"We're looking at licensing for our next effort" - I think it means they are going to take an existing engine from the rightholder.
A license may be granted by a party ("licensor") to another party ("licensee") as an of an agreement between those parties. This is what I think Trent means: they will become a licensee of an existing engine. The fact they had pre-talks about the Pillars of Eternity engine adds to my understanding.
I too believe that they're planning to gain license for the PoE Unity Engine from Obsidian, and I believe this will be a good move for BeamDog.
So maybe Beamdog can do the same. Everything that Obsidian and/or other companies working with this engine manage to achieve can be used by Beamdog and changed to suit the game that could resemble BG/IWD.
And of course, the modability is one of the basic principles of enhancing the PoE engine to suit a role of BG/IWD - succesor.
On a side note, I've re-read the AMA and want to point to this answer of Phillip (not covered by shawne and typo_tilly in their summaries:
ToAbideIsDude: Hey, for one I would like to thank you for making an excellent product and would like you to know I had alot of fun playing them again. I heard that you folks were going to make your own original Baulder Gate. Is this true? Because I will buy it. What do you guys think of Waterdeep as a setting? When did you get the idea to buy the rights to the Baulder Gate series? What edition will a future game use if there is a future game? Thanks for existing! I love you guys and what you do!
Phillip Daigle: 1 - We would love to make Baldur's Gate 3. Nothing is happening on that front yet, but we continually work towards that goal. 2 - I love Waterdeep. If I were going to build a spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate I would probably set it there. 3 - Probably back in 2008 or so, the BG series had been languishing for some time so Cam and Trent decided that they wanted to jump on that opportunity. The initial idea was Baldur's Gate HD, but as we did more investigations we realized that a project like that wasn't feasible at the time. 4 - If we make a brand new D&D game it would most likely use the new 5th Edition rulset and be set in the current year of the Forgotten Realms. 5th Edition is actually looking pretty sweet, it's a fun combo of 2nd/3rd/4th Eds. It seems like it would grant as much flexibility in a videogame implementation as 2nd Ed did.
This AMA was indeed interesting. I'm just a bit disappointed about PT:EE not confirmed yet (but I'm sure it will one day). I loved some info about Adventure Y (the most insightful was "Adventure Y It's the thing that comes after Adventure X").
i thought it was great. everything i wanted to know was answered they are working on adventure y, there will be a new npc beginning with gl, they would like to stay within D&D and probably the forgotten realms for future releases, they're thinking of getting the PoE engine. this is the sort of information i was hoping for. also we got a lot of insight into the inner workings of beamdog
typo_tilly:substances what I wanted to hear was some reason - any reason, really - to think they might be worth trusting again. But comparing this AMA to the one from two years ago and seeing how little has changed got me all riled up again.
@shawne what did you ask them in the AMA? What were you expecting to hear?
I heard why BG2 was so buggy upon release and a statement that they will never let it happen again.
I heard them apologize for it.
I heard them say the patch for the game is coming, but with their new philosophy it is hard to pin point an exact release date.
I got confirmation that new kits WILL be added to the three released games.
I got conformation that they are looking at adding subraces.
These last two points means they are still adding new content to games that were released years ago.
new info on the status of gazebos. apparantley @AndrewFoley doesn't like them
[–]BeamdogAndrew 3 points 2 hours ago Will gazebos actually be implemented in the game? Not if I have anything to say about it. **ing gazebos. Give me a good patio anyday. A porch, a stoop, anything but a **damn gazebo. I'm sorry. You've got to draw the line somewhere, and gazebos? That is where the line is drawn. If Beamdog wants gazebos, they clearly don't want Foley, and that's all there is to it until Trent says "I'd like some gazebos" at which point they'll be awesome because I love my job and want to keep it.
You forgot that I like surfing and taking long walks on the beach
Shouldn't that be "I might like surfing, and I'm thinking about taking long walks on the beach someday"? :P
Actually no! Back in the 80's I was a professional surfer (briefly) in California. I do miss taking the walks though - not many beaches in Texas where I live now and I have little spare time any more.
As a graduate of Trinity of Texas, I'm SURE what you meant to say was either:
a) "...not much BIG SURF in Texas...", or b) "...not many beaches IN THE PART of Texas where I live now..."
because otherwise, the sentence does not make any sense.
Admittedly California has somewhat more 'beachfront' than Texas at ~1000 miles vs ~600 miles, but I believe that still puts Texas at #3 most extensive beaches in the nation. However, due to the nature of the Gulf Coast geography and the nature of the state laws in Texas, I'd still bet that Texas has a greater extent of ACCESSIBLE beaches. The surf IS relatively tame, however.
@typo_tilly: I think what I wanted to hear was some reason - any reason, really - to think they might be worth trusting again.
(It's probably folly for me to get caught up in this, but here we go) IWD:EE. There's your one reason.
Holding up the game to which they've contributed the least as the one where they've succeeded the most is... problematic.
I think IWD:EE is great! I also think BGEE and BG2EE are great. I have bought all three and am very happy with them all.
But I would never dream of saying that because I think the games are great, and that because I am satisfied with Beamdog for giving me these wonderful opportuities, you have to be too. You are entitled to hold whatever views you want about the games and about Beamdog, without me seeking to impose some universal plurality of positivity on everything!
But the reverse is also true. Please don't seek to extend your own experiences and views of Beamdog and their games as an 'absolute truth'. It isn't. There is at least one person out there, in the big wide world, who has been playing and enjoying BGEE and BG2EE and IWDEE, and who is eager and excited to see what Beamdog come up with next....
While i agree that Beamdog cocked up a bit the enhanced editions have not only improved the games they've brought Baldur's gate to a new generation, they've allowed old players to play the games without nearly as much hassle, they've made the infinity engine more accessible to modders and they've collected a huge number of modders in one forum making modding easier than it's ever been. Also try playing the old games on windows 8.1 if you ever get it to work it's a massive pain in the Arse. considering the amount of shit beamdog had to go through to get this far i'd say they've done an amazing job.
This thread is not about our attitude towards the developers and their products. It's not about the condition of EE games either.
This thread is about the questions that were asked and the answers that were given. Please, everyone, if you want to discuss something else, do it in other thread.
So they will (perhaps) licence the POE engine? That doesn't sound too bad. I saw what InX did with Torment, and it looks really nice. Hope the Obsidian crew will fix the combat issues, though
Comments
So maybe Beamdog can do the same. Everything that Obsidian and/or other companies working with this engine manage to achieve can be used by Beamdog and changed to suit the game that could resemble BG/IWD.
And of course, the modability is one of the basic principles of enhancing the PoE engine to suit a role of BG/IWD - succesor.
On a side note, I've re-read the AMA and want to point to this answer of Phillip (not covered by shawne and typo_tilly in their summaries:
ToAbideIsDude:
Hey, for one I would like to thank you for making an excellent product and would like you to know I had alot of fun playing them again.
I heard that you folks were going to make your own original Baulder Gate. Is this true? Because I will buy it.
What do you guys think of Waterdeep as a setting?
When did you get the idea to buy the rights to the Baulder Gate series?
What edition will a future game use if there is a future game?
Thanks for existing! I love you guys and what you do!
Phillip Daigle:
1 - We would love to make Baldur's Gate 3. Nothing is happening on that front yet, but we continually work towards that goal.
2 - I love Waterdeep. If I were going to build a spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate I would probably set it there.
3 - Probably back in 2008 or so, the BG series had been languishing for some time so Cam and Trent decided that they wanted to jump on that opportunity. The initial idea was Baldur's Gate HD, but as we did more investigations we realized that a project like that wasn't feasible at the time.
4 - If we make a brand new D&D game it would most likely use the new 5th Edition rulset and be set in the current year of the Forgotten Realms. 5th Edition is actually looking pretty sweet, it's a fun combo of 2nd/3rd/4th Eds. It seems like it would grant as much flexibility in a videogame implementation as 2nd Ed did.
I'm just a bit disappointed about PT:EE not confirmed yet (but I'm sure it will one day).
I loved some info about Adventure Y (the most insightful was "Adventure Y It's the thing that comes after Adventure X").
they are working on adventure y, there will be a new npc beginning with gl, they would like to stay within D&D and probably the forgotten realms for future releases, they're thinking of getting the PoE engine.
this is the sort of information i was hoping for.
also we got a lot of insight into the inner workings of beamdog
@shawne what did you ask them in the AMA? What were you expecting to hear?
I heard why BG2 was so buggy upon release and a statement that they will never let it happen again.
I heard them apologize for it.
I heard them say the patch for the game is coming, but with their new philosophy it is hard to pin point an exact release date.
I got confirmation that new kits WILL be added to the three released games.
I got conformation that they are looking at adding subraces.
These last two points means they are still adding new content to games that were released years ago.
...i was...
...erm...
[–]BeamdogAndrew 3 points 2 hours ago
Will gazebos actually be implemented in the game?
Not if I have anything to say about it. **ing gazebos. Give me a good patio anyday. A porch, a stoop, anything but a **damn gazebo.
I'm sorry. You've got to draw the line somewhere, and gazebos? That is where the line is drawn. If Beamdog wants gazebos, they clearly don't want Foley, and that's all there is to it until Trent says "I'd like some gazebos" at which point they'll be awesome because I love my job and want to keep it.
[–]wubbleatron
If adventure y is set between BG:EE and BG2:EE how will you deal with the fact that charname is the same level
[–]DaigleDopple
We'll be playing a bit with level caps.
a) "...not much BIG SURF in Texas...", or
b) "...not many beaches IN THE PART of Texas where I live now..."
because otherwise, the sentence does not make any sense.
Admittedly California has somewhat more 'beachfront' than Texas at ~1000 miles vs ~600 miles, but I believe that still puts Texas at #3 most extensive beaches in the nation. However, due to the nature of the Gulf Coast geography and the nature of the state laws in Texas, I'd still bet that Texas has a greater extent of ACCESSIBLE beaches. The surf IS relatively tame, however.
But I would never dream of saying that because I think the games are great, and that because I am satisfied with Beamdog for giving me these wonderful opportuities, you have to be too. You are entitled to hold whatever views you want about the games and about Beamdog, without me seeking to impose some universal plurality of positivity on everything!
But the reverse is also true. Please don't seek to extend your own experiences and views of Beamdog and their games as an 'absolute truth'. It isn't. There is at least one person out there, in the big wide world, who has been playing and enjoying BGEE and BG2EE and IWDEE, and who is eager and excited to see what Beamdog come up with next....
@shawne what did you ask them in the AMA? What were you expecting to hear?
This thread is about the questions that were asked and the answers that were given. Please, everyone, if you want to discuss something else, do it in other thread.
Seems like they are out of work !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cmon guys : patch patch patch !!!