There's Probably a Planescape Torment Remaster Announcement Coming Tomorrow

[Jamcie Kerbizz]

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.

Well I listed which points would/could be 'game breaking'. Even if to a wider audience that would mean 'easier' to get through at all- it's still failed remastering. They would 'finish' game without really experiencing original content.

It's very much like with books. Some are difficult to get through and require almost irrational commitment (time spent on reading, sometimes researching outside to understand the content and contexts etc.) you can skip by buying crib with summary of plot and characters. In the end you will know all about the book you need to know just it isn't the same experience.

GUI for sure could use a lot of polish. It's dated and huge (but it serves a purpose since you will spend time sifting through inventory, reading descriptions, looking at actual items guessing their purpose and use).
However streamlining - in essense, careless changes in UI design - is a step too far. Unless they add switches to turn off all the crutches and just make it more customizable in general. However that could create a disparity between experience of the game of people who used these and ones that left original settings.

 

[Janichsan]

There's a countdown timer over on PlanEscape.com?

You can check out the countdown at PlanEscape.com.

(ノಠ益&#3232ノ彡┻━┻
The setting is called "Planescape" as in "Plane-Scape", godammit. It's not "Plan Escape".

 

[Darth Rosenberg]

They would 'finish' game without really experiencing original content.

...aka, they would experience the game, but in a different way to you? I fail to see how that's at all a negative.

In the end you will know all about the book you need to know just it isn't the same experience.

Again, that is subjective. See also: so what/who cares/what does it matter?

However streamlining - in essense, careless changes in UI design - is a step too far.

Since when is streamlining design necessarily a euphemism for 'careless changes'? Streamlining can be good or bad, for different people for different reasons (there's a theme developing... ).

Unless they add switches to turn off all the crutches and just make it more customizable in general. However that could create a disparity between experience of the game of people who used these and ones that left original settings.

To the underlined: who cares? Does that matter? The experience of, say, Red Dead Redemption with or without cheat-oh-aim is very different, but both are legitimate ways to experience the same game and story. Same goes for something like the alt-vision in a game like Tomb Raider Rise (which can be disabled or enabled, fundamentally changing the experience).

If a decent suit of toggles and hints help more people apparently play an excellently written game, then surely everyone's a winner.

 

[ffronw]

There's a countdown timer over on PlanEscape.com?

You can check out the countdown at PlanEscape.com.

(ノಠ益&#3232ノ彡┻━┻
The setting is called "Planescape" as in "Plane-Scape", godammit. It's not "Plan Escape".

You're correct, but that's the line that Beamdog and others were using, I assume to pretend as though they were obscuring something.

 

[Jamcie Kerbizz]

They would 'finish' game without really experiencing original content.

...aka, they would experience the game, but in a different way to you? I fail to see how that's at all a negative.

In the end you will know all about the book you need to know just it isn't the same experience.

Again, that is subjective. See also: so what/who cares/what does it matter?

However streamlining - in essense, careless changes in UI design - is a step too far.

Since when is streamlining design necessarily a euphemism for 'careless changes'? Streamlining can be good or bad, for different people for different reasons (there's a theme developing... ).

Unless they add switches to turn off all the crutches and just make it more customizable in general. However that could create a disparity between experience of the game of people who used these and ones that left original settings.

To the underlined: who cares? Does that matter? The experience of, say, Red Dead Redemption with or without cheat-oh-aim is very different, but both are legitimate ways to experience the same game and story. Same goes for something like the alt-vision in a game like Tomb Raider Rise (which can be disabled or enabled, fundamentally changing the experience).

If a decent suit of toggles and hints help more people apparently play an excellently written game, then surely everyone's a winner.

Nothing you wrote reflects what I wrote, despite you cherry-pick and 'quote' parts of it. If you did that out of sheer ignorance to my intent, that's ok. I was not arguing anything for my 'gain' or perseverance of emotional investment but from stand point of preserving the content in the way authors created it, thus remastering not re-making.
There are a lot of fine tuned design in PS:T interwoven with all game elements, UI included. It is what made this game a master piece. It will be very difficult to remaster it and preserve that design and content to not break it if the team wants to remaster the game, not just use the husk to peddle with fresh coating of paint.

On the other hand if you did all above just to stir up 'internet argument'. We're done. You've won, you can add a notch to your 'virtual e-peen'.

 

[PrinceOfShapeir]

Almost no doubt it's Planescape, but I really hope it isn't. We've already had one unworthy claimant to the name of Torment this year.

 

[Darth Rosenberg]

Nothing you wrote reflects what I wrote, despite you cherry-pick and 'quote' parts of it. If you did that out of sheer ignorance to my intent, that's ok.

I responded to precisely what you wrote, ergo if I acted out of ignorance it was to an iffily written post because it failed to get its apparent message across.

I was not arguing anything for my 'gain' or perseverance of emotional investment but from stand point of preserving the content in the way authors created it, thus remastering not re-making.

The underline's certainly how it came across, though. If not, fair enough.

It will be very difficult to remaster it and preserve that design and content...

Sure, but not impossible. Ideally a good core product will attract people who want to preserve what made it special, whilst drawing more people to it. And that doesn't pan out, then nothing's lost; the original will always be there, untouched.

...not just use the husk to peddle with fresh coating of paint.

Would you be okay with just a fresh coat of paint? It's no looker.

You've won, you can add a notch to your 'virtual e-peen'.

...I've no idea what that means.

What's your take on the trailer [https://youtu.be/G2wXLCIpFRg], then?

 

[Hawk of Battle]

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.

Yeah I've tried to get through the game a couple of times myself in the last few years. Both times I managed to escape the first dungeon and messed about in the first large area outside, second time I managed to explore a lot further and even learnt some magic and yes, whilst the world is interesting and there's a ton to see, it's such a huge time sink and after a whole weekend of aimless wandering I still hadn't actually done anything with the main quest or felt like I'd really progressed. The few times I entered into combat I immediately regretted it and died repeatedly (the combat seems truly awful) and every time I went back to those places everything in the area seemed to turn hostile and agro'd me until I just decided to stay away.

I may try it again some time, and just try to avoid anything resembling combat (if possible), but then I'd probably just feel like I'm playing a walking simulator, or would be better off reading a book.

 

[Truehare]

What's your take on the trailer [https://youtu.be/G2wXLCIpFRg], then?

Wait, there's been a trailer out for two weeks? So what are they making so much suspense about, with the countdown and all? Unless there's something I'm not seeing here, this is just stupid.

EDIT: Oh, I see. Youtube f*cked up the date, the trailer has only been up for a few hours. I should have known.

Still, the countdown is still going, and the video is already up. So the countdown is not as stupid as I originally thought, but it's still not the brightest move I've ever seen...

 

[barbzilla]

Honestly I would be happy if they just fixed the bugs, updated the graphics, and added in a few hidden Easter eggs. I don't need it to be a brand new game, or have new quest lines and a branching story with a new ending. All I really want is for the game to get the graphical update it needs to be enjoyed by the gamer's who got their start on the 360 and PS3 era (as my godson and brother are both graphic's whores and refuse to play it due to how it looks) and fix some of the silliness. I suppose I would be okay if they updated the core engine to D&D3.5, but I really don't want to open that can of worms as they will likely go with 5th edition just to get the license required at a discount. The bugs that have been their since the launch I'm somewhat okay with, as I know how to avoid them now, I would just like to get the compatibility issues resolved since it plays horribly on everything that uses DX9 or later (really need a D3d capable video card to run properly now, or at least a solid DoS emulator). As a final touch some funny easter eggs and maybe a developer commentary as to some of the behind the scenes thoughts and reasoning behind the choices they made in the area. After all of that, I'd happily pay them $40 for the game (19.99 on my PC and another 19.99 on my phone, as I ended up loving Baldur's Gate on my Note 5 and I'm sure I'll love it again on my S7 Edge).

 

[2xDouble]

My friends and I were hoping for a new Planescape module/campaign setting for DnD 5e. We were gravely disappointed.

 

[Souplex]

My friends and I were hoping for a new Planescape module/campaign setting for DnD 5e. We were gravely disappointed.

If you look in the DMG on page 57 you'll find everything you need to run PlaneScape, with additional rules for every plane.
Am I the only one bothered by the positioning of Ysgard/The Beastlands in the wheel (Should be switched) and the positions of Gehenna, Acheron and Hades?

 

[BreakfastMan]

http://store.steampowered.com/app/466300/

So, the result of this was Planescape Torment: Enhanced edition. Apparently they are cleaning up the UI, fixing bugs, making the game work better on modern systems, adding support for higher resolutions, enhancing the soundtrack, adding more language options, and adding some quality of life improvements, like highlighting interactive areas with the press of tab and quicklooting. You can also turn off all the new changes, if you want. Sounds basically like the same stuff they did for the Icewind Dale Enhanced Edition. I can dig it, definitely looking forward to picking this up.

 

[Jamcie Kerbizz]

What's your take on the trailer [https://youtu.be/G2wXLCIpFRg], then?

Added the game to my wishlist. Looks fine so far. They actually seem to do what I wrote about. Rescaled the GUI so now it fits higher resolutions and made the highlight feature optional (likely beamdogs decisionto include it in and creator's plea to have it at least optional).
Since I still have original box and disks I'll probably wait with the purchase for reviews or some demo/lets play but going by what's in trailer and Steam's description I'm likely to buy this remastered edition for my wife and kids.

Going back to previous posts, I have no control of how message 'comes across' and what is good enough to understandand what isn't. It's internet. You can state 'Look out! Stand back!' and you'll get more of 'Why so you can get all of it for yourself?! F(@k you!' or 'Quit shouting you whiney b*#ch!' rather than 'Thanks for the warning mate.' or 'Why? What do you mean?' responses.

 

[Mister K]

I'll wishlist it, but if it's buggy and DOES feature any writing made NOT by original team, I'll skip on it.

I already have the original and I am sattisfied with it. And even if GOG will be forced to remove the original from their store, well, I already have the game backed on two HDD's.