Jump to content

Baldurs Gate with Jade Empire-style Graphics


GhostofAnakin

Recommended Posts

After replaying a game of Baldurs Gate it got me thinking about it, and the other IE games and wondered whether they'd lose their appeal if they were made with the current day graphics that games like Vampires or JE have.

 

The combat would definitely have to be different as I can't see JE allowing for a 6 person party and full control the same way you had in BG.

 

I think the Infinity Engine's graphics became part of the charm of those games and I'm not sure if they made BG3 with current day graphics if I'd be able to see it as the third in that series, rather than just seeing it as a new game that just happened to have the BG name on it.

"Console exclusive is such a harsh word." - Darque

"Console exclusive is two words Darque." - Nartwak (in response to Darque's observation)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the game could retain an overhead view.

 

People forget that games like Bard's Tale or X-Men Legends have an isometric view and are sold today.

 

With strategic combat games becomming popular again, I think a developer could push for turn-based combat again. Japanese and European developers can push for it.

 

Fallout Tactics, imperfect game that it was, featured a decent blend of both turn based and realtime combat. The player got their choice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

True. I should have worded it better, but what I was getting at was if Baldurs Gate 3 was made and *DID* have JE or Vampires' style graphics, would it lose some appeal, or feel unfamiliar with the rest of the BG series?

"Console exclusive is such a harsh word." - Darque

"Console exclusive is two words Darque." - Nartwak (in response to Darque's observation)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Half of BG charm lies in Infinity Engine.

HERMOCRATES:

Nur Ab Sal was one such king. He it was, say the wise men of Egypt, who first put men in the colossus, making many freaks

of nature at times when the celestial spheres were well aligned.

 

SOCRATES:

This I doubt. We are hearing a child's tale.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not sure how JE looks like or how it plays, but part of the IE games charm was the party based adventuring. And, that you could use terrain in the tactical combat (i.e. move around, use area effect weapons, ranged weapons, melee weapons etc. all at the same time).

 

Something that I found NWN (and Kotor1&2 for that matter) woefully inept at in singleplayer mode... :thumbsup:

 

While I still have a game of BG2 going, NWN and the Kotors are gone. They might be technological advances, but they just aren't as fun.

 

Heck, for all it's primitiveness, even Ultima IV is more fun :cool:

“He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice.” - Albert Einstein

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sort of like Ender said, if the game is good, you'll get over the interface changes. Ultima VII was a big surprise for its interface, but in the end it became easily my favourite Ultima game (only rivalled by Serpent Isle, the quasi-sequel), and one of my favourite games of all time.

 

Good games are good games. People will soon forget, especially if the interface is actually more intuitive.

 

Unless your names is Hades.

 

 

 

EDIT: As for Gorth's statements, I wouldn't disagree. But those are more design decisions, rather than "nice graphics" and whatnot. I'd happily play a fully 3D, Source/Unreal/Oblivion Engine game of Baldur's Gate, if it still had its mechanics like full party control and whatnot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does not compute.

 

Does not compute.

 

Yeah, seriously, I just can't imagine Baldur's Gate or Icewind Dale as a Source Engine sort of game.

 

What would Baldur's Gate be like as a Source game? All the energy of the creative enterprise undertaken in Infinity Engine development seemed oriented towards the utmost exploitation of the IE style of design and gameplay. To ask me what an Infinity Engine game would be like with JE style graphics and perspective is to ask what a game which crafts a gameworld from masterfully portrayed 2D sprites, beautifully drawn backgrounds and text-focused storytelling would be like if none of those things were present within it. It's madness. It's like asking what Shakespeare would be like if Hamlet didn't have any words in it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Of course it would be possible to make a Baldur's Gate with Jade Empire's engine (ugh) or (much better) the Source engine. A good game is a good game, no matter the engine (unless the engine manages to suck the fun out of a game, like the Infinity Engine did). I can only imagine the game being better and more immersive within a fully rendered 3D world. Havok physics added to the equation doesn't exactly make things worse either. Technology has moved forward a lot, now all we need is for one of these top developers to take advantage of it all and create a similarly lovingly crafted game as Baldur's Gate with the new and improved technology that is still practically unexploited by the RPG developers today (Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines being the exception).

Swedes, go to: Spel2, for the latest game reviews in swedish!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I never played The Fall, but it was a full 3D game with a party, and I believe you paused and could switch to a first-person view from any of them, or could pull the camera out and have a wide shot of your entire party of the battlefield.

 

I have to admit it sounds quite nice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey, I liked Baldur's Gate and Jade Empire. I think that if they remade Baldur's Gate 1 or 2 using higher end graphics represented in Jade Empire with solid DnD rules set then I think it would indeed rock, but graphics are secondary for me when it comes to CRPGs.

 

In a CRPG story is what matters first and foremost, but if it has kickarse graphics I won't complain... much. :p

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As impressive the IE engine was for 2D of its time, and a huge fan of 2D I am, I'd probably not buy it if it was 2D... IE or not. I'd like to purchase a game that has a very magnetic storyline. Yet, after that, I'd like to log online, download some mods and hit up a persistant world server. Either that, or the 2D engine would need more sprites. I don't want my halfling to be the dwarf and gnome sprite without the beard, multiple animations for everything. It may take a lot of time, but your level one party will actually look like they're progressing as they roll low on the first group of rats or goblins.

Stand Your Convictions and You Will Walk Alone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not that such conjecture isn't completely worthless, but I think that CRPGs nowadays focus more on fluff and candy than actual substance of what makes a CRPG a CRPG. NWN, Morrowind, Fable, Jade Empire, KotORs, and the such have weaker overall stories compared to the IE games, even IWD 2. Sad, but true.

 

Its just to bad.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The combat would definitely have to be different as I can't see JE allowing for a 6 person party and full control the same way you had in BG.

If the combat is different then you lose the game, imo. The BG games and the ie were fun because of the strong stories and the tactical combat. The combat was an important part of the game, imo. I think a 3D engine would have to reproduce that tactical style of combat for the BG games to feel like a BG game. Although I think it could be done with the source engine.

Life is like a clam. Years of filtering crap then some bastard cracks you open and scrapes you into its damned mouth, end of story.

- Steven Erikson

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's sad but KOTOR is dull and naive when compared to Baldur's Gate Saga

HERMOCRATES:

Nur Ab Sal was one such king. He it was, say the wise men of Egypt, who first put men in the colossus, making many freaks

of nature at times when the celestial spheres were well aligned.

 

SOCRATES:

This I doubt. We are hearing a child's tale.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmm, what would people feel about a game with current graphics (like, say....... NWN2) that would feature text-heavy narrative/storytelling (a la PST), and yet using the more modern engine to reinforce storytelling even more, via more fleshed-out cutscenes, all *without* compromising the textual part of it. Just for the sake of the argument, let's say the game didn't have voice-acting, relying on text to describe the nuances of dialogue.

 

For example:

 

1) IE engine:

The guard looks at you grimly. "What do you think you're doing here? Get lost!" he utters sharply before prodding you in the gut with the pointy end of his spear.

- "I think that's the point," you interject. "I *am* lost. Hahahahahaha, I guess I better get going." [Run away.]

- "I was hoping you'd restore my faith in humanity. I guess I was wrong," you mutter dryly as you walk away.

- "No offense, but you're a freaking moron," you state nonchalantly.

- [Lit him on fire.] "Oops."

 

2) JE:

"What do you think you're doing here? Get lost!"

- "I think that's the point. "I *am* lost. Hahahahahaha, I guess I better get going."

- "I was hoping you'd restore my faith in humanity. I guess I was wrong."

- "No offense, but you're a freaking moron."

- [Lit him on fire.] "Oops."

This is all you'd get. The difference is that you'd VISUALLY see the body language, actions, animations, etc. As well as voice-acting.

 

3) 1+2:

You get all the narrative from 1), AND you get all the visual crap from 2). Only, instead of having voice-acting, you'd have the narrative from 1) to replace it.

 

So, instead of having current graphics SUBSTITUTING old-school narrative, how about making them reinforce each other? I think that'd work. I'm not convinced that current engines would TAKE AWAY from oldschool RPGs intrinsically, it really depends on the FOCUS of today's RPGs. The engine is not to blame.

Hadescopy.jpg

(Approved by Fio, so feel free to use it)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

JE had better role-playing than BG series. While I liked BG's graphics; it's not even in the same league as JE's. I personally preferred Bg's combat system because, well, I'm bias towards D&D and tunr or semi turn base style (evn though I did enjoy JE's RT combat).

 

Game over.

DWARVES IN PROJECT ETERNITY = VOLOURN HAS PLEDGED $250.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...