News from the board for the game that has just gone GOLD!!

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(Originally posted by NightKin)

Hehe, had to say that Anyway, here is some board news. I can't belive that we will acutally be playing this game soon.

From Derek French, Line Producer - MDK2

Video Card issues:

The TNT2 is an excellent choice for Baldur's Gate 2 as well as most other games due to its strong DirectX and OpenGL drivers. I use a TNT2Ultra at home and am very happy with it.

Windows Millenium support:

For the most part, Windows ME didn't show any significant issues with BG2. There will be a section of the BG2 readme file that comment on operating system support.

3DFX and 32 bit support:

The Voodoo 1, 2, 3, and Banshee do not support 32 bit color in 3D. In BG2, you just have to turn off 32 bit textures in the game to make the card work properly.

All of the 3dfx cards worked just find in BG2 in both 2D and 3D modes.

I would like to clarify the statement further. BG2 will work in 2D mode with any video card that has DirectX drivers. Off hand, I cannot think of any video card that doesn't have DirectX drivers. For 3D, you must have a video card that has a full OpenGL driver. There are many video cards out there that do not have proper OpenGL drivers, or have drivers that have bugs. You will have to consult the readme file to find out about the results of compatibility testing. For example, the SiS video cards do not have OpenGL drivers.

From David Gaider, BG2 Designer

On hit points:

No, you don't re-roll the HP of imported characters.

As for Max HP's, there's probably going to be an option so that you always get the maximum HP roll on lower difficulty settings. At least it's in right now... it should make the final version.

Portraits: Mike has gone through all of the BG1 portraits and played with the colors to make them a bit more compatible with the new pics.

Jaheira in 3rd Edition AD&D rules:

OK, here's one of the NPCs thrown your way, one of the ones we made up in 3rd edition D&D. Keep two things in mind, here:

1) Some of us at Bioware did these as we were learning the 3rd edition rules way back and playing with the character generator... no reflection, here, on Bioware projects, themselves (other than the fact that some of us had to learn 3rd edition D&D for NWN purposes).
2) The characters were done as if they were created for BG2 using 3rd edition... in other words, we made them as we would have made them if BG2 had been 3rd ed. Imoen, for instance, is a Rogue/Sorceror rather than a Thief/Mage.

My first pick, here, is Jaheira... both because she's a fave of mine and because so many people seem to dislike her for no good reason other than that some of her few spoken lines in BG1 were annoying (really all you had to base likes/dislikes on anyone, disregarding stats). Agree with me or not, one of my own private pleasures will be seeing posts (not long from now) proudly announcing how they slaughtered Jaheira immediately and never once took her into their party... and I will laugh and laugh and laugh... and maybe snicker a bit.

Anyway, here goes:

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NAME: Jaheira CLASS: Druid 6 / Fighter 4

Race: half-elf Age: 34 Gender: female
Height: 5'8" Weight: 145 lbs Size: M
AC: 18 REF: 6 FORT: 12 WILL: 9 INIT: 7

STRENGTH: 15 (17 with gauntlets)
DEXTERITY: 17
CONSTITUTION: 17
INTELLIGENCE: 10
WISDOM: 16
CHARISMA: 15

ATTACKS: Melee 2 (+10/+5), Ranged 2 (+11/+6)
FLAMING STAFF (+12, dmg (1-6)+3+spec, x2)
SCIMITAR +2 (+12, dmg (1-6)+5, 18-20x2)
SLING +1 (+12, dmg (1-4)+1, x2)

FEATS: Craft Wondrous Item, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Quick Draw

SKILLS: Animal Empathy 4 (+6), Climb 4 (+3), Diplomacy 4 (+6), Heal 6 (+9), Inuit Direction 2 (+5), Jump 2 (+1), Knowledge - Nature 6 (+6), Knowledge - Geography 2 (+2), Sense Motive 2 (+5), Spellcraft 2 (+2), Swim 2 (-3), Wilderness Lore 4 (+7)

RACIAL TRAITS: Immunity to magical sleep, +2 Save vs. enchantment, low-light vision, +1 to Listen checks, +1 to Search checks, +1 to Spot checks, elven blood

LANGUAGES: Common, Druidic, Elven

CLASS FEATURES: simple weapon prof., martial weapon prof.:all, light/med/heavy armor prof., shield prof., nature sense, woodland stride, trackless step, resist nature's lure, wild shape (2x per day), restricted to druidic weapons & armor

EQUIPMENT: Hide armor, Gauntlets of Ogre Strength, Ring of Animal Friendship, Ring of Protection +2, Scimitar +2, Sling +1, Flaming Staff

Progress report: Frankly, at this point it's all test test test test test test. We got Multiplayer games, Multiplayer games over the Internet with Interplay, Win 95 games, Win 98 games, min-spec games, critical path games, subplot-testing games, yadda yadda yadda. And then someone will find a bug and there's a big hubbub over in the Command Center for, like, half an hour.

(sigh) It's exhausting and we're tired and excited and eagerly looking forward to delivering the game into all your eager little hands as soon as humanly possible. But it's GOT to be polished.

How's that?

Volo's Guide:

Volo's Guide to Baldur's Gate II is not a hint book of any sort, nor is it intended to be. It is a guide to areas of Amn and Athkatla not covered in the in the course of the game, as I understand it... to expand on the area in general for those who are interested.