Character Backstory Expansions

Comments

• Silverstar Member Posts: 2,207

  December 2012

  More and expanded background is generally a good thing, whether it be for the PC or NPCs. As I understand it though, there's a limit to what they can do when it comes to the "old" NPCs in most regards. I too would love to see the original companions become more fleshed-out, but it doesn't seem they can or will do much with that content.

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• Icecreamtub Member Posts: 547

  December 2012

  I understand they are limited with resources (If memory serves correctly, it's because they've become a seperate company and don't have access?) but what's to say they couldn't get a few people to help edit or make a bit of new content. Maybe in the future, perhaps. They have all the current files, so, it wouldn't be completely impossible; From my understanding it'd just take a long process. It'd be worth it, though.

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• Icecreamtub Member Posts: 547

  December 2012

  I mean, even releasing it as a mini-expansion and updating it as you go along might be doable. Though, again, from my understanding. I could be horrificly wrong.

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• Silverstar Member Posts: 2,207

  December 2012

  Taking this from the "list of things that can't be done" thread:

  AndreaColombo said:

  2. Contractual limitations.
  
  Beamdog's contract is for BG:EE and BG2:EE only.
  No contract exists for a remake of Icewind Dale, Icewind Dale II or Planescape: Torment as of now. Therefore, it vicariously ensues that the devs have no access to any resources from those titles, including portraits, animations, spells, and monsters. Modders may be able to port those contents to BG:EE once the game is released, but the devs are legally bound to work with the Baldur's Gate saga resources alone.
  
  The contract prevents Beamdog / Overhaul to alter the original game contents heavy handedly.
  
  This is what Trent Oster had to say about it on the official Beamdog forum:
  
  "1. Altering the dialog of the old joinable characters
  
  -We can't do this
  
  2. Altering the dialog of encounterable npc's in the campaign, including minor ones
  
  -small scale text only changes are possible.
  
  3. Adding new encounters to the old maps
  
  -possible
  
  4. Relocating encounters on the old maps
  
  -possible, but at risk of introducing bugs
  
  5. Retuning difficulty of old encounters, at the level of content rather than engine
  
  -possible, again content tweaking risks adding bugs.
  
  6. Adding/removing/moving gear in old encounters/npcs/containers.
  
  -Again, possible, but adding risks adding bugs.
  
  Our stance is to try and avoid too much meddling in the original content and focus our efforts on the new content."
  
  
  Beamdog / Overhaul also face contractual limitations regarding the addition of new content to the existing games. They can build new content as "expansions", but they cannot add to the core content in the main title. This limitation is due to the contracts for the original source content and limit the devs from adding new conversation for existing characters to the main game. Hence, adding banters, inerjections and romances to the original cast of characters is unfortunately not feasible. They will interact with new NPCs and react to new situations and areas, but that's about it.
  

  The last paragraph in particular is what I was thinking of. Granted only Overhaul could say for sure what they can and cannot do and in the question-answering session they did say something along the lines of mostly not wanting to messing with old content rather than not being able to... *shrug*

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• Icecreamtub Member Posts: 547

  December 2012

  Yeah that's what I read, just went and re-read it since you took the time to post it ^^
  
  Sigh. :[

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• reedmilfam Member Posts: 2,808

  December 2012

  @Icecreamtub I agree that it would be interesting, but not really something you can game. I mean, you'd be limited to extremely low level and that is the rub. No moving onward/upward/forward. As for revealing details in the game, my imagination can fill that well enough, I think.
  
  I did have one idea : what if BG3 has you
  
  

  Spoiler

  play as Sarevok, slowly learning what you are and how to harness it? Then hunting down the other spawnchildren and whatnot?

  
  
  Just a thought

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• Icecreamtub Member Posts: 547

  December 2012

  [spoiler] Sounds like an expansion, to me. The game wouldn't really last all that long, I'd, for sure, lose interest in just going around assassinating people. Still a great idea, though! Don't get me wrong. Just seems more like an expansion, to me. [/Spoiler]

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• LMTR14 Member Posts: 172

  December 2012

  Icecreamtub said:

  I don't know if this has already been requested, but even if it has, +1 vote.
  
  But yeah, pretty much in the title. Not to copy an idea like in Dragon Age, I just think It's an amazing idea. I'd buy them, over and over. Having someone like Aerie's, for example, story expansion for the

  Spoiler

  Avariel and going back to her people and the map with those winged folk

  , would be an amazing play. Or how Vicionia

  Spoiler

  was exiled from her people.

  Or even how Keldorn

  Spoiler

  sent Ajantis to the Sword Coast

  . Just a thought, but definitely a request from my end. Hope people feel the same? I'd be somewhat atonished if they didn't feel the same, though. Who wouldn't want to find out how Jaheria met

  Spoiler

  Khalid?

  Or how Xzar and

  Spoiler

  Montraron came to be?

  Even Xan's

  Spoiler

  mission to investigate the swordcoast's troubles

  has potential. Minsc and

  Spoiler

  Dynaheir, now there's an even better idea! How Minsc found Boo after his travels with Dynaheir,

  sounds great, doesn't it? Oh and who could forget Imoen? How she

  Spoiler

  came to be adopted and meet the CHARNAME, to play through that and watch them bond would be great!

  Might be going on a Detailed Fan-Boy limb here, though.
  
  Don't fear to post your opinions on the matter, I'd love to hear people's arguments/critism if I'm suggesting a bad /good request/idea.

  for the imoen part, pm me and I'll send you my CYOA

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