IGN: So what was the reason behind bringing Jade Empire over from Xbox to the PC?
Diarmid Clarke: Basically we have a huge and great community at BioWare of a lot of PC fans and it's pretty obvious that they wanted BioWare to produce a new PC game and it's been a while. So that was a big motivation really.
IGN: OK. What exactly is going to be new about the game? When we checked in with you guys at E3 there was some talk about new levels, enemies, and fighting styles.
Diarmid Clarke: We've basically added in three levels of new things for the PC version of Jade. The first level is the PC-centricness of the game. The things you expect and demand as a PC player like the higher graphics resolution. This also includes the redesigned keyboard and mouse controls that have been completely designed to work for the PC and be great rather than a side option. So it's not something that should really be played with a controller, it's actually designed for the keyboard and mouse.
The second level of things we put in is extra content. There are new monsters to fight including some new big demons. There are some new fighting styles for players to find as well. We've added a world map into the game. There are also some new weapon upgrades. A new difficulty level is also available. This is the super hard level. So quite a few new things for people who have played the game previously to discover.
The third level of changes we made were gameplay improvements. We've been able to change the AI around so that fights will be a lot more dynamic. You're really going to have to use the tactics of Jade in your fighting styles a lot more in this as the original Jade was pushing you to do.Cool.
IGN: Is that because AI tends to use group tactics this time around? Or do they use more special moves that force you to counter them with a wider range of your own abilities?
Diarmid Clarke: Yeah the nature of Jade is working out to use the right tactics to counter what your enemies are using. So within the combat this time we can get them so that you might have some guys blocking and some guys might be flanking you. We found from the fan feedback a couple of game exploits that people might use to get through combat. We wanted to change it up a bit and make sure that they couldn't be used in the PC version the same way. You have to find new tactics. In fact it's been great doing demos recently watching Kevin play as the Lead Designer. He has to change his tactics to adapt to the PC version and that's a great affirmation that it's working well.
IGN: I think some of us managed to get through the Xbox version with using only the fast attack style the entire game so I'm glad to hear there's more tactics involved this time around.
Diarmid Clarke: Yeah and one of the other things we're doing on top of that as well is harmonic combos which are really great as super cool finishing moves. We've re-scoped the emphasis on those so it's much more rewarding for the player to actually use the harmonic combos to get something out of it. In fact on the highest difficult level you're really going to have to master harmonic combos as well.
IGN: How exactly are these combos going to work on the keyboard? Do you think it'll be easier since there are so many keys so close together so switching between styles will be simpler?
Kevin Martins: Our basic goal with mouse and keyboard is that no one should wish they had a controller. And that's true. I've never actually tried out the controller on the new version. I only use mouse and keyboard. It's no more difficult or easier to pull anything off on the mouse and keyboard. You can also reconfigure any of the keys so players can probably make it a little easier to do whatever their preferred moves are.
IGN: As far as the new content goes, is any of it going to be related to the story like story arcs or characters or is it more basic content?New playable character? Cool. :)
Diarmid Clarke: There is a new playable character in the game but we haven't changed the story itself at all. We feel that Jade really tells the story that we want it to tell. It's a very tight, well crafted story and we felt that adding anything in there would look pretty odd attached to what was there already.
IGN: What are some of the new styles that will be put in the game?I like the sound of the Viper Style, dealing out bleeding and poison damage and all.
Kevin Martins: The goal with all of the styles from the Xbox version and the new ones of course are that they play in a similar fashion in that they have a same sort of set of moves but because of the animation speed and effects that they play very differently. You can try two different martial styles that are just you using your hands and feet to attack somebody but they feel demonstrably different. In addition you can upgrade them in different ways so that you could choose to do all of the upgrades in one of the slower styles in speed as opposed to power.
With that in mind, these are the two new martial styles that we have. Viper and Iron Palm are the new ones. Iron Palm is the slowest style in the game and its also the most powerful so there are some tactical advantages and disadvantages there. It does a lot of damage but you have to have a good sense of timing and use evasion to get around the battlefield. It's inspired by real world sumo. It's not actually sumo style but it has the big palm strikes and a bull rush attack which is really fun.
Viper style is very different. It's a tactically different style that does very little damage. It does hurt people but doesn't hurt people anywhere near as much as any other martial style. What it does do is poison or bleeding damage. Maybe you want to use it in group battles. For example, maybe you cast a fireball and everyone is damaged but you're out of Chi so everyone is injured but not dead. So then maybe you use a poison attack so that you get everyone bleeding so that you can concentrate on the boss while the other ones die. They're demonstrably different tactics for the two styles.
Diarmid Clarke: Depending on the path that the player takes through the game, whether it's Open Palm or Closed Fist which is good or evil, will actually determine which of the styles they acquire. There is a new subquest to gain those.Sweet.
IGN: Can you describe a couple of the new enemies that have been added to the game?
Kevin Martins: Sure, I'll talk about a couple of new demons that we've added. Our demons were inspired by Chinese mythical demons. They had a lot of dog men and cat people and fish men in various Chinese mythologies that we've read so we have an animal or shamanistic theme to our creatures. One of the new ones is in fact an animal demon and it's a rhino demon. He is one of the elder demons, not the most powerful one, but one of the most powerful. He's got a horn rush and a big stomp attack and other things like that. He's highly resistant to magic so that you have to get up close and personal with him which is difficult because he's got a long reach.
Another monster we have is the tentacle demon, which may or may not be the final name we have for him in the game. He's a monstrosity or an abomination that's a weird magical creature like some sort of bizarre anthropomorphic squid. He's freaky and also difficult to fight.
IGN: At this point, when are you looking to release Jade Empire for the PC?Good. I hope they take all this time to iron out any nasty bugs that might be still lingering around.
Diarmid Clarke: First or second week in January. The game's really entering into the final stages of development now like fixing up the bugs. Right from the get-go, we've been focusing on the gameplay so we were able to have it up and running very quickly. So we're just polishing it really.
Kevin Martins: Yep, most of the graphics features are in. We have a lot of upgraded textures and effects. We've got widescreen mode and high resolution support. So now we're moving from alpha into beta and getting the new content in and balanced. Because of the difficulty settings we have to do a complete rebalance of the game from scratch which is time consuming, but it's going.I hope Bioware keeps bringing their console games over to the PC. I hope Mass Effect will join that list, myself.
Diarmid Clarke: Just to give you an idea of the level of detail we've gone down to in the improvements. We actually had some of the original Jade artists here quite literally going down to individual flowers and pieces of grass and upgrading them.
Kevin Martins: Well modern PCs look a little better than the Xbox I'd say. We had to take advantage of that.
IGN: Is it the hope to bring most of the console BioWare games out to the PC after they've been on consoles?
Diarmid Clarke: I think we have to look at it on a case by case basis and work with our publisher on this. I would say that all things being equal we'd like to see our product on PC. Traditionally it's been such a hugely successful format for BioWare and where we have such a great fanbase that we'd like them to play every game that we do but we'll have to see as we go ahead.
IGN: What was the reason behind moving to 2K as a publisher instead of staying with Microsoft?I wouldn't be surprised if M$ wanted Jade PC to be Vista Only and Bioware just said, "We want to support more than only Vista; so we need another publisher." hehe.
Diarmid Clarke: That was an interesting one. Microsoft is obviously a publisher on two main formats. They have Vista very much in their mind and really when we were starting development up on this Vista wasn't in a position to be supported for us and so we decided we'd make the game ourselves and get it to a pretty final stage before we started seeing who the right publisher was. Microsoft was great in helping us out with that and making it very easy to position the game with 2K.
IGN: Thanks guys!
Man, I'm looking forward to this on PC!Me too.
I finished it (one way) on Xbox, and I loved it.I heard from some friends who got it on the Box that it's a good one. :)
Oh man, I really hope Mss Effect finds its way to PC. From what I've seen so far it looks amazing!Me too.
CES 07: Jade Empire: Special Edition Hands-OnWo0t for KB/MOUSE controls!!!!
We focus our chi and attack this PC update to BioWare's martial arts action RPG.
By Brian Ekberg, GameSpot
Posted Jan 9, 2007 6:28 pm PT
LAS VEGAS--Almost two years after the release of the original Jade Empire for the Xbox, developer BioWare is bringing the game to the PC in the form of Jade Empire: Special Edition. While we've written about some of the features that will differentiate this version from the original game in a prior preview, this is the first time we've had a chance to take up a mouse and try it for ourselves. Based on what we played on the show floor at CES, Jade Empire SE is looking like a winner on the PC.
The original game was a departure for the team at BioWare, which had previous success with games like Baldur's Gate and Knights of the Old Republic. With it's action adventure gameplay, multiple fighting styles, and Far East influences, the game looked and played like nothing the BioWare team had released before. Luckily the approachable controls, which began on the Xbox, have been translated over to the mouse and keyboard with minimal fuss.Sounds good that the controls weren't botched.
Controlling your character is easy. You use the standard W, S, A, and D keys to move, and most of your attacks are controlled with the left and right buttons on the mouse. Multiple clicks of the left button will result in longer and more complicated chain attacks, but those can be blocked by enemies. Clicking the right button will result in a longer, more powerful attack that will break through a blocking enemy's defenses. Pressing the left and right buttons simultaneously resulted in an area attack that was ideal for making some room when the enemies piled up.Sweet -- controls sounds good, to me, so far....
In addition, as a magical martial artist in Jade Empire SE, you'll be able to focus your chi to add extra damage to your attacks (by pressing the E key) or heal yourself by holding down the left button on your mouse at any time.Cool.
One of the big focuses in Jade Empire is the emphasis on different fighting styles. The character we created, a chi-intensive magic user, had retractable claws she could use to carve up foes, as well as a special bo staff we picked up a bit later in the game.Nice...I like the sound of having claws!
Switching between styles, or from one weapon to the next, was as easy as pressing the associated number on the keyboard.Sweet. So to switch styles, we use the number keys as the hot keys -- this sounds like a great control scheme, already.
Periodically, you'll find other characters to party up with, and you'll be able to team up and take down enemies.Cool. Like most RPG's.
As in the console game, you begin Jade Empire as a student looking to complete your training as a martial artist under the tutelage of one Master Li. One day, a group of bandits attacks your village, and after fighting off the sea-faring bandits, your adventures in the world that bears a striking resemblance to ancient China (sans magic and mystical monsters, of course) will begin.Okay.
One aspect of Jade Empire that has received a significant overhaul is the graphics. The game made the most of the Xbox's graphical prowess, but it looks even better on a high-end PC. The environments especially are gorgeous--the tall grasses and flowers in the overgrown parts of the starting areas are fantastic, and the sophisticated lighting effects really add to the fantastical settings.I love it when we PC gamers get upgraded graphics on our port! :) Very nice.
About the only visual clue that this is a two-year-old game is the character models--while the faces show off a lot of detail and differentiation from one character to the next, the character bodies are slightly blocky in spots. Still, that's nitpicking on what should prove to be a fine-looking game on high-end PCs.Hmmm.....I wonder why they don't have higher-res character model available then....
The original Jade Empire featured the BioWare hallmarks of a great story, compelling gameplay, and a rich settting to adventure in, and based on what we've seen of the Special Edition on the PC, the trend looks to continue. The PC version will feature a new weapon, a couple of new fighting styles, and a character--Monk Zeng--previously available only in the limited-edition Xbox version. If you've recently upgraded your gaming rig but haven't tried Jade Empire before, this seems like an opportune time to get in on the martial arts fun. Stay tuned for our full review of the game when it reaches store shelves in February.New content is always a good thing. :)
-GameSpot
IGN: At this point, when are you looking to release Jade Empire for the PC?
Diarmid Clarke: First or second week in January. The game's really entering into the final stages of development now like fixing up the bugs. Right from the get-go, we've been focusing on the gameplay so we were able to have it up and running very quickly. So we're just polishing it really.
I hope Bioware keeps bringing their console games over to the PC. I hope Mass Effect will join that list, myself.
As for PC-only games, I am looking forward to Dragon Age....whenever that's coming...
Yeah, I can't really see them doing the same thing they did with Fable. The amount of new content in Fable: TLC dwarfs the amount of new content that appears to be here. The fighting styles don't really add anything (basically a fighting style is like a spell or a move), and the new character is already on the pretty common LE for the Xbox.Well, Well....BIG NEWS, guys.....
I'll probably still play it on the pc though, just because I want to play it again and I'd rather do it on my pc than xbox...if it runs well.
Episodic content is the future for BioWare titles
Thursday 18-Jan-2007 10:27 AM Mass Effect developer tells CVG it has "big plans" for additional material for numerous projects
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It's already know that BioWare is to release episodic content for its forthcoming Xbox 360 game Mass Effect, but the developer has now revealed it's expanding episodic release plans to cover additional projects.
"...we have big plans afoot at BioWare for post-release and episodic content for upcoming cool BioWare games like Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Jade Empire: Special Edition and other upcoming BioWare titles, both on console and PC", BioWare CEO Ray Muzyka divulged in an interview with CVG which we'll be publishing shortly.
Speaking further about online initiatives, Muzyka said, "There have been a lot of innovations in the PC space in online games - World of Warcraft and other MMOs continue to expand the business and we're excited about joining that world ourselves with the upcoming title we're developing down with our great team at BioWare Austin [BioWare's in-development MMORPG] - and digital distribution and episodic content".
Isn't it funny how they call every little downloadable content "episodic" now? I bet this will be no different from the NWN downloads.
Posted: Wednesday, 10 January 2007 05:05PM
As we get closer and closer to launch, we can finally pin down some of the more technical aspects of the game. Many people have been asking about the system specs required to run Jade Empire Special Edition, and now we can let you know both the minimum and recommended system requirements to play JESE.
Minimum System Requirements
* Windows XP
* Pentium 4 1.8 GHz or AMD Athlon 1800XP
* 512 MB RAM
* 8 GB free HD space
* 1x or better DVD-ROM drive
* NVIDIA GeForce 6200 or ATI 9500 or better (Shader Model 2.0 required)
* 100% DirectX 9.0 compatible sound card and drivers.
* DirectX 9.0
Recommended System Requirements
Windows XP
* 3 GHz Intel Pentium 4 or equivalent processor
* 1 GB RAM
* 8 GB free HD space
* 1x or better DVD-ROM drive
* ATI X600 series, NVIDIA GeForce 6800 series, or higher recommended
* 100% DirectX 9.0 compatible sound card and drivers.
* DirectX 9.0 February 2006
It was also recently asked about CD/DvD discs. Jade Empire Special Edition will come on a dual-layered DvD.
And finally we can confirm that Jade Emprie Special Edition will support wide screen monitors as well as the normal more standard versions.
HORSE ARMOR!
Jade Empire PC kicks down factory door
Special Edition of BioWare's martial-arts-based RPG finishes development; game in stores February 27.
By Tim Surette, GameSpot
Posted Feb 7, 2007 12:15 pm PT
History is repeating itself, as Jade Empire has gone gold...again. Back in April 2005, Xbox owners eagerly awaited the latest offering from role-playing specialists BioWare in Jade Empire. Today, it's PC owners channeling their Chi in anticipation as the gold master of Jade Empire: Special Edition has headed off to factory.
The PC version features the same kung-fu-fighting action in a world inspired by Asian mythology as the Xbox version, with a few bonus features thrown in. The keyboard-and-mouse crew will get enhanced graphics and resolution, a new difficulty level, new monsters, and a few new fighting styles.
Jade Empire: Special Edition will be in stores on February 27. For more information, read GameSpot's previous coverage or the full review of the Xbox version.
Nice! I hope I can get it!
Jade Empire Hands-on ImpressionsOkay.
We close our fist and punch our way through the last preview build of this Xbox port.
by Dan Adams
February 7, 2007 - Almost two years ago BioWare released their first action-RPG onto the market exclusively for the Xbox console. Jade Empire made quite the stir, and while opinions certainly differed, it received a large percentage of excellent reviews from an excited gaming populace. Of course, PC gamers were once again miffed that BioWare had moved away from their favorite gaming platform to focus on development for consoles. We have a hard time faulting them for their business sense in this decision. Once the dust settled and BioWare moved onto other things, it came as a mild surprise that Jade Empire for the PC kept on with its development. They've been working on it for quite some time now by gussying it up for PC gamers used to high quality visuals, adding in a new control scheme to take advantage of the mouse and keyboard, and throwing a few extra fun bits into the mix as well. We finally had the chance to take a good long look at a near final build of the game and see how well the controls really performed on the PC.
The BasicsSweet.
Those unfamiliar with Jade Empire probably need a brief introduction. Those that already know the game and story basics can skip down a couple of paragraphs to our impressions of the PC version thus far. Jade Empire is a role-playing game set in a fictional Asian inspired world full of magic, demons, and treachery. The story centers around the player-made character as he or she learns of their glorious destiny following the capture of their master. Much like previous BioWare titles like Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire allows players to choose their moral path through conversation and quest resolution. Choose the righteous path (Way of the Open Palm) and NPCs will have different reactions than if the darker path (Way of the Closed Fist) is chosen. Each side holds rewards of their own and only players can decide what's right. This isn't a completely open-world game like Baldur's Gate, but it does offer plenty of choice.
Characters build up in three separate areas: body (health), spirit (chi), and mind (focus). These three attributes govern other attributes such as Charm, Intuition, and Intimidation which come into play during some conversation trees. Points can also be put into any of the many fighting styles that become available to players over the course of the game. These include direct martial art and weapon styles, magical styles, and support styles that can slow enemies or even drain their power. What's more, these fighting styles can be combined together with the correct timing to create what are referred to as Harmonic Combos. Successfully pulling these off leads to an instant kill and power-up. Along the way, followers will join up for various reasons, each with different stories of their own. One of these helps out during combat at any time.Sweet.
ImpressionsSWEET!!!
The biggest difference to gameplay between the Xbox version of Jade Empire and the PC Special Edition is undoubtedly the control scheme. While controllers will be supported, we've actually found this keyboard scheme to be superior to the Xbox controls.
The major reason for this is the ability to map ten fighting styles to the number keys. It allows for very quick changes between styles which in turn allows for a much easier time pulling off harmonic combos, which could be a little difficult on controllers. Having so many styles at hand also increases the amount of options readily available to players without having to jump into a menu screen. While the transition between styles can still be a little slow from time to time, we've been pulling off harmonic combos with a much higher regularity.Oh, hell yeahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
One thing we haven't had a hard time adjusting to is the mouse controlled camera. It's a non issue. When in combat, the camera locks onto whatever target is selected and the WASD keys are used to move in and around that target. Hitting TAB switches targets and double tapping any of the movement keys will dodge or flip while Space blocks. All of it works in harmony a lot smoother than I would have thought. The only issue we've had thus far is with the camera ramming up against things and moving behind objects. Not being able to see certainly makes combat difficult. Even so, this only has happened in some of the more cramped fighting arenas.Okay.
Outside of combat, controls work about as you would figure. Movement and camera together act like any third-person shooter. Camera tilt is a bit restricted so that players don't get completely turned around, but it makes little difference to gameplay. As with any half-decent port, the rest of the interface can be used with the mouse and keyboard, which by itself shows that BioWare was serious about porting the game over.Very nice.
On top of the gameplay issues, we had plenty of time to really get a good look at the visual improvements. The game is substantially better looking than the Xbox version. The most notable of these upgrades are the textures on the various characters. The new higher resolution and anti-aliasing options really bring the characters to life. They already looked very good for an Xbox game and now they actually look very good for a PC game. Games like Half-Life 2 and Crysis still have an edge, but we're doubting there will be any complaints among those that play Jade Empire on the PC.Sounds good.
Unfortunately, we haven't made it far enough in the game at this point to try out the new Viper and Iron Palm combat styles. Each style is associated with a Way and can only be learned when three scrolls scattered throughout the land have been collected. Some of the other new content we did get to see was the new Rhino demon, whose first appearance comes towards the end of the pirate cove missions in Tien's Landing. He's one big beast that packs quite a punch. Thankfully he's also pretty slow with his attacks so fast characters should be able to avoid most attacks while smacking him around a bit before ever getting hit.Cool.
Overall, we're pretty pleased by the efforts that have gone into porting the game properly to PC since there are so many console ports that aren't given the same attention. Gamers who've been waiting for Jade Empire to finally make it onto PC will have a chance to play the game at the end of this month when it releases to stores.Sounds good.
I'm actually a bit let down. I really liked this game but wished they would have added more to the pc version. Like a real character editor, new models, and maybe some more quests.That sounds like a good idea, to me. :)
The two new styles really adds nothing for meI'm glad to see the new styles, myself.
and the 'new character' was already on the LE version for Xbox.The "Rhino Transformation?"
But don't get me wrong, if you haven't played it you can't really go wrong. I just don't think I'll be buying it again.That is what it sounds like, from both IGN and G-Spot -- that if you already own the XB Version, you won't miss much by skipping the PC version.
Just finished NWN2 so I need more RPGs. This is going for full price. Gpw is it worth the $50 or should I wait?
Hmmm.. well it is about $10 on the Xbox. I am going to read the reviews to see if it is worth the jump.That's pretty damn cheap.
And D, it will be $50 for me because of shipping. I am probably going to buy this, because I love Bioware.Damn those shipping costs. :(
Looks like Circuit City will have this Jade Empire SE for the PC on sale for $29.99 the week of 3/11/2007-3/17/2007. (http://cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=129892)
oh man, I am all over that.
I ordered the game wheee.Nice, have you played the Xbox version before?
Oki doki, I have some good news! I finally got tot see Jade Empire on PC in action!Awesome.
It looks pretty amazing (compared to its Xbox counterpart)! It's pretty much everything we expected.
The only thing I'm gonna comment on is the new control scheme. Bioware did a hell of a job making the game for keyboard+mouse! The movement controls are essentially the same as any FPS game you've played; WASD to move and mouse mouse direction.. Now the movements are not the same as the Xbox, where the character actually runs in the direction you're moving your left stick in.. Now, the character strafes and moves backward with the side and back keys. Unfortunately this also applies to the control pad controls. It's nothing like the Xbox controls at all. So if you loved the Xbox controls, you might have trouble with the PC variation. I tried playing with a controller and the controls are now just like any FPS game on the Xbox! With the left stick to move forward/back and strafe, and the right stick to rotate.. The only controls which are the same are the combat controls.
Now, I can appreciate the effort Bioware invested to make the game more Keyboard+mouse savvy, but honestly I don't think the controls really needed any changes at all. The original controls were a lot more like the KotOR style, where if I press back the character turns and runs toward the camera. Such controls would not bother me at all if I'm playing with the keyboard+mouse, so I don't really see the need to change. The original controls were like most 3rd person action games on PC (even Splinter Cell), and they definitely suited the game. Oddly enough the controls now feel a lot like Gothic.. I was a little confused when I read the Gamespot review and they said that the controls feel like they're made for keyboard and mouse combos.. I always thought they would work for kb+mouse anyway, but now I understand exactly what they meant.KOTOR's controls on the PC were great.
The new control scheme is acceptable, but it would have been nice to have the old control style for the control pad. Sometimes I wanna lay back and play. The combat is definitely made for the joypad.. It's very playable with kb+mouse but it's a lot more enjoyable with the pad. As it is now, I'm comfortable with the movement controls as long as I use the kb+mouse, but in the combat I prefer the controller (which are exactly the same as Xbox).
Anyway, so to summarize: I don't really see why they changed the controls so radically. Did anyone really complain about the KotOR controls? If anything it would have been nice if they gave us the option of original controls and new controls.
EDIT:Sounds like you guys want a patch, hehe.
According to the official forums, quite a few people are complaining about the same thing ;D I am not alone!
I played it with both a controller and the keyboard, but I much prefer the keyboard/mouse config. It's not because of the way the character moves, but more from the way combat feels. It's much more comfortable attacking by pressing a mouse button than using the controller's buttons, if that makes sense. I felt like I was just wildly flailing around hitting air with the controller, while I felt more in control, so to speak, with the mouse button.I'm comfortable with both.. Thankfully the combat is pretty much exactly the same on PC as the Xbox version. I can play it with the keyboard/mouse or gamepad equally, no problems there. However in explore mode the controls are just a little uncomfortable for me, correction, VERY uncomfortable with the gamepad. I can bare it with the kb/mouse, but it becomes a little strenuous after a while. I don't understand why they just didn't give us the option since the new controls are so radically different.
Who knows? I personally like using the keyboard to a controller, anyhow, so I could be biased.
You know, I've run across that once before but can't think of where. Strafing is great in some games and a welcome addition in others that didn't originally have it, but it's just whacked when it gets added in for no reason. I can't think of it adding anything to JE and I'd much rather have typical 3rd person controls for a game like this. I haven't played it, but I know what you're saying.
I kind of hope they release a demo. I want to play it again, but don't want to drop the money to find out that the higher res really isn't worth it.
I'm glad you're enjoying it MyD! It is a fantastic game!I think the "targeting w/ pause" is fine on the PC on the KB/mouse. It works better than any other "targeting" set-up in any other game. Well done w/ this style of controls.
By the way, the combat controls is exactly the same as the Xbox, I can play with the controller no problem.. It's the explore mode that's annoying.. The original controls were camera relevant, just like KotOR and Splinter Cell, or even Prince of Persia.. Left and Right are technically strafing to the camera's direction, but the character would turn and run in that direction. It made it a lot easier to play comfortably with a controller, and on PC I could move around without using the mouse much. On the Xbox you can rotate the camera to see your character from all angles, and you can also go into first-person view (great for screenshots).
The more I think about it the more stupid it seems to have ever messed with the controls, especially considering that the combat is the same.. All they did was make the explore mode less appealing. Great effort.. I bet it was Gray Matter's doing, not Bioware."Explore mode" is a lil' awkward b/c of two things, I think -- lack of a crosshair and I don't see enemy's health at all. If they didn't show you the health in target mode, that issue wouldn't matter.
I think the "targeting w/ pause" is fine on the PC on the KB/mouse. It works better than any other "targeting" set-up in any other game. Well done w/ this style of controls.Dude, there are no enemies when you're exploring.. I think you're talking about "No Target" mode. I never really use that, so I'm not worried about it. Explore mode is when you're just running about in the game solving mysteries and talking to people (which is the majority of the game). I don't really need a crosshair in this game since there's need to aim at all, when you attack it's generally where your character is facing (regardless of the camera). I think that's why the Xbox version had a more 'cinematic' feel to it. The camera angle only steers your direction when you're running, otherwise you can look at your character from any angle and check out some sweet combat moves, or simply check out the way you run :P
"Explore mode" is a lil' awkward b/c of two things, I think -- lack of a crosshair and I don't see enemy's health at all. If they didn't show you the health in target mode, that issue wouldn't matter.
If they can do the following to this "Explore" mode, I'd be happy:
1. Add the option to toggle on/off a crosshair so I can see where the hell I'm swinging, when I swing and all.
2. When I hit a enemy, show me their health (like when you are targeting someone. it shows their health).
If those requests can be met, I might give it a chance.
On the Xbox you can rotate the camera to see your character from all angles, and you can also go into first-person view (great for screenshots).Looks like that first person mode is hidden in the PC version, too -- it's within the JadeEmpire.INI file. (http://jade.bioware.com/forums/viewtopic.html?topic=553968&forum=108)
And one I've seen written elsewhere:
To get first person view active (ie your character wont be seen) and toggleable via the 'v' key:
Under [Config1]:
Free Look=v
Under [InputOptions]:
Free Look=1
That can be nice if you wanted screenshots, etc. . .personally, I found it very irritating when trying to play with it and step next to things like scrolls, vases, etc; you get so close to them the icon that tells you whether you are close enough to break the vase, etc sometimes leaves the screen and you cant tell if you can break it or not.
FRAPS is your friend.
Not bad man! It is definitely one of the best games around. I really wanna play the PC version now, but between JE and Shivering Isles, I'll have to spend my cash on SI (at least for now).
Yes, it's capped at 30 fps. I believe it's a technical relic from the original Xbox release. However, to get around them would require an unnecessarily high amount of work, according to prior Bioware posts. A patch is unlikely to fix it. Heck, a patch is unlikely to appear, given what we know (or don't). Don't expect this to change. It's perfectly serviceable now, even if I would prefer a higher fps as a PC gamer.
Well I've put in probably five-seven hours in this game, and I have to say I am not terribly impressed. It feels like they tried to cram an action game into the KOTOR engine or something. I am not convinced with the combat. Instead of being fast, exciting and violent... it feels like a game of chess. I find the controls difficult to master, and unresponsive. Using a mouse to do battle definitely has its disadvantages, and I am thinking of getting a wireless 360 controller. A lot of this probably has to do with my inability to do well in this game and pull off combos. It is just that with the current controls everything feels unresponsive.Pause key is your friend -- like any other Bioware game.
The game is extremely linear, and walking around with only one companion feels cheap. Overall it definitely feels like a console game, and I find it ridiculous that IGN gave it 9.8Have you got past the first location of the game?
Jade Empire: Special Edition has been released as DRM-FREE on GOG (http://www.gog.com/gamecard/jade_empire_special_edition)Awesome game but I don't recommend the PC version. It's basically broken with wonky controls.
For its launch, it'll be $10 (33% off).
Normally, it'll be $14.99.