HD Version of Baldur's Gate?

[Micah Foehammer]

Originally Posted by Azred One of the premade parties for IWD2 is comprised of all females--a drow, a svirneblin, a half-orc, two gnomes, and a half-elf. In Dragon's Eye, there is one point where you have had to create a sabotaged histachii brew to enter a room and trip the switch that will open the final room on the level. This potion is usable only by humans--the premade party has none, making the game impossible to finish.

I don't think that's the case actually.

I've completed that game without a pure human in my party and I know I've read walkthroughs completed with parties without a single pure human in them. In fact, here's one:

http://www.gamesover.com/walkthrough...ind_dale_2.txt

And THIS was his party:

--teekc paladin 3 / fighter all the way half-elf
--raven barbarian x / rogue x (x = x) ghostwise halfling
--viconia cleric, demarch of mask drow
--edwin sorcerer aasimar
--bob wizard rock gnome
--joan druid half-orc

Not one pure human in that group, at least two half-humans though.

Sabotaged Histachii Brew Item description (item code 61POTNSB)

Sabotaged Histachii Brew This liquid, specially prepared by one of the yuan-ti priestesses, is the concoction of yuan-ti venom and various herbs and roots, including the modified mandrake root that you planted. STATISTICS: This enchanted broth transforms anyone who ingests it into a special yuan-ti histachii for a period of four hours. While transformed, the imbiber maintains mental clarity and control over their facilities, but is otherwise indistinguishable from regular histachii.

According to D'hey-jazerrion's Notes, the potion can be ingested by any humanoid (not just a pure human).

Most interesting is the steps required to create the yuan-ti histachii, or "brood guards." The majority of the steps detail the creation of a histachii brew that transforms a humanoid into the creature.

The pre-made party consists of a half-elf and a half-orc, both of which are definitely humanoid, I think that party CAN complete the game.

I could be wrong but I don't think so.

[Azred]

All I know is that when she went there none of her party members could use it.

The door in question uses 61sseeye.bcs but all it does is check to see if someone's animation id is a histachii then makes that person run away if it isn't. I also see that only the 61potnhb item has one effect on humans and a different effect on non-humans; the 61potnsb appears to be usable by anyone.

How strange. I recall her having trouble because no one could get into that room with the shelf. *shrug* Oh, well...there must have been something else going on at the time.

[Micah Foehammer]

Originally Posted by Azred All I know is that when she went there none of her party members could use it. The door in question uses 61sseeye.bcs but all it does is check to see if someone's animation id is a histachii then makes that person run away if it isn't. I also see that only the 61potnhb item has one effect on humans and a different effect on non-humans; the 61potnsb appears to be usable by anyone. How strange. I recall her having trouble because no one could get into that room with the shelf. *shrug* Oh, well...there must have been something else going on at the time.

That is strange. Not sure why it wouldn't work for her. Maybe a corrupted file? I went back and double checked my party and none of them were pure human.

You're right about the regular histachii brew having different effects on humans / non-humans.

[Azred]

It is a shame that IE for the BG/BG2 series didn't have the "add effects list" effect; it makes limiting some spells easy.

Oh, well...I didn't see anything new on that website.

Reviving older games is not just a pastime for some people, it seems, but almost a way of life. Only recently I downloaded DosBox so I could play the really old Gold Box games on modern systems. Fight-for-fight, even Curse of the Azure Bonds is tougher than ToB (especially if you seek out the Mulmaster Beholder Corps).

[Shadow Stranger]

Thank goodness for Dust of Disappearance in that fight with the Beholders, you would never survive otherwise.

At the FRUA forum the Gold Box games have been decrypted to a fair degree. See the Hacking UA sub-forum.
Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures Forum - Index
A guy called Simeon Pilgrim actually produced a more modern application for Curse of the Azure Bonds.
Curse of the Azure Bonds Google Project

[CerebroDragon]

Can't say I really want to play any superfluous HD remakes of BG - I'd just prefer to replay them with new mods to be honest. There's plenty out there.

I fear that this hooplah might be just some crappy iOS port though as well.

I guess the optimistic argument would be that a graphical upgrade could introduce newer gamers to the BG series, which may make someone at Hasbro/whoever has the current D&D videogame rights see that there's still a market for cRPGs of high quality. And we could see a new BG as a result, or at least a new, quality cRPG. Who knows?

Interesting link on Curse of the Azure Bonds, Shadow Stranger - thanks for sharing!

[Azred]

Originally Posted by Shadow Stranger At the FRUA forum the Gold Box games have been decrypted to a fair degree. See the Hacking UA sub-forum. Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures Forum - Index A guy called Simeon Pilgrim actually produced a more modern application for Curse of the Azure Bonds. Curse of the Azure Bonds Google Project

I found those, as well, and downloaded a copy of IDA--seems to be a really useful tool.

Although I am glad they are thinking of re-releasing/updating the BG series, I don't think I'll get it just because it might be HD format.

[Ziroc]

If they make it, well, (if they keep the game the same) my walkthroughs should be helpful once more! And we'll see a huge uptick in new members for sure. heheh!

They gotta make an HD version of Wizards & Warriors too....

[TheCrimsomBlade]

As I has said a number of times over the past 10 years I have a very good old friend of mine who has a younger Brother that works for Bioware and has for many years.
He told us more than a 8 months ago that a three man team is working on an up dated 1st/3rd person version of the original Baldur's Gate including Tales of the Sword Coast for Possibly the next Generation X-Box and High end PC's. They are in no way official as they are just in the research part of the new engine and Bioware hasn't bought the idea yet. As employees of Bioware the are working on other projects and do the Baldur's Gate on the side. If they can get Bioware to accept the upgrading of what Bioware calls the grandfather of RPG PC games then maybe we will hear about it officially in 2015-2017. Apparently another company tried to sell Bioware a BETA in 2009 and Bioware set on a shelf and as yet haven't said any more about it.
So from what I got out of the conversation last summer Bioware Does Have it in the back of their minds to redo the Baldur's Gate saga but who knows when. I'm hoping for the 2015-2017 3-D 1st/3rd person that My friends Brother has spent the past 8 months working on when they have time.
The one big hold up has been that Bioware says that most of the people that played the original are now around the age of 40-60 and they don't know if the market is big enough to make a re-release cost effective.

One thing that we can do is, get all your friends to write to Bioware and request the return of the Baldur's Gate series also get your friends friends to write. The more letters they get the better the chance we may see the return of BG
With the success of Dragon Age Origins & the expansion and Dragon Age II and the possible expansion to Dragon Age II they may take a harder look at Baldur's Gate and if they do I'll be the first to pre-order it.
I keep saying that running Baldur's Gate on a PC with a Quad 16 core Microprocessor in full rendered 3-D would be totally FAN-TAS-TIC & beyond belief !! We can dream in the mean time.
Write those letters to Bioware and keep writing them.
TCB

[Micah Foehammer]

"If you wish me dead, brother, it must be by your hand. No one else."