Divinity Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Edition

[Excidium]

I find it good for what it is so far, I'm starting over though. Wasn't finding my characters very fun, one was just madora on steroids and the other a buff bot

 

[Loriac]

[Lots of angry ranting]

Some games that focus on creating a verisimilitudinous gameworld (complete with appropriate physics, player interactions, etc) end up transcending their basic premise and can provide a roleplaying experience of sorts. The classic example here is Deus Ex I suppose, but I'd certainly accept some of the ones you quoted. As a sidenote, Portal could be seen as an attempt to create a quintessential example of such an experience. Additionally, I think games like F:NV fall into this category too when modded (even though in the case of F:NV, there is a quite a lot of plot type roleplaying as well, perhaps justifying why it was so well received here on the codex). I would be perfectly happy to state that F:NV is probably one of the most complete RPGs mixing together the types of roleplaying I delineated, but you had to enjoy FPS type games to get the most out of it (I do enjoy that genre too, and iirc I ended up sinking over 250hours into Fallout 3 and F:NV in total).

In an ideal world, I'd actually agree with some of what you said, in that it would be nice to have a computer game that offered something approaching a real PnP experience. However, there are always swings and roundabouts involved. For instance, take Shadowrun. That game (and its expansion) are basically on rails, yet many people would happily go on record as saying that they deliver an experience that is reminiscent of the PnP game. But bring up choice and consequence, and there isn't really any. Even the classic 'choice and consequence' perennials eulogised by the codex don't really have much of it in practical game terms; a set of end slides telling you what happened because of what you did in game is nice for story closure, but not really satisfying if you want your characters to actually experience said events.

No one is really arguing that DOS offers an amazing storyline and compelling plot; its workmanlike, albeit with a wacky sense of humour that is funny if you like that sort of thing and grating otherwise.

However, on two notes it scores very well in my opinion:

- the freedom to use the environment and objects in the gameworld particularly during combat makes the game a lot of fun as it allows you to come up with interesting approaches to deal with situations. Perhaps a lot of this is an illusion, but from the hours I've played so far there is definitely a level of emergent gameplay happening.

- the possibility that the game engine could be reused in other settings, some hopefully approaching the kind of roleplaying experience that you'd like to see


I did play BGI and II quite a bit back in the day, and they were definitely good for what they were. However, I'm not as fanboyish as some about those games because I think that once you got past the apparent freedom, the games were essentially bringing the story focus typically found in JRPGs with the illusion of freedom to do stuff in the game world a la western rpgs. BGII never transcends it story, because ultimately its a glorified CYOA.

Having said that though, whats very good about the DOS set up is that in theory you could craft a classical roleplaying setting and plot, and put it into the DOS engine. That could create a monstrously good RPG if it was done right (I'm not sure though that Larian has the experience inhouse to create such a game, but licensing or somehow letting a studio like e.g. Obsidian build a story based RPG onto the DOS engine would be interesting to say the least).

But that doesn't take away what Larian has achieved here; an RPG with a good story, interesting choices etc. is nice but its been a long time since we've had an RPG that actually gets the combat right (the last one I can think of as a full release is ToEE, but I caveat that heavily with the fact that Underrail is coming out soon, and its turn based set up blows almost everything else out of the water imo, or at least it did until DOS).

 

[Zeriel]

I am extremely disappointed in this game. Even if this game is in early access it has in no way earned the status of being able to stand next to games such as Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale and PS:T. People are saying that this is the best RPG to be released in the last 10 years. If that were the case then I probably would have given up gaming for good. Even extremely average RPG's such as DA:O were more to my taste. I regret buying this game and should have waited for Torment and Pillars of Eternity to be released. The character creation is completely lack luster with a one size fits all body type for each of the character, I hope to hell that this is just because it is in early access, the skills are also lacking not including basic skill choices such as dual wielding. The story is average at best although it is one of the stronger points of the game. There are some innovative features for this genre such as combining different elements much like in games like Magika. All in all I wouldn't buy this game yet.

muh drizzt do'urden

 

[Nael]

Ideal Div:OS co-op experience

Div: OS Actual Co-Op Experience

I dunno man...

Personally, this has been my experience:

 

[Lhynn]

Vault Dweller

But it's all so bland, if CRPGs were food PE would be astronaut rations

I'm more interested to see the end result because it is Obsidian's test of fire

This, and i still was more interested in Larian, i think its far more creative and innovative.

Also exci, you said D:OS system sucks, and i agree, but can you show me a good system and a good implementation of said system?

 

[felipepepe]

But it's all so bland, if CRPGs were food PE would be astronaut rations

See that bro? Those are feathered hats. If PoE is astronaut rations, at least is their sunday rations.

 

[Excidium]

Also exci, you said D:OS system sucks, and i agree, but can you show me a good system and a good implementation of said system?

I've never seen a system that I'd call good on its own.

Can still appreciate the subsystems though, like the elemental interactions in DOS

 

[Lhynn]

I've never seen a system that I'd call good on its own.

Can still appreciate the subsystems though, like the elemental interactions in DOS

So what do you compare them to to call them shit?

 

[Excidium]

To other systems. Generally where one does something well the other fucks up.

 

[Gragt]

Was always fine on Skype for me. All multiplayer games have to be approached a certain way, though--people shouldn't expect co-op to work fantastically if they haven't done it before, or haven't done it before with that particular person to have a methodology ironed out. Truth is D:OS's co-op is about as good as it's going to get, the things people complain about are emblematic of multiplayer in general. There's a reason people skip quest text in MMO's, it stems from the same behavior.

Indeed. My comment about being in the same room is that if you happen to be physically together to play the game then chances are that you feel the same way about the game. That's pretty much how it went when I played with Swen and how we deiscussed the various options available. I found it interesting from the start that co-op in D:OS can be approached in different ways.

 

[Nikaido]

Coop is only as good as your compatibility with whoever you're coop-ing with. I used to enjoy playing BG2 in multiplayer greatly and its support for coop was as barebones as it could be, D:OS does it a lot, lot better.

If you can stand cooping in a game with RTWP you can enjoy pretty much any game that has decent support for coop.

 

[RK47]

Yeah come, someone co-op with me tonight on Chess.
Broseph , Bishop to g2 please.
OK end turn.

 

[Broseph]

Yeah come, someone co-op with me tonight on Chess.
Broseph , Bishop to g2 please.
OK end turn.

Lone wolves. We're doing it.

 

[RK47]

 

[deuxhero]

The AI in the fight against the scarf-bearer doesn't realize fire elementals are healed by fire.

Spoiler

Also Jake sells some random high level stuff that resets after he leaves for his grave. I save/reloaded and got a ring that gave +1speed +1 TK +1 perception and a skill I never bothered to give that character. Wonder what I can get from him the second time

Also guess I'll finish the baron thing and the church before moving on.

 

[Metro]

I couldn't find a way past the door in Black Cove so I just moved on... guess it's time to go back with my level 8 characters who beat the 'end/mini' boss of the first area.

 

[deuxhero]

You need to hit the lever in the office (it's hidden in a way the characters should be able to see it really easily) then hit a button on a wall. The "characters should be able to see it" and the fact that the crabs in the next area pose no challenge and are repeated 4 times make this the only badly designed area I've found so far.

Anyone know where the headless guy's head is? edit: Wait is it the talking head in town?

Spoiler

The boss was underwhelming for the "it killed 2 dragons" thing. Died before getting a hit on me. Might have been due to me doing this way latter than expect though.

 

[Perkel]

Go away Roguey. I just noticed mechanic which is used in almost all RPGs and only handful of them like F1/2 don't have that.

Game is amazing.

 

[Tigranes]

deuxhero It's inside Cyseal. And you will already have encountered it in another context re. a small quest. That should be enough clues, but if you really get stuck,

Spoiler

The talking head in the 'carnival' area.

One downside with the 'nonlinear' design is that sometimes you get stuck and you're not sure if that's because you're missing something within the area or you have to go do something else first. E.g. in Hibernium(?)

Spoiler

Spent a long time in front of the frozen White Witch before working out I probably need to do that Elemental Staff thing that I heard one Immaculate mention by chance.

 

[krist2]

Arg, the first 4 reviews are in on metacritic.
Metascore: 84....
Stupid french reviewer giving it 80...

 

[Angthoron]

Arg, the first 4 reviews are in on metacritic.
Metascore: 84....
Stupid french reviewer giving it 80...

I bet he tried to figure out the game but gave up.

 

[Eddas]

Arg, the first 4 reviews are in on metacritic.
Metascore: 84....
Stupid french reviewer giving it 80...

I was a french in my past life, and I feel discriminated.

By the way, the final score is more than arithmetic mean, each review has its weigh. Let's hope that the really big reviewers are generous.

 

[deuxhero]

Was the zombie troll supposed to be a reference to something? Didn't even realize I could talk to it till my source hunters had a conversation about killing an "innocent" afterwards.

 

[Cyberarmy]

Was the zombie troll supposed to be a reference to something? Didn't even realize I could talk to it till my source hunters had a conversation about killing an "innocent" afterwards.

Dunno aboıut reference thing but you can talk to it by founding a book in cemetery.

 

[deuxhero]

Would anything have happened in the conversation beyond the hostility? I met it going INTO the cemetery.