Icewind Dale

Icewind Dale is a computer RPG set in the world of AD&D Forgotten Realms. It uses the "Infinity" engine from Bioware, the same as in the famous BG. Icewind Dale focuses on epic adventures in dark dungeons. The story takes place in the northern, not fully explored regions of Forgotten Realms, - known as the Valley of the Ice Wind, famous for Drizzt Do'Urden's feats from R.A.'s book. Salvator, The Crystal Shard. That's where your team is hiking into the Spine of the World - a dangerous territory inhabited by deadly creatures. Through your discoveries and tasks, you learn that you have to fight the ancient evil that threatens to free the most horrifying horrors to the whole world of Faerun.

The Icewind Dale formula has no relationship with Baldur's Gate and is not focused around one character, but at the beginning of the game you create your whole team or choose one of the ready-made teams. Your hero team can consist of 1-6 people. The game starts in the freezing city of Easthaven, one of the Ten Cities of the region. You are asked to join Hrothgar, one of the local heroes, and embark on a mission to solve the problems plaguing the city on the mountain pass, called Kuldahar. History begins to complicate when you are involved in a great mission to prevent the destruction of the city and the entire region. This mission will lead you to a number of places in the Spine of the World mountains, from the frosty dungeons through the ancient ruins of elven cities to the living glaciers and other amazing places.

In the multiplayer game each player creates their own heroes, who are more independent of each other in relation to Baldur's Gate. Due to the fact that you create your own team, other NPCs will not join as they did in Baldur's Gate. Some of them will follow you according to the story, but you will not be able to control them. You can change team leader at any time, which can result in new dialogue options based on race, gender, profession, intelligence, wisdom and leader's charisma. There is still a limit of experience to 1,800,000, so that the character depending on the profession can reach 14-28 level.

The focus has been put primarily on exploration, but the next events will be connected with each other to create an interesting, but linear story, making Icewind Dale is more similar to Diablo than to Baldur's Gate. In the game there are 12 separate areas with about 15 levels of dungeons each. The dungeons differ in size and appearance, ranging from narrow passages to large caves. Underground is scattered all over Icewind Dale including the mountain areas of Ten Towers and Spine of the World.

• Every spell has its own animation, in contrast to BG where all spells looked the same.
• Augmented algorithm for finding the way, especially when the team is set up in some formation.
• Augmented log where you will find all completed and not completed quests.
• The artificial intelligence of the monsters that now send out patrols and call out in case of danger.
• The monsters have up to 22 feet in height.
• The new portraits for characters, one showing the whole figure of the hero, the other only his face.
• The game uses Open GL to improve the lighting effect, fog and to improve the smoothness of the game.
• More standard voices, the ability to use their sounds from BG.
• The ability to make armor from the armor of different animals.
• More than 100 unique magic items randomly available after beating bosses or mini-bosses.
• The game takes place in 1281, the year of the cold soul, 15 years before the appearance of Drizzta.
• The author of music for Icewind Dale is Jeremy Soule, the author of music for Total Annihilation.

Please let us know if you have any comments or suggestions regarding this description.

Last updated on August 14, 2015