It's bin a week (due to me getting sick) but here is something again from the IWD2 forums:10 Q's
Scenario: Feargus summons you to his office and informs you of a new project he wants you to start on. The only requirements are that the game use the D&D rules and be set in the Forgottn realms. How do you answer the following questions
1) Where in the Forgotten Realms would you set it?
Puuk: The Underdark, the Nine Hells, and the Abyssal Planes (yes, I've already been thinking about this game/story).
Josh: The Old Empires, the greater Moonsea (as opposed to just Phlan and its immediate neighbors), or the southern Dalelands/northern Sembia.
Bloodlust: Somewhere in Cormyr, or perhaps if centered on one city and its vicinity, Waterdeep.
2) Would it be story driven like BG or a Dungon Crawl like Icewind Dale?
Puuk: Story Driven
Josh: I think we've had enough dungeon crawls for a while. Time for a story-driven, role-playing oriented game.
Bloodlust: Story driven.
3) If you where going to use Prestiage classes which ones would you put in? (Those who have Blackguard may have a Cookie)
Puuk:Depends. If it's first in a series of 2 or 3 games, like the BG series, I wouldn't use Prestige classes until the second game. Since a player would need to be over level 5 (usually level 7 or 8), it doesn't make sense to tease the player with a Prestige class at the end of a game. With that being said, I'd try to include all of the Prestige classes within the FR books and supplement guides (like Sword and Fist, etc.) that can be translated effectively into a CRPG.
Josh: I'd probably want to start it at low levels, so I wouldn't include any. Even if the level cap were 7th or 8th level, only a small portion of PCs could even be taken. And of those, you would only get to appreciate the early benefits for a few levels.
Bloddlust: As many as we could, without jeopardizing the balance of the game.
4) Would you make the game 2D or 3D engine?
Puuk: 3D engine.
Josh: 3D, for a number of reasons.
Bloodlust: 3D.
5) What Cleric deities, Paladin, and Monk orders would you put in.
Puuk: The ones you find in the FR Campaign Setting, including the ones that are in Faiths and Pantheons, relative to Faerun.
Josh: If we were starting with a new engine, I'd include over fifty cleric deities (including most of the demihuman deities) and all listed paladin and monk orders that weren't obviously overpowered.
Bloodlust:See response #3.
6) Who would be the bad guys
Puuk: Depends how you play the game. Perhaps YOU are the bad guy.
Josh: An army of xorns
Bloodlust: I'd like a story where the bad guys are in some way known or have contact with the protagonists.
7) What Monster would you most want to put in it? (Those who say Dracolich may have another Cookie)
Puuk: As many of the demons and devils I can from the Nine Hells and the Abyss - and a Dracolich... I'm hungry. Also, I'd really like to use the avatar of the intermediate god, Hextor (page 74 of Deities and Demigods).
Josh: Rust monsters.
Bloodlust: Rust monsters - even better, a cave full of rust monsters that discovered some dead dragon's lair and use the treasure as their food - if the players find it soon enough, there's still some cool stuff in there, but as time elapses, one or two weapons/armor/items would be eaten every so often, starting with the best ones.
8) Whats your Favourite Character class?
Puuk: Fighter
Josh: Fighter.
Bloodlust: Paladin.
9) Would you put Romances and Strongholds in?
Puuk: To some degree, but the romances wouldn't cause tooth decay. As far as strongholds, yes, but low maintenance. More like a base of operations.
Josh: I think refusing to put in romances would be silly, but I would probably prefer that they take less of a role than they did in BG2.
Bloodlust: Romances - Sure, but nothing extremely huge. Strongholds - Yes.
10) Would you make it the game so the player only made one PC and filled out the remainder of his party with NPCs (Like BG) or would you have the player create the party from scratch (Like IWD)
Puuk: I'd be happy with either/or. I think for story telling purposes, I'd prefer having the player just make 1 PC , this way the possibilities for betrayal, etc. can pump up the story telling.
Josh: Since I would ideally want it to be story-driven and focused on the character you made, I would go with the "single character augmented (or not, by choice) with buddies".
Bloodlust: Actually, I'd like a somewhat different approach. Have the player create the main protagonist, who the main plot is catered towards - and three or four more PCs, all fully under the player's control. Then, as the game progresses, have a possible two slots which would be filled by NPCs, a la BG2, which the player will *not* be able to control, only give/take items from them.
Darren MonahanHOF mode
Just wanted to give you some clarification on how the Heart of Fury mode works in Icewind Dale II.
ENABLING HOF
First off, you do not have to beat the game to enable it. During a period through the development of the game, we had set it up so that you'd have to beat the game through once to allow HoF to be enabled. We decided that since this is a single player game foremost, that emulating the Diablo II method was not something we felt was best for the players.
In the final version of IWD2, HoF can be turned on at any time. One notable difference is that once you turn it on, any NEW games you start in HoF mode, will ALWAYS stay in HoF mode, regardless if you turn it off in the Config program or not. Also, any previous games started that are NOT in HoF mode, will noot suddenly become HoF mode games.
Why we did this is because HoF in Heart of Winter could be badly abused which we felt messed up the balance of the game too much not to deal with in IWD2.
WHAT IT DOES
It doesn't just set the difficulty to Insane and set the area difficulty to max, it does much much more to enemy stats and some critters combat AI behavior. Chickens have over 70 hit points for example and have a mean peck
Also IWD2 now has HoF-unique items that can only be found playing in this mode.
Josh SawyerOld encounters
You get to meet Jermsy, Nate (ahem, "Nathaniel" is what he likes to be called in IWD2) and Sheemish in IWD2.
Tex Yang (Bloodlust)Icons
Spells and items will have both the small (toolbar) and the large (spell descriptions, item descriptions, and item selected) size - though I'm not positive on what the actual sizes are. The only feat icons, however, that I can think of are the small ones in the toolbar.
Coupe de Grace
No, this will not be in IWD2. Characters gets an automatic hit on unconscious/helpless enemies, but not an instant kill.
Light Axes
No, if I remember correctly, short swords and daggers are the only weapons which qualify as 'light' weapons.
Regeneration
There is no natural regeneration due to high constitution in IWD2 since 3E does not have that rule. Players will have access to items and spells that can temporarily give them such abilities though.
Key Rings
Sorry no key rings in the game.. the engine doesn't quite like quest items and containers being in the same place.
Elemental Resistance Spells
Minor Elemental Barrier (Cl 2, Dr 2, Pa 2, Ra 1, Sor/Wiz 2, Ilmater 1), 4/- Fire and Cold resistance, 1 round/level.
Protection from Fire (Cl 3, Dr 3, Ra 2, Sor/Wiz 3, Selune 3), 7/- Fire resistance for caster or 5/- for anyone else, 3 rounds/level.
Protection from Lightning (Cl 4, Dr 4, Ra 3, Sor/Wiz 4), 6/- Electrical resistance, 5 rounds/level.
Protection from Electricity (Sor/Wiz 5, Talos 4), 10/- Electrical resistance, 10 rounds/level.
Protection from Acid (Sor/Wiz 5), 10/- Acid resistance, 10 rounds/level.
Elemental Barrier (Cl 7, Dr 7, Sor/Wiz 7), 15/- Fire, Cold, Acid, Electrical resistance, 1 round/level.
Monks and wisdom
They get wisdom bonuses provided that they're not wearing armor.
Dopplegangers
Dopplegangers are disguised.
Fog of war
Fog of war sniping/pulling is no longer an effective tactic.
About spells
1) Yes, Mordenkainen's Force Missiles is still in the game.
2) Yes, the 'Giant Vermin' spell calls a different type of monster depending on the caster's level.
3) Find Traps works like IWD if I remember correctly.
4) Yes, elementals are uncontrollable, regardless of the class that summons them.
5) Yes, wall spells are in the game.
Stores
I believe there's somewhere around 30 stores, encompassing weapons/armor, potions, scrolls, and healing temples. Some NPCs have more than one type of service (potions and healing, for example), those I considered as one 'store'. Oh, and one more for the pre-order special merchant.
Some things that are sold in the stores change once in a while depending on special circumstances, but mostly they do not.
Druids and weapons
Druids can use any weapon, but they will only be proficient with a certain few to start out with. The weapons they're not proficient with, they receive the usual non-proficiency penalties for wielding, until they acquire the corresponding feats - so if you want a druid dual wielding bastard swords, go all out - you just need to spend the proficiencies for them.
Druid starting weapon proficiencies:
-Martial Weapons, Large Swords
-Martial Weapons, Polearms
-Simple Weapons, Mace
-Simple Weapons, Missile
-Simple Weapons, Quarterstaff
-Simple Weapons, Small Blades
Feats
You acquire new feats when you level up, at level 1, and any numerical number divisible by 3 thereafter, with the following exceptions:
- Fighters gain a bonus feat at level 1, 2, and any subsequent even levels (4, 6, 8, etc) in addition to the ones mentioned above.
- Rogues gain bonus feats at level 10 and every 3 levels subsequent to that (13, 16, 19, 22, etc) in addition to the ones mentioned above.
- Wizards gain a bonus feat at level 1, and levels divisible by 5, in addition to the ones mentioned above.
- Humans and strongheart halfings gain a bonus feat at level 1, in addition to any cases listed above.
More spells
Spiritual Weapon = Summon a magical weapon for use.
Mordenkainen's Force Missiles = An upgraded version of magic missile (Can't remember what the exact numbers are though off the top of my head).
Circle of Blades = Not mobile, the caster stays in place. Caster only spell.
Aura of Vitality = I'll have to check for this one.
Aegis = +15/- fire, cold, acid, electrical resistance, +5 deflection, +3 magic resistance, +2 saves, stoneskin, minor globe of invunerability, freedom of movement. Really sweet spell. |
Icewind Dale II Forum Update
