Baldur's Gate Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear Pre-Release Thread

[Infinitron]

Good thoughts. I think a huge part of this is also that the people making the old games that we revere were multi-faceted individuals whose lives weren't just games and pulled inspirations from disparate non-game sources. They were engaged in software engineering, read books that had nothing to do with games, studied history, worked in other professions (Vault Dweller). In general, they were not people who would consider themselves gamers in the modern sense. Those older games were products of a vision inspired by things outside of games, whereas modern 'classic rpg' developers are making games inspired by games. And it shows.

I don't really agree with this. The creative minds behind the Kickstarter RPGs seem like intelligent people to me, not some shallow gamer neckbeard stereotype - see interviews with Obsidian's Eric Fenstermaker or inXile's Nathan Long. But there's a distance between being a well-read person and coming up with great ideas on the spot specifically for an anachronistic throwback RPG and spitting out a classic within 2.5 years.

 

[mindx2]

I do have a question though aVENGER, will the Collector's Edition be released at the same time as digital or will it be like Kickstarter games and I'll end up waiting several years for my boxed copy....

 

[agris]

Good thoughts. I think a huge part of this is also that the people making the old games that we revere were multi-faceted individuals whose lives weren't just games and pulled inspirations from disparate non-game sources. They were engaged in software engineering, read books that had nothing to do with games, studied history, worked in other professions (Vault Dweller). In general, they were not people who would consider themselves gamers in the modern sense. Those older games were products of a vision inspired by things outside of games, whereas modern 'classic rpg' developers are making games inspired by games. And it shows.

I don't really agree with this. The creative minds behind the Kickstarter games seem like normal non-neckbearded people to me - see interviews with Obsidian's Eric Fenstermaker or inXile's Nathan Long. But there's a distance between being a well-read person and coming up with a good idea for throwback RPG on the spot and spitting it out in 2.5 years.

Yea I agree re: the non-neckbeard thing. Still, their inspiration is another set of games. You're right in that what I wrote seems to castigate all modern 'classic crpg' developers as no-life scrubs, but I know it's more complicated than that. In addition to the no-life scrubs, you've got talent and intellect that is focused on replicating certain aspects of games rather than being inspired by non-game things. That's where shit can go south IMO, because there is a lack of synthesis from raw inspiration - instead inspiration is coming from the product of the raw, non-game inspiration. Though, I would wager than the majority of the nameless peons involved in the development of throwback crpgs are the insular neckbeard types. I'd love to be proven wrong on this matter, I'm just speaking based on the anecdotal experience of observing the modern people who want to get into game development.

Aside: I recently went to the SXSW game expo and oh my god... the people.. I can't even. Maybe this is coloring my opinion too much.

 

[Delterius]

Ok.

Since we are getting closer and closer to SoD's release date, I already know what I look forward to in this sort of release. Whether it integrates well with the overarching plot, if Beamdog really improved since the EEs, how shitty the UI is, transition between games, level of pandering, if the plot is passable, if encounter design is any good and if there are any interesting innovations for the beastiary, etc. But if anyone wants to throw around suggestions or their own pet peeves feel free to do so. It might even improve some hypothetical review.

 

[Infinitron]

Ok.

Since we are getting closer and closer to SoD's release date, I already know what I look forward to in this sort of release. Whether it integrates well with the overarching plot, if Beamdog really improved since the EEs, how shitty the UI is, transition between games, level of pandering, if the plot is passable, if encounter design is any good and if there are any interesting innovations for the beastiary, etc. But if anyone wants to throw around suggestions or their own pet peeves feel free to do so. It might even improve some hypothetical review.

People will obviously want it compared with their list of PoE pet peeves - that should supply plenty of writing topics.

Personally, I'd be interested in knowing if the plot is purely a pulpy Monty Haul thing, or if it now has depth and themes™. They do seem to have made dialogue and companion interjections more frequent than in the old games, so is there any added depth to go along with that?

 

[Ninjerk]

More and more, one realizes that the Codex classics were organic products of their time in a way that contempory, custom-made Kickstarter products struggle to replicate. Bioware and their PnP AD&D background, Tim Cain and his underground skunkworks project that gradually developed into Fallout, Chris Avellone and all his ideas about subverting tropes that coalesced in Planescape: Torment. You can't throw four million dollars at somebody and go "Pretend it's 1999 again, that you've been playing tabletop RPGs for 6 years and brainstorming all sorts of wacky ideas, and that voice-acted console RPGs never happened! MAKE ME A CLASSIC!". These games simply aren't "of their time" anymore, and that organic experience and accumulation of good ideas will take time to develop again.

Good thoughts. I think a huge part of this is also that the people making the old games that we revere were multi-faceted individuals whose lives weren't just games and pulled inspirations from disparate non-game sources. They were engaged in software engineering, read books that had nothing to do with games, studied history, worked in other professions (Vault Dweller). In general, they were not people who would consider themselves gamers in the modern sense. Those older games were products of a vision inspired by things outside of games, whereas modern 'classic rpg' developers are making games inspired by games. And it shows.

https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg_gamers..._in_the_staglands_raffle_for_handmade/cqu54ng

 

[Infinitron]

Don't know if it has been posted yet but an interview with Phillip Daigle.

http://www.gamereactor.eu/grtv/?id=257103

Kev Inkline Awesome cobblestones trivia at 12:00!

 

[Grotesque]

seem like intelligent people to me, [...] - see interviews with Obsidian's Eric Fenstermaker

And then we have this little jewel from him to attest of his intelligence,

Nobody likes writing exposition. You feel unclean when you've written it. It's boring and it doesn't advance plot or do anything worthwhile at all. Unfortunately, in this case, there was a lot that had to be conveyed for you to even understand what was going on. You had to know what a bîaŵac was before it struck

 

[Naveen]

Good thoughts. I think a huge part of this is also that the people making the old games that we revere were multi-faceted individuals whose lives weren't just games and pulled inspirations from disparate non-game sources.

This has happened with many things, not only with games. For example, first-generation High Fantasy: The Lord of The Rings, a huge work, the result of massive brainwork and range of references. It was a success, and some people wanted to imitate it. Result? Something inspired by The Lord of The Rings, but not by what inspired it and its reasons. Third-generation (I'm making this labels up, of course): writers who say they are tired of "High Fantasy and Tolkien," although in fact they are tired of the people who tried to ape him. Result? "Realistic" fantasy, subverted tropes, grimdark, etc. So the range of cultural references and inspirations get smaller and more endogamic.

 

[vortex]

My guess is Oswald from Kuldahar will will have some connections in SoD. I have some wild hunch about it.

 

[sstacks]

As a reminder Phillip Daigle and Amber Scott from Beamdog will be on the live show tomorrow (Saturday) at 1:05 PM Central talking BG: SOD.

More info:
http://shaneplays.com/shane-plays-radio-and-podcast/

Direct live stream link from 96.5 FM website:
http://saleminteractivemedia.com/ListenLive/player/KHTEFM

Call in number:
501-823-0965

Or you can tweet me @ShanePlays during the show.

 

[Infinitron]

As a reminder Phillip Daigle and Amber Scott from Beamdog will be on the live show tomorrow (Saturday) at 1:05 PM Central talking BG: SOD.

More info:
http://shaneplays.com/shane-plays-radio-and-podcast/

Direct live stream link from 96.5 FM website:
http://saleminteractivemedia.com/ListenLive/player/KHTEFM

Call in number:
501-823-0965

Or you can tweet me @ShanePlays during the show.

Whoops, this went live half an hour ago. Will wait for Youtube.

 

[Infinitron]

Stream live: https://www.twitch.tv/beamdog

 

[Infinitron]

Heh, pressing TAB only pops up the labels of quest-relevant NPCs.

Daigle says David Gaider isn't working on a Baldur's Gate project.

lol random Irenicus cameo

Spoiler

Haha, he completely spills his plot. He's "evaluating your worthiness" - your success in the expansion's plot is what prompts him to kidnap you in BG2.

 

[Excidium II]

Daigle says David Gaider isn't working on a Baldur's Gate project.

PS:T EE confirmed.

 

[Infinitron]

holy crap

 

[Excidium II]

lol imagine that on PoE engine.

 

[Infinitron]

Man this expansion really has a shitton of dialogue. It's Baldur's Gate: Shadowrun Hong Kong Edition.

 

[FeelTheRads]

Heh, pressing TAB only pops up the labels of quest-relevant NPCs.

lulz

But it's optional!!!

 

[Infinitron]

Spoiler

Irenicus pestering the Shining Lady too. I guess he wants you and her to fight and then pick the winner.

Pretty spoileriffic stream

 

[vortex]

PS:T EE confirmed.

Really?

holy crap

How did they maintain same performance requirements with all that sprites involved? Trully amazing coding work.

I think that David Gaider is working on completely new IP.

 

[Excidium II]

New IP before being done cashing in EE's? Don't think so.

How big is beamdong's staff nowdays?

 

[Infinitron]

I don't think Gaider would join as CREATIVE DIRECTOR just to rehash somebody else's old game.

Now they're showing that undead-infested dwarf mine dungeon again. Why not pick something else that wasn't in a previous stream?

 

[Excidium II]

I don't think Gaider would join as CREATIVE DIRECTOR just to rehash somebody else's old game.

But they still make new content.

 

[Infinitron]

Various items from BG:SoD will be scattered in BG2:EE if you import a character with them.

No extra suit of pantaloons in BG:SoD

Sarevok battle flashback dreams when resting.

And stream is over.