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The Lost Source Artwork

HogfatherHogfather Member Posts: 27
edited April 2013 in Archive (General Discussion)
Just finished reading through Trent's interview at Gamasutra: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/190432/postmortem_overhaul_games_.php

A really good read. Something that stuck out to me was the tragedy of the lost BG artwork. When I think of the truly majestic game that the EE could have been in HD I genuinely feel sad - like the gaming world lost something wonderful that didn't yet exist. I love the EE, don't get me wrong, but it is in some ways a shadow of what it could have been, and I wish we could travel to an alternate universe where the art still exists :)

So .. the question is. Artwork for BG2 / IWD / IWDII / Planescape? Has any of it survived? :(

Comments

  • ScooterScooter Member Posts: 182
    None for BG2 either. While I somewhat agree with you, I feel as though there are a lot of improvements and content additions made to the game that wouldn't have been added in a 'HD' version, so I don't know if "shadow of what it could have been" is quite right, just different to what it could have been.
  • EudaemoniumEudaemonium Member Posts: 3,199
    One day it will be discovered, possibly stumbled upon by a bedouin goatherd in some old clay pots in the desert, and then somebody will make a BG:EE HD. Or HDXXL or whatever we have then.
  • HogfatherHogfather Member Posts: 27
    edited April 2013
    Scooter said:

    None for BG2 either. While I somewhat agree with you, I feel as though there are a lot of improvements and content additions made to the game that wouldn't have been added in a 'HD' version, so I don't know if "shadow of what it could have been" is quite right, just different to what it could have been.

    Hah I made sure to gush about the EE, didn't I? :p I was also pretty careful to say 'in some ways a shadow'. I don't mean to rag on the product at all. Especially when we get matchmaking * cough * :)

    Yes it would have been different. But reading Trent talk about what they planned to do with the models in BG HD, for instance .... sigh.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,675
    edited April 2013
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • EudaemoniumEudaemonium Member Posts: 3,199
    Samus said:

    Eudaemonium said:

    One day it will be discovered, possibly stumbled upon by a bedouin goatherd in some old clay pots in the desert, and then somebody will make a BG:EE HD. Or HDXXL or whatever we have then.

    I thought it was hidden in a locked safe in Japan under the control of a Yakuza boss...
    It is. However, by the time it is discovered it will have migrated to some clay urns in a desert cave. You need to know the correct progression of events with things like this.
  • CrawleyCrawley Member Posts: 74
    As for IWD/IWDII/Planscape assets, I think you would have to ask someone form Obsidian or Interplay, as I think they would belong to Black Isle (at least the portion created specifically for these games).
  • DeeDee Member Posts: 10,447
    That was probably the saddest day in the gaming world for me last year when Trent tweeted that the art assets had been lost. I'm very pleased with how the game turned out anyway, but that was definitely a mournful revelation for everyone. It's nobody's fault, but it's still unfortunate.
  • mashedtatersmashedtaters Member Posts: 2,266
    Great article, though. I had no idea enhancing BG ran into so many hurtles. I can't imagine the legal headaches. 5 other companies, all of which are corporate powerhouses. That's like a level 1 cleric going up against 5 ogres, by himself. Then, Oops! No artwork! You just lost your weapons and armor! Ergh...
  • secretmantrasecretmantra Member Posts: 259
    Nice article--and a real eye-opener to all of the headaches these guys endured.

    I look forward to their continued development with BG2EE and hope they have financial success with these projects, so we can get more of them.

    I find it really curious that folks at Bioware would not have archived something as basic as source art assets. That is simply bad file management. You should always have backups of your data. Always.
  • AnduinAnduin Member Posts: 5,745
    The loss of paperwork happens everywhere. Reading Bill Brysons A short history of everything, the one thing that stood out to me as complete hersy, that someone should be arrested, was the revelation that the blueprints and plans to make an Apollo rocket, the rocket used to take man to the moon, were thrown away in a file clear out...

    WHAT!?!?

    That's the architectural engineering version of throwing away the Mona Lisa because its an old painting...
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