Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition - Twitter Report #8

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Trent Oster has been busy working, err tweeting for the last few weeks so here's a new batch for your reading enjoyment. Some highlights include dissing Nintendo & Wii, improved loading times (on SSD), large number of supported languages, possible multi-party PvP, more evil choices in new content, new font, stacking for more items, and more. As always, start reading from the bottom upwards.

@DavidUjes thanks for the recommendation. The Inception soundtrack is great for zoning out and working. I used to use the Rock Soundtrack

Q: I meant the case, actually. Looks like my old 650D. I just swapped into a 550D for the noise reduction.
A: case is a Zalman Z9.

We built three of the new 6 core #Intel i7 systems. I've been using #Asus motherboards forever

Q: Corsair 650D?
A: 850XT

No argument on the wiring. I like to ensure it all works and clean up after. For some reason after never happens.

Computer building time. We built three of them to replace older systems. All to get #bgee done faster my pretties. http://t.co/QxwScoxT

Took me a bit to get back to my desk, we were reviewing some plans around some new content for a new character at @daigledopple 's desk.

We have returned from our Frapuccino excursion. Return to work, these aren't the droids you are looking for.

Dave Gross just suggest half price Frappiccino at #Starbucks. There will be no #bgee work done for the next 15 minutes.

I have to be honest, I'm not a huge fan of Felicia Day. Her recent guest spot in Supernatural was good, but I'm just not a fan.

Met with a potential model for an upcoming character. Turns out she's connected to the games industry. What are the odds?

SVN is Subversion http://t.co/dre8Z1Cl

The art team is happy with SVN and the Tortoise client. Version control is a wonderful thing for preventing lost work. #bgee

Q: Mind the game balance! Some BG2 classes are powerful and I've always found max difficulty rather easy. Rework of the AI maybe?
A: maybe Max difficulty needs the tweak.

We were all based out of SVN earlier and then moved code into GIT. SVN is simple for the rest of the team to understand.

New interview by Cam: http://t.co/cjM3eRQ3 Recognize that fellow? http://t.co/77zRS4pK

I was thinking back to far. We're using GIT for the code. We use SVN for Art content.

We followed the path laid out by the TuTu guys and ported the BG1 content into the #BG2 engine. We are based off the last ToB code.

Back in the day we found out Visual Source Safe had a database size limit of 4GB. Ours was 3.8 GB at the time.

We are using SVN on #bgee for both code and art source control. The #BG backup tapes were misplaced and never found

Our backups were done to tape drive back then. We all worked off a central server. During BG2 we started using SourceSafe (shudder)

Remastered is a tough label. The source assets were lost, but we are doing everything to make the game shine. New UI is a good start

We are still deep in figuring out the schedule. We are committed to doing a quality job with #bgee, so it will take us some time.

Article on iPad game I bought, played and enjoyed, despite a bad store interface. http://t.co/EhynlyZX

@carwash Incorrect. #bgee is #BaldursGate + #TalesoftheSwordCoast #BG2EE will be #BG2 + #ThroneofBhall #hashtagoverload

Cam "Did you know the half elves were hardcoded to use the elf paper dolls". Me, "no". Cam, "Well, they aren't anymore." #diehardcoding

As a company we've set isometric-view party-based games as our target niche. We're going to do everything in our power to be the best

If a #BG3 were to happen we would roll new technology. Infinity can do many things, but there are fundamental software design limitations.

We are keeping the original VO (as it is simply brilliant) and adding new VO for new characters.

For #bgee we are making @natjonesart paint his butt off. We are trying to replace the cinematics with animated 2D work

The in-game portrait sizes will be the same. I'd suggest creating at a much higher resolution as we do, as future-proofing

Both. We are keeping all the old portraits and creating new ones for new characters.

Just got a look at some new concept artwork by an old friend. He is doing #bgee proud

We are excited about getting the new forums up and running. We've got a layout, now we need to implement. Then we test.

No, camera angle and rotation is fixed. You can zoom in and out a bit. It really improves the game feel.

We are not changing the fog of war distance. We're going to dynamically scale the game to support Zooming the view within a defined range

Q: So , no word about spawn points , what about randomizing the treasure then ?
A: We likely won't be touching spawn points. We will be adding new items, so treasure is getting a look

We're working away on the new #bgee forum. Once it is all working we'll test and then open it. We wanted a good home for the community

#bgee is for #PC, #Mac #iPad and, oops. Just those three. I do know a fellow who wanted to make a #BeOS version though.

I stop working when I'm cooking, eating and sleeping. Other than that, my mind is always grinding on #bgee

We have eight former Biowarians working on #bgee, counting Cam and me. Probably over 50 years of game dev experience in those eight.

We haven't announced the new class. We're still looking into others.

I grew up on AD&D. I probably spent more money on sourcebooks than I did my first three cars. Countless hours pouring through those books.

Kensai, etc are in #bgee. We're including all the bg2 stuff and maybe something new.

If we can get everyone to agree to a box copy it would likely be a collectors edition, filled with great stuff

The best worlds always have a past of major conflict and links to that past, Lord Soth, the Cataclysm for Dragonlance.

I liked the old Dark Sun game 'Wake of the Ravager' as well. It was like an improved Gold Box game

I wasn't a #ForgottenRealms fan until the #TimeofTroubles A river poisoned, a magic dead zone, both created by the death of a god. Epic

Played a few Dark Sun campaigns. I'd always want a half giant for the strength and then spend most of the time dehydrated to near death

Time of Troubles was my favorite. Gods walking the earth, chaos everywhere. Gods getting killed. Good stuff

Personally, my favorite #D&D settings are #ForgottenRealms, #Dragonlance with #DarkSun third

We have to approve all assets before we can show them to anyone. Sorry

We are speculating again. If we were to do a #BG3 it would likely use the latest rules system. (hurry up 5E)

I'm probably more excited about the potential for a #BG3 But I think an overhaul on Torment could be a great thing

If anyone is at #calgaryexpo drop in and say Hi to @natjonesart (buy anything he has, he likes that)

Time to review some of our art team output. #funsaturday

A good week, UI rework is moving, approvals are happening and we announced @frabjousdave. If you are in Calgary, say hi to @natjonesart

We are still talking about our approach with "unfinished business"

We can't do much with the environment art as the source material was lost. We plan an algorithmic upscale on the content.

#baldursgate co-op was one of the best (and worst) RPG'S experiences I've had. We have some ideas how to make it better

#Mods are on my mind. #bgee

I have to confess to a fondness for the NWN quickbar system. Where BG slots are actual invenetory, NWN are more like hyperlinks

We'll be fighting with the quickslot system in a couple weeks. As always with #BG code, you never know exactly what you face until you start

Ask me once, ... Ask me twice, Watch it I'm huge. We are looking at BG quick equip slots and how to improve them

The original Hoenig music will be left alone. We'll dig through what we have and use the best quality version we can fit.

Inventory space in #baldursgate is tight, so we will be adding stacking for more items.

We will be fixing bugs in the original content. Part of our desire to build a great community is for the fans to help us focus our work

The #overhaul on #baldursgate is on all fronts. We are reworking tech, improving art where we can and building a lot of new content.

We are not rewriting any original content other than minor bug fixes. Our content efforts are all on the new adventures/characters. #bgee

We're unhappy with our forums and need better. Didn't want long hire process, need to move fast. #99designs fits those goals

As of this moment we have no plans around familiars. We'll look at them later on. #bgee

Cam's got things super-busticated at the moment. I caught a glimpse of some of the new font work and it is going to be sooo much better.

We're very excited about @frabjousdave his #Dragon and #D&D background are a huge asset. His excellent writing skills help a little too ;-)

Q: [David Gaider] That is awesome news, and makes me very happy to hear. @frabjousdave is an excellent choice!
A: @frabjousdave We are pretty ecstatic over here. Glad to hear you like how our little team is shaping up. A few more faces yet

We're exceptionally jazzed to announce Dave Gross is on the job, writing for #bgee http://t.co/94nKFtUo

Our hope is most existing #bg mods will function. We are fixing some bugs which are addressed in some mods, so there may be some editing.

Q: Would you consider using Kickstarter to help fund developing a Black Hound (BG3) expansion for BG2EE with @JESawyer ?
A: @JESawyer I think Josh is doing well over at Obsidian. If a #BG3 were to happen we would go another direction than the Black Hound

Q: I take it those pre-defined limits involve the 640x480 resolution scale?
A: They are closer to the 800x600 boundaries, but they do go out a little farther and in quite a bit more than 640x480

I've updated the forum design request to actually make some sense now. We're just after a look/feel design mockup. http://t.co/VZTj2yaU

The Infinity Enhanced Engine will to work quite well for #bgee and IE titles, but after, we will likely have better ideas for iso game tech

Reviewing a contract. First time I've seen "throughout the universe" when reviewing a legal agreement. Interplanetary Law #FTW

Zoom is user controlled, within our pre-defined limits. #bgee

Zoom is the answer. The world will be algorithmically scaled up so objects aren't tiny.

Our plans are to make the UI systems scale to support the resolution you want to play with. The days of 640x480 are over. #bgee

The new UI work and the mod systems are going to be developed on the PC and make the #PC #bgee amazing. I'm looking forward to 1920x1200

We are scheming as to how to make mods work on the iPad. So far, we only have the basic Weidu-like build system in.

We stuck with 2nd Edition rules as that is what the game is balanced with. 4th Ed. Would make sense only if it was all new.

All the new art is from scratch. We've start off a template art file which allows us to ensure the scaling and camera are correct

"Unhardcoding" is already underway. Much of the hardcoding was actually contained in the UI screens, which now are data driven

Rendering some snow covered mountains. For some odd reason I feel really cold.

We're pretty anxious to keep #bgee and #bg2ee going after release. New content is a big part of those plans

UI work is just the volume of screens that need to be reworked. #baldursgate has a lot of UI screens

Yes, all #BG2 classes and kits in #bgee. Release is still planned for summer, UI work is stretching our date a bit

Our plan is to keep #bgee saves compatible across all platforms. #PC #Mac #iPad

We haven't fixed the #bgee pathfinding yet. It is in the schedule for some lovin.

We won't change CLUAConsole. It is too useful for mod development in #bgee

We need #design help with the #bgee forums We'll be using #vanilla https://t.co/X51nUzeZ

The original music is great! We just need more music for the new content

We are looking for a design for our upcoming vanilla forums and have posted a contest to 99 Designs. https://t.co/X51nUzeZ

Just pondering. I like to have a few ideas floating around, just in case the five year plan doesn't fly. Likely be new IP

Yes, if we can swing it, we want to do #BG3 after the other potential enhanced editions. If not, might be a good time to start new

The original BG code was very Windows 95 oriented. The UI and rendering code were both huge. They are now much simpler.

The new UI system pulls all the rules data from an internal database. Previously, all the rules were in code. Opens up a lot #bgee

Cam wants to see and iPhone version. I keep him focused on the PC/iPad/Mac. Post-ship we will dig into it. New UI system should help

All of my good #baldursgate memories are usually around me bugging @JamesOhlen

My fondest BG memory was killing Semaj the Mage with a backstab by my dual class fighter thief and bugging James (Semaj is James backwards)

I personally use tab when I'm getting frustrated with BG.

We add a button that does the same thing as tab in iOS. ;-)

On PC the mouse cursor changes when you pass over something so Tab isn't 100% required

Q: Hi, one more about #bgee . Since using TOB engine, will you remove TAB-cheese? BG had tons of hidden staff it just ruins.
A: We haven't planned to remove Tab. You feel we should?

No, the engine does not support 3D objects. We 3D model the areas and then render to a bitmap.

We're committed to improving the BG equipment interface, not sure exactly how yet.

Q: Will there be any special features for those of us who like the challenge of playing a solo character?
A: Honestly, we've never talked about it.

As a betting man, I have enough of a grasp on the risks to know going any more detailed than 'this summer' is a bad idea

I agree. With digital distribution, games which are not viable for big publishers can still be made by smaller outfits.

My business partner's character was #Minsc. Not sure about Jan

All RPG's are hard to make. Finish the engine and all the systems balance you can start development. 3D/2D just have different challenges

I think if #bgee and #Wasteland2 are successful there will be more interest in Iso RPGs. They are still bloody hard to make though.

Q: you should do all gay romance, it's all the rage in gaming :-p
A: I hear that too. No controversy there.

Q: Thats part of the licensing deal?
A: No, it comes from another legal angle we can't go into.

We are limited as to what we can do in the original title for old characters, so we'll likely have to lean on mods there.

Our current agreement doesn't have Linux in it. Might have to revisit that at some point

Most characters in #baldursgate are based off a pnp D&D campaign jun by James. I should ask him where Khalid came from.

@NickRegnier Ummm, you do realize Imoen is a half-sister, right? A romance would be, well, icky

Composer X delivered a draft of the first combat tracks for the xxxxx xxxx adventure. More epic than Kirk vs Lizard Man

#bgee for #linux is technically possible. Legally, not so much. Our current agreement does not cover it.

We've talked about dual wielding. After stage 1 of UI revision is done (new data-driven system working) we'll experiment

Romances, hmm. We're planning some support for new characters, but one is a bit 'romantically challenged' #bgee

We'll up the level cap a bit so you can enjoy the new content, but we're playing with dialing Jon's 'testing' a bit to keep BG2 balanced

Stupid typing. Yes, #Jaheira.

Release date-wise, I'd like to throw a bone, but we've still got some unknowns to deal with. When we're confident, we'll talk dates #bgee

I agree Khalid's stats are pretty brutal. I usually strip him of gear and send him "scouting". Jaheria [gasp! -Ed.] bounces back pretty fast.

#bgee certainly better be a 2012 release.

I've been through the EA acquisition process once. Once is enough.

There are now 8 former #Bioware people working on #bgee. How did that happen? This is madness. #NoThisIsSparta RRRAAAAA

We lean heavily on Berduskan Black Brew at the office. Magical stuff.

We are going to stick with the BG2:ToB rules interpretation on multi-class and dual classing. We did make all the UI's data driven though

You can dual class from a kit, but you cannot add a kit as the new class, as it is in BG2:ToB

Here's a close up of teh Atomic Toaster: It makes awesome toast! http://t.co/xiRBHkL8

That is an *Offical MDK2 Atomic Toaster*. They were a gift to the MDK2 team after shipping the game.

#bgee is for all iPads, 1,2 and 3. We're silly, but not silly enough to just do iPad3

We live the high life here.

I was asked for some pictures of our office. I'll start with the most important thing in the office, our one luxury: http://t.co/WPK5qAcq

Q: [MCA] If @TrentOster kidnapped me, there would be little I could do about it. The guy bench presses buses at the gym.
A: I tried bench pressing a bus but it kept driving away. Guys gotta do something to stay sane.

Arcanum EE sounds intersting, but I have to be honest, I don't love it. I have to love a project to go through contract hell

Nat has done a few new portraits, but so far they are for the new NPC's. We're hoping to add some new player portraits.

#IcewindDale was loved at #Bioware because the BG team could enjoy the gameplay style of the #baldursgate engine with new awesome content

Q: any chance we could get a few pics of the office where #bgee is made? spoiler free obviously be awesome thanks!
A: Sure. I'll grab a couple photos. For now, picture 1961 tile flooring with gray walls and a black ceiling.

we have a Chinese simplified version. I'm not certain about the Traditional version

Funny thing is I still love #neverwinter but I can't play it. We do the UI rework and #bgee is all new to me

At the end of #neverwinter HotU I had 7 years on the project. My eyes had the UI burned in, like an old arcade system screen

Curse applies to games you've worked on for longer than 3 years and you've had broad exposure on

Curse of Game Dev: You get to make the game you always wanted to play and by the end you can't stand it.

there was a ton of mutual respect between the #Bioware guys and #BlackIsle. They made great games we could play

If we were to do something new with #Planescape, I would figure a way to get Chris Avellone involved. Kidnapping comes to mind

All the original content stays. Our new content gets new music. #bgee

Q: Wow, the Friendly Arm Inn looks incredible, really can't wait to get this game.
A: Glad you recognized the old place ;-)

Announcing Nat Jones as #bgee Art Director on http://t.co/i27BKz17 I think Frazetta is a god, so, Nat is at least a demi-god.

Composer X has completely regained his composure after the initial recoiling in horror. He now has settled down to producing awesome!

Working through the combat music system with composer X. His first words after fully understanding the system: "I am afraid. Very afraid"

We'll (read I'll tell someone to) look at the virtue mod and think about what we can do in the space.

We're trying to ensure evil choices are better supported in our new content. We don't want to do too much messing with the original content

The Infinity engine is basic in terms of multiplayer. We identified multi-party PvP as something of interest, but we need to research it.

Yeah, BG multiplayer matching was a "little clunky" in the way Jupiter is a little planet. #bgee will be better

Q: has this actually been discussed with the stakeholders or are you just dreaming of the possibilities?
A: Yes

If we could do a Torment, a Torment 2 is a possible follow up. For now, #bgee #stayontarget #stayontarget

If we did a Planescape: Torment we would use our Infinity Enhanced Engine which is multiplayer. Porting Torment content is the hard part

Wow, Persistent worlds in #BG. The single party thing is pretty hardcoded in BG, if we can do anything it will be post-ship

Good question. We're pretty invested in the #bgee codebase now, so *IF* an Icewind Dale were to happen, we'd likely use our code

Torment is on the list. X-Wing vs Tie was right below X-Wing

I remember using a ship to kill Lord British in Ultima 3. I had to see if it could be done. #thenIreloaded

When I bought Ultima games I would read the fake leather bound spell book and geek out for hours #mandrakerootwasawesome

Q: Any idea on how the mechanics are going to work for character porting from bg1 to bg2 on the iOS?
A: At the moment, I don't have a clue. Scott's eyes get a far away look when I mention it, so he'll take care of it

If we can get area loads even faster, we will. #bgee is deep in UI engine swap at the moment. Loading times won't be final for a while.

We talked #Ultima #overhaul with EA. there was no love.

Polish is also on our planned languages for #bgee. Cam is obsessed with supporting a large number of languages

Q: Could you have a "click to continue" button on the screen, so people can progress when they wish?
A: Yes, that is in the plan. I used to tell UI guys " When I click, I Hate, don't make me Hate" #streamlinedUI #bgee

X-wing was on the list for an #overhaul. I *loved* it so. With at least a couple years of #bgee work, the list could become a bucket list

Jade Empire was not on the list to #overhaul . It still is quite pretty. It also doesn't meet a few of our criteria for the list

So far, #bgee loading times for some areas are too fast to read the gameplay tips. Our dev systems have SSD drives, which are a factor

Knights of the old Republic was on our original list of games that need an #overhaul . For the foreseeable future we are focused on #bgee

Italian is in our plans for #bgee. We've also identified Brazilian Portuguese and Russian as high priority languages.

We've discussed xbla as a possible home for MDK2 HD. Our plate is 110% Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition for the visible future.

We made a great version of a fun game #MDK2 for #Wii and it didn't sell anywhere near our expectations. http://t.co/bnoohZ0e

Q: how can Wii U succeed without a port of Baldur's Gate? Nintendo may as well cancel E3, and christmas.
A: Exactly! Now you understand ;-)

@ChrisTansley Lack of sleep. Got woken in middle of night. Couldn't get back to sleep.

Ok, I'm an idiot. Ocarina and Mario blew me away on N64.

I remember playing the heck out of Goldeneye in split screen. What was that resolution?

Nintendo DS was a great platform, great install base and great attach rate. GameCube was too. Ocarina was the highlight of the generation

Q: Sales don't matter an all in an argument like this - sales are the biggest excuse point for every developer.
A: Sales are food for a developer. Dev's are like grazing animals, no food and they move on to feed the team.

Q: It is a bad idea to insult gamers who enjoy the Wii. Upset people will not buy BGEE. Release a Wii-U version to say sorry.
A: Not an insult to Wii users, but a 140 char comment on the sales of Wii vs software compared to other consoles.

The reason I say the Wii is a toy is the exceptionally low attach rate. You buy a Wii, Wii sports and never buy another game. Bad for devs

@starscream8 The result is a belief that Nintendo isn't a good platform for developers. The Wii is a toy, not a console

Yes, Mac through the App Store for #bgee

My problems with Nintendo are: requiring 6000 unit sales before payment, a certification process that took us 9 months and a 40mb limit

Yes, by doing a solo multiplayer game you will be able to create a 6 person party of your creation.​

At this point, to avoid too much repetition and text inflation, we're leaving out most of the commonly known stuff about BG: EE, any older information that is now accessible on the official website and most of the things mentioned in our previous BG: EE Twitter reports. If you've missed any of those, simply search in our news forum for "baldur's enhanced" (keywords only) to see them all.

Also, if you want to discuss and/or need answers to any Enhanced Edition questions, drop by our BG1: EE and BG2: EE forums.