What DLC? The portrait pack? The portraits and voices from BG1. On the ipad version, they don't carry over to BG2 like on the other platforms. Even the developers have said this was "an oversight" but nothing has been done to fix it.
Officially they don't transfer over, but a player can put them in their respected override folders. Limitations of the platform, IMO, isn't for the developers to fix.
I don't complain to Bethesda because I can't mod Skyrim on my console but PC users can.
It's not a platform limitation, it's an oversight, as a developer has said. I'm not looking to mod anything, just the ability to use what I paid for. That being said, how does one edit the override folders on an ipad without jailbreaking?
You paid for it to use with BG:EE, which you can do. No where in the DLC description reads that it will be carried over to BG2:EE.
It is a platform limitation that Apple restricts you from copying the files yourself. The developers said they'd look into it, but you shouldn't hold them responsible, nor should it be a priority for them to fix.
What good is any of the DLC if it can't be used to continue your game? This is an rpg, character continuity is paramount.
If we're only talking about the portrait-pack DLC, then you could load the Final Save, change your character's portrait in Record->Customize->Appearance, and re-save it. Then you could continue into BG2ee.
Obviously it's undesirable for immersion to have to change your character's appearance, and I'd agree that this does make the portrait-pack DLC fairly useless, but it isn't technically game-breaking.
Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast = basically a DLC pack of small irrelevant missions and items. No complaint. Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear = an expansion that adds to the story. Complaint.
Wat.
About the balance issue. It was the same deal in the originals.
You could play BG2 without importing a character from BG1. That character was weaker if you did. Throne of Bhaal, you could start it without finishing BG2. That one would be weaker too with weaker items.
It's the same thing here. Yes you would be stronger if you finished the expansion. Just like you were stronger in BG2 if you imported from BG1.
It's the same thing here. Yes you would be stronger if you finished the expansion. Just like you were stronger in BG2 if you imported from BG1.
It's rpg the strength, for me at least, is not a factor. some riddle, puzzles and good plots that's whats make a good rpg.
Also in rpg I like to roleplay, I know that the golden pantaloons will help me create uber items but if I'm a paladin I will not take them as they are not mine, as a thief I will take them using guile and as evil blackguard etc I will kill the nobleman for confusing me to his servant.
Just to clarify- You can import a character from BGEE to BG2EE but not if it's made with the DLC.
Are you sure about that, @Atapa ? How does it work? Because I think other people have said it's impossible (except by with third-party software that isn't compatible with the current version of iOS), and that's one of the reasons I haven't gotten a copy of BG2EE for my iPad.
Just to clarify- You can import a character from BGEE to BG2EE but not if it's made with the DLC.
Are you sure about that, @Atapa ? How does it work? Because I think other people have said it's impossible (except by with third-party software that isn't compatible with the current version of iOS), and that's one of the reasons I haven't gotten a copy of BG2EE for my iPad.
I was able to import a save from BGEE to BG2 at character creation- I used a save file before the final battle in BGEE, not the final save. Sometimes it doesn't work correctly though. You also have to choose a new portrait and voice so I don't know if you would even count that as the same character. Essentially, the only thing that can carry over is your level, stats, and race. Even then, it's still a buggy procedure.
@Googleness I read some of the stuff said before and I think you believe this will be some kind of DLC. It's not. It's a full proper expansion pack, like Tales of the Sword Coast, Throne of Bhaal or Heart of Winter.
With new characters, new items, new locations and new story. Like any expansion pack.
And personally, I would rather see an IWD II EE and PST EE, rather than a "BGIII". While we're at it, please don't make a BG III, the Bhaalspawn's story is over.
Just like Lord of the Rings, it's the story of the Fellowship. Baldur's Gate is the story of Gorion's Ward/CHARNAME.
I'm more than open to a BG-like game with a new engine. Charname's story is done.
Yes it is, but nevertheless it'd be quite possible to write a follow-on story.
Just as an example: introduce a canonical assumption that Gorion's Ward accepted the option to Ascend, and then s/he's a new god with priests and followers and so on, who would presumably be opposed (and quite likely oppressed) by the priests and followers of rival gods. It wouldn't be too difficult to develop a decent story about the troubles faced by the followers of the new god (including some variations appropriate to the alignment and class of Gorion's Ward), with a new protagonist (and new companions) trying to solve some of those problems.
Provided that the new story is (in some substantial way) a direct consequence of what happened in BG1 and BG2, then it could legitimately be called "BG3".
@Gallowgass , I'm pretty sure they can't do that, because of what WotC has done by creating a new edition module with Abdel back in Baldur's Gate after the Bhaalspawn crisis. He canonically did not ascend, and WotC owns the IP. Nobody can change that, because copyright and licensing law and stuff.
@Googleness I read some of the stuff said before and I think you believe this will be some kind of DLC. It's not. It's a full proper expansion pack, like Tales of the Sword Coast, Throne of Bhaal or Heart of Winter.
With new characters, new items, new locations and new story. Like any expansion pack.
And personally, I would rather see an IWD II EE and PST EE, rather than a "BGIII". While we're at it, please don't make a BG III, the Bhaalspawn's story is over.
Just like Lord of the Rings, it's the story of the Fellowship. Baldur's Gate is the story of Gorion's Ward/CHARNAME.
I'm more than open to a BG-like game with a new engine. Charname's story is done.
I'm more than open to a BG-like game with a new engine. Charname's story is done.
When you say new engine, i guess, you meant a new story line, new setting or new world even. But, the engine is basically the same. IWDEE's engine is the 'same' as SoD/BGEE/BGIIEE - well, the patch version changes, but the new engine can still play the older games. I just mention this, so you won't get surprised when you hear that we still use the SAME engine!
@Avenger_teambg - I believe he was talking about a hypothetical BG3 there, not SoD.
@Archaos - an "expansion pack" published over the internet is still a DLC. Gamers put a lot more into the word than that, of course, but that's all it really means, and how producers actually use it.
I'm more than open to a BG-like game with a new engine. Charname's story is done.
When you say new engine, i guess, you meant a new story line, new setting or new world even. But, the engine is basically the same. IWDEE's engine is the 'same' as SoD/BGEE/BGIIEE - well, the patch version changes, but the new engine can still play the older games. I just mention this, so you won't get surprised when you hear that we still use the SAME engine!
Sounds like you're proud of what you've done with the engine. After SoD, it will be a pity to leave all this work with the engine. It definitely needs to be applied somewhere else.
@Avenger_teambg - I believe he was talking about a hypothetical BG3 there, not SoD.
@Archaos - an "expansion pack" published over the internet is still a DLC. Gamers put a lot more into the word than that, of course, but that's all it really means, and how producers actually use it.
There really is no difference between "expansion pack" and DLC. It refers to the delivery system, not the product.
The ability to deliver product electronically does make it economically viable to release smaller, cheaper additional content, but that doesn't mean all DLC is small. Plenty is as big or bigger than TotSC.
Then there are the two "preorder shops" released on floppy disc for BG2, before download became an established delivery method.
They have bills to pay, salaries, and legal rights to purchase so it's kind of silly to begrudge a company for pursuing any and all avenues of monetary gain. If nobody buys it, then nobody buys it. This is YOUR choice. Don't buy it. If it's worth it, to you, then buy it. The quality of the product remains to be seen.
For me, I bought BG:EE for 20$, and I have gotten hundreds of hours of time passing joy from (and still more to come) from just that one game which is largely considered their least adventurous endeavor. 20$, that's a popcorn and a drink at the movie theater, not even the ticket. So for me, it's worth it. Everybody gets to decide for themselves.
I'm more than open to a BG-like game with a new engine. Charname's story is done.
When you say new engine, i guess, you meant a new story line, new setting or new world even. But, the engine is basically the same. IWDEE's engine is the 'same' as SoD/BGEE/BGIIEE - well, the patch version changes, but the new engine can still play the older games. I just mention this, so you won't get surprised when you hear that we still use the SAME engine!
Sounds like you're proud of what you've done with the engine. After SoD, it will be a pity to leave all this work with the engine. It definitely needs to be applied somewhere else.
Well, yeah, i'm proud of the EE indeed. But here i just said, the story and the engine are two different things. This engine is quite capable of telling other than bhaalspawn stories.
I think when we say BG3 we actually means to a forgotten realms setting using the BG2:EE engine. But different story and plot. that will be pretty awesome.
I would have much rather they expanded on the Baldur's Gate series rather than upsetting the flow. Making a stand alone game that doesn't link to BG2 and ToB seems completely pointless. The Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale series are my favorite games and I would happily fork over the cash to see them expanded upon. So disappointing that making them more epic isn't a priority anymore.
from what I heard SoD is going to link bg1 and bg2, the whole point of SoD is what happens inbetween those 2 games,
but for me, I don't think I will be buying this expansion just based on the fact that importing a character into bg2 with 1 000 000 starting XP is really going to unbalance the game, bg2 was set to have characters starting with 89000-161000 XP and scales quite fine with that, I once imported a black pits team into bg2 and with 500 000 XP I was mopping up the floor with baddies, people say that the game gives you bigger and tougher baddies as you grow in experience but its not good enough, I can predict that with the huge XP raise bg2 is going to be way less of a challenge, but then you might say; oh but there's nightmare mode, just use that. Use it for what? x3+50 HP and a little better to hit with a little better AC doesn't make the game harder, it makes it unnecessarily longer and boring I find, when I would play heart of fury mode in IWD, my usual reaction is; "sigh" this is taking way to long to kill this trivial enemies in this trivial battle, but then you could say; Sarevok57 you silly bones, why not just install so mods like SCS and all that good jazz, and my answer to that is; nay, I don't like modifying my game, it's perfect the way it is, the fun is still intact and modification in my opinion just takes more of the game away and makes it a completely different game altogether
my prediction is, the more jazz that they add to these games, the more I'm going to want to go back to my old vanilla CD games, I miss their old school graphics and gameplay, especially the path finding, oh the path finding was wonderful in the old games ( don't know how it become awful in the EEs) but with that being said, if the EEs are basically the final product of what we are going to get, then I might stick with them, but I feel as the more that is added to the games, the more unbaldur's gate like they become, and if too much gets added I think I will just revert back to my vanilla games
Who said you would end SoD with 1 million XP? Where is that stated?
@Gallowgass , I'm pretty sure they can't do that, because of what WotC has done by creating a new edition module with Abdel back in Baldur's Gate after the Bhaalspawn crisis. He canonically did not ascend, and WotC owns the IP. Nobody can change that, because copyright and licensing law and stuff.
Not really a problem. You can just write the story based on the aftermath of the events of Murder in Baldur's Gate. Bhaal returned. I'm actually running a Pathfinder campaign that does just that. Though, none of my players have had the good sense or good fortune to play the Baldur's Gate franchise despite my recommendations.
Sounds like you're proud of what you've done with the engine. After SoD, it will be a pity to leave all this work with the engine. It definitely needs to be applied somewhere else.
what the engine now needs are bigger sprites...much bigger - and it's good to go for this era of isometric rpg. 3d graphics don't really do much in this subgenre.
Well, yeah, i'm proud of the EE indeed. But here i just said, the story and the engine are two different things. This engine is quite capable of telling other than bhaalspawn stories.
I personally think it would be awesome if beamdog could develop a Dragonlance trilogy of the Chronicles series in EE Infinity Egine. AD&D even had those modules, like Dragons of Despair, that follows the events in Dragons of Autumn Twilight, assuming the players are playing the heroes of the lance.
This is a great story that was made to be played as an epic D&D campaign. Do you guys ever considered something like that seriously?
Well, yeah, i'm proud of the EE indeed. But here i just said, the story and the engine are two different things. This engine is quite capable of telling other than bhaalspawn stories.
I personally think it would be awesome if beamdog could develop a Dragonlance trilogy of the Chronicles series in EE Infinity Egine. AD&D even had those modules, like Dragons of Despair, that follows the events in Dragons of Autumn Twilight, assuming the players are playing the heroes of the lance.
This is a great story that was made to be played as an epic D&D campaign. Do you guys ever considered something like that seriously?
This. Fantastic Idea. I also think the infinity engine is still perfect for these kinds of games and storytelling. New sprites and the ability to have a little more cosmetic options for Charname would be nice, but it still works regardless. I would love to have another epic, vast, open world game like BG.
Greatest game of all time for me, I am happy to get an expansion, very happy. A sequel is significantly more hit or miss as to whether it'll do well.
Further, and this always bugs me in these discussions. Why do people think this is an either or question, and worse go to the extremes. 1 Expansion in I don't know 16 years or whatever its been, isn't exactly flooding people with DLC or micro transactions.
Could do 3 decent sized expansions comfortably (by that I mean there is demand for more BG!) while they work on the next game, if indeed that is the intent.
I do not know if this has been discussed before, but I would be ecstatic if a potential BG3 was able to use the old 2nd Ed. ruleset.
There has been a few half-hearted, and even a couple of enthusiastic attempts at a spiritual successor, and IMO the combat just felt wrong in all of them. Purely combat-wise, my favourite after the IE games is the NWN series, even though I wouldn't have called them a spiritual successor to BG, back in the day. In hindsight, they were the closest we ever got.
Oh, and more relevant to the discussion at hand, I don't understand this obsession about game pricing - as long as the price isn't astronomical or anything.
I imagine that developing something of this scale takes quite a bit of time and money. Why would it be free? And does 10 or 15 dollars really make that big of an impact for the great majority of people? How much would you spend going out for drinks or a meal?
I'm not trying to defend Beamdog, or SoD in particular, as I've seen this being discussed at a few places now. Oh and I am absolutely against paid armor, quest, or whatever DLCs, obviously.
Comments
You paid for it to use with BG:EE, which you can do. No where in the DLC description reads that it will be carried over to BG2:EE.
It is a platform limitation that Apple restricts you from copying the files yourself. The developers said they'd look into it, but you shouldn't hold them responsible, nor should it be a priority for them to fix.
What good is any of the DLC if it can't be used to continue your game? This is an rpg, character continuity is paramount.
If we're only talking about the portrait-pack DLC, then you could load the Final Save, change your character's portrait in Record->Customize->Appearance, and re-save it. Then you could continue into BG2ee.
Obviously it's undesirable for immersion to have to change your character's appearance, and I'd agree that this does make the portrait-pack DLC fairly useless, but it isn't technically game-breaking.
Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear = an expansion that adds to the story. Complaint.
Wat.
About the balance issue. It was the same deal in the originals.
You could play BG2 without importing a character from BG1. That character was weaker if you did.
Throne of Bhaal, you could start it without finishing BG2. That one would be weaker too with weaker items.
It's the same thing here. Yes you would be stronger if you finished the expansion.
Just like you were stronger in BG2 if you imported from BG1.
Also in rpg I like to roleplay,
I know that the golden pantaloons will help me create uber items but if I'm a paladin I will not take them as they are not mine, as a thief I will take them using guile and as evil blackguard etc I will kill the nobleman for confusing me to his servant.
that's rpg and it's awesome.
I read some of the stuff said before and I think you believe this will be some kind of DLC.
It's not. It's a full proper expansion pack, like Tales of the Sword Coast, Throne of Bhaal or Heart of Winter.
With new characters, new items, new locations and new story. Like any expansion pack.
And personally, I would rather see an IWD II EE and PST EE, rather than a "BGIII".
While we're at it, please don't make a BG III, the Bhaalspawn's story is over.
Just like Lord of the Rings, it's the story of the Fellowship. Baldur's Gate is the story of Gorion's Ward/CHARNAME.
I'm more than open to a BG-like game with a new engine. Charname's story is done.
Just as an example: introduce a canonical assumption that Gorion's Ward accepted the option to Ascend, and then s/he's a new god with priests and followers and so on, who would presumably be opposed (and quite likely oppressed) by the priests and followers of rival gods. It wouldn't be too difficult to develop a decent story about the troubles faced by the followers of the new god (including some variations appropriate to the alignment and class of Gorion's Ward), with a new protagonist (and new companions) trying to solve some of those problems.
Provided that the new story is (in some substantial way) a direct consequence of what happened in BG1 and BG2, then it could legitimately be called "BG3".
But, the engine is basically the same. IWDEE's engine is the 'same' as SoD/BGEE/BGIIEE - well, the patch version changes, but the new engine can still play the older games. I just mention this, so you won't get surprised when you hear that we still use the SAME engine!
@Archaos - an "expansion pack" published over the internet is still a DLC. Gamers put a lot more into the word than that, of course, but that's all it really means, and how producers actually use it.
The ability to deliver product electronically does make it economically viable to release smaller, cheaper additional content, but that doesn't mean all DLC is small. Plenty is as big or bigger than TotSC.
Then there are the two "preorder shops" released on floppy disc for BG2, before download became an established delivery method.
For me, I bought BG:EE for 20$, and I have gotten hundreds of hours of time passing joy from (and still more to come) from just that one game which is largely considered their least adventurous endeavor. 20$, that's a popcorn and a drink at the movie theater, not even the ticket. So for me, it's worth it. Everybody gets to decide for themselves.
(EDIT: That was a joke. Although now I really want someone to make a Sam & Max mod...)
we are all huge of this sega.
AND they know it well.
But different story and plot.
that will be pretty awesome.
3d graphics don't really do much in this subgenre.
This is a great story that was made to be played as an epic D&D campaign. Do you guys ever considered something like that seriously?
Further, and this always bugs me in these discussions. Why do people think this is an either or question, and worse go to the extremes. 1 Expansion in I don't know 16 years or whatever its been, isn't exactly flooding people with DLC or micro transactions.
Could do 3 decent sized expansions comfortably (by that I mean there is demand for more BG!) while they work on the next game, if indeed that is the intent.
There has been a few half-hearted, and even a couple of enthusiastic attempts at a spiritual successor, and IMO the combat just felt wrong in all of them. Purely combat-wise, my favourite after the IE games is the NWN series, even though I wouldn't have called them a spiritual successor to BG, back in the day. In hindsight, they were the closest we ever got.
Oh, and more relevant to the discussion at hand, I don't understand this obsession about game pricing - as long as the price isn't astronomical or anything.
I imagine that developing something of this scale takes quite a bit of time and money. Why would it be free? And does 10 or 15 dollars really make that big of an impact for the great majority of people? How much would you spend going out for drinks or a meal?
I'm not trying to defend Beamdog, or SoD in particular, as I've seen this being discussed at a few places now. Oh and I am absolutely against paid armor, quest, or whatever DLCs, obviously.