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Divinity: Original Sin 2 Early Access Thread [GAME RELEASED, GO TO NEW THREAD]

SniperHF

Arcane
Joined
Aug 22, 2014
Messages
1,110
The internal lore compendium is what they're writing for the first time for this game.

Right.

At least on that last lore nugget the Hall was one of the few more consistent things in the Divinity world. Though I've never played Beyond Div.

The only thing a little different in their current description is saying there's some sort of controversy over its existence.
 

Kem0sabe

Arcane
Joined
Mar 7, 2011
Messages
13,076
Location
Azores Islands
The internal lore compendium is what they're writing for the first time for this game.
So after on their 6th rpg they finally decide to have coherent lore to their world building...

Too late to salvage the mess that is this ridiculous construct. They should just license a well established ip, make a deal with paradox for some white wolf setting, or better yet D&D or Warhammer, as those companies seem to sell licenses to anyone who can code a calculator.
 

DraQ

Arcane
Joined
Oct 24, 2007
Messages
32,828
Location
Chrząszczyżewoszyce, powiat Łękołody
The internal lore compendium is what they're writing for the first time for this game.
So after on their 6th rpg they finally decide to have coherent lore to their world building...

Too late to salvage the mess that is this ridiculous construct. They should just license a well established ip, make a deal with paradox for some white wolf setting, or better yet D&D or Warhammer, as those companies seem to sell licenses to anyone who can code a calculator.
Disagreed. Hammering pretty pathetic attempts at lore into shape can produce excellent and surprisingly lifelike results.
For example TES started as excessively shitty D&D knockoff.
 

PulsatingBrain

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The Centre of the Ultraworld
Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Codex+ Now Streaming! Enjoy the Revolution! Another revolution around the sun that is. My team has the sexiest and deadliest waifus you can recruit. Pathfinder: Wrath
They are just making up shit as they go

You write that as if they're contradicting some notion of the Hall of Echoes that you've had in your head. As far as I recall, it is basically a mythical, mysterious place as far as nearly everyone in Aleroth in concerned, and nothing they've written there is in conflict with the visit in Divinity 2. I can't remember if it's mentioned much in Divine Divinity.

Either way, I don't see anything wrong with winging it a bit. Why are you so upset by this?
 

LESS T_T

Arcane
Joined
Oct 5, 2012
Messages
13,582
Codex 2014
Larian want you to send your game data: http://www.divinity.game/logging

DIVINITY: ORIGINAL SIN 2 NEEDS YOU!

We-need-you.jpg



Oh sure, it's easy to look at a video game and think "this came together really well because of the programmers, or the artists, or the very, very attractive and humble writers," but it's a little more complicated than that.

The fact is, any game that we make is a draft before it goes through testing. A well-tested game is a well-polished game, and that's part of the joy of early access! Every single person that sits down to play Divinity: Original Sin 2 generates testing data, but it's only useful if we get to see it.

How do we get to see it? Well, once you close the game you click the friendly little box that appears asking if you’d like to share the game data with us. It really is that quick and that easy.

Sure, but does it really matter?
Yes! VERY yes! It's easy to think "all this data just goes in a big bucket, I'm sure they have plenty - they don't need mine", but the amount of data isn't half as important as the variation. We can catch game-breaking bugs or exploits because one person thought outside the box and did something we didn't expect, or which 99% of players missed. It's these outliers - these individuals - that help give us the fine layer of polish that we're aiming for in Divinity: Original Sin 2. So please, don't ever think that your contribution will be ignored, or isn't worth much. Every piece of data is sacred, and we need each bit we can get.

So what exactly do we track?
If it’s in the game, then we want to know about it! We want to work together with you to produce the best game possible, and that means giving you the chance to share as much game data as you can. But what exactly are we interested in? Here's a summary of the data you can send us.

Position:
There are a bunch of ways out of Fort Joy, and we need to check which routes are used most often (and therefore might be too easy) or which are barely used at all (and may need to be tweaked or balanced.) The same is true of treasure that might be too easy/difficult to find, fights that people are missing, or characters and quests that aren't getting the attention we expected because people just don't spend enough time hanging out in shady alleyways or exploring caves.

We use this data to create a heatmap, which tells us the most common paths people take and which areas they explore. This is also very handy for spotting and fixing mistakes like "I'm pretty sure you shouldn't be able to walk through that wall" or letting us add a chest to reward you for walking through that Sourcerer's cunning wall illusion!

Primary Stats:
STR, FIN, INT, WIS, etc. are the beautiful three-letter building blocks of any character, so it's important we track what builds you're working on and spot any inconsistencies in the system. What stats are picked more than others, and does that change as you level? Does that indicate that any of them are over/underpowered?

Secondary Stats:
In regards secondary stats, the experience points you gain and the speed you gain them at is essential for the pacing of the game. We also need to know how quickly you move and what resistances you're working on so we make sure the levels ahead are balanced and well-paced.

Items and Inventory:
Making sure you have the right equipment as you go is vital, so we check how much you're picking up along the way, and what sort of armour you’re using. This lets us know if there’s too much or too little, and if it's the right level.

Tags:
Tags are a foundational part of Divinity: Original Sin 2, so being able to track the origins, race, and profession tags used is as important as anything else. Also, some tags are dynamic, and are added or removed as you play, which will have to be tracked and carefully balanced to make sure they work well in the final game.

Abilities and Talents:
As the nuts-and-bolts of combat and exploration, making sure abilities and talents work is core to making sure the game plays well. We need to find out what's popular. What ain't? How many of you are picking PetPal? What weapons specialisations do you love? What spells are being used in every battle, and what needs to be buffed up a little?

Gold:
How are you making your gold? Is most of it looted directly or does it come from selling items? Do you have enough gold? Are you doing okay? Can you afford rent and still spend the occasional night at the tavern?

Okay, but how is this actually being recorded?
When you start a game your playthrough is given an anonymous, unique code which contains no identifying information and cannot be traced back to you, your machine, or your IP address. As you play, information is gathered under this code and when the game closes you have the option to send this data. This works even if the game crashes - in fact it's especially important that it does, because then it gathers data about the crash and helps us fix whatever caused the issue.

As for the specifics of how, it's all pretty simple really: every five seconds the game records your position on the map to track your progress through the game. That's the only recording that's constantly running in the background - everything else is triggered by an event (eg. your new stats would be recorded after you level up and save, items are recorded when picked up or equipped, skills are recorded as they're used by you or the enemy, and a bunch of other specific triggers.)

Right, so it's anonymous, but what information do you get about me?
None about you personally. If your game crashes (and only if your game crashes) you can share a DxDiag file with us. This is a standard file that’s generated by your computer whenever it needs to test visual performance, and contains some information about the hardware in your machine (Processor, GPU, Monitor settings, etc.) and some software info (DirectX version, your operating system, stuff like that), but that's about it. When you submit data you also share your latest save

For a full overview of what a DxDiag report contains, you can create your own dxdiag report by tapping the Windows key and typing DxDiag. Then click the button “Save all information”.

But does it actually make a difference?
You bet! In fact, you’ve just seen it in action. The AI 2.0 patch was a big change in how the game can be played, so we kept a close eye on the data coming back over that weekend. Very quickly we were able to see how things had changed. Were people dying more, and in different places? Were they drinking more health potions? Would we need to rebalance the economy to account for that?

We had a lot of questions, but thanks to the data that you (we hope) submitted, we had quick answers which we knew would be effective. After the patch went out we were able to identify problem areas, come up with solutions, test them against the data, implement them in game, test the game thoroughly, and push out a shiny new hotfix - all in a week! None of that would have been possible if not for the data that our players had been sending us.

So... there's absolutely no downside to submitting my game data and I'll be helping make the game better?
Well, we're a little biased, but it's the click of a button; there's no identifying information; and each submission really does help us make a better and better game.

We think it's win-win, so please, if you feel like it, do remember to send us your data when you've finished your play session. All that we ask is you play the game in the way that’s the most fun for you so we can make sure the rest of the game hits that high standard.
 

Aenra

Guest
Good move, but they should have made it a long time ago. I remember posters even here bitching about their precious game data.
If one of you internet stalking, pro-bono Steam analysts can be kindly asked, do tell how EA's going? In plain English if you don't mind? Never learned what those two figures from Steam Spy mean, nor what a simultaneous plus/minus signifies. Am just a backward inbreeding redneck.
 

anvi

Prophet
Village Idiot
Joined
Oct 12, 2016
Messages
7,530
Location
Kelethin
Get playing guys! I want this game really well made for when I play it, all the unpaid beta testers need to work hard so I am not disappointed.
 

Luckmann

Arcane
Zionist Agent
Joined
Jul 20, 2009
Messages
3,759
Location
Scandinavia
[...]
Yes! VERY yes! [...]
[...]

Yes! VERY yes, Swen! And a VERY YES to you too!

Man, I love Vincke, and there is no doubt in my mind that he wrote this himself.

Regardless of what I may think about the Divinity games (I loved D:OS, but I've hated all others, and I can find plenty of annoyances and grating shit) I can't help but to like that man. He always seem genuinely enthusiastic.
 

Alienman

Retro-Fascist
Patron
Joined
Sep 10, 2014
Messages
17,046
Location
Mars
Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy Codex Year of the Donut Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
[...]
Yes! VERY yes! [...]
[...]

Yes! VERY yes, Swen! And a VERY YES to you too!

Man, I love Vincke, and there is no doubt in my mind that he wrote this himself.

Regardless of what I may think about the Divinity games (I loved D:OS, but I've hated all others, and I can find plenty of annoyances and grating shit) I can't help but to like that man. He always seem genuinely enthusiastic.

You should read his developer's journal that came with the anthology release. Like you said he seem to be a really genuine nice guy and that book explain many of the issues with the older games. It's a really nice read.
 

LESS T_T

Arcane
Joined
Oct 5, 2012
Messages
13,582
Codex 2014
16864875_1375692882490906_419614988206777343_n.jpg


A figure approaches through the crowded marketplace. You try to step out of his way, but he bumps into you. As you open your mouth to apologise you feel a small piece of paper pressed into your hand. "Meet me tomorrow. Come alone, it is important!" You look around, but he's gone.

New update? New announcement? Or both?
 

Jaesun

Fabulous Ex-Moderator
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Seattle, WA USA
MCA
A figure approaches through the crowded marketplace. You try to step out of his way, but he bumps into you. As you open your mouth to apologize you feel a small piece of cheese pressed into your hand.

:bounce:
 

LESS T_T

Arcane
Joined
Oct 5, 2012
Messages
13,582
Codex 2014
You couldn’t sleep last night. Wonder and suspicion filled your restless dreams. Who was that mysterious figure? What did he want with you? A deep and quiet voice in your head tells you it’s a bad idea. Yet you can’t resist. Curiosity grips you and you go to meet him...

And it led to another teaser (I think): http://www.divinity.game/spy-intro

16996056_1376551752405019_798344793589390590_n.jpg



Kicking your boots together, you curse the cold weather. Your feet are cold and you’ve lost all feeling in your toes. The rain was coming down hard now, torrential. Only morning, the noon-day sun is fast approaching, yet the thick clouds give you the impression of dusk.

Perhaps he won’t come?

You allow the hint of doubt to creep into your mind. His note yesterday was ominous. His demeanour creepy at best, dangerous at worst.

Perhaps I should just -

You turn to go, and there he is. Standing still in the rain, dark eyes locked on you under his hood. Finally speaking, his tone is questioning; “You mean to leave?”

Speak you fool!

A sudden fear grips your throat as you open your mouth to speak. Silence.
He considers you for a moment. Hesitation? You’re unsure.

“If you want to leave, leave. But the information I have is worth staying for. It's the information you seek, I assure you.”

Leave you fool. Do not allow this man to lead you astray.

Your mind is pleading, urging you to leave. Yet you remain. You can hear the blood in your ears, feel your heart in your chest. Something deeper within you wants you to stay. Needs you to stay.

“Good.”

He glances casually to his left and right before stepping close to you. You can see him clearly now. A light brown stubble covers his chin, eyes deep and sallow. His brown eyes look black in this light, reflecting only a hint of the lamplight beside you. He was young, but his skin showed an aged weariness of someone who doesn’t sleep well. His breath is warm and smells of drudanae.

They don’t want us to know. They think their clever, that they’ve covered their tracks.” Another glance to his left; “But I know the truth. I know what’s really going on in Rivellon. How they influence our world. Change the fabric of our very existence.”

You close your mouth finally, dry lips rub together as you swallow hard. That internal voice is calling now, yelling at you. This is something you should run from, not embrace.
RUN. It pleads.
Run.
Run.
Ruuuuun….


He steps back, disappointment in his eyes.

“You don’t believe me… You think me mad.” He declares. Without asking, he pulls away his cloak, revealing a glimmering orb underneath. His eyes light up when he see’s it, his voice shifts tone. Almost giddy.

“I have my sources… And I have this....”

You reach for it, instinctively. You feel your fingers in the rain as they outstretch towards it. The internal voice is screaming now. Nooooooo. Screeching.

You step forward.

He covers the orb again. Your eyes, finally free from the glimmering light look up once more.

“Not so close! Not so close!” He growls; “It is a unique artifact of incredible power. You will see… It shows you things. Things that are going to happen, or might not happen. It will reveal everything to me... To us. We must tell the world. Rivellon must know of their plans!”

“I cannot stay longer. Meet me again tomorrow. Come alone, as before. You will see proof that my words are true!” Without another word, he turns and leaves.

The voice is quiet now. All you can hear is the rain on the rooftops and the soft thud of the water hitting the mud below.

The voice is quiet now.

You will come back tomorrow.

The voice is quiet now.

You must. Come back.
 

Wild Slop

Arcane
Joined
Sep 10, 2006
Messages
2,307
Location
Crow's Nest
http://www.divinity.game/spy2

“Whips?” you ask, with a scoff.

“Whips!” He repeats in a whisper, with that giddy tone from yesterday.

Your mysterious “spy” was back, finally willing to tell you something of value.

The voice inside no longer spoke to you. Silent still from the encounter yesterday. Something tells you it remains within you, plotting underneath your subconscious. A part of you misses it, but not completely. Sleep finally returned last night; rushing into the void that the voice left in your mind.

He smiles at you. It looks genuine, but you feel a mild dread creep over your shoulders and down your spine as he looks at you.

“Whips! Fire whips!” He reveals the glimmering orb once more. Your eyes immediately focus on it. “Look at the image here, and see I speak the truth!”

Unknowingly, you step forward. The orb was pulling you in, your vision was blurring. All you could see was the swirling blues and greens of its inner mass. The spy’s voice falls away as an image starts to form. An image of fire and destruction…

Tipgiver_spy_layers_rain_Cropped.jpg


As quickly as the image forms, it fades away. The orb returns to its normal blue haze. He puts it back under his cloak, and you find your senses returning. You look up at the spy, an inky black mass in a swathe of colour. Your eyes take a few moments to adjust back to the light before you recognise him once more.

“But how? Why?”

“How and why are good questions. But first you needed to know they can.” He insists, “These people will stop at nothing to mold and shape Rivellon in the way they see fit. These fire whips are the latest in a broad range of inventions they are mad enough to create. They haven’t done it yet, but they might soon!”

Silence falls between you as you contemplate all he is saying.

“They call themselves the ‘designers’.” He scoffs, “As if they can just decide what Rivellon is.”

You remain silent as the image flashes back on your mind. No one has seen fire whips like these in Rivellon. Such magic is impossible. Is it possible that these ‘designers’ could just mold space and time to fabricate such a wild weapon?

Your eyes have been opened. It’s too late to save you now....
 
Joined
Sep 19, 2012
Messages
784
started playing this a couple days ago after not checking in since the kickstarter and I am having a p gud time.

combat seems well paced, reasonable difficulty with my second party (first dopes I had no clue and restarted early in fort joy). though I think if I bother to do another run with what I know now and used potions/food buffs it may err slightly easy. teleport is still dope both in combat and out.
humour/dialogue is more low key in general than what I recall from previous divinity games, but some things and jester dialogue choices did amuse me greatly. the amount of text is rather low, which I like.
found a bunch of different routes out of the fort into the wilderness, first area as a whole seems quite good. but then that was the case with dos1 before it went downhill.

might be a good game.
 

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