Game News Pillars of Eternity II Fig Update #1: Funded! Subclasses Stretch Goal, Character Import Details

[Infinitron]

Tags: J.E. Sawyer; Obsidian Entertainment; Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

The Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire Fig campaign reached its base funding goal of $1.1M today, 23 hours after launching. Although Obsidian weren't caught flatfooted without any stretch goals ready like back in 2012, it took them a while to write the first update. It's here now, with a celebratory Josh Sawyer video and details on the first stretch goal. If the campaign reaches $1.4M of funding, they'll add subclasses (kits, basically) to the game's character system.

Subclasses are similar to kits in 2nd Edition AD&D (featured in Baldur's Gate 2). Our focus has been to give a different flavor to a class through specialization. We want each subclass to do something cool and distinctive that also has a built-in trade-off compared to the base class and other subclasses. For example, if you remember Zahua from The White March, you may recall that he was a drug-addled/enlightened monk of the Nalpazca. If subclasses are funded,you may select the Nalpazca as one of two Philosophies (monk subclasses). The Nalpazca gain greater benefits from using drugs, but their Wound threshold is increased while under the influence.

One of the most popular ranger subclasses on the team is the Ghost Heart Lodge. All Ghost Hearts travel the wilds of Eora alone, their animal companions having died at some time in the past. However, the bond between the ranger and their companion is so strong that the soul of the animal remains tethered to the ranger through the Between. While a Ghost Heart does not have their companion available at all times, they may be summoned as a ghostly Spirit during combat for a short duration. This companion is not considered a Beast, so spells like a druid's Charm Beasts and Hold Beasts will have no effect on it, but a paladin's Abjuration can badly damage or even banish it immediately.​

The update also explains how character importing from the first game will work, confirming that imported Watchers will be reset to level 1.

Now, on to importing your PoE1 character! At the start of Deadfire, you will have the option to import a special end of game save from Pillars of Eternity. This will import your Watcher and the choices that you made in the Dyrwood, including quest states, conversation choices, and how you personally dealt with your companions, friends, foes, and orlan babies. The save game is cross platform compatible, so you will be able to import from Mac to Linux, Gog to Steam, etc. This is the first time that the Obsidian team has the freedom to explore this type of cross game reactivity and progression, and we are very excited to add long term choice and consequence to Deadfire.

To address three common questions:

What if my dear friend Aloth "fell" into a Skaenite blood pool?

If you directly or indirectly got a companion killed or never recruited them in your save game, they will not be present in the Deadfire. However...

What if I never played Pillars of Eternity or I want to start a new game with different story states?

During the introduction to the Deadfire, you will be able to establish choices from Pillars of Eternity as though you had played through the game. Importing the save directly is not a requirement for establishing story states.

Am I still 11th/14th/16th level?

As you saw in our intro video, Eothas is very hungry and your soul is delicious. Your Watcher begins again as a level 1 character.
​

That's kind of a shame. It's been many years since we've had a full-scale high level campaign. Maybe the game will still have a higher level cap than its predecessor did.

 

[ArchAngel]

Lol lvl1. Now they blew it. haha

 

[l3loodAngel]

You wake up alone. It's dark. Your body is aching, especially near the end of your spine. There's some foreign substance on your lips, in your mouth and on your back. Soon you realize that your powers were stolen and YOU need to get them back, by applying the same ritual on Eothas.

 

[HoboForEternity]

Your Watcher begins again as a level 1 character.

 

[Shadenuat]

Wow, I thought it would be at least something like level 8, to keep with BG tradition. But it's not surprising, they realise that playing 16 level party would just be a chore and won't work.

 

[Tigranes]

Starting at 16 was obviously going to be retarded. What did people want, another TOB?

Historically, most RPGs are fun at early and mid levels, and shitty at late. The only arguments I've seen are "MA IMMERSHUN" and "MA EPIC LEVELS AND XP".

Doesn't matter anyway - the actual gameplay will live or die by shit like fixing encounter design and, you know, the actual combat mechanics.

 

[HoboForEternity]

I want another throne of bhaal tho. Stsrt at level 12 to 16 stop at level 30

 

[Mastermind]

I don't care what level you start at as long as you can end with the ability to stop time and drop dozens of high level nuke spells on the battlefield before it runs out.

 

[Q]

Lvl1 start is good with all those additions to the system. I really want it go farther than original, with some epic spells in the end not that boring shit that was in first Pillars.

 

[Wizfall]

Level 1 is very good.
Doing it this way allow them to change/improve the character system and existing class.
Also starting level 16 would have been retarded even if i do like very high level end game.

 

[duanth123]

The only arguments I've seen are "MA IMMERSHUN" and "MA EPIC LEVELS AND XP".

It must be nice to scoff at us peons who appreciate a consistent, believable gameworld.

A pretty reasonable desire which you've now represented as being the equivalent of some retard's capslocked sputterings...

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

The only arguments I've seen are "MA IMMERSHUN" and "MA EPIC LEVELS AND XP".

It must be nice to scoff at us peons who appreciate a consistent, believable gameworld.

A pretty reasonable desire which you've now represented as some retard's capslocked sputterings...

It's definitely going to feel weird to import a save with your beefed up dragonslayer and start up as level 1 armed with a broomstick. But in the end good mechanics should take priority over 20 seconds of broken immersion at the start of the game. Because that's how long you're remember about character reset and then you'll go on your merry way.

 

[duanth123]

It's definitely going to feel weird to import a save with your beefed up dragonslayer and start up as level 1 armed with a broomstick. But in the end good mechanics should take priority over 20 seconds of broken immersion at the start of the game. Because that's how long you're remember about character reset and then you'll go on your merry way.

20 seconds? Have you all contracted hyperbole?

And so we can do what?

Play the same nondescript nameless, chosen one protagonist?

Who has such a meaningful existence apart from being the player character from the first game?

And at the expense of what?

The possibility, which Tigranes deftly ignored (I guess he only sees retarded versions of things)

Spoiler

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...ed-and-live-on-fig.113287/page-9#post-4935377

, of playing a new character with *gasp* an interesting backstory not defined entirely by arbitrary circumstance? That is believably connected to the plot? Consisting of more than fluff text? And a few stat changes?

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Wrpgs cannot into high level campaigns, it would seem.

 

[Tigranes]

duanth123 You mean you think the Watcher is a shitty protagonist and you'd rather have a new one, while we're at it? Sure, I agree.

Do I think resetting protagonists to Level 1 for a sequel is a significant problem? No. Do I think a Level 1 adventure is better than starting at 16? Hell yes.

 

[Flou]

Starting at 16 was obviously going to be retarded. What did people want, another TOB?

Historically, most RPGs are fun at early and mid levels, and shitty at late. The only arguments I've seen are "MA IMMERSHUN" and "MA EPIC LEVELS AND XP".

Doesn't matter anyway - the actual gameplay will live or die by shit like fixing encounter design and, you know, the actual combat mechanics.

I expected that Eothas only drains some of your levels, though now I'm expecting that the first levels are fast to gain in order to get your party back on track. Otherwise it's going to take a lot to get back to level 16 and probably beyond that.

From game balancing point of view it makes perfect sense and at least they can sell the idea with Eothas the soulsucker. If they do make a 3rd game or an expansion for Pillars 2 they can't do this lvl 1 stuff again and they will end up making their version of ToB with very high level encounters. Unless the Watcher finally goes to sleep.

 

[Tigranes]

I don't see why they have to go over 16 - the POE1 system wasn't well equipped to go beyond 12, your builds were already clearly defined by 8 and often there wasn't a lot exciting to take after 12. Well, no matter what level they go to, it's clear that all that needs an overhaul to be more interesting and to actually fit the level range they have in mind.

 

[Flou]

I don't see why they have to go over 16 - the POE1 system wasn't well equipped to go beyond 12, your builds were already clearly defined by 8 and often there wasn't a lot exciting to take after 12. Well, no matter what level they go to, it's clear that all that needs an overhaul to be more interesting and to actually fit the level range they have in mind.

I think it's expectations from the general masses. Sequel = higher levels, new skills, even bigger and badder enemies and such. Failing to deliver on that would make it harder to sell or ask money for expansion or a sequel.

 

[thesheeep]

I think it's expectations from the general masses. Sequel = higher levels, new skills, even bigger and badder enemies and such. Failing to deliver on that would make it harder to sell or ask money for expansion or a sequel.

IMO a wrong perception (though one shared by many).
Witcher series didn't do any of that either and didn't even have proper explanations for that.
It still worked just well.

Very interesting to hear about subclasses. It really does sound like a character build decision that actually alters something.

 

[Flou]

I think it's expectations from the general masses. Sequel = higher levels, new skills, even bigger and badder enemies and such. Failing to deliver on that would make it harder to sell or ask money for expansion or a sequel.

IMO a wrong perception (though one shared by many).
Witcher series didn't do any of that either and didn't even have proper explanations for that.
It still worked just well.

Witcher series changed game engines from game to game though? It's easier to sell all that level 1 stuff when you blow up your game completely and do it all over again from scratch.

 

[thesheeep]

Another problem is the question of "how much more powerful can you get?".
The things you blow away in PoE late game are already very epic, even more so in the expansion.
There just isn't much more that could come after that.

Throne Of Bhaal suffered the same kind of thing. At some point you just mow down a bunch of ancient giants like they're flies, XP are on a regular OVER 9000!!!! level, etc.
That simply comes with a certain numbness to the experience.
And yet, it leaves you feeling like you should be able to do so much more.

If a game would do that properly, you'd IMO have to change the scale significantly.
Like, you are not roaming dungeons with your party any more, you'd be deciding which cities to level with your nuke abilities and where to raise islands out of the ocean.
It would simply be a different kind of game. Interesting for sure, but not exactly what you'd do if you still have the same (improved, but still) engine and aim for the same kind of gameplay.

Compare, for example, the Mutants & Masterminds PnP gaming experience for power levels 1-9 and 20+. But it is very difficult to pull that off in another medium than your imagination.

 

[PrettyDeadman]

Witcher series didn't do any of that either and didn't even have proper explanations for that.

I though explanation was Geralt's alcoholism & freakish STDs taking their toll between adventures.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Witcher series didn't do any of that either and didn't even have proper explanations for that.

I though explanation was Geralt's alcoholism & freakish STDs taking their toll between adventures.

He's immune to STDs.

 

[ArchAngel]

Starting at 16 was obviously going to be retarded. What did people want, another TOB?

Historically, most RPGs are fun at early and mid levels, and shitty at late. The only arguments I've seen are "MA IMMERSHUN" and "MA EPIC LEVELS AND XP".

Doesn't matter anyway - the actual gameplay will live or die by shit like fixing encounter design and, you know, the actual combat mechanics.

I could have been something in the middle but lvl 1 is crap. It is crap to force people to do it all over again with SAME character. At least in Kotor 2 you played a different character. Being reversed to lvl 1 was just a background lore of that character.

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

Starting at 16 was obviously going to be retarded. What did people want, another TOB?

Historically, most RPGs are fun at early and mid levels, and shitty at late. The only arguments I've seen are "MA IMMERSHUN" and "MA EPIC LEVELS AND XP".

Doesn't matter anyway - the actual gameplay will live or die by shit like fixing encounter design and, you know, the actual combat mechanics.

I could have been something in the middle but lvl 1 is crap. It is crap to force people to do it all over again with SAME character. At least in Kotor 2 you played a different character. Being reversed to lvl 1 was just a background lore of that character.

You can probably simulate your choices and pick a new PC.