IWD:EE

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Yeah, the guy who updated Shadowkeeper for BGEE/BGIIEE is already working on getting it updated for IWDEE.

 

Release date has been announced - October 30.

I think I'm probably going to buy this sooner rather than later. $20 is higher than what I am normally comfortable paying for games, but then, IWD is getting quite an upgrade. I do own IWD, but never played it because it was a little too dated compared to BG2 for me. But now I'm quite excited to play it.

Plus, I'm really hoping that giving them my $20 will encourage them to make IWD2:EE, which is what I REALLY want!

PS where will IWD:EE be available from? Would like to buy it from either GoG or Steam.

 

I would guess via both GoG and Steam along with Beamdog's site.

 

Yep, you got it.

 

Does anyone know any special coupon codes for buying this game at Beamdog?

 

Aaaaaaaaaaaand it has arrived!!

• from beamdog directly: Win/Mac -- $19,99 worldwide (I think?)
• via steam: Win/Mac/Linux -- $19,99 in US, $25.16 in Europe, $9.96 in Russia, etc.
• via gog: Win/Mac/Linux -- $19,99 worldwide

PS: GOG promises that the Linux version is "on the way" too!
PS: Also, this interview with the Beamdog team is pretty informative.

Update: GOG has the Linux version too now.

 

Cool though I have to see whether all the cool 3e type additions to classes (such as evasion on rogues) were implemented in IWDEE considering they went to their modified BG engine and those things were not there. I also hope it kept things like full caster level for paladins and rangers and spells like static charge.

I also wonder about two weapon fighting with rangers in this game will it be IWD style or BG style (I doubt both but that would be cool too).

I also wonder if you can use in combat and do whatever you want or if you cannot remove armor just like in BG2?

 

Does anyone have a list of mods that work with EE? Like Dale Keeper or what if any npcs were put in the game?

 

Two weapon style is implemented BG style, not IWD1 style. Mostly it is very similar to the BG spells, except for some spell and rule differences. Grand mastery functions like IWD1 and BG1, not BG2. Certain spells have been changed - such as Abi Dhalzim's Horrid Wilting not being party friendly anymore (it isn't in IWD2 so I assume it wasn't in IWD1).

I decided to buy IWD:EE and BG2:EE directly from Beamdog. The way I see it, I love Infinity Engine games, and the more of my money that Beamdog gets, the more likely we are to see similar games in future. Personally I'm hoping for IWD2:EE.

I rolled my party last night, but I realized I need to make one or two changes tonight. I plan to dual a shadow dancer to a make, and I realized that his 10 strength would leave him unable to dual class. I must say, I got some amazing rolls - I've never seen rolls this good. I wonder if they modified the random number generator? Sure, it did take me a while, but I spent a lot of time rolling numbers in BG2 and never saw anything close to the numbers I got. I mean, I have a Fighter/Druid with a total score of something ridiculous like 93, and his strength score is 18/99. It's crazy.

My party is:
Human Cavalier
Elven Sorcerer
Halfling Fighter/Thief
Half-Elf Fighter Druid
Human Fighter (will dual class to Cleric at level 7)
Human Shadow Dancer (will dual class to Mage at level 10)

 

There's an IWD:EE Mods subforum over at BG-forum, but it doesn't have much useful content yet, other than a notice that gibberling's BG2 Tweaks mod works with this game too.

In general, I don't think any IWD mods will work with this, but I suspect some BG2 ones might (since IWD EE is essentially using an improved version of the BG2 engine).

There's EE Keeper, and apparently it's already been updated to support IWD EE.

No companions (a.k.a. NPCs that can join your party) were added.

Though an improved version of the Unfinished Business mod has been integrated into the game, so you may meet a few quest NPCs that you wouldn't have met in the original game...

 

Yes, IWDEE is feature-complete with IWD. There's a checkbox option to use 3e sneak attack, thieves get evasion, all of the IWD spells from Static Charge to Seven Eyes are included, and the spell progression tables are from IWD.

There are, sadly, few IWD mods; I know because I authored most of them. A better version of the Unfinished Business mod is included, as is Item Upgrade; and BG2 Tweaks works on it (despite the name). The only other mods that worked on IWD and not IWDEE I can think of are Kulyok's IWD NPCs (which are in progress) and Auril's Bane.

On the flipside, the upgrade to the BGIIEE codebase means there's a lot of mods that will potentially be available that are not for vIWD--tweak mods, for example, or kits and spells.

Yep. Where there's a BG2 and an IWD version of a spell, the IWD version is used. I nuked my party during testing with ADHW because I forgot this.

Heh, no, same RNG.

 

Can someone walk me through the installation directory for Beamdog. I think I have the game but not the save directory. What am I missing?

 

Thank you for letting me know.

I wonder if a mod could be made to give other classes abilities like evasion. Monks really should have evasion (they have access to it in every edition including basic D&D and 1e) and I would love to give rangers evasion too just like in 3.5 (heck they need the love I think).

Also thanks everybody for specifically reminding me about horrid wilting. I remember it being party unfriendly in IWD and friendly in BG2 so it might be easy to forget. I also wonder if it is not usable against certain types of creatures I remember things like the barrow wights being immune to the spell.

 

I think it just feels that way, because it shows you the total score of each roll now, which makes rolling for high scores much more efficient.

In the original Infinity Engine games, you either had to go and calculate the sum after each roll (which was pretty slow), or roughly estimate whether it's a good roll based on how high the numbers look (which was inaccurate, leading you to waste time on bad rolls and inadvertently skip some good ones).

In EE, you can thoughtlessly click re-roll until the field that displays the total score shows what you want...

 

Yeah, and it's not a straight roll regardless. Same as the original, rolls with totals under 75 are discarded, and it's very deliberate that you roll after race, class, and kit selection--the rolls will always meet the minimums for your selections. There's a reason why folks who post 'ZOMG 100!' rolls start with something like 'so I was rolling an elven ranger...' You won't see many 100s rolling a human fighter.

 

Try mapping to "My Documents\IceWind Dale Enhanced Edition\Save"

 

Thanks it kind of works now but I get an error something about effects

 

I think you are right. I think I can do 30-60 rolls per minute now (RPM!), which means my chances of getting a good one are higher.

I've got quite far in the game. I wasn't sure when to start the expansion, but I saw people recommended that you start it after you had... well acquired some important quest related items, near the end of the game. I think in the main game, I have a few major battles to go before the end of the game, and I have just started the expansion as of last night.

Thoughts? I like it, but not as much as Baldurs Gate 2 or Icewind Dale 2. Icewind Dale 2 is a superior game for a number of reasons. Not that Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition is bad - it is still great and I don't regret buying it. They did a good job of enhancing it - it is much more playable and accessible than it used to be. I loved that they have brought the classes, kits and spells from Baldurs Gate 2. The new content and updated game engine is enough for me to say it is a worthwhile purchase.

The "problem" is that the base game that they are trying to enhance is just not as good as Baldurs Gate 2 or Icewind Dale 2. I think Icewind Dale 2 comes across as much more sophisticated in its map design and scenario design. The settings and setups regarding combat feels so much more intricate and polished. Which is ironic considering that IWD was rushed out the door to get some income for Interplay!

I would rate the base game as 7.5 out of 10. Once again, I'm not knocking the work done on the EE - I think it is fantastic. It's just that the base game is simply not up there with the best.

Would I play it again after finishing it? Due to my obsessive nature with Infinity Engine games, most definitely!

 

I have mixed feeling about that.

It is true that some IWD1 maps can feel a little like arbitrary open spaces/corridors with monsters carelessly sprinkled across it, while IWD2 map elements and enemies often feel more hand-placed and thus tactically interesting.

However, I don't think that this IWD2 way is always better. If overdone, it can kill the sense of exploration and feel "game-y". And it definitely has been overdone in some IWD2 areas - remember the Shaengarne River map for example?

I think a healthy mix of (moderate, non-overdone implementations of) both kinds of map/encounter design is ideal.

 

I agree that the Shaengarne part of the game is not the best. However, from the ice temple until Dragon's Eye is amazing. Not really a fan of the Dragon's Eye part, or the part in the volcano after that. Fields of slaughter is cool, if short.

I would prefer more time walking around in the icy wilderness to be honest - it is the best part of both games.