For actual articles on it, though:
Beamdog said back in 2014, not long after the release of Icewind Dale Enhanced Edition, that releasing an EE of Icewind Dale 2 would be a "nightmare." The changes from the original to the sequel "are deep," co-founder Trent Oster said at the time, and would "require a pretty thorough rework of the entire game to bring in the features from our Infinity Plus Engine." Since then, he has apparently changed his mind, but as he recently told Kotaku, there's another, far more intractable problem: The source code is missing.
“We’ve searched all the archives we have access to, including all the data handed over to Wizards of the Coast from Atari and there is no source code for Icewind Dale 2,” Oster said. “We’ve reached out to our friends at Obsidian, as many of them were the development staff behind Icewind Dale 2, and they do not have any source code. We’re stalled on the project without source and the project won’t move forward until we can find it.”
The source code for the Baldur's Gate games, Icewind Dale, and Planescape: Torment was available directly from BioWare, with some assistance from Wizards of the Coast. But the IWD2 situation is more complicated. “Icewind Dale 2 was created by Interplay working off a customized version of the BioWare Infinity Engine,” Oster explained. “They took the Infinity Engine variant they used to ship Icewind Dale and started from there. Somewhere along the path of the Dungeons and Dragons license moving from Interplay to Atari and then reverting to Wizards of the Coast, preserving source code and transferring it to the new rights holder somehow data was lost.”
And without that data, the whole thing is basically dead in the water: Oster said it is "simply too expensive to attempt to reverse engineer from an existing version of the game data," and so Beamdog has "moved on to other things until there is a change in the situation."
The good news is that Icewind Dale 2 Complete remains available for purchase from GOG, and you can mod it up with various enhancements (including widescreen support) if you feel like putting the effort it.
The people who make enhanced editions of old role-playing games like Baldur’s Gate and Planescape: Torment want to do the same thing for Icewind Dale II. There’s just one problem: nobody knows where to find the code.
Beamdog, a Canadian publisher best known for releasing snazzy new versions of old Infinity Engine RPGs like the ones mentioned above, is looking to re-release Icewind Dale II with enhanced graphics and other improvements. But Beamdog’s CEO, Trent Oster, says his team can’t find the source code for Icewind Dale II. Without that code, he says, they can’t make any sort of enhanced edition of the game.
“We’ve searched all the archives we have access to, including all the data handed over to Wizards of the Coast from Atari and there is no source code for Icewind Dale II,” Oster told me in an e-mail. “We’ve reached out to our friends at Obsidian, as many of them were the development staff behind Icewind Dale II, and they do not have any source code. We’re stalled on the project without source and the project won’t move forward until we can find it. We’ve naturally moved on to other things until there is a change in the situation.”
Icewind Dale II, released in 2002, was the last game built with BioWare’s iconic Infinity Engine, a set of code used primarily to make isometric RPGs. The game came out during a time of financial turbulence for its publisher, Interplay, which would go on to shut down the game’s development studio, Black Isle, a year later in 2003. (Some of Black Isle’s staff then left to found Obsidian Entertainment, which is now making its own Infinity Engine-inspired Pillars of Eternity games.)
Perhaps as a result of that turbulence—or confusion over who owns what—Icewind Dale II has simply disappeared. “Icewind Dale II was created by Interplay working off a customized version of the BioWare Infinity Engine,” said Oster. “They took the Infinity Engine variant they used to ship Icewind Dale and started from there. Somewhere along the path of the Dungeons and Dragons license moving from Interplay to Atari and then reverting to Wizards of the Coast, preserving source code and transferring it to the new rights holder, somehow data was lost.”
While developing enhanced versions of Baldur’s Gate, Planescape: Torment, and the first Icewind Dale, Beamdog was able to get source code directly from BioWare. “I drove over to the BioWare offices and dug through hard drives and backups for a day and a half, building a big pile of everything I could find,” Oster said. “We pulled some of the Planescape source from BioWare archives and some from the [Wizards of the Coast] archives which came to them via Interplay and Atari. The Icewind Dale source code was also from both sources... When we’ve searched for the Icewind Dale II code, there is nothing, not even a pre-release version. We’ve done the math and without source code it is simply too expensive to attempt to reverse engineer from an existing version of the game data.”
Although anyone can buy and download Icewind Dale II on GOG, there’s no simple way to extract the source code from finished copies of the game. Because the code is all compiled, the data is inaccessible. “There is really no way to go backwards from a compiled game to the source code to rebuild it,” said Oster. “You can decompile the game, but the difficulty of digging through the decompiled blob and extracting anything useful is much too high.”
So Icewind Dale II remains in limbo—at least until someone finds an old floppy disk in their attic. Or goes to the right garage sale.
EDIT: AW, COME ON, I SOMEHOW SNIPED MYSELF?! DANG IT!
*puts on clothes*
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I didn't like the D&D video games, mostly because I always died, and because you couldn't be a dwarven druid, which is also why I stopped playing AD&D.
Edit: to be honest, I did not like a lot of video games as a kid.
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Just this year I started purging my 5 1/4" floppies. About 20 years after I last owned an actual floppy drive...'Fraid not. It has something to do with the demise of Black Isle (?? I think that was the name of the developers), I believe, and apparently reverse engineering it would not be cost-effectiveyou gotta be kidding me.Rumour has it that Beamdog want to do an enhanced version, but the source code has completely vanished.I really wish icewind dale 2 was released as part of that huge pack of games.
I really loved that game.
I'm pretty sure that you can get Icewind Dale 2, and almost ALL of the old D&D video games on GOG.
EDIT- Most of them have an 'original' and 'remastered/improved' version.
In fact, the only one that I have never seen (anywhere) is the Spelljammer video game. (I still have the old 3&1/2" hard plastic 'floppy disks' for that game. From back in the day. OK I MIGHT be a LITTLE bit of a hoarder when it comes to stuff like that!)
;P
Most of my favorite games ever came on 3.5" discs.
Deja Vu, the Nightmare Continues (for the Mac Plus).
The Dungeon of Doom, aka the Dungeon Revealed.
Scarab of Ra
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
(Don't even ask how badly I want Android game apps of these. Not updated, not in color, just exactly as they were.)
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Hey, Freehold, who is the best character in NWN1+Exp, and why is it Nathyrra?
No, but seriously, who is who is the best character in NWN1,
and why is it Nathyrra...?What about Icewind Dale? Icewind Dale 2? Baldur's Gate? BG2? Planescape: Torment?
Also, Wizzy: wait, there's a Spelljammer game?!
WHOWHATWHENWHEREWHYHOW?!
IWANNIT
SPELLJAMMER FOREVER
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I AM SPARTACUS!
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I AM SPARTACUS!
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STEVE HOLT!!!
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I have to admit. Mob Psycho 100 is substantially better than its art style, premise, or concept suggests that it should be.
It's, like... really good. Like, really good.
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SPELLJAMMER FOREVERHey, Freehold, who is the best character in NWN1+Exp, and why is it Nathyrra?
No, but seriously, who is who is the best character in NWN1,
and why is it Nathyrra...?What about Icewind Dale? Icewind Dale 2? Baldur's Gate? BG2? Planescape: Torment?
Also, Wizzy: wait, there's a Spelljammer game?!
WHOWHATWHENWHEREWHYHOW?!
IWANNIT
WAY back in the day, when D&D video games were produced by SSI, along with all of the other 3/4 overhead, low-rez icon-graphics turn-based D&D games,(Most of which can still be found updated on GOG) they put out ONE game of "Spelljammer, Pirates of Realmspace" on 3&1/4" floppies.
It was, imperfect, but everything was there, spell-powered ships, ship-to-ship battle (Which took place in REAL time, as opposed to the turn-based tactical character combat), ship boarding actions, running trade goods, missions, etc. I never made it very far, but I did have fun trying.
I dont even wanna think about how hard it would be to find a 386/486 machine that still runs to play it on nowadays,... ;P
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Interesting, I found a website that appears to have (mostly functional?) download of the SpellJammer game. Supposedly runs well/OK in a DOSBOX(?)
Website page is HERE
Good luck! ;P
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*delurks to make this most important announcement*
Annah is best character in Planescape: Torment and all other D&D games.
Voiced by Sheena Easton, too, apparently.
I did not know that before today.
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I saw two cows fighting today. I guess they had a beef with each other.
If only someone could steer them in the right direction.
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The oven is clean.
*delurks to make this most important announcement*
Annah is best character in Planescape: Torment and all other D&D games.
Voiced by Sheena Easton, too, apparently.
I did not know that before today.
Wait. Wait, where was this post... uh, it didn’t show up for me before now?? Also: DQ! You’re the one that sniper me! Hah! That make sos much more senes now!
CMON BRAIN STOP DOING A JELLO IMPERSONATION
I NEED YOU TO THINK
NOT TO WOBBLE
Our brains are as brothers! ... or something I don’t know I’m not doing great right now; I can barely even see the screen I’m using in an attempt to wake up now that it’s half an hour later than ideal for me to do that.
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CMON BRAIN STOP DOING A JELLO IMPERSONATION
I NEED YOU TO THINK
NOT TO WOBBLE
I loved Weeble Wobbles.
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Just about done with cleaning the house, it's amazing how dirty things get when 3 out of 4 people in the house have the flu.
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CMON BRAIN STOP DOING A JELLO IMPERSONATION
I NEED YOU TO THINK
NOT TO WOBBLE
I really want to hear you say that in your native language for some reason.
Just about done with cleaning the house, it's amazing how dirty things get when 3 out of 4 people in the house have the flu.
Oh, mercy, yeah. It really can.
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There was a Dawnbreaker on the floor, there was a Dawnbreaker on the pedestal.
Guess who has two Dawnbreakers.
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A man with a thirst for Elder Scrolls themed cocktails, perhaps?
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So I've been griping about Strange Aeons in my thread for a while now, but this morning GothBard and I were talking about it and it really came down to this:
(1) Strange Aeons is supposed to be an homage to Call of Cthulu.
(2) In both the Call of Cthulu RPG and literature, trying to confront the evil directly inevitably leads to failure; you have to rely on your wits, questionable alliances, moments of inspiration, and sheer luck to emerge victorious. Direct confrontation = Death.
(3) In Strange Aeons Books 3 and 4, if you don't murderhobo your way through every situation, you get nothing.
(The post I linked in my thread points out that of 143,000+ gold available in the current dungeon, my PCs will be walking out with only 5,000. Because they are not looting the building they were asked to save, nor the guards who died defending it.)
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Ugh. It's hard to have two kids who do the same school stuff.
Choir was *SO* important to Impus Major that for seven years straight I attended every concert, every performance, every little thing the choir did. It was exhausting, but I wanted to show my support.
Now Impus Major has graduated and Impus Minor is continuing through choir. So tonight is yet another show where he's going to be in the background chorus for one or two songs in a 2-hour show, and I'd just rather stay home.
But that's a jerk thing to do, because it makes it seem like, "I like your brother better than you," rather than, "I've been doing this for over 7 years now and I feel like I'm done."
So I figure I have to go and show my support for him. But hoo boy I don't want to.
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You could always ask him if he wants you there. If yes, that may help validate the attendance. If no, you may be able to prep the next session of Strange Aeons.
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You could always ask him if he wants you there. If yes, that may help validate the attendance. If no, you may be able to prep the next session of Strange Aeons.
Oh, I always do. And he always says, "No, that's OK."
And it's always a Sense Motive roll to find out whether he actually means it.So it's just remembering to ask him once he's home from school, and to make sure I interpret the results correctly...
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I've already responded elsewhere, but Call of Cthulu style games and more proactive games like pathfinder do not necessarily mesh well. Then again, I have issues with Call of Cthulu as a roleplaying game due to poor experiences at the table with with fans of the game specifically.
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You could always ask him if he wants you there. If yes, that may help validate the attendance. If no, you may be able to prep the next session of Strange Aeons.Oh, I always do. And he always says, "No, that's OK."
And it's always a Sense Motive roll to find out whether he actually means it.So it's just remembering to ask him once he's home from school, and to make sure I interpret the results correctly...
He's your son.
Go to the concert.
Wear fish pants.
Write game notes on your phone.
You know the drill.
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I've already responded elsewhere, but Call of Cthulu style games and more proactive games like pathfinder do not necessarily mesh well. Then again, I have issues with Call of Cthulu as a roleplaying game due to poor experiences at the table with with fans of the game specifically.
I love the setting, hate the game.
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High school boys means always having to deal with a silly voice for reading plays in class.
"Is that document a lie? If it is a lie, I will not accept it!"
"Yeah, that would mean Kermitting fraud."
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High school boys means always having to deal with a silly voice for reading plays in class.
"Is that document a lie? If it is a lie, I will not accept it!"
"Yeah, that would mean Kermitting fraud."
Ah yes, the 'Punsters' have arrived!
Amateurs.
I was punning before they were a twinkle in their momma's eye!
I have been PUNished so many times!
I once spent a year in the PUNitentiary!
Hard Time. Breaking broken Jokes into their smaller, pun-filled rubble.
Once, (playing teenage super-heroes, Champions HERO system) I dropped a pun that was apparently so bad, that my entire group stopped talking, all looked at me, and after a LOOOOOOONG moment of silence, the one playing a Green Arrow knock-off shouted "TWANG!"
Me-"What was THAT?"
Archer/Player- "The ANTI-PUN arrow!"
Ever since, when the puns come out to play (and they always do) the rest of us yell "TWANG!" at the punster.
:)
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Ooh, an anti-pun arrow? I'm a-quiver.
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There was a Dawnbreaker on the floor, there was a Dawnbreaker on the pedestal.
Guess who has two Dawnbreakers.
"This g--"
Reply cut short because Skyrim Rage Cap'n Yesterday used two Dawnbreakers instead of two thumbs.
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There is a warning on the bottom of one of our carbon monoxide detectors.
Warning: Contains radioactive material.
Tiny T-Rex must never find this out.
Huh. Actual severe weather warning - enough to suspend various schools’ activities. Go figure.
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Been a bit quiet again lately, but that's due to trying to balance work, school, thesis and personal projects all at the same time...
Can confirm. Can be hard!
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Huh. Actual severe weather warning - enough to suspend various schools’ activities. Go figure.
We're settling into a rather disturbingly warm February, which indicates we're in for yet another drought year. February's the big "swing month", where some years you don't see the sun at all for the entire month, and other years (like this one) there's not a cloud in the sky for the entire month.
The really strange thing is that we're around 10 degrees warmer than typical; nights are in the low 40s (which is still cold in an uninsulated house), days are in the mid-60s.
So yeah, my house is all opened up and it's very pleasant outside, but it bodes poorly for summer and fire season.
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All I know is, it's not snowing and I can feel my toes.
Edit: we still have a good three to four inches of snow on the ground, and while I might consider 28 degrees quite warm, others might disagree.
"What's the difference between them and us, Jed?! What's the difference?!"
"WE LIVE HERE!"
Huh. One of those movies that means something different as you age.
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And the incompetence continues:
AT&T just put signs up and down our block that they're closing the street all next week. This is presumably to move all their lines underground, which means tearing up the street... again.
That's two major "public" works within 8 months of the city paying to repave the street.
Somehow, the planning department isn't succeeding at this whole "planning" thing...
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Huh. Actual severe weather warning - enough to suspend various schools’ activities. Go figure.We're settling into a rather disturbingly warm February, which indicates we're in for yet another drought year. February's the big "swing month", where some years you don't see the sun at all for the entire month, and other years (like this one) there's not a cloud in the sky for the entire month.
The really strange thing is that we're around 10 degrees warmer than typical; nights are in the low 40s (which is still cold in an uninsulated house), days are in the mid-60s.
So yeah, my house is all opened up and it's very pleasant outside, but it bodes poorly for summer and fire season.
This, and yet my roommate still insists on having the house's furnace cranked into the 70s at all times.
Rabble.
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...hell, it's ranging from the teens to the 30s here, and I refuse to set my thermostat above 65.
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And the incompetence continues:
AT&T just put signs up and down our block that they're closing the street all next week. This is presumably to move all their lines underground, which means tearing up the street... again.
That's two major "public" works within 8 months of the city paying to repave the street.
Somehow, the planning department isn't succeeding at this whole "planning" thing...
I don't know to what degree it's the planning department's fault, though. AT&T aren't great about actually cooperating with the planning department or communicating their future plans, and the planning department can't really tell them to go pound sand when they decide it's time for major infrastructure upgrades. PG&E is actively worse.
Also, I have AT&T internet, and my download speeds never hit 1 MB/s, and service interruptions are daily. In the middle of a city in Silicon Valley. I had AT&T Mobile, and I finally ditched them because it's slow, unreliable, and everywhere I frequent seems to be a dead zone. Plus there was the whole Disneyland clustertruck with Rise of the Resistance, where you needed a cell phone right at 8AM to get a boarding group in order to ride at all during the day, and AT&T slowed to a halt like clockwork right at 8AM every morning, and T-Mobile and Verizon customers got all the boarding group slots.
What I'm saying is, as a planning student, I blame AT&T. For all the things.