Dragon Age was shit and it never could be a fine heir of Baldur's Gate. It's rude but also Baldur's Gate ain't a 3D game and doesn't have the same rules than DA.
I'd use this feature if it was implemented. I do get a little fed up of having to click all the time when travelling across long maps.
Did you know that there's a party formation where all the characters just follow the first character? So you can control the leader with WASD, and everyone else follows. It's not rocket science.
At the same time, we should equip our characters with some guns be able with CTRL+ALT+DEL to see like in a first person shooter. Sorry but Dragon Age was shit and it never could be a fine heir of Baldur's Gate. It's rude but also Baldur's Gate ain't a 3D game and doesn't have the same rules than DA.
The people who made both Dragon Age AND your precious Baldur's Gate seemed to think Dragon Age was a worthy successor, which is why they made it. And it's less rude than it is being an arrogant ass. You're being contrary because you can.
There are many arguments as to why WASD wouldn't work, and at least why it wouldn't be used by most players here. Though it seems the arguments are being ignored.
Playing all the way through Dragon Age, I hated having to use WASD. I wanted strategic camera angles and controls. I didn't have to waste as spend time as in NWN, adjusting camera, placing my character correctly etc, but in Dragon Age I spent some. In BG I spent zero. I just really like that effeciency.
Dragon Age: Origins had a strategic camera angle... I assume you tried to play the PC version, since you're contributing to the BG circle jerk.
Half of you guys are psychotic if you think Baldur's Gate is the greatest game of all time. Ambitious, but there are better games. No, not COD, before you guys try to think you're clever. Needless to say, all of you who were overwhelmingly, adamantly against any chance of ENHANCEMENT of your wet dre-- I mean favorite game to the point of acting with the same courtesy I'd expect from 4chan have caused me to never want to look at another BG game again. I'm sure that's a good thing, since I'm a non-believer.The worst part is, I could have ignored the controls, but the awful community is what makes me just roll my eyes at this release and let it go by. Enjoy wearing the tin foil hats. I'll enjoy my old and modern games that people enjoy while you stick to your series that is "meh" at best. Thanks, everyone who didn't instantly call me an idiot.
I will be ignoring this thread and entire game release, so feel free to call me a Dragon Age fanboy and complain about me hoping to modernize a dated game in a way that would add (meaning not remove point-click) another feature that would get more people to play it.
I think that in the best case, this would be an optional checkbox and that you could only move an NPC at the time. Doesn't seem very useful, besides, since its release you can beat BG1 and BG2 with just the mouse (and the mighty spacebar at least xD).
I think it's safe to assume here that Biron5k isn't a fan of Baldur's Gate - particularly since he basically spends every other post insulting the game and its fans because it/they doesn't conform to how HE wants it/them to be.. ironic, given that whenever those of us who hate the path that current RPGs are on voice our disdain, we get shushed and told to keep our opinions to ourselves. I do enjoy hypocrisy~ Which really begs the question of why he's here, at that.
Also, protip: The people you think would want to play it solely because it has WADS compatability don't strike me as the sort of people who would be good for the rejuvination of the genre of in-depth cRPGs. For one thing, the modernization of RPGs resulted in such horrendous games like Dragon Age 2.
Comments
But on the other hand why would you want to move your party through the area manually with WASD if you could simply send them to the destination with a single click and start browsing your inventory/character sheet and so on while the pathfinding guides your group through the terrain.
I just want to emphasize that I dont mind if WASD will be implemented, I just doubt that I will ever use it.
I'm sure you can make posts without throwing names around.
Wasd movement as an option could only improve this game... One of the very few things that could.
From a New player perspective - maybe it might come out handy as some users ( I guess.. ) are used to WASD from games such as DA:O.. for their own convenience, But if Implemnted - Only as an optional feature.
You can also look at it from other angle. Is implementing such a feaure is worthwhile??? I mean just from looking at the this thread comments you can see that the majority of people wont bother to use it.
My personal opinion is that BG is more a Strategy RPG than a Third-Person RPG ( although its third person ) - and therefore I think that using a mouse is the best method to play the game.
I really don't see the point here, as it seems that the support for it isn't even for controlling the characters in battles, but rather using the WSAD controls while adventuring, which just seems infinitely easier (to me) via point and click. I don't see how having to hold down directional buttons while exploring maps will enhance the game, and I seriously wonder if the people suggesting this have actually played through the Baldur's Gate games, or if they're just assuming they want it because it's been used in the games that they have played through (such as Dragon Age).
As I already said, if there are enough people that want this (which, based on the responses on this thread, there aren't) then I have no problem with them including it, it makes no difference to me as I know that I wouldn't use it.
Let's take North and East directions as an example.
There are 5 possible directions. North, North North East, North East, North East East, and East.
Because of these directions, some corridors are designed with those directions in mind. Using WASD keys to navigate can give a maximum of 3 directions, North, East and North East. If you enter a corridor with a North North East direction we're gonna have some great fun with your positioning. It is usually a pain in the ass to navigate through narrow space with WASD in games like this. You'd have to re-adjust some things.
So, in other words, there is no need to re-adjust dungeons and remove animations from the game to give WASD keys a movement usage.
Games like Dragon Age with more active combat systems and rotating cameras use WASD keys better. With a fixed isometric camera it becomes more limited.
Playing all the way through Dragon Age, I hated having to use WASD. I wanted strategic camera angles and controls. I didn't have to waste as spend time as in NWN, adjusting camera, placing my character correctly etc, but in Dragon Age I spent some. In BG I spent zero. I just really like that effeciency.
@Biron5k why dont you just play the game as it works perfectly well without the use of WASD? if you cant get used to it dont play it. In my opinion your being fussy.
I can understand how people like WASD as it works quite well in games like NWN with the use of camera angles but the angle is fixed in BG and as people have mentioned your limiting your movement with horizontal, vertical and diagonal directions only which would result in tapping of the WASD keys. Also with 6 people in the party how would it be effective in combat WASD would be useless and just simply clicking somewhere moves you to that area? you can pull of straegically important movement when paused using the pointand click method, WASD would have no use in the pause part of the game, which again is an important aspect of the game.
It is designed to be a point and click implementing something like WASD would not work very well and be used very little. except from the odd person who somehow cant seem to play it with one of its strongest points " Point and click"
There's all sorts of nifty little debug features in BG2 based on control+KEY; one cycles through animations, another highlights triggers (exits and spawns mostly), etc.
1. Conveniently, one of them stickies the camera to the selected character, so as you click to move him, the character stays centered on the screen.
2. There's the "snaking" formation where all party members follow the leader.
3. Scripts can allow for targeting the ground for movement and spells based on a direction and distance offset from a specified object; in this case, the character the script is assigned to. Assigning the appropriate hotkeys is easy.
I think what the OP wants is already possible if the debug feature can be toggled in the Options menu. Writing the script is not an obstacle, iirc.
More seriously in a game like BG WASD is clearly less comfortable (beside the habits of someone to play in a different way), than Point-and-Click simply because of Pathfinding.
Two examples of why:
You want to move your party someplace away. With a single Point-and-Click, you just have to click once and the party will move to the place automatically finding its path around obstacles and corners on the way. While with WASD, you will have to keep using the keys to modify the direction as many times as required to reach the spot.
In Baldur's gate you're not always moving the party as a single entity. Sometimes you want to send various party members in various directions at the same time. With Point-and-Click you can just select them one by one and assign each one a different destination that they will all start moving toward at the same time. With WADS you would only be able to move a single party character at a time.
Did you know that there's a party formation where all the characters just follow the first character? So you can control the leader with WASD, and everyone else follows. It's not rocket science.
L.
I will be ignoring this thread and entire game release, so feel free to call me a Dragon Age fanboy and complain about me hoping to modernize a dated game in a way that would add (meaning not remove point-click) another feature that would get more people to play it.
Also, protip: The people you think would want to play it solely because it has WADS compatability don't strike me as the sort of people who would be good for the rejuvination of the genre of in-depth cRPGs. For one thing, the modernization of RPGs resulted in such horrendous games like Dragon Age 2.