http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/obsidian/project-eternity
Quote
Project: Eternity (http://kotaku.com/5942307/the-people-behind-fallout-and-planescape-are-making-my-dream-rpg)
Video game publishers have not treated Obsidian Entertainment very well over the years.
The studio behind games like Fallout: New Vegas and Alpha Protocol has missed out on bonuses because of Metacritic scores, lost out on sequels because of Metacritic scores, and been forced to lay off staff because of sudden project cancellations (that would have probably been ruined because of Metacritic scores).
So now they're ditching the publisher model. They're going straight to the fans. They want $1.1 million to make an original, brand new, fantasy role-playing game in the vein of old classics like Baldur's Gate II and Planescape Torment. It's a dream project. And they've got the talent to pull it off.
This afternoon, Obsidian is launching a Kickstarter for what they're calling Project: Eternity. It's an original fantasy role-playing game created by many of the company's top minds: Chris Avellone, creator of Planescape: Torment; Tim Cain, one of the brains behind the original Fallout; Josh Sawyer, a lead designer on Icewind Dale; and a number of other programmers, artists, and designers who have worked on all of those games.
Their goal: to make an RPG that blends the combat and exploration of Baldur's Gate, the dungeon spelunking of Icewind Dale, and the powerful narrative of Planescape: Torment.
In other words, this could be an RPG fan's dream game.
"Project: Eternity is our opportunity to FINALLY develop our own fantasy RPG world and franchise," Obsidian's Avellone told me in an e-mail this week. "FINALLY. Did I say FINALLY enough? One more time: FINALLY.
"It's not like we've had any lack of ideas, only a lack of opportunity or anyone who wanted to finance it. Then Kickstarter came along and a door opened—this was FINALLY our chance to sidestep the publisher model and get financing directly from the people who want to play an Obsidian RPG. I'd much rather have the players be my boss and hear their thoughts for what would be fun than people who might be more distant from the process and the genre and frankly, any long-term attachment to the title."
They're targeting a spring 2014 release. The game will cost you $25 (or $20 if you're an early supporter). And it'll be PC only, because Avellone is "tired of designing content and interactions that caters to consoles and console controllers."
"Those limitations affect RPG mechanics and content more than players may realize (especially for players who've never played a PC RPG and realize what's been lost over the years), and often doesn't add to the RPG experience," he told me.
Avellone also echoed something I've written quite a bit about: the value of having conversations with gamers. Kickstarter can free a company like Obsidian from the message-driven shackles of publishers and allow designers like Avellone to be as open as possible.
"It's nice to be able to TALK about our Kickstarter projects, not just with devs, but with fans directly," he said. "Want to share a vision doc? Sure! Want to show early screenshots and concept art? Sure! Normally that kind of sharing with the community is strictly monitored and shackled, and often, we can't share what we're working on until way, way, way down the line of the development process. That's always struck me as one of the worst business models in an industry where iteration is key."
So what's the game actually going to look like? The final product is still at least a year and a half away, but Avellone shared some thoughts on how Project: Eternity is shaping up:
Combat will be old-school. "It'll feel like Baldur's Gate 2. After discussions here, we decided to pursue a similar combat style to the [games on the Infinity Engine, like Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale]—real time with pause. It'll offer the same breadth and depth of combat choices as you'd expect from combats in Baldur's Gate, and our combat system has been one of the first systems we've delved into for the Kickstarter."
The world is totally original. "It's fantasy with its own voice. Josh Sawyer has been leading the charge with the world and race creation—at first glance, players will recognize archetypes and seemingly-familiar landscapes, but often, we just use that as a means to draw you in and let you begin to see the subtleties and differences. Our first goal with the world creation was to make a world that's fun to explore first, and then construct the lore, factions, and conflicts around that."
This is a game with soul. "So there are a few things—we want the player to be able to build their own character, and we want the player to be able to evolve and grow. And this growth wouldn't be limited to the first game, but would continue into subsequent titles as well. The story and world is built around the concept of magic and power tied to a character's soul, and the player's soul and the souls of his companions are... special."
You won't get to create your own party. That's not a bad thing. "Much like Baldur's Gate and Planescape Torment, the player creates one character and gathers a party while exploring the world. We'll be giving the companions as much love and attention as we've done in our titles in the past, from Torment all the way up to [Neverwinter Nights 2:] Mask of the Betrayer and Fallout: New Vegas. We don't want them to outshine the player, but support him and act as a sounding board for his decisions and choices in the game. Our desire is the player character and the companions (if they survive) will go beyond simply one title into future installments."
It will look like the old classic isometric games. "While Project: Eternity heralds back to the Infinity Engine games our fans have played, we'll be using a different engine and it will be isometric. We feel isometric lends itself to more tactical party-based play."
If the Kickstarter fails, they'll just try again. "[We'll] refine the idea, figure out what didn't work, then try again. The nice thing about KS is that you know in 30 days (often, less) if your idea doesn't resonate with the public, rather than 2-3 years down the line or trying to pump so many marketing dollars at people they become brainwashed into liking an idea that never resonated with them in the first place. (That's my final rant.)"
If the Kickstarter succeeds, this will be a franchise. "It means we FINALLY have a world of our own that we can build upon, not just for this title but for future releases down the line. We've wanted to do our own RPG world for a long, long time, and it's been hard to pursue outside of existing franchises. Project: Eternity is our chance to take all the RPG knowledge, mechanics, lore, and characterization we've learned over the years and turn it into the game our fans have been hungering for."
My pants are a dairy factory.
That just shows the extent that publishers have been ignoring old school RPGs. Good decision Obsidian.
Oh and Chris Avellone is a genius.
Wow. I'm impressed. I saw that thing the other day on Rock paper shotgun. I didn't know they fulfilled their quota in a day. I was seriously considering donating money to that one. This year has made feel positive about the PC game market for the first time in years. Kick starter has played a big part in that.
Quote from: Razgovory on September 18, 2012, 04:56:31 PM
I didn't know they fulfilled their quota in a day. I was seriously considering donating money to that one.
Well actually you still can. Kickstarter page shows a list of things they'll add as they meet each tier of stretch goals.
Great concept! I'll be very disappointed if BethSoft doesn't have them busily working on the new Fallout game. Obsidion knows how to do fallout better than BethSoft does.
Quote from: garbon on September 18, 2012, 05:59:48 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on September 18, 2012, 04:56:31 PM
I didn't know they fulfilled their quota in a day. I was seriously considering donating money to that one.
Well actually you still can. Kickstarter page shows a list of things they'll add as they meet each tier of stretch goals.
I think I will. 35 seems fair, don't it? One thing I've liked about their RPGs is when they talk about "mature" themes doesn't just mean some of the characters say "fuck", or that there are hookers in the game. Torment is the best example of this. The overall theme is one of punishment and redemption. Essentially the goal of the game is to die and go to hell.
Quote from: grumbler on September 18, 2012, 06:00:20 PM
Great concept! I'll be very disappointed if BethSoft doesn't have them busily working on the new Fallout game. Obsidion knows how to do fallout better than BethSoft does.
My understanding is Obsidian didn't do too well out of New Vegas, because they didn't get a high enough Metacritic review to make a bonus they would have in their contract, but I read that here and so it could be wrong.
Metacritic as a tool for performance analysis is bullshit. Hell, Metacritic is just retarded, period.
Quote from: Neil on September 18, 2012, 07:06:15 PM
Metacritic as a tool for performance analysis is bullshit. Hell, Metacritic is just retarded, period.
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/15/obsidian-missed-fallout-new-vegas-metacritic-bonus-by-one-point/
Quote from: Neil on September 18, 2012, 07:06:15 PM
Metacritic as a tool for performance analysis is bullshit. Hell, Metacritic is just retarded, period.
It saved a publisher a lot of money didn't it?
There seems to be a very vocal group on P'dox OT who hate Obsidian because their releases are buggy messes.
Quote from: Faeelin on September 18, 2012, 06:56:09 PM
My understanding is Obsidian didn't do too well out of New Vegas, because they didn't get a high enough Metacritic review to make a bonus they would have in their contract, but I read that here and so it could be wrong.
That was my understanding as well, but the lesson to be learned there is not to agree to MOEs like that, not to stop making games with the contractee. Obsidian lost the bonus because they signed a contract with a clause that made it too hard to earn the bonus. That's on them.
Quote from: Syt on September 19, 2012, 02:03:06 AM
There seems to be a very vocal group on P'dox OT who hate Obsidian because their releases are buggy messes.
:lol:
:cheers: Managed to get in on the $20 support level, myself. Looking forward to this when it's eventually released in...2014...
Quote from: grumbler on September 19, 2012, 12:55:40 PM
Quote from: Faeelin on September 18, 2012, 06:56:09 PM
My understanding is Obsidian didn't do too well out of New Vegas, because they didn't get a high enough Metacritic review to make a bonus they would have in their contract, but I read that here and so it could be wrong.
That was my understanding as well, but the lesson to be learned there is not to agree to MOEs like that, not to stop making games with the contractee. Obsidian lost the bonus because they signed a contract with a clause that made it too hard to earn the bonus. That's on them.
You are assuming that a different contractual arrangment was available that they were not bright enough to negotiate. It could very well be that they tried but could not get better contractual terms and that is why they have decided to fund their new game in a different manner.
It's already over 1,6 millions. This is going well :)
L.
Quote from: crazy canuck on September 19, 2012, 12:59:57 PM
You are assuming that a different contractual arrangment was available that they were not bright enough to negotiate. It could very well be that they tried but could not get better contractual terms and that is why they have decided to fund their new game in a different manner.
You are assuming that Obsidian had to sign a contract, period. I am assuming only that they were not
forced to sign the contract. Even if the choice were to sign the offered contract or not to sign it, if Obsidian signed the contract and then lost money, they chose poorly in signing.
Going forward, they can either learn from their mistake (if it was one), or not. BethSoft can then either sweeten the deal if necessary, or not get Obsidian's services. That's how bids, offers, and contracts work.
I'm reminded of EUOT when one of the Swedetards didn't agree with me that musicians weren't forced to sign crappy record deals.
It looks like they will get the Mask of the Betrayer band back together if they get to 2.8 million. That would be pretty awesome if any of you guys want to contribute and haven't yet.
Man it is just shooting up today! Thanks to any of you guys who contributed. Probably going to up my pledge on the last day.
Well, I paid my part (went with the 25$ option, because the other tiers didn't really have much I was interested in).
Looking forward to hopefully, maybe, receiving a good product in, uhm, 18 months or so.
Quote from: Valmy on October 10, 2012, 12:18:53 PM
It looks like they will get the Mask of the Betrayer band back together if they get to 2.8 million. That would be pretty awesome if any of you guys want to contribute and haven't yet.
So that's happening now. Pretty crazy jump since yesterday. :D
Yep really excited. MOTB was just the sort of structure I want to see in CRPG plots so great to get that entire writing team working on this project.
It will probably top 3 million tommorow.
Well, they're at 3.15 Million - they got another big surge. over night. I would love to see them reach 3.5M (at which point they'd add another Baldur's Gate sized city), but I guess that's unlikely in the remaining under two days. :lol:
Okay, I gave them my $25. I really would like to see another Baldur's Gate like game and if it has two big cities, all the better. I am hopeful they'll make it to 3.5 million. Right now, just $250.000 missing, but apparently they have another $90.000 from PayPal, so $3.5 million looks feasible in the last day.
Money is piling up quite quickly now. 20k in less than an hour. I think we´ll see 3.5 mill easily.
So they#re at 3.4M with 17 hours to go. Wow.
Quote from: Syt on October 16, 2012, 02:51:30 AM
So they#re at 3.4M with 17 hours to go. Wow.
I kicked in my two cents (actually 35 bucks). Part of me thinks this whole kickstarter is a stupid idea, but there is another part of me that extremely encouraged by it. It gives me the feeling that PC gaming is going in the right direction again.
Done :)
Only 40k $ to reach the 3.5M threshold: where's Ed when you need him?
L.
It's at more than 3.6 million now. At this speed, they'll reach 3.8 million or so before this is over.
That's pretty impressive. It boggles my mind that this even works.
Quote from: Razgovory on October 16, 2012, 02:08:48 PM
That's pretty impressive. It boggles my mind that this even works.
Why? It's basically publishing via social media. It relies on people to spread the word and essentially cashes in on a lot of nostalgia. That Obsidian has so many people working for it that have produced quality titles in the past is just another means of assuaging people's fears of being ripped off, which guarantees a certain amount of sales.
I wonder if they can make up the ~350,000 they need to hit that last stretch goal in the remaining 5 hours. :hmm:
Probably not but they do have 150kish in Paypal that doesnt show up so it´ll be close.
Quote from: Habbaku on October 16, 2012, 02:51:48 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on October 16, 2012, 02:08:48 PM
That's pretty impressive. It boggles my mind that this even works.
Why? It's basically publishing via social media. It relies on people to spread the word and essentially cashes in on a lot of nostalgia. That Obsidian has so many people working for it that have produced quality titles in the past is just another means of assuaging people's fears of being ripped off, which guarantees a certain amount of sales.
I don't know, perhaps because the idea that you can just get 3.5 million dollars by just asking for it on the internet seems weird to me.
They're at 3,7 million, impressive. Hopefully that'll keep them in Mountain Dew and porn while they code the game.
Did my bit.
Less then an hour and nearly 4 million dollars. :lol:
:yeah:
I'll be damned, 3,986,929 bucks. That is one hell of a thing.
They got a sizable chunk more from PayPal as well. That will push them over their 4 million goal.
Quote from: Habbaku on October 16, 2012, 02:51:48 PM
Why? It's basically publishing via social media. It relies on people to spread the word and essentially cashes in on a lot of nostalgia.
WHich is kinda funny - RPS had a good article recently, that one of the ideas behind Kickstarter was to offer people with new designs, ideas or concepts that seemed too "risky" for normal publishers a way to fund their projects. However, in computer games the "market" seems driven by a lot of nostalgia with people funding games "like they used to be" - think the classic adventure game hat Double Fine got funded, this project and a number of others.
That was certainly the idea and I'm not sure that the KSing of Project Eternity, Wasteland 2, Shadowrun et al is necessarily a contradiction to that. A lot of those IPs are, quite simply, a bit on the aging side of things and I'm not entirely surprised that a publishing company would be wary to go for such a "sure thing." With KS, though, they remove all the risk of gauging interest.
Quote from: Habbaku on October 17, 2012, 12:34:26 AM
With KS, though, they remove all the risk of gauging interest.
Sure. The only real trick with KS'ing games is to make sure that you bring some fence-sitters in with free copies for donations, but don't oversell them. Otherwise, you've got to hope that the millions you raise is enough to support an effectively freeware game made to professional standards.
Oh dear Paradox is getting involved: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fignwDZy-SI
Hey look a Kickstarter game got a publisher. THEY SOLD OUT MAN.
I wonder how that will work out.
Quote from: Valmy on March 19, 2014, 06:13:46 PM
Oh dear Paradox is getting involved: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fignwDZy-SI
The Paradox CEO cant get through a minute of introductory remarks without constantly looking down at his speaking notes?
Was he speaking in his native language or English?
Quote from: sbr on March 20, 2014, 10:45:09 AM
Was he speaking in his native language or English?
English. If a CEO cant speak English then he should have someone else do an English language presentation ;)
One thought about kickstarer and where it could be better than pre-existing
Methods: it really does help in the fight against piracy.
With conventional publishing even if you love a developer the temptation is too easy for many.
With kickstarter they feel more of a need to put their money down since the game existing depends on it
That's a pretty crappy poem, Jos.
This is insane. Why would anyone want to invest in this? What if those guys take the money and disappear?
Quote from: Monoriu on March 20, 2014, 11:29:32 PM
This is insane. Why would anyone want to invest in this? What if those guys take the money and disappear?
:huh:
Quote from: Habbaku on March 20, 2014, 11:31:36 PM
Quote from: Monoriu on March 20, 2014, 11:29:32 PM
This is insane. Why would anyone want to invest in this? What if those guys take the money and disappear?
:huh:
Feel free to enlighten me :)
Why do you think there's a greater than 0% chance of established industry professionals "tak(ing) the money and disappear(ing)"?
Quote from: Habbaku on March 20, 2014, 11:57:53 PM
Why do you think there's a greater than 0% chance of established industry professionals "tak(ing) the money and disappear(ing)"?
Because it isn't unheard of for established industry professionals to commit fraud or other crimes. US$3/4 million is not a small amount of money and some people may decide to take it.
Alternatively, one can presumably make a really crappy game with only a small portion of the funds. Then pocket the difference. As salary. Most probably legal and not much investors can do about it.
And I really wonder why I should invest in the game before it comes out. The software industry is full of vapourware. Why not wait until the game comes out?
I found the concept interesting enough to risk my $25.
Quote from: Monoriu on March 21, 2014, 01:16:46 AM
And I really wonder why I should invest in the game before it comes out. The software industry is full of vapourware. Why not wait until the game comes out?
Because the game would never get made otherwise? This was pretty much the last gasp of the traditional RPG crowd. Also this company was working on South Park while this was going on so it was unlikely they would just vanish with a few million. A few million is not a lot of money anymore, or at least not enough for dozens and dozens of people to live on right after they destroy their careers.
But yeah everybody who invests in a kickstarter game understands there is a very real chance the game never actually gets made. But Paradox is now publishing the game so now we can be ASSURED it comes on schedule and bug free :P
Because for an established game company with excellent public opinion (that it depends on) releasing a substandard game off of a kickstarter would pretty much ruin the company. The public relations blowback would be much worse than for a lousy game financed some other way.
Quote from: Monoriu on March 20, 2014, 11:45:51 PM
Feel free to enlighten me :)
Eh, it's a lot of backers pledging individually what amounts to sofa cushion change in order to get something like Baldur's Gate to play with. You're basically a patron of the Arts, hoping your Mozart writes something decent to listen to and dosen't just run off to drink and whore the money away.
In which case you've risked little and lost even less as an individual.
Now, this is a great coup for Paradox... but couldn't Obsidian secure a bigger publisher? They're not an indie developer working in their pops' garages, you know... :huh:
Quote from: celedhring on March 21, 2014, 11:43:20 AM
Now, this is a great coup for Paradox... but couldn't Obsidian secure a bigger publisher? They're not an indie developer working in their pops' garages, you know... :huh:
In this day and age bigger would have mean Activision, Ubisoft or EA & that just means more Bullshit to deal with.
Quote from: Legbiter on March 21, 2014, 09:49:54 AM
Quote from: Monoriu on March 20, 2014, 11:45:51 PM
Feel free to enlighten me :)
Eh, it's a lot of backers pledging individually what amounts to sofa cushion change in order to get something like Baldur's Gate to play with. You're basically a patron of the Arts, hoping your Mozart writes something decent to listen to and dosen't just run off to drink and whore the money away.
In which case you've risked little and lost even less as an individual.
I have an even better plan: let others pay Mozart, then listen to it for free when it comes out :contract:
Quote from: Monoriu on March 21, 2014, 06:51:11 PM
Quote from: Legbiter on March 21, 2014, 09:49:54 AM
Quote from: Monoriu on March 20, 2014, 11:45:51 PM
Feel free to enlighten me :)
Eh, it's a lot of backers pledging individually what amounts to sofa cushion change in order to get something like Baldur's Gate to play with. You're basically a patron of the Arts, hoping your Mozart writes something decent to listen to and dosen't just run off to drink and whore the money away.
In which case you've risked little and lost even less as an individual.
I have an even better plan: let others pay Mozart, then listen to it for free when it comes out :contract:
That works fine until no one pays, then no one gets anything for free or otherwise.
Quote from: grumbler on September 19, 2012, 12:55:40 PM
Quote from: Faeelin on September 18, 2012, 06:56:09 PM
My understanding is Obsidian didn't do too well out of New Vegas, because they didn't get a high enough Metacritic review to make a bonus they would have in their contract, but I read that here and so it could be wrong.
That was my understanding as well, but the lesson to be learned there is not to agree to MOEs like that, not to stop making games with the contractee. Obsidian lost the bonus because they signed a contract with a clause that made it too hard to earn the bonus. That's on them.
Publishers tend to have a lot more power in those kind of contract negotiations. Or they used to. Maybe it will change; certainly the industry is changing.
EDIT: didn't notice the date on the post I responded to...
Quote from: celedhring on March 21, 2014, 11:43:20 AM
Now, this is a great coup for Paradox... but couldn't Obsidian secure a bigger publisher? They're not an indie developer working in their pops' garages, you know... :huh:
I ran into a colleague of mine at GDC who's now pretty senior at Obsidian... to me it sounded like the arrangement with Paradox was pretty good.
Just because Activision, EA, Ubisoft or whoever are bigger doesn't mean the terms of the deal are better. Perhaps the meta critic score doesn't factor into the revenue with the Paradox deal, for example.
Quote from: Monoriu on March 20, 2014, 11:45:51 PMFeel free to enlighten me :)
The reputational risk is too high.
If you are a senior decision maker at Obsidian you have a direct ownership stake in the company. Future potential revenue from legitimate operations outweigh the roughly $1M to be gained from bamboozling the public. Ultimately they're hoping to put the studio in a position where it's worth several hundred million dollars to a potential acquirer (whether they choose to cash out that way, or to keep control of the company and profit as operators).
Basically, it would be the equivalent of you risking the rest of your career and a your pension by embezzling US$50K from your employer. Sure, it's a nice amount of money, but the damage to your future prospects when the inevitable consequences manifest makes it not worth it.
Quote from: Monoriu on March 21, 2014, 06:51:11 PM
I have an even better plan: let others pay Mozart, then listen to it for free when it comes out :contract:
Your plan has failed for years.
Quote from: Jacob on March 22, 2014, 10:13:26 PM
Quote from: celedhring on March 21, 2014, 11:43:20 AM
Now, this is a great coup for Paradox... but couldn't Obsidian secure a bigger publisher? They're not an indie developer working in their pops' garages, you know... :huh:
I ran into a colleague of mine at GDC who's now pretty senior at Obsidian... to me it sounded like the arrangement with Paradox was pretty good.
Just because Activision, EA, Ubisoft or whoever are bigger doesn't mean the terms of the deal are better. Perhaps the score doesn't factor into the revenue with the Paradox deal, for example.
Aye, the metacritic clause is some serious bullshit if true. I understand videogame sales are really review-driven (unlike movies), but couldn't they just tie the bonus to gross sales? That's what it's about, after all.
Quote from: celedhring on March 23, 2014, 04:06:50 AM
Aye, the metacritic clause is some serious bullshit if true. I understand videogame sales are really review-driven (unlike movies), but couldn't they just tie the bonus to gross sales? That's what it's about, after all.
I don't know what the current state is as I've been out of console games for a bit now, but metacritic clauses were pretty widespread. In fact, I think they were pretty much standard when dealing with publishers etc.
I think the thing is they're the closest thing to an "objective" metric you can get on the quality for a game for the MBA type senior executives who care about Key Performance Indicators (and that's many of them at the big publishers). Thus the bonus and incentive structures for mid-level executives are tied to those, and down it flows from there.
I sorta assumed that that the idea was to get picked up by a publisher from the beginning. Though after seeing several projects come out from kickstarter I dropped that assumption. I've noticed that Paradox as a publisher goes in for a lot of longshots. Some work out well and make money (like Magicka), others fail miserably such as that that steampunk Gettysburg game. I do like to see them take a risk though.
Quote from: Razgovory on March 23, 2014, 11:32:45 AM
I sorta assumed that that the idea was to get picked up by a publisher from the beginning. Though after seeing several projects come out from kickstarter I dropped that assumption. I've noticed that Paradox as a publisher goes in for a lot of longshots. Some work out well and make money (like Magicka), others fail miserably such as that that steampunk Gettysburg game. I do like to see them take a risk though.
Game publishing is pretty broken these days. Everyone, including publishers, are looking at alternative models while trying to milk the old one if they can.
Personally, I like the moves Paradox are making.
Quote from: celedhring on March 23, 2014, 04:06:50 AM
Aye, the metacritic clause is some serious bullshit if true. I understand videogame sales are really review-driven (unlike movies), but couldn't they just tie the bonus to gross sales? That's what it's about, after all.
It seems weird that movies have seen critics more undermined because of social media and online reviews (with the exception of Ide, whose reviews only undermine himself) than a video games.
Ide doesn't write reviews, he writes dissertations.
I've pretty much stopped looking at review scores and instead look at the reviews themselves and user feedback/let's plays instead. I find those much more informative than a "87%" or "8.5/10" ratings.
Quote from: Syt on March 23, 2014, 11:33:20 PM
I've pretty much stopped looking at review scores and instead look at the reviews themselves and user feedback/let's plays instead. I find those much more informative than a "87%" or "8.5/10" ratings.
Oh yeah, totally.
I hope these reviews are weighted so they give more say On the average to a top magazine than some minor website
I like this idea. I'm much heavier then Ide, so my reviews should be worth more.
If videogame reviews work anything like film reviews, you shouldn't necessarily trust bigger magazines; those are in the pockets of distributors as they depend on them for exclusives, interviews, sneak peeks, etc...
Quote from: celedhring on March 25, 2014, 05:29:03 AM
If videogame reviews work anything like film reviews, you shouldn't necessarily trust bigger magazines; those are in the pockets of distributors as they depend on them for exclusives, interviews, sneak peeks, etc...
The game reviewing business is rotten to the core.
Quote from: celedhring on March 25, 2014, 05:29:03 AM
If videogame reviews work anything like film reviews, you shouldn't necessarily trust bigger magazines; those are in the pockets of distributors as they depend on them for exclusives, interviews, sneak peeks, etc...
It's much, much, much worse.
Quote from: Grey Fox on March 26, 2014, 10:31:36 AM
Quote from: celedhring on March 25, 2014, 05:29:03 AM
If videogame reviews work anything like film reviews, you shouldn't necessarily trust bigger magazines; those are in the pockets of distributors as they depend on them for exclusives, interviews, sneak peeks, etc...
It's much, much, much worse.
Yeah, since most websites are dependent on advertising from said games makers. I read Rock Paper Shotgun's blog, because they are British and thus find problems with everything. It's not perfect but it's better then those sites where the lowest rating they give is a 7/10.
Yeah, RPS, Total Biscuit (to some degree - he has a different taste in games than I do, so I adjust for that), Destructoid partly, folks like quill18 for mainstream-ish strategy games, Splattercat and a bunch of others for other games. I find that I get much more out of a half hour video review or a few "Let's Play" episodes than I do out of a review on any major website.
And of course checking forums and user feedback.
I can't even say when the last time was that I went on a page like IGN or similar.
That said, I can be a rather forgiving gamer. If I pay 10 EUR for a game and realize I don't like it I'm not going to throw a hissy fit, but move on instead and make a note to generally avoid the developer.
Quote from: Jacob on March 26, 2014, 10:23:55 AM
Quote from: celedhring on March 25, 2014, 05:29:03 AM
If videogame reviews work anything like film reviews, you shouldn't necessarily trust bigger magazines; those are in the pockets of distributors as they depend on them for exclusives, interviews, sneak peeks, etc...
The game reviewing business is rotten to the core.
Yeah I really do not understand the point of most of them. What about independent-ish guys like Angry Joe, Total Biscuit, or Yahtzee? Granted I usually listen to them rant for the entertainment value than actually getting info about games.
Same things, different flavours.
...aaaaand there's a release date!
According to Project Update #88, the game will be out March 26, 2015. :yeah:
L.
Quote from: Pedrito on January 15, 2015, 03:00:44 PM
...aaaaand there's a release date!
According to Project Update #88, the game will be out March 26, 2015. :yeah:
L.
I'm more excited about this game than I probably should be. Do I need to start wearing thick black-rimmed glasses and flannel? :hmm:
Intro to documentary about making the game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KnQl-wbccI
Woah. I had no idea this kickstarter was their last stand.
Quote from: Pedrito on January 15, 2015, 03:00:44 PM
...aaaaand there's a release date!
According to Project Update #88, the game will be out March 26, 2015. :yeah:
L.
I'll be damned. It's actually going to be a thing.
Quote from: Razgovory on March 16, 2015, 04:54:05 PM
I'll be damned. It's actually going to be a thing.
Hardly surprising. They just had a retty successful release last year. There is a reason people gave them their money.
Quote from: Valmy on March 16, 2015, 06:28:01 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on March 16, 2015, 04:54:05 PM
I'll be damned. It's actually going to be a thing.
Hardly surprising. They just had a retty successful release last year. There is a reason people gave them their money.
Still seems strange to me.
GOLD!
For all that means anymore.
https://www.paradoxplaza.com/news/Pillars-of-Eternity-Has-Gone-Gold/
I had loads of fun playing Divinity: Original Sin, so my appetite for old school RPGs is well and truly whetted. This might, MIGHT, be the first game I buy on release since EU4.
Quote from: celedhring on March 17, 2015, 02:16:33 PM
I had loads of fun playing Divinity: Original Sin, so my appetite for old school RPGs is well and truly whetted. This might, MIGHT, be the first game I buy on release since EU4.
I can't wait. Most I have been excited for a game since Dragon Age: Origins.
Quote from: Valmy on March 17, 2015, 02:10:55 PM
GOLD!
For all that means anymore.
https://www.paradoxplaza.com/news/Pillars-of-Eternity-Has-Gone-Gold/
I suspect it will have lots of bugs.
From the linked page:
"For more information on Pillars of Eternity, visit eternity.obsidian.net."
Click on link, 404 - Page Not Found error.
What a disaster.
Testing has actually been extensive and it is orders of magnitude more bug free than previous Obsidian titles...for what that's worth.
I have been following the Beta closely.
http://eternity.obsidian.net/ works fine but the link doesn't. Strange.
Anyway that is Paradox not being able to link things, nothing to do with the game.
Quote from: Valmy on March 17, 2015, 02:10:55 PM
GOLD!
For all that means anymore.
https://www.paradoxplaza.com/news/Pillars-of-Eternity-Has-Gone-Gold/
QuotePre-orders also include two special in-game items: a Giant Miniature Space Piglet...
:)
Game looks good.
The original kickstarter pitch said the game would be priced at $25.
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on March 17, 2015, 07:30:37 PM
The original kickstarter pitch said the game would be priced at $25.
No it didn't. Though you could get a copy with a donation of $20.00 at the time.
Polish guy opening his copy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjG3Ww3-IJQ
Looks nice, but I only do digital only these days.
I think I'm suppose to get it, but I have no idea how.
Quote from: Razgovory on March 21, 2015, 10:34:26 PM
I think I'm suppose to get it, but I have no idea how.
Wait you backed it? If you are supposed to get it they are going to give you a steam key on Monday or Tuesday. Release is Thursday.
The website for backers is here I think: http://eternity.obsidian.net/
Yeah, I backed it at 35 dollar level. I just never messed with it after that.
Quote from: Valmy on March 21, 2015, 10:27:54 PM
Polish guy opening his copy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjG3Ww3-IJQ
Looks nice, but I only do digital only these days.
grumbler will tell you this is fake - if the guy is Polish, he should be in some bunker training for war
Quote from: Razgovory on March 22, 2015, 10:26:25 AM
Yeah, I backed it at 35 dollar level. I just never messed with it after that.
I never would have guessed. Ok cool I will let you know when the keys are handed out.
@ Mart: :lol: btw did he say anything interesting?
Nothing I haven't read before on the wiki. (I had to go back and rewatch as I stopped first time when I realised he is ugly).
Quote from: Martinus on March 22, 2015, 12:44:10 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 21, 2015, 10:27:54 PM
Polish guy opening his copy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjG3Ww3-IJQ
Looks nice, but I only do digital only these days.
grumbler will tell you this is fake - if the guy is Polish, he should be in some bunker training for war
I will? Thanks! I've never known I wanted to tell people that if a person is Polish, he should be in a bunker training for war. Absent this thread, I may never have even found out that I thought that, let alone that I would tell anyone that. :thumbsup:
Quote from: Martinus on March 23, 2015, 07:19:22 AM
Nothing I haven't read before on the wiki. (I had to go back and rewatch as I stopped first time when I realised he is ugly).
Sorry, when I said 'looks nice' I was talking about the packaging and the maps and so forth. :P
I just checked my pledge for the game. I pledged $50.- which equates to the price of the standard edition on Steam.
However, it comes with all the knickknack of the "Royal Edition" which costs twice the price (and a few additional extras), except the strategy guide.
Which is nice.
What I appreciate, though (as someone who tends to get lost between pre-order boni) is that none of the additional items you would get from the more expensive game editions is game content. A lore book, a soundtrack, a making off, a story, some wallpapers etc. That's how you do digital special editions. Throw in some stuff for fans who want to have more goodies, or support the devs, but don't take anything away from the people who just want to play the game. (That said, I find the price for the Royal Edition a bit outrageous for what you get).
It's a nice change from the usual hodgepodge of pre-order stuff where you get e.g. a quest when you order from place A, an additional class when you order from B, an exclusive pet when you order the Deluxe Edition etc.
Right now the Hero edition is #3 seller on Steam, the Royal edition is #32.
Pretty good for a game not even out yet. Though I do notice it is still behind Grand Theft Auto V which is even more not-out-yet.
Well, GTA V has been out for consoles for nearly a year so it's different.
Well also it is GTA.
Bit the bullet and preordered it.
Can't wait for Thursday. I'm just about to finish a major project so I'll have plenty of spare time too.
Quote from: celedhring on March 24, 2015, 03:20:56 PM
Bit the bullet and preordered it.
Can't wait for Thursday. I'm just about to finish a major project so I'll have plenty of spare time too.
I'm closing a major transaction on Monday so looking forward to playing it afterwards. :P
I'll be reading this thread with interest to see if I should buy it.
Meanwhile, thanks to all those of you who pledged money for this game and made it possible :P
All you guys who backed it should have your steam/GoG keys now. Preload is available if you are planning on playing on release day.
I pre-loaded this morning (Champions Edition, rest of the goodies will be available in user account over at Obsidian). 6 minutes for 6 GB.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.kym-cdn.com%2Fphotos%2Fimages%2Fnewsfeed%2F000%2F117%2F012%2Ftumblr_lj57goZvBh1qdjdp1o1_500.jpg&hash=13d78d7ac12d8414be06b51803c41383c36d0bd7)
Preloading now! Using Steam because, well I like Steam.
Speaking of which Pillars of Eternity is #1 on both GoG and Steam. Almost want to be "sick" tomorrow.
Quote from: Valmy on March 25, 2015, 06:43:56 PM
Speaking of which Pillars of Eternity is #1 on both GoG and Steam. Almost want to be "sick" tomorrow.
I can help you here! You can say you were attacked in your home by a madman who broke your knees! It'll even be true!
Quote from: Razgovory on March 25, 2015, 06:48:53 PM
Quote from: Valmy on March 25, 2015, 06:43:56 PM
Speaking of which Pillars of Eternity is #1 on both GoG and Steam. Almost want to be "sick" tomorrow.
I can help you here! You can say you were attacked in your home by a madman who broke your knees! It'll even be true!
While I appreciate your kind offer I think I will just go to work :P
Just like Ide. He wanted to light himself on fire (for political purposes or something), and when I offered to help him and used as my qualifications that I had already considered lighting him on fire in the recent past and had worked out plans to do so, he suddenly declined. I offer the milk of human kindness only to see my hand batted away. :(
I've got a five hour train ride tomorrow. I hope I can play it then.
Started playing. I think I spent half an hour in character creation before settling for something rather vanilla. :blush: The game looks and feels very much like a souped up version of Baldur's Gate so far. So if you liked the Infinity Engine games (Baldur's Gate, Planescape Torment, Icewind Dale) and were looking for something new this might well have you covered.
PC Gamer has given it 92%.
And RPS says:
QuoteThis is the RPG I've been craving since Planescape: Torment, the first to win my absolute love since Dragon Age: Origin. It's a vast, deep and wonderfully written game, malleable to how you want to approach the genre, replete with companions, side-quests, an enormously involved combat system, and lasts a solid 60 hours. Here's wot I think:
Let's be clear about how this review's going to go. If you want to go in completely blank, as I did, then stop reading at the end of this paragraph. Because all you need to know is in the introduction above. Let me summarise: "Should I buy Pillars Of Eternity?" Yes. There, good, job done. If you want to know why it's good, then read on, but it's crucial to accept that to do so, I'll have to allude to aspects of the game that aren't revealed in the first half hour. But trust me, I'm good at my job, and I won't actually spoil anything. I'm barely going to mention the plot.
I guess I should go in and get the copy that I backed. :blush:
Oh, and be prepared to read a lot. ;)
Loving it, but probably going to reroll my character now that I'm getting a grasp of the mechanics.
I like those "text cutscenes", they feel very pen-and-paper-y.
Oh, the four-wedged cursor. :wub:
I've started a game with a human chanter (the class that seems more different from the usual, and more interesting too, even if I didn't study the mechanics in deep).
Looks promising :)
L.
I ended up playing a human fighter (a mercenary from the pirates isles), i.e. my default. :blush:
But I was looking at the other races and classes, got confused and thought, "Maybe when I know more of how they fit into the world."
Quote from: Pedrito on March 27, 2015, 07:42:06 AM
Oh, the four-wedged cursor. :wub:
Yeah, bringing that back was awesome. :wub:
I'm playing a fanatic do-gooder paladin; I like to actually roleplay characters in RPGs, and the personality system in this one lends itself well to it.
I feel like I have probably botched character creation and leveling a bit, since I'm not familiar with the system, but so far the game hasn't punished me.
I'll be playing a dual wielding aumaua barb for my first playthrough.
Played three hours or so and enjoyed it. Wayfarer Paladin
Having played a bit more, some thoughts:
- [spoiler]the wilderness areas have a distinct BG1 feel, with the alternating rainy/sunny weather, the gibberlings or how they're called in this game, brooks and meadows and sparse trees. There are the butterflies, too, it only lacks some pretty bright flowers :D [/spoiler]
- I forgot I have to keep at least two different save slots, probably five to six could be a more sensible option :glare:
- I'm a bit confused by the combat system: first of all, by the combat messages it seems my weapon is ineffective against some enemies, but in truth it is a standard sword, itworks well and dispatches enemies without problems (enemies encountered until now are: bandits, animals, etc); someone can explain the reason?
- then, I find the endurance/health system a bit cumbersome: why a double scale, if the damage is taken on both scales?
L.
Almost 5 hours in and I haven't left the first village yet. :blush:
Quote from: Pedrito on March 27, 2015, 06:43:16 PM
Having played a bit more, some thoughts:
- [spoiler]the wilderness areas have a distinct BG1 feel, with the alternating rainy/sunny weather, the gibberlings or how they're called in this game, brooks and meadows and sparse trees. There are the butterflies, too, it only lacks some pretty bright flowers :D [/spoiler]
- I forgot I have to keep at least two different save slots, probably five to six could be a more sensible option :glare:
- I'm a bit confused by the combat system: first of all, by the combat messages it seems my weapon is ineffective against some enemies, but in truth it is a standard sword, itworks well and dispatches enemies without problems (enemies encountered until now are: bandits, animals, etc); someone can explain the reason?
- then, I find the endurance/health system a bit cumbersome: why a double scale, if the damage is taken on both scales?
L.
I was a bit confused by the "your weapon is ineffective" messages during combat. I believe they trigger if the enemy's DR eats most of your damage. This may be because the weapon is indeed no too effective against the enemy (certain enemies have different DRs against certain damage types), or just because you had a poor damage roll or a glancing hit.
I was also confused by the endurance/health duality. I think they use health (which can't be recovered unless you rest) as a way to limit the power of healing during encounters. You can't keep healing your tank forever, since ultimately she will run out of health.
I still don't understand fatigue and how it is triggered, though.
Loving the game so far, mind, it's just so well written. It's just taking a bit to get used to the new rules.
Looks like the attributes aren't really intuitive and it makes sense to max intelligence on barbarians for example...
Quote from: Zanza on March 28, 2015, 10:29:39 AM
Looks like the attributes aren't really intuitive and it makes sense to max intelligence on barbarians for example...
Yes my barb has 18 Intellect. It's great and I just grumblered the tutorial baddy with nitpickery long enough for the rogue to break free. :lol:
Of course then in true BG fashion I encountered a bear which ate my face off.
Same bear ate my face, but I went back there a level later and with a larger group, and I exacted my vengeance :menace:
So, what's the Languish grade for this?
Quote from: 11B4V on March 29, 2015, 03:59:14 PM
So, what's the Languish grade for this?
Cups the balls, strokes the shaft.
I don't really understand why during the course of a conversation a character will have only certain lines with voice acting.
Quote from: garbon on March 29, 2015, 05:04:23 PM
I don't really understand why during the course of a conversation a character will have only certain lines with voice acting.
I assume they wrote/rewrote the unvoiced lines after recording with the actors.
I wish they fucking hadn't given how often it happens. Maybe even better to just have the voice acting off.
Well it was that with the original Baldur's gate type games, but I thought that was due to storage considerations. That's not really a factor anymore, though budgetary reasons may still exist.
Quote from: 11B4V on March 29, 2015, 03:59:14 PM
So, what's the Languish grade for this?
I am enjoying it. Just like the old Baldur's Gate games with updated graphics and a new story. Great if you like RPG party tactics. I love The Elder Scrolls series, but that's more like single person hack and slash. Dragon Age has isometric viewpoint party combat but is less sophisticated. I felt like positioning is not important and everything always boils down to gang up on one, then the next one. In this game you actually want tanks in front and that works.
So you paid full price. Poor, Poor Mono.
Quote from: Razgovory on March 29, 2015, 08:19:05 PM
So you paid full price. Poor, Poor Mono.
I avoided the risk of the game not being made, so I have no regrets. It is official Mono policy never to back any crowd-funded projcets, so it isn't like there is any choice in the matter :P
You have no choice in being poor mono? I think I agree with that.
Quote from: Razgovory on March 29, 2015, 09:16:24 PM
You have no choice in being poor mono? I think I agree with that.
Well, I have to say I agree, but somehow I think this is an example of One Dialogue, Two Conversations.
This game is trash.
Quote from: garbon on March 29, 2015, 05:14:32 PM
I wish they fucking hadn't given how often it happens. Maybe even better to just have the voice acting off.
Yeah I switched it off entirely, because it was rather weird and annoying.
Quote from: garbon on March 29, 2015, 05:14:32 PM
I wish they fucking hadn't given how often it happens. Maybe even better to just have the voice acting off.
I play with voices off, I find them a bit distracting anyway. Same with music; it's nice music, but the same cues repeat over and over.
It's a relatively low budget game at the end of the day.
Quote from: garbon on March 29, 2015, 05:04:23 PM
I don't really understand why during the course of a conversation a character will have only certain lines with voice acting.
Because voice acting is really expensive and limits the amount of dialog a game can have?
Not a big fan of full voice acting. It limits the amount of game content for nothing but a cosmetic advantage. Limited like this is just fine, once you hear the character's voice a few times you know what they sound like.
Quote from: Valmy on March 30, 2015, 07:13:12 AM
Quote from: garbon on March 29, 2015, 05:04:23 PM
I don't really understand why during the course of a conversation a character will have only certain lines with voice acting.
Because voice acting is really expensive and limits the amount of dialog a game can have?
Not a big fan of full voice acting. It limits the amount of game content for nothing but a cosmetic advantage. Limited like this is just fine, once you hear the character's voice a few times you know what they sound like.
Well it is a good thing that I didn't say everything needed to be full voice acted. What's annoying me is the let's say Farmer Brown has 8 screens of dialog in one conversation/interaction. Of those, it'll be like first 3 screens voiced, next 4 unvoiced and last one voiced. A bit jarring to be jumping back and forth in the same conversation.
The problem with voice acting in this game is that the dialogues are too long. It feels ok in Skyrim because they speak far fewer words.
Quote from: garbon on March 30, 2015, 07:17:21 AM
Well it is a good thing that I didn't say everything needed to be full voice acted.
Ah my apologies. This is a common criticism so I might have filled in the gaps there.
QuoteWhat's annoying me is the let's say Farmer Brown has 8 screens of dialog in one conversation/interaction. Of those, it'll be like first 3 screens voiced, next 4 unvoiced and last one voiced. A bit jarring to be jumping back and forth in the same conversation.
Sometimes it makes sense, like when they have a line that is in there because you are form a certain place or otherwise just for your character. Maybe they were additions made after the recording was made?
Or they just couldn't afford to record all of those little variations with their budget. Still, it's true that sometimes they mix voiced and unvoiced fragments in a slightly jarring way. I presume that for whatever reason they rewrote parts of dialog after recording it.
So far I think the game is free of major or annoying bugs. I bought it on the first day of release, and fully expected the game to crash once every few hours. Nothing of that sort has happened.
Quote from: Monoriu on March 30, 2015, 03:23:36 PM
So far I think the game is free of major or annoying bugs. I bought it on the first day of release, and fully expected the game to crash once every few hours. Nothing of that sort has happened.
Aye, the spawn of Obsidian and Paradox could have been a terrible thing, but this is pretty bug-free out of the box.
I have only experienced a couple of minor bugs so far (animations getting stuck very uncommonly, and some icon display issues).
I've had a few moments where characters stutter when trying to move but yeah nothing major.
Just got the stronghold.
I just got chased by wind into a cave with a two people from a caravan. I have a getting into these games.
Finally completed all the quests in the first major city (Defiance Bay), and I'm 30 hours into the game with plenty of unvisited locations on my map. This game is big.
I'm the kind of player that reads and searches every nook and cranny in RPGs though, not the fastest player around.
Gilded Vale question:
[spoiler]Raedric or Kolsc? I went with the madman rather than with the power hungry weasel.[/spoiler]
L.
Quote from: Pedrito on April 02, 2015, 02:28:15 PM
Gilded Vale question:
[spoiler]Raedric or Kolsc? I went with the madman rather than with the power hungry weasel.[/spoiler]
L.
[spoiler]I sided with Kolsc. But I'm RPing my main character and he would've been mortified by Raedric's actions. Didn't seem to have any kind of actual long-term consequence.[/spoiler]
[spoiler]i went with kolsc as raedric's move was just awful.[/spoiler]
[spoiler]I was deeply conflicted over that. My instinct was to crush the rebels. But I figured that Raedric probably had better loot. So I killed Raedric and his party. I like to think that I sided with me. [/spoiler]
I don't want to finish this game. I want it to last forever.
Yeah, it's pretty good :)
I'm still in Defiance Bay, I have tons of quests open in my logbook, so for me it will be a long journey. :cool:
L.
Yeah this game is amazing. Loving every second of it.
I'm just learning it.
Impressive game so far.
Finished it. Took me about 80 hours. Ending was a little too Euphoric Fedora IMO, but nontheless Obsidian have me by the balls now.
This game is hard as fuck, BTW.
Quote from: Legbiter on April 14, 2015, 11:54:01 AM
Finished it. Took me about 80 hours. Ending was a little too Euphoric Fedora IMO, but nontheless Obsidian have me by the balls now.
Didn't this game get released just a few weeks ago?
I have 60 hours on it too :blush:
Quote from: Scipio on April 16, 2015, 09:14:43 AM
This game is hard as fuck, BTW.
This is game is hard! When everyone above was asking in spoilers if they went with [spoiler]Kolsc or Raedric[/spoiler], I went with [spoiler]Raedric[/spoiler] because I couldn't beat his party in a fight despite reloading and trying a half dozen times. Then again maybe my own party just isn't that good.
Quote from: PRC on April 16, 2015, 11:17:18 AM
Quote from: Scipio on April 16, 2015, 09:14:43 AM
This game is hard as fuck, BTW.
This is game is hard! When everyone above was asking in spoilers if they went with [spoiler]Kolsc or Raedric[/spoiler], I went with [spoiler]Raedric[/spoiler] because I couldn't beat his party in a fight despite reloading and trying a half dozen times. Then again maybe my own party just isn't that good.
[spoiler]There was a room to the SE cornor. What I did was position my party just inside the room. Then a lone party member would "pull" Raedric's group to the ambush. The room and door helped ensure that I only needed to fight a small part of Raedric's group every time.[/spoiler]
Quote from: PRC on April 16, 2015, 11:17:18 AM
Quote from: Scipio on April 16, 2015, 09:14:43 AM
This game is hard as fuck, BTW.
This is game is hard! When everyone above was asking in spoilers if they went with [spoiler]Kolsc or Raedric[/spoiler], I went with [spoiler]Raedric[/spoiler] because I couldn't beat his party in a fight despite reloading and trying a half dozen times. Then again maybe my own party just isn't that good.
Heh. While the rest were downed, only Eder was left to fight and he took out the last two alone. I feel my party generally suck balls and that I screwed up character creation.
So is this worth spending $$ on or what?
Quote from: Norgy on April 18, 2015, 01:43:41 AM
I feel my party generally suck balls and that I screwed up character creation.
:D Yes, these are my feelings too. I blame the completely new RPG system.
Too many different damage types, too many different conditions influencing the character, and a not well defined weapons and armor system.
Or maybe I'm getting old. :P
Re: Katmai: absolutely yes, if you loved BG2, IWD, Torment.
L.
Yeah, now that I'm familiar with the system, I'd completely start over again. So many poor decisions in character creation and levelling, in hindsight.
Still, it isn't a game where min-maxing seems that important unless you blundered terribly, at least on hard difficulty.
And that's why I switched to "Easy" difficulty after I ran my head against the same fight over and over again. And I'm still struggling sometimes. :blush:
Quote from: katmai on April 18, 2015, 02:21:15 AM
So is this worth spending $$ on or what?
Yeah it is pretty great.
For those who have almost finished the game:
what did you do with [spoiler]the Adra Dragon? I let it live and possess the body of the dragon slayer.[/spoiler]
L.
I killed it. Very hard fight though, needed a few tries to nail down the best tactic and party composition.
Worse than the Searing Falls one?
L.
Quote from: Pedrito on June 12, 2015, 12:20:22 PM
Worse than the Searing Falls one?
L.
Yeah, definitely.
Quote from: celedhring on June 12, 2015, 10:16:56 AM
I killed it. Very hard fight though, needed a few tries to nail down the best tactic and party composition.
You are worse than Hitler for reloading, apparently, according to the CK II thread.
Different type of game.
Quote from: frunk on June 12, 2015, 01:23:53 PMYou are worse than Hitler for reloading, apparently, according to the CK II thread.
raz is right, but the discussion in that thread was weird.
spend your time the way that meets my expectations or you're doing it wrongi mean, whether it's save/reload vs. playing without ever reloading or min-maxing v. "true roleplay," who cares what another person does?
That would indeed have been weird. But that was not how that conversation went at all. Read it again. I commented on the nature of the game as I felt it. I never attacked anybody.
Quote from: Valmy on June 12, 2015, 08:36:01 PM
That would indeed have been weird. But that was not how that conversation went at all. Read it again. I commented on the nature of the game as I felt it. I never attacked anybody.
i read it awhile ago. my post in this thread wasn't referring to anyone in particular, more the overall attack on tim because he played the game the way he wanted.
Quote from: LaCroix on June 12, 2015, 10:21:43 PM
Quote from: Valmy on June 12, 2015, 08:36:01 PM
That would indeed have been weird. But that was not how that conversation went at all. Read it again. I commented on the nature of the game as I felt it. I never attacked anybody.
i read it awhile ago. my post in this thread wasn't referring to anyone in particular, more the overall attack on tim because he played the game the way he wanted.
It was because he turned around and wanted our approval for it. :P
Anyway this was just announced:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a05OrRrR2Q
Pants: Diary Factory
Since everybody seems to be loving my Dragon Age AAR (:P) maybe I will do one for this once it comes out.
Quote from: Razgovory on June 12, 2015, 05:39:21 PM
Different type of game.
Still a game, still allowed to play it however the hell you want when it's just you against the computer. Once other people are involved there are issues of cheating, but that isn't an issue in either case here.
Quote from: frunk on June 17, 2015, 04:06:29 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on June 12, 2015, 05:39:21 PM
Different type of game.
Still a game, still allowed to play it however the hell you want when it's just you against the computer. Once other people are involved there are issues of cheating, but that isn't an issue in either case here.
Agreed. I have my opinion he has his. It was Tim who demanded we all approve of it.
Quote from: frunk on June 17, 2015, 04:06:29 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on June 12, 2015, 05:39:21 PM
Different type of game.
Still a game, still allowed to play it however the hell you want when it's just you against the computer. Once other people are involved there are issues of cheating, but that isn't an issue in either case here.
I think the difference is that if you die in Crusader Kings it's just a setback. You automatically play are your heir. If you die in most other games, the game simply ends.
Quote from: Legbiter on April 14, 2015, 11:54:01 AM
Finished it. Took me about 80 hours. Ending was a little too Euphoric Fedora IMO, but nontheless Obsidian have me by the balls now.
Yeah, I didn't care for the ending. Get's really preachy. The atheist position is essentially materialist which doesn't make much sense in a world of souls and wizards.
I just didn't get how the ending fit with the rest of the narrative; it felt a bit like that they had this grand twist idea and they tacked it on.
[spoiler]
How does Thaos' grand plan of empowering Woedica help him in his mission of supressing the truth about the gods? I just can't see it. [/spoiler]
Loved the game, mind.
Quote from: celedhring on July 14, 2015, 02:02:53 AM
I just didn't get how the ending fit with the rest of the narrative; it felt a bit like that they had this grand twist idea and they tacked it on.
[spoiler]
How does Thaos' grand plan of empowering Woedica help him in his mission of supressing the truth about the gods? I just can't see it. [/spoiler]
Loved the game, mind.
[spoiler]
I'm not certain. I also didn't exactly see why he was wasting time with stopping animancy (since he seemed be using it and the Gods were okay with it), other then Religion hates "science". The big twist that the that the ghost chick keeps repeating isn't actually true. She keeps saying the God's aren't real. That's not true, I just talked to a bunch of them. The whole reason I was down in that dungeon was to stop a Goddess. If the Gods were simply created by the Engwithans, well so what? Why make that a big secret? The Gods are real now, so what does it matter now, they can still send lighting to strike you if you piss them off.[/spoiler]
The first expansion is out today. :shifty:
L.
Yep looking forward to it.
Looks like it might be on sale also. I guess y'all would agree it is worth picking up?
Quote from: Caliga on August 25, 2015, 03:50:41 PM
Looks like it might be on sale also. I guess y'all would agree it is worth picking up?
Well I would.
Quote from: Caliga on August 25, 2015, 03:50:41 PM
Looks like it might be on sale also. I guess y'all would agree it is worth picking up?
Yes, it's a very good game.
L.
It's like Baldur's Gate and Planescape: Torment and that stuff right?
Quote from: Caliga on August 25, 2015, 07:16:36 PM
It's like Baldur's Gate and Planescape: Torment and that stuff right?
To a fault. They even go so far as to imitate the cumbersome AD&D rules that the those games used. For instance, fire-and-forget spells. Still, if you ever wandered what it would be like to go back to 1998, the game is for you.
Raz is right.
Sometimes the system seems a bit cumbersome for the love of being cumbersome. The combat mechanics are rather complex, and could be more streamlined.
My major grip with the game is that, to make all the classes playable, the designers ironed out all the quirks that make a class interesting to play, so they lack characterization
But all in all it's a very good game, with a great story.
L.
Quote from: Razgovory on August 25, 2015, 09:14:31 PM
Quote from: Caliga on August 25, 2015, 07:16:36 PM
It's like Baldur's Gate and Planescape: Torment and that stuff right?
To a fault. They even go so far as to imitate the cumbersome AD&D rules that the those games used. For instance, fire-and-forget spells. Still, if you ever wandered what it would be like to go back to 1998, the game is for you.
Now now they are entirely new cumbersome rules and this game far more resembles games from 2002 than 1998.
I downloaded PoE and follow on March whatever it is) last night. I used to love Baldar's gate and Icewind Dale.
Anybody playing the expansion? Any impressions so far?
It's a two parter, so I'd wait till the other shoe drops before I make the purchase.
Quote from: celedhring on September 03, 2015, 10:38:28 AM
Anybody playing the expansion? Any impressions so far?
Gonna get both all at once.
And the crowd funding has begun on the sequel: https://www.fig.co/campaigns/deadfire?utm_source=Obsidian&utm_campaign=CF17&utm_medium=featuresite
For $1,000 you can buy a share and invest in the game. Huh. That is new.
interesting stories are great, but obsidian has really bogged its games down lately in text and hyperlinks to more text about various aspects of the IG world that isn't even very interesting. it's like fluff for the sake of fluff, and the fluff is shoved into your face in every conversation
Quote from: LaCroix on January 26, 2017, 10:14:32 PM
interesting stories are great, but obsidian has really bogged its games down lately in text and hyperlinks to more text about various aspects of the IG world that isn't even very interesting. it's like fluff for the sake of fluff, and the fluff is shoved into your face in every conversation
I disagree. Bring forth the fluff!
Quote from: Valmy on January 27, 2017, 11:11:32 AM
Quote from: LaCroix on January 26, 2017, 10:14:32 PM
interesting stories are great, but obsidian has really bogged its games down lately in text and hyperlinks to more text about various aspects of the IG world that isn't even very interesting. it's like fluff for the sake of fluff, and the fluff is shoved into your face in every conversation
I disagree. Bring forth the fluff!
+1
I'm the dude that reads every book that finds in those games. I love me a good world-building.
I found it dull. :blush: I like world building but really like it to serve a purpose.
Quote from: garbon on January 27, 2017, 03:44:57 PM
I found it dull. :blush: I like world building but really like it to serve a purpose.
It is a pretty niche genre these super nerdy RPGs. It's no big deal.
Speaking of nerdy RPGs of a slightly different sort: what do you think of that Hussite Bohemia RPG coming out soon? Kingdom Come: Deliverance it is called. You can butcher Tamas' ancestors by the bushel.
Quote from: Valmy on January 27, 2017, 04:03:01 PM
Quote from: garbon on January 27, 2017, 03:44:57 PM
I found it dull. :blush: I like world building but really like it to serve a purpose.
It is a pretty niche genre these super nerdy RPGs. It's no big deal.
Speaking of nerdy RPGs of a slightly different sort: what do you think of that Hussite Bohemia RPG coming out soon? Kingdom Come: Deliverance it is called. You can butcher Tamas' ancestors by the bushel.
Hey now, Hungary is responsible for something pretty important.
Quote from: garbon on January 27, 2017, 04:10:16 PM
Hey now, Hungary is responsible for something pretty important.
Really important. So very important.
Quote from: Valmy on January 27, 2017, 04:29:37 PM
Quote from: garbon on January 27, 2017, 04:10:16 PM
Hey now, Hungary is responsible for something pretty important.
Really important. So very important.
Without Hungary, there would be no garbon. :contract:
Ah.
Well there are also Cuman mercenaries if you prefer to spare you and Tamas' people.
Quote from: garbon on January 27, 2017, 04:34:25 PM
Quote from: Valmy on January 27, 2017, 04:29:37 PM
Quote from: garbon on January 27, 2017, 04:10:16 PM
Hey now, Hungary is responsible for something pretty important.
Really important. So very important.
Without Hungary, there would be no garbon. :contract:
Let me guess: your parents met in a restaurant.
Quote from: celedhring on January 27, 2017, 03:40:39 PM+1
I'm the dude that reads every book that finds in those games. I love me a good world-building.
Quote from: garbonI found it dull. :blush: I like world building but really like it to serve a purpose.
I think garbon's point is why obsidian's world-building feels so awkward lately. in games, world-building should create opportunities for the players. you're learning about a new environment, or a faction, and the game side of it should respond in some way. similarly, in a book, the reader learns about some lore because it's somehow relevant to the story or characters.
instead, lately obsidian games have bogged down by presenting
so much lore that feels completely unnecessary to what's actually happening in the game. it's like a DM starting off a campaign by going on and on about details that will just never matter to the players. that gets boring. world-building should serve a purpose, and it doesn't feel like there is a purpose to a lot of it.
(edit) sometimes authors either create or approve the creation of encyclopedias that are full of "needless" information, but those can be interesting to people
after they've immersed themselves in the world and seen glimpses of these places and factions, etc. that are then expanded on. by throwing all this information at the player as part of the story, it becomes tedious and uninteresting for the vast majority of people... because who cares about the founder of the sisters of dancing moons, shorashi of ng'lar, who lived and died a thousand years before the story and is completely irrelevant except she founded this faction that appears for ten seconds before disappearing from the story.
I saw their Obsidian's begging webpage and watched the video they made. I had no idea what they were talking about when discussing the plot. I realized that Pillar's of Eternity left such a big impression on me that I completely forgot who the villains were.
PSA: One week left to be involved in this exciting Fig opportunity!
They are doing some Q&A's on twitch that are being posted to Youtube if you are like Raz and can remember nothing about the first one: https://www.youtube.com/user/ObsidianEnt/videos
Here is the link to the campaign if you do not feel like scrolling up: https://www.fig.co/campaigns/deadfire?utm_source=Obsidian&utm_campaign=CF17&utm_medium=featuresite
Will combat be more fun this time? Honestly that's the only thing that's holding me back.
Quote from: celedhring on February 18, 2017, 06:03:04 AM
Will combat be more fun this time? Honestly that's the only thing that's holding me back.
My feelings, as well. I dreaded when the story ended and the combat tweaking started. It seemed too much work. I'm pretty sure that the key was the proper employment of the He Danced on His Toes With Bells A'Twinkling spell, but I couldn't be bothered in the end.
I didn't really follow any of this.
How is the game, the first one? Is it a worth heir to the Baldurs Gate games?
Quote from: Berkut on February 19, 2017, 05:14:15 PM
I didn't really follow any of this.
How is the game, the first one? Is it a worth heir to the Baldurs Gate games?
I loved it and I thought so. But clearly reception by Languish was mixed over all.
I think part of the problem was implementation of a new class and combat system without any basis to ground anybody in it. We all knew the funky things related to the various editions of D&D. But here everytime you got a new companion you had to take time to figure out what this new class even was supposed to be doing and how they worked. I thought that was kind of fun but clearly others did not think so.
My main problem with the combat in the first game was it was fun and challenging at the beginning but too easy at the end which is a pretty typical problem for RPGs.
Quote from: Berkut on February 19, 2017, 05:14:15 PM
I didn't really follow any of this.
How is the game, the first one? Is it a worth heir to the Baldurs Gate games?
I mean, I think so?? tough to say whether today I could play BG2 for the first time and love it.
it's a fun game with tons of choices in character development. neat backstory. goes over the top with places, history, and names. the world itself is fairly bland; it's a typical not-europe. imo, combat is fun
it's probably not worth $60 unless you have money to blow and/or nothing else to play
Its on sale for $18 this weekend....
Quote from: Berkut on February 24, 2017, 09:58:03 AM
Its on sale for $18 this weekend....
Keeping in mind all the caveats said in this thread I would heartily recommend it if you are a fan of the IE games. And by that I mean a fan of that style of play and not just for the nostalgia factor.
One thing to consider: the game is very long as it is so don't feel the need to get the White Marches expansions unless you just really love the game and want even more. They take place during the main quest though, like Tales of the Sword Coast from BG1 and not as a sort of sequel like Throne of Bhaal in BG2. Though for $18.00 you probably get the expansions included.
I am also pretty sure the game was never $60. I think I got it for $40.00. It was not a AAA title.
I got it from 30-something in a preorder sale I caught at GMG. Euro was stronger back then of course.
Since the kickstarter starts at $29, you aren't really saving *that* much, but you are guaranteed to get a product of at least good quality (and potentially great quality).
Decided I will pass and just get it on a sale later on. :P
Quote from: celedhring on February 24, 2017, 12:11:56 PM
Decided I will pass and just get it on a sale later on. :P
BUT BUT MAH STRETCH GOALS!
Bah :P
I just think that my - certainly limited - kickstarter budget is better used backing projects of smaller developers. Obsidian doesn't really need my money to get the game out.
Probably right. They are going to end up with well over what they got the last time.
I am REALLY liking this. Seems very much like BG, but a hell of a lot better. I love the detail in the combat and character system.
A little surprised that the classes seem very generic though.
Quote from: Berkut on February 26, 2017, 10:45:30 AM
I am REALLY liking this. Seems very much like BG, but a hell of a lot better. I love the detail in the combat and character system.
A little surprised that the classes seem very generic though.
After reading your comment I downloaded it and played a bit this morning. Good recommendation :)
I am so glad you guys like it. It is one of my favorite RPGs ever.
I thought the classes were very different from each other and all had strange mechanics that took awhile to get the hang of. At least outside of Rogue/Warrior/Wizard/Priest though rogues are really tough to use I find.
I wonder if they would let me license their engine to make a Sci Fi RPG...
Quote from: Berkut on February 28, 2017, 04:51:24 PM
I wonder if they would let me license their engine to make a Sci Fi RPG...
The next Torment game just released and it is sort of Sci Fi and uses the PoE engine :)
Quote from: Valmy on February 28, 2017, 07:27:12 PM
Quote from: Berkut on February 28, 2017, 04:51:24 PM
I wonder if they would let me license their engine to make a Sci Fi RPG...
The next Torment game just released and it is sort of Sci Fi and uses the PoE engine :)
Let me know what you think of that one. :)
I will but I don't plan on playing it for awhile. Really looking forward to it though.
New Torment is more fun than PoE, IMHO. I logged over a dozen hours in PoE, and got the keep, and kept going. Bored. Low stakes, low energy. SAD.