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| By Brad Cook Halmir the human paladin can’t trust Saeros the elven thief. Meanwhile, Maglor the half-elf druid would prefer to end the bickering and just get on with the group’s journey. |
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 Once you cross into Icewind Dale, there’s no turning back! |
This is more than a classic dungeon romp.
You see, unlike previous AD&D-based games like Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn, Icewind Dale requires that you create not one, but six characters before you begin your grand adventure. And you need to make sure they get along, or you’ll be in for a long journey.
Think of it as an exercise in group dynamics.
Happy Campers
“Creating six characters is a strategy in itself,” explains MacPlay Director of Sales and Marketing Henry Price. “So now, instead of controlling only one character, you have to contend with making sure you have six happy campers and that each is set up to complement the other.”
Vibrant graphics breathe life into backgrounds and effects.
Once you assemble your group of adventurers, it’s time to begin the story.
(Want to know more about basic character creation? See the sidebar, “Building the Perfect Party,” on page two.)
The Secret of Your Success
Icewind Dale takes place in the northern reaches of a continent called Faerûn, which is located on the planet Toril. Readers of the Icewind Dale book trilogy written by fantasy author R.A. Salvatore will recognize the setting, but the novels aren’t required reading to enjoy the game.
The game begins in the fishing village Easthaven, where something is rotten, and it’s not the catch of the day. Don’t rush headfirst into your journey just yet, though — there are important people to meet in the village, and you’ll need to pick up weapons and supplies for your party. You don’t want your characters to become frozen treats for the local monsters once they leave the relatively safe confines of Easthaven.
As in any role-playing game, you should talk to the non-player characters (NPCs, or the characters controlled by the computer) if you want to succeed. You’ll discover, though, that the locals respond differently to your characters depending on their race, class, alignment and ability scores, so be sure to alternate between the members of your party when trying to ferret out information. (Here’s a hint: Hrothgar is a big help.)
Once you’re done in Easthaven, it’s time to venture into the wintry wastes of Icewind Dale, where the monsters get tougher and the intrigue gets deeper. Your next destination will be the town of Kuldahar. The only way to get there is through the treacherous Kuldahar Pass, where you’ll encounter some nasty goblins and beetles.
Eventually the game takes you through creepy crypts, forgotten temples, and a final showdown with the bad guy behind all the problems in Icewind Dale. Defeat him and the land will be safe again. (Well, at least until the sequel.)
We Make the Game Come to Life
If you’ve played pen-and-paper Dungeons and Dragons before, you’ll find that Icewind Dale offers the same gameplay mechanics but a more exciting experience.
“We make the game come to life,” says Price. “The battles are real, the worlds are robust, and you can interact with the characters and monsters. You just can’t get that experience from paper.”
And “you don’t have to be into AD&D to enjoy Icewind Dale,” he adds. “Anyone can play this game.”
If you think this insect’s big,
you haven’t seen anything yet.
you haven’t seen anything yet.
The Best Gaming Experience Money Can Buy
Even though Icewind Dale runs in both Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X, you’ll really want to play the game in Mac OS X. Price notes that “the real big differences between the [two] versions of the game are memory management and reliability. [For example], the Mac OS X version of Icewind Dale requires less RAM than the Mac OS 9 version because it runs so much more efficiently.”
That efficiency is part of the enhanced performance you’ll see when you play any game in Mac OS X, and Price says that it is just one of four reasons that MacPlay will “start developing all of our future products for Mac OS X exclusively.”
Monsters are plentiful, so stay on your toes.
So what does that mean to you? Great games that perform better on your computer and appear on store shelves faster than they have before. MacPlay expects to start the switch-over to Mac OS X exclusivity this summer.
In the meantime, embark on a journey to the online Apple Store, a Apple retail store, or an Apple authorized reseller near you to find a copy of Icewind Dale. Snow boots and magical swords are not included.
Looking for more AD&D games? Take a look at Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn for more fantasy adventure fun.
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Stock up on essential information that will help you form a group of “happy campers.”     
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