@UnderstandMouseMagic "But would you really swap the new UI for having new content? And bugs, does fixing bugs include complete overhauls that surely must cost a lot more money/resources?"
What do you mean "would I swap the UI". I did, and I'm quite happy with it, so yeah, I guess I would. While minor bug fixing doesn't require overhauls, can you give me an example on what has been bad about the overhauls? Aside from pure aesthetics, functionality of the game has only improved.
"Could you give me an example of some of the stuff that has come out because of the latest changes?"
I'm not a modder personally, so others can answer this with more detail than I can but I'll cover what I can. With almost every new release, the devs have either un-hardcoded something that couldn't be changed before, or created new opcodes that dictate what we can tell the engine to do (sorry if this part is technically incorrect, but this is basically what the effect is). So for example maybe before you had to tell the engine "x does y" now you can say "x does y unless z" or maybe "x does y only to d." Look at some of the recent mod kits and tweaks that have come out. Stuff like Faiths and Powers are able to create multiclass kits. This might not sound huge, but on current bg builds there is DOZENS of new classes and even spheres for divine spells, and feats, and etc. Trying to install on IWD, which is on 1.4, only gets you 2 or 3 multiclass kits, simply because the non-improved engine simply CANT support all this. *edit* I need to slightly amend this one. the disparity in kits between BG and IWD is not as large as I have stated here. There are certain classes (paladins for example) that can't be supported fully under the old engine. Not the swaths of dozens that I erroneously claimed.
" I maybe mistaken but aren't some of the mobile platforms still using 1.3? And there are no plans to update them? That's what I am talking about when I say splitting the fanbase, nobody even has a choice about it. Let alone those like myself who simply don't want to upgrade."
2.5 is supposed to be the update that brings every platform up to parity. IOS, Android, Mac, Windows, it will bring everything up and allow cross platform multiplayer. After IWD and BG 1 and 2 are finished, the patch team will focus on bringing SoD to the platforms still missing it and bringing it up to 2.5 as well.
Wow - some of you guys make it sound like it was an almost impossible and foolish venture to create BG in the first place. Well, despite the hopeless IE Beamdog has managed to make a perfectly decent expansion in SoD and while I hear you when you say that it would be difficult to make a profit if they started out on a new game with the old engine, I think the same could be said about the alternative.
If/when Beamdog go in another direction and make their own game, perhaps an RPG, perhaps in a world of their own making, I for one will not be any more inclined to buy that game then any other. I'm here because I'm a fan of BG, IWD and PS:T, not as a fan of Beamdog as such. I am grateful for what they have done with the games and I was quite impressed and pleased with SoD but while I certainly will purchase any expansions for the old games as well as any new similar ones), I don't see myself investing in anything that has nothing to do with the old gems.
Comments
And bugs, does fixing bugs include complete overhauls that surely must cost a lot more money/resources?"
What do you mean "would I swap the UI". I did, and I'm quite happy with it, so yeah, I guess I would. While minor bug fixing doesn't require overhauls, can you give me an example on what has been bad about the overhauls? Aside from pure aesthetics, functionality of the game has only improved.
"Could you give me an example of some of the stuff that has come out because of the latest changes?"
I'm not a modder personally, so others can answer this with more detail than I can but I'll cover what I can. With almost every new release, the devs have either un-hardcoded something that couldn't be changed before, or created new opcodes that dictate what we can tell the engine to do (sorry if this part is technically incorrect, but this is basically what the effect is). So for example maybe before you had to tell the engine "x does y" now you can say "x does y unless z" or maybe "x does y only to d." Look at some of the recent mod kits and tweaks that have come out. Stuff like Faiths and Powers are able to create multiclass kits. This might not sound huge, but on current bg builds there is DOZENS of new classes and even spheres for divine spells, and feats, and etc. Trying to install on IWD, which is on 1.4, only gets you 2 or 3 multiclass kits, simply because the non-improved engine simply CANT support all this. *edit* I need to slightly amend this one. the disparity in kits between BG and IWD is not as large as I have stated here. There are certain classes (paladins for example) that can't be supported fully under the old engine. Not the swaths of dozens that I erroneously claimed.
"
I maybe mistaken but aren't some of the mobile platforms still using 1.3? And there are no plans to update them? That's what I am talking about when I say splitting the fanbase, nobody even has a choice about it. Let alone those like myself who simply don't want to upgrade."
2.5 is supposed to be the update that brings every platform up to parity. IOS, Android, Mac, Windows, it will bring everything up and allow cross platform multiplayer. After IWD and BG 1 and 2 are finished, the patch team will focus on bringing SoD to the platforms still missing it and bringing it up to 2.5 as well.
* (still working on it, have patience)"
*heavy breathing*
If/when Beamdog go in another direction and make their own game, perhaps an RPG, perhaps in a world of their own making, I for one will not be any more inclined to buy that game then any other. I'm here because I'm a fan of BG, IWD and PS:T, not as a fan of Beamdog as such. I am grateful for what they have done with the games and I was quite impressed and pleased with SoD but while I certainly will purchase any expansions for the old games as well as any new similar ones), I don't see myself investing in anything that has nothing to do with the old gems.