Pillars of Eternity II Fig Update #7: Multiclassing Details with Josh Sawyer!
Pillars of Eternity II Fig Update #7: Multiclassing Details with Josh Sawyer!
Game News - posted by Zed on Fri 3 February 2017, 08:28:26
Tags: Josh Sawyer; Obsidian Entertainment; Pillars of Eternity II: DeadfireMulti-classing, or how I learned to love the endgame attack perks of rogues, but did not want to play a rogue. Josh Sawyer pens the 7th Pillars II Fig update, and it's all about the balancing aspect (what else) of multi-classing.
Before I begin explaining how our multiclassing works, I'd like to explain our goals for multiclassing, because I think that can help put the system's mechanics into perspective. We want multiclassing to allow players to realize character concepts that aren't possible with the single class options. We want to keep the relative power of the multiclass character at about 75%-85% what a single class character would have at any given level. In our experience, that's the sweet spot where multiclass characters feel powerful and effective, but don't clearly outshine the single class characters. We want the multiclassing system to keep characters viable no matter when the player chooses to multiclass. We want to limit the number of permutations to something manageable. Finally, we want to give multiclass characters a unique title for their class combo.
God forbid if someone found a way to build an exceptionally strong and fun class combo to play.
There's also a slew of info about something called Power Sources, but perhaps you should read all of that yourself in the update, but in short:
By the way, I thought it was called dual-classing when it was just two classes, and multi-classing if it was three (or more?). Grogs please correct me if I'm wrong.
Before I begin explaining how our multiclassing works, I'd like to explain our goals for multiclassing, because I think that can help put the system's mechanics into perspective. We want multiclassing to allow players to realize character concepts that aren't possible with the single class options. We want to keep the relative power of the multiclass character at about 75%-85% what a single class character would have at any given level. In our experience, that's the sweet spot where multiclass characters feel powerful and effective, but don't clearly outshine the single class characters. We want the multiclassing system to keep characters viable no matter when the player chooses to multiclass. We want to limit the number of permutations to something manageable. Finally, we want to give multiclass characters a unique title for their class combo.
God forbid if someone found a way to build an exceptionally strong and fun class combo to play.
With that in mind, we came up with our current system. At any time from 2nd level on, players have the ability to select an additional class to advance. Both classes may have subclasses, though certain paladin orders or priest deities (both of which are required subclasses) may lightly restrict multiclass options. When they make that choice, they gain a multiclass title, like "battlemage" for a fighter/wizard. After a second class is chosen and advanced, the player may alternate between classes as they see fit. In this system, companions may also multiclass, though their 1st class must always be one of their base classes (e.g. fighter or rogue for Edér, wizard for Aloth).
There's also a slew of info about something called Power Sources, but perhaps you should read all of that yourself in the update, but in short:
[...] Every class has a Power Source, from Rage for barbarians to Arcane for wizards. The level of a Power Source determines what level abilities can be chosen from that class, the available resources (casts/uses) for related abilities, and the strength (damage, number of projectiles, etc.) of those abilities.
By the way, I thought it was called dual-classing when it was just two classes, and multi-classing if it was three (or more?). Grogs please correct me if I'm wrong.
