BG2 weapon icons are terrible, how should I change them?

Baptor

BG 2 Weapon Icons are Terrible

One thing that's bugged me since the original release over 20 years ago are the weapon icons in BG2. Unlike BG1 and Icewind Dale icons, which keep to the "fantasy medieval" theme - the BG2 icons range from the merely unrealistic "how would I wield this?" to the "is that even a sword?" level.

I've found out that I am not alone in this opinion and that even big fans of BG2 don't like the weapon icons very much, but what I haven't found is anyone who has ever done anything about it. For example, check out this comparison @Lilura did of BG1 and BG2 icons on their website. I laugh at it every time I read it Lilura.



If anyone's done a BAM swap and fixed this, let me know. For now I've been working on it myself and I can't quite decide what icons to change it to.

1st - The Lazy Method: Change the wacky icons to generic icons similar to the generic weapons in Baldur's Gate 1 (i.e. all magic longswords use the "+1 longsword" icon).

Example:


2nd - The Icewind Dale Method: Change the wacky icons into the very realistic weapon icons from Icewind Dale.

Example:


3rd - The IWD2 Method: Change the wacky icons into the colorful but still grounded icons from Icewind Dale 2.

Example:


I have good things and bad things to say about each method, so I'm curious what you all think. Any additional input is welcome!

hybridial

I actually go for option 1, because to me the Icewind Dale art style for icons and such is just rather different from BG1 and 2, but like you I do like the classic BG1 icons quite a lot. I am considering making a bunch of new "generic" magic weapons and like Icewind Dale does I was just going to use the basic magic weapon icons for them. And maybe do other items when I learn more about how the implementation works, I'm kinda figuring my own way through Near Infinity.

Baptor

hybridial wrote: »

I actually go for option 1, because to me the Icewind Dale art style for icons and such is just rather different from BG1 and 2, but like you I do like the classic BG1 icons quite a lot. I am considering making a bunch of new "generic" magic weapons and like Icewind Dale does I was just going to use the basic magic weapon icons for them. And maybe do other items when I learn more about how the implementation works, I'm kinda figuring my own way through Near Infinity.

Yeah the more I work on this the more I agree with #1 too. I tried using IWD and IWD 2 icons and played around and it didn't feel right at all.
I did find out there are quite a few unused BG icons in BG2EE, so I've got a few more to play with than I thought.

sarevok57

ironically i actually like the bg2 magic weapon icons, it helps show how impressive those weapons truly are, especially carsomyr, in fact i changed the world's edge in bg1ee to look more a kin to a special two handed sword in bg2

go figure eh?

Baptor

@sarevok57 I admit some of them are fine and if it stopped with a few weapons that looked "off" I wouldn't mind it. After all even Icewind Dale has a few items that are a bit wonky. I start to lose my mind, though, at the weapons you can clearly tell are un wield-able. For example, some have no workable grip/handle - there's literally nowhere a human being could hold it. Some of the hammers and axes have handles pointing the wrong way which means you literally could not use them except to hit yourself. They did fix a few for the Enhanced Edition - some of the ToB weapons weren't just badly designed, they were bad art. They did more or less fix or improve upon those in the EE.