Okay, well, one question still hasn't been answered since before IDEE: will there ever be man-eating snow cabbages?!
Theory: the reason this has not been answered is that if they say "yes" then it spoilers the antagonist. If they say "no" they'll be called liars when it turns out there is in fact a man-eating snow cabbage, one in a central role to boot.
Why a snow cabbage anyways? Is man-eating Iceberg lettuce not itself sufficiently terrifying? Also why no man eating snow peas?
Iceberg lettuce?! Those are 90% water! They only eat people at 10% of the speed! Also, snow peas can't do much out of the pod. No, those snow cabbages are without a doubt the most dangerous carnivorous plants in the realms.
Why a snow cabbage anyways? Is man-eating Iceberg lettuce not itself sufficiently terrifying? Also why no man eating snow peas?
Iceberg lettuce?! Those are 90% water! They only eat people at 10% of the speed! Also, snow peas can't do much out of the pod. No, those snow cabbages are without a doubt the most dangerous carnivorous plants in the realms.
Exactly! Eating people at 10% of the speed means they inflict greater pain. Truly its because of this that they are one of the more terrible man-eating vegetables.
As for snow peas the opposite is true. Inside the pod they are contained. Outside of it they nibble and nibble until there is nothing left but a plucked corpse. They are terrifying in their own way!
OK, not sure if I missed this in the 30-odd preceding pages, but if Adventure Y occurs between BGEE and BG2EE, does that mean we will be entering Chez Irenicus with even more xp, possibly throwing out the BG2 game balance even more? Or is this likely to be an adventure with the supporting cast, helping to fill in the gap in the story, but having little material impact on how we arrive in Athkatla?
I agree it wouldn't make much sense for Charname to continue adventuring after the battle with Saervok, gaining exp and then coming into Chez Irenicus and messing the exp balance, so I've been toying with this idea...
Set during the events of BG:EE and leads up to BG2:EE, you start off as a bounty hunter hired by Irenicus to capture Charname. You team up with Yoshimo and other npcs to track down the Bhaalspawn, but alas, you're always one step behind. After much adventuring(y), you end up tracking the Bhaalspawn further north of Baldur's Gate when you finally spring your trap to capture him/her. Irenicus thanks you for your service and keeps Yoshimo around for the off chance the Bhaalspawn escapes...
I'd love to see some adventures from where Yoshimo is from (and also shedding some light on his background) as well as some more exotic items (weapons/armours) and maybe even kits (samurais and ninjas!!) but I think I'm getting way too ahead of myself. Still, this would solve the whole exp balance thing with Charname as you'd be playing a different character..
For anyone who arrived late to this party (like me), there was a series of screenshots posted back on page 13, that are insinuated to be from Adventure Y.
I like the idea of following the adventures of other characters. One of the ideas initially floated for Adventure Y was that it would be the story of Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition from the perspective of Sarevok, but there were too many complications to make it worth.
Part of the charm of Baldur's Gate games is that Charname is largely a blank slate for the player to project upon, rather than a well defined character with a specific personality. That's why we haven't pursued ideas like following Minsc & Dynaheir before their arrival to the Sword Coast, or perhaps a side story about where the player is Gorion.
I like the idea of following the adventures of other characters. One of the ideas initially floated for Adventure Y was that it would be the story of Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition from the perspective of Sarevok, but there were too many complications to make it worth.
Part of the charm of Baldur's Gate games is that Charname is largely a blank slate for the player to project upon, rather than a well defined character with a specific personality. That's why we haven't pursued ideas like following Minsc & Dynaheir before their arrival to the Sword Coast, or perhaps a side story about where the player is Gorion.
Why be Gorion? Why not be another Harper that freed another Bhaalspawn from the temple or if evil, A follower of Bhaal/Cyric/mercenary that kidnapped one if children before he Harper's showed up.
You could do a Origins like beginning where depending on your race/class/alignment you are given a different objective to liberate one of the fodder, I mean toddlers from the clutches of a dead god.
I like the idea of following the adventures of other characters. One of the ideas initially floated for Adventure Y was that it would be the story of Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition from the perspective of Sarevok, but there were too many complications to make it worth.
Part of the charm of Baldur's Gate games is that Charname is largely a blank slate for the player to project upon, rather than a well defined character with a specific personality. That's why we haven't pursued ideas like following Minsc & Dynaheir before their arrival to the Sword Coast, or perhaps a side story about where the player is Gorion.
Minsc and Dynaheir encounter a mysterious stranger (you aka the blank slate) who gets them involved with some wacky adventures. Along the way, adventures are had and hamsters are met. Eventually they all head their separate ways and Dynaheir is even captured by a pack of gnolls!
So it's Baldur's Gate but without the Bhaalspawn plot (you'll need another macguffin, how about a bandit king, a kidnapped princess, invading dragon, lost book, etc). Instead of Imoen being thrust upon you you get Minsc and Dynaheir and maybe even some other NPCs.
Why wouldn't that work? I've available for hire if you need me me. I'll get you out of the box.
Admittedly, the main plot of the Baldur's Gate has never really been it's strongest point, at least for me. It's always more about the NPC's and their stories/quests... they're the reason I keep coming back to the game. Even so, playing a Baldur's Gate game as a predetermined character would just seem weird to me. Also, playing something where you pretty much know what's going to happen or what it's leading up to... I don't know.
Admittedly, the main plot of the Baldur's Gate has never really been it's strongest point, at least for me. It's always more about the NPC's and their stories/quests... they're the reason I keep coming back to the game. Even so, playing a Baldur's Gate game as a predetermined character would just seem weird to me. Also, playing something where you pretty much know what's going to happen or what it's leading up to... I don't know.
You aren't the character Minsc. You are the character CharName who travels with Minsc and Dynaheir and their leader or at least equal. Nothing is 100% predetermined they don't even have to survive technically since in BG1 you can kill Imoen but she's still there at the start of BG2, right?
Oh, I thought you meant to play as Minsc, when he still had all his faculties and was probably a really unlikeable git before the head injury and hamster came along. No, it makes sense and I'm sold.
My idea is to play as a random Time Lord, who happens to land his TARDIS near Baldur's Gate, where Quayle sneaks on board and they go off and have wacky adventures across all of time and space before Quayle is returned to FR years before the start of BG1 so he can join the circus, rescue Aerie and do all that stuff.
Quayle is obviously one gap that can't really be bridged, at least not sensibly. There might be others, but that's the biggest continuity gaff I know between the games. Well, maybe there is one way to explain it sensibly, but I can't help feeling it would disappoint some people.
Quayle took a sabbatical from the circus long enough to perfect his comedy routine on the party of CHARNAME during the events of BG1. Before then and after then he was dedicated to the circus, and it was all really an act.
So, could be that Patrick Stewart is filling in for David Warner? I thought the later might be hard to get, but then old patty-pat isn't exactly someone who needs the break either. Or, could it be a new character or even villain?
The other thing was there's a big difference between what Gorion says about your mother through his letters in BG1 and what you learn in ToB.
I don't appreciate Gorion talking smack about my mother.
Eh. Never knew mine. Don't care.
Adventurers parents have such short life expectancies, don't they? Even the NPC's. I think, Aerie's parents are still alive, although she doesn't know that until the epilogue. Most the others aren't mentioned as far as I recall. But really, I nearly had a heart attack there and then when Aerie said she was pregnant... (it does all turn out fine though... for once. Phew).
But back to adventure-y thingy. Not that there's really much to say at this point... yup. Just have to wait.
It could be that he's just an enormous trekkie. Or has a thing for bald men.
Comments
As for snow peas the opposite is true. Inside the pod they are contained. Outside of it they nibble and nibble until there is nothing left but a plucked corpse. They are terrifying in their own way!
Thanks for that! And thanks for the blog post : )
... I'm still laughing ...
Adventure Y U NO LIKE WOLVES!
I think the release date for PoE will be announced there as well.
Set during the events of BG:EE and leads up to BG2:EE, you start off as a bounty hunter hired by Irenicus to capture Charname. You team up with Yoshimo and other npcs to track down the Bhaalspawn, but alas, you're always one step behind. After much adventuring(y), you end up tracking the Bhaalspawn further north of Baldur's Gate when you finally spring your trap to capture him/her. Irenicus thanks you for your service and keeps Yoshimo around for the off chance the Bhaalspawn escapes...
I'd love to see some adventures from where Yoshimo is from (and also shedding some light on his background) as well as some more exotic items (weapons/armours) and maybe even kits (samurais and ninjas!!) but I think I'm getting way too ahead of myself. Still, this would solve the whole exp balance thing with Charname as you'd be playing a different character..
Anyway, just my two cents!
Part of the charm of Baldur's Gate games is that Charname is largely a blank slate for the player to project upon, rather than a well defined character with a specific personality. That's why we haven't pursued ideas like following Minsc & Dynaheir before their arrival to the Sword Coast, or perhaps a side story about where the player is Gorion.
You could do a Origins like beginning where depending on your race/class/alignment you are given a different objective to liberate one of the fodder, I mean toddlers from the clutches of a dead god.
Baldur's Gate: Origins: Minsc
Minsc and Dynaheir encounter a mysterious stranger (you aka the blank slate) who gets them involved with some wacky adventures. Along the way, adventures are had and hamsters are met. Eventually they all head their separate ways and Dynaheir is even captured by a pack of gnolls!
So it's Baldur's Gate but without the Bhaalspawn plot (you'll need another macguffin, how about a bandit king, a kidnapped princess, invading dragon, lost book, etc). Instead of Imoen being thrust upon you you get Minsc and Dynaheir and maybe even some other NPCs.
Why wouldn't that work? I've available for hire if you need me me. I'll get you out of the box.
My idea is to play as a random Time Lord, who happens to land his TARDIS near Baldur's Gate, where Quayle sneaks on board and they go off and have wacky adventures across all of time and space before Quayle is returned to FR years before the start of BG1 so he can join the circus, rescue Aerie and do all that stuff.
But there would probably be rights issues.
The other thing was there's a big difference between what Gorion says about your mother through his letters in BG1 and what you learn in ToB.
Including patrick's.
Or it could be a subtle hint that Patrick, Mazzy's ghoul bo is going to be a character voiced by some other Stewart like Eric or John.
But I am guessing the first option.
Adventurers parents have such short life expectancies, don't they? Even the NPC's. I think, Aerie's parents are still alive, although she doesn't know that until the epilogue. Most the others aren't mentioned as far as I recall. But really, I nearly had a heart attack there and then when Aerie said she was pregnant... (it does all turn out fine though... for once. Phew).
But back to adventure-y thingy. Not that there's really much to say at this point... yup. Just have to wait.
It could be that he's just an enormous trekkie. Or has a thing for bald men.