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Icewind Dale Enhanced Edition announced
- Thread starter Black Soma
- Start date
MattPeters
Member
It looks fantastic, Day fucking 1.
One of my all time favorite RPGs.
One of my all time favorite RPGs.
TheDarkKnight774
Member
Interesting. I wondered if they'd do this next after BG2. I wonder if planescape is on the roadmap
Vanillalite
Ask me about the GAF Notebook
Wut?!?!!?
Also on Tablets too? Count me in!
Also on Tablets too? Count me in!
Zeyphersan
Banned
Sweet, I'll grab it
toddhunter
Member
The best story of all the rpgs of that era... Because it basically had none so you made up your own.
You role played, and it was glorious.
I don't think I could do that anymore
You role played, and it was glorious.
I don't think I could do that anymore
MarcoZombieCannon
Member
Icewind Dale had the coolest music. I'll buy it (again)
toddhunter
Member
Huh, I just got done with the first one and am on Chapter 2 in the sequel.
This is true.
This is true.
jackissocool
Member
I'll just wait for IWII.
thereisnoif
Member
Do I need to have played BG1 or 2? Don't shoot me
I've never played either.
Sweet. Excited then!
Storywise, they aren't related at all. You make your own party characters here.
In fact, Icewind Dale is more focused on gameplay than story.
Not at all
lorebringer
Member
I think I still prefer BG to IWD for the better characters and writing but this game has some of the absolute best atmosphere of any RPG. Music and environments are consistently amazing the whole way through. Just remembering the feel of Kuldahar or the
.
I never played the Luremaster expansion even though it was free IIRC. Definitely picking this up. Any ideas on what the expanded quests are? Sidequests or whole new areas?
undead elf tower place whatever it was called
I never played the Luremaster expansion even though it was free IIRC. Definitely picking this up. Any ideas on what the expanded quests are? Sidequests or whole new areas?
thereisnoif
Member
Yes, but only because they're really good.
haha thanks guys. I actually bought BG1 this summer sale but trying to get into it was a challenge for a D&D newbie. I have a multi-page pdf file I need to go over to learn the rules/etc but just haven't gotten around to it.
toddhunter
Member
Well yes, you need to play them.
But only in general. IWD takes place using similar mechanics, but there is no link in story or anything like that. For people who are not really aware:
IWD: Combat heavy, story light.
BG: Somewhere in between.
PT: Story heavy, combat light.
What I loved about IWD is how understated everything is. You are not really out to end a great evil or save the world. You are just a bunch of adventurers out having an adventure.
Luckily the combat focus was incredibly well done. You might walk through a map with not much to do until you come across an enemy stronghold. The battles then reflect how that stronghold would be logically set up (outer defences then some traps etc). This lets you really use your characters to approach each situation carefully. For example sending a thief in first to scout out targets, preparing your spells and so on.
It was so refreshing compared to other action focused games like Dungeon Siege which were just one monster filled room after another, with no thought as to why there would be such a place and why the monsters didn't organise themselves properly. In IWD the encounters at least make sense.
Chairman Yang
if he talks about books, you better damn well listen
Bad timing...I'm near the end of Icewind Dale after starting it a few months ago. Excellent game.
I'm extremely skeptical that Beamdog won't destroy the game's balance with their BG2 classes and spells. I expect tons of new players to experience completely broken encounters and to wonder what people saw in the game's combat.
I'm extremely skeptical that Beamdog won't destroy the game's balance with their BG2 classes and spells. I expect tons of new players to experience completely broken encounters and to wonder what people saw in the game's combat.
lorebringer
Member
Icewind Dale will definitely teach you the combat rules anyway. I kind of like the way the Infinity Engine RPGs each have a different focus on combat/story. Icewind Dale is all about the combat, Torment is all about the story and BG is somewhere in between.
edit: beat me to it.
I hadn't thought of this but this might actually be a big problem for IWD in particular.
Not double dipping since the original + widescreen & content mods works flawlessly, but more people experiencing this fantastic game is always a good thing.
Gonna commit some blasphemy with these words, but two Summers ago when I played all the ADnD 2.0 Infinity Engine games for the first time Icewind Dale was my favorite by far. Yup, even compared to BG2 and Planescape Torment. The music and visuals, the minimalist story, the classic roleplaying experience of creating every character yourself, and above all else, THE COMBAT, elevate IWD above all else. It just feels like the most pure, well-rounded, "perfect" game of the bunch. Oh, and it has a little thing called brevity and doesn't pad itself out with crappy early-game fedex quests or grinding. IWD is about tackling tricky, cleverly-constructed combat scenarios one after the other and it doesn't care to waste the player's time bullshitting around.
Pillars of Eternity is my most anticipated game this year, but honestly while I love Obsidian's characters and writing what I'm looking forward to the most is being able to hire my own personally-constructed mercenaries. After playing Icewind Dale I just can't go back to relying on prebuilt characters.
Edit: Oh yeah, and the voice acting. Nice thing about having so little dialogue, you can afford to give what characters do speak some fantastic voice actors.
Gonna commit some blasphemy with these words, but two Summers ago when I played all the ADnD 2.0 Infinity Engine games for the first time Icewind Dale was my favorite by far. Yup, even compared to BG2 and Planescape Torment. The music and visuals, the minimalist story, the classic roleplaying experience of creating every character yourself, and above all else, THE COMBAT, elevate IWD above all else. It just feels like the most pure, well-rounded, "perfect" game of the bunch. Oh, and it has a little thing called brevity and doesn't pad itself out with crappy early-game fedex quests or grinding. IWD is about tackling tricky, cleverly-constructed combat scenarios one after the other and it doesn't care to waste the player's time bullshitting around.
Pillars of Eternity is my most anticipated game this year, but honestly while I love Obsidian's characters and writing what I'm looking forward to the most is being able to hire my own personally-constructed mercenaries. After playing Icewind Dale I just can't go back to relying on prebuilt characters.
Edit: Oh yeah, and the voice acting. Nice thing about having so little dialogue, you can afford to give what characters do speak some fantastic voice actors.
Oracle Dragon
Member
This was such a good game. I think it was also really one of the first PC games I played where I felt I must have the soundtrack. Some times I wish my backlog wasn't so ridiculous, I'd love to play a game like this again. It would really help if I wasn't hopelessly addicted to RPG's, because even a few games in the backlog is hundreds of hours
Fahrenheit
Banned
Fantastic news, Icewind Dale 1&2 are my favorites of the infinity engine RPGs. Dat music man.
Good timing. I'm playing through BG2 now (GOG version modded) for the first time, when I finish that one I'll play Planescape: Torment and after that... I guess I'll chill out (?) a bit with Icewind Dale. Hopefully IW2 EE is out by then
Though the prospect of creating my entire party from scratch kinda frightens me. I don't think I'm that good at picking skills for characters from a system I barely understand (D&D). I'm getting the hang of it, I guess. BG2 is a stern and demanding teacher, but it's useful. You seem to learn.
Though the prospect of creating my entire party from scratch kinda frightens me. I don't think I'm that good at picking skills for characters from a system I barely understand (D&D). I'm getting the hang of it, I guess. BG2 is a stern and demanding teacher, but it's useful. You seem to learn.
LiquidSolid
Member
Even without mod support?
This. Loved the music, fantastic environments as well.
While it's nice they're attempting to add some modern touches and bring the game to more people I can't help but feel they should be doing something original. For the most part the Baldur's Gate Enhanced Editions were unneeded and introduced additional issues. I would still recommend the GOG versions (with a few mods) over them (Unless they've gotten a lot better in the last 6-12 months).
hemtae
Member
A lot of the popular mods support the enhanced editions.
someguyinahat
Member
Tides of Numenera is coming. Maybe that will sate you.
toddhunter
Member
There is mod support and most of the mods have been updated to work with it.
PfantzyPantz
Member
I'm definitely gettin in on this, love the enhanced editions coming to Steam.
hoopvillian
Banned
The first pic with the dragon.. that looks fun. Decaying with it's neck sliced open. Wonder who killed it.
You are putting in way more work than needed to play BG1. You don't need to know any rules. The game does the d&D bullshit for you. Make a class and just go. The only difference IWD has is that you actually have to buy gear for your party straight from the start.
I just recently went through IWD still need to work on Heart of Winter but I got a bit burned after so much combat.
The new kits and spells could be cool but I don't think I'd have the will to go through the whole game again.
I'll probably get IWD 2: EE if it's ever coming though, I never really got into it when it came out(new D&D rules confused the heck out of me and I felt like too much documentation was needed to build a decent party).
The new kits and spells could be cool but I don't think I'd have the will to go through the whole game again.
I'll probably get IWD 2: EE if it's ever coming though, I never really got into it when it came out(new D&D rules confused the heck out of me and I felt like too much documentation was needed to build a decent party).
Minsc
Gold Member
Really great game, glad to see it getting more exposure.
But Haste! Nothing is more broken in the infinity engine D&D games than Haste (which is in Icewind Dale), especially when a single instance hits your whole party (I don't remember it working like that in the paper editions)
But Haste! Nothing is more broken in the infinity engine D&D games than Haste (which is in Icewind Dale), especially when a single instance hits your whole party (I don't remember it working like that in the paper editions)
AFAIK, just the setting.
But if I remember correctly Drizzt appears on Baldur's Gate 1 (and 2? if so I haven't found him yet)