Pillars of Eternity Beta Discussion [GAME RELEASED, GO TO NEW THREAD]

[Haba]

I like the complete lack of Roguey in this thread. Even it can feel shame, it seems.

 

[Rivmusique]

So what is happening with the game on reload? Is it just resetting to Easy, or is deflection/DT skyrocketting? Because my fighter becomes pretty much invincible (0.1 - 2 damage per hit) after I need to reload (which I always have to eventually, as getting hobbled makes a character completely unresponsive until I reload). Also got some characters randomly shooting off the map (I can see there icon telling me where they are, but it shows them further than you can scroll) in the under-the-statue dungeon. And latest playthrough had per-encounter abilities never resetting, even on a rest/reload, anyone know the cause so I can try to avoid it in future?

 

[Oesophagus]

Watched a few streams and holy balls does this game look good. I mean purely eye candy-wise. Reminds me more of toee than the IE games.

But the combat just looks like a clusterfuck, no idea what's going on, who's attacking who, who's casting what spell. It's kind of like Throne of Bhaal endgame where every character in battle is hasted.

Now just imagine if this was turn based. The jizzum just wouldn't stop

 

[Blaine]

Rivmusique
The game is a technical trainwreck at this point, but it offers a decent preview of the engine, assets, and general "feel" of the finished product, sort of like messing around with the components of a new board game before reading all of the rules.

But the combat just looks like a clusterfuck, no idea what's going on, who's attacking who, who's casting what spell. It's kind of like Throne of Bhaal endgame where every character in battle is hasted.

Now just imagine if this was turn based. The jizzum just wouldn't stop

Welcome (back) to the wonderful world of real time with pause! Until very recently, I'd always viewed RTwP as a bastardization born of the late-90s push to make cRPGs more EXCITING and ACTION-Y (to expand the target audience beyond hardcore nerds), and assumed that most genuine cRPG fans would naturally prefer TB. Turns out lots of people actually prefer RTwP, which shouldn't be surprising more than a decade after the decline began in earnest. Some Torment: Tides of Numenera backers demanded refunds when inXile chose turn-based instead of RtWP or phase-based.

If you click the semi-toroidal aperture on the top half of the animated time clock in the middle of the UI, it toggles "Slow" mode on and off. That might help a bit.

I'm sure Obsidian will be able to improve the cadence and feel of combat somewhat (hopefully a lot) before release, but with RTwP there's only so much you can do.

 

[Oesophagus]

Welcome (back) to the wonderful world of real time with pause! Until very recently, I'd always viewed RTwP as a bastardization born of the late-90s push to make cRPGs more EXCITING and ACTION-Y (to expand the target audience beyond hardcore nerds), and assumed that most genuine cRPG fans would naturally prefer TB. Turns out lots of people actually prefer RTwP, which shouldn't be surprising more than a decade after the decline began in earnest. Some Torment: Tides of Numenera backers demanded refunds when inXile chose turn-based instead of RtWP or phase-based.

PoE was pitched as a spiritual successor to the IE games, though, so I figure they'd have to go the full hog and do it rtwp for the sake of the people who wanted a copy of that experience. Still a shame, tough. Why the fuck isn't Tim Cain doing a kicksterter for a toee successor?

I'm still getting PoE when it comes out. Funnily enough, I didn't back it first time around because the whole KS pitch looked jury-rigged and generic, like Obsidian just wanted to get in on the nostalgiabucks, but now this is looking like the best of all the KS games.

 

[Athelas]

Why the fuck isn't Tim Cain doing a kicksterter for a toee successor?

I don't think you can develop a decent RPG with just a few hundred thousand dollars.

 

[MicoSelva]

Holy fuck, rewriting the Wizard spell description took over an hour.

You might want to skip on correcting this aspect of the game if you are not a writer (or rather an editor) yourself. As a failed writer and long-time amateur editor I can tell you that it takes huge amounts of time, even if you are good and experienced at it.

 

[Grunker]

I like the complete lack of Roguey in this thread. Even it can feel shame, it seems.

Not to burst your bubble, but didn't he say way before the BETA that he would be keeping out of the thread to avoid spoilers? Infinitron?

 

[Blaine]

MicoSelva
I corrected all of the flavor/description/diplomacy text in Galactic Civilizations II years ago and released the corrections as a mod. I've lost track of the mod since then and have no idea how to find it anymore.

I also corrected the text in a little board game-like computer game called Armageddon Empires. The mod I released is detailed here, and is even still available for download:

http://www.crypticcomet.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=509

A game like PoE, though... that's a whole different beast, and the payoff for the modder is minimal. I had to see the same text over and over again in GalCivII and AE.

 

[Infinitron]

I like the complete lack of Roguey in this thread. Even it can feel shame, it seems.

Not to burst your bubble, but didn't he say way before the BETA that he would be keeping out of the thread to avoid spoilers? Infinitron?

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...active-ssi-veterans.93471/page-9#post-3442598

 

[Grunker]

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...active-ssi-veterans.93471/page-9#post-3442598

Haha, dat excuse. Carry on, Haba.

 

[Sensuki]

You might want to skip on correcting this aspect of the game if you are not a writer (or rather an editor) yourself. As a failed writer and long-time amateur editor I can tell you that it takes huge amounts of time, even if you are good and experienced at it.

This is just something to do until the game becomes more playable. I am more focused on formatting and missing descriptions

lolroguey, dat sea of excuses

 

[Blaine]

It's more like I don't feel like reading PoE beta criticisms.

 

[Onholyservicebound]

To be fair, opinions on the early beta content is completely worthless to anyone but the devs.
No clue why the hell I'm reading it.. Guess it's the closest I can get to the game, having not backed the beta tier.

Speaking of which, is it still possible to send them enough to get a beta key? Or is that a closed deal?

 

[Haba]

Speaking of which, is it still possible to send them enough to get a beta key? Or is that a closed deal?

Crowdfunding ends in two days. https://eternity.obsidian.net/

But honestly, it is not worth the money. Unless you like disappointments.

 

[Duraframe300]

Speaking of which, is it still possible to send them enough to get a beta key? Or is that a closed deal?

Crowdfunding ends in two days. https://eternity.obsidian.net/

But honestly, it is not worth the money. Unless you like disappointments.

Theres only disappointment if you didn't expect certain things.

(I'm not really disappointed except for *the bugs that hinder feedback*)

Otherwise, here on the codex, its just *confirmation* for some and Schadenfreude about roguey for others.

 

[Blaine]

I don't feel it's disappointing at all, just much more chaotically unfinished at the moment than I expected it to be, even for a very early beta... and rest assured, my mouth isn't socketed firmly onto Josh's dingus the way some people's are.

 

[Oesophagus]

... and rest assured, my mouth isn't socketed firmly onto Josh's dingus the way some people's are.

the quinnspiracy thickens!

 

[Duraframe300]

I don't feel it's disappointing at all, just much more chaotically unfinished at the moment than I expected it to be, even for a very early beta... and rest assured, my mouth isn't socketed firmly onto Josh's dingus the way some people's are.

Eh. From the sounds of it its more or less the START of the beta. Theres lots of things that were implemented JUST BEFORE the backer beta build (bringing the game out of alpha). So what we're seeing is basically the game in all its beta buggy glory.

 

[Osvir]

Tip: Some Auto-Pause options helps the flow, feel, and comprehension, of the combat system. Experiment.

 

[Oesophagus]

Eh. From the sounds of it its more or less the START of the beta. Theres lots of things that were implemented JUST BEFORE the backer beta build (bringing the game out of alpha). So what we're seeing is basically the game in all its beta buggy glory.

So what's the current release date? Winter this year? Yeah, I think they'll have to pull a Fargo on this one, from what I've seen in the streams. Can't blame the publisher for the bugs this time . What's the development stage of the content, anyway (locations/quests)?

 

[Sensuki]

Tip: Some Auto-Pause options helps the flow, feel, and comprehension, of the combat system. Experiment.

No fucking way (for me). I never used auto pause in IE and I never will here.

 

[One-and-a-half-Ivan]

Eh. From the sounds of it its more or less the START of the beta. Theres lots of things that were implemented JUST BEFORE the backer beta build (bringing the game out of alpha). So what we're seeing is basically the game in all its beta buggy glory.

So what's the current release date? Winter this year? Yeah, I think they'll have to pull a Fargo on this one, from what I've seen in the streams. Can't blame the publisher for the bugs this time . What's the development stage of the content, anyway (locations/quests)?

The game is now feature closed so all the content is finished.

 

[Haba]

I just can't agree with the idea that "bugs" are somehow solely responsible for the fact that the game isn't fun to play. Seriously, your beta stage game hasn't nailed the core of the gameplay. Despite of all the messiah game designers it has attached to it...

I'm certain that many of those issues could be solved, but I'm not holding my hopes too high. D:OS had a lot of issues when it first went beta, but the core of the game (solid turn-based combat) was there. Eternity seems to be the opposite: it has all the fluff nicely in place, but the game itself is still missing. Larian got a lot of rough constructive feedback and listened to it, but is Obsidian capable of doing the same? And most importantly - does PoE have enough development time to fix it?

 

[Rake]

I just can't agree with the idea that "bugs" are somehow solely responsible for the fact that the game isn't fun to play. Seriously, your beta stage game hasn't nailed the core of the gameplay. Despite of all the messiah game designers it has attached to it...

I'm certain that many of those issues could be solved, but I'm not holding my hopes too high. D:OS had a lot of issues when it first went beta, but the core of the game (solid turn-based combat) was there. Eternity seems to be the opposite: it has all the fluff nicely in place, but the game itself is still missing. Larian got a lot of rough constructive feedback and listened to it, but is Obsidian capable of doing the same? And most importantly - does PoE have enough development time to fix it?

I don't know. Many posters here have said that the game under the bugginess is good and fun to play, if you like the IE that is.
As for time, if they can't in 4 months, they will delay it or go EA. There is no chance Feargus will release a buggy game now that there isn't a publiser to be blamed for it.