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Ascension: news?

kiryamokiryamo Member Posts: 12
Does any know when will be this mod ready?

Comments

  • CrabappleCrabapple Member Posts: 4
    Wondering the same thing!
  • TwaniTwani Member Posts: 640
    'When it's done'.

    Not the answer anyone wants, but it seems to be true answer. People are working on it, but they have real lives and difficulties. On the plus side, part of the reason it's taking them so long is that they're attempting to make Ascension patch the game rather then overwrite it like most mods do, so you should be able to install it later in your install process and still have it work rather then basically have to install it as one of your first things or risk completely screwing up your game.
  • kamuizinkamuizin Member Posts: 3,704
    I heard there are plans to infuse the vanilla game with ascension mod, i saw some Devs and moderators in this forum making comments about this, so it's probally true.

    To which degree, or what will become vanilla and what not, that i don't know.

    A quick search in the forum can give you a better answer than waiting someone post the answer in this thread. Just know that you're not going to find any info 100% certain about this issue.
  • ojthesimpsonojthesimpson Member Posts: 121
    what is ascension?
  • kamuizinkamuizin Member Posts: 3,704
    edited December 2013
    It's an mod, a fan made project that integrate the game through instalation. It's something like an unnoficial DLC, if you're a new gamer i believe the term unnoficial DLC will fit better the explanation of mods.

    However Ascension was made, if i'm not mistake (someone correct me if i am), by a group of the old devs themself, as at the time of release of the game Black Isle and Bioware didn't had time or didn't wanted to put in the game the additions of ascension mod, so after the release of BG2 Throne of Bhaal in 2001 (if i'm not wrong) the devs later made this mod/unnoficial DLC to finish Baldur's Gate 2 project at that time.

    Explaining what the mod is:

    Ascension is a mod that add 1° more history content in the game; 2° more difficult in the battle against "the five" and in the final battle of Throne of Bhaal.

    The difficult difference in play Baldur's Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal with or without ascension is really high.
  • TwaniTwani Member Posts: 640
    One thing it also does is make it so those banters with Imoen about her dreams and Bhaalspawn powers and the banters with Sarevok that could result in him changing alignment actually trigger. In a normal TOB game, it's purely luck of the draw if you'll see them, and it seems that luck is mostly against you. In Ascension, excusing bugs, it's guaranteed that you'll see them. A nice change.

    The mod was made primarily by David Gaider (he's still writing for Bioware, on the Dragon Age Inquisition team), and generally has quite good writing. It makes the conflict at the end TOB much more tough, but also much more interesting (and involves some old faces, as well). It then has optional components to make each of the five (except for one, IIRC) more powerful. People love or hate the difficulty enhancers on the five, but most people seem to agree that as difficult as it makes the final battle, it's worth it for the features it adds.
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
    kamuizin said:

    I heard there are plans to infuse the vanilla game with ascension mod, i saw some Devs and moderators in this forum making comments about this, so it's probally true.

    To which degree, or what will become vanilla and what not, that i don't know.

    Link?
  • kamuizinkamuizin Member Posts: 3,704
    elminster said:

    kamuizin said:

    I heard there are plans to infuse the vanilla game with ascension mod, i saw some Devs and moderators in this forum making comments about this, so it's probally true.

    To which degree, or what will become vanilla and what not, that i don't know.

    Link?
    Gonna request a lot of search on this forum from my part, i can make a search for it but i do not guarantee it to be fast.
  • DeeDee Member Posts: 10,447
    It was speculated that Ascension might be under consideration for official inclusion as part of the Enhanced experience, but we decided not to do so. Ascension may be a great mod, but it changes a considerable amount of the game; considering the outrage seen as a result of some of the more minor changes--I saw someone complain about Aerie's new skin and hair color, for example--we elected not to make the effort to include it.

    Cuv has expressed some interest in making the conversion happen in his spare time (and has even put in a good amount of work already), but we keep him pretty busy, so I wouldn't expect to see a fully functioning EE-compatible version any time soon.
  • kamuizinkamuizin Member Posts: 3,704
    Dee said:

    It was speculated that Ascension might be under consideration for official inclusion as part of the Enhanced experience, but we decided not to do so. Ascension may be a great mod, but it changes a considerable amount of the game; considering the outrage seen as a result of some of the more minor changes--I saw someone complain about Aerie's new skin and hair color, for example--we elected not to make the effort to include it.

    Cuv has expressed some interest in making the conversion happen in his spare time (and has even put in a good amount of work already), but we keep him pretty busy, so I wouldn't expect to see a fully functioning EE-compatible version any time soon.

    Well, solved up by itself then!
  • shawneshawne Member Posts: 3,239
    Dee said:

    It was speculated that Ascension might be under consideration for official inclusion as part of the Enhanced experience, but we decided not to do so. Ascension may be a great mod, but it changes a considerable amount of the game; considering the outrage seen as a result of some of the more minor changes--I saw someone complain about Aerie's new skin and hair color, for example--we elected not to make the effort to include it.

    I'm really, really hoping there was a more substantial reason than fear of fan-rage, since every bit of new content in BG2:EE is likely to piss someone off. Given that one of the most repeated criticisms of both EEs across the board is that the enhancements don't feel substantial enough and/or are tied entirely to the new NPCs, Beamdog really missed out on an opportunity here.
    Dee said:

    Cuv has expressed some interest in making the conversion happen in his spare time (and has even put in a good amount of work already), but we keep him pretty busy, so I wouldn't expect to see a fully functioning EE-compatible version any time soon.

    Aaaand we're back to the 1.2 shenanigans again: "compatible at launch" becomes "not any time soon". Bravo.
  • LiamEslerLiamEsler Member Posts: 1,859
    @shawne I don't mean to be blunt, but it's not Beamdog's responsibility to convert anything. The time that @Cuv, @CamDawg, myself and others have put in has been entirely our own -- it's work we choose to do and aren't paid for. @Cuv works multiple jobs, give the man a break. :)

    We elected to create our own content for the time being rather than include too much of other people's work. That's not to say we won't consider including other people's content in the future, but with many people already feeling that all Beamdog does is repackage other people's mods, we'd rather show what we can do ourselves.
  • shawneshawne Member Posts: 3,239
    @LiamEsler: With all due respect, no one forced the folks with the blue backgrounds to make assurances they couldn't keep. Of course Beamdog isn't responsible for mod conversion, but members of the dev team were repeatedly saying "Ascension" would be compatible at/near launch, in response to players like myself who were holding out on pre-ordering/buying BG2:EE until that particular content was available.

    I'll own up to jumping the gun and taking those promises at face value - fool me twice, etc. - but I still reserve the right to be disappointed.
  • LiamEslerLiamEsler Member Posts: 1,859
    @shawne Absolutely; it's just as disappointing for us, since we're usually the ones who make and work hard to meet any promises we make as individuals. Unfortunately -- as we aren't being paid for things like this, and we do them in our spare time -- it's just mod work, and sometimes life intervenes.

    Blue posts just mean someone is an employee of Beamdog; it doesn't necessarily mean everything they do and write is representative of Beamdog's views and intentions.
  • BGLoverBGLover Member Posts: 550
    I cannot understand why anyone gets angry or annoyed with regards to Mods and the work that is/is not done on them, or for other programs that are/are not compatable with them. Mods are written by volunteers for love and love alone, and whilst it may be that some of these volunteers are employed by Beamdog, that doesn't change the fact that these people contribute to Mods in their own time, when they have time (and the energy and the inclination etc)

    So stamping ones feet and huffing and puffing about the fact that your favourite Mod isn't compatable with something else seems childish, immature and largely pointless. Perhaps one would be better off contacting one of the volunteers responsible for your favourite Mod and offering them a sackful of diamonds so they can give up the day job and devote all their time to doing what you want them to do. Or how about giving up your own job and learning how to do what you want doing for yourself, and then doing it for yourself!
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