@bengoshi: At this point I don't think it matters anymore. There have been two threads discussing the new NPC; both were derailed rather extensively (with the active participation of the devs). If they're determined to avoid providing reasons for pre-ordering, that's their concern; I'll just wait and see how it turns out before making any decisions.
@LiamEsler: And as I've said before, there's a considerable amount of middle ground between revealing basic facts about a major addition to the game (and one of the few selling points BG2:EE has to offer in terms of new content) and spoiling an entire storyline. Even something as trivial as the new character's name had to be pieced together from a 60-second trailer rather than be discussed upfront.
@LiamEsler: To be blunt, Beamdog hasn't earned the blind faith you're asking for, given previous efforts. Hence, "I'll just wait and see how it turns out before making any decisions."
We only have like a month to wait anyway. I am really not especially bothered. It's not as if the game is going to be impossible to find unless you pre-ordered it or anything.
Let me add to what @LiamEster just said. There are very good reasons NOT to reveal anything about Hexxat, basically because some of the most basic information about her would spoil some of the key elements of her plot. So I really hope after the game is released people will refrain from spoiling her plot line for a time to allow people to. discover it themselves. Let me say as a beta tester that discovering her and her story was very interesting, not to say surprising and unexpected.
Hexxat as a vanilla single-class thief that progressively gains powers and abilities as you progress through both the main story and her own personal quest(s) would be really interesting, and it would also make it impossible to talk much about her without giving away juicy surprises.
@mlnevese: I think your definition of "basic information" is a bit broader than it needs to be - how is her name a spoiler? Or her alignment? Or whether she can be dual-classed? These are questions to do with her potential function in a party, not with her storyline. Saying she's Chaotic Neutral or that she has 17 WIS reveals nothing at all about her plotline, but it does give prospective players the sliver of info they need to decide if they want to use the character at all.
@mlnevese - So her plotline is going to be spoiled the minute I recruit her and open her Character Information window? I find that a bit hard to believe.
While I definitely don't want to see anything about her plot line soon after the game is out, I will be checking for where she can be found so I can discover the plot for myself. Depending on her alignment, I may use my fighter/cleric final save rather than the fighter/thief I was planning on for my first time through BG2EE. All this mystery really has me curious.
When we open her Character Information window we'll see her race and maybe she's really from a different plane.
Dee September 20
What do people think about her purple hair? Is that significant? IS SHE AN ALIEN?
Mortianna September 27
Here's something that might be of interest to those trying to find out more about Hexxat. After a little web-searching, I found a novel published in 2003 called Darkstar Rising by Susan K. Hamilton, which refers to a constellation called "The Great Wolf," with a star named "Hexxat" as its eye. The following paragraph (from p. 131) is the only other reference to that name in the book: "When Hexxat burns redder than blood, Evil stalks in the land it had shunned, and the power of the White One grows. There shall come a Child of Stars who brings hope to the despairing. Shadows cling close to the Child of Stars yet her path walks with the Gods. Few know the way and they are forbidden to follow. There shall be starlight fire in her hands . . ."
From my point of view, the Devs give us the proof that character information screen will be the answer to many questions. I see the race as the most evident trait of her future story and quests. So... is she tiefling? If she's not a human she won't be able to dualclass.
I think its pretty obvious with how they've been 'basic information is spoiler' indicates that she's probably some exotic race, a Tiefling or Aasimar (though the colouring is a bit wrong for the latter), or some kind of strange other-planar being. Even her name, which they never officially revealed, might be seen as such because it immediately strikes us as unusual, and thus leads to speculation about her origins. Really, though, they've pretty much kept silent on *all* the added content in BG2EE: while we know Rasaad, Neera and Dorn are in it, we have no information on what they're actually doing, though we can make educated guesses that Rasaad is hunting down Alorgoth and Neera is being hunted by Thay. Dorn is an utter mystery, but we can suspect it will be even bloodier than we hoped.
We have less than a month now, anyway Possible delays aside.
I was recently looking at the new BG2:EE screenshots and managed to capture a decent close-up on Hexxat's portrait:
She looks to be a human in her early 20s (Charname's age), and is wearing a large, green amulet, which is probably magical. It also looks like she's holding a staff or a sceptre close to her chest (just above the lightning resistance symbol). Any guesses on what that might be? (It's a collar--kudos for @rdarken for pointing it out).
I'm fine with not knowing any details about Hexxat--no sense in spoiling the story. I think all the speculation has been fun, however. It reminds of the debates we were having a year ago about the alignments of Dorn, Neera, and Rasaad. Plus, I'm sure it's amusing for the beta-testers and Beamdog team to sit back and watch us carry on.
I don't see that as a staff. Looks like a collar / part of her clothing to me. You can actually see it on the right side of the portrait, as well, behind her purple hair.
@rdarken Ah, I see it now that you pointed it out.
@Eudaemonium Since so many BG2 characters have hair rings/clips/ribbons, cornrows, or dreadlocks, why not purple hair, too? I'm sure she can whip up a batch of dye with a little help from an alchemist.
To me the hair looks black, but a the purple light from the background is being reflected. And you can hardly determine race from the portrait. Look at coran.
To me the hair looks black, but a the purple light from the background is being reflected. And you can hardly determine race from the portrait. Look at coran.
Good point. Coran's portrait was a huge fail. I can't imagine Beamdog commissioning a portrait that would make a similar mistake with Hexxat.
Her sprite is Human in the gameplay preview, so that rules out Tiefling (since Haer'Dalis is a Tiefling and his sprite is an Elf). I'd say she's either Human or Shadar-Kai. The latter would make a lot of sense if she's a Shadowdancer.
It also looks like she's holding a staff or a sceptre close to her chest (just above the lightning resistance symbol). Any guesses on what that might be?
It's a collar of her jacket or cloak. And yes, she looks like a normal brunette girl. Purple hair? Look at the background. It can be a reflection.
Just my opinion, nothing more - her portrait sucks. "Staring at the sun ya-ya-ya" (:
Comments
I'm just saying.
Not fishing for a confirm/deny, just speculating.
So her plotline is going to be spoiled the minute I recruit her and open her Character Information window? I find that a bit hard to believe.
Dee
September 20
What do people think about her purple hair? Is that significant? IS SHE AN ALIEN?
Mortianna
September 27
Here's something that might be of interest to those trying to find out more about Hexxat. After a little web-searching, I found a novel published in 2003 called Darkstar Rising by Susan K. Hamilton, which refers to a constellation called "The Great Wolf," with a star named "Hexxat" as its eye. The following paragraph (from p. 131) is the only other reference to that name in the book:
"When Hexxat burns redder than blood, Evil stalks in the land it had shunned, and the power of the White One grows. There shall come a Child of Stars who brings hope to the despairing. Shadows cling close to the Child of Stars yet her path walks with the Gods. Few know the way and they are forbidden to follow. There shall be starlight fire in her hands . . ."
From my point of view, the Devs give us the proof that character information screen will be the answer to many questions. I see the race as the most evident trait of her future story and quests. So... is she tiefling? If she's not a human she won't be able to dualclass.
We have less than a month now, anyway
She looks to be a human in her early 20s (Charname's age), and is wearing a large, green amulet, which is probably magical. It also looks like she's holding a staff or a sceptre close to her chest (just above the lightning resistance symbol). Any guesses on what that might be? (It's a collar--kudos for @rdarken for pointing it out).
I'm fine with not knowing any details about Hexxat--no sense in spoiling the story. I think all the speculation has been fun, however. It reminds of the debates we were having a year ago about the alignments of Dorn, Neera, and Rasaad. Plus, I'm sure it's amusing for the beta-testers and Beamdog team to sit back and watch us carry on.
@Eudaemonium Since so many BG2 characters have hair rings/clips/ribbons, cornrows, or dreadlocks, why not purple hair, too? I'm sure she can whip up a batch of dye with a little help from an alchemist.
Her sprite is Human in the gameplay preview, so that rules out Tiefling (since Haer'Dalis is a Tiefling and his sprite is an Elf). I'd say she's either Human or Shadar-Kai. The latter would make a lot of sense if she's a Shadowdancer.
And yes, she looks like a normal brunette girl. Purple hair? Look at the background. It can be a reflection.
Just my opinion, nothing more - her portrait sucks. "Staring at the sun ya-ya-ya" (:
Why not?
http://www.gamebanshee.com/neverwinternights2/companions/belueth.php