BGEE & BGEE2.

SionIV

Hey there.

I'm in the middle of a BG2:EE run at the moment and i'm quite confused why certain things haven't been fixed. First of all i'm enjoying BG2:EE very much at the moment, i'm ignoring the new content so i can't base it on that, but from the remake of the interface and touched up graphics i'm quite hooked. I'm just having a pair of glaring problems that i'm having a hard time getting over. We'll onto them.

1.) Why does BGEE and BG2:EE have two different interface colors? I love playing trilogy runs but i'm having a very hard time going through BGEE when it has that horrendous blue border while the golden/brown from BG2:EE looks amazing. What happened here? It's on the same engine so please don't make it into two different games.

2.) What the HELL happened to the C/T pickpocket / open lock button? It's STILL inside the special button?

3.) Why do all the new NPC's have to be so forward and eye catching? They actually walk up to me and start pestering me, i can't even get to the bartender in cooper coronet without getting bombed by Hexxat. Not to mention even if you decline her she'll put something into your journal, same with Neera, same with Rasaad. I don't mind them being in this game, i just think it's over the top how they are thrown into your arms while NPC's like Korgan, Anomen (If you don't walk past him), Jan, Valygar, Mazzy and so on don't interact with you unless spoken to.

I'm sorry if this came out as a rant, i'm really enjoying myself with the new interface and the small updates (Intellect for spell learning) and it was worth every penny, i'm just curious why #1 and #2 haven't been taken care of.

I mean really, the C/T is STILL like that?

ajwz

1. This is consistant with the original release. There are mods available to change the UI which you can find in the modding section of the forums

2. You appear to have answered your own question

3. I don't like that you are forced to interact with some of the new npc's either. However, this is not unique to the new npcs, for example Nalia, Viconia, Keldorn, etc

Troodon80

1. For the same reason that the originals both have different colours. I assume that, to a certain extent, they wanted to keep a similar style since both games were stylistically different.
2. I don't think there is really much they can do about that. I once thought it was a bug when someone else mentioned it. I don't usually play as that class. I mean, why would you hide one of the major skills a thief has going for them? Then I thought about it. Unfortunately, there are only twelve buttons, one for each function key. The cleric skills—turn undead and spell casting—as well as the thief skills—hide in shadows, detect traps, and thieving—take up five. The rest are the usual standard buttons. Short of removing one of the weapon slots, there's not really much that can be done about that. In comparison, a Mage/Thief can fine well because there is no Turn Undead button. The total number of buttons for most other class combinations is three or four. It would be nice if something could be done about it, but I do not see that happening any time soon.
3. I'm always annoyed by Anomen's introduction, since you cannot walk past him without him sticking his oar in. I tend to use the door near him when entering or exiting the 'pens.' Yoshimo actually harasses you when you go through the portal; the screen barely has a chance to fade back in from black before he's on top of you. Edwin is shoe-horned into the actual quest line for the thief stronghold, and you cannot complete it without his 'help;' which is obtained by doing a number of quests for him. Valygar is also shoe-horned into the mage stronghold quest. Keldorn appears as part of the cleric stronghold (part of their own independent quests, regardless of the stronghold, but if you're playing for the stronghold the you are going to run into him (ditto for Valygar and Edwin)). You can complete the quests without most the NPCs, but some are unavoidable if you want to actually complete a given quest. Valygar, for example, but that really depends on your playing style. I have always been able to avoid Hexxat's greeting, and you don't have to talk to Dorn. Rasaad and Neera are the only unavoidable ones, and you do not have to continue their quests.
   
   It's the same as if it is your first time playing the original BG2, you walk in to a cabin north of Imnesvale, because you are 'exploring' (looking for quests or loot), you open a door only to find Valygar; you get a journal entry that will forever stain your quest log because you didn't want him in the first place and decline to take him with you. Conversely, you think "hey, you know that quest sounds interesting, but can I do it without him? I don't want him tagging along but I don't want to kill him." The answer is no, you need to bring him one way or the other. There's plenty from the original that seemed like an annoyance when I first played it, but, like the new content, it becomes more acceptable with time. Unless it is Anomen, of course. I've never really understood the Anomen hate or complaints, but that's another story. The point is, when playing it for the first time, a lot of the original characters seem very forward, even forceful that you take them with you, this is not exclusive to the new content. I will say that making their quests semi-independent from the characters would have been nice, but the quests are, more or less, personal to those characters.

Not that you don't have any good points, though I'm not sure how much can be done, I'm just putting my own perspective out there.

SionIV

I don't see why they can't swap the turn undead button with the open lock one. You don't use turn undead that often, would fit perfectly to put it there.

Troodon80

SionIV said:

I don't see why they can't swap the turn undead button with the open lock one. You don't use turn undead that often, would fit perfectly to put it there.

People who play the character class in question and want the Turn Undead ability are then going to complain about the additional click, or that they cannot find it. One way or the other, something will be hidden away behind the Special Abilities button. That something is going to cause complaints no matter what it is. A way to solve this is to add another button that does not use a function key. That solution will likely also receive complaints over key-bindings and such. I keep saying it in similar topics, but many requests that people make are a no-win for Beamdog; no matter what they choose to do, or chose to do in the past, it is going to be a cause for complaint.

Note that I am not saying you should not keep saying it; they value feedback and I for one would very much like the thieving icon less hidden. Some things are just more doable than others are. :-)

SionIV

There is just something very annoying about being in Mae'vars guild and having to click on that special button 17-20 times in a row to open all the locks. Scratch that, it's annoying to do anywhere. Once is fine but the amount of locks you'll find makes it into a tedious task.

Ah well, i'll just stay away from the C/T until it's fixed.

Belanos

SionIV said:

It's on the same engine so please don't make it into two different games.

Why not, they are different games.

SionIV

When Baldur's gate 1 and 2 came out, they were two different games. They came out two years apart from each other and the graphics and gameplay had a huge overhaul. It's understandable that they look different.

BGEE and BGEE2 use the same graphic, the same engine, the same classes and even have the same kits introduced, something that wasn't originally in BG1.

They have taken BG1's story and added BG2's graphic and gameplay. There is absolutely no reason to keep trying to make it into two different games when it's actually the same. As a former BGT player i'm really happy that the games look the same.

Not to mention BGEE's interface look like a cheap pet projects when compared to BG2. They should make a poll to see which interface is the most liked one, and go from there.

Troodon80

@SionIV,

Considering the negativity that came merely due to changing the grey stone to blue stone, I would imagine that this will not change to any great extent unless they bring out an official BGT.

element

funny I much prefer the blue while I dislike the bg2ee colours, If I had a choice id make both blue

that button is a little frustrating its a pity they couldn't do more with the tool bar generally bur for me its not realy an issue

I agree about the npcs though or atleast Hexxat. As some one that doesn't like her the fact I have to have her talking to me when im in the cc is annoying as heck.

Lemernis

Yeah, re: the UI I've grown to like the blue. But it's not an issue for me either way

elminster

Personally I wouldn't like the tan colour of BG2EE in BGEE.

Eudaemonium

Isn't part of the issue with the whole Turn Undead/Pick Locks thing that having Turn Undead in the special abilities tab would make it unusable, since its a toggle effect. Exiting out of the specials menu would probably deactivate it.

I mean, its annoying and is the main reason I don't play C/Ts, but I think its rooted in the engine in a way that it isn't likely to change short of adding buttons to the bar.