J.E. Sawyer Interview

TFH Gaming has conducted an interview with Black Isle’s J.E. Sawyer, talking about the story behind Icewind Dale II, the new interface, integrating the 3rd edition rules, and more. An excerpt to follow:

Q: What changes or improvements are planned for the Infinity Engine interface?

A: We’ve redesigned huge sections of the interface. The most immediate change that users will notice is that 800×600 is the standard resolution. There aren’t borders shoved on to the sides to make it appear bigger; the 800×600 resolution is used to its fullest. We changed the standard action buttons to allow users to customize them at will. Want all four quick weapons as buttons? No problem. Want your bard/sorcerer/druid/wizard to have his four class spellcasting icons on the main interface? Simple.

The inventory has an additional row of item slots, allowing players to fill up 24 items instead of 16. It’s very nice to know that your party of 6 can carry 48 more items that your Icewind Dale 1 group. The character record screen has very clear information on your attack modifiers, saving throws, armor class, etc. Overall, the changes to the interface should make the game easier to play and more convenient.