Black Isle Studios Board Update

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(Originally posted by Darien)

Even on a slow week there's plenty to read from the BIS message boards.

Neverwinter Nights

David Gaider, Senior Designer:

Module Maps: Yes, everyone playing your module will be required to have a copy of it.

When you hook up to a server running a module you don't download much of anything, because aside from a custom portrait option all the content will already be on everyone's computer.
A module on the server merely sends instructions to the clients as to which tiles it should be displaying in what order and things of that nature, it doesn't send any tiles, or sounds, or models.

For custom content outside of the portraits, like graphics and sounds, you will have to download things of this nature separately and install them into your NWN directories ahead of time. So, if you connect to a server running custom artwork you will be directed in the "lobby" as to where you can go to download their "hack packs", then you can return and play after securing the needed content. They wish to keep the process of content downloading separate because of performance issues.

It hasn't changed. The player doesn't have to have the module installed... they just have to have NWN itself installed. The artwork for the tilesets will already be on their computer. The host computer will just send info on what to use and how.

Like was just posted above, the only downloading that will have to be done will be for custom artwork and sounds, if any, that the host computer has for a particular module.

Aidan Scanlan, Writing and Design:

Protection: Armor and clothing in NWN are the same thing. The only difference is how much protection is offered. Clothing/armor is made up of pieces that may cover you from neck to toe. You decide what each body part will be, from naked up to plate mail. You can change neck, chest, belt, pelvis, shoulders, biceps, forearms, hands, thighs, shins and feet. There are six different areas color you can change with 32 colors or environment maps to choose from. The possible number of combinations boggles the mind.

Once made (or edited) in the toolset, the clothing is a single item that must be equipped to be worn. Helmets and head covering are not included in clothing/armor and will be a separate equip-able item. So, as a module designer, you have more or less control over the styles of armor and clothing that are available on your server (however players coming from other servers may bring other suits of clothing/armor with them).

Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal

David Gaider, Senior Designer:

Imoen: A few things:

1) Imoen is the same age as the PC, which she at one point even mentions (I think that was in BG1, but I may be wrong). We've always thought of Sarevok being the same age, as well, but the other poster who mentioned this was right...there is no baby avatar and that would be a pretty creepy thing anyway to have a baby standing there chatting you up. How, exactly, Sarevok ended up escaping the temple when he was so young is left to question (and your imagination...although obviously he didn't do it on his own and not by Gorion's hand.)

2) You don't remember your early childhood. Why is this more difficult to accept now than it was in BG1 or BG2? Either you were too young or Gorion deliberately suppressed your memories (no doubt they weren't good ones).

3) Imoen is not mentioned during the course of the Solar dreams/instructions because A) She has very little of the Bhaal essence in her and B) She would not be present in everyone's party. If she is present with the group at the end part there is resolution regarding her.

4) While the vast majority of Bhaal's essence is dealt with in the end by the Solar, we still consider there to be numerous 'minor' Bhaalspawn out there. Imoen could possibly be one if she wasn't present at the end, and so may Viekang be another. These Bhaalspawn have very little essence and will likely not amount to any trouble...cosmos-wise, anyway. Originally this was mentioned by the Solar, but she was thought to get too chatty at the end so we had to slim it down some.

5) I don't know where the thing about Abazigal being 1000's of years old came from. Maybe it could be justified, who knows, but he isn't a dragon...he's a half-dragon. Hmmm...now that I think about it, the problems he was having recruiting the other dragons due to his 'diluted' heritage may have been taken out. It's in the novel, though (as are many of the background details regarding the Five).

Baldur's Gate 3: Just regarding your signature, Elrik: who says we aren't working on a third game, hmm? I'm not implying anything specific, really, but the two games you mention are merely the announced ones.

As for BG3, anything is possible. The Bhaalspawn storyline is over, but the BG series need not be. Bioware may or may not be the developer that does it, though, if it comes up... personally, I wouldn't know.

Infinity Engine: That depends on what the question is.

If you're asking how much it costs to license the IE, then I haven't a clue. That's the sort of thing that Ray and Greg et al handle with whatever company is interested.

And if any company was currently interested in licensing the IE, that's also something that I'm not privy to (nor could I mention it if I was). It's another reason I hadn't thought of earlier, though, as to why Ray and Greg might not want to release the IE publicly (beyond legal issues, the existence of proprietary code and the state of the engine itself, as I said earlier).

If your question is what is the state of the possible public release of the IE, then I would say again that I haven't a clue. The IE belongs to Ray and Greg, period. As it's their property, they needn't release it to anyone who doesn't pay for it, completely aside from the reasons I mentioned above. Regardless, they've never mentioned any official position regarding the fate of the IE, so far as I know.

FR Timeline: (Comment: Yeah, I'm still not sure what dates the games take place in The manual says 1370-1371 DR but the game journal says 1368-1369 DR.)

Yeah...when it comes to dates, you got us there. Personally, I'm not 100% sure how everything aligns...but availability of official info was a bit, um, contradictory. Anyway...ultimately still our bad, I guess.

Harpers: Not all the Harpers know what the others are doing...they are not all of a single mind, and are instead broken down into cells, organization-wise. If the Harpers elsewhere were aware of what the Harpers in Athkatla were doing (the power play that the Harper leader was attempting), they likely wouldn't have put up with it.

Keep in mind that Jaheira is a Harper, too (an agent, anyway, originally) and she was just as subject to the machinations of the Harper sect in Athkatla.

Valygar Romance: Certain elements of the romances had to be written in before the main 'body' of them was written...such as the encounter with the Master Wraith and the very ending.
Once we got to the point where the romances, themselves, had to be written, putting in the extra one with Valygar had to be cut (sadly).

So one cannot 'patch' this. The dialogue has not been written or scripted, period.

Terrasque in ToB or BG2: There is no Terrasque in BG2 or ToB, period.

We toyed with the idea of having an animation of the terrasque's left foot (since that's all that would fit on the screen, size-comparison-wise) but decided against it. Whoever says there is or might be is just spreading a rumor.