Tyranny + Bastard's Wound Expansion Thread

[pippin]

The Year One patch reminds me I have to give PoE a spin again.

 

[tripedal]

There's a "power" meter on the Spire UI (on the right side), anyone know what that does?

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

It meters power.

Spoiler

 

[SymbolicFrank]

So, should I wait for the $5 bargain, or just skip it?

Disclaimer: I didn't play PoE either, as I didn't think I would like it.

 

[Lacrymas]

I'd say the "atmosphere" (I hate that word) is non-existent. It's Age of Decadence-lite, basically. There was a single interesting visual, the statue weeping blood at the start. The music is chaotic to a yet unheard-of degree, the main title music is some rhythmic clusters in the brass, which sounds wrong and anachronistic, the loading screen is one motif on the natural d minor scale repeated ad nauseam, the battle music is the usual percussive nonsense (but it uses the clusters from the start, look! Cyclical composition! Yeah, no), the "ambient" music is just accompaniment without melody (like he usually does), but it's not even that, I can't explain it. It's simply long held notes. It has no "drive", no musicality even. That's simply not how music works. I hope Obsidian don't pay him too much. I feel that music is under-utilized in games, it's always the same shit, I can't believe nobody gets sued for copyright. Phew, went on a tangent there. My point is that all the elements (writing, music, art etc.) are chaotic and don't work towards some kind of unified idea/concept. It's good that it's not simply senseless brutality all the time, but they somehow managed to make it too ...normal, I guess. I can't put it into words yet. I like the hidden treasures you can find with subterfuge though.

Also, as an official of the Grand Authority, I'm getting tired of being constantly talked down to and have to constantly beat some sense into the Chorus, practically nobody respects my position. Why am I even here? Why is everyone doing whatever they want? Why are people sending me on pointless tasks which don't befit my station? Why is everyone incompetent? All the sidequests feel like those shitty side-side-side quests in DA:O, where a small region is marked on your map, you go there, kill everyone and quest completed. There was an interesting exchange though - I was forced to force a Disfavored commander to beg to the commander of the Chorus. The Chorus commander wasn't being subdued by my beatings, so I had to convince him to act. Nothing worked apart from forcing the other commander to beg (you have a subterfuge option, but I didn't have enough skill). I thought it was good writing. I got to kill the Chorus commander after that, so it worked out in the end. There is some sparkling of creativity here and there, but it's all drowned in mediocrity. At least to where I am, it may change after that but I doubt it.

 

[Sentinel]

Yeah I really don't think Justin Bell has done a particularly good job on any game where he was the composer. It's high time Obsidian either contracts a studio to do the music for them or hires a composer who actually has some kind of creativity/inspiration.

 

[Lacrymas]

I do like the differences between the ideologies of the Chorus and Disfavored though. They both make sense in their own way and the conflict can culminate interestingly. How they make the Voices of Nerat talk in your mind is interesting and a brilliant use of the otherwise distracting clicky text. It is also a pretty interesting character. Like I said, they have a few glimpses here and there, better than PoE at least, where it was just a ruthless sea of banality and mediocrity.

 

[Sentinel]

Indeed. I think Tyranny experiments with some interesting ideas but the overall thing crumbles in the end.
Hope they import companion combos to PoE2, as well as the reputation system with some tweaks here and there. I wouldn't make the "You have gained Wrath with X" sound such a negative one, because it implants this notion that Wrath with a companion/faction = Bad, and that's a terrible thing to do in an RPG, where you want to encourage the player to try different things.

 

[veevoir]

I do like the differences between the ideologies of the Chorus and Disfavored though. They both make sense in their own way and the conflict can culminate interestingly. How they make the Voices of Nerat talk in your mind is interesting and a brilliant use of the otherwise distracting clicky text. It is also a pretty interesting character. Like I said, they have a few glimpses here and there, better than PoE at least, where it was just a ruthless sea of banality and mediocrity.

*coughs*


I'd say - this was a brilliant use of clicky text. It's like having an issue of Deadpool hidden inside


Question for experienced:what is the difference between research from silent archive and their 'regular' counterparts?

 

[Roguey]

Someone ought to tell those cargo cult dummies at Absuridan Entertainment that if you want to create a RPG with nothing but human enemies, it's absolutely vital to put a lot of effort into level design i.e. terrain and enemy placement, and to tune those enemies so that they're an overwhelming force who will crush you if you just waltz up to them with no plan. This is why Jagged Alliance 2 (and Silent Storm to a much lesser extent) succeed. "Run up to a group of enemies, kill them, repeat" doesn't cut it.

And because I feel like adding insult to injury

What could have been.

 

[bminorkey]

stupid question. how do i talk to team members in this? i skipped the tooltip accidentally and now have no idea

 

[Sentinel]

stupid question. how do i talk to team members in this? i skipped the tooltip accidentally and now have no idea

There's a "talk" icon on their portraits on the bottom left of the screen, silly.

Someone ought to tell those cargo cult dummies at Absuridan Entertainment that if you want to create a RPG with nothing but human enemies, it's absolutely vital to put a lot of effort into level design i.e. terrain and enemy placement, and to tune those enemies so that they're an overwhelming force who will crush you if you just waltz up to them with no plan. This is why Jagged Alliance 2 (and Silent Storm to a much lesser extent) succeed. "Run up to a group of enemies, kill them, repeat" doesn't cut it.

And because I feel like adding insult to injury

What could have been.

Doesn't shivershank explain that soldiers in the scarlet chorus are given nicknames based on their deeds in battles, and that's why they all have retarded names (and because they're sick 14-year old edgelords)?

 

[Roguey]

Doesn't shivershank explain that soldiers in the scarlet chorus are given nicknames based on their deeds in battles, and that's why they all have retarded names (and because they're sick 14-year old edgelords)?

None of the dialogue screens I've seen from Tyranny come across as grim at all, I just used that as a particular example of its Biowarian tone.

 

[Fairfax]

Someone ought to tell those cargo cult dummies at Absuridan Entertainment that if you want to create a RPG with nothing but human enemies, it's absolutely vital to put a lot of effort into level design i.e. terrain and enemy placement, and to tune those enemies so that they're an overwhelming force who will crush you if you just waltz up to them with no plan. This is why Jagged Alliance 2 (and Silent Storm to a much lesser extent) succeed. "Run up to a group of enemies, kill them, repeat" doesn't cut it.

And because I feel like adding insult to injury

What could have been.

Sawyer really shouldn't be one to talk about dialogue.

While it does have more than just humans, I agree with your point. There's also the issue of the game getting too easy as you progress.
For instance, this was a friend of mine playing on Hard difficulty, still in Act 2:

Sirin is just a little bit powerful.

 

[Roguey]

Sawyer really shouldn't be one to talk about dialogue.

I have always enjoyed Sawyer's dialogue whether Isair and Madae, Arcade Gannon, Joshua Graham, or Pallegina.

Not many people can say they inspired something like this.

 

[Sentinel]

Honestly that quote is so incredibly fucking sick on so many levels.
Sawyer must have been possessed by some Jesus entity while writing Joshua Graham.

 

[Fairfax]

Sawyer really shouldn't be one to talk about dialogue.

I have always enjoyed Sawyer's dialogue whether Isair and Madae, Arcade Gannon, Joshua Graham, or Pallegina.

Not many people can say they inspired something like this.

Isair and Madae I don't even remember what I thought, Arcade is Sawyer's idealized version of himself, Joshua was actually alright, but...Pallegina? What is there to like?
She's down there with Kana and Sagani as the least popular companions for a reason.

 

[Sentinel]

Prejucide

 

[Bonerbill]

but...Pallegina? What is there to like?

She has a sexy accent and good taste in armor.

 

[Roguey]

Pallegina? What is there to like?

She's a firecracker with a good amount of empathy for strangers who's desperate for the approval of others.

 

[Parabalus]

For instance, this was a friend of mine playing on Hard difficulty, still in Act 2:

Something is broken with her, it's beyond redic. She can solo entire maps on PotD just by running around.

 

[Russia is over. The end.]

 

[Filthy Sauce]

Fallout4 did it better. Obsidian, take note.

 

[Stavrophore]

Is the combat improved in comparison to PoE? My biggest complain was the lack of meaningful AI system, weak combat UI, engagement mechanics insta-snap.

 

[Sentinel]

Is the combat improved in comparison to PoE? My biggest complain was the lack of meaningful AI system, weak combat UI, engagement mechanics insta-snap.

lol no
it's worse in pretty much every possible way, even UI.