Eternity Pillars of Eternity + The White March Expansion Thread

[Axel_am]

Imaginary problems can have solutions. The problem is that the companions are too passive. You finish their companion quest and what happens next is something among the lines - "Ohhh jeesh, hopefully this was the right thing to do. Welp, guess we'll find out in the end game slides to find out."

There is no urgency to it and, obviously, no sense of resolution either. For most of the companions the last slides of the game aren't cutting it.

 

[Just Locus]

[...] the writing is not the best. But the world-building is top tier.

This is hampered somewhat by characters in PoE feeling like exposition dumps where their only purpose in the world is to deliver the lore for you. I know this is an issue that has been talked about to death but I do think that quality lore will land if the way in which it's delivered is excellent, secondly, I think the writing advice of "Show don't tell" is over-represented lately, like a quick get-out-of-jail-free card for actually sitting down and providing tangible solutions to writing problems present, there are absolutely moments where telling is more beneficial than to "show", especially in the limited way that cRPGs tend to be - I'd call the writing in PoE serviceable, The many scripted interactions are written nicely and it's staggeringly descriptive but it has that feeling of lackluster that plagues the rest of the game.

 

[Vic]

holy shit I said third's time the charm and I'm definitely going to make it past Caed Nua this time around but then I just ended up abandoning the game again.

I know there are so many good games out there that forcing myself to play a game I don't enjoy is kind of silly but man this is pissing me off, how can you make a game so good im premise and so god damn boring in execution.

My new year's resolution is to beat pillars!!!

 

[Lacrymas]

holy shit I said third's time the charm and I'm definitely going to make it past Caed Nua this time around but then I just ended up abandoning the game again.

That's ok, the best part of the base game is up until Maerwald anyway. WM is a different matter.

 

[Axel_am]

[...] the writing is not the best. But the world-building is top tier.

This is hampered somewhat by characters in PoE feeling like exposition dumps where their only purpose in the world is to deliver the lore for you. I know this is an issue that has been talked about to death but I do think that quality lore will land if the way in which it's delivered is excellent, secondly, I think the writing advice of "Show don't tell" is over-represented lately, like a quick get-out-of-jail-free card for actually sitting down and providing tangible solutions to writing problems present, there are absolutely moments where telling is more beneficial than to "show", especially in the limited way that cRPGs tend to be - I'd call the writing in PoE serviceable, The many scripted interactions are written nicely and it's staggeringly descriptive but it has that feeling of lackluster that plagues the rest of the game.

Yeah, that's true. Not a lot of the NPCs have enough personality. Best parts of Pillars are when people are talking about their Gods or what they represent for them. It still presents a nice base to build upon tho.

Maybe that's why WM is so good. It's mostly centered around two Gods doing godly stuff and you having to fix their shit 'cuz you are a Watcher. Trying not to lean into spoilers here.

The main plot does feel very lackluster. I still think that's because they've decided to go for a mystery type of plot line, in which the main antagonist has to be one step ahead of you right up until the end. It's not really something that people will get to enjoy on their first playthrough. The pay off isn't really that good either if you aren't invested in the whole world of Eora.

 

[Axel_am]

holy shit I said third's time the charm and I'm definitely going to make it past Caed Nua this time around but then I just ended up abandoning the game again.

I know there are so many good games out there that forcing myself to play a game I don't enjoy is kind of silly but man this is pissing me off, how can you make a game so good im premise and so god damn boring in execution.

My new year's resolution is to beat pillars!!!

Don't you enjoy the combat? You should also be able to enter WM soon after Cad Nua too.

 

[Vic]

holy shit I said third's time the charm and I'm definitely going to make it past Caed Nua this time around but then I just ended up abandoning the game again.

I know there are so many good games out there that forcing myself to play a game I don't enjoy is kind of silly but man this is pissing me off, how can you make a game so good im premise and so god damn boring in execution.

My new year's resolution is to beat pillars!!!

Don't you enjoy the combat? You should also be able to enter WM soon after Cad Nua too.

combat is ok but encounters are boring, exploration is boring, writing is boring, characters are boring. I've killed everything in Raedric's Hold, including the king in the final showdown, and then it just ended. no epic loot, no house, no women, I went back jerking off at the inn after liberating their town from their oppressive ruler. Sheesh.

This has worked in Baldur's Gate because we were adventurers and on a mission but the premise of the story was me trying to settle there? So why not throw in a house, considering how many people hang dead from the tree, there should be plenty of housing available.

 

[Axel_am]

There's more to Raedric's Hold.

Maybe play on Path of the Damned in that case. I'll post some exploration screenshots I have. Maybe that will motivate you to finish the game more. Pillars is filled with epic vistas.

 

[Vic]

Yeah it has great music, great art, interesting setting and opening, but it already starts to fizzle out by the time you hit the first dungeon and once you start doing quests in town you realize how depressingly flat the game is. Sigh.

 

[Axel_am]

Well, no. You gotta work on getting good, Vic.

 

[ferratilis]

Yeah it has great music, great art, interesting setting and opening, but it already starts to fizzle out by the time you hit the first dungeon and once you start doing quests in town you realize how depressingly flat the game is. Sigh.

Yup, it's nowhere near the masterpiece that is Starfield, right?

 

[Vic]

Yeah it has great music, great art, interesting setting and opening, but it already starts to fizzle out by the time you hit the first dungeon and once you start doing quests in town you realize how depressingly flat the game is. Sigh.

Yup, it's nowhere near the masterpiece that is Starfield, right?

Look, I want to like it, I did 3 attempts, each time not being able to make it past that goddamn river. I am being left drained, physically and emotionally. Even now a month has passed and I am dreading to pick it up again.

I have to do it the eastern european way, get a bottle of vodka and beat that shit in a night while pissing in a bucket.

 

[Axel_am]

Even in the Codex review it's said that you should play it at chunks. Not the whole game at the same time.

It really could be a too big, too overwhelming kind of a game at times.

 

[BruceVC]

holy shit I said third's time the charm and I'm definitely going to make it past Caed Nua this time around but then I just ended up abandoning the game again.

I know there are so many good games out there that forcing myself to play a game I don't enjoy is kind of silly but man this is pissing me off, how can you make a game so good im premise and so god damn boring in execution.

My new year's resolution is to beat pillars!!!

Don't you enjoy the combat? You should also be able to enter WM soon after Cad Nua too.

combat is ok but encounters are boring, exploration is boring, writing is boring, characters are boring. I've killed everything in Raedric's Hold, including the king in the final showdown, and then it just ended. no epic loot, no house, no women, I went back jerking off at the inn after liberating their town from their oppressive ruler. Sheesh.

This has worked in Baldur's Gate because we were adventurers and on a mission but the premise of the story was me trying to settle there? So why not throw in a house, considering how many people hang dead from the tree, there should be plenty of housing available.

I respect anyones honest opinion on a game because its your opinion and not mine

But that doesnt mean I will necessarily agree with it and in the case of PoE I disagree with most of you saying. And Im playing the game currently. My view so far

• exciting party based combat that allows different strategies like BG games, for example I can use my Cipher for Puppet control and my Chanter to summon phantoms and my wizard has got a myriad of effective spells
• I am enjoying the exploring, its not complex but when is it ever in most party based games that arent open world?
• I am enjoying the lore, its different and new like the whole Saints War and Godhammer and then the concept of Hollowborn
• My companions have some interesting stories so I have no issues there either

Anyway its just interesting we could have such different opinions about the same game

 

[Axel_am]

Vic, maybe the below will get you interested in exploring.

Spoiler

 

[Butter]

Even in the Codex review it's said that you should play it at chunks. Not the whole game at the same time.

It really could be a too big, too overwhelming kind of a game at times.

I like the game, and it's too big/repetitive/whatever to tackle all at once. I feel drained by the time I get through Act 1 + Act 2 + WM1.

 

[Axel_am]

Yeah, Twin Elms is a bit too much. WM2 I'd say is easy to go through just because of all of the epic shit that's happening.

 

[Nano]

Yeah, this game is beautiful and atmospheric. But most other things about it kinda suck.

 

[GloomFrost]

Yeah, this game is beautiful and atmospheric. But most other things about it kinda suck.

Its just people were excepting a lot more from creators of MoTB, NV, KOTOR 2 and AP.

 

[Axel_am]

Yeah, this game is beautiful and atmospheric. But most other things about it kinda suck.

What do you mean? There's even drugs and hookers here.

 

[Axel_am]

So, Fire Godlike went from

this

to

this

? That's not even remotely close. It might be a bit immersion breaking but I might have to roll a human for the sequel. I mean the in-game model doesn't look that bad, but it doesn't have much to do with the original Godlike design.

The original looks like some being born out of Fire and turned human somewhere in the process of evolution. The other one looks like some divine heavenly statue that's come to life by a Fire Spirit or something. Talk about a downgrade.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

So, Fire Godlike went from

this

to

this

? That's not even remotely close. It might be a bit immersion breaking but I might have to roll a human for the sequel. I mean the in-game model doesn't look that bad, but it doesn't have much to do with the original Godlike design.

The original looks like some being born out of Fire and turned human somewhere in the process of evolution. The other one looks like some divine heavenly statue that's come to life by a Fire Spirit or something. Talk about a downgrade.

Second one looks more like a magma godlike

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

Yeah, this game is beautiful and atmospheric. But most other things about it kinda suck.

What do you mean? There's even drugs and hookers here.

both represented by the rpgcodex

 

[BruceVC]

I completed PoE 1 after about 70 hours, it was a very good RPG experience

Firstly I give this game 75/100 on the globally followed " BruceVC game rating system " and one of the reasons it gets such a good score is because Obsidian was able to successfully create a new fantasy game world with interesting lore and a new ruleset. And thats hard with the understandable popularity of D&D rules

Some of the things I enjoyed about the new ruleset was how any class can use any armour or weapons and also I liked the new classes like the Cipher. So kudos to Obsidian for being able to create something different and still enjoyable

I thought the overall narrative was very unexpected and exciting, at the end I didnt think to discover the truth about the gods and I decided to release the souls back to bodies they were intended and end the hollowborn curse but I considered all the options and the consequences.Thought provoking choices at the end

Combat was a big win for me and I enjoyed the mechanics involved. By slowing down the game and using pause you can literally create dozens of strategies and approaches to win battles. I did have a hard time winning certain hard fights like the Sky Dragon and the final battle with Thaos but once I started using the combat log I was able to identify what I was getting wrong with my attacks so I then started becoming strategic and used buffs to increase my accuracy and spells to decrease Will. Paralyze become my friend and Prayer against Fear was critical in the dragon fights. But I also tried to kill the Sky Dragon at level 9 and then came back later at level 11 and had a much better time

I also enjoyed the Endless Paths and I decided to free the master instead of combat, great side quest

A few negatives, I lost interest in reading souls after 30 or so people because you cant do anything with the knowledge you learn. It would nice to see a way where you could incorporate what you learn into a quest? And then I found some of the companions lacked depth or didnt have very compelling side quests. I would also have preferred Romance as well

But overall a really good game and I plan to now play White March 1&2. Im going to have quick break and then play these expansions over Christmas holidays

 

[Axel_am]

Second one looks more like a magma godlike

It's the proportion of the face that's bothering me the most. Other Godlikes aren't that cucked.