[HELP WANTED] BG2Remake of Dragon Age: Origins

[Guest BG II DA:O Remake]

Posted by: BG2Remake

 

Date posted: December, 2. 2009

 

Looking for: Modders familiar with BG2 (and maybe DA:O, too)

 

Website: bg2remake.webs.com

 

Details: Ok, so I'm part of a modding team that is trying to make a BG2 remake of the "new" game, Dragon Age: Origins. We've made quite some progress, but find we are in need of someone that are a little more expreienced with modding BG2, as transferring, interpretation of scripts is something none of us have much experience with.

 

If you think this looks interesting, please visit our website at: "bg2remake.webs.com"

[Grim Squeaker]

No offense mate, but are you serious? If you're just planning on copying everything from DA:O and re-making it in BG2, that's really quite illegal.

 

Edit: Looking at the photos it looks like you're doing the reverse of how it reads: remaking BG2 in the DA:O toolset. You'd get less of a bollocking I'd imagine (as you're copying resources from an old game instead of a new one) but still pretty damn illegal, I'm afraid

 

Edit #2: Unless of course you can come up with a sly way of copying the resources from the original disk (or install) i.e., making sure they have bought both games before running your conversion e.g., BG1tutu.

[CoM_Solaufein]

If this is the same as this then it must not be a big deal since its posted at Bioware's social site.

[Domi]

Pass. Played BG2 to death, can't imagine seeing it all over again in a new engine. It's new game for me. Well, new to me.

[Guest BG II DA:O Remake]

No offense mate, but are you serious? If you're just planning on copying everything from DA:O and re-making it in BG2, that's really quite illegal.

 

Edit: Looking at the photos it looks like you're doing the reverse of how it reads: remaking BG2 in the DA:O toolset. You'd get less of a bollocking I'd imagine (as you're copying resources from an old game instead of a new one) but still pretty damn illegal, I'm afraid

 

Edit #2: Unless of course you can come up with a sly way of copying the resources from the original disk (or install) i.e., making sure they have bought both games before running your conversion e.g., BG1tutu.

 

We're hoping that won't be an issue. We're trying to keep the project off the Bioware site, but we have threads there. Also, for people to come up with some sly ways to do this would be very welcome

+, it's nothing commercial. It's a mod for a game based on another game. I don't see how it should be a problem. Although, Atari aren't exactly known for their leniency when it comes to copyright

 

If this is the same as this then it must not be a big deal since its posted at Bioware's social site.

 

Why yes, yes it is

 

Pass. Played BG2 to death, can't imagine seeing it all over again in a new engine. It's new game for me. Well, new to me.

 

Why bother replying then? But sure, BG2 has been played over and over and over and over and over again. But this'll be quite different. We're not (at least not for starters) going to add all the D&D rules, but keep some of the set-up from DA:O.

[Grim Squeaker]

No offense mate, but are you serious? If you're just planning on copying everything from DA:O and re-making it in BG2, that's really quite illegal.

 

Edit: Looking at the photos it looks like you're doing the reverse of how it reads: remaking BG2 in the DA:O toolset. You'd get less of a bollocking I'd imagine (as you're copying resources from an old game instead of a new one) but still pretty damn illegal, I'm afraid

 

Edit #2: Unless of course you can come up with a sly way of copying the resources from the original disk (or install) i.e., making sure they have bought both games before running your conversion e.g., BG1tutu.

 

We're hoping that won't be an issue. We're trying to keep the project off the Bioware site, but we have threads there. Also, for people to come up with some sly ways to do this would be very welcome

+, it's nothing commercial. It's a mod for a game based on another game. I don't see how it should be a problem. Although, Atari aren't exactly known for their leniency when it comes to copyright

 

True, it's not commercial. However, technically you're taking money away from them if someone can download your big-ass mod for DA:O rather than buying BG2 (which would presumably have copies of all the BG2 dialogue, music etc - you know, copywrited stuff). As for keeping it off the radar, I'm not convinced it'll work. And if they do eventually try to shut you down (as LucasArts have done on similar project's for their games) it'll just be a lot of wasted effort on your part, which'd be a shame.

[cmorgan]

I know that many folks have given time to projects to rebuild BG/BG2 in persistent worlds for various engines, including the ones governing Morrowind/Oblivion, NWN, and NWN2. I applaud the willingness to work hard for what turns you on, and I am sure you are welcome to fish for i.e. modder involvement, but I do notice that those projects take longer than a game engine has popularity. It sounds strange, but the reason i.e. modding is still around is that it is still drastically easier to adjust and build within BG/BG2 than it is to rebuild the whole thing in a new engine. By the time projects like this get to about 60% of content, another shiny new engine gets people rolling in that direction, so folks lose focus; and, of course, there is always the fact that the original game is constrained through one set of operable functions, while the new engine is built on an entirely different set of constraints, which means that it is twice as hard to figure out what the Law of Unintended Consequences has in store for the project... So time is the enemy, if you are trying for a rebuild. Heck, just creating a deep-background NPC for i.e. using tutorials can take a very long time - and BG/BG2 is big. Very big. Think Tamariel mod big. And then add more.

 

I do have a suggestion that may save you some time - skip recreating BG2 scripting as a basis, since it was designed along with/in response to constraints in the engine. DA:O has an entirely different approach to scripting and character development, including absolutely no referent to multi-classing and 2E ruleset - so why not use the storyline, base characters, and areas, and forget what the original had in terms of classes, scripts, etc? It is not so hard to imagine Irenicus reset as a boss level Blood Mage, with the attendant (and needed) additional henchman swarm. The entire Bhaalspawn thing is the real killer - swapping out the protagonist or adding layers of penalties/bonuses through level development might be possible, but event-scripted changes like that, not so easy. And determining playing balance - wow.

 

Good luck with the project, though. Challenges like this can be alot of fun. Personally, I am happy enough thinking of cool ways of extending and enriching Fereldan and its surrounding areas, and leaving BG2 redevelopment to the pros, when they get around to it. Hey, Mechwarrior is getting a reboot, so there is always hope!

[Domi]

Why bother replying then? But sure, BG2 has been played over and over and over and over and over again. But this'll be quite different. We're not (at least not for starters) going to add all the D&D rules, but keep some of the set-up from DA:O.

 

Thought the same thing as Grim initially, that you are porting DA into IE. Which would likely have caused even mild Bio to protest. But I'd get that as a project idea, will have support of the segment in the player base who don't own a DA-capable rig, despite being no good legally and ethically. BG2 --> DA don't get why and who'd play that, so I said so. Anyway, back to the regular programming. Good luck, wind in your sails and all that.

[Guest Marvin]

Well, I'd love to see this project going on, but as already said: focus on what is really important and forget about the minor important stuff.

Here a suggestion:

 

Make the game playable as fast as possible!!! Create the areas, NPCs, Story, Dialogues and so on. Once you've released something or made a rough playthrough possible you can still focus on rescripting the whole thing.

 

 

Marvin