The writing in this game is average

[Athelas]

This has been explained in this very thread plenty of times. In what part of the game are you? I'll solve your puzzle.

"Man, shit happened to you but it was kinda of an accident and totally not intentional and now you got SUPER POWERS, congratulations! There maybe some unfortunate side effects like nightmares and stuff but don't worry that will alright." That is what I experienced so far, they may explain later what this is about but that doesn't change the fact that I don't see why my character shouldn't chillax and take some martinis on a tavern and don't worry about those peoples and their weird shit on ruins. On MotB as soon as you wake up, some weird lady says to you that you are on deep shit, then some tentacle beast goes out of you and eat some spirit wolf, now you know by experience you are in deep shit, then some super powerful spirit bear king wants to fuck you up because you are serious deep shit. I would like PoE to you know... be a little more direct what this story is about at the start.

Those cut scenes weren't what gave MoTB urgency, it was the spirit eater mechanic (although not really, since it was relatively easy to exploit).

Unfortunately, everyone hated it (fans and reviewers alike), and it's likely one of the reasons we didn't see anything similar in PoE.

 

[DeepOcean]

Why are you pretending the whole surviving a Biowac, having dreams about the dwarf woman and the whole crazy watcher part never existed? Short term memory amnesia?

Spoiler

Because the whole Biowac was you being on the wrong place and time what deflates the whole thing as a powerful hook to grab your attention on the story and push you foward. If you were one of the chumps that would become ash and was there forced, that would be another thing. People later are just slightly amused by you saying you surviving a Biawac, it looks like you survived a highly dangerous magical incident and you were lucky but that was it. You having dreams with the dwarven women and talking with her spirit is something hardly out of ordinary on a high magical setting and she saying to you that you are a Watcher would be something interesting if she didn't say right afterward that was rare but sort of normal and dismissed any worry you had.

 

[Athelas]

I can't believe we're almost 20 pages in and nobody has made the definitive rebuttal against the opening post:

Spoiler

Your mom is average.

 

[DeepOcean]

Those cut scenes weren't what gave MoTB urgency, it was the spirit eater mechanic (although not really, since it was relatively easy to exploit).

Unfortunately, everyone hated it (fans and reviewers alike), and it's likely one of the reasons we didn't see anything similar in PoE.

I disagree, you only see the spirit meter as a problem later on when the debuffs start rolling but right at the start, you need something to explain it and give it context. I they just gave you a bar and said it was a curse and didn't bother to introduce it, it would feel completely random.

 

[Irenaeus]

Spoiler

Because the whole Biowac was you being on the wrong place and time what deflates the whole thing as a powerful hook to grab your attention on the story and push you foward. If you were one of the chumps that would become ash and was there forced, that would be another thing. People later are just slightly amused by you saying you surviving a Biawac, it looks like you survived a highly dangerous magical incident and you were lucky but that was it. You having dreams with the dwarven women and talking with her spirit is something hardly out of ordinary on a high magical setting and she saying to you that you are a Watcher would be something interesting if she didn't say right afterward that was rare but sort of normal and dismissed any worry you had.

Probably they were not believing you say you survived a Bioware and were just playing you off. I disagree about your interpretation of the nightmare with dwarf woman and talking to her and her telling the watcher thing, I thought that was really shocking and gripping, both to me and to the character. We'll have to agree to disagree.

 

[dragonul09]

This has been explained in this very thread plenty of times. In what part of the game are you? I'll solve your puzzle.

"Man, shit happened to you but it was kinda of an accident and totally not intentional and now you got SUPER POWERS, congratulations! There maybe some unfortunate side effects like nightmares and stuff but don't worry that will alright." That is what I experienced so far, they may explain later what this is about but that doesn't change the fact that I don't see why my character shouldn't chillax and take some martinis on a tavern and don't worry about those peoples and their weird shit on ruins. On MotB as soon as you wake up, some weird lady says to you that you are on deep shit, then some tentacle beast goes out of you and eat some spirit wolf, now you know by experience you are in deep shit, then some super powerful spirit bear king wants to fuck you up because you are serious deep shit. I would like PoE to you know... be a little more direct what this story is about at the start.

Those cut scenes weren't what gave MoTB urgency, it was the spirit eater mechanic (although not really, since it was relatively easy to exploit).

Unfortunately, everyone hated it (fans and reviewers alike), and it's likely one of the reasons we didn't see anything similar in PoE.

Unfortunately ? That shit was beyond tedious,you could never relax because muh spirit meter is going down.Time limit mechanics suck for rpgs, because it just make you rush through the content and that's a killer move for an rpg.I remember when everyone was rushing through Fallout 1 because of the time limit,even tho 13 years were enough to play the game twice.

 

[Ninjerk]

Does anyone else find it strange that the inciting incident is a seemingly right-place, right-time chance encounter and yet

Spoiler

you're connected to Thaos as arguably the 2nd most important figure in his plot after Iovana or w/e her name is?

Did they ever suggest that you're drawn to the region for reasons other than greater opportunity in Gilded Vale?

 

[Athelas]

Those cut scenes weren't what gave MoTB urgency, it was the spirit eater mechanic (although not really, since it was relatively easy to exploit).

Unfortunately, everyone hated it (fans and reviewers alike), and it's likely one of the reasons we didn't see anything similar in PoE.

I disagree, you only see the spirit meter as a problem later on when the debuffs start rolling but right at the start, you need something to explain it and give it context. I they just gave you a bar and said it was a curse and didn't bother to introduce it, it would feel completely random.

I think it's better to let the player piece together the story for themselves instead of telling it in cut scenes.

 

[Irenaeus]

Does anyone else find it strange that the inciting incident is a seemingly right-place, right-time chance encounter and yet

Spoiler

you're connected to Thaos as arguably the 2nd most important figure in his plot after Iovana or w/e her name is?

Did they ever suggest that you're drawn to the region for reasons other than greater opportunity in Gilded Vale?

It wasn't a coincidence *plot twist*

 

[Jasede]

This thread reminded me of how good race reactions in Arcanum were. Maybe it's just nostalgia goggles but I remember people giving me tons of shit for playing a half-ogre or half-orc or basically anything, depending on the person you talked to. What a great game.

 

[Athelas]

Yeah, but this game lets you play as a furry midget. Isn't that like your dream come true?

 

[Angthoron]

Yeah, but this game lets you play as a furry midget. Isn't that like your dream come true?

AND it doesn't really judge you for it.

 

[Athelas]

Just wait until you get to the NPC that calls you 'son of an orlan whore'.

 

[Jasede]

This has been explained in this very thread plenty of times. In what part of the game are you? I'll solve your puzzle.

"Man, shit happened to you but it was kinda of an accident and totally not intentional and now you got SUPER POWERS, congratulations! There maybe some unfortunate side effects like nightmares and stuff but don't worry that will alright." That is what I experienced so far, they may explain later what this is about but that doesn't change the fact that I don't see why my character shouldn't chillax and take some martinis on a tavern and don't worry about those peoples and their weird shit on ruins. On MotB as soon as you wake up, some weird lady says to you that you are on deep shit, then some tentacle beast goes out of you and eat some spirit wolf, now you know by experience you are in deep shit, then some super powerful spirit bear king wants to fuck you up because you are serious deep shit. I would like PoE to you know... be a little more direct what this story is about at the start.

Those cut scenes weren't what gave MoTB urgency, it was the spirit eater mechanic (although not really, since it was relatively easy to exploit).

Unfortunately, everyone hated it (fans and reviewers alike), and it's likely one of the reasons we didn't see anything similar in PoE.

Unfortunately ? That shit was beyond tedious,you could never relax because muh spirit meter is going down.Time limit mechanics suck for rpgs, because it just make you rush through the content and that's a killer move for an rpg.I remember when everyone was rushing through Fallout 1 because of the time limit,even tho 13 years were enough to play the game twice.

You kidding? That meter was amazeballs. I never rested because of it. Now that's a great way to discourage rest spam! I just had to memorize my spells and build strong characters. Fun! ... well, for 2% of players.

 

[DeepOcean]

This thread reminded me of how good race reactions in Arcanum were. Maybe it's just nostalgia goggles but I remember people giving me tons of shit for playing a half-ogre or half-orc or basically anything, depending on the person you talked to. What a great game.

There were a few butthurt reactions to you being of Ayerddir, Ayadir, Eyerdir or from whatever PoE's Kwanistan is called.

 

[dragonul09]

This thread reminded me of how good race reactions in Arcanum were. Maybe it's just nostalgia goggles but I remember people giving me tons of shit for playing a half-ogre or half-orc or basically anything, depending on the person you talked to. What a great game.

I remember running around naked and people calling me a disgusting barbarian,such a good game indeed.

 

[Jasede]

One thing that pisses me off endlessly: I am playing a priest of Eothas and talk about him constantly. Durance's reaction to this? Nothing. Eder bro loves Eothas. Durance's reaction? Nada.

 

[felipepepe]

Does anyone else find it strange that the inciting incident is a seemingly right-place, right-time chance encounter and yet

Spoiler

you're connected to Thaos as arguably the 2nd most important figure in his plot after Iovana or w/e her name is?

Did they ever suggest that you're drawn to the region for reasons other than greater opportunity in Gilded Vale?

No, and the game also never explains why you survived the activation of the machine but your two companions died.

This thread reminded me of how good race reactions in Arcanum were. Maybe it's just nostalgia goggles but I remember people giving me tons of shit for playing a half-ogre or half-orc or basically anything, depending on the person you talked to. What a great game.

Meanwhile PoE's population is mostly composed of racists, superstitious and religious people, yet they all call the exotic mutants "God-like". Sawyer created multiple languages and cultures, but not a single curse word or racist offense...

 

[Angthoron]

One thing that pisses me off endlessly: I am playing a priest of Eothas and talk about him constantly. Durance's reaction to this? Nothing. Eder bro loves Eothas. Durance's reaction? Nada.

He's just being inclusive.

No, and the game also never explains why you survived the activation of the machine but your two companion died.

I think it does address this particular part indirectly?

Spoiler

Since your dude is part of Leaden Key, and a kinda big shot in it, he probably has his soul on steroids, which explains a lot of the soul shenanigans, Awakening, etc

 

[Athelas]

not a single curse word or racist offense

Durance insults women and other races all the time.

 

[Ninjerk]

Does anyone else find it strange that the inciting incident is a seemingly right-place, right-time chance encounter and yet

Spoiler

you're connected to Thaos as arguably the 2nd most important figure in his plot after Iovana or w/e her name is?

Did they ever suggest that you're drawn to the region for reasons other than greater opportunity in Gilded Vale?

No, and the game also never explains why you survived the activation of the machine but your two companions died.

This thread reminded me of how good race reactions in Arcanum were. Maybe it's just nostalgia goggles but I remember people giving me tons of shit for playing a half-ogre or half-orc or basically anything, depending on the person you talked to. What a great game.

Meanwhile PoE's population is mostly composed of racists, superstitious and religious people, yet they all call the exotic mutants "God-like". Sawyer created multiple languages and cultures, but not a single curse word or racist offense... even those spider-people call you God-like.

I think what bothers me the most is that you have this great underlying plot reason that's reincarnation based, but you have no reason to think, for much of the game, that these people stretched out on torture racks or witch-pyres have anything to do with you. They let you experience other people's/spirits' memories through their eyes, so why would you conclude that it was, in fact, you that were this Inquisitor in Thaos' service? Maybe I was rushing too much and missed something.

It's like someone wanted to replicate the Nameless One plot, but in that game the setting allowed for him to talk to someone and them say, "I remember you! Fuck off! You're nothing but trouble!" Or, "Yeah, I'll help you AGAIN, but I'm going to exploit you to do it." a la the stinky orb guy whose name escapes me at the moment.

 

[Irenaeus]

I agree that cultures and races and classes should be addressed way more in the game. There's even a whole thread about this in this forum. Hopefully, either Obsi or mods will fix it.

 

[Angthoron]

a la the stinky orb guy whose name escapes me at the moment.

Pharod. His name is Pharod, ye git.

 

[Lhynn]

Im a monk, and no one cares, not even i care.

 

[Angthoron]

Im a monk, and no one cares, no even i care.

You meet some monks in Act 3. Maybe there's something then.