Larian Studios Forums Beyond Divinity (English) General My views on the demo...

Hi everyone,

I played the BD demo this morning and I have to say... I was quite disappointed <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/puppyeyes.gif" alt="" />

I click on the config icon and set the screen resolution to 1024x768.

I start a new game, and decide to keep the default character, because every time I click one of the arrows to change his appearance, the game freezes for about 20 seconds to load the new graphics.

I enter the game and am impressed by the graphics (I always admired your graphical talents, Larian <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />). It's a shame because I have to close the game and set the resolution down to 640x480 in order for it to run at a decent speed (I'm on a 1.7ghz Celeron with a 128mb Geforce 4 MX + 256mb of SDRAM).

Ok, so I've started the game again with a smaller screen. I find and enemy and desperately try to click on his red circle to get my hero to attack him. Instead, he wanders in the opposite direction. After killing the guard (with no help from my companion, who's still on the other side of the screen. Is there a hotkey to make him follow automatically?) I try giving my death knight's sword to my hero. Upon moving the sword over the weapon box the game freezes once, then again when I click on it.

I die fighting the second enemy (maybe I'm just bad at it, maybe not. I've finished DD on all 3 difficulties) and close the game with Alt+F4 out of frustration.

Just as I think the nightmare's over, I find that it takes a good few minutes for the system to 'recover' from closing the game! MSN Messenger locks up along with a few other programs and I have no choice but to restart.

Well, that's my little adventure :P

I was really looking forward to the sequel to DD but if it's anything like the demo, I'm going to have to say 'no' to it <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/disagree.gif" alt="" />

Regards,
Kris

First of all, Beyond Divinity isn't a sequel to Divine Divinity, but it's set in the same universe.

Targetting enemies is easier by holding the ctrl key. It will automatically target the opponent nearest to the mouse (even if he's on the other side of the screen). Also, pausing the game by pressing space can help to give you time to aim. Remember you can give orders to your character while BD is paused, just like in DD.

Or if you really don't want to pause the game or hold control, try clicking on the actual enemy, and NOT the little red circle below them. Click on their body, that should work.

In BD, you have to control 2 characters at the same time. Your Deathknight will not automatically move, you have to make him move. You can move the two characters together however, by clicking the select all button on your interface. (There is no hotkey for this in the demo, but there will be in the full).

You can switch characters by clicking their picture, or by pressing F1 and F2. If you want the screen centered and locked on your selected character, just hold down the left mouse button, or double click his picture. To unlock the camera from a character, move your mouse to the edge of the screen.

Also, since you control the seporately, they both get experience and skillpoints individually. So you can have one mage and one warrior or something...

To give something to another character, simply right click it in your inventory and select: "give to...".

BTW: I think you need more RAM if you wanna run the game on higher resolutions. I have a 733 Mhz computer with 384 mb of ram and the game runs ok in 800x600.

[edit] Oh, and don't forget this one thing: BD is not DD. There are new elements in the game, and you should give the demo some time. Once you get used to Beyond Divinity's differences with Divine Divinity, I'm sure you'll love it.

Do you have the latest drivers for your video card?

Game performance should be much better if you shut down all non-essential programs before playing, especially with 'only' 256MB RAM to start with.


Welcome to the forum. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

One more thing about RAM: If you're running Windows XP... well... it tends to use ALOT of RAM. I think minimum RAM for XP is in fact 256, so...

What Tovi said plus:

Celeron... Be aware of Celerons, they are absolutely not meant to play games on. A celeron is a cheaper office-cpu. Its meant to run an OS and professional software, (mircosoft office etc)

On my laptop PIII855 256 RAM, 8MB gfx and XP on 800x600 it did run a bit sluggish. But it ran perfect on my bro's AMD450 a Gforce2 64MB 312 RAM and win2000 on a 1024x768 resolution.

ooer! didn't know about that. Thanks for the warning, I'll see if I can find an alternative.

I have

AMD 700
512 Ram
Geforce 2 32bit

and I had the same problem with the demo running on just 800x600.

I refuse to ever play any game on 640x480.

Every time I tried to select another character model, or in the game another enemy appeared, and also equiping weapons, the music stuttered and the game froze for about 5 seconds.

Then I had the same issues with trying to attack so eventually I quit the demo.

There's no point in releasing a demo if it's going to play so badly and put people off the main game as it did me!

So if I get it right the game does not run properly with 256 Ram and Win XP?

Probably - I have XP and 256 RAM, and it didn't run very smoothly as well. Lots of slowdowns <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/disagree.gif" alt="" />

The official minimum for XP is actually 64 MB RAM and the recommended minimum is actually 128MB. Look here if you don't believe me.

Now I would recommend 512MB if you intend playing games more complex than Solitaire.

Running XP on 64Mb of RAM? Hah! I'd like to see you try.

It might actually work, but no way would it be pleasant. XP would probably just use your Hard-Disk as virtual memory, and we all know that your HD is the slowest component in your computer.

Nah... If you have XP, you'd better have 256 RAM or more... I don't care what those minimum specs say.

Uh, I'd nearly say the same. Even Win98 might become slow with 64 MB RAM. I'd actually glad I have more than that ! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />

alwasy take the double of the recommended RAM if it concerns any kind of windows is what I say.

Well I think 64 MB Ram is too little for any game. But 256 should be enough. If it is not then I am very sorry. I am not going to add Ram at the moment.

same here, by the end of this year, when I'm gonna buy a new PC, I think I'll insert 1Gb of RAM at once, just to be safe <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

Well my pc is a Pentium 4 2,3GHz, 256 MB Ram, 40 GB Hard Dirve, with graphics card GFORCE2 64 MB Ram. So I am thinking not to purchase a new one. I kinda love this one. I think it needs a new graphics card and some more Ram. Then it will be ok I suppose. But still. At the moment I am changing my furnishing at home so more Ram is out of the question. I am sorry I will not be able to play <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beyond.gif" alt="" />

I think you're MORE that qualified to play <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beyond.gif" alt="" />

my PC is a Amd 1Ghz, 256Rab, 20Gb HDD, Geforce 2GTS (32mb) PC and it's very slow atm.

Do you think so? Viper that is good news! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I wish you to have your new pc soon and enjoy hours and hours of good gameplay <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

ah well... atm I'm also using the PC of my soon to be inlaws... it's a bit better than mine <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

You shouldn't buy RAM at the moment, simply because it's gotten more expensive. 2 weeks ago, a stick of 512Mb DDR (PC2700) would cost you around €75, but now it's around €100...