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

[Grunker]

You start off as a single character and get a party of six and fight rtwp battles

Party members, start as a single character and rtwp...

Freedom force is an IE-game guys, it just lacks the graphics!

As for inventory, Infinitron seemed to be speaking about inventory, not stash, when he made that comment.

 

[CappenVarra]

Arcanum was fun?

Immensely, my dear, immensely. Don't like an NPC? Kill them by throwing newspapers at them hundreds of times (all thrown items do damage based on weight; this same fact can be used to carry around a 5000 stone boulder and use it as your primary weapon). Then raise their paper-cut corpse to serve you as a zombie. Some other NPC complains? Use Muscle Maker to turn them into a mindless hulk of muscle carrying your luggage. Can't pick a lock? Mind control the guy who the chest belongs to, who just happens to be a master-level lockpick. Which you know due to having used Read Aura on him to check his stats. Damn it, now I want to play it again

You'll have classes. You'll have races. You'll have 2D isometric. You'll have six guys in your party running around in formations. What more does a game need to have to be "IE-like"?

AD&D, or something very similar. 3rd/4th ed style (which Sobyer seems to favor) could be used to great effect in a turn-based game, but is a complete mess in RTwP. So, if they fail to capture the AD&D "feel" (much to Grunker's chagrin), which was the source of all IE game highlights (even Torment, since it's a direct reaction to it), they can take that claim of "IE-like" and stuff it where the sun don't shine (the drawer with their paper bug reports, obviously).

 

[Infinitron]

But it is similar to AD&D. You have fighters, clerics, thieves, wizards and paladins. You have humans, elves, dwarves, halflings and even not-halforcs. You have spell preparation, not pure Vancian but inspired by it.

As for inventory, Infinitron seemed to be speaking about inventory, not stash, when he made that comment.

Yes. The inventory is not accessible during combat. I repeat: the inventory is not accessible during combat.

 

[Alex]

Infinitron

Well, it is still quite possible these will be very different from AD&D. I meaan, you had most of these on DA, but I would say that game felt nothing like AD&D.

 

[Grunker]

If you want to respond to my posts please bother reading them Infi. I was talking about inventory being across party-members.

 

[Arkeus]

Infinitron

Well, it is still quite possible these will be very different from AD&D. I meaan, you had most of these on DA, but I would say that game felt nothing like AD&D.

DA had only 3 classes (with one being exponetially stronger than the other two), didn't have IE-style graphics, didn't have positioning worth talking about, and had only 4 playable characters at once.

 

[Alex]

Infinitron

Well, it is still quite possible these will be very different from AD&D. I meaan, you had most of these on DA, but I would say that game felt nothing like AD&D.

DA had only 3 classes (with one being exponetially stronger than the other two), didn't have IE-style graphics, didn't have positioning worth talking about, and had only 4 playable characters at once.

Well, the classes were still pretty much warrior, thief and wizard. My point isthat you can take these concepts in directions that are not at all AD&D like.

 

[Infinitron]

To be honest, I don't really think PE will be AD&D-like as much as it will be D&D-like. In terms of systems, I'm expecting a streamlined but also more functional (attacks of opportunity, etc) version of IWD2.

 

[Grunker]

Though I agree with your overall view Shrek, we have waaaaaay too little basis to argue that PE will be "more dumbing down, MMOing the game mechanics." The very thing I'm calling Infi, Roguey et al. out for is the complete lack of a critical approach. There's some apologetic bullshit going on here that is seriously shameful on the 'dex, which prides itself on being constantly critical. If it turns out PE is the second coming then great, but there's real hypocrisy in this denial of any criticism being even relevant.

In essence: I'm ackknowledging there's very little we can really say about PE, but I'm critical of what's being revealed. In turn, this criticism is denied on the basis that "we know too little" (yet we still know enough to defend the game and Sawyer's designing merits, of course).

 

[Infinitron]

Uh, I am not like Roguey in that I do not defend the indefensible. And I'm on Formspring every day interrogating, criticizing and pissing off Josh Sawyer.

I just don't like when people use buzzwords. If the game is going to be a streamlined IWD2 with twitchy abilities, then call it that. Don't call it an MMO or a DA clone (if you want to be taken seriously)

 

[Grunker]

I am not like Roguey in that I do not defend the indefensible.

I just don't like when people use buzzwords. If the game is going to be a streamlined IWD2 with twitchy abilities, then call it that. Don't call it an MMO or a DA clone (if you want to be taken seriously)

Buzzwords? Wow.

1) I like DA. But this game was not promised as a DA, but as something better. Why is it wrong calling out its similarities?

2) IWD2 with twitchy abilities? Except the graphics, which parts of this game reminds you of IWD2 so far? Not inventory, not character system, not positioning-mechanics... aaaaand that's all we really know so far.

3) I haven't called it an MMO. The similarities between an MMO and DA are superficial at best.

 

[Brotherman Bill]

You know guise there is a difference between being critical and muscle memory based contrarianism.

 

[Infinitron]

2) IWD2 with twitchy abilities? Except the graphics, which parts of this game reminds you of IWD2 so far?

Streamlined IWD2. I'm not going to talk about this, it's boring. Maybe Roguey can answer your question.

 

[Captain Shrek]

2) IWD2 with twitchy abilities? Except the graphics, which parts of this game reminds you of IWD2 so far?

Streamlined IWD2. I'm not going to talk about this, it's boring. Maybe Roguey can answer your question.

Hey you are the one using buzzwords now .

 

[Grunker]

You know guise there is a difference between being critical and muscle memory based contrarianism.

lol

2) IWD2 with twitchy abilities? Except the graphics, which parts of this game reminds you of IWD2 so far?

Streamlined IWD2. I'm not going to talk about this, it's boring. Maybe Roguey can answer your question.

Contesting it then backing out from an explanation because "hey, it's boring." Weak.

 

[evdk]

2) IWD2 with twitchy abilities? Except the graphics, which parts of this game reminds you of IWD2 so far?

Streamlined IWD2. I'm not going to talk about this, it's boring. Maybe Roguey can answer your question.

C'mon Infinitron. Streamlining is one of the biggest problems in gaming today. You could describe IW as stremlined DE and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed the original.

 

[Brother None]

Streamlining used to just be called dumbing down on the Codex

 

[Infinitron]

2) IWD2 with twitchy abilities? Except the graphics, which parts of this game reminds you of IWD2 so far?

Streamlined IWD2. I'm not going to talk about this, it's boring. Maybe Roguey can answer your question.

C'mon Infinitron. Streamlining is one of the biggest problems in gaming today. You could describe IW as stremlined DE and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed the original.

Where did I claim otherwise? Yes, the game is being streamlined to make choices more clear for people who aren't RPG experts. That is Josh Sawyer's philosophy, take it or leave it.

Is this a decline of sorts? Probably, maybe, depends on your taste in games. How much of a decline is yet to be seen.

 

[evdk]

Well, Sawyer's comments re:IWD2's supposed overcomplexity have scared me, but I remain cautiously hopeful.

 

[Grunker]

2) IWD2 with twitchy abilities? Except the graphics, which parts of this game reminds you of IWD2 so far?

Streamlined IWD2. I'm not going to talk about this, it's boring. Maybe Roguey can answer your question.

C'mon Infinitron. Streamlining is one of the biggest problems in gaming today. You could describe IW as stremlined DE and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed the original.

Where did I claim otherwise? Yes, the game is being streamlined to make choices more clear for people who aren't RPG experts. That is Josh Sawyer's philosophy, take it or leave it.

Is this a decline of sorts? Probably, maybe, depends on your taste in games. How much of a decline is yet to be seen.

hahaha

This is literally ripped out of Bioware Market Speech For Newbies, and you can't see it? You're asking whether there's wrong with the game being dumbed down. The game that was heralded as part of the return of the oldschool.

But no no, nothing apologetic going on here.

 

[tuluse]

The "top pack" inventory idea is great. Moving items between party members in IE was mostly pointless management that didn't increase enjoyment. Plus, this idea finally quickly and easily simulates that your characters are smart enough to drop their packs full of platemail when it's time to fight.

Yes, you could manually do that if you needed to, but it's been a huge chore in every RPG I've ever played to drop and then recollect all loot you're hauling around.

 

[Grunker]

Bioware makes crappy shared inventory systems = Oh my god decline decline etc etc

Obsidian says they're using a similar system = GREAT IDEA, INVENTORY WAS ALWAYS A CHORE etc etc

 

[Infinitron]

hahaha

This is literally ripped out of Bioware Market Speech For Newbies, and you can't see it? You're asking whether there's wrong with the game being dumbed down. The game that was heralded as part of the return of the oldschool.

But no no, nothing apologetic going on here.

I say it's a decline and you call me an apologist? Sober up, Grunker. Staff aren't allowed to shitpost.

 

[CappenVarra]

2) IWD2 with twitchy abilities? Except the graphics, which parts of this game reminds you of IWD2 so far?

Streamlined IWD2. I'm not going to talk about this, it's boring. Maybe Roguey can answer your question.

C'mon Infinitron. Streamlining is one of the biggest problems in gaming today. You could describe IW as stremlined DE and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed the original.

Where did I claim otherwise? Yes, the game is being streamlined to make choices more clear for people who aren't RPG experts. That is Josh Sawyer's philosophy, take it or leave it.

Is this a decline of sorts? Probably, maybe, depends on your taste in games. How much of a decline is yet to be seen.

hahaha

This is literally ripped out of Bioware Market Speech For Newbies, and you can't see it? You're asking whether there's wrong with the game being dumbed down. The game that was heralded as part of the return of the oldschool.

But no no, nothing apologetic going on here.

There's nothing "probably, maybe, depends" about the game being streamlined to make choices more clear for people who aren't RPG experts - it is , pure, simple and evident.

 

[tuluse]

Grunker I don't really want to get into this debate, but the problem with your question is that much of the intrinsic nature of the IE games was aesthetic and superficial. These were not games with particularly iconic mechanics and systems.

You'll have classes. You'll have races. You'll have 2D isometric. You'll have six guys in your party running around in formations. What more does a game need to have to be "IE-like"?

Come on, DnD is not "iconic"?