@TrentOster Please, don't give up on IDW2EE! I understand that the lack of the source code makes the enhancement work definitely more hard and difficult, but the vanilla game has a large amount of fans that would do anything for the enhanced edition of this game.
@TrentOster Please, don't give up on IDW2EE! I understand that the lack of the source code makes the enhancement work definitely more hard and difficult, but the vanilla game has a large amount of fans that would do anything for the enhanced edition of this game.
I am not so certain that the lack of source code prevents them from making IWD2 EE.
I think is more likely that the game is so fundamentally different than BG1&2 or IWD1 that they cannot port the game properly to their enhanced engine.
If you look at IWD1 EE, you can notice that it is not as much enhanced as it is baldurized. Is not just the kits, but also the fact that icons were not taken from the original IWD, the pathfiding was not imported either and even the actual possibility of replacing the characters while in game (having to go through the older BG1 system of saving in multiplayer to replace them).
And the cherry on the cake... I have years of modding (mostly for my own use) of IWD1. I used NearInfinity tool for years to disect the engine of the game. One of the problems that I ran into was importing into IWD1 items from BG2. Especially things that dealt damage like disruption, vorpal and alike. My problem was that inherent to the IWD1 engine, these effects did not exist. The closest was the item ability called Mace of Disruption applied to the Three White Doves, added by Heart of Winter add-on. BG2 used abilities called EFF instead, which I could not import into IWD1.
Well, what do you know? NearInfinity works on IWD1 EE too. And here Three White Doves uses EFF effect and not Mace of Disruption ability.
This makes me think that Beamdog team simply imported from IWD1 game things that would make the existing Enhanced engine look like Icewind Dale and not like BG, without actually using the source code.
There is absolutely nothing enhanced about Icewind Dale 1.
Thus, I do believe that IWD2 does not need an source code to become enhanced. Is simply not possible to make the game adaptable to the existing enhanced engine.
This makes me think that Beamdog team simply imported from IWD1 game things that would make the existing Enhanced engine look like Icewind Dale and not like BG, without actually using the source code.
There is absolutely nothing enhanced about Icewind Dale 1.
Thus, I do believe that IWD2 does not need an source code to become enhanced. Is simply not possible to make the game adaptable to the existing enhanced engine.
uhm ...yeah? how about some elementary historic fact? never heard of IWD-in-BG2?
uhm ...yeah? how about some elementary historic fact? never heard of IWD-in-BG2?
Yes, I did. I beta-tested it actually. That one mod had a lot of issues. But it basically did what Beamdog did with EE, without resorting to source code.
Currently playing IWD2 after a lot of time and nerves wasted on trying to run it on present day laptop. Since I just have finished IWD1:EE I see a lot of missing features in IWD2 which are implemented in EE like loot all, better adjusted resolutions (mods don't fix this completly).
Also IWD1:EE got kinda more subclasses. But still I like a lot of features implemented in 3rd edition and some just IWD2 things like more dialog options which depends on your race/class etc. IWD1 doesn't have many of this.
So ye, I would buy IWD2, I still really like this game. Too bad probably IWD3 will happen faster than IWD2:EE :P
IMO instead of doing this they should just make a Icewind Dale type game using the infinity engine in an area not really covered using 2e adnd rules. 5e rules would be fine too I guess if they have to do that to please WOTC.
Something that takes place in like Mulhorand, Thay, Hordelands, Calimshan, Rasheman, Chessentia, etc. Create your own party 6 PCs like Icewind Dale and do a more simply almost dungeon-crawl story like Icewind Dale was.
If they can get the code for this game they might as well make a new one from scratch.
A game in Chessentia which is heavily Greek influenced in a Clash of the Titans type thing or a Mulhorand/Unther war game would be fun. It would be nice to see Faiths and Avatars Specialty Priests be properly added as well as classes like Crusader and the true 2e monk.
And, crucially, that would only get you the content of IWD2 in the IWDEE engine. It would be 2nd Edition rules, so no extra races, no prestige classes, no feats, etc. While I would love that, most people would not. They want all that 3E stuff. Which means Beamdog cannot use the BGEE engine. They must instead enhance the IWD2 engine - that's the only option.
Of course there is precedent for them enhancing another engine instead of converting a game into the BGEE engine: PST:EE. But - see, we've come full-circle now - they had the PST source code. And they don't have the IWD2 source code.
That is why the source code is important.
I believe I said this before in another post. Truly, I have no idea if the IWD2 source-code was found or lost. I have no idea if they can make IWD2 EE with what they have or not.
However, if they do, how long it would take for the players to ask them to make an update for BG1&2 EE, IWD1 EE converting those game to 3E IWD2 EE engine?
It would open a can of worms of size you cannot imagine. Maybe, it is best if the source-code stays lost.
But I would like to see a sub-forum added for IWD2, not just the thread sent to off-topic sub-forum.
Yea they have mentioned several times within the last few months, They cannot Find the Source Code....As Sad as it is to say, Probably never see IWD2 EE.
Am I the only one that thinks that remaking the IWD2 plot over IWDEE engine would be better than an IWD2EE?
That quasi-third-edition really gets on my nerves. That way we could replay the story with an AD&D ruleset. Way better IMHO.
You are not. I promoted this idea for a few months now.
I've also said before that I'd rather have that than no IWD2EE at all, but I'm not sure if it's doable (from a legal point of view, that is). We should keep saying it though, you never know who might be reading.
Am I the only one that thinks that remaking the IWD2 plot over IWDEE engine would be better than an IWD2EE?
That quasi-third-edition really gets on my nerves. That way we could replay the story with an AD&D ruleset. Way better IMHO.
You are not. I promoted this idea for a few months now.
I've also said before that I'd rather have that than no IWD2EE at all, but I'm not sure if it's doable (from a legal point of view, that is). We should keep saying it though, you never know who might be reading.
Well, I am also thinking about that. But my reasons are not because it might not be doable. It is is fact doable. But it would open a big, very large can of worms.
If you look at the current updates, people are crying over having shamans and modifications from 2.5 BG2 into IWD1. Imagine if they released IWD2 EE. How long it would take players to request BG1&2 EE made unto 3E, because they want to use skills&feats? Probably less than 24 hours.
That in itself is risk, which Beamdog might not willing to make.
I would like to see more interest in IWD2 as it is one of the finest games made by BIS and as the modding for it is rather less known, I'd like to see interest in that area as well.
If you look at the current updates, people are crying over having shamans and modifications from 2.5 BG2 into IWD1. Imagine if they released IWD2 EE. How long it would take players to request BG1&2 EE made unto 3E, because they want to use skills&feats? Probably less than 24 hours.
lolwut
That's a problem? Are you kidding me? #1stWorldNerdProblemsLOL
So you say, but I don't think you were on BIS and Interplay boards back in 2002 when IWD2 was released. All players wanted BG3 in 3E, IWD2 style. BG2 to be remade in IWD2 style. That's how the idea of Icewind Gate was even born and later on became a mod by Weimer.
Bioware had their hands full on Neverwinter Nights and Jade Empire by then anyway, and BIS was dead, while Interplay still had the initial forums active (they took them down in May 2004), but players were still vehemently against any new game made in 2E.
Like I said, seen that happen. I don't want to experience it again here.
I was on the BIS and Bioware forums in 2002, and I didn't want BG2 to be remade in IWD2 style.
It's not unreasonable to want BG3 in 3e, although I don't think it was likely to be in IE at any rate. I only remember vague details about Black Dog, and there were never many details to begin with.
I don't think people now are going to demand Baldur's Gate in 3e rules, and the possibility of people wanting that isn't a good enough reason to not do it.
Anyway, it's a different environment now. People are going to want BG3 in D&D5e.
I was on the BIS and Bioware forums in 2002, and I didn't want BG2 to be remade in IWD2 style.
It's not unreasonable to want BG3 in 3e, although I don't think it was likely to be in IE at any rate. I only remember vague details about Black Dog, and there were never many details to begin with.
I don't think people now are going to demand Baldur's Gate in 3e rules, and the possibility of people wanting that isn't a good enough reason to not do it.
Anyway, it's a different environment now. People are going to want BG3 in D&D5e.
The problem with Black Dog and IWD2 references steamed from the final movie of IWD2. When the narrator the gnome chick tells the story her book contains 2 pages right after the end of the Severed Hand chapter (final chapter). On those pages a large black hound is depicted.
Many players were talking about either BG2 or an add-on for IWD2 that would tie BGs and IWDs by a story. I am also thinking that Beamdog took this idea when they made SoD.
Comments
Please, don't give up on IDW2EE!
I understand that the lack of the source code makes the enhancement work definitely more hard and difficult, but the vanilla game has a large amount of fans that would do anything for the enhanced edition of this game.
PLEASE!
I think is more likely that the game is so fundamentally different than BG1&2 or IWD1 that they cannot port the game properly to their enhanced engine.
If you look at IWD1 EE, you can notice that it is not as much enhanced as it is baldurized. Is not just the kits, but also the fact that icons were not taken from the original IWD, the pathfiding was not imported either and even the actual possibility of replacing the characters while in game (having to go through the older BG1 system of saving in multiplayer to replace them).
And the cherry on the cake... I have years of modding (mostly for my own use) of IWD1. I used NearInfinity tool for years to disect the engine of the game. One of the problems that I ran into was importing into IWD1 items from BG2. Especially things that dealt damage like disruption, vorpal and alike.
My problem was that inherent to the IWD1 engine, these effects did not exist. The closest was the item ability called Mace of Disruption applied to the Three White Doves, added by Heart of Winter add-on. BG2 used abilities called EFF instead, which I could not import into IWD1.
Well, what do you know? NearInfinity works on IWD1 EE too. And here Three White Doves uses EFF effect and not Mace of Disruption ability.
This makes me think that Beamdog team simply imported from IWD1 game things that would make the existing Enhanced engine look like Icewind Dale and not like BG, without actually using the source code.
There is absolutely nothing enhanced about Icewind Dale 1.
Thus, I do believe that IWD2 does not need an source code to become enhanced. Is simply not possible to make the game adaptable to the existing enhanced engine.
Also IWD1:EE got kinda more subclasses. But still I like a lot of features implemented in 3rd edition and some just IWD2 things like more dialog options which depends on your race/class etc. IWD1 doesn't have many of this.
So ye, I would buy IWD2, I still really like this game. Too bad probably IWD3 will happen faster than IWD2:EE :P
Hopefully, they can make a few changes (like importing characters over... of possible...)
Something that takes place in like Mulhorand, Thay, Hordelands, Calimshan, Rasheman, Chessentia, etc. Create your own party 6 PCs like Icewind Dale and do a more simply almost dungeon-crawl story like Icewind Dale was.
If they can get the code for this game they might as well make a new one from scratch.
A game in Chessentia which is heavily Greek influenced in a Clash of the Titans type thing or a Mulhorand/Unther war game would be fun. It would be nice to see Faiths and Avatars Specialty Priests be properly added as well as classes like Crusader and the true 2e monk.
Ain’t happ’nin’, I know, but a man can dream.
However, if they do, how long it would take for the players to ask them to make an update for BG1&2 EE, IWD1 EE converting those game to 3E IWD2 EE engine?
It would open a can of worms of size you cannot imagine. Maybe, it is best if the source-code stays lost.
But I would like to see a sub-forum added for IWD2, not just the thread sent to off-topic sub-forum.
That quasi-third-edition really gets on my nerves. That way we could replay the story with an AD&D ruleset. Way better IMHO.
We should keep saying it though, you never know who might be reading.
If you look at the current updates, people are crying over having shamans and modifications from 2.5 BG2 into IWD1. Imagine if they released IWD2 EE. How long it would take players to request BG1&2 EE made unto 3E, because they want to use skills&feats?
Probably less than 24 hours.
That in itself is risk, which Beamdog might not willing to make.
I would like to see more interest in IWD2 as it is one of the finest games made by BIS and as the modding for it is rather less known, I'd like to see interest in that area as well.
That's a problem? Are you kidding me? #1stWorldNerdProblemsLOL
People want the 2.5 (2.0, then 2.4) for Icewind Dale: EE but what Redrake said isn't happening, at least not in the unreasonable way he related.
Bioware had their hands full on Neverwinter Nights and Jade Empire by then anyway, and BIS was dead, while Interplay still had the initial forums active (they took them down in May 2004), but players were still vehemently against any new game made in 2E.
Like I said, seen that happen. I don't want to experience it again here.
It's not unreasonable to want BG3 in 3e, although I don't think it was likely to be in IE at any rate. I only remember vague details about Black Dog, and there were never many details to begin with.
I don't think people now are going to demand Baldur's Gate in 3e rules, and the possibility of people wanting that isn't a good enough reason to not do it.
Anyway, it's a different environment now. People are going to want BG3 in D&D5e.
Many players were talking about either BG2 or an add-on for IWD2 that would tie BGs and IWDs by a story.
I am also thinking that Beamdog took this idea when they made SoD.
Nowadays, I think a lot more people could get excited for a new 5E game by Beamdog, than for BG2:EE in 3E.
Especially since BG2:EE is in a good place right now (stable, tons of mods, etc.) - why break all that?
It wouldn't even have to be a BG game at this point (although a familiar setting would go a long way). I'm just hungry for d20s and the like.