RPG Vault: Baldur's Gate Memories (original) (raw)

- "Huge, beautiful and highly replayable, it is a 'must-have' for any serious or even casual RPG fan... Baldur's Gate will... return serious role-playing games to their rightful place at the center of the computer gaming universe." These words were part of the concluding paragraph in RPG Vault's review of BioWare's landmark late 1998 release that signaled the genre's emergence from a relatively barren half-decade or so. Published by the Black Isle Studios division of Interplay, it was a rarity, a title that generated extremely high expectations, then proved able to meet and even exceeded them. As a result, it garnered awards galore including best of the year from this site and many other publications. It also sold exceptionally well. This parlay launched the inexperienced Canadian studio toward the very top echelon of developers. The rest, as they say, is history.

The Tales of the Sword Coast expansion pack shipped in 1999, followed by a sequel, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, the next year, then Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal in 2001. All of these were excellent and popular, so it came as quite a disappointment to the series' sizable fan base when no more games were released; Black Isle did start work on one, sometimes referred to as Baldur's Gate III: The Black Hound, that was cancelled in 2003. However, BioWare is hard at work on Dragon Age: Origins, which has been described as a spiritual successor, although it's not D&D-based;, with a stated target date of early next year for the PC version. When we requested some insiders' memories of the original for its tenth anniversary, four current team members responded, including three who contributed to it.

Includes three exclusive Dragon Age: Origins screenshots

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Dan Tudge Project Director & Executive Producer, Dragon Age: Origins
Long before I worked at BioWare, I was a huge fan of the company's games, especially the Baldur's Gate series. I remember spending countless hours playing the original, rushing home every day from work (at another studio) to hang out with Minsc and Boo, and to immerse myself in the world the team had so meticulously created for me.

It was clear right then and there that story-driven role-playing games would never be the same, that a new bar had been set by BioWare, and that this was only the beginning.

The story, characters and lush 2D painted environments were all complimented by addicting combat, progression and customization. It was clear right then and there that story-driven role-playing games would never be the same, that a new bar had been set by BioWare, and that this was only the beginning.

Fans of role playing games owe a lot to those original team members at BioWare and the trail they blazed for all of us. Now, years later, I am leading the very team that delivered those classics, and to be a part of that legacy is truly an honor and something I am very proud to be a part of.

Ross Gardner Lead Programmer, Dragon Age: Origins Designer, Baldur's Gate
It was an afternoon, and we were about two months from shipping BG. Back then, there were only about 30 people at BioWare, so all we had was a single Millennium Falcon-type hallway with cords and wires scattered all over the place. We were all in a strange state mentally, the kind that only working 100-hour weeks can bring about. I was sitting at my desk making some toast when all of a sudden, my computer shut off... and it wasn't long before I began hearing angry noises from the hallway.

There was this burning passion in each of us to make BG all that it could be, and we all felt so honored to be actually making a D&D; video game that we didn't even question the long and crazy hours we were working.

I popped my toast and hunkered down (looking guilty), trying to eat it before the others figured out what had happened. Alas, the smell wafting through the hallway defeated me, and I soon had heads popping over my little office wall - caught! We all had a good laugh afterwards, but I'm pretty sure I didn't make any friends that day.

At that time, I was mainly working as a designer. My primary area of responsibility was to make sure all the items and spells were implemented and working properly, as well as to script a few of the major fights. The other thing I was responsible for was balance testing. It was a constant fight between me and the Interplay testers; they were always trying to make it easier, and I was always pushing back to make it harder.

At one point, I got so frustrated with the final battle with Sarevok that I created a 7th level Minsc, gave him some weapons and armor, and then began to spawn in Sarevok's - mowing through them like a hot knife through butter. After I'd killed six or seven of them, I spawned in a final one and took a screenshot, with the fresh one standing among all his slaughtered predecessors. I edited it and put a bubble above Minsc's head that read "Sigh... another one of those pesky Sarevoks" and then e-mailed it out to the company. Growing up playing D&D; with James Ohlen (the Lead Designer on BG, and now on our new MMO), I knew that would piss him off to no end, and suffice to say he was much tougher when I tried to fight him the next day.

That was a crazy time for both BioWare and me. It amazes me how far we have come from that single hallway. There was this burning passion in each of us to make BG all that it could be, and we all felt so honored to be actually making a D&D; video game that we didn't even question the long and crazy hours we were working. I look back on those days very fondly - we were just a bunch of small-town geeks, led by doctors, working on a D&D; game. How cool is that! The passion is still there, and in many ways working on Dragon Age: Origins reminds me of those days. I hope it can touch people the way that the BG series touched so many a decade ago.