Beyond Book III

[voyager39]

While we await Book III with baited breath, I think one also needs to look beyond and we have had hints towards that in the form of a Collector's DVD etc.

The game has matured nicely and IMHO it would be worth it if I can simply play Books I, II and III sequentially one after the other as a collective package, hopefully with some new surprises and improvements. Afterall its the same map and one can wake up as a layman everytime.

How about "gateways" from Book I to Book II or III and vice versa? Its not so simple but not too difficult either.

The possibilities are immense and can be discussed.

[Thynar]

Depending on how powerful the development kit that will be available after Book III is released, it may be possible to port the previous games, or even re-create them.

[BasiliskWrangler]

Wouldn't that be disrespectful to Basilisk Games?

As long as people keep buying Book III to make and play mods, we will gladly take the disrespect!

Actually, we have already been approached by fans who want to re-make Book 1 with the Book 3 engine with our help. I've said we would supply all the resources and software updates needed for a 100% proper remake, as long as we can distribute it as an official remake of Book 1. Meaning, it wouldn't be a free mod but rather a stand-alone reissue of Book 1, with proceeds going towards our next (post-Eschalon) game.

If anyone wants to design a 100% fan-made, unsupported and unofficial remake of Book 1, you can certainly give it a go.

[VDK]

To be honest, the positive side to the "Russian Translation Project" or whatever it was called was that it provided much needed hilarity to this forum. I mean I thought it was hilarious because it proved that the speaker was able to reach lvl 50 as a rogue.

[SpottedShroom]

I'm almost positive multiple people have talked about trying to remake Books I and/or II in the Book III engine with the mod kit. It's probably almost inevitable, unless BW explicitly requests people not do it. It would be nice if someone would put together a project to let many people collaborate on the remake.

And yes, the translation debacle was probably entertaining for most forum regulars, but you wouldn't want other people to get the mistaken idea that this isn't usually a friendly and civilized place to chat.

[IJBall]

I'm almost positive multiple people have talked about trying to remake Books I and/or II in the Book III engine with the mod kit. It's probably almost inevitable, unless BW explicitly requests people not do it. It would be nice if someone would put together a project to let many people collaborate on the remake.

I'm one of the people who has expressed interest in "remaking" Book I (or at least "converting the Book I maps" to Book II/III format/resolution).

Actually, though, my real expressed interest is to start up a project to render the entire Escahlon world using the Book III map/mod kit once it's out. That would obviously include (converting) the Book I maps, but not anything that BW has already done for Books II or III (no need to "remake" those maps, as it'd be redundant). This would also obviously include any world areas that BW doesn't do on his own in any of Books I-III (e.g. areas like Western Thaermore, or the Gambit Valley, if neither show up in Book III).

An interesting off-shoot of this project might be to re-render certain areas that we've already seen in different eras - e.g. Elderhollow before its fall would be an obvious example of that (and, indeed, somebody on these forums already gave that project somewhat of a shot with the existing Book I map editor), though it's definitely not the only example of this kind of project that you could probably come up with.

And, yeah - any sort of project to do anything like this is almost certainly going to require a team effort.
It'll be interesting to see if anything like that really does develop and get off the ground once the editor is released...

[redspark]

I'm very interested in making something new (a non-Eschalon world) with the editor tools and seeing how far the engine can be pushed with the tools.

[deathknight1728]

I am hoping that everyone gets a chance to possibly voice characters in the next game. I would like for that as it would make it more dynamic and epic. Eschalon isn't a party based game so it might not fit that but a party based game would be cool with that.

I'd voice a character or two for free just because this company has so much going for it. I also think being part of Baldurs Gate EE is too high requirements and would like to contribute to an awesome rpg.

[Lord_P]

I'm very interested in making something new (a non-Eschalon world) with the editor tools and seeing how far the engine can be pushed with the tools.

I have been making some grand plans for the last 1½ years about what I'm going to do with the editor. Am I crazy?

[redspark]

I have been making some grand plans for the last 1½ years about what I'm going to do with the editor. Am I crazy?

I haven't finished with my planning yet. I'm trying to flesh out the details. Originally, I was looking at other engines that promised greater flexibility but many of them are unfinished or don't have enough features. I'm hoping that I can do what I'd like to with the Eschalon engine.

[BasiliskWrangler]

I'm hoping that I can do what I'd like to with the Eschalon engine.

Please note that release 1.0 of the tools will have extremely limited editing ability. This is because our goals are:

1) Release game - Win/Mac/Linux in staggered order.
2) Support customers and fix bugs. Promote game as much as possible.
3) Release Toolset 1.0 (This will be what we used to make Eschalon, and will be very inflexible. Pretty much will only allow you to create maps for Book III).
4) Begin working with modders, taking requests, and expanding toolset with more features and flexibility.
5) Repeat step #4 until Book III is no longer selling well enough to warrant burning up our time (meaning, we are not going to be able to keep working on the toolset if only 5 of you are using them).

[Lord_P]

I have been making some grand plans for the last 1½ years about what I'm going to do with the editor. Am I crazy?

Grand plans, as in actual documentation? Ever since I did Thaermore Revisited I've been thinking about what I'll do. I should start writing it down.

Documentation, as in writing stuff down, yes. In notepad, on paper, in my phone. I have A LOT of documentation.

But still, I'm going to be patient. The toolset will come out when it comes out, and if it isn't what I was hoping for, then I will accept the facts.

[voyager39]

I am certainly not as enabled in programming as some other friends here, but frankly - as an ordinary player I feel that a version which combines all the three editions would in itself be a great premium offering.

While we would want to transport from landmarks in Book I to Book III in order to acquire some weapons/skills - we sure don't want to kill the final enemies and disrupt the storyline. It would also be a very different experience if I play Book I while I am starved.

It does require a lot of work to make it coherent. And I don't know if it is harder or easier vis-a-vis starting a new game. Possibly harder.

Yet, its an option that can work depending on the response that Book III gets.

[Leezar]

with proceeds going towards our next (post-Eschalon) game.

Oh oh! I know what that will be about!

The worlds goes to shits as it always does in good storytelling; global warming, economic meltdown, peak oil, peak everything else, BPA and herbicides sterilizing the majority of earths population, Britney Spears release a new album or whatnot.

Well, as it turns out project orion was actually not discontinued;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Or ... pulsion%29

Naturally, you are one of the lucky few who have secured a spot on this craft, preferably as a sort-of underdog but still pretty cool sort of guy, like an engineer or something. Anyways, Orion blasts off leaving the god-forsaken hell-hole of Earth behind. There is a problem of course, not enough attention was paid to life-support systems, so now begins the task of sending out scout patrols to gather resources, for instance from the moon or even revisit the-now-wasteland-Earth or such. Anyways, things eventually gets under control and it is decided that it is time to find another planet capable of bearing life. So, everyone goes into cryosleep as the vessel begins its 1000 year long journey towards Beta Primuli or something.

But again, all goes to shits. You are awakened by a loud siren, and find out there has been a hull breach. Some other survivors awake and are nice to you, some awake and are bad to you, some keep sleeping, and some have died due to the cryosystems malfunctioning and the hull breach. Now the real task begins;
Fixing the problems at hand and finding out what (or who) caused the hull breach while struggling against sinister conspirators, men gone mad by panic and paranoia (naturally arming themselves) and the clock, as you are adrift literally in the middle of nowhere with resources quickly running out (other than the exorbitant travelling time, cryosleep was also a matter of preserving resources). With the added depressing backdrop that as far as you know, you are the last remnant of humankind, and if you fail humankind cease to exist.

Also, the game is naturally filled with cybernetics and droids and plasma guns and extreme surveillance and amazing medical discoveries and such.