Eternity Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire + DLC Thread - now with turn-based combat!

[Parabalus]

That's the biggest difference between PoE2 and MoTB - in the former, you are letting shit happen to you without taking action (why shouldn't you try and wriggle out of Berath's control - maybe by using animancy, or by enlisting some other powerful beings?), while in the latter, you take a proactive role towards saving yourself.

It's really funny, since in MotB the ending also consists of a God (Kelemvor) bossing you around, with you being utterly powerless (even if you become Spirit Eater God), yet there it's just an afterthought, while in Dumpsterfire it's the focus.

 

[santino27]

There is nothing wrong with "said". These women are both clueless.

They're saying it's better to use 'said' than some sort of more attention-grabbing word (asserted, declared, intoned, blah blah blah). Which is both true (as is the comment about not using adverbs to denote tone/attitude in speech when the dialogue should do it for the reader) and also kind of Writing 101.

 

[Lacrymas]

That's the biggest difference between PoE2 and MoTB - in the former, you are letting shit happen to you without taking action (why shouldn't you try and wriggle out of Berath's control - maybe by using animancy, or by enlisting some other powerful beings?), while in the latter, you take a proactive role towards saving yourself.

It's really funny, since in MotB the ending also consists of a God (Kelemvor) bossing you around, with you being utterly powerless (even if you become Spirit Eater God), yet there it's just an afterthought, while in Dumpsterfire it's the focus.

The entire plot of MotB is retracing the steps of a god and trying to undo/stop/hasten the harm he has and will do. It's just that Obs then understood where the focus should be (on the characters) in that situation. Akachi trying in vain to rebel against basically fate, Kaelyn repeating his mistakes because she doesn't know what else to do, the Founder sending clones of herself in order to save Akachi's soul, Gann adamantly refusing to bow down to uncontrollable forces, One-of-many reveling in the carnage, Okku trying to contain the damage, etc. It's about people and how they are dealing with the forces of the universe and the hand they've been dealt. It isn't about a merry band of pirates literally following a statue-god in order to talk to it a bit and being bossed around by the other gods. The relentlessness of the spiriteater curse and the cold factual reality of the wall are what fuel the existential crises of MotB's characters, not Skype calls with stupid people.

 

[Sizzle]

That's the biggest difference between PoE2 and MoTB - in the former, you are letting shit happen to you without taking action (why shouldn't you try and wriggle out of Berath's control - maybe by using animancy, or by enlisting some other powerful beings?), while in the latter, you take a proactive role towards saving yourself.

It's really funny, since in MotB the ending also consists of a God (Kelemvor) bossing you around, with you being utterly powerless (even if you become Spirit Eater God), yet there it's just an afterthought, while in Dumpsterfire it's the focus.

The entire plot of MotB is retracing the steps of a god and trying to undo/stop/hasten the harm he has and will do. It's just that Obs then understood where the focus should be (on the characters) in that situation. Akachi trying in vain to rebel against basically fate, Kaelyn repeating his mistakes because she doesn't know what else to do, the Founder sending clones of herself in order to save Akachi's soul, Gann adamantly refusing to bow down to uncontrollable forces, One-of-many reveling in the carnage, Okku trying to contain the damage, etc. It's about people and how they are dealing with the forces of the universe and the hand they've been dealt. It isn't about a merry band of pirates literally following a statue-god in order to talk to it a bit and being bossed around by the other gods. The relentlessness of the spiriteater curse and the cold factual reality of the wall are what fuel the existential crises of MotB's characters, not Skype calls with stupid people.

All of which relied on having actual role-playing options on how to deal with the Spirteater Curse - which extended to said characters. Maybe you're trying to rid yourself of it, or maybe you want to revel in the power. Either way, you are taking a role, a stand, you're an active participant in your own fate.

You are not just blindly accepting that you have to chase someone (not even intercept, just follow after), never for a minute questioning if you can even do anything about it.

The point being - having a philosophically-wrought story in an RPG is great. But having options to affect that story and how it plays out is far better.

 

[Prime Junta]

The "this horrible magical catastrophe befell you and now you need to deal with it" thing is stale IMO. Surely there are other plot hooks...?

 

[Sizzle]

Any story can be made to work. But yes, it's played out.

 

[Lacrymas]

The lack of agency is not DF's biggest problem related to the writing, though, that's what I'm trying to point out. The entire game lacks meaningful C&C, so expecting agency is a tall order. And the whole "Eothas stole your soul" thing strikes me as a very late addition because they thought to themselves "holy shit, the protagonist doesn't have any reason to care about any of this!", that's why I think this aspect is so underdeveloped and vestigial.

 

[Daidre]

I kinda loved how in MoTB you could chose evil path, kill most possible companions, take control over the curse and become almost a god with its power. And all this in addition to classic "good" path. And curse was actually killing MC when you neglect eating.

But in Deadfire you missing the part of your soul but there is no explanation how it affects your Watcher (beside losing all EXP back to level one and acquired abilities), or any noticeable effects when you stop to gather bananas on some remote island instead of following "Sacred Mission" to get it back.

On my first run I thought there is some impressive C&C in main faction quests, but noticed how fake-ish it is on second run, when you can technically fail/sabotage every faction quest but they a) give you more quests b) get identical to "all good for them" ending, if you chose them for final part of the game.

With all this Deadfire's main plot writing is just embarrassing after MoTB. A liked some secondary quest though, like Floating Hangman or Cornett of Waves line in Undercity (that I completely ruined on my first run by exploring dungeon before getting quest).

 

[Sizzle]

The lack of agency is not DF's biggest problem related to the writing, though, that's what I'm trying to point out. The entire game lacks meaningful C&C, so expecting agency is a tall order. And the whole "Eothas stole your soul" thing strikes me as a very late addition because they thought to themselves "holy shit, the protagonist doesn't have any reason to care about any of this!", that's why I think this aspect is so underdeveloped and vestigial.

The main plot (Eothas) is so disconnected from the rest of the game and the B plot (the factions), that it always seemed to me like two different writing crews (that had very little interaction with one another) worked on them.

 

[Parabalus]

But in Deadfire you missing the part of your soul but there is no explanation how it affects your Watcher (beside losing all EXP back to level one and acquired abilities), or any noticeable effects when you stop to gather bananas on some remote island instead of following "Sacred Mission" to get it back.

Probably good to remember that the spirit eater mechanic (the part where you can die if you ignore it) was lambasted by the 'mainstream'.

JES cucking out to them hurt both PoE1 and Dumpsterfire.

 

[AwesomeButton]

That’s what they’re both saying tho

They're saying it's better to use 'said' than some sort of more attention-grabbing word (asserted, declared, intoned, blah blah blah). Which is both true (as is the comment about not using adverbs to denote tone/attitude in speech when the dialogue should do it for the reader) and also kind of Writing 101.

Oh, I see! Reread the tweets. Ok then.

 

[Sailor Woedica]

 

[Sailor Woedica]

They totally have to be releasing this with the 1 year anniversary of Deadfire!!! I hope there's more cool Pillars lore in his book and its not just roleplaying rules!

 

[Reinhardt]

Using black people pics and gifs if you are not black is raysist.

 

[hivemind]

I have 60 hours on this and never made it like more than 1 part into the main quest

 

[Prime Junta]

I have 60 hours on this and never made it like more than 1 part into the main quest

What... how...?

 

[hivemind]

rerolling

 

[pomenitul]

You might have a rolling problem.

 

[hivemind]

I also dropped the retarded game in like the poko something quest after I fully internalized the reality of retarde penetration mechanics and the SHEER STUPIDITY of skeletons being immune to guns

like fuck off

 

[hivemind]

sawyer you IMBECILE

IMBECILE

the ENITER APPEAL F THE GAME WORLD IS THAT YOU AHVE GUNS
GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNS

WHY DO YOU MAKE 99% ENEMIES IN THE MAIN QUEST BE IMMUNE TO IT

ALSO WHY ARE MOST UNIQUE WEAPONS BORING GENERIC ATANSY WEAPONS LIKE FUCKING "SWORDS" FUCK YO UYO UHACK PIECE OF SHIT

 

[Prime Junta]

Which MQ enemies are immune to guns? When I had Maia in the party I had her sharpshootin' all the way and she was p effective.

 

[hivemind]

risen mages and risen champions

 

[AwesomeButton]

They are immune to piercing damage. Even regular skeletons are.

 

[hivemind]

yes and I'm saying thats stupid

 

[AwesomeButton]

The previous state of things, where there were no hard immunities but you would make like 25% of the damage, was even more shit than the hard immunities.