Icewind Dale 2 Good Or Bad?

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Hey everyone?

I was wondering, i have all the BG & IWD games but is IWD2 worth it.

Is it the same as IWD. Sure the story line is different but any new fetures i should know about?

 

Yes...Yes it is. Go to CHips and Bits and buy now! Now! Go...Stop reading this and go buy it!
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Are you still here?!?!? This reply is over! You should have bought IWD2 by now!

 

We're all expecting *GREAT* things from IwD2.

Most likely, the atmosphere and graphics will be there. Even HoW had good atmosphere, and upgraded the gfx. They just needed a few extra original songs to go with it.

I'm in limbo about Soule's replacement, though. It's like replacing John Williams...there's just something unnatural/chaotic-evil about it.

Either way, I hope the gameplay is close to IwD. Where the chapters are linear, but there's a whole slew of sub quests in each one. I *like* books...

 

I honestly can't wait! I've been toying with different ideas for characters. With the 3E rules ... the possibilities are limitless.

Right now I'm thinking of a gnomish thief/fighter/cleric/bard/mage/barbarian named "Grab-Bag the Indecisive".

 

I just want them to fix the damn memory leaks that plague the Infinity Engine.

 

Really?

Memory leaks?

I heard about something like that on the unpatched version of PsT, but since my 2cd version came patched, I know not...

 

There is no memory "leak" in Infinity Engine unless you try to run the game on 32Mb RAM.

Known Infinity Engine problems (possibly already solved, but...):
- altered movement sometimes doesn't activate the onground trigger
- changed avatar (polymorph or sexchange) sometimes causes NPCs to "stutter"
- bard song and turn undead won't remove possible invisibility from clerics/pallies and bards
- bringing killed spellcasters back to life restores their memorized spells
- placing an item in the store fills it's already wasted charges
- there is so called OpenGL problem that kills the game on high resolutions, but I suspect that it is the bad code in Infinity Engine
- there is no way of removing some permanently stacked effects on creatures, in other words there is no effect that would cancel those
- infinity engine doesn't like kickass new types of wireless keyboards and mouses and it may not work properly with those
- usage of CTRL+ESC to get to windows then returning back to the game may mess that game
- if MVE movie is triggered while player is in dialog the game freezes
- existence of so called "faketalk" (this may however be removed with excessive usage combos of script commands Enemy() and DialogInterrupt(FALSE))
- cumulative application of the same effect flaws - you equip item that grants +2 to AC and it's ok, but if you equip another item after that that grants AC base for example 5, it will cancel the effect from the first one so the first one must be reequipped
- abuse of quickslot in inventory screen to activate items not actually usable by that NPC

Maybe there are more, but I can't think of them now

 

Hearing anyone say they "still have a few tricks up their sleeve" to fit everything onto 2 cds makes more than one sphincter in my body, pucker.

Compressed movies: sure, ok. As long as they look good, compress them. Compressed music: you know, you eventually get a flat-line if you compress them too much. Leave some room here, buddy, if anywhere. Compressed graphics: sure, that's what the 32meg/64meg buffers are for.

Cutting out areas that should have made the final 'Gold': Negative. As in "shot down over enemy territory". Unacceptable; Nordom *will* stop you.

I fear they have cut out sections of the game...

 

I did have some mixed feelings about IWD2 at first. I did say "I think it will be more of the some thing". I'm glad to say that I now believe this is not totally true. Since try changed the game over to 3E rules I think things are moving in the right direction. More freedom and ability to make unique characters. If the game has a good story with a few more sub-quests then the first one did we are in good shape. I certainly don't think the game will suck. I worst it will be just like the first IWD, which would be a disappointment but still fun for a while. Afterall it's only $45. Keeping in mind I'll most likely play it for serveral months that's less than a dallor a day to keep me happy. Not bad in my opinion.

And you never know it could be even better then the first IWD and thus even a greater deal.

 

It will IMHO be better than all IE games (except PST).

Why?

- There is no "set snares" (not quite, but no traps for Dan Simpson's followers).

- Helmets don't provide automatic critical hit protection (no need for Mask of King Strohm exploit)

- There is no spell called Soul Exodus or Simulacrum or something similar (no multiplication of items unless export/import).

- What do I want more?


All right, the only thing I'm not happy about is no ingame NPCs to join party and have a romance with , but we'll change that, right?

Ah, I almost forgot, SP will cover all possible messed things with IWD2, unless I die first! Yes, I'm hyped about this game.

[This message has been edited by Extremist (edited May 07, 2002).]

 

Are you planning to work on any mods for the game, Extremist?

 

That question tickles my heart...
Maybe not mods. But something I've planned to make in BG2 probably I'll make for IWD2 (with Nobleman's scenario).

About making IWD2 mods generally, the question was set on BIS boards by Darkside X. The answer was this:
"It's probably going to be just as difficulty as IwD1, probably more so since we've changed a lot and all of the modders out there will need to learn how the new engine handles things."

You see, the problem with IWD1 and definetly IWD2 is too much things hard coded - there is no files to edit, just that exe, and we can't do that, right?

I also popped in and asked for a general effect that would remove something we wanted (curse, poison, animation, sexchange ), but the answer was:
"To do that you'd have to create a new effect to affect the original effect you wanted removed. However, some effects are created in code, so you'd need to modify the exe itself to create the new effect."

Answerer was Briareus (BIS scriptor).
Darkside X is the guy currently making PST mod, you may see the progress on it here if interested: http://upperboard.ods.org/cgi-bin/hosted/planescape/upperboard.cgi

But I can assure you in one thing. If any bug is left after the final patch, I'll make the fixes if possible. Such support I won't provide for NWN. Sorry.