I can't find the specific comment, but I do recall there was a remark from you guys at one point indicating you might look into enhancing the story/gameplay in Throne of Bhaal specifically in order to make it less linear. Now that BG2:EE is around the corner (sort of), can you talk about whether you've been able to do something with that idea?
Haven't they been saying recently that subraces would be difficult to implement and a very big if on whether they'll happen or not? If that's true then I'd bet against them appearing at launch.
@PhillipDaigle or anybody: will they be a standalone installer as in BG:EE ? Also, what will happen if the open beta of the newest patch go totally wrong? Will they be a delay, or will you push BG2:EE and patch it later?
@Jasiek Yep, BG2EE will work the same way as BGEE; you will be able to use either the Beamdog client or a separate standalone installer if you so choose.
As for the patch, there's no way it can really go 'totally wrong', but if some bizarre bug pops up, it definitely won't affect the release of BG2EE. They are separate projects being worked on by separate teams.
New to this forum, but I've got a few questions if I might:
1. I'm not a fan of the new GUI that BG:EE used, finding it low-res and chunky. I understand one can use the ini to make it not scale, but I'm curious if the Overhaul Games people might be considering making a replacement, perhaps using the UI I saw in the BG2:EE trailer today, that looks heaps better.
2. In regards to BG2:EE, I noticed the site says it has "remastered area artwork from original renders", can I assume this means the OG people were able to recover most (all?) of the original source-art from BG2, can we expect remastered areas for all the areas in the game?
3. Finally, another question on the UI, the combat log in that BG2:EE trailer looks mighty small, can you enlarge it a bit in the game?
New to this forum, but I've got a few questions if I might:
1. I'm not a fan of the new GUI that BG:EE used, finding it low-res and chunky. I understand one can use the ini to make it not scale, but I'm curious if the Overhaul Games people might be considering making a replacement, perhaps using the UI I saw in the BG2:EE trailer today, that looks heaps better.
2. In regards to BG2:EE, I noticed the site says it has "remastered area artwork from original renders", can I assume this means the OG people were able to recover most (all?) of the original source-art from BG2, can we expect remastered areas for all the areas in the game?
The keyword here is "original renders", which doesn't mean original source assets that were rendered. I think they have the 24bit images of the areas which would mean the colors could be better than in original BG2, i.e. not dithered, but don't take my word for it. And of course you'll have the upscaling algorithm that makes zooming in look better.
@Crossy@wojtek The updated BGEE UI will not the same as BG2EE, but it will include the same improvements; de-clunkified bottom bar and transparent dialog box. It's still the blue BGEE UI.
@Crossy@Bercon Yep, the original renders, not the original source art.
As for the patch, there's no way it can really go 'totally wrong', but if some bizarre bug pops up, it definitely won't affect the release of BG2EE. They are separate projects being worked on by separate teams.
@Kaeloree i thought that you wanted to use the same upgrades that will be tested in this open beta thingie. That's why I asked. So, the release date is, as of this moment, set in stone?
Does the upcoming BG2EE Supporter badge have horns? Or is it perhaps another severed NPC head? Personally I'd welcome a gooey aberration design choice myself.
Does the upcoming BG2EE Supporter badge have horns? Or is it perhaps another severed NPC head? Personally I'd welcome a gooey aberration design choice myself.
I'd imagine it to be either Irenicus' head, the two elven heads that represent Shadows of Amn or the Skull with the demonic hand gripping it.
Just want to thank you for taking the time to answer all these questions, it's really brilliant to see such great customer interaction!
Anyway, onto the questions:
1: Will the next patch offer any further enhancements to the game's potential to be modded? (such as the ability to create sorcerer kits that was implemented last time) If so, are you able to share any of them?
I'm probably not the best person to answer this in specifics, but we've externalized a number of things, including some things that might not have even occurred to people to ask for.
As a very small example, you can now change the default starting colors for a given race or class by changing a value in a 2da file--we've done some work already (no more caucasian half-orcs), but that may open up some possibilities for modders wanting to add a layer of customization to their kits.
2: One of the most popular feature requests that's been drifting about for some time now is a request to make the INT and WIS stats more desirable/less dumpable for non-mages. Are there any plans to implement something like that or will the bonuses offered by stats remain as they are now?
They'll remain as they are. The PnP bonuses for Wisdom and Intelligence can have a profound impact on gameplay and encounter balance, so we have to be careful before implementing anything so drastic.
3: Did BG:EE do as well (financially) as was hoped? I know you guys can't disclose specifics, but would you say you met your expectations?
Without getting into any specifics at all, I'd say we did alright. We're all still able to continue working, and we haven't gone bankrupt yet, so I'd call that a success.
I should clarify, though, that game development is a lot like running a small theater. Success for one theater might mean selling out at the box office every night for an entire season, while success for another theater might mean making enough from ticket sales to pay all the actors and technicians even if you can't pay yourself. The measure of success for any artistic venture is in whether or not the artists can afford to keep making art. And in that sense we've been successful.
4: Will your relationship with the new companions be carried over in BG2? For example, will any romance with them be acknowledged when you meet and will they be friendlier towards you if their personal quests were completed?
I believe I answered this earlier in the thread, but it may have been lost in the shuffle. No, unfortunately the way export/import works in these games doesn't allow the importing of variables, such as romances and quests. So it will be more or less the same as any other NPC in BG2. A fresh start, more or less.
5: Finally, are more races/subraces still potentially being worked on?
I'm positive that I've already been ninja'd on this one, but no, we have no plans to implement new races or subraces. The number of factors to consider are too great, and we would rather spend our resources on things that will benefit everyone without the potential for giant gaping plot-holes.
The new rendering engine contains performance features. What else?
It's mainly performance enhancements, to allow the game to run on a greater variety of hardware. We've made a number of other enhancements in the game as well, but as far as the renderer is concerned it's mostly for compatibility and stability. If you purchased through Beamdog you'll be able to see what I mean when we release the Open Beta sometime in September.
Hi there, just a quick but specific question regarding the Android version: Will I be able to play a bit on the Android version, upload my save game to Google Drive/Dropbox, pull it down to my PC, pick it up a bit there, then push it back to my Android device? This requires: 1. Save games stored on the SD card, NOT in the app's private storage (so that doing something like this doesn't require root) 2. Compatibility in the save format between the Android and PC versions.
Are you able to comment on any of this?
Regarding #2, I can tell you that they use the same format. I'm not sure what Android requires, but I believe it will be possible to transfer your saves from the tablet to another computer (but don't take that as gospel).
Will Totemic Druid's spirit animals further improve in BG2:EE or will they remain the same? Just wondering if it's worth making one
We "downsized" the spirit animals for BG1EE so that they wouldn't completely ruin the difficulty of the game. BG2:EE will use the original animals, so they'll be more powerful than their BG1 counterparts.
Any word on whether content from "Ascension" (other than the dialogue bugfixes) will be integrated into the game? Last we heard Trent and Phil said they were interested and looking into it...
We're still looking at options. It's one of the most talked-about items in our internal conversations, and we want to make sure we do what's best for the players. That's all I can say about it, at least for now.
[...] remastered area artwork from original renders
Does that mean that Beamdog was able to get their hands on the original MAP art assets for BG2?
We were able to get the original renders (the bmp images) for the BG2 areas, which allowed us to apply more modern compression techniques than were originally employed. Trent talked a little bit about the difference at PAX yesterday, so if you can find a video of that panel it's definitely worth a listen.
Okay, I gotta ask, but I imagine I won't get a solid answer. Here goes: We've been waiting a long time for the Android version and I understand you are still working on it, however, is it possible that you could let us know which devices are being tested or are planned for the Android release? I would just like to know whether or not all this waiting was in vain. If I could have a general idea, then maybe I could either just give up or continue waiting, but checking back everyday is going to feel so awful if you guys say "Dude, sorry, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is even being considered. This is just for Nexus. We thought you knew that."
Here are the system requirements listed on the Baldursgateii.com website for Android:
System Requirements:
Requires an Android tablet with a Tegra 2 or equivalent graphics processor. OS: Android 4.0 or newer Storage: 2.5 GB of free space
New to this forum, but I've got a few questions if I might:
1. I'm not a fan of the new GUI that BG:EE used, finding it low-res and chunky. I understand one can use the ini to make it not scale, but I'm curious if the Overhaul Games people might be considering making a replacement, perhaps using the UI I saw in the BG2:EE trailer today, that looks heaps better.
Imagine the UI you saw in the trailer, but with the same color scheme and textures as are currently in BG1EE. That's what we're talking about when we discuss the "new" UI.
3. Finally, another question on the UI, the combat log in that BG2:EE trailer looks mighty small, can you enlarge it a bit in the game?
Thanks.
Yes, the combat log can still be resized, just like the current one. It's not as smooth as a Click-and-Drag, but the two buttons on the side of it will let you expand and collapse it as needed.
As for the patch, there's no way it can really go 'totally wrong', but if some bizarre bug pops up, it definitely won't affect the release of BG2EE. They are separate projects being worked on by separate teams.
@Kaeloree i thought that you wanted to use the same upgrades that will be tested in this open beta thingie. That's why I asked. So, the release date is, as of this moment, set in stone?
Does the upcoming BG2EE Supporter badge have horns? Or is it perhaps another severed NPC head? Personally I'd welcome a gooey aberration design choice myself.
We have all of our top artists working on this badge as we speak. No expense has been spared.
Here's a preview:
In all seriousness, though, we'll try to come up with something suitable.
Comments
Any updated timeline on a Android BG1 release?
Excited about BG2 EE!
Will the blackgaurd and monk have unique strongholds in BG2:EE?
is BGIII something that you guys are discussing for the future or is that a no go?
will subraces be included in bg2 EE??
will they be a standalone installer as in BG:EE ?
Also, what will happen if the open beta of the newest patch go totally wrong? Will they be a delay, or will you push BG2:EE and patch it later?
As for the patch, there's no way it can really go 'totally wrong', but if some bizarre bug pops up, it definitely won't affect the release of BG2EE. They are separate projects being worked on by separate teams.
1. I'm not a fan of the new GUI that BG:EE used, finding it low-res and chunky. I understand one can use the ini to make it not scale, but I'm curious if the Overhaul Games people might be considering making a replacement, perhaps using the UI I saw in the BG2:EE trailer today, that looks heaps better.
2. In regards to BG2:EE, I noticed the site says it has "remastered area artwork from original renders", can I assume this means the OG people were able to recover most (all?) of the original source-art from BG2, can we expect remastered areas for all the areas in the game?
3. Finally, another question on the UI, the combat log in that BG2:EE trailer looks mighty small, can you enlarge it a bit in the game?
Thanks.
@Crossy @Bercon Yep, the original renders, not the original source art.
As a very small example, you can now change the default starting colors for a given race or class by changing a value in a 2da file--we've done some work already (no more caucasian half-orcs), but that may open up some possibilities for modders wanting to add a layer of customization to their kits. They'll remain as they are. The PnP bonuses for Wisdom and Intelligence can have a profound impact on gameplay and encounter balance, so we have to be careful before implementing anything so drastic. Without getting into any specifics at all, I'd say we did alright. We're all still able to continue working, and we haven't gone bankrupt yet, so I'd call that a success.
I should clarify, though, that game development is a lot like running a small theater. Success for one theater might mean selling out at the box office every night for an entire season, while success for another theater might mean making enough from ticket sales to pay all the actors and technicians even if you can't pay yourself. The measure of success for any artistic venture is in whether or not the artists can afford to keep making art. And in that sense we've been successful. I believe I answered this earlier in the thread, but it may have been lost in the shuffle. No, unfortunately the way export/import works in these games doesn't allow the importing of variables, such as romances and quests. So it will be more or less the same as any other NPC in BG2. A fresh start, more or less. I'm positive that I've already been ninja'd on this one, but no, we have no plans to implement new races or subraces. The number of factors to consider are too great, and we would rather spend our resources on things that will benefit everyone without the potential for giant gaping plot-holes.
Here's a preview:
In all seriousness, though, we'll try to come up with something suitable.