Who in Bioware designed Durlag's Tower?

Bubbles

Hi everyone,
Any idea who in BioWare designed Durlag's Tower?
Thank goodness I don't have a DM in PnP days with that kind of mind ^^.

O_Bruce

You know, I asked myself that question. Multiple times.

Bubbles

Oh dear I am stuck at level 2 Durlag's Tower ..
Killed both dopplegangers, placed the 3 wardstoes FIK, the Throne room door won't open, and the Gargoyles only open either left or right door O_O !!
What did I do wrong???

Bubbles

Oh nevermind ... found out how to open it ^^.
This designer is really a "Psycho" ^^

Heindrich

lol I love Durlag's Tower. Knowing that one misstep could result in certain death at any moment really gives the whole thing a feeling of tension, danger and adventure! Not to mention the fabulous treasure too

Bubbles

@Heindrich
Yeah, up to date the whole BG/EE triglogy, I guess Durlag's Tower gives me a real sense of adventure that Watcher's Keep does not. Whoever designed this back in the BioWare days is a real "Sadist" ^^.
Very enjoyable gameplay this particular tower, even if replayed can still die like ants with a mistake.
I guess even in the PnP days the most fun levels are always between level 1-10 where everyone has to be on their toes ^^.

Yamcha

gamefaqs has a list with the people that worked on TotSC

Must have been one of those guys:

Designer Rob Bartel
Designer Kevin Craig
Designer Ross Gardner
Designer Kevin Martens
Designer Andrew Nobbs
Designer John Winski

http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/196688-baldurs-gate-tales-of-the-sword-coast/credit

O_Bruce

Bubbles said:

Whoever designed this back in the BioWare days is a real "Sadist" ^^.

I think before showing the designs for Durlag's Tower he was like: "Guys, you know who I hate the most? Gamers *evil laugh*"

Bubbles

@Yamcha
Thank you ^^ by the way drink more "Green" Tea ^^

@O_Bruce
Oh yeah, at least one of them must have waited for such opportunities torture the gamers and it actually lasted till this very day the torment is still ongoing ^^.

Phew just done the chessboard .. wasn't as hard as I projected ... that hedge-maze is far more subtlely dangerous... level 3 took me so long to complete X_X Ack!!!

Bubbles

Ouch!! Bad nabassu T_T ....

Jarrakul

Sounds like you've met Aec'Latec. Fun times. He killed me a *bunch* before I figured him out.

Bubbles

@Jarrakul
He "murdered" Ajantis, Imoen + Branwen ... killed Faldorn and Neera ...
Now I am heading towards the nearest temple and raise those 2 girls ...
Darn!.. who is the child of murder .. how dare "IT" murdered them X_X

Bubbles

Oh boy, this is so funny ^^ ....
Everyone on that island keep saying " oo you smell" O_o

justfeelinathome

Maybe you could cross-check if one of these designers later worked as a freelancer for from software? If he went on to work on any of the Souls titles, you've got a good chance he was the one responsible for Durlags Tower. (Joke aside, that's unlikely since "from" are from Japan. Oh well...)
However, returning to the Tower after meeting with Souls games, I got a Souls-esque feeling: Punishing, yet never unfair, with a murderously steep learning curve if you progressed at to low a level and harboring a sense of accomplishment that only comes from true challenge. Oh, and also: Environmental storytelling.

Aedan

Yamcha said:

Must have been one of those guys:

Designer Rob Bartel
Designer Kevin Craig
Designer Ross Gardner
Designer Kevin Martens
Designer Andrew Nobbs
Designer John Winski

Why just one? They could all have worked on that torture chamber

Jarrakul

I should probably say I honestly love Durlag's Tower. Not so much in what it's like to play (I find BG's traps in general to be more annoying than fun), although I certainly don't dislike that, but what I love about the place is it atmosphere. What is it the statues say in the last level? The builders carved Durlag's hate into the very stone? Yeah, I can feel that.

drawnacrol

For me Durlag's Tower is the midway point between BG1 and BG2 in design and feel. Its such a fun adventure thats frustratingly difficult at times but the maps are just incredibly detailed.

Bubbles

First Impression when I step into the tower for the first time "hmmm pretty small round tower"
Then I move a bit from entry " ehh this tower looks like it has 2 rings per level" ( I was only half right I guess).
I didn't go to the upper floors first, I went to the basement ( I thought I park my car there somewhere ^^).
Found a secret entrance .. I was telling myself " this is not looking good dude".
Went into the secret entrance and check Map " ok looks like a pretty small map"

Few days later (real life) ... " why am I still exploring the basements and havent finish them? X_X"
The Maps looks small BUT, the hell with the designers, I bet they have "divine" assistance in designing it (looks like a devil is had a "horn" in it).

Oh the next thing that is freaking irritating in design as I continue the play is the City of Baldur's Gate X_X.
So many walls and so many sections (I played this game hastily years ago and has no recollection of the maps design) ...Right now I am still trying to find the Blushing Mermaid Inn ^^ .. goodness where would they put an inn with such a name at? (trying hard to think the way those devils were thinking years ago ^^).

Oh I finally figured out how to fight that Big Bad Wolf after he ate up my party a couple of times (reason is that I originally prepared a party to deal with it but half of that party became ghasts so this half is hastily hired and not having the right "pig"ficiencies to handle a Big Bad Wolf (half the party = 3 = little pigs ^^)

Alexisisinneed

Durlags tower is really tedious. It's always the last stop for me before I kill Sarevok. Manely because the annoying floor with those statue puzzles. But I really love the back story of it. You can totally see the pain and misery that caused him to build the tower in the first place.

Bubbles

@Alexisisinneed
I love the tower ^^.
However, I will make it the middle stop and not the last.Main reason is that after the tower, gotta fight that Aec thing and some of my mates may not be recoverable after the fight ...
At least that let me level up some of the replacements I have to acquire later.

Alexisisinneed

You do know that Protection from petrification and potions of mirror eyes protect you from the demon's gaze? Also the tower is design for late game parties. You need at least 100 in find traps to be able to detect and remove traps. The main goal of that boss fight is not to focus on the demons but kill all he cultist as fast as you can and then worry about the demon. Your pop and potions should last you long enough. Just like two weeks ago I beat the sucker with scs installed.

Bubbles

@Alexisisinneed
Hehe I am abit stingy with consumables ^^
The next time i make an evil party, I will use them ^^.
Protection from Petrification is deliberately renamed for "evil" intentions I guess ^^ (it is supposed to be Gaze Reflection) except in BG2EE it didn't quite reflect the beholders' attacks X_X.

Yamcha

Alexisisinneed said:

The main goal of that boss fight is not to focus on the demons but kill all he cultist as fast as you can and then worry about the demon. Your pop and potions should last you long enough.

You should try the stealthy approach. Get a rogue, ranger, or anyone else with invisibility in there, equipa ranged weapon and pick them off one by one.

As long as you're undetected by the mage on the stairs, the fight won't start.
Also perception potions, sold in front of the tower, and found in the first sub-lvl come in very handy for all your trapping needs.

Jarrakul

While we're talking Aec'Latec strategies, let me share mine.

Take your best archer, give them boots of speed and two potions of magic protection. Drink both potions, send the character down there alone, and kite. Nothing in that room has non-magical ranged attacks, so it's very plausible to take literally 0 damage. Personally, I haven't lost a character to Aec'Latec since I started using this method.

Yamcha

Also very important: Dispel Magic removes Aec'Latec's deadly debuff

Bubbles

I used to do lots of sniping in BG2EE ^^
This time round I just wanted to call in the cavalry and charge right in xD
It was fun to try to survive, next run onward will be back to good old snipe and hide ^^

OlvynChuru

I'm in the process of making Durlag's Tower even more sadistic. Yesterday I included another specter (sort of like Daitel) in one of the basement floors of the tower. During the fight with him, he teleports to an isolated room, quickly summons 15 skeletons, casts Stinking Cloud on himself, and teleports the protagonist into the room. He has other nasty tricks as well.

Bubbles

@OlvynChuru
Awww, that's very naughty ^^

Bubbles

Finally killed Sarevok ....
Same old tactic ... looks like pretty fix way for major boss fight.
Very hard to find a more creative way to fight them ... always lure ...
To think Charname is supposed to have the largest slice of the Bhaal essence yet not even as tough as Sarevok ... must be Gorion's fault ^^.

Yamcha

Gorion is the nice guy, he wants to shield you from your heritage.
Sarevok's mentor is the complete opposite, training him, making him stronger with those rituals, embracing bhaals essence. + he's the spoiled son of an iron throne leader, he has the gold to buy the best equipment

Bubbles

@Yamcha
Awww, Gorion would seemed like that "parent" who always think their kid is not ready X_X.
Then 1 day in the deathbed, trying to tell Charname his biological father left him a huge inheritance,desperately with his last faint breath, which he should have done 10 years ago .... oops life support fail ...
Thus the kid is thrown out into the street by other relatives with no place to call home and the poor kid have to wander around in a hostile neighborhood flooded with drugs and homicide ... + siblings who try to murder him so that they could become the sole heir.
He has to be freaking lucky to end up being a President later part of his life (or somewhat ruthless ?_?).

Sob.. sob.. sniff...sniff... I WANT MY MOMMY !!