Interesting thread you have here. Don't mind if partake in some conspiracy theories.
So, I just had a thought. Looking back at the 2.0 release, why did Beamdog demolish and rebuild from ground up the entire UI system? The immediate answer is that they wanted to spruce up the UI for SoD, and that's certainly true. I wonder though if that was the only reason.
It was a huge undertaking on their part and it's not like the previous UI was unusable. They could have changed the layouts and created new designs, they've done this before after all. But they went much further and created a system that could accommodate larger and more radical changes than what they actually needed. Get what I'm driving at?
What if the primary reason for the UI system rework was for Beamdog to use the same engine for a game with a very different UI setup? A new Infinity EE game. Could be Torment, could be IWD2, could be something else.
Or I could be completely and utterly wrong. Wouldn't be the first time.
Modern modular programming practice means that they could use the interface developed for SoD with other games, even if they where not powered by the infinity engine. I always figured that this was the intention, since the revamp was way too much work for a mere expansion pack.
Initially it will be used for Dave Gaider's new BG game though, not PSTEE, which is not a current project.
I just wanna say that as someone who has TWO sets of the discs (what? one of 'em has the second disc all scratched to heck and the other discs faring only a bit better), and who has long since bought the GOG PST, I'll buy it again. If GOG does something like what they did with the BG EEs and gives the new one to people who bought the old one long enough before, I'll buy it on Steam just to put money in Beamdog's pocket for this even though I'd be using the GOG EE release to, y'know, actually play it.
I don't care whether they just polish it up and add tiny bits of trimming and let the original gem shine with renewed brightness.
And I also don't care whether they polish it up and add nine new companions, hundreds of side quests, a main quest twice as long as the first after the credits finish rolling, a system for rising through the ranks of any of the Planescape Factions with attendant questlines for each Faction, and seven story player housing with a partitioned jacuzzi that has a lava section for Ignus and portals to every Infinity Engine game's universe with save import/export abilities.
(or anything in between)
BEAMDOG WILL HAVE MY MONEY COME NINE HELLS OR LUNIA'S HIGH HOLY WATER BECAUSE THIS GAME IS MY FAVOURITE PC RPG OF ALL TIMEwith really bad UI design, and if there's one thing Beamdog is definitely great at, it's making new UIs that give me digital massages to erase the headaches caused by 90s UI design
We "know" (it's come up in various places even outside this forum but not officially confirmed) that a new D&D game is in the works, but people labeling it 'BG Next' is just their wishful thinking. I am quite confident it is a completely new IP that has nothing to do with the BG series, which is exactly as it should be.
@kanisatha BG:Next is does not strictly refer to a new entry in the Baldur's Gate series, it's about being a spiritual successor. Basically what a lot of us wanted Neverwinter Nights, Dragon Age and Pillars of Eternity to be.
That can either mean an actual sequel or a game that manages to strike the same notes in terms of gameplay, atmosphere and general "feel" and most importantly invoke the same magic that the BG series invoked in us.
We "know" (it's come up in various places even outside this forum but not officially confirmed) that a new D&D game is in the works, but people labeling it 'BG Next' is just their wishful thinking. I am quite confident it is a completely new IP that has nothing to do with the BG series, which is exactly as it should be.
What we "know" about the project come from talk about negotiations with Hasbro about the D&D licence.
You don't need to negotiate with Hasbro for "a completely new IP".
I have gotten so used to the EE interface (zooming, middle click and drag to move, etc...) I find it very difficult to play the GOG version of PS:T (the widescreen mod is not enough anymore). Even if the only change made to PSTEE was making a new UI for the game, I would buy it.
Ugh, let's just hope they don't casualise it for the modern audience by adding things such as a character wheel, no permadeath, special snowflake party members, and the ability to respec your character's class mid-game.
Ugh, let's just hope they don't casualise it for the modern audience by adding things such as a character wheel, no permadeath, special snowflake party members, and the ability to respec your character's class mid-game.
Comments
Person 2: "ZOMG!!! RIOTS!!!!"
So, I just had a thought. Looking back at the 2.0 release, why did Beamdog demolish and rebuild from ground up the entire UI system? The immediate answer is that they wanted to spruce up the UI for SoD, and that's certainly true. I wonder though if that was the only reason.
It was a huge undertaking on their part and it's not like the previous UI was unusable. They could have changed the layouts and created new designs, they've done this before after all. But they went much further and created a system that could accommodate larger and more radical changes than what they actually needed. Get what I'm driving at?
What if the primary reason for the UI system rework was for Beamdog to use the same engine for a game with a very different UI setup? A new Infinity EE game. Could be Torment, could be IWD2, could be something else.
Or I could be completely and utterly wrong. Wouldn't be the first time.
Initially it will be used for Dave Gaider's new BG game though, not PSTEE, which is not a current project.
I don't care whether they just polish it up and add tiny bits of trimming and let the original gem shine with renewed brightness.
And I also don't care whether they polish it up and add nine new companions, hundreds of side quests, a main quest twice as long as the first after the credits finish rolling, a system for rising through the ranks of any of the Planescape Factions with attendant questlines for each Faction, and seven story player housing with a partitioned jacuzzi that has a lava section for Ignus and portals to every Infinity Engine game's universe with save import/export abilities.
(or anything in between)
BEAMDOG WILL HAVE MY MONEY COME NINE HELLS OR LUNIA'S HIGH HOLY WATER BECAUSE THIS GAME IS MY FAVOURITE PC RPG OF ALL TIME
with really bad UI design, and if there's one thing Beamdog is definitely great at, it's making new UIs that give me digital massages to erase the headaches caused by 90s UI designAlso, we know there's a BG game in the works?
BG:Next is does not strictly refer to a new entry in the Baldur's Gate series, it's about being a spiritual successor. Basically what a lot of us wanted Neverwinter Nights, Dragon Age and Pillars of Eternity to be.
That can either mean an actual sequel or a game that manages to strike the same notes in terms of gameplay, atmosphere and general "feel" and most importantly invoke the same magic that the BG series invoked in us.
You don't need to negotiate with Hasbro for "a completely new IP".