Icewind Dale II

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Sat Aug 11, 2001 8:19 am

Can't go wrong with more of the right stuff. If IWD2 is the same quality as the rest of Biowares games, then we should be in store for a real treat once it hits the shelves. Also, by making a second one, it allows to change a few aspects, maybe adding more locales, and an even deeper story plot. Of course, the good old dungeon scrawl gameplay should still be in. I'm looking forward to it!

Panda · Post by **Panda** » Sat Aug 11, 2001 8:26 am

If they really do use the same Infinity Engine, then yes, it will look outdated. OTOH, I remember playing Ultima V (tile graphics!) and the graphics didn't bother me. A good story line is more important than fancy graphics.

What I was wondering is - how on earth are they throwing new challenges at the PCs? With HoW, you can reach 8,000,000 Exp, so if the same characters were allowed, they'd be more powerful than the Bhaal spawn in BG2:ToB...

@Aegis: Bioware didn't do IWD, they just provided the Infinity Engine. Black Isle designed and programmed the game.

Mr Sleep · Post by **Mr Sleep** » Sat Aug 11, 2001 9:40 am

This sounds like good news to me, just a shame that i am yet too finish Trials

I wonder what prompted the sudden acceptence of IWD2 over Torn this seems like a strange change too me.

If you ask me staying with the infinity engone is not a good idea, it may save costs, and give more time to creating a more in depth game, but can the public really stand another infinity game, after all NWN should be released soon, surely that will overshadow whatever is done with IWD.

Weasel · Post by **Weasel** » Sat Aug 11, 2001 10:00 am

My thoughts are about the same as Mr.Sleep. I will buy it still, but I believe it will end up hurting more than helping.

Money is the reason behind this. They have gotten it to a bind and (I hope this doesn't happen) will start spitting out bad games as fast as they can.

As for why I would buy it still...just to have something new to do. I have played BG1 6 times...BG2...5 times and IWD two times and it gets boring seeing the same thing again and again. BG1 was IMHO the best for adventuring and replay.

I have gotten to the point where I even went and bought the first Pool of Radiance (for the NES) and have almost beat it (I can't believe I missed this game while growing up

)

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Sat Aug 11, 2001 10:43 am

@Panda: Sorry, I was actually referring to the Infinity engine, but didn't express my thoughts clear enough.

IWDfan · Post by **IWDfan** » Sat Aug 11, 2001 12:17 pm

IWD II?

I am very excited. I am an old time avid D & D player from back in my youth...and of all the recent D&D games, IWD is my favorite. Don't get me wrong, I love BGII and BG, but for some reason, the only infinty engine game i replay is IWD.

So needless to say, I am excited about IWD II being developed.

No one can say if this will be a good game or not at this point, however i understand many concerns. I beleive that i read somewhere that they are developing this game for immediate comercial success...playing off the title. If this were the sole reason, and if they were putting together just some game half assed to satisfy some business quota, then this could definetly hurt the series. However, i have faith in black isle/bioware to not put their stamp on anything but a quality product (keeping my fingers crossed).

As far as the engine...i really don't think it will matter too much. I will admit that alot of fluff is cool, but sharp graphics and killer sound won't make or break the game in my opinon. Hell, I still design and play old UA games. IF i can deal with that engine, the infinity engine is ages ahead!

I would hope, though, that don't try and change IWD too much. Aside from a new quest/quests, items and such, i would love to see the character generation system be more like BGII than current IWD...Barbarians, Wild Mages, Half/ORc, dual wielding and such. Otherwise, I hope they keepthe same feel as they have now.

This is, of course, my humble opinion.

ki-master2 · Post by **ki-master2** » Sat Aug 11, 2001 12:27 pm

I hope it's gonna use the infinity engine again,I don't wanna see a lame 3d game.

Mr Sleep · Post by **Mr Sleep** » Sat Aug 11, 2001 2:53 pm

Originally posted by Weasel:
<STRONG>
I have gotten to the point where I even went and bought the first Pool of Radiance (for the NES) and have almost beat it (I can't believe I missed this game while growing up )</STRONG>

I have had this strange pining to start plaing Gauntlet all over again

Quark · Post by **Quark** » Sat Aug 11, 2001 6:12 pm

I don't know about this. Bad enough that Icewind Dale was the only Infinity Engine game I never bothered to finish - this sounds half-assed.

This has big failure written all over it. It sounds much more like a move EA would do than Interplay - putting the big buck first (way, WAY first).

Having so little development time, how can they:
1)Make a decent sized game (manually creating backrounds!)
2)Add enough new spells, classes, monsters to spicen it up
3)PLAYTEST! I have a strange feeling this will be the buggiest IE game yet

If they allow importing Icewind Dale characters (and give a starting EXP) - how high will you go? Level 100? This isn't Diablo, this is D&D!

If they don't, and start anew, it could be even worse. Who here thinks that a sequel would have a lower exp cap than the original? Well, if it doesn't, then people will be gaining exp WAY to fast. Is this going to be worse than Irenicus' first dungeon (where you could dual a fighter and reactivate VERY shortly after leaving)?

My bet is that the exp system will be out of whack, there won't be much new stuff to the game, and it will be buggy as hell.

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Sat Aug 11, 2001 8:13 pm

@Quark: Why would IWD2 have to use the previous characters? They would be just fine starting up a new set of heroes. Also, maybe they'll make the sequel more of a BG thing, more story orientated, and less all out fights. That way, they would be bringing in old fans of the series, and new gamers a like...

Quark · Post by **Quark** » Sun Aug 12, 2001 6:26 am

@Aegis: re-read my second to last paragraph

Nightmare · Post by **Nightmare** » Sun Aug 12, 2001 7:24 am

Black Isle might be doing this because it loses the D&D license after this year (not sure, but I believe so). See my topic in RPG Discussion.

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Sun Aug 12, 2001 9:54 am

@Quark: I re-read it, and stand firm by my statement. Why would they have to have the high XP cap of HoW? Also, if they made it more story orientated, they would removes bits of the combat. So, my statement does work. Yours has god validity, but I just offered a counter point.

Rail · Post by **Rail** » Sun Aug 12, 2001 9:58 pm

I agree with Buck. While I love IWD and think it's far more beautiful in graphics and sound than any of the others in the genra, I wonder if they'll be able to add enough to make it stand out from the rest.

I would love to see them make it in 3rd ed. rules. If they're changing the character generation format, why not go with the current rules and add feats, skills, point buy, etc.. It would give us a great preview to NWN. I'm cautious in my expectations, but excited that they're doing the game at all.

Besides, coming from this part of the world, I feel some strange and sick form of hometown loyalty to the IWD series.

Quark · Post by **Quark** » Mon Aug 13, 2001 12:06 am

Guys, they're trying to release this game in four months.

You can't possibly change an engine that much in four months. 3rd edition is out. Too many new classes/spells is out. Too many areas are out. Sidequests will be limited.

If they try to cram the content, it will probably mean even more hack-n-slash since a combat scene is easier to set up than a story. Personally, this is why I didn't like Icewind Dale as much because I don't think it suits the engine or the rules - especially for mages. (Bad memories of fight/sleep/fight/sleep/fight/sleep HEY! I'm still in the SAME dungeon!)

Aegis: Marketing. This games sole reason to exist is money, not desire to make a good game (If they wanted THAT they wouldn't have said 4 months!) If you want a game to make money, you listen to what marketing tells you. Now why would marketing allow the levels to END lower than in the prequal? Think of it, instead of the BG2:ToB ads of going to the 40th level, you have ads saying 'Hey, you can end only HALF as strong as you were in the last game!' Forget it, marketing would kvetch all the way to the door if they tried to make characters a lower level.

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Mon Aug 13, 2001 2:21 am

They could rip the code from BG2 for kits etc. in four months - they already have the display in HoW.

I see a BG2/IWD hybrid with exta kits and skills a la ToB. That would take them no time at all.

I'd buy it

Quark · Post by **Quark** » Mon Aug 13, 2001 8:32 am

Gruntboy it's NOT that easy. If it was, HoW would have had all the spells that BG2 added. But it doesn't. It doesn't because the BG2 programmers took one route, while the ID programmers took another. This makes it near impossible to rip code from one game and place it in another.

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Mon Aug 13, 2001 2:34 pm

@Quark: Don't wig out man. This is just discussion and speculation. We have no clue how they will go about making the sequel. Also, I am well aware of what drives the industry. If they were to have more story, and just tone the hack'n'slash down, more people would buy it, thats all I was saying.