TotSC is bad. The Ice Island plot looks like something coming from a lazy DM "yeah... So he teleports you guys and there is this maze with some wizards and... Oh yeah, you need to get a cloak. Let's do it because my girlfriend wants to watch a movie". But it adds Durlag's Tower and I'm a dungeon crawler. The Werewolf Island is kind of cool - to get in touch with the past is BG's founder is something to cherish.
I wouldn't called it bad as you said yourself that you like 2/3 of it
I like punk rock. Doesn't make it good music, though.
And considering that SoD's writers were ordered to make the dialogues shallow/short I'm really glad that it is not Beamdog who is doing BG3.
Looking back on it, I think SoD's writers really screwed the pooch. The game had a lot of potential. But it's sad when you can look at SoD, then hear folks who've never played it before and want to play BG1 & 2 again ask, "Is SoD a requirement?" And you have to respond, "I don't think it is. It'd have been a good game if it wasn't attached to the Baldur's Gate series, but it's not a strong addition to the series. Play it if you want to."
The reason I call that sad is, the Baldur's Gate games remain some of my favorite and most loved games. SoD? I can't honestly say it matches up.
To be fair, I honestly say this about ToB. I can't remember the last time I've played through it. It was always a big let down for me. Some people also skip a lot of TotSC. Some runs, you want to do it all. Other times, you skip a bunch.
the only bits of tosc i skip is durlag's tower as i'm not into those types of dungeons [ same reason i don't do watchers keep] and just stick to the rest of it.
I started skipping Werewolf Island after Siege of Dragonspear added a bug where a second greater wolfwere spawns just outside the starting town, long before you can get the weapons of Balduran to deal with it.
Siege of Dragonspear doesn't change anything in the base game beyond the UI and what happens after you beat Sarevok.
As for the second Greater Wolfwere. I've checked and there isn't anything that would cause that in the base game. The only thing that spawns on the southern side map is bears. On the northern side map you get regular wolfweres, bears, worgs, and different types of wolves.
The last person who tried to argue with me about this bug didn't even have SoD installed. The bug is there. SoD *does* change the way this character spawns. He's the guy who asks you to help him and then turns into a werewolf. He's supposed to be a regular werewolf, but he spawns as a greater wolfwere with SoD installed, unless Beamdog finally found it and fixed it in one of the patches.
There were no mods in my game when the bug occurred.
I'm not going to argue with people about it. I know it's there, and I won't go to Werewolf Island any more with SoD installed.
The last person who tried to argue with me about this bug didn't even have SoD installed. The bug is there. SoD *does* change the way this character spawns. He's the guy who asks you to help him and then turns into a werewolf. He's supposed to be a regular werewolf, but he spawns as a greater wolfwere with SoD installed, unless Beamdog finally found it and fixed it in one of the patches.
There were no mods in my game when the bug occurred.
I'm not going to argue with people about it. I know it's there, and I won't go to Werewolf Island any more with SoD installed.
Alright so there was an issue a few years back related to it. Scripts from BG2 were used in SoD and they happened to be also used by Palin. As long as you are playing 2.3 SoD or later (or aren't reloading a save where he is already spawned) this has been fixed.
What we need is either Beamdog making NWN3 for 5e, or
Do you really think, if Beamdog didn't get to develop BG3, they'll be granted Neverwinter Nights 3? No thanks, give that to Obsidian. We KNOW Obsidian can develop original games, as they've churned out a few gems in recent years.
NWN: EE getting beefy expansions that will transform it into a modern looking (3.5e) game.
Uwotm8?
The community already made up for the gaps between 3rd Edition and 3.5, with a plethora of mods. Unless you're making some silly comment about graphics, I don't know what you mean. Also, absolutely no one in the NWN EE community, as a whole, will bother with a NWN EE expansion. They might buy it, but they're be more annoyed than anything, because they'd have to update their multiplayer servers.
You're right, sunshine. They should just stop all development because updating multiplayer servers is so tedious. Silly me.
You're right, sunshine. They should just stop all development because updating multiplayer servers is so tedious. Silly me.
What did their development really add? Only 1 thing of note: better ease of use options for the toolset (and that's still in beta atm). Which is AFTER they broke the favorites tab and the history tab in the Multiplayer Menu, after they introduced several new bugs in an attempt to fix bugs that the community had fixed years ago - and very little of these new bugs Beamdog has been fixed. Then, we got a few more modules that weren't really that interesting. Hooray!
So worth it...
The NWN community would probably rebel if they released a new expansion before fixing ALL of the bugs Beamdog introduced into the NWN systems.
I like SoD, personally. It has its weaknesses, of course, but it has strengths as well.
And say what you will about SoD, but the Dwarves of Dumathoin is a legitimately great sidequest, albeit one that feels a bit awkward where it is placed. Worth playing SoD for that quest alone, imo.
I might drop an adaptation of it in my current pnp adventure. Now I just need to figure out how to extract the maps, lol. Easy to drop it in since I'm running spelljammer right now. Make it a derelict dwarven mountain ship.
I didn't like it when they made nwnee because I could never get into the 3D camera nor do I understand seeing the graphics are still awful.
I won't get axis and allies because ww2 is a boring topic (all war games are boring to me, but ww2 in particular) and i play board games with physical items.
I am sad that for a few years nothing good has come out other than the long overdue patches (which are great, but late).
Ideas? Do we have to search the html hiring page again?
I actually enjoy WW2 settings for war stuff, because it was 'advanced', but still very gritty, without the revolting battlefield conditions of WW1, where you'd spend months wallowing in mud on the front, dying hy the millions for a mile.
WW2 was kinda the tail end of dog fighting air craft, as later tech makes this impractical, while big guns on ships saw their last major use, and tanks really mattered. Now, tanks and battleships are just big targets, and the best tactics are often very 'SWAT'. The racism stuff was ghastly though, and WW2 is more than a little depressing to study.
I actually enjoy WW2 settings for war stuff, because it was 'advanced', but still very gritty, without the revolting battlefield conditions of WW1, where you'd spend months wallowing in mud on the front, dying hy the millions for a mile.
WW2 was kinda the tail end of dog fighting air craft, as later tech makes this impractical, while big guns on ships saw their last major use, and tanks really mattered. Now, tanks and battleships are just big targets, and the best tactics are often very 'SWAT'. The racism stuff was ghastly though, and WW2 is more than a little depressing to study.
There were some pretty serious dog fights in Korea and Vietnam, and I think one of the Arab-Israeli wars.
As a European and a former college history major, I have very little interest in recreational WW2 stuff. My paternal grandfather fought in one theatre of war, my maternal great grandfather lost his hand in another. It hits a little too close to home and frankly, is depressing AF. Turning it into a virtual board game where you choose between two teams and move pawns and resources on a map is a great way of masking the ghastly human tragedy underneath. Most of the men who fought for "the Axis" were unaware of the moral dichotomy at play. They were simply conscripted, told to fight for their country and marched to the front.
I love a medieval fantasy setting not only for its utter implausibility, but the fact that it is so removed from present day realities. The very impersonal nature of such a setting makes stuff like murder and warfare a lot easier to stomach.
Anything based on the real world has a tendency to disturb someone for some reason. Some people think the way Civilization treats religion is quite disrespectful, for instance.
I probalby would have less of a problem with A&A if it were of the contemporary fantasy genre. Maybe kind of like Valkyria Chronicles, but set a couple of years in the future. And having more races than humans in it. But even then military fiction is just not my kind of jam.
Now, if Beamdog did a WARHAMMER cRPG on the other hand... with... playable nurglings, for instance? GIMME NAO!
As a Forgotten Realms fan, my wishlist for Beamdog's next project would be as follows in no particular order:
-Brand new RPG, new Beamdog IP so they have full control.
-Icewind Dale 3, if Larian gets BG, then maybe Beamdog can have Icewind Dale.
-Icewind Dale 2 EE, though I realize this would be a lot of work without the source code. My OCD demands it be made, however.
-Dark Alliance 1/2 EE's, if Interplay or WB would be kind enough to assist in this. This could even open the door for Champions of Norath later.
-Demon Stone EE, a bit different type of game, but still great, and probably not too massive of a project.
-Baldur's Gate 2 Dragonspear themed expansion, or just DLC. Sadly this will probably never happen now.
-Icewind Dale 1 expansion. BG may be off the table, but is Icewind Dale?
-Neverwinter Nights 2 EE, maybe after some talks with Obsidian.
-Neverwinter Nights 1 full expansion. The premium modules are great though so my NWN fix is okay for now.
Anything outside of these probably wouldn't really interest me honestly (sorry Axis and Allies). I really hope Beamdog doesn't fully abandon enhancing existing games. New games are great, but what hooked me on Beamdog was them enhancing titles that I already loved.
I'm actually kinda excited about Axis & Allies myself. I'd love if Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast did something with the old Avalon Hill games. A computer version of Advanced Squad Leader, Struggle of Nations, Advanced 3rd Reich or War & Peace for the computer would likely make me quit my job and become a hermit...
Given how amazing SoD looked and performed, I really hope Beamdog makes another D&D game more completely under their control using that version of the engine. It would be a shame to bring the IE platform to where it was in SoD, then abandon it completely.
Given how many of the problems in SoD were due to having the beginning and ending forced on them, I really would like to see how they manage a campaign where they are given more latitude on how it starts and ends.
Ok, found it. Was easy to miss since I have to rely on the CC to read the dialog and the CC often misses parts of what's being said.
So, now we have a much better idea of what's been the issue for Beamdog. It is funding. They needed a lot more money to do the Planescape game. WotC wasn't willing to put up any funds, and was also opposed to crowdfunding. And Beamdog couldn't find a publisher willing to take on the project. That really sucks, because it means that if a D&D game is to be made it either has to be a very well-off big indie studio (e.g. Larian) or a small studio with a big publisher backing them. A small studio (like Beamdog) on its own cannot do it.
I also really enjoyed listening to Trent talk about how he finds playing 'solo' RPGs to be a lonely experience. I completely agree with this, and it's why I just cannot get into solo games and need the game to be party-based. It doesn't matter how good the game is, how well-made it may be. If there are no companions to accompany you on your adventures, it's a pointless exercise for me. One could interpret from his comments that Beamdog won't be making solo RPGs, and that makes me very happy.
On a separate note, it was nice to get that extra bit at the end of the video of the interview with George Ziets talking about the new game studio he has just launched. His plans for the games he wants to make sound awesome. Really looking forward to whatever comes from that studio.
Looking forward to seeing what you guys come up with next, I’ve been a big fan of your work. Personally I’d love to see what you can do with your own IP in terms of a RPG. Failing that, an isometric RPG in another setting that hasn’t been explored as a rp yet (for example, an isometric RPG set in the Walking Dead universe would be epic if you ever got the permission to do so).
Either way I’m pretty sure whatever you do will be excellent.
Look up Dead State if you want a zombie RPG. It's a great game, made by two old Obsidian developers and the Iron Tower (makers of Age of Decadence) crew.
Comments
I like punk rock. Doesn't make it good music, though.
Siege of Dragonspear doesn't change anything in the base game beyond the UI and what happens after you beat Sarevok.
As for the second Greater Wolfwere. I've checked and there isn't anything that would cause that in the base game. The only thing that spawns on the southern side map is bears. On the northern side map you get regular wolfweres, bears, worgs, and different types of wolves.
There were no mods in my game when the bug occurred.
I'm not going to argue with people about it. I know it's there, and I won't go to Werewolf Island any more with SoD installed.
Alright so there was an issue a few years back related to it. Scripts from BG2 were used in SoD and they happened to be also used by Palin. As long as you are playing 2.3 SoD or later (or aren't reloading a save where he is already spawned) this has been fixed.
You're right, sunshine. They should just stop all development because updating multiplayer servers is so tedious. Silly me.
So worth it...
The NWN community would probably rebel if they released a new expansion before fixing ALL of the bugs Beamdog introduced into the NWN systems.
And say what you will about SoD, but the Dwarves of Dumathoin is a legitimately great sidequest, albeit one that feels a bit awkward where it is placed. Worth playing SoD for that quest alone, imo.
I might drop an adaptation of it in my current pnp adventure. Now I just need to figure out how to extract the maps, lol. Easy to drop it in since I'm running spelljammer right now. Make it a derelict dwarven mountain ship.
I didn't like it when they made nwnee because I could never get into the 3D camera nor do I understand seeing the graphics are still awful.
I won't get axis and allies because ww2 is a boring topic (all war games are boring to me, but ww2 in particular) and i play board games with physical items.
I am sad that for a few years nothing good has come out other than the long overdue patches (which are great, but late).
Ideas? Do we have to search the html hiring page again?
WW2 was kinda the tail end of dog fighting air craft, as later tech makes this impractical, while big guns on ships saw their last major use, and tanks really mattered. Now, tanks and battleships are just big targets, and the best tactics are often very 'SWAT'. The racism stuff was ghastly though, and WW2 is more than a little depressing to study.
There were some pretty serious dog fights in Korea and Vietnam, and I think one of the Arab-Israeli wars.
I love a medieval fantasy setting not only for its utter implausibility, but the fact that it is so removed from present day realities. The very impersonal nature of such a setting makes stuff like murder and warfare a lot easier to stomach.
Now, if Beamdog did a WARHAMMER cRPG on the other hand... with... playable nurglings, for instance? GIMME NAO!
-Brand new RPG, new Beamdog IP so they have full control.
-Icewind Dale 3, if Larian gets BG, then maybe Beamdog can have Icewind Dale.
-Icewind Dale 2 EE, though I realize this would be a lot of work without the source code. My OCD demands it be made, however.
-Dark Alliance 1/2 EE's, if Interplay or WB would be kind enough to assist in this. This could even open the door for Champions of Norath later.
-Demon Stone EE, a bit different type of game, but still great, and probably not too massive of a project.
-Baldur's Gate 2 Dragonspear themed expansion, or just DLC. Sadly this will probably never happen now.
-Icewind Dale 1 expansion. BG may be off the table, but is Icewind Dale?
-Neverwinter Nights 2 EE, maybe after some talks with Obsidian.
-Neverwinter Nights 1 full expansion. The premium modules are great though so my NWN fix is okay for now.
Anything outside of these probably wouldn't really interest me honestly (sorry Axis and Allies). I really hope Beamdog doesn't fully abandon enhancing existing games. New games are great, but what hooked me on Beamdog was them enhancing titles that I already loved.
Given how many of the problems in SoD were due to having the beginning and ending forced on them, I really would like to see how they manage a campaign where they are given more latitude on how it starts and ends.
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/493368209?t=38m32s
Trent also mentioned it:
Later in the video Trent explains a bit what the next project will be.
@JuliusBorisov, could you please give a rough timepoint at which Trent talks about the next project? I couldn't find it.
Also, because the Twitch video does not have CC, could you please give a quick summary of what David says about the canceled game? Thanks!
So, now we have a much better idea of what's been the issue for Beamdog. It is funding. They needed a lot more money to do the Planescape game. WotC wasn't willing to put up any funds, and was also opposed to crowdfunding. And Beamdog couldn't find a publisher willing to take on the project. That really sucks, because it means that if a D&D game is to be made it either has to be a very well-off big indie studio (e.g. Larian) or a small studio with a big publisher backing them. A small studio (like Beamdog) on its own cannot do it.
I also really enjoyed listening to Trent talk about how he finds playing 'solo' RPGs to be a lonely experience. I completely agree with this, and it's why I just cannot get into solo games and need the game to be party-based. It doesn't matter how good the game is, how well-made it may be. If there are no companions to accompany you on your adventures, it's a pointless exercise for me. One could interpret from his comments that Beamdog won't be making solo RPGs, and that makes me very happy.
On a separate note, it was nice to get that extra bit at the end of the video of the interview with George Ziets talking about the new game studio he has just launched. His plans for the games he wants to make sound awesome. Really looking forward to whatever comes from that studio.
Either way I’m pretty sure whatever you do will be excellent.
The potshot at Superman in the tutorial was uncalled for though.
Edit* Just to make clear this is not a sarcastic post. I would love this lol