Obsidian's Pillars of Eternity [BETA RELEASED, GO TO THE NEW THREAD]

[Volourn]

Cool but original.

 

[neckthrough]

Another (short) interview with Sawyer: http://www.pcgamer.com/previews/pil...iew-on-character-classes-and-freedom-from-dd/

New screenshot? I haven't seen this before... my jaw is on the floor.

 

[Infinitron]

That's not new, it's from December.

 

[Excidium]

That is probably my favourite one. Just a shame that as cool as the enviroment looks, it's just scenery.

 

[Abelian]

Those barrels could contain p. sweet lewt.

Speaking of which, I never got the reason for so many empty containers in the IE games. If it's empty why even include it? It doesn't have to be something cool, something like a pair of boots, a bottle of wine, rations, a book, or 5 gold.

 

[Jim the Dinosaur]

Expect plenty of choice in how you deal with individual encounters, too. Sawyer uses the example of guards protecting a sacred dungeon you need to explore. “You can trick them, talk them out of it or intimidate them,” he says. “But the default is to just walk up to them and kill them.” It’s good to have options.

Anybody know how this'll work? You take your character with the highest might, initiate dialogue with the guards, pick the intimidate option and they're gone?

 

[Roguey]

Another (short) interview with Sawyer: http://www.pcgamer.com/previews/pil...iew-on-character-classes-and-freedom-from-dd/

Expect plenty of choice in how you deal with individual encounters, too. Sawyer uses the example of guards protecting a sacred dungeon you need to explore. “You can trick them, talk them out of it or intimidate them,” he says. “But the default is to just walk up to them and kill them.” It’s good to have options.

felipepepe wept

Josh's "absolutely no spoilers" policy means we're probably not going to see any actually good examples.

He's still executive producer and Lead Programmer. Brandon hasn't taken over everything.

He took over handling Kickstarter updates.

Anybody know how this'll work? You take your character with the highest might, initiate dialogue with the guards, pick the intimidate option and they're gone?

You can only speak with the PC but other NPCs may interject when appropriate, like in BGs.

 

[Infinitron]

Expect plenty of choice in how you deal with individual encounters, too. Sawyer uses the example of guards protecting a sacred dungeon you need to explore. “You can trick them, talk them out of it or intimidate them,” he says. “But the default is to just walk up to them and kill them.” It’s good to have options.

Anybody know how this'll work? You take your character with the highest might, initiate dialogue with the guards, pick the intimidate option and they're gone?

Pretty sure only the main character can normally do such things, although companions might have specific scripted interjections where it makes sense.

 

[Excidium]

Those barrels could contain p. sweet lewt.

Speaking of which, I never got the reason for so many empty containers in the IE games. If it's empty why even include it? It doesn't have to be something cool, something like a pair of boots, a bottle of wine, rations, a book, or 5 gold.

I'd rather they just got rid of all those hobo simulator things.

Pretty sure only the main character can normally do such things, although companions might have specific scripted interjections where it makes sense.

This can't be true...

 

[tuluse]

Anybody know how this'll work? You take your character with the highest might, initiate dialogue with the guards, pick the intimidate option and they're gone?

It's probably going to tie into the extensive reputation system they've explained.

 

[Abelian]

Expect plenty of choice in how you deal with individual encounters, too. Sawyer uses the example of guards protecting a sacred dungeon you need to explore. “You can trick them, talk them out of it or intimidate them,” he says. “But the default is to just walk up to them and kill them.” It’s good to have options.

Anybody know how this'll work? You take your character with the highest might, initiate dialogue with the guards, pick the intimidate option and they're gone?

If IWD2 is any indication, then probably yes.

 

[Dorateen]

Speaking of which, I never got the reason for so many empty containers in the IE games. If it's empty why even include it?

A place to stash your stuff. Back in those days, we didn't need some automated magic "stash" mechanism that instantly transports overflow inventory from a dungeon back to campsite/town/stronghold.

 

[Infinitron]

If IWD2 is any indication, then probably yes.

This can't be true...

It is true. PoE uses the PS:T system where only the main character can initiate conversations. Ever try talking to somebody with Morte in PS:T? TNO just takes over and runs over to start the conversation nstead.

 

[Excidium]

But can't you use the companions for checks?

 

[Abelian]

Speaking of which, I never got the reason for so many empty containers in the IE games. If it's empty why even include it?

A place to stash your stuff. Back in those days, we didn't need some automated magic "stash" mechanism that instantly transports overflow inventory from a dungeon back to campsite/town/stronghold.

In BG1, I thought that most containers were emptied after a few days. I did make extensive use of the crates near the Copper Coronet for storing junk, though. I was talking more about places about outside of town.

 

[Infinitron]

But can't you use the companions for checks?

Not generically, I don't think.

The whole "no dump stats" thing would have been a lot less critical if you could.

 

[Excidium]

I honestly find that hard to believe, I need to see Sawyer quotes.

 

[tuluse]

In BG1, I thought that most containers were emptied after a few days. I did make extensive use of the crates near the Copper Coronet for storing junk, though. I was talking more about places about outside of town.

Stuff would disappear if it *wasn't* in a container. Anything in a container remained forever.

 

[Dorateen]

But can't you use the companions for checks?

Not generically, I don't think.

The whole "no dump stats" thing would have been a lot less critical if you could.

That might be something that can be modded in. There was a toggle on creature blueprints in NWN2, which made it possible for NPCs to talk to any PC owned companion, not just the main character.

 

[AngryKobold]

Guess something as in old Betrayal at Krondor. In every combat the party might say "Hey, you well equipped morons outnumbering us. Just bug off and let us go". And the response was always "Lol, what". Except here it's supposed to work.

 

[Infinitron]

I honestly find that hard to believe, I need to see Sawyer quotes.

Why, because "it doesn't make sense"?

On the contrary, he might feel that many of the checks might be trivialized if you could always select the companion with the highest stat to do your convincing/bluffing/intimidating for you.

But let's see what Roguey says.

 

[Abelian]

In BG1, I thought that most containers were emptied after a few days. I did make extensive use of the crates near the Copper Coronet for storing junk, though. I was talking more about places about outside of town.

Stuff would disappear if it *wasn't* in a container. Anything in a container remained forever.

You're right, I must have been thinking of places like this:

The only exception to this that I know of (and I'm basing this off something read in an FAQ, Dan Simpson's to be precise) is that if you store something in your character's stronghold before you actually earn the stronghold, then earn it, your stuff will disappear.

It isn't just strongholds. Any map that physically changes will cause you to lose any stored items. For instance, the Umar Hills map changes after you kill the Shade Lord. Umar Hills starts as a dark shadow place, and afterward it becomes a light sunny place. The sunny place is treated as a different map, so anything that was stored in the shadow place will be lost.

 

[Excidium]

I honestly find that hard to believe, I need to see Sawyer quotes.

Why, because "it doesn't make sense"?

On the contrary, he might feel that many of the checks might be trivialized if you could always select the companion with the highest stat to do your convincing/bluffing/intimidating for you.

But let's see what Roguey says.

It's some seriously backwards game design. I think the most sawyerian thing would be to not have checks in the first place, or maybe only for party-wide things like reputations (active skills like lockpicking being a different kind of thing).

 

[Infinitron]

It's some seriously backwards game design.

Only if you assume that your companions are willing and able to function as perfect stand-ins for the main character in all occasions.

This isn't exactly unprecedented, btw. There are modern RPGs (KOTOR, Dragon Age) that just don't let companions take speech skills. In fact, the ability to talk using characters who weren't the main PC in Baldur's Gate was an oversight, and David Gaider allegedly wasn't even aware that it was possible when he wrote BG2.

 

[Excidium]

I'm saying checks in a broad sense, not just talking. Won't the game have dialog screen options to use your abilities?