RPS details how to upgrade the best PC RPG of all time to modern rez goodness

[disgruntled_jojo]

Oh shit, it may be time to bust out those four disks and sink another 80 hours:

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=1826

A couple of you have pointed out The Gibberlings Three’s marvellous Infinity Engine resolution mod in comments over the months, but though I cooed with interest, I’ve not had a chance to take a look until now. Yesterday, though, was Finally Replaying Planescape Torment day for me, and word of a resolution-raising tool that saved this incomparable tale of destiny, identity and tragedy from pixels-the-size-of-fists graphic-o-horror excited me enormously.

Playing PST at 1680×1050 thanks to this mod - the pixels not stretched, but rather the game world expanded, a vast amount more of it now visible at any one time - I’m constantly struck by how beautiful it is. It seems less a thing of pixels now, and more a vast painting. Particularly, the cursed, sinister city of Sigil is no longer a collection of short, dingy alleyways and squat, disconnected buildings, but this grand expanse of gothic metropolis - bustling with NPC life, sprawling and darkly gorgeous. I get the sense this is Planescape as it was intended to look. It’s a different game for it, and now I stop to stare at the world as much as I do the elegiac prose. Unfortunately, the increased resolution does make said prose (and much of the UI) squinty-small, but I’m more than happy to make do. Oblivion, NWN2, The Witcher - losers in the 2D vs 3D RPG war. Give me this any day.

Infinity Engine mod can be found here. Also works with the inferior Balder's Gate and Icewind Dale games.

Special thanks to Synth Patel for getting me into Planescape: Torment in the first place.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

OH
MY
GOD

[Mupepe]

holy.shit

[Narag]

Wow.

[Joe Molotov]

Cool, I'll remember this for my next Torment play-through.

[Enl]

Very nice. I've been looking for an excuse to reinstall Baldur's Gate 2. I never had a chance to play Planetscape. What is it that makes it stand out from Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale?

[Howard Alan Treesong]

Very nice. I've been looking for an excuse to reinstall Baldur's Gate 2. I never had a chance to play Planetscape. What is it that makes it stand out from Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale?

1) really good writing. it's like, the only actually well-written game ever. but there's a lot of it.
2) non-stat heavy combat - you can enjoy it without being a D20 grognard
3) creative non-combat solutions to encounters (if your Wis/Int is high enough)
4) flexible alignment system
5) awesome setting and characters

[Positive Touch]

looks great, but i'd like to see some pics with the conversation window open.  most of this game is spent reading text, and i can't imagine having to squint through 30 hours of conversations...

[patrickula]

WOW looks awesome 

[GilloD]

Someone OSX this shit already. I love my Powerbook, but I may have to PC it up next go-round

[disgruntled_jojo]

Very nice. I've been looking for an excuse to reinstall Baldur's Gate 2. I never had a chance to play Planetscape. What is it that makes it stand out from Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale?

1) really good writing. it's like, the only actually well-written game ever. but there's a lot of it.
2) non-stat heavy combat - you can enjoy it without being a D20 grognard
3) creative non-combat solutions to encounters (if your Wis/Int is high enough)
4) flexible alignment system
5) awesome setting and characters

1) Agreed.
2) I was a D20 grognard and still loved it, so it's got mass appeal
3) YESSSSS
4) Yep
5) Even though they look horrible if you just see screenshots.  Screaming flying skull? Ick.  Actual character?  Awesome!
6) The best ever integration of death into a game.  FUCK LOST ODDDEEESSSSY

looks great, but i'd like to see some pics with the conversation window open.  most of this game is spent reading text, and i can't imagine having to squint through 30 hours of conversations...

Dialog boxes at 1280x800, from the mod forums:




Assuming you're not running some nutty-ass 8" widescreen monitor, should be fine.  Looks like it's about the same size as your average webpage text.

[Scurvy Stan]

Text looks perfectly acceptable to me for the option to play at higher res. Awesome mod idea, dl'ing now.

[BlueTsunami]

I've never played Planescape torment

[MrAngryFace]

Wow! Thanks! Glad ive still go copies!

[Positive Touch]

you know what you need to do, man.  so fucking worth it.

[muckhole]

I've never played Planescape torment

Same here. I was PC-less at the time of release and have been playing cach up for years. I'll have to track down a copy.

[MrAngryFace]

good luck :/

Planescape and Freespace 2 are fuk hard to find.

[tiesto]

I got the big box edition of Planescape off ebay for under $10 last year. Though I haven't played it yet. That mod looks cool though.

[MrSingh]

Found a shrink wrapped copy in Akihabara (English version published by Sega!) for $4 a few years ago.

Need to play this some day...

[TVC15]

BG2 is the better RPG.  Planescape Torment definitely has the better story and writing, but the combat is a few notches below the BG2 standard.  I've called Planescape my favorite in the past, but that doesn't really hold up considering that it's my least played of the Infinity Engine games.  BG2 is a better total package.

[CajoleJuice]

I never played any of the games mentioned in this thread. Those screens really look awesome though.

[Fragamemnon]

BG2 is the better RPG.  Planescape Torment definitely has the better story and writing, but the combat is a few notches below the BG2 standard.  I've called Planescape my favorite in the past, but that doesn't really hold up considering that it's my least played of the Infinity Engine games.  BG2 is a better total package.

I glad there are a few other people with the same POV. It's sort of all about specialization-Planescape does a few things that are to this day better than anything else out there, but falls flat in other areas. BG2 just excels in pretty much every metric you can throw at a computer RPG, especially once you add the expansion content in.

I am going to give this a go with Baldur's Gate 2 right now and post some screenz later on.

[Draft]

Torment is actually kind of a bad RPG that punishes you for fighting or role playing any character besides a very wise, very intelligent, very charismatic mage. I guess you do get the "freedom" to choose between being good or being a dick, however.

Still one of my very favorite games.

[disgruntled_jojo]

good luck :/

Planescape and Freespace 2 are fuk hard to find.

You used to be able to get this game and another in a $5 bundle pack at Fry's.  That's a couple years back tho, not sure if you still can.  They also always had a Fallout 1&2 pack.  Usually in some kind of bin or relegated to the same area as the shitty casual gamer bejeweled clones section.

[TVC15]

I found Fallout, Fallout 2, and Brotherhood of Steel a few months back at Fry's.  It was like 10 bucks for a DVD with all three of em.

[Draft]

Do you think it's moral to pirate P:T at this point?

I mean, realistically speaking, it's NEVER getting re released. The old publisher is basically a walking corpse (har), I'm sure the rights are tied up in all manner of bankruptcy proceedings...

I don't know, I think you could pirate this one with a clear conscience.

[Fragamemnon]

Planescape is still a favorite of mine too, I always just cringe a bit when people call it the best IE game ever, as if CRPGs were all about dialogue and writing and not about stats and combat too.

They tried to get this same fix working for Fallout 1/2 but couldn't. Those games would also look better in higher res.

Do you think it's moral to pirate P:T at this point?

It's one of the games I actually tell people to go ahead, point blank, and pirate. Only other game I do that for is NASCAR Season 2003 (can't play online via internet, which sucks but the game is still awesome and Hamachi).

[Howard Alan Treesong]

yeah, I dunno. I love love love PS:T, but I can certainly see why people might pick BG2 over it. the "weaknesses" are strengths to me, since I hate D20 combat. Especially computer representations of D20 combat.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

I was never able to get into BG2 ... I should try again. I kept dying over and over in that goddamned tutorial dungeon. By the time I made it out I was like, FUCK THIS GAME!

[close]

[TVC15]

yeah, I dunno. I love love love PS:T, but I can certainly see why people might pick BG2 over it. the "weaknesses" are strengths to me, since I hate D20 combat. Especially computer representations of D20 combat.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

I was never able to get into BG2 ... I should try again. I kept dying over and over in that goddamned tutorial dungeon. By the time I made it out I was like, FUCK THIS GAME!

[close]

Planescape Torment is 2nd Edition, not D20.  D20 didn't come out until 2000, same year as Torment.  Icewind Dale 2 was the only 3E/D20 Infinity Engine game. JESUS PATEL.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

I just use D20 as shorthand for "shitass Dungeons and Dragons shit"

[Draft]

I really don't like BG or BG2 at all.

Don't like the Middle Earth Jr. setting, don't like DnD, don't like DnD combat, don't like the BG psychos who infect every KOTOR and Mass Effect thread.

Torment I love because it's so different than every other DnD game I've ever played. And of course, since combat is so rare, it doesn't bother me much.

[TVC15]

I just use D20 as shorthand for "shitass Dungeons and Dragons shit"

Don't you DARE confuse that 3rd Edition garbage with real AD&D.  It's not an RPG if there's no THAC0.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

I heard that 4th Edition is like

"u like WoW! den u like DnD! warrior = tank, priest = healz! monk is mad dps! just like WoWs!"

[T234]

I heard that 4th Edition is like

"u like WoW! den u like DnD! warrior = tank, priest = healz! monk is mad dps! just like WoWs!"

[BlueTsunami]

spoiler (click to show/hide)

I was never able to get into BG2 ... I should try again. I kept dying over and over in that goddamned tutorial dungeon. By the time I made it out I was like, FUCK THIS GAME!

[close]

Had the same issue. It felt frantic to me, I can't deal with that shit!

[Cormacaroni]

spoiler (click to show/hide)

I was never able to get into BG2 ... I should try again. I kept dying over and over in that goddamned tutorial dungeon. By the time I made it out I was like, FUCK THIS GAME!

[close]

Had the same issue. It felt frantic to me, I can't deal with that shit!

You can pause it at any point, and make it effectively turn-based.

[BlueTsunami]

I think I've tried BG2 twice and gave up. I'll fire it up again if I get through Placescape

[Howard Alan Treesong]

I also heard there are a lot of BG2 mods that like

make the tutorial dungeon reasonable (for starters)

and other balancing changes

anyone know anything about the seedy world of torment/bg2 modding?

[TVC15]

What's so difficult about the tutorial dungeon?  The reason everyone hates it is that it's boring and like an hour long.

[Cormacaroni]

I also heard there are a lot of BG2 mods that like

make the tutorial dungeon reasonable (for starters)

and other balancing changes

anyone know anything about the seedy world of torment/bg2 modding?

The easiest thing to do is just dl a save file that starts after the tutorial dungeon. I might even have mine backed up somewhere. If I re-install, I'll mail you one.

[pilonv1]

What's so difficult about the tutorial dungeon?  The reason everyone hates it is that it's boring and like an hour long.

correct. i love BG1+2. Are there any good mods for BG1 or 2? I know when I played I used the one where you could import your character.

Never really played PS:T much but now theres an awesome res option I may go back and do it. Less fighting and more non-combat options = win

[Joe Molotov]

What's so difficult about the tutorial dungeon?  The reason everyone hates it is that it's boring and like an hour long.

correct. i love BG1+2. Are there any good mods for BG1 or 2? I know when I played I used the one where you could import your character.

Never really played PS:T much but now theres an awesome res option I may go back and do it. Less fighting and more non-combat options = win

That widescreen mod works for BG1 & 2 also.

[APF]

Is there a no-CD for Torment?

[Smooth Groove]

BG2 is the better RPG.  Planescape Torment definitely has the better story and writing, but the combat is a few notches below the BG2 standard.  I've called Planescape my favorite in the past, but that doesn't really hold up considering that it's my least played of the Infinity Engine games.  BG2 is a better total package.

I glad there are a few other people with the same POV. It's sort of all about specialization-Planescape does a few things that are to this day better than anything else out there, but falls flat in other areas. BG2 just excels in pretty much every metric you can throw at a computer RPG, especially once you add the expansion content in.

I am going to give this a go with Baldur's Gate 2 right now and post some screenz later on.

Nailed it. 

BG2 is very likely the greatest RPG ever on any system. 

[disgruntled_jojo]

BG2 is the better RPG.  Planescape Torment definitely has the better story and writing, but the combat is a few notches below the BG2 standard.  I've called Planescape my favorite in the past, but that doesn't really hold up considering that it's my least played of the Infinity Engine games.  BG2 is a better total package.

I glad there are a few other people with the same POV. It's sort of all about specialization-Planescape does a few things that are to this day better than anything else out there, but falls flat in other areas. BG2 just excels in pretty much every metric you can throw at a computer RPG, especially once you add the expansion content in.

I am going to give this a go with Baldur's Gate 2 right now and post some screenz later on.

Nailed it. 

BG2 is very likely the greatest RPG ever on any system. 

It's also still commercially available, which is a big plus.

[Smooth Groove]

BG2 is the better RPG.  Planescape Torment definitely has the better story and writing, but the combat is a few notches below the BG2 standard.  I've called Planescape my favorite in the past, but that doesn't really hold up considering that it's my least played of the Infinity Engine games.  BG2 is a better total package.

I glad there are a few other people with the same POV. It's sort of all about specialization-Planescape does a few things that are to this day better than anything else out there, but falls flat in other areas. BG2 just excels in pretty much every metric you can throw at a computer RPG, especially once you add the expansion content in.

I am going to give this a go with Baldur's Gate 2 right now and post some screenz later on.

Nailed it. 

BG2 is very likely the greatest RPG ever on any system. 

It's also still commercially available, which is a big plus.

Not the BG2 collector's edition, which is still the most awesome CE package I've ever bought. 

[Fragamemnon]

I found Fallout, Fallout 2, and Brotherhood of Steel a few months back at Fry's.  It was like 10 bucks for a DVD with all three of em.

Shit game.

Tactics was SO MUCH BETTER.

In fact Fallout: Tactics is the best X-Com game since X-Com Apocalypse.

Fallout Tactics has a subtitle, Brotherhood of Steel. I assume since Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel was a console game and never released for the PC, White Man meant Fallout Tactics (since they are all on the same DVD).


If you are replaying BG2, download this mod to skip the Chateau Irenicus, the tedious first dungeon that exists only to prevent you from getting to the full frontal badassery that is Athkatla:

http://www.pocketplane.net/mambo/index.php?option=content&task=blogcategory&id=98&Itemid=79

[CajoleJuice]

I never played any of the games mentioned in this thread. Those screens really look awesome though.

Man, you seem like you missed A TON of great PC games in your lifetime.

I envy you, I've finished them all

Yeah, I only really played a handful. I just played them a lot. :'(

[Fragamemnon]

BG2 is the better RPG.  Planescape Torment definitely has the better story and writing, but the combat is a few notches below the BG2 standard.  I've called Planescape my favorite in the past, but that doesn't really hold up considering that it's my least played of the Infinity Engine games.  BG2 is a better total package.

I glad there are a few other people with the same POV. It's sort of all about specialization-Planescape does a few things that are to this day better than anything else out there, but falls flat in other areas. BG2 just excels in pretty much every metric you can throw at a computer RPG, especially once you add the expansion content in.

I am going to give this a go with Baldur's Gate 2 right now and post some screenz later on.

Nailed it. 

BG2 is very likely the greatest RPG ever on any system. 

It's also still commercially available, which is a big plus.

Not the BG2 collector's edition, which is still the most awesome CE package I've ever bought. 

Same here. #41597 / 62000.  

[Himu]

I don't know about best pc rpg of all time...it's got a great story, but I think Fallout and BG2 are the better rpgs

[Howard Alan Treesong]

I have a BG2 LE

I should try playing it again, I guess

*sigh*

I hate Infinity Engine combat. I have the same problem with Neverwinter Nights 2. Namely, D&D is incomprehensible to me.

[Enl]

Well I just tried this out with Baldur's Gate 2 and while the mod makes the game look really nice I can barely read any of the text off my TV. If only there was a way I can increase the font by a point or two.

[Eric P]

i too had the BG2 CE.

sadly i couldn't get into the game.

i was never a fan of the D&D games because of the combat rules

yuck

[Himu]

i like BG2 and Planescape and I've never played D&D. I really liked how in BG2 every party member adds something to the team, and using this to your advantage is key to success. It keeps things fresh and interesting. Quite unlike recent bioware efforts where the party members mostly feel the same but pallete swapped

[TVC15]

I found Fallout, Fallout 2, and Brotherhood of Steel a few months back at Fry's.  It was like 10 bucks for a DVD with all three of em.

Shit game.

Tactics was SO MUCH BETTER.

In fact Fallout: Tactics is the best X-Com game since X-Com Apocalypse.

Fallout Tactics has a subtitle, Brotherhood of Steel. I assume since Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel was a console game and never released for the PC, White Man meant Fallout Tactics (since they are all on the same DVD).

Did it really have a BoS subtitle? I mean BoS is this shit game:

(Image removed from quote.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallout_Tactics

Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel (or simply Fallout Tactics) . . .

Always puzzled me that they used the same subtitle twice.

[Himu]

I haven't played Fallout Tactics. Hmm. Maybe I should do a Fallout playthrough before 3.

[Himu]

holy shit

[Himu]

i haven't played x-com

[Eric P]

i will agree with borys's assessment of Fall Out Tactics.

it's amazing.

and long.

and content rich.

[BlueTsunami]

I'm playing this for the first time and I can't stand the original res. Its way too tight