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

[Shadenuat]

Because lim-lim's are just fiction, but we know how books are used and how they should be treated.

If we go by that thought, books are made of paper and only be used for reading, yet we use them for casting magic in PE. That is not a problem?

Using books for "magic" is part of our real world's mythology.
Although I do find Sawyer's explanation how their wizards do so a bit heavy. I mean, a battery for a soul energy to pass through? Ehhhh...

 

[anus_pounder]

Last few pages. This is why I love the codex.

 

[hiver]

Infinitron

Spoiler

degenerate slavic

Umm, I'm afraid I have some bad news for you hiver

Shhh!!! im proving the concept!!I already have a pic ready and everything. >Dont fucking spoil it!

And That was intentional self depreciating sarcasm thats just there to even things out a bit after he falls victim at my litany of curses!!!!

Dammit maaaan... why are you so blatant? huh? huh? o_O [/QUOTE]

 

[CappenVarra]

This Grimoire Smash uproar made me think:

If AD&D didn't exist, and Josh Sawyer had just invented the concept of Vancian magic on his own, with spell memorization and spells that disappear from your memory after one casting - you guys would be totally bashing him for it.

Vancian magic is almost as ridiculous as smacking somebody with a spellbook. It's very "gamist" and not really "plausible" at all.

You know, the way you flail your lack of knowledge about the literature the concept originates in around is most... unprestigious.

Here, let me help you with that:

https://www.google.com/search?q=mazirian the magician

Without reading the sources (this is one of multiple stories), any claims that Vancian magic is ridiculous, gamist, etc. just make you sound illiterate. Of course, only you know if that bothers you enough to change it

Doesn't matter where it originated from, it's still gamey as fuck. "Loading up" spells in your mage's mind like ammunition, really?

And now we reached the beautiful point of having to argue what "gamey" means. Thanks but no thanks, if you want to do a Captain Shrek and use arbitrary definitions, be my guest. Shoo.

 

[J_C]

Also, thats not funny at all - as we are not arguing about animation and a name just by themselves. We are arguing about an idea. A concept.

No, it will be a concept, when the whole game will be designed with these principles (funny abilites, lore etc) in mind. Right now, all we know that there is an arguably ridiculous ability in the game. Every else could be super serious.

 

[J_C]

Although I do find Sawyer's explanation how their wizards do so a bit heavy. I mean, a battery for a soul energy to pass through? Ehhhh...

No biggie, it's like a wizard wand or staff, which is also in our real world mythology.

 

[hiver]

There are core concepts and then there are small additional concepts.

Im fine with you or other people either liking this or not minding it. Thats fine.
Just dont try to make it seem better then it is or as something it is not to make it seem better then it is.
Because its not.

 

[Kirtai]

Heh, Grimoire Slam actually sounds quite reasonable compared to some actually existing real life weapons. It's not as absurd as, say, Kinetic Fireball Incendiaries, aka weaponised rubber bouncy balls.

 

[Roguey]

Also I got the impression that the Grimoire slam was the wizards primary (or only) ability for exiting engagement, so, although technically optional, is pretty stupid to not take. So the argument that the player who doesn't like it doesn't have to take it is pretty weak.

It's their only non-spell way of dealing with engagement. Just a couple of posts from yours is an exchange where he says anyone can use standard spells to escape.

 

[Shadenuat]

Although I do find Sawyer's explanation how their wizards do so a bit heavy. I mean, a battery for a soul energy to pass through? Ehhhh...

No biggie, it's like a wizard wand or staff, which is also in our real world mythology.

Wands, amulets, pentacles and other clerical and magical stuff was about calling to gods, spirits, forces of elements and demons. People did't know what batteries are. That's why I find Sawyer's explanation not very elegant.

 

[Kem0sabe]

I actually thought that Morte had one of the saddest stories out of all of your companions, i really felt for the little guy and i think that it was clear for anyone who played, that his comedy was a mechanism he developed to deal with all the crap he wen´t through.

 

[Azrael the cat]

Because lim-lim's are just fiction, but we know how books are used and how they should be treated.

If we go by that thought, books are made of paper and only be used for reading, yet we use them for casting magic in PE. That is not a problem?

Using books for "magic" is part of our real world's mythology.
Although I do find Sawyer's explanation how their wizards do so a bit heavy. I mean, a battery for a soul energy to pass through? Ehhhh...

The concept would work just fine as a 'escape of last resort', where the mage essentially uses the spellbook as a kind of bomb - nothing wrong with the spellbook being magical, that's part of common mythology, so an option to 'take the nuclear option' and destroy the spellbook so that all the magic in it goes out randomly in all directions, blowing all enemies backwards and giving hefty damage to everyone (friend or foe) standing next to the mage, would fit the concept of magic spellbooks quite well. Add a penalty to it whereby the mage can't cast anything but the most basic spells until the party reaches a safe town where the mage can create a new spellbook, give it enough damage and blowback effectiveness to balance the penalty (also creating the risk of killing your own party members if they're too close) and it could become a tactically interesting decision for times when the enemy has managed to corner your mage (maybe your front line party members have been killed/stunned) - do you try to fight it out, or do you explode your grimoire like a bomb of raw energy, destroying/stunning your enemies with massive effect but leaving you very vulnerable afterwards (as the times when you might need it are most likely going to be times when the rest of your party is badly wounded and could take losses themselves, and you'll be effectively down a caster until the next town).

 

[hiver]

I actually thought that Morte had one of the saddest stories out of all of your companions, i really felt for the little guy and i think that it was clear for anyone who played, that his comedy was a mechanism he developed to deal with all the crap he wen´t through.

Of course.

 

[J_C]

Although I do find Sawyer's explanation how their wizards do so a bit heavy. I mean, a battery for a soul energy to pass through? Ehhhh...

No biggie, it's like a wizard wand or staff, which is also in our real world mythology.

Wands, amulets, pentacles and other clerical and magical stuff was about calling to gods, spirits, forces of elements and demons. People did't know what batteries are. That's why I find Sawyer's explanation not very elegant.

Battery is just a modern world term which was used by Sawyer. He could probably explain it with terms used in medieval times.

 

[Harg Harfardarssen]

Also I got the impression that the Grimoire slam was the wizards primary (or only) ability for exiting engagement, so, although technically optional, is pretty stupid to not take. So the argument that the player who doesn't like it doesn't have to take it is pretty weak.

It's their only non-spell way of dealing with engagement. Just a couple of posts from yours is an exchange where he says anyone can use standard spells to escape.

Yeah, I missed that. Although I think the point still stands. At first blush, it seems pretty dumb to blow a spell slot on something you could take care of with a non-spell ability. Of course, how dumb depends on how often you can use grimoire slam, what spells break engagement etc. If its the equivalent of a 0 level cantrip than whatever. If its a low level spell, then it would be a loss in the early game, but maybe not as much in the mid-late game.

Personally, I doubt it will affect my enjoyment of the game. The mechanic is fine and if goofiness was a dealbreaker I wouldn't have played a single jrpg. But I still think it's worth making fun of - goofy shit is goofy, yo.

 

[Akarnir]

One thing I've been wondering, is why they can't continue their full scale funding campaign?

Look at star citizen, even if the kickstarter closed with 2 Million, they made 6 millions in their website alone, because they've been running the campaign for month, and their website design is super ergonomic.
And ergonomic/design really makes a huge difference when it comes to the appeal to pledge.

So why can't they have something similar to this? : www.robertsspaceindustries.com/star-citizen/
I just want to throw my money at them, just by looking at the Pledge page.

By the way, is there any way to know how much they still managed to make until now, with their limited and boring 25$ pledge option?

I was pretty jealous when I heard Star Citizen got 8 Million, It would be cool to learn that PE managed to raise 1 Million after the closure.

Could it be possible that they have external, private investors? I remember this was the case with one kickstarter campaign, with most of the money being raised outside the campaign, by big private investors.

 

[Infinitron]

Running a "full scale funding campaign" is pretty time consuming. They also just don't have as much to show on a regular basis as Roberts does. I agree that both Obsidian and inXile could do more to emphasize the pre-order option though.

 

[Akarnir]

Running a "full scale funding campaign" is pretty time consuming. They also just don't have as much to show on a regular basis as Roberts does. I agree that both Obsidian and inXile could do more to emphasize the pre-order option though.

yeah by full scale I was basically meaning having all the pre-oder options, well presented on the front page. That's really what allowed Roberts to have so much money. His videos are a bonus.

I hope they'll have more to show once the artist really starts to work on it.

Also, what's presenting them from showcasing in real time the amount of money they raised? That also helps a lot, a big number looks nice and ecourage you to pledge moar.

 

[waywardOne]

Hitting someone with a book is fucking stupid. Whatever kind of 'power' the book is supposed to unleash when it strikes, it's still a martial maneuver with a fantastically suboptimal weapon wielded by the archetype of Cannot Into Melee. Assuming quality paper or vellum, and a cover of leather, wood, or metal; we're looking at least a NYC phonebook type of object this mage is supposed to be able to grasp without slippage, and swing at an opponent. Range? Negligible. He'd be better off turning his high school class ring around and trying to slap the guy.

It's retarded, end of story. A dumbfuck design decision like this must be considered a harbinger of more dumbfuckness to come.

 

[Murk]

And so the sluice was lifted, and the waters of rage flowed. They pooled, swelled and in turn engulfed all that was before them. Soon, there was not left but the rushing white foam and deafening din of the raging stream of anger, hate, and disdain.

 

[Roguey]

I'm glad Josh is digging in his heels on this issue.

 

[Blaine]

You know what would make a lot more sense to beat people back with? A staff.

...Nah, that's just crazy talk. Grimoires are much more Totally Original Do Not Steal™ than staves, unless you count several thousand JRPGs. Beach orcs, cat hobbits and book-wielding wizards—fuck, I can't take this much originality packed into one ultimate RPG.

What should we call this wizardly martial art? I've come up with several candidates: Hapkidocument, Kung Folio, Kajukenbook, and Savatext. Anyone?

 

[DraQ]

Kung Folio

I like this one.

We need to send some feedback.

 

[Koschey]

How about Aiki-kencyclopedia, Tomeoi or Shippalgrimoire? Wizards with physically less impressive spell collections might prefer Krav Magazine or Kapaper.

 

[Surf Solar]