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READ THE LATEST (October 27, 2014) IWDEE Interview with AlexT, CamDawg and LiamEsler

kcwisekcwise Member Posts: 2,287
edited October 2014 in Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition
RPGWatch is currently in the planning stages of an interview with Beamdog's Alex Tomovic and Liam Esler about the upcoming IWDEE, and is asking for questions from the audience. So, head over to the link below if you'd like to suggest a question.

http://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26040
Post edited by JuliusBorisov on
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Comments

  • kcwisekcwise Member Posts: 2,287
    Note: I believe you have to sign up for the forums to post a question.
  • FrogmanFrogman Member Posts: 153
    bengoshi said:

    A great find, @kcwise !

    Basing my view on the link in the OP, people from the RPGWatch forum ask majorly not about IWDEE but instead about an availability of future projects, such as PSTEE.

    The fact is that I think it's useless to ask those questions now (all Beamdog's efforts are on IWDEE) and especially taking into consideration who is going to participate in the interview: Liam and Alex are not the founders of Beamdog and can't define Beamdog's strategy.

    So, I think anyone who is willing to ask questions now, should ask only about IWDEE.

    Here are my questions to the Devs:

    1. Please, tell us about the new kits in IWDEE. Seduce us!

    2. Will there be new areas in IWDEE if compared to the vanilla game?

    3. Tell us about items added to the game. Anything that we don't know yet :) Will there be a new speed weapon which adds APR) added? Maybe a new bow? How about a mage robe for wild mages?

    4. Will there be new portraits in IWDEE? Will the portraits from IWD2 be available? Will there be totally new portraits, nowhere seen before?

    5. Will there be new character soundsets in the game? How many?

    6. What particular party did you use for a testing IWDEE run?

    7. What is your most favourite enhancement in IWDEE?

    8. What are your estimations for the game release? Is it possible to get anything more accurate than "when it's ready"?

    THIS. Everything he said.
  • FaydarkFaydark Member Posts: 279
    edited October 2014
    @SionIV I can make an educated guess and say no, they won't be adjusting the games difficulty specifically to address the addition of kits. If you make the game more difficult because Berserker exists now, then you make the game even more difficult for playthroughs that do not use Berserker.

    It would also be a huge amount of work to adjust all the encounters in the entire game. In my opinion, it's a task better suited to a mod like those ones for the BG series that make spellcasters more difficult etc.

    There's no leaderboards or competition framework integrated into the game, so it doesn't need to be balanced between all players of the game regardless of what party you choose. If you'd like the game to be more of a challenge for you, don't use the kits that you think will make the game too easy etc.
  • FardragonFardragon Member Posts: 4,511
    edited October 2014
    Faydark said:

    @SionIV I can make an educated guess and say no, they won't be adjusting the games difficulty specifically to address the addition of kits. If you make the game more difficult because Berserker exists now, then you make the game even more difficult for playthroughs that do not use Berserker.

    It would also be a huge amount of work to adjust all the encounters in the entire game. In my opinion, it's a task better suited to a mod like those ones for the BG series that make spellcasters more difficult etc.

    There's no leaderboards or competition framework integrated into the game, so it doesn't need to be balanced between all players of the game regardless of what party you choose. If you'd like the game to be more of a challenge for you, don't use the kits that you think will make the game too easy etc.

    Actually, we have already been told that NPCs will use some of the new spells that are added. Which means that there is certainly some degree of tweaking of encounters.

    I wouldn't be surprised if we see things like goblin berserkers added to encounter tables too.

    Beta testing will help to find the "right" level of difficulty. The addition of "story mode" allows encounters to be set a little more difficult.
  • OlvynChuruOlvynChuru Member Posts: 3,079
    Okay, back on topic...

    Is stealth going to work the same as in the original (where sometimes you have to wait a while after pressing the stealth button in order to hide)?

    I know you're bringing in a lot of the BG2 spells, so how will the Symbol spells work? The BG2 symbols work very different from the IWD ones, so are you bringing them all into the game and standardizing how they all work, or what?

  • mlnevesemlnevese Member, Moderator Posts: 10,214
    The entire vegetable thread has been split:

    http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/35779/vegetable-civiliziations-man-eating-plants-and-other-salads
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,754
    An update:

    by Couchpotato (lol), the member of RPGWatch Team:

    "Well the questions were sent so we just have to wait for the answers. I had a few developers send them back in a day, and some wait a full week."

    These're the questions sent:

    1) what will these guys plan to convince me to buy this EE version, out of nostalgia?

    2) since the release date was announced today as Oct. 30th and we have only 9 days left till its release, might we see this interview really soon

    3) We know the BG2EE kits will be making their way to IWDEE, but will there be all new kits or classes never before seen in any EE game? If so, what are they?

    4) Will there be any new spells, items, or monsters never seen before in any EE game?

    5) Will you be adding any new missions?

    6) Will there be any new areas to explore?

    7) Will there be any new character art or voice sets?

    8). IWD2 featured improved items in Heart of Fury mode. Will IWDEE have something similar?

    9) Will enemy mages and priests take advantage of the BG2EE spell list?

    10) Will we get High Level Abilities for our characters? I am just pleading with them to let me make a Paladin with Pale Justice and Greater Whirlwind around with it in IWD:EE !!!

    11) The original IWD had a really need loot table for specific places in the game. When Heart of Winter came out all the possible items one could find were eliminated or greatly diminished. Will we now have chances to find different items as loot like in the original version?

    12) Will you add some fleshed out companions? (With banter, background story, personality etc.)

    13) What are their plans for making these games more modable? (as it stands ToBEX gives you more options compared to BGEE/BG2EE)

    14) Also are you going to do anything about the fact that kits only have a limited number of usability flags? (that are all used by the existing kits). Regardless of which game it is (BGEE/BG2EE/IWDEE) this is going to be pretty limiting for anyone looking to make kit mods.

    15) Are there going to be new soundtracks added to the game and any by the original composer?

    16) Will there be any nerfing of the game for those early levels the way it was done in Neverwinter Nights.

    17) How are the BG2 spells going to be integrated? Will all mages have access to these spells? Are their plans to adapt the mage AI to make use of both original IWD spells and the BG spell book?

    18) The touch interface for the Android version of BG:EE was excellent. Can we expect the same interface for ID:EE? Or are there plans to change/improve on this?

    19) Can we expect a Planescape : Torment EE ?

    20) Are there any specific improvements or content additions set for Trials of the Luremaster and Heart of Winter. If so, what are they?

    21) Is any of the work on IWD building on from already established or pre-existing mod work? (Gibberlings 3 IWD fixpacks, Aurils Bane etc?)

    22) I also wouldn't mind hearing a response to my query from the other thread regarding the potential for a proper IWD II expansion? Is it feasible if their other projects have enough success?

    23) Will they be adding joinable NPCs?

    24) Will there be any new areas?

    25) Are they ever going to officially support Intel GPU/MS Surface Pro?

    26) Are we finally going to get fixed pathfinding?
  • kcwisekcwise Member Posts: 2,287
    They have a few repeats in there. 6 and 24, for example. Maybe that means twice the chance at an answer?
  • mlnevesemlnevese Member, Moderator Posts: 10,214
    They are trying to get the devs distracted and then repeating questions. Classical interrogation technique...
  • Ancalagon44Ancalagon44 Member Posts: 252
    If they answer even half of those, I will be happy.

    Myself, I am curious about what spells made the cut and which did not. If you read the official announcement, it says that the classes and kits are taken from Baldurs Gate 2: Enhanced Edition, but the spells are taken from Baldurs Gate: Enhanced Edition. So, not Baldurs Gate 2. It might just be a typo I suppose, because IWD1 allows for characters to reach high enough levels to use level 8 and even level 9 spells.

    I imagine it is going to be quite a different game than IWD1. Really looking forward to it.
  • NimranNimran Member Posts: 4,875
    Yeh, it's a good list, but I see a disturbing lack of snow cabbage questions. I guess no one takes me seriously, *sigh*.
  • GloomfrostGloomfrost Member Posts: 271
    In case anyone is interested "The interview will be posted on Monday the 27th so look forward to it everyone."

    so in a few days well have some more answers ;)
  • Ancalagon44Ancalagon44 Member Posts: 252
    edited October 2014
    Good interview! Nice to get a few more details.

    So:
    No HLAs (I actually think I agree with this)
    No new areas (wasn't expecting any, but would have been nice)
    New spells created from the original design documents. This implies that IWD:EE has spells that have never been in an IE game.
    IWD2 and PST are still being looked into - nothing confirmed.
    IWD:EE has improved pathfinding, which will find its way into BG:EE and BG2:EE in their next patches. BG2:EE 1.3?

    EDIT:
    Liam: I'm Liam Esler, Associate Producer at Beamdog and Assistant Producer on Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition. The majority of the team on IWD:EE are modders, and I'm no exception, as the administrator of IE modding community Spellhold Studios. I joined Beamdog in early 2013 to work on Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition as lead of the development team on Dorn, Hexxat and the content implementation of The Black Pits II. Earlier this year I worked with Obsidian Entertainment on Pillars of Eternity, and am now back at Beamdog working on IWD:EE and an unannounced project!
    This is taken from the interview. Notice the highlighted part. As much as I would love to see IWD2:EE, I think it is more likely that they are working on PST:EE, simply because it is way, way more popular than IWD2:EE.
  • Ancalagon44Ancalagon44 Member Posts: 252
    Do you want to hint or should I beg?
  • JuliusBorisovJuliusBorisov Member, Administrator, Moderator, Developer Posts: 22,754
    I think this "unannounced project" is the Adventure Y. I don't think they're working on neither IWD2EE nor PSTEE now. "Before looking forward we want to make sure everything that we've done until this point is absolutely at the stage we're happy with!"
  • Ancalagon44Ancalagon44 Member Posts: 252
    edited October 2014
    What is Adventure Y?

    EDIT: After reading up on Adventure Y, I don't think that is what they are working on. They have not mentioned anything about it in ages. It sounds like it was supposed to ship with or shortly after BG2:EE, and it is now months later.
  • GloomfrostGloomfrost Member Posts: 271
    not gonna lie

    no HLA's got me really bummed out

    going to be forced to use dual wield with Improved Haste just to get APR up, to bad i can't GWW with Pale Justice :(

    no mention of the XP cap would like to start planning out characters

  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
    bengoshi said:



    SO MANY NEW DETAILS! @elminster‌ can add them to the "what's known" post.

    Ehh I'm sort of busy with the whole mod thing. You have my blessing/permission if you'd like to add them into the post. :)
  • YupImMadBroYupImMadBro Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 347
    What is an HLA?
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,317
    YupImMadBro said:

    What is an HLA?

    It stands for Higher Level Ability.

    Examples include Whirlwind, Use Any Item, and Improved Alactity.
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