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Planescape Torment, Baldur's Gate & Icewind Dale in Hi-Res
Planescape Torment, Baldur's Gate & Icewind Dale in Hi-Res
Mass Effect, out now for PC, was developed by Bioware and is the new hope on the horizon for many RPG gamers, featuring stunning HD graphics with top notch character models and outstanding animations. RPGs have not always been like that.
In the good old days Bioware, although already known for being top class developers back then, developed and counted on the Infinity Engine, which was only able to deliver resolutions up to 640x480. That was fine some years ago, but games like the Baldur's Gate-series (developed by Bioware) and the Icewind Dale-series as well as Planescape Torment (both developed by Black Isle Studios whereas the latter one is still being considered as a milestone in storytelling) can be a bit hard to look for our HD-graphics spoilt eyes of today due to their low resolutions. This is a pity because all those games are still worth playing and they definitely paved the way for th RPG genre as first of its kind, which has barely lost its popularity during the last years.
But again, there is hope on the horizon. Because now modders have released a widescreen mod for the Infinity Engine with which you can play those old games in whatever resolution you desire. The project is currently still in open beta, but it is already working surprisingly well. In 1280x800 the Mortuary Room, where "Planescape Torment" begins, can be surveyed much better than in 640x480. You really have a much better overview with the high resolutions.
The videos, however, as well as the menus, are now running in a little window at the top left on the screen, still in 640x480, while the rest of the screen remains black. Well, you can't have everything. It's really only a minor issue though.
So, if you fancy a try: With this mod you can go back to Infinity. And beyond.
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It's a great Mod, not only because of the higher resolution, but also because modern 16:10-flatscreens aren't really equipped to display 640x480 anymore (my screen was cut off at the bottom.)
So I was quit happy with this mod when I tried it out a few days ago.
That's really cool, thanks for the info. But I always have the feeling that you don't see all the details the programmers have implemented in their games, when you increase the resolution. I think it is meant to be on 640x480 - but I will have a look at it asap.
There is another point: Many of those games, probably all of them, are designed with the screen resolution in mind when triggering ambushes and so on, and also in regards to how far players can see. This might result in the games being to easy when played with a higher resolution (presuming that there will be more of the surroundings displayed than in 4:3). Anyway, it sounds interesting, and I think I will try Baldur's Gate 2 with that mod in the future...
Yes, you can see more of your surroundings and it might make it easier in some cases, but it's still better then not being able to play at all. Started the title about 2 years ago and was missing the lower part of the screen.
I didn't have any problems on my 1280*800 Notebook, the Intel 915 did a good job with these games. Black bars, native 640*480 in the middle of the screen, or streched, everything worked well.
Well, I guess it depends on the display, I had a cheap 24'' Display from Acer at the time. (And have now a nearly as cheap 28'')
I was just making the point that this could be an additional problem for some people.
You're right, compatibility is definitely an important(ly?;) point.
Btw. there are some other possibilities to get the Infinity-Engine-games running with a higher resolution, like BG1Tutu. I think you have everything from BG2, new spells, new classes and so on. People with problems could try the other programs, just google them.
And btw, the best solution for the problem with low resolutions on a big screen is: a smaller screen
that one?
;)
hmm no, my days with a 15'' are over, I have a 19'' as a second monitor, but that will get replaced when the 24'' is back, it still had warranty.
I have never even tried to play any instalment of "Baldur's Gate" or "Icewind Dale". Same goes for "Planescape Torment". I was rather more a console gamer back then and this is my one and only excuse I have.
But by now they are all part of my collection and I will start playing them soon.
It's never to late to redeem yourself :-)
That's a very good point you are making there, Jörg. Although I wouldn't have thought that there are many "scripted" ambush sequences like the ones you describe in the games this news is dealing with. Am I mistaken?
There are a lot, although I don't know if the enemies spawn when you get in their range or if they are there already.
I even remember a trick in BGII where you could kill a dragon with "acid cloud" without him noticing you if you didn't get too close. You just casted it 5 times until he was dead and then looted him
So it was already a bug.
You have officially destroyed all chances of my getting any work done in the next half year. I already had Mass Effect, The Witcher and Kotor 2 with the restoration mod on my to play-list, now I have to add at least BG 1 and 2...
Always glad to be of service. ;)
BTW, Knurrunkulus, could you undo the bold characters for the links which are not also game titles? (Bioware, Widescreen Mod, etc.)? We do only use [b] for game titles and persons, links to do not need special characters. Thanks.
Jörg, the reason I put them into [b] is that they all have to do with the immediate topic and/or title of the news. Although "Infinity Engine", "Widescreen Mod" and "Bioware" or "Black Isle Studios" are not game titles or persons, they still stand in close connection with the news and are, so to say, catch-words. Which is why I thought a further stressing of them would be fair.
Do you think that this is unnecessary or overemphasised? Please let me know.
Yes, they do, but I also think that too many [b]s limit the readability of a text. So we should still use [b] only for names and titles. As a rule of thumb, don't set company names in bold, and if you do want to put special emphasis on a word or phrase (or mark it as a citation), use [i].
The best thing is that I can only barely remember BG's story, so it'll be nearly as if I were playing it for the first time again. :)
Well, you started out with that cut scene in the monastery's courtyard where the big bad [shutting up...] :-)
I do remember that much. :P
I really had to laugh when I saw the american version of this BG1 intro the first time. In the german version, you see a closeup of a cobbled street for 5 seconds and wonder "huh?"
In the american version, blood flows through the stones towards a gutter. They just cut the blood out, cutting the whole 5 seconds away didn't work because of the music of the intro :)
O_O
I love resolution upgrades.
Now I can play Baldur's Gate again =)