Pillars of Eternity II Fig Update #9: Factions, Fulvano's Voyage, Berath's Blessing Stretch Goal
Pillars of Eternity II Fig Update #9: Factions, Fulvano's Voyage, Berath's Blessing Stretch Goal
Game News - posted by Infinitron on Wed 8 February 2017, 00:59:06
Tags: Obsidian Entertainment; Paul Kirsch; Pillars of Eternity II: DeadfireAs promised yesterday, Obsidian have published a big Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire Fig update today. First of all, it announces "Fulvano's Voyage", an in-game island chain that will be expanded for every 1500 backers who join the campaign. That's right, it's a megadungeon! Let's hope they know how to keep it under control this time. Second, the mysterious $2.6M Berath's Blessing stretch goal is back. It turns out be something like a New Game+ mode, but more complex. I quote:
The Deadfire Archipelago consists of hundreds of islands spanning thousands of miles, which means there is plenty of territory to cover - land and sea. There will be numerous opportunities to explore undiscovered islands, ancient ruins, shipwrecks, treacherous storms, and more still to come.
The local kith (humanoid-types) are the Huana, a culture of semi-nomadic tribal aumaua who spread themselves thin across the islands. The tribes are distinct from one another, but they cleave to a shared sense of identity and tradition. Each Huana is part of a caste system that defines their role within the tribe. The warrior and priest class are at the front, with skilled artisans following close behind, and at last the modest laborers bringing up the rear. Equal treatment is not one of their core values, but those born in the disadvantaged underclass content themselves with knowing they'll earn a better place in society in their next life.
The Huana have populated Deadfire for as long as they can recall, but their mutable lifestyle has led to few permanent settlements and no shortage of history lost along the way. The very presence of tumbledown, monster-infested ruins suggests that local history goes deeper than legends can recall, but it would take a Watcher to know for sure.
The treasure of Deadfire is luminous adra - a more vibrant and powerful expression of the soul-channeling rock that was found in the Dyrwood. Luminous adra is a rarity that exists nowhere else in Eora, and its nature and properties remain a mystery even to those who seek it out. Vailian animancers are baffled by the volume of soul energy that luminous adra can hold - several times more than the normal variety. Subjecting the adra to processing and refinement yielded an unexpected result - draughts that restore vitality and vigor. What started as a curiosity is now a coveted resource.
With this discovery, opportunists flock to the unclaimed riches from different corners of the globe. Eager to turn a quick profit, the Vailian Trading Company brings bankers, merchants, miners, and animancers to dig up every last fleck of luminous adra. From distant Rauatai, the Royal Deadfire Company brings an armada to colonize and fortify the region in the name of civilizing the wild frontier. Last but not least, the Príncipi sen Patrena - a network of pirates who trace their lineage back to Old Vailia -peck away at the new arrivals with skill and calculation.
From the great city of Neketaka, Queen Onekaza II watches as these foreign powers encroach on the homeland of her people. To all outward appearances, she is an installed figurehead, lacking any true power over the combined might of the Vailians and Rauataians. She is smart enough to encourage this misconception, letting it grow so that she is perpetually underestimated by her enemies (even as she pits them against each other). At her side stands Prince Aruihi, observing her seeming inaction with disapproval. Though he lacks his sister's flair for subtlety, he makes up for it with the charisma and determination to unite the Huana against a common foe.
Of course, the Deadfire is populated by uglier monsters than just imperialists. Strange and exotic creatures call the archipelago home -nagas, grubs, imps, unforgettably deadly beetles, and - of course - dragons.
If nothing else, let these facts draw a treasure map for the type of conflicts that the Watcher can expect to face in Deadfire. And I haven't even mentioned the rampaging god.
Very comprehensive. And now we know what the "VTC" on Josh Sawyer's Twitter profile means.
Berath's Blessings is a new feature for Deadfire that gives players special bonuses when they start a new game, based on achievements that have been completed in previous gameplay. Berath plays a large role in the story of Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire that we don't want to reveal quite yet, but she will aid you at the start of your adventure with her blessings. These can be used as a helping hand to defeat that next difficulty level, to provide additional challenges, and to increase the reward for chasing down and completing achievements. Each completed achievement gives the player points to spend on blessings when they start up a new game.
Players will be able to spend these points on a wide variety of unlocks. Some players may simply want a more powerful starting character - better starting gear or more attribute points. Other players may choose to more quickly advance through a part of the game that they don’t really want to repeat - bonus faction reputation, or starting the game with extra copper coins. Players will even have the option to start the game with some of their favorite things acquired during a previous journey – starting with a favorite companion or Soulbound weapon from an earlier playthrough. There will even be unlocks that make the game harder, boosting the challenge of the next campaign.
But the most interesting part of the update is the following lore piece by writer Paul Kirsch, which is all about the factions you'll encounter in the Deadfire Archipelago.Players will be able to spend these points on a wide variety of unlocks. Some players may simply want a more powerful starting character - better starting gear or more attribute points. Other players may choose to more quickly advance through a part of the game that they don’t really want to repeat - bonus faction reputation, or starting the game with extra copper coins. Players will even have the option to start the game with some of their favorite things acquired during a previous journey – starting with a favorite companion or Soulbound weapon from an earlier playthrough. There will even be unlocks that make the game harder, boosting the challenge of the next campaign.
The Deadfire Archipelago consists of hundreds of islands spanning thousands of miles, which means there is plenty of territory to cover - land and sea. There will be numerous opportunities to explore undiscovered islands, ancient ruins, shipwrecks, treacherous storms, and more still to come.
The local kith (humanoid-types) are the Huana, a culture of semi-nomadic tribal aumaua who spread themselves thin across the islands. The tribes are distinct from one another, but they cleave to a shared sense of identity and tradition. Each Huana is part of a caste system that defines their role within the tribe. The warrior and priest class are at the front, with skilled artisans following close behind, and at last the modest laborers bringing up the rear. Equal treatment is not one of their core values, but those born in the disadvantaged underclass content themselves with knowing they'll earn a better place in society in their next life.
The Huana have populated Deadfire for as long as they can recall, but their mutable lifestyle has led to few permanent settlements and no shortage of history lost along the way. The very presence of tumbledown, monster-infested ruins suggests that local history goes deeper than legends can recall, but it would take a Watcher to know for sure.
The treasure of Deadfire is luminous adra - a more vibrant and powerful expression of the soul-channeling rock that was found in the Dyrwood. Luminous adra is a rarity that exists nowhere else in Eora, and its nature and properties remain a mystery even to those who seek it out. Vailian animancers are baffled by the volume of soul energy that luminous adra can hold - several times more than the normal variety. Subjecting the adra to processing and refinement yielded an unexpected result - draughts that restore vitality and vigor. What started as a curiosity is now a coveted resource.
With this discovery, opportunists flock to the unclaimed riches from different corners of the globe. Eager to turn a quick profit, the Vailian Trading Company brings bankers, merchants, miners, and animancers to dig up every last fleck of luminous adra. From distant Rauatai, the Royal Deadfire Company brings an armada to colonize and fortify the region in the name of civilizing the wild frontier. Last but not least, the Príncipi sen Patrena - a network of pirates who trace their lineage back to Old Vailia -peck away at the new arrivals with skill and calculation.
From the great city of Neketaka, Queen Onekaza II watches as these foreign powers encroach on the homeland of her people. To all outward appearances, she is an installed figurehead, lacking any true power over the combined might of the Vailians and Rauataians. She is smart enough to encourage this misconception, letting it grow so that she is perpetually underestimated by her enemies (even as she pits them against each other). At her side stands Prince Aruihi, observing her seeming inaction with disapproval. Though he lacks his sister's flair for subtlety, he makes up for it with the charisma and determination to unite the Huana against a common foe.
Of course, the Deadfire is populated by uglier monsters than just imperialists. Strange and exotic creatures call the archipelago home -nagas, grubs, imps, unforgettably deadly beetles, and - of course - dragons.
If nothing else, let these facts draw a treasure map for the type of conflicts that the Watcher can expect to face in Deadfire. And I haven't even mentioned the rampaging god.
