Update #28: What We're Up To

[Flow]

Heh... are people getting impatient already? Deep breaths. We've got at least 18 months to go.

[Chunkyman]

I can't see the feet.

 

Oh well, good update nonetheless.

[LadyCrimson]

Heh... are people getting impatient already? Deep breaths. We've got at least 18 months to go.

I plan to nap the entire time, except for meal breaks. It works pretty well.

[Hassat Hunter]

In terms of size of the game, I wonder if the physical copy is going to reach 4 CDs like BG2 did, or if the technology nowadays will allow them to optimize it better.

They invented DVD's and blurays for that. Modern games generally take 2 DVD's (or more, think 35 GB Max Payne 3). 4 DVD's (or 1 Bluray) would be awesome .

I need a bigger harddisk :D

@MaximKat When they first posted it had the old 13 level image up and he literally just updated like 60 seconds ago when you and I posted so the first poster didn't see it.

Refreshed ctrl+F5 both here and on kickstarter... still 13 levels.

[Hornet85]

 

They invented DVD's and blurays for that. Modern games generally take 2 DVD's (or more, think 35 GB Max Payne 3). 4 DVD's (or 1 Bluray) would be awesome .

I need a bigger harddisk :D

 

Personally I don't mind if its as big as Max Payne 3, which was the biggest game I've encountered.

 

I hope they do not compromise too much the quality of the background images trying to compress the size.

[Ieo]

I wish Josh would've given the actual number for the extrapolated size of Baldur's Gate at 1080p... Now I'm really curious.

[Cantousent]

lol I can't see the fifteen levels either. I've tried refresh and the like, but no dice. Anyhow, nothing really new in this one, but it's still good to get an update, even if there's not a ton of stuff to share at this time. Like Red, I'd like to have that dungeon graphic on a t-shirt or something. I would definitely buy one. All in all, very exciting. I'm really looking forward to getting into the thick of things in the game world. Now I just need to wait a year and a half or so. :Cant's wry grin icon:

[Kal'Daran]

I still only see the old 13 level design , otherwise cool update really looking forward to this

[Blackstream]

A few people in the comments section have linked to this http://i.imgur.com/Ayktx.jpg which appears to be the 15 floor dungeon artwork.

 

I'm not sure if we're 1 or 2 floors away from the bottom of the foot, but it does make me a little sad we won't get to see it in the artwork.

 

I can only hope the expansion will add floors I wanna see this thing go all the way to hell damnit.

Edited October 24, 2012 by Blackstream

[LadyCrimson]

I still only see the old 13 level design , otherwise cool update really looking forward to this

Delete your browser cache and reload.

[jivex5k]

Blu-ray????

C'mon guys get with the times....

It's going to be distributed on laserdiscs....

[Zoraptor]

shift + reload page ought to work as an alternative to clearing the cache, iirc.

Edited October 24, 2012 by Zoraptor

[Cantousent]

Blu-ray????

C'mon guys get with the times....

It's going to be distributed on laserdiscs....

Laserdiscs? Didn't I have one of those in, like, the 1970s?

[Ignatius]

I busted up laughing when he said, "Thanks for funding a really huge game!" and then started listing off the ridiculous amount of stuff they have to create. As much as I envy the position of game developer, I could also see how it'd be a bit of a nightmare. Phew, stressful.

 

I have no concerns though. This game will rock.

Edited October 24, 2012 by Ignatius

[Director]

tl:dr translation

 

"I hate you all for giving us this much money... My migraines are all your fault. This is to much game.

 

P.S. I hate you all" -Josh

 

Definitely picking up a "Dear God - how is this going to all work?" vibe from this video

[jivex5k]

Blu-ray????

C'mon guys get with the times....

It's going to be distributed on laserdiscs....

Laserdiscs? Didn't I have one of those in, like, the 1970s?

That's why your an arch-mage....

The rest of us mortals are now just getting this tech...it's like a record sized CD I tells ya!

[Guest ichiwcu]

Love the updates, hope they keep up with them, however often they come up. I love the details such as how to make the 2-d water animated, how to make and use shadows ect. Hopefully at some point down the road we can get the finalization of how and what choices were made. It is interesting to me anyways

[chisled2bone]

So excited to get an update, now only 7 more days till the next one!.... what am i going to do till then So who is ready for when 6 months down the road they are like."Well guys we actully promised too much for the amount of money we got. we need to cut the dungeon levels down to 5, we are taking out the second city and the world will only be half the size we originally planned" lol

 

Seriouslt the scope of this game is large and i am really excited to see what they do. And as far as the size of the game... i am ok with a 50gb download, bring it on.

[Parmenides]

tl:dr translation

 

"I hate you all for giving us this much money... My migraines are all your fault. This is to much game.

 

P.S. I hate you all" -Josh

 

Definitely picking up a "Dear God - how is this going to all work?" vibe from this video

 

Normal stuff for a game dev. A great game isn't without challenges. I'm glad he's saying it like it is. No worries guys. I hope there won't be any overreactive forum comments here that will make the next update sound more vauge: "um yeah, things are going along.. um we're in the process of figuring out cool stuff!". Ah we have no worries about fans going haywire, this isn't the Bioware forums.

Edited October 24, 2012 by Parmenides

[Classic]

Really glad Obsidian is talking about logistics. I tried to sell my friends on supporting the kickstarter, but either they felt like they didn't have the time for a big single player RPG anymore but one had a game ending bug in an Obsidian title and were still sore over it. I know Miyamoto's Maxim ("A game is only late until it is released, but bad forever.") is less and less true in the modern era, but I'd like to give them my spare copy of Project Eternity and gloat at them having a "bug free" Obsidian game in their hands.

 

Anyway, as to the content of the post, you can add content to content light areas by moving semi-scripted events into unintended lulls. Stumbling onto another adventuring party in the woods or in a connecting cave could be interesting. I'm just a little worried about finding areas that I only ever visit in transit. I quit BG2 once after touring Athkatla looking for an (I can't remember what) because I realized I had been travelling and seeing loading screens for ten minutes straight.

 

Other, more minor concern: I know that they've obviated the need for this by promising that the game will be moddable, and thus the modding community will do it if Obsidian doesn't, but I note with some dismay that Obsidian has not yet committed to romance subplots (hereafter referred to as, "smut"). As one of those weird creatures that went to BioWare for equal parts interesting tactical decisions and smut I'm still hoping.

[rjshae]

Normal stuff for a game dev. A great game isn't without challenges. I'm glad he's saying it like it is. No worries guys. I hope there won't be any overreactive forum comments here that will make the next update sound more vauge: "um yeah, things are going along.. um we're in the process of figuring out cool stuff!". Ah we have no worries about fans going haywire, this isn't the Bioware forums.

Isn't a fan meltdown de rigeur for this forum?

 

Wait for it...

[Sensuki]

Thanks for the update

 

Woohoo System Design next week!

[The Coffee God]

I wish Josh would've given the actual number for the extrapolated size of Baldur's Gate at 1080p... Now I'm really curious.

 

The BG maps themselves were absolutely huge.

A good example is the full Saradush map I pieced together some years ago for the hell of it (I was going to do every map, but it was just way too much work)

 

http://img.photobuck...es/bgmaptry.jpg

 

This is drastically jpeg compressed, so I got it down to a little under 1 MB for a 3395x2882 map.

The full PNG file however, is 16.2 MB.

[Director]

tl:dr translation

 

"I hate you all for giving us this much money... My migraines are all your fault. This is to much game.

 

P.S. I hate you all" -Josh

 

Definitely picking up a "Dear God - how is this going to all work?" vibe from this video

 

Normal stuff for a game dev. A great game isn't without challenges. I'm glad he's saying it like it is. No worries guys. I hope there won't be any overreactive forum comments here that will make the next update sound more vauge: "um yeah, things are going along.. um we're in the process of figuring out cool stuff!". Ah we have no worries about fans going haywire, this isn't the Bioware forums.

 

It was the "4.1 Million - thanks...", "2 big cities...", "15 level mega dungeon..." remarks made with an air of despair, that I found amusing!

[Feynt]

I think the water and shadows part is actually pretty simple: Make it demi-3D. Create simple 3D models that animate as the characters would (or potentially just a single model!), and then make them draw invisible. However the models themselves would cast shadows, and could potentially receive shadows as well, which could overlay on the sprite characters and fake a 3D shadow effect from the environment. This means doubling up asset creation a little, but it's actually simplified a bit since you don't have to define the models very much. They're just there to cast shadows.

 

Likewise water has been done to death and back to life with shaders on 3D planes. You can create areas in your Unity scene which apply these shaders to cause rippling water, and save a ton on animated textures. Seriously, realistic water shaders are plentiful and beautiful.