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#104598 24/03/04 12:02 PM
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In some places there are a lot of items. Like in a kitchen.
Just imagine there is a key hidden somwhere and you are looking at this brightly lit room, with the 30-something balls glowing. That would be confusing.

Also, nothing is hidden anymore. The key that is hidden under the pillow now automatically glows. Then they can just as well not hide it.
If the feature is used with restricted view then you still have to literally explore every room, inch by inch. Do you have any idea how many rooms, hallways and trees there are to look for stuff? I think this is a great featur the first few hour or two of the game. But I'm convinced that after that time, I personally would like to have a faster way of doing this, like with an ALT key <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />



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#104599 24/03/04 12:55 PM
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like with an ALT key <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />


Wow! What a brilliant idea! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/idea.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />


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#104600 24/03/04 01:58 PM
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Good gosh, what's the problem with the ALT key in Beyond Divinity? It's not like the "All Revealing TAB" from Neverwinter Nights - now that one was a big spoiler till Bioware put in hidden doors and triggers.

The ALT key in the game only show the 'normally' interactive items in the game, like dropped items, doors and chests and etc. It doesn't show off special triggers, like the talking skull, the cracks in the wall, the picture of the damned one etc. etc. etc. The developers indeed already develop a "hidden" flag for objects which they want us to find.



Oh Lorvidale, never shall the sun shines on thee again...
#104601 24/03/04 10:21 PM
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Thanks for the 'Welcome' HandEFood <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

To Myrthos:
I didn't mean that every item would be surrounded by a 'glow' when you pressed the 'ALT' key. Just when you move the 'ball' (for lack of a better description) over it. Your PC would be standing still and you would be moving a glowing ball around the screen with the mouse. When an item comes into this ball, then it would 'glow'. I really like the torchlight idea by 'HandEFood'. When the 'ALT' key is realeased, I thought that all the glowing could disappear. Although that would make it a bit difficult too..
I agree with you about the searching getting boring after the first few hours though.. I would love it, but there may be alot less patient people out there than me <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

To be clear, I don't dislike the 'ALT' key as is. I was just giving my opinion about what might be a little more realistic.

PS. Myrthos, thanks again! I was one of the contest winners from RPGDot and you sent me a copy of 'Nosferatu'. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> !

Epideme

#104602 25/03/04 12:52 AM
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The ALT key in the game only show the 'normally' interactive items in the game, like dropped items, doors and chests and etc. It doesn't show off special triggers, like the talking skull, the cracks in the wall, the picture of the damned one etc. etc. etc. The developers indeed already develop a "hidden" flag for objects which they want us to find.

For the most part that is correct. It was mostly items that were hidden behind other items that made me think of it as a spoiler. The hatch to the tarts area and other hatches showed up through furniture. The Book for the magic mirror, the key to the house with the bed, Dr Elrath's key. The cases I saw were limited. I just thought they might be able to make a few more interesting challenges with hidden keys and items. Nothing too vital as no one wants to pixel-search. Searching for a key is a viable alternative to lockpicking, but it's too easy to hit ALT and have the key given to you. It's just me being pedantic. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

#104603 25/03/04 03:17 PM
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I just thought they might be able to make a few more interesting challenges with hidden keys and items. Nothing too vital as no one wants to pixel-search. Searching for a key is a viable alternative to lockpicking, but it's too easy to hit ALT and have the key given to you. It's just me being pedantic. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />


I can see your PoV, but many good adventure games have been marred by pixel hunting, and seriously, the ALT key to me is a godsend. Remember in Diablo I everytime you stifles with excitement and go all over the screen with your mouse when ever you heard a metallic twink? Perhaps it is the Constricting Ring! Or a powerful magical amulet. And there you go, mouse soughting it out in the dark. Ah, there it is!

And now with just a key press, that ritual is long over. It is almost an essential, defacto, standard issue, feature.

A game like DD will be nightmarish without the ALT key. Items could be lying on a shelf, on a bed, or on a table and you couldn't see it because it is so small, like a small key hidden among the bushes.

At any rate, BD so far have managed to hide puzzle-related items quite well. The ALT key don't show the cracks, the iron bar, the writings on the wall and the talking skull. I got quite a pleasant surprise when the skull actually do speaks!

As to what else could the designer do, well, there's a certain game where a character has a 'search' skill. Basicially, it makes hiding places 'sparkles' if the character is within range. One way to make it more usable is to make characters use it automatically and give it only a certain chance of success per frame (quite low, say 5% per frame). However, the drawback to this is players don't need to be actively searching to find secrets! Any idea is to make it a toggable skill - i.e, it makes all hidden triggers light-up when the skill is used. It shall consume some Stamina, has a lag-time and etc. to prevent the user from using it all the while (maybe a recharge meter could be employed).

At any rate, those are just but some ideas and rants. Game on!


Oh Lorvidale, never shall the sun shines on thee again...
#104604 25/03/04 04:19 PM
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Na, I don't like "pixel hunting". <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> Although I do like "hunting" for things that are bigger than a few Pixels ... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />


When you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it.
--Dilbert cartoon

"Interplay.some zombiefied unlife thing going on there" - skavenhorde at RPGWatch
#104605 25/03/04 04:24 PM
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Watch out ladies, Alrik's on the hunt! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />


Mr Kej, Second Member of the Guild of Off-Topic Posters *** Visit Aviorn's Inn, my Divine Divinity fansite ***
#104606 25/03/04 07:48 PM
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ph34r m1 ! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />



When you find a big kettle of crazy, it's best not to stir it.
--Dilbert cartoon

"Interplay.some zombiefied unlife thing going on there" - skavenhorde at RPGWatch
#104607 26/03/04 07:45 AM
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me... NEVER... the ladies maybe <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />


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