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

[Niektory]

Who the fuck even uses JPEG anymore? Fuck JPEG. PNGs and GIFs are all that's needed, unless you're storing a nuanced vector/graphics editor file.

PNGs support animation now, so GIFs aren't needed either. You're behind the times, bro.

Moar 2D dynamic lighting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q6ISVaM5Ww

 

[Kem0sabe]

That's amazing... it's the same screenshot of that waterfall that was shown before the campaign ended, and it's a JPEG.

Who the fuck even uses JPEG anymore? Fuck JPEG. PNGs and GIFs are all that's needed, unless you're storing a nuanced vector/graphics editor file.

I have this weird bug in my illustrator (still using CS5) where i can´t insert PNG's into a composition, so i end up using jpeg's more than i would like.

Back on topic, Obisidan is working ever so slowly... the wait for a gameplay video is unbearable.

 

[Roguey]

No Avellone LP is more disappointing to me than not seeing the waterfall. Have to wait another two weeks just to see him fight the same wolves for 30 minutes.

That's amazing... it's the same screenshot of that waterfall that was shown before the campaign ended, and it's a JPEG.

Who the fuck even uses JPEG anymore? Fuck JPEG. PNGs and GIFs are all that's needed, unless you're storing a nuanced vector/graphics editor file.

Capped bandwidth people would be be pissed off at that. Check your bandwidth privilege. Think of the Australians.

 

[J_C]

Who the fuck even uses JPEG anymore? Fuck JPEG.

*Raises hand in shame.*

 

[DraQ]

For those that stalks the developer's formspring, twitter... daily, have they given any extra explanations on guns, gunpowder or modernity?

For example what would prevent guns from evolving further just like they did IRL, and end up being the dominant weapons in 300 years?

Primitive rifles are already considered powerful, now just imagine a WWI riffle.
A simple AK-47 would make combat mages completely obsolete, as well as most magic weapons anyway.

That could limit the future perspective to only a few decades, max a century, before modern weaponery kick in.

How are they gonna nerf the guns and gunpowder to prevent that?

Unless of course, they want to make it arcanum style, but they haven't said anything about magic disrupting technology and vice versa, which puts the 2 on even grounds (hence the cycles...).

If magic doesn't disrupt technology and vice versa, they don't have to be put in opposition.

Contrary to what System Shock 2 might have taught you, even a kid can operate contemporary assault rifle (hence their use as cheap, disposable troops in African shitholes), so there is no reason why a wizard wouldn't be able to, and a man with a rifle and ability to do stuff like levitate, turn invisible or manipulate others' minds is going to be more formidable than a man with just rifle.

Plus, if both magic and advanced technology can work in your setting, there is nothing stopping you from, for example, producing magical stuff like canned elementals or demon jars as payloads for standard grenade launcher.

Literary example - in Mieville's Bas-Lag cycle thaumaturgy and technology are interfacing in all ways and at all levels creating stuff that would be impossible with just either.

Now, the main problem I see here is that wizard equalling human elemental artillery unit has been too fucking ingrained in RPGs. There are more things to magic than fucking firepower. AK-47 or rocket launcher might make your fireballs and magic missiles look like shitty fireworks, but what about teleportation, levitation, turning invisible, or possessing people/creatures?

If fireball is the main reason to play mage in your game, you're doing it wrong.

1) There aren't going to be riles, there's not even muskets. Sawyer said primitive wheel locks.

Wheellocks were anything but primitive.

In some regards they were actually superior to flintlocks and snaphances - for example the weapon fired faster after pulling the trigger, due to moving parts not having to travel large distance and due to sparks being generated in close proximity to powder.

The main problems with wheellocks were their mechanical complexity and requirement for many parts that had to be both precision made and demanded high quality materials (fucking springs) meaning no mass production, as well as lengthy preparation for firing (they required not just reloading and priming, but being spring powered they had to be wound up).

Flintlock's main advantage was actually that it was much simpler and therefore cheaper and easier to mass produce. And could be prepared faster.

Still, wheellocks and later flintlocks were about equally resistant to weather and pretty much equal in other regards, given that lock was effectively independent from
Both designs were actually used for primitive revolver designs (with 1590 wheellock 6-shooter rifle being the earliest known) - theoretically, given that it was already spring-powered, wheellock technology could have given rise to effective repeater firearms easier and earlier, with more powerful spring being used to both power the wheellock mechanism and cycle the barrels/chambers - with flintlock this would mean effectively foregoing its main advantage.

Of course, there were other approaches to repeater guns - multiple barrel-lock systems, single barrel with staggered charges and multiple or sliding lock(s) (for shooters feeling a bit suicidal) and so on.

2) What video game series spans 300 years? I guess Fallout technically does, but hell man, how about we'll cross that bridge when we come it.

TES is coming p. close.

 

[Kirtai]

Now, the main problem I see here is that wizard equalling human elemental artillery unit has been too fucking ingrained in RPGs. There are more things to magic than fucking firepower. AK-47 or rocket launcher might make your fireballs and magic missiles look like shitty fireworks, but what about teleportation, levitation, turning invisible, or possessing people/creatures?

If fireball is the main reason to play mage in your game, you're doing it wrong.

It occurs to me that a bag of holding plus magic defences and a sustained haste type spell could turn an average soldier into the space marine from DOOM, capable of running at over 50mph while carrying a several hundred kilos of weapons and ammo. It reminds me of the physical adepts from shadowrun.

 

[uaciaut]

For those that stalks the developer's formspring, twitter... daily, have they given any extra explanations on guns, gunpowder or modernity?

For example what would prevent guns from evolving further just like they did IRL, and end up being the dominant weapons in 300 years?

Primitive rifles are already considered powerful, now just imagine a WWI riffle.
A simple AK-47 would make combat mages completely obsolete, as well as most magic weapons anyway.

That could limit the future perspective to only a few decades, max a century, before modern weaponery kick in.

How are they gonna nerf the guns and gunpowder to prevent that?

Unless of course, they want to make it arcanum style, but they haven't said anything about magic disrupting technology and vice versa, which puts the 2 on even grounds (hence the cycles...).

If a stoneskin/protection from magical/normal weapons spell can protect you from a 25 str fighter (25 was the highest you could go in bg2/ps:t iirc and was considered closest you could get to godlike while being a mortal, storm giants had 24) swinging his huge ultra-powerful sword at you with great speed and power, why wouldn't the same spells work the same with a high velocity small projectile? A primitive rifle is just another ranged weapon with advantages and disadvantages of its' own, it doesn't make or break the game at all and comparing it to rl just seems silly (unless you're saying you're a REAL MAGICIAN)

 

[Excidium]

Firearms are simple mechanical things. Unless magic sucks in the PE world by the time firearms become popular mages already have spells that make them rust, jam or blow up on your face when you pull the trigger. Not to mention barriers, reflection, etc. Messing with fate and probability making every shot fired miss just barely can be fun too.

Magic, motherfucker.

 

[Kirtai]

Well, unless they can keep up those magic defences all the time they'd be quite vulnerable to sniper rifles. Admittedly those are more modern but not that much.
Not to mention there'd probably be ways to take down the defences before the shot.

 

[Excidium]

So if you catch a mage unprepared or get rid of his magical defenses he's vulnerable?

 

[RK47]

C4 on a wizard tower.

 

[Kirtai]

So if you catch a mage unprepared or get rid of his magical defenses he's vulnerable?

Well, yes. Obviously


But what I meant was that any random person with a decent rifle, shooting skill and patience can be an utterly deadly threat to a mage vastly more powerful than they are.

 

[Excidium]

That's the folly of being a mage.

 

[Murk]

Yes, people who are weak but take the time and have the patience to be well prepared and seek an opportunity should be able to occasionally trump over otherwise superior adversaries. That's the fun part about supposedly tactical and otherwise adventurous games.

 

[Kem0sabe]

Usually my first playthrough in an RPG is as a warrior, as to see all the encounters and understand the combat mechanics, second as a mage, never play thieves tho, dunno why.

 

[Roguey]

The whole point of guns in this setting is that they're awesome mage-killers because bullets easily pierce the arcane veil. No need for any disspelling.

 

[Spectacle]

So if you catch a mage unprepared or get rid of his magical defenses he's vulnerable?

Well, yes. Obviously


But what I meant was that any random person with a decent rifle, shooting skill and patience can be an utterly deadly threat to a mage vastly more powerful than they are.

Protip, don't wear a purple robe and pointy hat on the battlefield.

 

[DraQ]

Well, yes. Obviously


But what I meant was that any random person with a decent rifle, shooting skill and patience can be an utterly deadly threat to a mage vastly more powerful than they are.

That isn't much of a change from bow or good crossbow.

Or just getting hired as help and putting something in the tea.

 

[Roguey]

Arrows and bolts don't pierce the arcane veil like bullets do.

Meanwhile

 

[Infinitron]

STATS! STATS! STATS!

EDIT: What the fuck is that phallic shaped thing on the left?

 

[DraQ]

Arrows and bolts don't pierce the arcane veil like bullets do.

I hope the "why" of it is addressed in the lore.

Same with the "why" of mages not wearing breastplates.

And still, a dude who can create fire at will and at range is going to be fucking dangerous to someone with primitive firearm (long preparation to fire, lengthy reload, likely inaccurate enough to be ineffective against single target at long distance) and supply of loose gunpowder.

 

[Rake]

Arrows and bolts don't pierce the arcane veil like bullets do.

I hope the "why" of it is addressed in the lore.

Same with the "why" of mages not wearing breastplates.

And still, a dude who can create fire at will and at range is going to be fucking dangerous to someone with primitive firearm (long preparation to fire, lengthy reload, likely inaccurate enough to be ineffective against single target at long distance) and supply of loose gunpowder.

High velocity. Wizard Veil cannot react fast enough
Wizards can wear armor. Even full plate.

 

[Cyberarmy]

Arrows and bolts don't pierce the arcane veil like bullets do.

I hope the "why" of it is addressed in the lore.

Same with the "why" of mages not wearing breastplates.

And still, a dude who can create fire at will and at range is going to be fucking dangerous to someone with primitive firearm (long preparation to fire, lengthy reload, likely inaccurate enough to be ineffective against single target at long distance) and supply of loose gunpowder.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/obsidian/project-eternity/posts/312639

"some individuals do employ firearms for one specific purpose: close range penetration of the arcane veil, a standard magical defense employed by wizards. The arcane veil is powerful, but it does not react well to the high-velocity projectiles generated by arquebuses and handguns. As a result, more wizards who previously relied on the veil and similar abjurations have turned to traditional armor for additional defense."

 

[DraQ]

Arrows and bolts don't pierce the arcane veil like bullets do.

I hope the "why" of it is addressed in the lore.

Same with the "why" of mages not wearing breastplates.

And still, a dude who can create fire at will and at range is going to be fucking dangerous to someone with primitive firearm (long preparation to fire, lengthy reload, likely inaccurate enough to be ineffective against single target at long distance) and supply of loose gunpowder.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/obsidian/project-eternity/posts/312639

"some individuals do employ firearms for one specific purpose: close range penetration of the arcane veil, a standard magical defense employed by wizards. The arcane veil is powerful, but it does not react well to the high-velocity projectiles generated by arquebuses and handguns. As a result, more wizards who previously relied on the veil and similar abjurations have turned to traditional armor for additional defense."

Sounds good enough.

It still means that wizard can nullify the advantage of gun by going battlemage, while retaining the advantages of wizardry.

 

[Cyberarmy]

Well, i think Arcane Veil protects them getting interrupted while armor help to mitigate damage or armor can be taxing stamina thus making spells cost more. this is my %100 speculation though, Arcane Veil could be a simple Wizard Armor or shield spell.