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

[tuluse]

Char gen

It would make spells like Enlarge Person pretty awesome too.

 

[Excidium]

It would make spells like Enlarge Person pretty awesome too.

Well that's just making the character model bigger.

 

[Harg Harfardarssen]

A spell called Enfatten Person could be pretty awesome though

 

[Gob Nobbler]

Char gen

It would make spells like Enlarge Person pretty awesome too.

Read this as "Enlarge Penis".

From what I understand based on interviews, the game will be as difficult as BG2. Josh Sawyer is the lead designer, and he considers Icewind Dale 2 to be crazy difficulty.

Does this mean enemies will constantly cheat, have arbitrary immunities, cast pre-scripted spells that can't be stopped, move around the map in ways that aren't physically possible, etc?

 

[Abelian]

To be fair, the scripted spellcasting was a countermeasure to player's ability to buff before combat.

 

[Roguey]

Does this mean enemies will constantly cheat, have arbitrary immunities, cast pre-scripted spells that can't be stopped, move around the map in ways that aren't physically possible, etc?

Think more along the lines of Icewind Dale with Heart of Winter set to hard with extra difficulty damage suppressed instead of copying BG2.

 

[Copper]

Judging by state of gun development in PE, it's too early for military to start raising star forts everywhere. "Guns exist, but are rare", that's all what we got. We don't know if military reached the point when cannons are being casted by everyone. IRL, cannons haven't even been cast by everyone instantly when they became avaible, it depended on the state and advance in military tech of each part of the world. You're looking at some elvish ruins and castles in some Dyrwood or whatever elvish/celtic inspired region they are making and asking for starforts?
Wait if they show us architecture of those black guys with powerful fleets who dress like venecians, then we can judge.

Fair point, although the Dyrford is a Germanic inspired culture at roughly the forefront of the early renaissance, just as advanced as the Valians from what we know. (Think Antwerp or Nuremberg vs Venice in the same period.)

They've made a big deal about how there's no printing press in the game, which I suspect is supposed to compensate for a relative lack of scientific progress/social change, helping feudalism hold on against capitalism and centralisation of the state. It may even be a plot point, although I suspect it's more of a handwaving thing. We'll have to see how all of that plays out, along with how heavy-handed the whole 'freedom loving colonists resist grasping colonial power's attempts to exploit new world and make flawed peace with natives instead of exploiting them twice as bad then fight wacko jihadist Canadian Levellers and kill their god with a nuke' concept will be. As awesome as 'To the south are advanced black pimps people, who totally love fashion, money and taking slaves?' Being able to challenge feudalism would be nice and appropriate to the era, although it kinda goes against the whole Lord of the Manor role for the character. Maybe Avellone will work in another Monty Python reference to autonomous anarchist peasants?

Josh's discussions on why guns are underdeveloped are a bit derp, to be honest, since his strikes against guns are even more valid than any other weapon - bows require far more training, as do pikes, cavalry and even swords, and swarming monsters, even more than bandits, would put pressure on civilians to look after and organise their own defense, like Italian communes of the period, with guns being a good resource, even if they are expensive. Of course they could justify a lot by saying nobles hate guns, etc, but since the Dyrwood blew up a god with a massive bomb, I suspect that's not the case. They should be over cannons like dogs in heat. (Does anyone know the mechanics for guns? High damage/long cool down or relatively standard ranged weapon?) If they're balanced, they're a valid choice for would-be militias.

I still think there's a skill gap here between vision and execution that's a bit disappointing, but no point bitching any further about it. Low key art is hard to do well in an industry that trains everyone to design OMG EPIC, though, so I think we can give Obsidian credit for their art victories, at least.

 

[hiver]

Char gen

ffs...

Im sure making various body sizes as premade models to choose from in CG wont be a big problem.

It would make spells like Enlarge Person pretty awesome too.

God i hope there wont be such inanity in the game.

 

[Excidium]

Char gen

ffs...

Im sure making various body sizes as premade models to choose from in CG wont be a big problem.

Sure, presets. Would be cool if they could at least let you choose the build like skinny, fit, hueg, etc.

 

[Shadenuat]

Josh's discussions on why guns are underdeveloped are a bit derp, to be honest

He has to find a fine line between adding what team likes and he personally likes (Darklands, duh) and preserving the archaic spirit of AD&D, since it was the spirit of IE games. For many people adding guns to the setting is a big thing and a break point from "medieval" (let's forget for a moment that cannons were already there since 13 century and that AD&D actually had rules for guns and even additional books for all your conquista needs). There was quite a backlash on Obsidian forums when the concept was presented.

I somewhat agree with the position that it should either be all guns or no guns, since players tend to react strongly to that difference, and if you're going for guns you probably should choose another historical period to represent them in a more interesting way than a bow with 1d20 damage or whatever.

The writing I have no fear for, I don't believe there would be anything heavy handed, it's fucking Obsidian not Bioware, they treated their settings well, from politics to religion, well maybe with a few mishaps here and there like Caesar legion in FNV.
I trust Obsidian to write good setting and story in it; it's the reason I baked the project to begin with, because I know it will be good. Unlike combat which, well, never was a selling point for me in any Obsidian game since KoTOR 2 and to their last projects. I believe story won't be as cheesy as in Expeditions Conquistador that's for sure.

High damage/long cool down

Yeah they said something like that, and that guns penetrate magic defences easily.

 

[Abelian]

They've made a big deal about how there's no printing press in the game, which I suspect is supposed to compensate for a relative lack of scientific progress/social change, helping feudalism hold on against capitalism and centralisation of the state.

I just realized something: I never consciously thought of all the "flavor books" in the IE games as being handwritten. It might be due to the font, but I've never had a problem with letters being handwritten. It might be due to finding so many copies of A History of the North laying about in the same room.

 

[hiver]

If the software works as easily as they say, they can just take one of the lowly beginners in the studio and have him churn out about a dozen different bodies... in a day or two ?
Im not sure does this work like that... does equipment you find later on adjust to the body you chose, to its specific size and volume...? -since there is no real time adjustments - or, its only working when you make NPCs that already have some armor on them that they never change during the game... well, the companions will be different sizes so armor you give them will have to adapt...?

anyway, not a big deal at all.

Im not buying Sawyers excuse for lack of diversity in godlikes. He wouldnt need to create that many different versions, based on different races - he could have made just several - based on which god is involved

all of their variants require significant differences in head mesh modeling.

Yeah great. Thats what keeps me awake at nights. Hairdos.

They could probably have their own attribute bonuses, but exploding this out into 4 godlike types * 5 base races = 20 different types of attribute bonuses and different racial abilities that progress and unlock as the characters level is untenable.

So its more like they have some elemental qualities, rather then specifically godlike. Death, Earth, ... Fire... something?
Each gives its own small bonus on specific skills or some kind of trait.

Would be better then fing hairstyles.

High damage/long cool down

Yeah they said something like that, and that guns penetrate magic defences easily.

Thats the only... one of the things that looked very suspicious. Presented shortly like it was, it sounded or looked like it could easily become some mage insta-killing cheat.

- one would think that would hardly be allowed to develop, but if the mages dont have defenses for it at all -... then how will they defend against it? raise grimoires in front of themselves and hope for the best?

 

[Shadenuat]

then how will they defend against it? raise grimoires in front of themselves and hope for the best?

They will wear heavy armor

 

[Excidium]

That or disable the guy with a rifle before he shoots and have their buddies prioritize enemies with guns. Not bumrushing encounters is a good strategy too.

Hopefully the AI isn't prescient and won't instantly know your dude is a mage before he even casts anything

 

[hiver]

Well, it seems like they will have to wear something. What was the latest on mages wearing armor? You can cast spells but it messes with some passive abilities or attributes ?
There was something but i cant remember now precisely.

- disabling guy with a rifle could only be possible (reliably) if the weapons would require some time to aim, as in - you have a fast shot with lower precision (thc - whatevs) - and a longer lasting aiming "move" that gives higher precision - but gives the mage time to react.

that would be ok i guess.

 

[Shadenuat]

Supposedly everybody acts faster when wearing light or no armor, and that is also true for spells and pew-pewing with your magic wand

 

[Abelian]

If Josh fully customizes each godlike, then the godlikes will become half of the races and it will make it seem that they are the focus of the game.

 

[hiver]

Supposedly everybody acts faster when wearing light or no armor, and that is also true for spells and pew-pewing with your magic wand

I actually dont mind mages wearing armors at all. As long as there is some negative balancing mechanic. Which doesnt have to be something huge or extreme.

If i was making a kind of fantasy game i would have mages that would be completely indistinguishable by appearance alone (baring some personal intentional odd dress or makeup style), and there would be no hand movements or vocal incantations of fucking pointy hats.
But, thats a long story.

As for Godlikes, i remember they still have to come up with Talents for all classes. Surely a talent or two would be most appropriate? - while talents are not so huge as to create problems like he described? At least if he sticks with talents or other differences based on Godlike type, not races.

 

[Lancehead]

Yes, the slow combat toggle is still in.

http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/65...ies-but-will-we-truly-need-to-use-them/page-4

They should make it a speed slider instead.

 

[FeelTheRads]

If the occasional floating rock or ruins collapsing in an unrealistic fashion 'breaks' a game for you, you need to put your head down on your desk.

If the occasional people talking about things you don't care about breaks a forum for you, you need to leave that forum. Kthx.

But, if you decide to stay, get this through your fucking thick skull:

If someone complains or criticizes something, even if it's for what looks like a long time, doesn't mean the game is broken for that person because of that. And most of these arguments go so long because of dumbfucks like J_C and yourself who just pop in to tell everybody to "chillax" cause they're totally small things and they shouldn't care about them. Which is every fucking time something is criticized because apparently nothing is important enough to be discussed.

 

[Xeon]

Are attributes similar to IWD1 with the maximum is 25 stat or IWD2 of 25+?

 

[Chaotic_Heretic]

Are attributes similar to IWD1 with the maximum is 25 stat or IWD2 of 25+?

Dunno about that... But it will probably be in

You are aware that PE sin't using DnD, right?

 

[Xeon]

Sorry, Didn't mean it like that. Just meant will it be a solid stat set at the start raised in special occasions and items or will I be able to raise it at level up.

 

[dukeofwhales]

If the occasional floating rock or ruins collapsing in an unrealistic fashion 'breaks' a game for you, you need to put your head down on your desk.

If the occasional people talking about things you don't care about breaks a forum for you, you need to leave that forum. Kthx.

Not was what I was complaining about. Was referring to the post directly above me which said that small details [like the arches] can "make or break" a game for him. I don't mind the endless discussion of art, tbh it's more interesting than arguments over what different stats should do.

 

[Infinitron]

Sorry, Didn't mean it like that. Just meant will it be a solid stat set at the start raised in special occasions and items or will I be able to raise it at level up.

No raising on level up.