In hindsight - Comparing the Enhanced Edition games
Excalibur_2102
Member Posts: 351
Okay, before I get to the point, I will say that I have always supported what beam dog and their games and will likely continue to do so (though can you please hurry up and do a stand-alone old school D&D RPG already??).
I just wanted to discuss the different enhanced edition games and what I personally might've preferred they do with them. I think everyone will agree that a true HD version of the games would've been ideal though the fact that the source art was lost meant it could not happen.
Now that I have seen Planescape: Torments minimalist approach to enhancements, I cant help but feel it might've been better if all the games were done this way. I know part of this is nostalgia speaking, but the new characters in BGEE stand out, even if you feel they were good characters. For one, the fact that they have much more voiced dialogue makes them stick out compared to the rest. Though the content additions are not necessarily what bothers me the most, but the UI design in particular. I've never been able to stand that blue UI that BGEE shipped with, and to this day I'm still hoping for a mod that is in the style of the original. The PSTEE UI looks great. High resolution, no ridiculous tiny buttons, and keeps the spirit of the original perfectly (by that I mean pretty much exactly the same).
I get that with PSTEE they wanted to keep the game close to the original because it was so highly regarded by fans, even more so than Baldurs Gate. Still, I cant help but feel that maybe Baldurs Gate should have been treated the same way.
Having said that, I hope BGEE gets a 3.0 patch with a lot of the stuff included in PSTEE.
I just wanted to discuss the different enhanced edition games and what I personally might've preferred they do with them. I think everyone will agree that a true HD version of the games would've been ideal though the fact that the source art was lost meant it could not happen.
Now that I have seen Planescape: Torments minimalist approach to enhancements, I cant help but feel it might've been better if all the games were done this way. I know part of this is nostalgia speaking, but the new characters in BGEE stand out, even if you feel they were good characters. For one, the fact that they have much more voiced dialogue makes them stick out compared to the rest. Though the content additions are not necessarily what bothers me the most, but the UI design in particular. I've never been able to stand that blue UI that BGEE shipped with, and to this day I'm still hoping for a mod that is in the style of the original. The PSTEE UI looks great. High resolution, no ridiculous tiny buttons, and keeps the spirit of the original perfectly (by that I mean pretty much exactly the same).
I get that with PSTEE they wanted to keep the game close to the original because it was so highly regarded by fans, even more so than Baldurs Gate. Still, I cant help but feel that maybe Baldurs Gate should have been treated the same way.
Having said that, I hope BGEE gets a 3.0 patch with a lot of the stuff included in PSTEE.
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Comments
When BG:EE was first announced, there might have been trepidation of releasing an enhanced edition game without any added bonuses to it. Would players actually pay $20 for an old game with just minor adjustments?
We now know the answer is yes, but the risk was too high to take back when it was first proposed.
I also dont think vanilla BG aged well. Remember weapon proficiencies were basic and vague (spiked weapons, blunt weapons) and spell selection minimal and only basic classes, no kits.
That in itself wouldn't be able to compete with a modded BG.
I can't recall seeing many players who didn't want that and I agree that certain aspects of its gameplay are dated or needing improvements (small item stacks, lack of containers, slow walking speeds, etc).
Implementing new classes and kits (the biggest feature introduced by BG2) does create a bit of a balance problem, but that can be avoided by sticking to the core classes and is certainly worth having all other improvements.
There are certainly many things to be happy about and thank Beamdog for, but there are two major problems with BG:EE (and BG2:EE to a lesser extent): 1) they went overboard with the changes and 2) most new content was at best unnecessary and at worst, poorly integrated.
PST:EE was not a step but a Hulk-sized leap in the right direction and I appreciate their work. It's just a damn shame that the BG series, being even more of a beloved classic than PST, wasn't approached with the same caution and reverence.
Beamdog should focus on better integration of their content as they progress - not completely remove it. Or should I say, not make any new new content at all. I hope your admiration won't let them think that they're doing a better thing with this minimalistic approach.
Also, I would have liked to have more content in Planescape, as that game always felt kind of small compared to the other Infinity Engine games, but I'm still happy either way, extra content or not.