So I've got a question that may require a more nuanced or direct answer. Does Beamdog eventually plan on upgrading graphics/assets/etc. of content moving forward? Or is the goal to keep everything as is indefinite?
I understand they won't be touching any of the current content for compatibility/cost issues. I've already purchased the game, so I'm in one way or the other.
There hasn't been given any reply to your question, @Enilwyn . There will be a livestream today, maybe it's the best place to ask that kind of question.
@JuliusBorisov It might be something to bring up for clarification. There seems to be a lot of people clamoring for improved graphics without knowing the nature of what BD has to take into consideration.
I was actually a little surprised at how quickly I took to the graphics. The only thing I hate is the geometrical square/rectangle shape of all the environments. I am not sure that can be changed, so I'll learn to love it!
@Enilwyn The first twitch stream mentioned this indirectly. There were no firm details (they didn't want to talk about it) but during the minimum requirements discussion they said the current content would be fine with very low spec hardware but future content would require beefier specs.
The take away from that would be that more modern looking assets will be a thing, it'd certainly tie into the development of more interesting shaders.
Hopefully it'll be discussed in more detail during the twitch later today.
@JuliusBorisov It might be something to bring up for clarification. There seems to be a lot of people clamoring for improved graphics without knowing the nature of what BD has to take into consideration.
Very true. Not every NWN player is/was a fan of multiplayer, some prefer solo runs with mods, and there are those who even like OC. As of now advertising is lost on them. I personally had to dig around to understand what is so good about that EE and why it is even called "Enhanced Edition".
May be a bit stronger accent on convenience of mods installment would help? Centralisation, support, addition of different platforms? As well as better presenting graphic enhancement - right now it looks like in video they forgot to turn on AA and picture is actually worse than the one people see in their old games.
Not every NWN player is/was a fan of multiplayer, some prefer solo runs with mods, and there are those who even like OC. As of now advertising is lost on them.
I'm one of those who prefer "solo runs with mods," and the advertising certainly isn't lost on me. I think their approach is spot on.
It's just the nwtoolset.exe under the installation folder within the Beamdog Library Directory. Should be located in the bin folder under a path something like this - C:\Users\[User Name]\Beamdog Library\00829\bin\win32
Technical debt is a concept in programming that reflects the extra development work that arises when code that is easy to implement in the short run is used instead of applying the best overall solution.
Technical debt is commonly associated with extreme programming, especially in the context of refactoring. That is, it implies that restructuring existing code (refactoring) is required as part of the development process. Under this line of thinking refactoring is not only a result of poorly written code, but is also done based on an evolving understanding of a problem and the best way to solve that problem.
Technical debt is a concept in programming that reflects the extra development work that arises when code that is easy to implement in the short run is used instead of applying the best overall solution.
Technical debt is commonly associated with extreme programming, especially in the context of refactoring. That is, it implies that restructuring existing code (refactoring) is required as part of the development process. Under this line of thinking refactoring is not only a result of poorly written code, but is also done based on an evolving understanding of a problem and the best way to solve that problem.
Technical debt is a concept in programming that reflects the extra development work that arises when code that is easy to implement in the short run is used instead of applying the best overall solution.
Technical debt is commonly associated with extreme programming, especially in the context of refactoring. That is, it implies that restructuring existing code (refactoring) is required as part of the development process. Under this line of thinking refactoring is not only a result of poorly written code, but is also done based on an evolving understanding of a problem and the best way to solve that problem.
Trent Oster tweeted: “We are still paying down some technical debt. We have a few features that need to go in that don’t really improve the experience.”
As a software engineer, that statement reassures me that the future of NWN is in good hands. It’s good to see someone in charge of the franchise that seems to “get it.”
EDIT: hold on. Do you actually mean that the final NWN was shipped with some half-baked code?
I think just about every game in existence has some somewhere. Especially as deadlines get closer people tend to write to the standard of "it works" rather than the most elegant or extensible solutions.
EDIT: hold on. Do you actually mean that the final NWN was shipped with some half-baked code?
"Technical debt" is a common term in software development, and generally applies to long-lived projects, which many games were not expected to be! In the early years of video games, each new game was written from scratch, learning lessons from what went before.
The basic notion of the debt is that you make convenient choices now, that make it harder to change code in the future. They are not bugs in the sense that the program is broken, but as these decisions add up, it becomes increasingly difficult to add new features without introducing bugs, as the software was not designed with that new feature in mind. That is where paying down the debt occurs - you spend some time rewriting perfectly functional code to hopefully have the same effect (including resource and performance costs) that will be easier to extend in the future, in the directions you expect.
Why don't we write everything to be the most flexible, all of the time? Because the complexity quickly becomes crippling. If you cannot make simplifying assumptions (e.g., gravity always points down) then it soon becomes too much for a human mind to hold all possible combinations at once, and bugs proliferate. So you want to add a flying spell? We make an exception to the law of gravity, and most of our reasoning still holds. Add too many exceptions though, and we are into technical debt, and want a better abstraction for that mechanic.
EDIT: hold on. Do you actually mean that the final NWN was shipped with some half-baked code?
I think just about every game in existence has some somewhere. Especially as deadlines get closer people tend to write to the standard of "it works" rather than the most elegant or extensible solutions.
Not just games. I think about the code i’ve seen in production every time I need medical equipment used.
I was wondering. I bought deluxe option but not head start. I guess i i need to wait for full release to play. Any ideas how long that could take? 2 months?
I was wondering. I bought deluxe option but not head start. I guess i i need to wait for full release to play. Any ideas how long that could take? 2 months?
@Zaowchen yes, all singleplayer and basic multiplayer (i.e. not PW) modules work in Headstart EE. If anything doesn't work, file a bug. You can even use any old DE saves you have.
Just looked at the actual FAQ and saw that what I need an answer isn't there. Can you either update the first post of page 1 of this thread or add to the FAQ instructions on upgrading from the standard edition to the digital deluxe please. I know it is something simple like emailing the support but I can't remember the actual email address or the full procedure.
Comments
I understand they won't be touching any of the current content for compatibility/cost issues. I've already purchased the game, so I'm in one way or the other.
I was actually a little surprised at how quickly I took to the graphics. The only thing I hate is the geometrical square/rectangle shape of all the environments. I am not sure that can be changed, so I'll learn to love it!
The take away from that would be that more modern looking assets will be a thing, it'd certainly tie into the development of more interesting shaders.
Hopefully it'll be discussed in more detail during the twitch later today.
May be a bit stronger accent on convenience of mods installment would help? Centralisation, support, addition of different platforms? As well as better presenting graphic enhancement - right now it looks like in video they forgot to turn on AA and picture is actually worse than the one people see in their old games.
C:\Users\[User Name]\Beamdog Library\00829\bin\win32
Technical debt is commonly associated with extreme programming, especially in the context of refactoring. That is, it implies that restructuring existing code (refactoring) is required as part of the development process. Under this line of thinking refactoring is not only a result of poorly written code, but is also done based on an evolving understanding of a problem and the best way to solve that problem.
https://www.techopedia.com/definition/27913/technical-debt
EDIT: hold on. Do you actually mean that the final NWN was shipped with some half-baked code?
As a software engineer, that statement reassures me that the future of NWN is in good hands. It’s good to see someone in charge of the franchise that seems to “get it.”
The basic notion of the debt is that you make convenient choices now, that make it harder to change code in the future. They are not bugs in the sense that the program is broken, but as these decisions add up, it becomes increasingly difficult to add new features without introducing bugs, as the software was not designed with that new feature in mind. That is where paying down the debt occurs - you spend some time rewriting perfectly functional code to hopefully have the same effect (including resource and performance costs) that will be easier to extend in the future, in the directions you expect.
Why don't we write everything to be the most flexible, all of the time? Because the complexity quickly becomes crippling. If you cannot make simplifying assumptions (e.g., gravity always points down) then it soon becomes too much for a human mind to hold all possible combinations at once, and bugs proliferate. So you want to add a flying spell? We make an exception to the law of gravity, and most of our reasoning still holds. Add too many exceptions though, and we are into technical debt, and want a better abstraction for that mechanic.
EDIT: nevermind, just put ## before your command in the chatbox
Any ideas how long that could take? 2 months?
TR
Anyway, you (and going forward, it'll be especially important) can find additional information during the livestreams and their recaps. Like https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/67407/december-1-livestream-recap#latest in this case.
TR