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Baldur's Gate III
the_exile
Kupo!
in Zocalo v2.0
More "butt-kicking for goodness" is finally on it's way--Atari has spent the past several months working with an unnanounced developer on the high concept for [i]Baldur's Gate III[/i]. It's an entirely new game with no connection to the cancelled [i]Baldur's Gate[/i] sequel that was once covertly in development at the now-defunct Black Isle Studios.
Though [i]BG III[/i] won't be a direct sequel to the storyline of the first two [i]BG[/i] games, Atari intends for the game to have a similarly epic scope and feature a large gaming world populated by memorable characters. As Atari Exectuive Producer John Hight explained, it also won't recycle the dated BioWare Infinite Engine, instead featuring cutting-edge graphics (although the gamemakers haven't yet decided whether to license an existing engine or develop a new one).
When asked if the follow-up would stick with an isometric perspective, Hight indicated that Atari wasn't "afraid to move the camera for cinematic effect. [Your viewpoint] will be more immersive than the traditional isometric perspective and bring you closer to the action. You want to see the fear in an orc's eye as you blast him with a fireball, don't you?"
The plot will be set in the early days of [i]Baldur's Gate[/i], but don't be surprised if you run into a hamster-toting ancestor of Minsc (exile's note: they spelled his name wrong in PCG :mad: ). Atari intends to incorporate a memorable array of Forgotten Realms monsters, races, sub-races and prestige classes, and is working closely with Wizards of the coast to fauthfully develop the setting, characters, and story. Hight plans to poll fans to ensure that favorite characters, classes, and locations are included. Atari's ambitious design goal is to make a visually stunning RPG that both lives up to [i]BG[/i]'s great heritage and evolves the genre.
Though some aspects will be simplified for real-time interactive play, [i]BG III[/i] will use D&D 3.5 rules for an authentic roleplaying experience. This sequel [i]will not[/i] be an action/RPG hybrid like the popular [i]Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance[/i] console games; Atari is shooting for a mixture of traditional well-paced action with a more user-friendly interface.
Asked whether [i]BG III[/i] will have real-time or turn-based combat, Hight indicated that Atari was leaning toward one directino but wanted to further explore it before announcing a decision. While there'll naturally be a lot of combat, Atari plans to include a wide variety of quests to incoroporate non-combat-oriented skills to give bloodless solutions to some quests. Gameplay will be party-based, allowing players to assemble their own party from a wide variety of unique and personable henchmen. Hight's bottom-line promise: "It'll be epic."
-[i]Dresslock[/i], PC Gamer, October 2004
Though [i]BG III[/i] won't be a direct sequel to the storyline of the first two [i]BG[/i] games, Atari intends for the game to have a similarly epic scope and feature a large gaming world populated by memorable characters. As Atari Exectuive Producer John Hight explained, it also won't recycle the dated BioWare Infinite Engine, instead featuring cutting-edge graphics (although the gamemakers haven't yet decided whether to license an existing engine or develop a new one).
When asked if the follow-up would stick with an isometric perspective, Hight indicated that Atari wasn't "afraid to move the camera for cinematic effect. [Your viewpoint] will be more immersive than the traditional isometric perspective and bring you closer to the action. You want to see the fear in an orc's eye as you blast him with a fireball, don't you?"
The plot will be set in the early days of [i]Baldur's Gate[/i], but don't be surprised if you run into a hamster-toting ancestor of Minsc (exile's note: they spelled his name wrong in PCG :mad: ). Atari intends to incorporate a memorable array of Forgotten Realms monsters, races, sub-races and prestige classes, and is working closely with Wizards of the coast to fauthfully develop the setting, characters, and story. Hight plans to poll fans to ensure that favorite characters, classes, and locations are included. Atari's ambitious design goal is to make a visually stunning RPG that both lives up to [i]BG[/i]'s great heritage and evolves the genre.
Though some aspects will be simplified for real-time interactive play, [i]BG III[/i] will use D&D 3.5 rules for an authentic roleplaying experience. This sequel [i]will not[/i] be an action/RPG hybrid like the popular [i]Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance[/i] console games; Atari is shooting for a mixture of traditional well-paced action with a more user-friendly interface.
Asked whether [i]BG III[/i] will have real-time or turn-based combat, Hight indicated that Atari was leaning toward one directino but wanted to further explore it before announcing a decision. While there'll naturally be a lot of combat, Atari plans to include a wide variety of quests to incoroporate non-combat-oriented skills to give bloodless solutions to some quests. Gameplay will be party-based, allowing players to assemble their own party from a wide variety of unique and personable henchmen. Hight's bottom-line promise: "It'll be epic."
-[i]Dresslock[/i], PC Gamer, October 2004
Comments
OK, so it is, but that's not the point!
The Giant Hampsters are bent on devouring all of the Forgotten Realms, but they need to get to Baldur's Gate, where they will steal the essence of a Bhaal spawn rumored to be living there. One of the Hampsters, Boo, screws up his entry and ends up in Rashemon. There he is hunted by the Berzerkers. He lures some of them into a trap, in which all but one of the Berzerkers dies horribly. The lone survivor is Minsc, who was hit on the head.
As Boo approaches to deliver the killing blow, Minsc wakes up and greets the hampster as a friend. Boo quickly realizes what has happened, and plans to use Minsc to infiltrate the ranks of the Berzerkers for some grander subtrifuge.
When they get back to the lodge or whatever, the Berzerker elders get angry with Minsc, who has taken one of their enemies as a companion. But Mincs tries to explain that they are friends and he doesn't know what they're talking about. The elders, realizing they cannot truely ever defeat the hampster, decide instead to send it away. To ensure the hampster doesn't suspect anything, they tell Minsc he will be taking a journey to prove himself and become a full member (or whatever), and that a witch would be going with them. Minsc was told he was to protect her, but really, she was just there to report back to the elders on what happened on the journey if Minsc never returned. This was all good to Boo, who noticed that their journey would bring them close to Baldur's Gate.
On their journey, the run into The Cat Lord, the most feared enemy of all the hampsters. Boo is captured and taken to her underground lair, where Minsc follows despite the protests of Dynahir. Eventually they rescuse him, an experience that changes Boo's entire outlook on humanity. Soon he is softened up to the Berzerker and his kindness towards him.
They also run into anothe hampster that screwed up his entry. He had been fighting the Elves the whole time, and is using their bones to fashon some sort of magical armor.
One night while they are sleeping, that necromancer hampster attacks Minsc and Dynahir, thinking he is rescuing Boo. But at the last second, Boo stops the necromancer from killing Minsc and explains the situation. The necromancer hampster, disappointed with who was once the most feared of all his people attacks, and they do battle. Boo triumphs, and realizes what he now must do. To ensure the safety of his good friend Minsc, he would have to get to Baldur's Gate and assissinate all of the other Giant Miniature Space hampsters before they can get together and steal the Bhaal spawn's essence.
But he is also aware of Dynahir's deceptions, and what her true purpose is. If only he could find a way to get rid of her first...