Eternity Pillars of Eternity II Beta Thread [GAME RELEASED, GO TO NEW THREAD]

[Lacrymas]

This is all really good feedback. For my part, I want them to implement a real combat slow mode (changing recovery times isn't the same thing, whatever JES thinks) and fix casting times for spells. Until that's done, and with the bugs currently in place, I'm having a fairly hard time getting a handle on what I really don't like.

As far as performance, I had zero issues with POE (beyond increasingly long load times) and haven't had any with POE 2 so far either, but I have a reasonably beefy rig.

About that - I don't think the combat is too fast now, I'd say it's fine, they can slow it down a bit more, but it's not necessary at all. The spellcasting is NOT too slow in the current system, only some spells take a disproportionately long time to cast for their effects (mostly single-target debuffs like Divine Mark and Barbs of Condemnation), but that can easily be tweaked. What is wrong is the numbers behind the spells and how the Penetration mechanic interacts with spells. Druids and Wizards also have the exact same spell selection they have in PoE1, which is a bit disappointing, considering the potential for multi-classing. Priests have the different deity spells, which, while a bit boring because they are borrowed from other classes, have a lot of potential.

You've had beta for like 2 days and you've already tested all the 34885 class combinations? Bro. Never go full Sensuki.

4 days and the beta is really short :p I ran through it twice, once on Hard and once on PotD, with diametrically opposed parties, so I managed to see almost all classes, except Monk. It's not about all combinations, that's missing the point, it's about entire character archetypes and even classes. It's not hard to see that offensive casters in general are trash or how the systems interact with different parties. That's the point of the beta, no?

For the early level range I agree, but similar to PoE1, not all classes are powerful from the start. For example, Priests start out mediocre on PotD and end up one of the stronger classes by late game in my opinion. In contrast, I would argue that Barbarians start out strong and useful, but lag behind the casters (with some exception).

I thought Priests were mediocre based on the PoE1 beta, and that changed once I got access to Avatar, Divine Flame, Holy Storm, etc. For this reason, I am hesitant to assume too much about class balance.

It's not the same. Spellcasters were never this weak in PoE, no matter the level range. The vast majority of changes to the system affects only spellcasters and no-one else. I'd say melee are way more powerful than they are in PoE1. "Pure" Priests are weaker than they are in PoE and some of their spells are weaker (Repulsing Seal).

 

[Haplo]

Kalakoth's Minor Blights was already in PoE1 and was very popular. Whole builds revolved around this spell.

 

[Lacrymas]

Yeah, I edited that out. :p I thought they added some new spells for the Wizards, but nope. Actually, Ciphers and Chanters have the same spell selection as well, now that I think about it. If the slow spellcasting affects someone in a negative way, it's Ciphers, they are really weak in general. Chanters are better versions of Ciphers now.

 

[Maculo]

It's not the same. Spellcasters were never this weak in PoE, no matter the level range. The vast majority of changes to the system affects only spellcasters and no-one else. I'd say melee are way more powerful than they are in PoE1. "Pure" Priests are weaker than they are in PoE and some of their spells are weaker (Repulsing Seal).

But we do not know what the power curve is at the moment, especially when you factor in the "power-levels" system applied to spells (guile, arcane, faith, etc.). A single class character will accumulate more power-levels for their relevant class than a multi class character. Therefore, after a certain level, a single class Priest will eventually do more damage and healing with Priests spells than multi-class Priest. Hence, casters certainly are weaker, but that may just be the tradeoff for a stronger late-game.

That is not to say your concern is unwarranted, but I think we lack the full picture of the power curve. One did exist in PoE1, and I am confident one will exist for PoE2, but it does seem more rigid now.

 

[fantadomat]

Imagining that there would be more than a 10-20% change in performance optimisation in the sequel when it's using the exact same kind of save file system and the exact same engine is and always was wildly optimistic.

Someone should actually boot up PoE with a non-potato processor and walk through defiance bay though, because I'm pretty sure I was locked 60 on 2.xx

I have decent i7 8cores 4.2ghz and never had any problems in the whole game,it runs like butter. Also have no ssd,hate the stuff. It is all about drivers and not fucking up your PC.

 

[Sizzle]

Also have no ssd,hate the stuff.

 

[Jimmious]

You "hate" SSD ? Why is that ?

 

[fantadomat]

You "hate" SSD ? Why is that ?

Had one,burned out bunch of important shit,not buying this "thing" till the next decade.

 

[Lacrymas]

But we do not know what the power curve is at the moment, especially when you factor in the "power-levels" system applied to spells (guile, arcane, faith, etc.). A single class character will accumulate more power-levels for their relevant class than a multi class character. Therefore, after a certain level, a single class Priest will eventually do more damage and healing with Priests spells than multi-class Priest. Hence, casters certainly are weaker, but that may just be the tradeoff for a stronger late-game.

That is not to say your concern is unwarranted, but I think we lack the full picture of the power curve. One did exist in PoE1, and I am confident one will exist for PoE2, but it does seem more rigid now.

While this is true, there are 2 problems. First, it's not good design to be extremely weak for the majority of the game for a chance to be good at higher levels. You might point to BG1 and mages, but this system is a bit more involved than low-level D&D, just trust me on this, it's not the same. The second problem is that we don't have access to the whole game, so speaking in maybes or some abstract-as-of-now concept of the Big Picture is useless.

 

[Jimmious]

You "hate" SSD ? Why is that ?

Had one,burned out bunch of important shit,not buying this "thing" till the next decade.

Dude, if this is your argument, you should never buy an HDD in general.. I've had lots of hard drives dying out of nowhere. No SSD yet actually.

 

[polo]

You "hate" SSD ? Why is that ?

Had one,burned out bunch of important shit,not buying this "thing" till the next decade.

Well important shit shouldn't be stored in SSD anyways. Not because they fail more than HDD (altho technology regarding SSD advanced a lot in recent years), but because every mb is way more expensive than HDD so you should use them for what it was really ment, heavy data reading/writing apps, windows, games like POE (lol), etc.

 

[Abu Antar]

They sure seem to have a finger or two in quite a few rpgs and games with rpg elements.

 

[Lacrymas]

Physical copies are still a thing for people who aren't active collectors of such?

 

[Abu Antar]

Physical copies are still a thing for people who aren't active collectors of such?

Here in Europe, physical copies are still a thing, indeed.

 

[Haplo]

Well, in Poland many physical editions can be cheaper then digital Steam purchases.
The fact you often need Steam activation and downloads anyway makes it kinda silly.

 

[Lacrymas]

It's the other way around here, digital copies are cheaper by a lot. I honestly don't know how our game retailers stay in business.

 

[Jezal_k23]

I'd wager a guess the fps drops people are claiming to have are less related to optimization, and more related to downloading too much porn and having enough bitcoin miners to feed and clothe a small city.

I'm not worried about performance at all, it wasn't what bothered me in the first game. The loading screens, on the other hand...as long as they have streaming inside interiors I'll be a happy camper. Going through 4 loading screens just because you had to deliver a quest to someone on a second floor of an inn was a nightmare.

You would honestly say this is normal? It's obviously playable, but I'd argue that on a PC that maxes TW3, Pillars has no business going below 60fps.

 

[fantadomat]

You "hate" SSD ? Why is that ?

Had one,burned out bunch of important shit,not buying this "thing" till the next decade.

Dude, if this is your argument, you should never buy an HDD in general.. I've had lots of hard drives dying out of nowhere. No SSD yet actually.

I still have a 20gig hdds from 15 years ago that runs without a problem . And my last hdd burned out after 10 years of service. That shit blow up a month after i bought it.

You "hate" SSD ? Why is that ?

Had one,burned out bunch of important shit,not buying this "thing" till the next decade.

Well important shit shouldn't be stored in SSD anyways. Not because they fail more than HDD (altho technology regarding SSD advanced a lot in recent years), but because every mb is way more expensive than HDD so you should use them for what it was really ment, heavy data reading/writing apps, windows, games like POE (lol), etc.

Yeah i know that,i didn't go for a ssd storage drive. That shit is all on nice 1t hdds.

 

[Lacrymas]

I see people now use up all their camping supplies before taking a screenshot :p

 

[Infinitron]

THQ Nordic and Versus Evil sign exclusive distribution deal for Obsidian Entertainment’s Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
January 23, 2018

THQ Nordic to globally distribute (excluding Korean version) the physical edition of the upcoming RPG in partnership with Versus Evil and Obsidian Entertainment

Vienna/AUSTRIA, Phoenix, ML/USA, January 23, 2018: THQ Nordic today announced signing a global distribution deal (excluding the Korean language version) for Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire with Versus Evil. Currently in development for PC, MAC and Linux by Obsidian Entertainment, the physical edition of the game will be brought to you by THQ Nordic. Further information on the content of the editions, as well as RRP and the release date to be announced soon.

“When we first started working with Obsidian on Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, we knew that we wanted to make sure that we created a great physical product that matched the quality of this RPG”, said Steve Escalante General Manager of Versus Evil. “In partnering with THQ Nordic, not only did we find a team that is passionate about the product, but has the distribution and reach we hope to achieve with a physical edition of Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire.”

“We are all really excited for the game and its different editions. It is always a pleasure working together with such talented, motivated, and dedicated teams like Versus Evil and Obsidian. It also helps that we are huge fans of the genre“, comments Jan Binsmaier Publishing Director of THQ Nordic. “On top of all that, we found a strong and reliable partner with Versus Evil, and it feels great to know that we share our mindset and work ethics. It is a perfect match.”

In Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, players embark on a dangerous voyage of discovery as they hunt down a god to save their own souls. Building on the award-winning gameplay of the first Pillars of Eternity, every aspect of Deadfire has been improved and expanded. Vastly more detailed graphics, deeper game mechanics, increased player choice and reactivity, a new companion relationship system, streamlined combat, and an entirely new, hand-crafted adventure make Deadfire the ultimate cRPG experience. Players travel the far-flung region of the titular Deadfire Archipelago by ship, where they will discover new races, visit exotic islands, defend their ships against pirates, and, most importantly, choose their allies carefully, as there are powerful factions to encounter at nearly every port.

About Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

Pursue a rogue god over land and sea in the sequel to the multi-award-winning RPG Pillars of Eternity. Captain your ship on a dangerous voyage of discovery across the vast unexplored archipelago region of the Deadfire. Bend the world to your will, as you explore the depths of infinite possibilities, including detailed character customization, total freedom of exploration, and more meaningful choices at every turn.

• Immerse yourself in a deeper single player RPG game experience - enriched with cutting edge technology and features, Deadfire builds on the foundation of classic D&D gameplay with vastly improved graphics, deeper game mechanics and a whole new hand-crafted adventure where choices truly matter.
• Discover the new region of the Deadfire – plot your own course by ship and explore the rich and exotic islands of the archipelago region, discovering new places interacting with their inhabitants and engaging in a variety of quests at every port.
• Build your party and customize your companions – choose from 7 different companions to join you on your quest and assign multiple classes and deeper abilities for each. Witness their personal relationships and interactions unfold with the addition of the new companion system.
• Captain your ship across the seas – as your stronghold on the seas, your ship is much more than simply a vessel for exploring. Upgrade your ship and crew and choose what skills you improve in order to survive dangerous encounters along the way.

To learn more about Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire visit: http://eternity.obsidian.net

 

[IHaveHugeNick]

I'd wager a guess the fps drops people are claiming to have are less related to optimization, and more related to downloading too much porn and having enough bitcoin miners to feed and clothe a small city.

I'm not worried about performance at all, it wasn't what bothered me in the first game. The loading screens, on the other hand...as long as they have streaming inside interiors I'll be a happy camper. Going through 4 loading screens just because you had to deliver a quest to someone on a second floor of an inn was a nightmare.

You would honestly say this is normal? It's obviously playable, but I'd argue that on a PC that maxes TW3, Pillars has no business going below 60fps.

Well that is messed up, I agree.

 

[Lacrymas]

They really like to stress that "classic D&D gameplay", yet it has almost nothing to do with it anymore.

 

[Iskramor]

I'm kind of wary of the whole ship-management thing now, tbh, it seems unnecessary and a bit of a feature bloat. I think it will turn into pointless busywork of automatically going to a vendor to buy enough supplies and then stop thinking about it.

Btw, I haven't mentioned the load times yet. They are pretty great. Performance is kind of shitty, people are reporting uneven FPS even on a 1080ti.

Graphics card is irelevant in CPU intensive game(s) you IT uneducated scrub

 

[Mazisky]

I'd wager a guess the fps drops people are claiming to have are less related to optimization, and more related to downloading too much porn and having enough bitcoin miners to feed and clothe a small city.

I'm not worried about performance at all, it wasn't what bothered me in the first game. The loading screens, on the other hand...as long as they have streaming inside interiors I'll be a happy camper. Going through 4 loading screens just because you had to deliver a quest to someone on a second floor of an inn was a nightmare.

You would honestly say this is normal? It's obviously playable, but I'd argue that on a PC that maxes TW3, Pillars has no business going below 60fps.

Well that is messed up, I agree.

Funny how only who has issues is providing screens.

The ones who say they're having 60 fps aren't able to do that.....

wonder why

we have 2 answers:

1- They are right but they are not able to post a screen and so they are completely retarded.

2 - They are wrong and so they posted lies on this thread, the game is just poorly optimized

Which one guys?

 

[polo]

I dont remember experiencing noticeable FPS drops tbh, and my cpu is pretty old. But i mean, its unity, why would someone be surprised if the game experienced drops.