[Memnoch]

Here's today's information! (I'm running out of color to use! :eek



Dave Gaider (Senior Designer)
Magic darts: You'll be able to find darts with a decent enchantment level through the expansion. Like I've said before, we've focused our efforts with items on areas that weren't very broad in BG2.

A dart that returns to the wielder? I dunno about that one. The only thing that makes darts different from daggers is the fact that they are an expendable missile weapon. There are already daggers that return to the wielder.

New spells: We've got some new spells, but I'm not sure about ice and weather-related spells. I don't think so.

Having fun while creating the game: I always have fun with it. Except maybe in the last few hours of a fifteen-hour day...but generally otherwise.

Multi enchanted items being corrected: An engine limitation is involved, yes, and we'll investigate a few of those weapons to see if we can do something about the enchantment levels (or at least changing the description of the item).

Weapon that adds proficiency points: That is certainly possible. Proficiency levels are scriptable.

Items can be restricted to certain classes. Personally, if I was going to put a weapon of this sort in the game, I would put it towards classes that are normally deficient in melee. Bards, druids and thieves pop to mind.

Weapon that adds proficiency points if you already have some in that area: That is much more difficult to do without involving some character scripting. You'd have to make the weapons set some kind of "I have this weapon" global and then have the game script check for both the presence of the weapon and the pre-existence of the proper proficiency. Not easy, but not impossible.

You know what might be do-able with this? Have the weapon gift you with style proficiency as opposed to weapon proficiency. That way, if you were unskilled with the weapon it still wouldn't be very useable to you. But it could give you ability in, say, single-wielding or dual-wielding...and even go beyond that. With scripting, you could give someone a 'mastery' in a style that wouldn't ordinarily be possible.

It's something to mull over. Thanks for the input.

Listening to fans on the message boards: We listen a lot, actually. BG2 had a great many ideas implemented in it which came straight from the fans. And we're always looking for input and feedback.

So it's not like there are topics that are not open to suggestions.

In the end, though, it's us who have to make the game and we have to rely on our judgment of what to include or not to include, what's do-able or not do-able as well as what works or what doesn't. We have to make decisions on these things. Some of them are hard but, unlike what some people would like to believe, they are not made capriciously.

We're adapting a game into a format it was not designed for. Obviously this is going to call for lots of the above decisions, and while we didn't get everything perfect (who could?) we got a damn sight closer than anyone else has in making a real D&D game. If we do it wrong, our accountability lies with those who license us the game (WotC) and those who buy it (you, the fans).

And we've always listened to our fans. We're listening right now. It chagrins me a bit, though, to find some people automatically trumpeting their assurances that we don't listen just because we've made a decision that someone doesn't like or because someone isn't satisfied with our explanations for those decisions.

We're here to get input...and we do (heaps), both negative and positive. And that's good...and probably more than many other developers get. We've never said 'be thankful that we're here' and nor would we...I and others at Bio enjoy coming here and find it useful.

But everyone has a different idea on what's needed, desired or wanted...that should be obvious with even a cursory glance at any part of this board...so pleasing everyone just isn't possible no matter how much we might want to...so don't fault us for making the decisions we have to or not looking at things (like the rules) the exact same way you do. You can applaud or complain about our decision if you like, and we'll listen and take it into account the next time the issue arises...but in the mean-time, we have a game that has to be made, as well.

Shoot, I hope that doesn't come across as babble. It's been a long day for me.
Kevin Martens (Lead Designer)
Magic darts: Done. There is a good dart that returns to the thrower in TOB.

It's magic. You throw the dart but it never leaves your hand. Magic.

Magic gives the world of Toril even more excuses that science gives to the Star Trek universe. The girdles are a good example. Although they don't protect the player from crushing damage when hit with a mace, the elephant would not crush him.

Magic. The dart is thrown but never leaves your hand.

New spells: There are additional weather spells.

Romances: The romances will be brought to their conclusions.

------------------
Memnoch - Custodian of the Order of the Holy Flame