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

[Hormalakh]

You have really bizarre ideas about what Sawyer thinks about things.

How about linking that one about how every little shit must understand the game. Oh wait, it's in the one you linked too, you just didn't quote that thinking I wouldn't click, huh?

Even when I was making Icewind Dale and IWD2, I could see a lot of new players struggling to understand the rules -- both 2nd Ed. and 3E.

So struggling is bad, game should be made accessible for everybody.

this one thing is probably where i disagree with sawyer the most and i'm glad that i'm not the only one. it's a slippery slope from being inclusive with all players and designing for the lowest common denominator and leading the charge towards decline.

i actually wrote what was effectively a letter to josh sawyer in regards to this. it was the one where i admitted my lack of D&D knowledge when first playing BG2 and then learning what all the little jargon meant many years later. I'm sure some of you remember that. i can't be bothered o look for that long-ass letter. basically i told him that the answer wasn't to reduce the challenge in games, but to teach your players the concepts and trust that they would build upon those concepts.

 

[tuluse]

He has said that he plans to make PE more difficult than Obsidian's other games.

 

[Dreaad]

I hope T:ToN doesn't end up being a terrible lie from a little studio with no previous record.... "is a game of complex and nuanced morality, deep and reactive choice and consequence, and immersion into a new and strange vision. You will chart a course through bizarre dimensions, across the face of a vastly different world. You will earn companions along the way, and discover their value - perhaps through their strengths, perhaps more literally by selling them. Throughout it all, you will choose a path that will lead inexorably to an ending that stems naturally from your actions, facing adversaries who harness powers beyond your comprehension, and who will ultimately force you to face yourself and answer the question: What does one life matter?"

It just sounds so fake. Blah blah power beyond your comprehension, blah blah face yourself you herp a derp. The scariest thing to me by far though is the oddly specific (considering the EXTREME vagueness of everything else related to the game) "and discover their value - perhaps through their strengths, perhaps more literally by selling them". The reason that sentence scares me is because it seems like inXile is very proud of this feature.

I am however a person who is highly reluctant to get excited over anything that I have not seen with my own eyes, so these are probably just the ramblings of a person who at the moment is trying to make sense of the mess that is "the dark tower".

 

[tuluse]

You have PE and T:ToN confused.

 

[Lancehead]

 

[Dreaad]

You have PE and T:ToN confused.

you're right I did have the names around backwards, thanks

 

[Sensuki]

I was actually going to respond to your post in regard to it being about P:E, but since you're talking about Torment that makes sense.

Just in case anyone missed this, Obsdian used a new design technique for the P:E storyline and 'design docs' and stuff like that.

http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/03/29/chris-avellone-interview-torment-project-eternity-and-beyond/

In terms of the storyline stuff, we’re still working on the lore. We’re doing a variety of sort of one-pagers, and multiple takes of the storyline and world from just about every designer that’s working on the game. And what we do is, we’ve been reviewing each of those pitches that each individual designer has done, and say, “Hey, you know, there’s some particular strength to this, individual storyline. We like the characters here, the protagonist here, the antagonist here. Why don’t we see how we can blend these elements together and make a stronger storyline overall.” Having multiple designers do their take on the story has actually been pretty cool.

...

On Eternity, it’s been a little different because Josh Sawyer set up the vision, the feel he’s looking for, and then every designer had a chance to sort of do their own take on what the storyline was like, and we picked and chose from there. Even Josh did a take on the storyline, as well. So it’s been a lot different, and we’re really enjoying the process.

This new process intrigues me. I am actually thinking of doing a follow-up to my last Josh Sawyer interview sometime soon, probably after the next update or two. For the record I was the guy that did this interview, which many of you didn't like for one reason or another.

So if you have any suggestions about how to improve the format (the site's article tool really sucks), go for it. Another thing I can do is post the interview to one of the Administrators here who can create a news item on here with a better format.

 

[April]

You have really bizarre ideas about what Sawyer thinks about things.

How about linking that one about how every little shit must understand the game. Oh wait, it's in the one you linked too, you just didn't quote that thinking I wouldn't click, huh?

Even when I was making Icewind Dale and IWD2, I could see a lot of new players struggling to understand the rules -- both 2nd Ed. and 3E.

So struggling is bad, game should be made accessible for everybody.

this one thing is probably where i disagree with sawyer the most and i'm glad that i'm not the only one. it's a slippery slope from being inclusive with all players and designing for the lowest common denominator and leading the charge towards decline.

i actually wrote what was effectively a letter to josh sawyer in regards to this. it was the one where i admitted my lack of D&D knowledge when first playing BG2 and then learning what all the little jargon meant many years later. I'm sure some of you remember that. i can't be bothered o look for that long-ass letter. basically i told him that the answer wasn't to reduce the challenge in games, but to teach your players the concepts and trust that they would build upon those concepts.

It would be nice if help files like those in KotC were standard in cRPGs.

 

[bert]

You guys are kind going back a little bit old school with the 2.5D perspective. Have you been worried at all that some of the newer generation of RPG players who didn’t grow up with this, and they expect these publisher-funded blockbuster type things with full voice-acting, might look at a game like Eternity and think, you know, “What is this?”

No. Because everyone who supported our project understands what [we're going for], and they actually love to play that type of game. If the project appeals to more people beyond the backers, that’s great. But we’re not counting on it. We certainly hope it does, but ultimately, we’re making a project for the audience that supported us, and we just want them to be happy.

 

[bminorkey]

In terms of the storyline stuff, we’re still working on the lore. We’re doing a variety of sort of one-pagers, and multiple takes of the storyline and world from just about every designer that’s working on the game. And what we do is, we’ve been reviewing each of those pitches that each individual designer has done, and say, “Hey, you know, there’s some particular strength to this, individual storyline. We like the characters here, the protagonist here, the antagonist here. Why don’t we see how we can blend these elements together and make a stronger storyline overall.” Having multiple designers do their take on the story has actually been pretty cool.

This is actually genius.

 

[Cosmo]

He has said that he plans to make PE more difficult than Obsidian's other games.

So then, with no prior P&P RPG, the learning curve will be the same for everyone. And hopefully, as the rules are created for rtwp instead of being a twisted version of turn-base, even the greenest first-timer will be able to directly relate what he sees to the ruleset.

 

[Infinitron]

Old article is old http://www.rpgcodex.net/article.php?id=8881

 

[Sensuki]

I know the article was posted here that's why I said

Just in case anyone missed this

I was responding to that Dreaad guy before he changed his post to reflect which game he was talking about

 

[Infinitron]

I was responding to that Dreaad guy before he changed his post to reflect which game he was talking about

Oh yeah, the DA2 fan.

 

[Roguey]

Even when I was making Icewind Dale and IWD2, I could see a lot of new players struggling to understand the rules -- both 2nd Ed. and 3E.

So struggling is bad, game should be made accessible for everybody.

Comprehensible rules are a good thing. Obfuscated rules are a bad thing. 2e's way of handling ability scores is nuts (and the IE game manuals sometimes lie about what they do) and 3E gives you walls of options right from the beginning, many of them worthless thanks to Monte Cook.

 

[Sensuki]

I remember reading the 2E PHB the other day, Fighters with 16+ Str gain +10% experience according to the manual, never knew that - and I started D&D with 2nd Edition haha. I haven't played for like 5 years though (and probably never will again).

 

[Gozma]

The scariest thing to me by far though is the oddly specific (considering the EXTREME vagueness of everything else related to the game) "and discover their value - perhaps through their strengths, perhaps more literally by selling them". The reason that sentence scares me is because it seems like inXile is very proud of this feature.

That was a nostalgia callback to being able to sell the companions in PS:T so you would gib monay to the kickstarter

 

[Dreaad]

I was responding to that Dreaad guy before he changed his post to reflect which game he was talking about

Oh yeah, the DA2 fan.

You remembered!!! Awww I am so pleased

 

[Excidium]

I remember reading the 2E PHB the other day, Fighters with 16+ Str gain +10% experience according to the manual, never knew that - and I started D&D with 2nd Edition haha. I haven't played for like 5 years though (and probably never will again).

Everyone gains 10% extra experience for having 16 or higher on their core abilities.

It would be nice if help files like those in KotC were standard in cRPGs.

Yeah, and KOTC probably took inspiration from TOEE on that. But another thing is that having the rules information available in the game like that is a requirement of the OGL, I think. So Chaos Chronicles will probably have that too.

 

[winterraptor]

I like to sum up Wheel of Time (which I read approximately half of a few years back in order to judge for myself) with the following phrase: blushing furiously.

As an addendum to your phrase: Smoothed her skirts; tugged on her braid.

And a bunch of shit about scrollwork.

 

[Rake]

I like to sum up Wheel of Time (which I read approximately half of a few years back in order to judge for myself) with the following phrase: blushing furiously.

As an addendum to your phrase: Smoothed her skirts; tugged on her braid.

And a bunch of shit about scrollwork.

Crossed her hands under her bosom

 

[Mangoose]

Bereft of the Dark One's influence, the Blight dissolves. Mat reunites with Tuon, who reveals that she is with child. Perrin, racked with guilt over his decision to help Rand and abandon his wife, continues to search for her, eventually finding her buried under Trolloc corpses but still alive. Loial attempts to track down the two of them to get statements for his book. Cadsuane Melaidhrin is elected the new Amyrlin Seat, to her horror, while Moghedien, now the only remaining Forsaken, is captured by a sul'dam who is exploiting loopholes in the Dragon's Peace. Thom and Moiraine, Lan and Nynaeve, have all come to wait attendance on Rand, who is slowly dying of his wounds even after Nynaeve and Moiraine pulled him and Moridin out of the Bore, and Perrin suggests summoning Elayne, Min and Aviendha as well to pay their last respects.
Rand dies from his wounds and a funeral pyre is held for him. But Elayne, Min and Aviendha know something no-one else does: Rand is actually alive. It was Moridin who died and was burned on the pyre, and Rand, free of channeling and burdens both, rides free into the Fourth Age.

 

[Dreaad]

mangoose fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed

 

[winterraptor]

Then he faced the Aiel, with shoufas wrapped around their head exposing nothing but their eyes, their clothes all in shades of brown so they melted into the landscape, short spears in hand and crouched low to the ground, small round shield held protectively and gripping several extra spears for rapid throwing, should the need arise.

So he shot them.

The last man spoke briefly as he coughed his last breath, saying placidly, "All men die, Gunslinger."

 

[Blaine]

Ripping off the Fremen is probably what I found most obnoxious about Jordan's books.