Eternity Pillars of Eternity + The White March Expansion Thread

[Roguey]

Even Sensuki said that the beginning is the best part. Apparently it crashes when you get to Dyrford (the first area they designed).

 

[Infinitron]

So, I've finally said fuck it, stopped waiting and started playing it (Sorry Roguey )Maybe its the lowered expectations, Obsidian fanboyism or just having low standards but I quite like it so far. Expected to be far more critical of the writing. Or maybe I just haven't gotten to the truly bad parts yet.

Huh. I thought you'd already played the game and didn't like it.

Even Sensuki said that the beginning is the best part. Apparently it crashes when you get to Dyrford (the first area they designed).

No, that's not what people complain about. Play the game Roguey

 

[Drudkh]

I quite like it so far. Expected to be far more critical of the writing. Or maybe I just haven't gotten to the truly bad parts yet.

The writing is overall quite good i think, the BG companions in comparison are total cheese that seem like they've been written by a middle school student in comparison.

The real problem is the main story and the rushed way in which the game wraps up that has left some consumers feeling cheated.

Also alot of the major quests of the game come about kinda briskly to the point of ruining immersion. For example you're walking along an empty road and some rando walks up to you and says, "Yeah... this Raedric guy is pretty oppressive and what not, he lives in that castle over there, we'd sure appreciate it if you'd kill him" Then boom, you have a quest to go invade some castle for flimsy reasons totally disjointed form anything i give a fuck about regarding the role i'm playing. It's as bad as an MMO. Then they have the audacity to reuse him as a a boss later.... For Fuck...

 

[Roguey]

Oh okay, I was mistaken about when you actually enter Dyrford, it crashes much earlier than that.

They're still not done patching.

 

[Duraframe300]

So, I've finally said fuck it, stopped waiting and started playing it (Sorry Roguey )Maybe its the lowered expectations, Obsidian fanboyism or just having low standards but I quite like it so far. Expected to be far more critical of the writing. Or maybe I just haven't gotten to the truly bad parts yet.

Huh. I thought you'd already played the game and didn't like it.

Nope (Only had like 2 hours previously on it) You actually have me friended on steam btw.

 

[WhatAreYou?ACasul?]

Steam friends are not real friends, though

 

[Infinitron]

Also alot of the major quests of the game come about kinda briskly to the point of ruining immersion. For example you're walking along an empty road and some rando walks up to you and says, "Yeah... this Raedric guy is pretty oppressive and what not, he lives in that castle over there, we'd sure appreciate it if you'd kill him" Then boom, you have a quest to go invade some castle for flimsy reasons totally disjointed form anything i give a fuck about regarding the role i'm playing. It's as bad as an MMO. Then they have the audacity to reuse him as a a boss later.... For Fuck...

Doesn't have to happen that way: http://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Kolsc

You don't have to go invade the castle, and it's hardly disjointed from that big fucking tree of dead people you saw in town earlier, and from the backstory of your likely companion Eder.

If you really want disjointed quests let me point you at a city called Athkatla...

 

[WhatAreYou?ACasul?]

:snip:

Doesn't have to happen that way: http://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Kolsc

You don't have to go invade the castle, and it's hardly disjointed from that big fucking tree of dead people you saw in town earlier, and from the backstory of your likely companion Eder.

If you really want disjointed quests let me point you at a city called Athkatla...

Seriously though, if I was you, Drudkh, I would delete my account for being a fucking liar.

 

[Trashos]

I quite like it so far. Expected to be far more critical of the writing. Or maybe I just haven't gotten to the truly bad parts yet.

The writing is overall quite good i think, the BG companions in comparison are total cheese that seem like they've been written by a middle school student in comparison.

The real problem is the main story and the rushed way in which the game wraps up that has left some consumers feeling cheated.

Rushed wrap up? That's the first time I hear of it. The main story has many brilliant parts and two flaws. First, the ending of Act II is weak. Secondly, some people complain that there is no sense of real urgency, although I am glad for this. Anyway, I love the main story, I think PoE beats any other RPG in this regard bar PST. I don't understand why people act like we get awesome stories in RPGs all the time and PoE didn't live up to that standard.

But while I love the main story, the writing can be bland at times. The writers could use some more time to polish their work.

Also alot of the major quests of the game come about kinda briskly to the point of ruining immersion. For example you're walking along an empty road and some rando walks up to you and says, "Yeah... this Raedric guy is pretty oppressive and what not, he lives in that castle over there, we'd sure appreciate it if you'd kill him" Then boom, you have a quest to go invade some castle for flimsy reasons totally disjointed form anything i give a fuck about regarding the role i'm playing. It's as bad as an MMO. Then they have the audacity to reuse him as a a boss later.... For Fuck....

Huh? You cam refuse the mission or you can ask for money. Hardly inappropriate. Lord Raedric is also my favorite character in the game.

EDIT: Also, it IS connected to the lore. Raedric is a huge fan of Berath!

 

[Bonerbill]

The writing is overall quite good i think, the BG companions in comparison are total cheese that seem like they've been written by a middle school student in comparison.

The real problem is the main story and the rushed way in which the game wraps up that has left some consumers feeling cheated.

Also alot of the major quests of the game come about kinda briskly to the point of ruining immersion. For example you're walking along an empty road and some rando walks up to you and says, "Yeah... this Raedric guy is pretty oppressive and what not, he lives in that castle over there, we'd sure appreciate it if you'd kill him" Then boom, you have a quest to go invade some castle for flimsy reasons totally disjointed form anything i give a fuck about regarding the role i'm playing. It's as bad as an MMO. Then they have the audacity to reuse him as a a boss later.... For Fuck...

You don't have to do the quest at all. I mean, I never did the quest for RPing reasons even after playing throught he game twice. In fact, ignoring the whole questline affects the ending.

 

[Roguey]

For example you're walking in a crowded tavern and some rando walks up to you and says, "Yeah... these trolls and Yuan-ti have invaded my keep, I'd sure appreciate it if you'd kill them" Then boom, you have a quest to go invade some castle for flimsy reasons totally disjointed from anything you give a fuck about regarding the role you're playing. It's as bad as an MMO.

 

[Drudkh]

It's not like the game is so full of content that skipping out on Raedrics' place makes for a fulfilling playthrough.

As an example of what i was trying to get across, take the Redcliffe Castle quest in Dragon Age Origins, it's padded with lots of story and feels like a lively location in need of help, as opposed to the dull and morose starting town in PoE. It's much more immersive and satisfying. I suppose i'm just a so called "storyfag" and i can't appreciate an RPG that's just battle after battle and poor excuses just to set up a new battle.

Sorry for being a downer in this thread folks. I hope people are enjoying TWM 2. There's nothing like taking in all the beautifully crafted maps for the first time still filled with curiosity and wonder.

 

[WhatAreYou?ACasul?]

For example you're walking in a crowded tavern and some rando walks up to you and says, "Yeah... these trolls and Yuan-ti have invaded my keep, I'd sure appreciate it if you'd kill them" Then boom, you have a quest to go invade some castle for flimsy reasons totally disjointed from anything you give a fuck about regarding the role you're playing. It's as bad as an MMO.

Dude, I'm new here, but even I know that you haven't played the game yet.

As an example of what i was trying to get across, take the Redcliffe Castle quest in Dragon Age Origins, it's padded with lots of story and feels like a lively location in need of help, as opposed to the dull and morose starting town in PoE. It's much more immersive and satisfying. I suppose i'm just a so called "storyfag" and i can't appreciate an RPG that's just battle after battle and poor excuses just to set up a new battle.

Yeah, you see, slightly different writing =/= lively location in DA and dull and morose town in PoE. A smaller scope does not imply that the writing is worse. In fact I quite enjoyed Gilded Vale. The town does its job: it feels like a town from a Faulkner's novel, murky and forgotten town, like a place from Bela Tarr's movie. Since there's a high chance no one watched Tarr's movies and we have different pictures in our heads what a murky and forgotten town is supposed to look like, I'm just going to say that in terms of murky and forgotten towns, Gilded Vale does its job.

XD

 

[Roguey]

Dude, I'm new here, but even I know that you haven't played the game yet.

I have played Baldur's Gate II.

 

[Trashos]

It's not like the game is so full of content that skipping out on Raedrics' place makes for a fulfilling playthrough.

As an example of what i was trying to get across, take the Redcliffe Castle quest in Dragon Age Origins, it's padded with lots of story and feels like a lively location in need of help, as opposed to the dull and morose starting town in PoE. It's much more immersive and satisfying. I suppose i'm just a so called "storyfag" and i can't appreciate an RPG that's just battle after battle and poor excuses just to set up a new battle.

Sorry for being a downer in this thread folks. I hope people are enjoying TWM 2. There's nothing like taking in all the beautifully crafted maps for the first time still filled with curiosity and wonder.

No harm done, we are debating. Btw, I am both a storyfag and a combatfag, and PoE definitely satisfied my storyfag needs.

Still, I claim the following:

Berath is a God, is part of the Lore, and you 'll have the choice to side with Berath's team in Act III. Pretty important, right?
Raedric is a devoted follower of Berath. Through Raedric, you get to experience what Berath is all about. This is the right way to present the lore, actually. (in contrast, eg, to Pallegina's "wikipedia articles")

See, the connection of the Raedric quest to the Lore and to the Main Story is there. It is just not immediately obvious (which would be boring, imo). In fact, PoE is full of such details that seem irrelevant at first glance, but are actually very deeply connected to what is going on.

If you have the patience to look for the depth, PoE will reward you. But it is going to take some effort from your side too. All good things work like that.

 

[Zetor]

For those who played the 'scaled up' version of act 3: how exactly does it scale things? Does it just bump enemy levels to 14 (or whatever), or does it literally scale enemies to the party's level? I'm asking because I am somewhat overleveled for starting act 3 due to WM (level 11), but I have no desire to do any more sidequesting, which could be necessary to keep up with the scaled-up enemies depending on how the system works...

Also, is it just me, or is one of the soulbound weapons from WM1 (Saint Ydwen's Redeemer) obsoleted by the SPOILER weapon from WM2? I guess if you had two 2H melee in your group you could use both...

 

[CptMace]

I don't understand why people act like we get awesome stories in RPGs all the time and PoE didn't live up to that standard.

I don't get awesome stories in rpgs all the time, though I did get a couple in the last decade. However I do read a shit ton of good stuff all the time, and PoE is mediocre in comparison.
I do like the game, but its story is flawed by its most essential component ie the fucking narration. (especially important in a vidya gmae, coz these got weakers 4th walls if u see what i mean bruh).

 

[Rivmusique]

Also, is it just me, or is one of the soulbound weapons from WM1 (Saint Ydwen's Redeemer) obsoleted by the SPOILER weapon from WM2? I guess if you had two 2H melee in your group you could use both...

I ended up having the same character (new barbarian woman) use both. Sword against vessels (because of chance to destroy) and anything particularly crush resistant, hammer rest of the time. Those on hit/crit effects can proc off carnage btw, pretty damn effective.

 

[Zetor]

Also, is it just me, or is one of the soulbound weapons from WM1 (Saint Ydwen's Redeemer) obsoleted by the SPOILER weapon from WM2? I guess if you had two 2H melee in your group you could use both...

I ended up having the same character (new barbarian woman) use both. Sword against vessels (because of chance to destroy) and anything particularly crush resistant, hammer rest of the time. Those on hit/crit effects can proc off carnage btw, pretty damn effective.

Hammer is also really good against vessels too, though (fear and knockdown), and seems to do far more damage overall... plus the per-encounter abilities are pretty nice. If my paladin had 3 slots, I'd consider using both, but I need a ranged option for slot #2 (silver flash blunderbuss ATM)

BTW, I'm fairly sure that the hammer is supposed to proc the knockdown only against vessels, but it seems to do it against any target. Is that a bug or intended?

 

[WhatAreYou?ACasul?]

I don't understand why people act like we get awesome stories in RPGs all the time and PoE didn't live up to that standard.

I don't get awesome stories in rpgs all the time, though I did get a couple in the last decade. However I do read a shit ton of good stuff all the time, and PoE is mediocre in comparison.
I do like the game, but its story is flawed by its most essential component ie the fucking narration. (especially important in a vidya gmae, coz these got weakers 4th walls if u see what i mean bruh).

There's no narration in PoE or it's flawed? That's something new... You will have to elaborate, because from what I know Dark Souls, for example, is universally praised for its rich narration, which is achieved by dialogues (merely 4 lines per encounter usually), item descriptions, and map / NPCs design. I would say PoE is superior than Dark Souls in terms of narrative almost everywhere from dialogues to scripted scenes, except for item descriptions.

That Dark Souls example came to my mind in reference to that 4th wall comment, whatever it means, because you see PoE and Dark Souls are open world, and that's yet another layer of narration right there.

So, I don't know what you're talking about lol. I guess I have to get used to the level of mental retardation on this forum since 99% of the playerbase identifies PoE with its rich narration and you will find no review claiming otherwise. Only Dex.

 

[dragonul09]

It's not like the game is so full of content that skipping out on Raedrics' place makes for a fulfilling playthrough.

As an example of what i was trying to get across, take the Redcliffe Castle quest in Dragon Age Origins, it's padded with lots of story and feels like a lively location in need of help, as opposed to the dull and morose starting town in PoE. It's much more immersive and satisfying. I suppose i'm just a so called "storyfag" and i can't appreciate an RPG that's just battle after battle and poor excuses just to set up a new battle.

Sorry for being a downer in this thread folks. I hope people are enjoying TWM 2. There's nothing like taking in all the beautifully crafted maps for the first time still filled with curiosity and wonder.

No harm done, we are debating. Btw, I am both a storyfag and a combatfag, and PoE definitely satisfied my storyfag needs.

Still, I claim the following:

Berath is a God, is part of the Lore, and you 'll have the choice to side with Berath's team in Act III. Pretty important, right?
Raedric is a devoted follower of Berath. Through Raedric, you get to experience what Berath is all about. This is the right way to present the lore, actually. (in contrast, eg, to Pallegina's "wikipedia articles")

See, the connection of the Raedric quest to the Lore and to the Main Story is there. It is just not immediately obvious (which would be boring, imo). In fact, PoE is full of such details that seem irrelevant at first glance, but are actually very deeply connected to what is going on.

If you have the patience to look for the depth, PoE will reward you. But it is going to take some effort from your side too. All good things work like that.

The lore is too convulated and it feels like an overflowing glass,every time you talked to someone it felt like you were reading a stacked encyclopedia and a boring one at that.You just can't expect me to give a shit about the lore when you keep droping big names all over the place and I barely started the game,and this goes on and on and on...

And people complain about the quests because they were very straightforward run of the mill quests,with few choices and barely any consequences and the writing didn't helped at all.The game had like 40 quests and most of them were too god damn generic,and the only one that had some decent C&C was the Raedric one,wich was pretty generic in my opinion.

The game felt like a worse version of Baldur's Gate,now people say that they already established the universe they may go nuts on PoE 2 but I just don't see the potential...

 

[CptMace]

I don't understand why people act like we get awesome stories in RPGs all the time and PoE didn't live up to that standard.

I don't get awesome stories in rpgs all the time, though I did get a couple in the last decade. However I do read a shit ton of good stuff all the time, and PoE is mediocre in comparison.
I do like the game, but its story is flawed by its most essential component ie the fucking narration. (especially important in a vidya gmae, coz these got weakers 4th walls if u see what i mean bruh).

There's no narration in PoE or it's flawed? That's something new... You will have to elaborate, because from what I know Dark Souls, for example, is universally praised for its rich narration, which is achieved by dialogues (merely 4 lines per encounter usually), item descriptions, and map / NPCs design. I would say PoE is superior than Dark Souls in terms of narrative almost everywhere from dialogues to scripted scenes, except for item descriptions.

That Dark Souls example came to my mind in reference to that 4th wall comment, whatever it means, because you see PoE and Dark Souls are open world, and that's yet another layer of narration right there.

So, I don't know what you're talking about lol. I guess I have to get used to the level of mental retardation on this forum since 99% of the playerbase identifies PoE with its rich narration and you will find no review claiming otherwise. Only Dex.

You better get used to a lot of things yes. I already explained why pillars' narration sucks ass months ago : here you go.
By the way, no, Pillars doesn't have a better narration than Demon's Souls or Dark Souls, at all. If only because From Soft although uses props and level design to tell their story, or because their story is never, ever forced to the player who can brainlessly go from the beginning to the end without giving a fuck, or he can try to discover what happened, and he'll find a ton of stuff that isn't forced on him through wikipedia-style blocks of text. That's how a video game narration is properly handled. Pillars, as a IE games nostal-trip, is heavily literary. I don't mind that. It's just poorly done.
If you can't get over the games you like getting criticized, I suggest you go on another forum, you already seem to hate this one.

Dark Souls, for example, is universally praised for its rich narration, which is achieved by dialogues (merely 4 lines per encounter usually)

See, that's the problem. You seem to give any kind of importance to the fact that npc's monologues (there's no dialogue in Souls games by the way dude, but don't worry, you already have a lot to struggle with in life, so i'll let this one go) are 4-liners. You although totally missed why Dark Souls narration is greatly handled, hence you talk about "dialogues" in the first place. You're so clueless it's actually cute.

 

[Infinitron]

You better get used to a lot of things yes. I already explained why pillars' narration sucks ass months ago : here you go.

I'm not impressed by the examples you used there. It's telling that two out of the three "bad" dialogues are spoken by no-nonsense soldier types. And a druid at a grove that provides medicinal services to the community would be pretty no-nonsense as well.

 

[CptMace]

Infinitron, this kind of npcs are all over the place in Pillars of Eternity.
Back then, I played it fair by although asking a question to a companion npc. A godlike companion who happens to be the only one who comes from the vailian republics. See how shallow her answer (and all her answers really) are. It's like consulting wikipedia, as said.
Only Durance seems to have lived what he claims to have lived, you can feel his guts when he's talking about Magran and Eothas. Every one else just doesn't give a fuck.

As I said, the 4th wall is thinner in vidya gmaes, so if the npcs don't give two fucks, you don't either.

 

[Infinitron]

*shrug* I don't agree. It didn't feel that way to me.

But feel free to hunt down some examples of minor NPCs in Baldur's Gate that give passionate responses full of character to the question "Tell me about yourself".

(What's likely is that in many cases BG doesn't even give you the option to ask that.)