There's Probably a Planescape Torment Remaster Announcement Coming Tomorrow

[ffronw]

There's Probably a Planescape Torment Remaster Announcement Coming Tomorrow

//cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/library/deriv/1392/1392005.jpgThere's a countdown timer out there that just might be pointing to a remastered version of Planescape: Torment.

Planescape: Torment is one of the most popular RPGs of all time. It carries a 91% on Metacritic, and is regularly cited as being the best RPG ever made. All that being said, it does seem strange that with all the remasters being made lately, there's been no update to Planescape: Torment. But that could change, and it might change tomorrow.

There's a countdown timer over on PlanEscape.com that should reach zero at 5 PM ET tomorrow, March 28. It was tweeted on Friday by the president of Beamdog, Trent Oster. Beamdog, as you'll recall, is the studio behind Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition.

[tweet t=https://twitter.com/TrentOster/status/845377895837175809]

Of course, the URL makes you think of Planescape, and if you examine the source code of the site, you'll find five hex characters - 0x50 0x53 0x54 0x45 0x45 - marked as "Secret." If you convert those to ASCII, you'll find that it spells out PSTEE, which you could easily believe stands for Planescape: Torment Enhanced Edition.

If (or when) it turns out to be Planescape: Torment, it will be interesting to see just how Beamdog approaches the remaster. The studio hired former Bioware writer David Gaider last year, but you have to wonder if the company would be willing to risk altering Torment at all, considering how beloved the game is. If there are changes, I would expect that they might be limited to additional content, rather than making any substantive changes.

Whatever is planned, we'll likely have a better idea of just what it is around this time tomorrow. You can check out the countdown at PlanEscape.com [http://planescape.com/].

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[Rastrelly]

So, where should we expect revelatory trans character stories now, in Hive or maybe in Curst? Also I have some doubts it will be compatible with restoration mod, so this stuff is pretty much not needed at all.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

I thought that Planescape had been updated for Windows 7-10 a few years ago when they put out a compilation of the old isometric RPGs on disk.

 

[StatusNil]

Oh boy, Beamdog are probably forcibly inserting some rancid memes and shallow, preachy caricatures into this absolute classic of a game even as we speak! Now why can't all the arts keep sloppily downgrading past glories like this? People are always going on about about the "Citizen Kane Moment" of video games. But what if Citizen Kane finally had a "Beamdog Moment"? Wouldn't that be great?

"There's only one man who can rid this state of the evil domination of Boss Jim Getty... and that's totally bad too, cos he's a FUCKIN' WHITE MALE!"
"Did you just assume my gender?"

"I make no 'campaign promises'..."
"But you sure MANSPLAIN a lot!"
"Won't someone please No-Platform his bigot ass?!"
"REEEEEEEEEEEE!"
[Blue-Haired Goon sets trashcan on fire]

 

[SlumlordThanatos]

For the love of God, pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease just make it more user-friendly and less obtuse.

I've tried to play this game several times, and never made it out of the first dungeon. Call me spoiled, but I need a bit more to go on than they've given me.

 

[Imre Csete]

All they have to do is give a facelift to the UI to accomodate modern resolutions and apply the unoffical fixes (especially the companion standing fix).

That was all they should have done with the Baldur's Gate games too, but we know how that turned out.

 

[Saelune]

The HD remake of Baldur's Gate did not add these characters everyone hates. It was the new expansion that did that. Just saying.

 

[klaynexas3]

The HD remake of Baldur's Gate did not add these characters everyone hates. It was the new expansion that did that. Just saying.

I may be wrong, but didn't they add in new characters into the Enhanced Editions in the base games as well? I know they might be able to add in some characters and items that might be nice additions, I'd just rather see a faithful adaption, just one to make the game more playable today. The characters from the expansion are just examples of writing and characters people are afraid that might pop up in an enhanced edition. It could be a well done remake, but I'd prefer it be left alone, and any new editions be in the form of purely expansion packs, or the new Planescape game that came out a few weeks ago. Just my thoughts on it.

 

[kordo]

Oh boy, Beamdog are probably forcibly inserting some rancid memes

Whining for the sake of whining...

 

[Bindal]

The HD remake of Baldur's Gate did not add these characters everyone hates. It was the new expansion that did that. Just saying.

I may be wrong, but didn't they add in new characters into the Enhanced Editions in the base games as well? I know they might be able to add in some characters and items that might be nice additions, I'd just rather see a faithful adaption, just one to make the game more playable today. The characters from the expansion are just examples of writing and characters people are afraid that might pop up in an enhanced edition. It could be a well done remake, but I'd prefer it be left alone, and any new editions be in the form of purely expansion packs, or the new Planescape game that came out a few weeks ago. Just my thoughts on it.

They added four (and two more) new possible party members - which you could simply just ignore. Besides running into Neera and Gorn for the first time if you went to their respective locations (plus a short ambush after meeting Gorn), there was nothing going on with them if you decided to not bring them along.
Where they did expand things was a complete seperate storyline you had to start deliberately independent of the actual game with the Black Pits - and then you shouldn't blame it for not being the main game because it never wanted to be.

 

[StatusNil]

Oh boy, Beamdog are probably forcibly inserting some rancid memes

Whining for the sake of whining...

Heh, I see what you did there. Very recursive. Nonetheless, my "whining" is predicated upon an affirmation of values outside of its own performative quality (the implicit wholeness of a classic work as published in its authentic temporal and authorial context, and the violation involved in insidious post-authorial tampering), and thus points towards ends beyond the self-replication of the means.

 

[TheMysteriousGX]

Oh boy, Beamdog are probably forcibly inserting some rancid memes

Whining for the sake of whining...

Look, gamers whining about maybes is a long and proud tradition of ours.

 

[Jamcie Kerbizz]

For the love of God, pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease just make it more user-friendly and less obtuse.

I've tried to play this game several times, and never made it out of the first dungeon. Call me spoiled, but I need a bit more to go on than they've given me.

You're a spoiled brat!



There were few story arcs in original game that were sort of left out without any indepth development or conclusion.
Mainly they could:
# add in a way to open up 'Fall-from-grace' diary (huge opportunity but could also be a trap if they just use it as carrier for some outlandish nonsense inconsistent with the rest of the game),
# push Ignus & Nameless one master-aprentice both ways reversed dynamic to some form of conclusion (maybe try and add 1 or 2 spells - spells in PT are really gems to witness so would be hard to keep the quality and theme but they can try since Ignus spells are mostly fiery copies of existing ones)
# and add in some more development to factions you can join, like Chaosmen.

And that's it! There's absolutely no need to expand the roster of characters, since with all respect to people who will undertake the remaster, they have absolutely no chance to reach the benchmark set by the authors. With the setting of the game each of the 'companions' is a fasade and vital part of Nameless one and his history, so the you don't have to use it if you don't like it is not an argument. This game is no bro-shooter or streamlined bioware new-gen-rpg. It's more akin to a book. If you skip parts of it, you didn't really read it at all.

Just don't, DO NOT ram in any modern gaming cliches, agendas, quotas, real life commentary etc. It will ruin unique, queer world the game built and that heavy, dense atmosphere of desperation resting on Nameless one's shoulders.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Oh boy, Beamdog are probably forcibly inserting some rancid memes

Whining for the sake of whining...

Heh, I see what you did there. Very recursive. Nonetheless, my "whining" is predicated upon an affirmation of values outside of its own performative quality (the implicit wholeness of a classic work as published in its authentic temporal and authorial context, and the violation involved in insidious post-authorial tampering), and thus points towards ends beyond the self-replication of the means.

You could've just said "my whining is special cos I don't want politics that I consider the enemy in my holy whine war in a game that already exists without them" and you would've avoided looking like you're shielding yourself from criticism with incredibly tortured, pretentious vocabulary.

 

[StatusNil]

You could've just said "my whining is special cos I don't want politics that I consider the enemy in my holy whine war in a game that already exists without them" and you would've avoided looking like you're shielding yourself from criticism with incredibly tortured, pretentious vocabulary.

You could have just said "the bunch of words you say is dumb", but you had to go with a fancy foreign name for it that has many beats.

And it's cool to hear your thoughts and all, but maybe we should all stick to the topic on this thread from now on. Maybe start a new one about my pretentiousness on Off Topic or something? Keep me posted.

Edit: Just to clarify the point a little further, while I wouldn't want to be the kind to shrink from the manly art of the joust at the first blooming bruise, the thing is that "News" and "Featured Content" threads are presumably read from time to time by the staff members and contributors who wrote the articles for responses and pertinent discussion. I'm not comfortable assuming that they share our fascination with engaging in unrelated back and forth. So with that in mind, let's save the personal stuff for venues other than content commentary, for everyone's benefit.

I've tried to play this game several times, and never made it out of the first dungeon. Call me spoiled, but I need a bit more to go on than they've given me.

There are probably walkthroughs to look up if you get stuck. No need to spend on this for any extra guiding measures.

 

[Jamcie Kerbizz]

I've tried to play this game several times, and never made it out of the first dungeon. Call me spoiled, but I need a bit more to go on than they've given me.

There are probably walkthroughs to look up if you get stuck. No need to spend on this for any extra guiding measures.

One more thing, the whole disorientation and out of place feel is deliberate. You may feel lost at first but that is per design and part of Nameless one's story telling. GUI isn't a marvel but adding in modern streamlined elements would actually be detrimental to the world building. As en example you may traverse certain part of map countless times but if you have something specific in your inventory, suddenly magic happens. Or easily disposable store junk item may open up one of the most fun parts of the game. Or just end a quest and that's it or just net you some cash. Game really may make a player paranoid once someone discoveres that fiddling with rather common things may result in amazing things.
Add in to that GUI crutch or obtuse modern mission tracker or pump in more of oddities to a point where everything and everyone is special and this carefully crafted world and queer atmosphere will be gone. I would strongly advise against walkthrough, just expllore, fiddle with everything and keep a lot of saves

 

[Darth Rosenberg]

There are probably walkthroughs to look up if you get stuck. No need to spend on this for any extra guiding measures.

So Planescape's UI and design is faultless? Perhaps tweaks could make it more accessible for people to enjoy what - apparently - really matters in the game; the story and writing.

It looks ugly as sin and typically cluttered, so thus far I've given it a wide berth.

I would strongly advise against walkthrough, just expllore, fiddle with everything and keep a lot of saves

It's worth keeping in mind not everyone has the desire, or time, for such approaches.

Sure, authorial intent should be respected, but I find it very hard to believe a CRPG, of all things, from 1999 couldn't benefit from some nods to making it more accessible to more potential players. Games age quick in terms of system and UI design.

 

[StatusNil]

I would strongly advise against walkthrough, just expllore, fiddle with everything and keep a lot of saves

Oh yeah, you're right about that. I was really referring to situations where someone just gets frustrated and tempted to give up. And many of the older walkthroughs are not in video form, but in a text format organized by location or something like that. So it's easier to just dip in for a specific spot that you're having a problem with.

So Planescape's UI and design is faultless? Perhaps tweaks could make it more accessible for people to enjoy what - apparently - really matters in the game; the story and writing.

It looks ugly as sin and typically cluttered, so thus far I've given it a wide berth.

Well, it's been like a decade and a half since I last played it, but I doubt they are faultless. If only the fiddling stopped there, but it never does.

 

[RJ 17]

Well...my pants just got tighter...