Will party formation matter?

[Halsy]

In as much that the leader is the one who always initiantes conversation or will that always default to the character with the best speech/diplomacy skill? I certainly hope it's the latter.

 

[Tamerlane]

There is no speech or diplomacy skill, though attributes and skills often come up in speech. You only control the player character in dialogue. Whether or not companions interject in conversations is entirely up to scripting. You choose from amongst your companions when performing scripted interactions.

[jonirenicus1002]

It's a pity they didn't use the conversation system in Storm of Zehir.

[Tamerlane]

Different styles fit different games. What worked for Icewind Dale wouldn't work for Planescape Torment, and what worked for Storms won't necessarily work for Pillars.

[Azmodiuz]

Know what we need in the future, a custom party stance, where we can align to grid how we like our characters and they save it, and we can use it always.

 

Yet no game I know of has thought to just do this, like its too hard to think of or something. Been pissing me off for twenty years.

[Arden]

Know what we need in the future, a custom party stance, where we can align to grid how we like our characters and they save it, and we can use it always.

 

Yet no game I know of has thought to just do this, like its too hard to think of or something. Been pissing me off for twenty years.

Pool of Radiance RoMD had that also if you what the game play they have shown different ways to set up formation.

[Silent Winter]

^Custom party formations were in TOEE and are also in POE

Edit: But, as  said above - that's for combat - in dialogue, your PC does the talking.

Edited March 18, 2015 by Silent Winter

[Striped_Wolf]

Great to hear that the Player character does the talking. In BG, dialogue was often (not always) handled by whoever was closest to the speaker. That led to some odd situations, where your companions was referred to as yourself, and spoke as though they were roleplaying your character. It was confusing and ruined some dialogues in a roleplaying sense.

[Luckmann]

It's a pity they didn't use the conversation system in Storm of Zehir.

 

While I agree completely, I do see how it'd be troublesome to do that for all the CNPC:s. Maybe one day... D:

[Halsy]

Thanks for the info folks.

[Azmodiuz]

I never played TOEE or Pools of Radiance:RoMD

 

But I ear theres a BG3 coming out, that will actually be using the infinity engine, and its between bg1 and bg2, or is that a joke ? 

Apparantly its beamdog that will be doing it.

 

Whatever happened to : Baldur's Gate III: The Black Hound

[Luckmann]

I never played TOEE or Pools of Radiance:RoMD

 

But I hear theres a BG3 coming out, that will actually be using the infinity engine, and its between bg1 and bg2, or is that a joke ? 

Apparantly its beamdog that will be doing it.

 

Whatever happened to : Baldur's Gate III: The Black Hound[/size]

 

Hahaha, oh dear lord. No hope for the human species.

[Azmodiuz]

The thing is, if I may be allowed to continue this discussion in this thread, about beamdog doing it, its just...who exactly is beamdog ? Do they have any guys who actually worked on the infinity engine back way when, when it first was being used ? They have stated, they are going to be using the infinity engine to do it, this is why I am concerned.  In my opin ion, wouldn't it re-introduce all kinds of issues back into the fixes they provided with the EE's...   I am surprised they didn't try and kickstarter it either.  The guys who all worked on those games (originally, like Josh o/) are doing kickstarters. How did they get the old infinity engine is also another concern, is it still for sale, somewhere some how, what are they not telling us...  is this what its like having publishers interfere and keep us in the blind ?? cause if so, screw Publisher made games ! Half the fun with PoE so far has been my involvement in it, waiting for it, and getting to know it for 3 years before it was released. Thoughts anyone ?

As for party formation, what I do like, is how easy it is to slide and move around the markers where your party is going to be standing before you lift your finger off the mouse-confirming where they will go. It was abit more clunky in other games.  I however, wish, that while you were still holding the mouse button, you could cycle the formation by clicking "Shift" to help formations that are preparing tactically near doorways or tighter spaces or such. Such a feature, would make the game feel very polished and well thought out tactically, IMO.

 

Also, as I stated in early post, would be good if we could align to grid our very own tactical formations and save them, like maybe 1-2 formations. Then you could have included having more then 1-2 formations made customly in that talent that gives you extra weapon sets, and made it a palladin/fighter/ranger talent or something. Since they are the classes I think by default are more associated with leading men, tactically, hack the ranger even has a companion tobegin with. Would be nice if you could tactically cutomise where it went in formations too.

 

Combine this with being able to cycle through fomrations while your finger is on the mouse, holding down movement placement markers from the defaulted formation, and it would be golden !  now THAT has not been done in any game thus far, this would also be optional, as mechanically your not forced to use it, and thus does not detract form the older generation's spirit of gameplay either. It does however, make things more fun and customisable. many of us, enjoy making the most out of small details like that. its literally what we enjoy most in some games, the micromanagment and full control over RP.  

 

 

Edit: ****, do we have a "what I would like to see" in future expansion/successors" thread ?

Edited March 18, 2015 by Azmodiuz

[Qbert]

It's not really BG3, more of a bg1.5. it takes place between bg1 and 2.

 

 

Trent Oster of beamdog worked for bioware and on the original bg and nwn.

 

 

Apparently much of the trouble with the ee games was due to shoddy programming in the originals.  If this is true, making a new game from scratch should improve things.

[Azmodiuz]

Shoddy programming ? Doesn't PoE have Josh from BG too ? How may others were incharge of BG but are doing PoE ?  

 

But did not know if someone from the interplay was with Beamdog. Now we know, thanks. Guess that's how they are doing it, all connected.  I will greatly look forward to this BG 1.5

 

And for the record when I referenced BG 3. it was apparantly thought up and started but never got off the ground, back in 2002 or something like that. What ever happened to all those idea's/concepts ?

[Tamerlane]

Josh was lead on Baldur's Gate 3 (which wasn't going to be an IE game), but I don't think he had any involvement with the first two games, given that they were Bioware and not Black Isle (Black Isle/Interplay published them, though). He also worked on Icewind Dale and was lead designer of Icewind Dale 2. Obsidian is generally more connected to Icewind Dale and Planescape Torment than they are to Baldur's Gate.

 

EDIT: Also, my understanding is that the biggest outside thing holding back BGEE was the loss of the original art assets. Character models, environment art, etc. - basically all gone.

Edited March 18, 2015 by Tamerlane