Baldur's Gate 2: EE - Patch 2.6 in Beta

PC Gamer reports that the next big patch 2.6 for the Enhanced Editions of Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale is coming:

A major update for the Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale enhanced editions is in beta

Beamdog wants your help testing 2.6.

It's been years since Beamdog released their enhanced editions of the original Baldur's Gate games and Icewind Dale, but the studio has announced it is planning to update them, with a "BIG 2.6 Patch" for Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition in the works. The patch notes include plenty of fixes for the sequel, and Icewind Dale as well.

The highlights of version 2.6 will be a shift to 64-bit executables, "hundreds of bug fixes including many spell fixes", improvements to pathfinding and multiplayer stability, the addition of the Adventurers of Neverwinter portraits to all three games, and French text localization for Baldur's Gate 2.

[…]

Thanks Zloth!

More information.

I read about this a few days ago. Glad to see Beamdog is still patching the games.

That's quite interesting!

I've never played the original so I was very tempted by this adaptation, but there are so many negative feedbacks on Beamdog's port that I abstained. Perhaps there's hope after all (and perhaps they were just isolated, unfortunate cases).

It would just be hard to get back to that after being spoiled with modern games which offer voice acting on all dialogs and gorgeous graphics.

Has someone played Beamdog's port of BG2, was is fine?

Saw they had improved the pathfinding too, that ought to please fans

Gotta keep those employees busy until they can start working on BG 3: EE

Originally Posted by MAHak
Gotta keep those employees busy until they can start working on BG 3: EE

That ship has sailed long ago

Originally Posted by MAHak
Gotta keep those employees busy until they can start working on BG 3: EE

Please no.

Originally Posted by Redglyph
I've never played the original

Originally Posted by Redglyph
Has someone played Beamdog's port of BG2, was is fine?

I haven't played it all the way through, but imo it's fine. It's almost identical to the original game but with a few extra companions and minor quests. Like the other EE games, it also allows you to zoom the camera in/out which is a feature I like.

Improved pathfinding should have been in the first EE release. That has to be one of the biggest bugaboos of the whole series.

Happy to see that one of my favourite games is kept updated. I'm also really glad that i bought the ee editions as they're easy to install and work nicely with modern pcs. Most mods have ee-versions of themselves as well.

Originally Posted by JDR13

Haha, I know It only started with NWN here, which isn't too bad, but still after the 2 Baldur's Gate. And Icewind Dale, ahem.

Thanks for your feedback on the EE version!

Originally Posted by rjshae
Improved pathfinding should have been in the first EE release. That has to be one of the biggest bugaboos of the whole series.

That's good news, indeed, that's the one reproach I've often seen with those games (original and EE). If that's really improved, along with all the other bug fixes, it seems there's no excuse for not playing it. (except waiting for the BG2 mod on NWN 2)

I haven't followed Beamdog's history very closely, but it's funny to see they were still working on their Enhanced Editions all this time. Of course they released the console versions, but still (do those games really have a success for console players? Perhaps only people who played the original and who don't have a PC anymore?). I thought they'd rather work on their own game - not BG3, but the new, new one.

EE versions offer overall much smoother experience. Not only bug fixes and better performance & visuals, there are also many new features as well. For example player is able to switch from dual wield / sword & shield to ranged weapons which is an huge improvement to the orginals where you had to go inventory constantly if you wanted to change from dual wield to bow for instance. Also EE versions include many new classes and subclasses. Bg1 and Bg1 look and play much similarly too in terms of weapon skills and so forth. Too many improvements to list here.

I'll take the EE editions over installing the mods for the original versions. As they don't install correctly or work as advertised. A few have been updated for The EE editions.

Originally Posted by Redglyph
I haven't followed Beamdog's history very closely, but it's funny to see they were still working on their Enhanced Editions all this time. Of course they released the console versions, but still (do those games really have a success for console players? Perhaps only people who played the original and who don't have a PC anymore?). I thought they'd rather work on their own game - not BG3, but the new, new one.

Sad news then as Beamdog announced last year they don't have the funding to make another RPG game, and the company has decided to go in another direction.

They had quite a few BioWare veterans that were let go as well.

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
Sad news then as Beamdog announced last year they don't have the funding to make another RPG game, and the company has decided to go in another direction.

They had quite a few BioWare veterans that were let go as well.

That's sad. Did they say what they were going to do (besides the game remastering & enhancements)?

Originally Posted by rjshae
Improved pathfinding should have been in the first EE release. That has to be one of the biggest bugaboos of the whole series.

"You must gather your party before venturing forth."

"No - YOU were supposed to gather my party before venturing forth, but now one of them is in a tree half a mile away!"

Originally Posted by Redglyph
That's sad. Did they say what they were going to do (besides the game remastering & enhancements)?

Smaller non RPG games with an online focus. Their latest game is Axis & Allies-online.

Link - https://www.axisandalliesonline.com/

Heads-up there was an article about them almost making BG III.

Link - https://samagame.com/en/why-it-didnt…aldurs-gate-3/

The right opportunity did not present itself.

We love these adventures and are extremely grateful for the opportunity to bring them to a wider audience, he adds. Money, time and the right opportunity didn't come together for us at Baldur's Gate 3. Beamdog is now ready to start a new chapter. We are working on a new brand that fascinates us. Of course, we continue to support existing titles, but expect some fantastic projects our team is working on right now.

As for Larian's Baldur's Gate 3 we really think they make a great game, he said. We can't wait to play the next Baldur's Gate and not get to know the story.

So despite the news above maybe they have more RPGs in the works. The biggest factor according to Trent is they don't have the funds necessary to make a new RPG.

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
Heads-up there was an article about them almost making BG III.

Link - https://samagame.com/en/why-it-didnt…aldurs-gate-3/So despite the news above maybe they have more RPGs in the works. The biggest factor according to Trent is they don't have the funds necessary to make a new RPG.

Yeah, saw that one, with the new project (after Axis and Allies 1942). It doesn't reveal much about it. Apparently this article is dated November 5th so it's quite recent.

Beamdog is now ready to start a new chapter. We are working on a new brand that fascinates us. Of course, we continue to support existing titles, but expect some fantastic projects our team is working on right now.

They seem to take it positively, at least

So now we have Baldur's Gate 3 from Larian Studios. A project that Beamdog is also benefiting from: The announcement of Part 3 has definitely attracted more interest in Baldur's Gate 1 and 2

only patch for BG1 EE I want is one that gives us IWDEE Spells that don't exist in BG1EE, especially for druids whose spells in BG1EE suck balls.

Originally Posted by Archangel
only patch for BG1 EE I want is one that gives us IWDEE Spells that don't exist in BG1EE, especially for druids whose spells in BG1EE suck balls.

I thought they already did that, or maybe it was vice versa. I'd actually prefer they kept the BG and IWD stuff separate tbh.

What I really wish we could have had is the original BG character models back.