BG2:EE - Is it still on course to be released without delay?

Rahlik

Hi all, this question is directed to the guys at Beamdog & Overhaul.

So are we still on track for the scheduled release date for BG2:EE or is there a real possibility of the date sliding at the moment?

Lord_Tansheron

I would be extremely surprised if they kept the date this time. Positively surprised to be sure, but surprised.

That being said, afaik we have not had official word either way so far. Wait and see, I'm sure any change in the schedule will be announced clearly.

JuliusBorisov

Actually, we DO have an official word.

https://twitter.com/TrentOster/status/387700872702349312

So hopefully, it will be in time.

mjs

I'm considering booking the day off work so it would be good to know!

Eudaemonium

mjs said:

I'm considering booking the day off work so it would be good to know!

If download speeds are what they were last year, I'd consider booking the day *after* off work.

Kilivitz

Eudaemonium said:

mjs said:

I'm considering booking the day off work so it would be good to know!

If download speeds are what they were last year, I'd consider booking the day *after* off work.

There'll probably be a pre-loading, though.

Eudaemonium

That is (probably) true. I forgot about pre-loading and what a nightmare that was last year...

I am in the UK, though, so either way taking the day after off work is probably the best bet. Thatw ay i can have the download (not) finish overnight.

Drugar

If it wasn't on track, they would make an announcement thread, not put that (pretty important) news in a thread asking about it.

Eudaemonium

5 weeks to go...

rdarken

We pre-loaded last year, too, but there was something we had to download on launch day, wasn't there?

It's generally a good idea to expect at least a day's delay when any online game comes out.

Bercon

BG:EE beta patch seems to have pretty solid engine and is nearly ready for release if not there already. Since BG2:EE will use the same engine, I don't see why there would be delays.

Aristillius

Yeah, as @Bercon said, the engine seems smooth. And there seems to be far less adaption needed to make bg2ee compared to bgee. I think they had bg2ee practically ready when they announced - I might be getting my hopes up, but thats my guess at any rate.

CoryNewb

I'm hoping the beta is allowing them to stay on course. I remember bgee delay announced days before original launch in sept 2012. I wouldn't mind taking a day off for BG2, but my 2 year old wouldn't let me get much accomplished!

triclops41

I think it is highly likely BG2EE will be delayed, and think it's not a good idea to plan vacation time around the current release date.
That said, I still preordered it, and I don't think it is a big deal to have to wait for it. I would love for the delays to not exist or at least be announced sooner rather than later, but s#*@ happens. Small teams like this can't just redouble their efforts like a bunch of Imperial engineers and Wookie slaves.

LiamEsler

I'd actually argue it's highly unlikely BGII:EE will be delayed.

Kamigoroshi

Either way, I've taken the whole November off from work. Hopefully this small vacation grants me enough time to devote myself to two or three playthroughs of BG:EE and BG2:EE.

Freche

Drugar said:

If it wasn't on track, they would make an announcement thread, not put that (pretty important) news in a thread asking about it.

Just like they did with this patch earlier this summer you mean?
I don't expect any news regarding the release until a few days before 15th.

Rahlik

LiamEsler said:

I'd actually argue it's highly unlikely BGII:EE will be delayed.

Excellent that is great to know

reedmilfam

I would hold off on taking days off. It will be released on time because they're determined to release it on time. When you want something done badly enough, it may end up being done badly. I worry about download speeds and game-breaking bugs at this point. Judging by the BG:EE release and whatnot, those worries are completely founded.

Rahlik

reedmilfam said:

I would hold off on taking days off. It will be released on time because they're determined to release it on time. When you want something done badly enough, it may end up being done badly. I worry about download speeds and game-breaking bugs at this point. Judging by the BG:EE release and whatnot, those worries are completely founded.

Thats a fair enough comment made on previous experience. But I think there is evidence that lessons have been learnt. Look at the way the beta to the new BG:EE client has been handled. There is transparency and a want to resolve issues as soon as they can. There is clear positive intent on the part of all on the beamdog/overhaul side. I think benefit of the doubt would be a fair attitude to take at this point in time, that's not to say there is not going to be issues at release. I'm expecting a few it's the nature of the beast.

Silverstar

I hope there's no delay but the previous release has left me cautious. No pre-order for me until the day before this time around. I can't recall them saying there were any issues with BG:EE before suddenly several months worth of "polish" was needed out of the blue.

reedmilfam

Rahlik said:

Thats a fair enough comment made on previous experience. But I think there is evidence that lessons have been learnt. Look at the way the beta to the new BG:EE client has been handled. There is transparency and a want to resolve issues as soon as they can. There is clear positive intent on the part of all on the beamdog/overhaul side. I think benefit of the doubt would be a fair attitude to take at this point in time, that's not to say there is not going to be issues at release. I'm expecting a few it's the nature of the beast.

I see no such evidence at this point, only words. The 'just about ready' patch was allegedly held up to the contractual SNAFU, but (after that cleared) we found out that it was nowhere near ready. That is the most recent example, and call me a troll if you will, that supports what I said.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not bent about that release date; I just wouldn't make any real-life plans based on the promised date. It will come out when it comes out (thank me, Captain Obvious for that), but it doesn't seem consistent with history or trends to expect an on-time release (especially one without potentially game-breaking bugs).

It's a good thing I'm just a consumer here, as I would hate to be trying to get all of this together and released (and fixed). That's why I prefer to lead with sword and boot (Boo will handle the details).

Rahlik

reedmilfam said:

I see no such evidence at this point, only words. The 'just about ready' patch was allegedly held up to the contractual SNAFU, but (after that cleared) we found out that it was nowhere near ready. That is the most recent example, and call me a troll if you will, that supports what I said.

The evidence of change lies in the current beta program being undertaken. I'm not saying their perfect. However there have been lessons learned and there appears to be a level of opacity to the process now it is under way. One might I add that is not in any way factually misleading.

To Say there is no evidence of lessons learnt to this point is a bit strong, after all everyone is influenced to some point by their environment, so to say the community has not impacted decisions made behind the scenes especially when we are not privy to the discussions undertaken could be seen as a little over zealous.

triclops41

LiamEsler said:

I'd actually argue it's highly unlikely BGII:EE will be delayed.

I'd love to be wrong.

shawne

Rahlik said:

The evidence of change lies in the current beta program being undertaken. I'm not saying their perfect. However there have been lessons learned and there appears to be a level of opacity to the process now it is under way. One might I add that is not in any way factually misleading.

You say that as if it's perfectly reasonable to be having an open beta of a game that's been in post-release for nearly a year - to say nothing of the fact that said beta is still buggy, just in different ways (can't scribe scrolls, can't use the keyboard to select party members). That's not exactly a display that invites confidence.

Rahlik

shawne said:

You say that as if it's perfectly reasonable to be having an open beta of a game that's been in post-release for nearly a year - to say nothing of the fact that said beta is still buggy, just in different ways (can't scribe scrolls, can't use the keyboard to select party members). That's not exactly a display that invites confidence.

No I say it in the manner where efforts are being made to rectify past mistakes. Also it isn't a beta of what came out a year ago (an engine re-write isn't exactly trivial is it?). The points you make regarding the bugs you have found may be valid however as you point out it is still a beta (open or not) . Might I also re-quote you here as i make my point:

shawne said:

to say nothing of the fact that said beta is still buggy

It is still a beta hence it will be 'buggy' what do you really expect? a beta is there to identify and fix issues prior to the official release. If a beta is buggy and issues are identified and resolved it has done it's job

shawne

Rahlik said:

It is still a beta hence it will be 'buggy' what do you really expect?

After eight patches and another eight months working on the current patch? More than this.

Rahlik said:

a beta is there to identify and fix issues prior to the official release.

And the official release was November 28, 2012.

alnair

@shawne, that's not fair: it's not the game that's in beta, it's a huge patch with a basically rewritten renderer, a new matchmaking service, a renewed GUI, and lots of changes from the stable version.
(And betas are supposed to be buggy, that's why they're betas instead of releases or release candidates)

Rahlik

shawne said:

Rahlik said:

It is still a beta hence it will be 'buggy' what do you really expect?

After eight patches and another eight months working on the current patch? More than this.

Rahlik said:

a beta is there to identify and fix issues prior to the official release.

And the official release was November 28, 2012.

I love how you've picked quotes out of context. what I actually said in the context of the discussion was:-

Rahlik said:

Also it isn't a beta of what came out a year ago (an engine re-write isn't exactly trivial is it?). The points you make regarding the bugs you have found may be valid however as you point out it is still a beta (open or not) . Might I also re-quote you here as i make my point:
shawne said:

to say nothing of the fact that said beta is still buggy

It is still a beta hence it will be 'buggy' what do you really expect? a beta is there to identify and fix issues prior to the official release. If a beta is buggy and issues are identified and resolved it has done it's job

Lifat

I understand @Shawne frustration and I also think that BG:EE was delayed in a bad way (only days before release) and I also think that it had a bit to many bugs for an EE version of a game.

That said the game was released and you say that this new patch isn't beta because the game was released last year? Lots of games and other programs have beta versions of big patches. This includes WoW.
This latest patch is a very big patch with lots of rather significant changes that has the potential of releasing a host of new bugs. That is why they are putting it through a beta version where the gamers help find the bugs. Don't like finding bugs? Wait for the patch to be official instead of beta!

You could argue that the bug fixing is going to slow. I will stay out of that discussion because I stopped playing months ago (I had beaten it enough times) so I don't really know what happened after that.

On topic: If the game is delayed then they will likely release a delay as soon as they know for sure that the delay will happen. Personally I don't mind a delay so much as long as the release is smooth with a bug free game (as bug free as possible of course). That said if they could keep the date and have a smooth release with few bugs it would go a long way to quiet the voices of discontent... So I'm hoping they gave themselves plenty of time with the set date.