Larian Studios Forums Beyond Divinity (English) General The Official Beyond Divinity Strategy Guide

What a nice little story that was, Myrthos..... good job,
and a great thanks to ALL who made it happen,
I love the cover, <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ROFL.gif" alt="" /> it's a typical hero/DK you go this way
i'll go that-a-way,
i'm looking forward to seeing the artwork,
done by that masterful magician, Marian...

I'll be patient....for a little while at least! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />

It's a must-have for the collection!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

A guide for DD2 could be released shortly after the game, if the Larians can schedule at least month of beta testing after features/quests/maps/etc have been finalized, and they refuse to make significant changes to the game after release based on feedback.

Since it is difficult to estimate how long it will take to write and debug any complex program, and publishers almost always have a say on release dates, there is no guarantee on the beta test length. What is guaranteed is that after release a vocal minority (or majority) will complain about something being changed or something not being changed enough. If the Larians 'fix' this, another group will complain that they liked it the way it was.

Getting a complete accurate guide and getting the game as soon as possible with requested game balances or feature changes are mutually exclusive, even though both are desirable.

Are you thinking about the DeathKnight's voice ? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" />

Barta

The voices, inventory toggle/tabs, Sharpen skill, arrow prices....

Raze, you are of course absolutely right in what you say. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

But these are the same problems faced by the folks at Prima, Brady and other writers of strategy guides - and they manage to get printed books on the shelves pretty much when the games release. And the writers of FAQs - who are typically a single crazed fan working without developer support - also manage to get their work out with amazing speed.

The key is not to get hung up on getting everything 100% correct.

The difficulty here is that the type of person who is prepared to put all that work in is often also the type that is driven by a desire to see everything correct, and who hates to see even a tiny mistake. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> But the only way to get everything completely right is to wait until a game is completely dead and buried and then do some sort of post mortem. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/disagree.gif" alt="" />

I am more than happy to accept a disclaimer (in any guide) that tells the reader that the information was assembled in good faith, based on a particular version of the game. As a gamer I expect that games will never be 100% bug and error free (even after the last patch) and that guides too will have a certain error and variance rate. And they ALWAYS do! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

Please don't think I'm complaining - I'm mightily impressed with what you all achieved. I have also written online guides for 2 games (one for a very well known game, and the other for a not so well known game, from a German developer). Mine were far shorter, but I still know how much work it is. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ouch.gif" alt="" />

But I didn't wait until I knew it all. I gave it my best shot to coincide with the time when people most wanted the help. Then I just kept updating and editing until I felt a) that it was near enough and b) that I'd had enough of doing it!! It seemed to work OK. Between them they were viewed hundreds of thousands of times.

I think it would be great to see some sort of semi-supported guide for DD2 that was maybe a little rough round the edges or incomplete, but out in the first month of the game release. Just my hope.. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I think the major problem we had was that with the release of the game, almost every statistical value that was in the guide was useless. It wasn't just a couple of values. It was close to all values. Something similar happened atleast twice more, until we settled on version 1.45.
The guide serves both as a walkthrough and a reference. The reference would have been useless.
As to the walkthrough and the quest list; the Larians changed many of the quests during the way. Several quests were dropped that never reached the release, but were in the guide. Other quest were changed dramatically.

In total the one we had shortly after the release was useless. We had to redo all of the game to get the statistics and quests correct again.

That said, we were trying to be too perfect and we had to cope with a real life job and in my case a wife and kids that liked some attention every now and then as well.

Not enough time, too many changes in a short period and a team that was trying to be too perfect, sort of killed the opportunity to get it into a printed version or released earlier in another way.

It could have been available as a download at the end of july, but we decided to go for the magazine distribution first.
Looking back, maybe other choises would have been wiser and better, but it is as it is.

so i guess after what sounds like a huge task (which you basically had to do several times over due to changes - that must have been very frustrating) that nobody is going feel like taking it on all over again for DD2? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/disagree.gif" alt="" />

BTW - the note at the bottom of Myrthos post says "see me at rpgdot". i followed that link and then checked their release date page and it shows DD2 coming out on 30th Nov 2004 - or about 4 weeks away! that's not right is it - or did i miss an announcement somewhere?? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/stupid.gif" alt="" />

I cannot find the guide available anywhere, including Level - has anyone found it yet?

I'm sure Myrthos will post the link to the download version as soon as it is released. He said it would be about a month a little less than a month ago, so you shouldn't have to wait too much longer.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin1.gif" alt="" /> *taps a hole into the floorboards under her desk* <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin1.gif" alt="" />

patience..... what a wonderful theory..... pity they couldnt realise it....

it's a virtue that feels like a curse! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

Just a little poke to see if this has come out yet...

I had to relocate my desk today.... the hole i tapped under my desk almost swallowed the room....

I am also still patiently waiting....(tap tap tap tap tap)

I have the funny feeling that the next patch and the strategy guide will somehow be released close together....

in any case it'll be too late for me: I'm gonna fight damian again @ lunchtime

It's available for download, read here

just found it.. .looks VERY nice <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/up.gif" alt="" />

only found 1 type: somewhere it says "Tarp detection"

Famous deleted star wars quote - Admiral Ackbar : "it's a Tarp!" <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ROFL.gif" alt="" />

there was a problem looking up the post in our database! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/puppyeyes.gif" alt="" /> ...wha... happened?

My fault, sorry...

I wanted to put the Guide in the Help/Tips forum.
Please click here - the link to the Guide itself is broken for the moment... That's not my fault <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/offtopic.gif" alt="" /> nice new avatar Lynn... very Xmas-spirited <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/offtopic.gif" alt="" />