Preview Pillars of Eternity Gameplay Video, Previews and Interviews

[Minttunator]

Not at all. R00fles.

Bro, I realize that you're channelling Volourn, but you should look to it that you yourself do not become Volourn in the process - you know what they say about gazing into the abyss!

 

[VioletShadow]

Looks awesome!
Also, like the UI *runs*

 

[Roguey]

I watched the IGN video and yeah that was better, especially when Josh was all "Yeah it's important to wild sprint though those guys and kill that ranger before he really messes us up" and "We need the barbarian to frenzy here to take this guy out asap." Fuck the Giant Bomb presentation.

It did bother me how Calesia could fight two people at the same time without much trouble, though.

This is part of the fighter's design, a key component of their class is the ability to engage up to three enemies at once.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

On a side note, after thinking about it for a bit, it's kind of that INT should affect barbarian abilities' AoE and duration. Strength and Constitution should be their modifiers respectively. Not sure how INT is supposed to make you able to run around in a frenzy for longer or how it would extend the effective reach of your arms in a slash. I mean, if you see someone running around like a lunatic and slaughtering everyone, is your first thought, "Wow. He must be sooo smart!"?

 

[Krash]

On a side note, after thinking about it for a bit, it's kind of that INT should affect barbarian abilities' AoE and duration. Strength and Constitution should be their modifiers respectively. Not sure how INT is supposed to make you able to run around in a frenzy for longer or how it would extend the effective reach of your arms in a slash. I mean, if you see someone running around like a lunatic and slaughtering everyone, is your first thought, "Wow. He must be sooo smart!"?

The idea's that INT should be useful for barbs as well. It's a gamist design choice.

 

[sser]

Looked good enough for me to stop the vid to prevent spoilers.

 

[roshan]

You are a retarded piece of shit who should be banned. You don't know what are you talking about. The opening area of the IE games being hard as fuck was awful design. You can (and you should) make a hard game, but you have to design the opening a little easier, so the new players are eased into the ruleset and the game. Fuck you for turning up from nowhere (who are you anyway) and start bitching.

This game looks amazing and everybody should fellate Josh and Obsidian instead of nitpicking on small things, or just being plain retarded as this guy.

You thought the IE games were hard? Are you mentally disabled, or in other words, the target market for games like NWN2 and Pillars of Eternity?

 

[roshan]

So many inane comments. I am buffled.

Best so far was from some faggot, who claimed BG had tacticul positioning because of speed of animationz and shit. And PoE, of course, totally lacks that. That was pretty funny.

Game does look pretty good. I only see valid concerns about difficulty and teleporting adventures. Otherwise people who liked, especially, BG2 will have a blast, i think.

You are a utter fool if you think that this NWN2/Diablo 2 "running up to easy opponents and whacking them" will lead to tactical, IE-style combat.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

On a side note, after thinking about it for a bit, it's kind of that INT should affect barbarian abilities' AoE and duration. Strength and Constitution should be their modifiers respectively. Not sure how INT is supposed to make you able to run around in a frenzy for longer or how it would extend the effective reach of your arms in a slash. I mean, if you see someone running around like a lunatic and slaughtering everyone, is your first thought, "Wow. He must be sooo smart!"?

The idea's that INT should be useful for barbs as well. It's a gamist design choice.

I get what the idea was, but the implementation of said idea doesn't make much sense. Make INT modify crit damage or give a bonus to chance to crit. The idea being that due to greater intellect, the barbarian knows where to hit his opponent to cause the most damage. That at least would be plausible vs what, "due to the power of his mind he can make his arms longer and have more endurance"? Seriously, what's the explanation for this?

 

[nikolokolus]

I get what the idea was, but the implementation of said idea doesn't make much sense. Make INT modify crit damage or give a bonus to chance to crit. The idea being that due to greater intellect, the barbarian knows where to hit his opponent to cause the most damage. That at least would be plausible vs what, "due to the power of his mind he can make his arms longer and have more endurance"? Seriously, what's the explanation for this?

The only thing I can think of is that Josh or Tim wanted a certain amount of abilities/talents/powers affected by each attribute ... so it's probably more about gamey reasons than simulation reasons?

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

The only thing I can think of is that Josh or Tim wanted a certain amount of abilities/talents/powers affected by each attribute ... so it's probably more about gamey reasons than simulation reasons?

That's why it's dumb. Is this a ruleset for a SuperMario game or an BG style cRPG? They need to put thought into how believable the ruleset will be or suspension of disbelief will go out the window. Next you'll be telling me that strength affects all damage, including spellcasting damage.

 

[Mastermind]

On a side note, after thinking about it for a bit, it's kind of that INT should affect barbarian abilities' AoE and duration. Strength and Constitution should be their modifiers respectively. Not sure how INT is supposed to make you able to run around in a frenzy for longer or how it would extend the effective reach of your arms in a slash. I mean, if you see someone running around like a lunatic and slaughtering everyone, is your first thought, "Wow. He must be sooo smart!"?

Frenzy is a mental state so you could find a plausible answer for that. Reach distance isn't plausible with any attribute, not just int. You can claim int allows you to figure out a swing or stab technique strikes in such a way that going off-balance to reach further pushes you back into balance when the hit connects.

 

[Mastermind]

The only thing I can think of is that Josh or Tim wanted a certain amount of abilities/talents/powers affected by each attribute ... so it's probably more about gamey reasons than simulation reasons?

That's why it's dumb. Is this a ruleset for a SuperMario game or an BG style cRPG? They need to put thought into how believable the ruleset will be or suspension of disbelief will go out the window. Next you'll be telling me that strength affects all damage, including spellcasting damage.

I mulled a game design possibility where the power of spells from certain domains is affected by different attributes (in that particular case fire magic was empowered by the caster's strength equivalent) a while back. There's nothing stopping a spell from drawing its stregth from your physical strength, it all depends on the setting and how magic is made to work.

 

[Athelas]

That's why it's dumb. Is this a ruleset for a SuperMario game or an BG style cRPG? They need to put thought into how believable the ruleset will be or suspension of disbelief will go out the window. Next you'll be telling me that strength affects all damage, including spellcasting damage.

It does.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

edit:

It does.

SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!!!

On a side note, after thinking about it for a bit, it's kind of that INT should affect barbarian abilities' AoE and duration. Strength and Constitution should be their modifiers respectively. Not sure how INT is supposed to make you able to run around in a frenzy for longer or how it would extend the effective reach of your arms in a slash. I mean, if you see someone running around like a lunatic and slaughtering everyone, is your first thought, "Wow. He must be sooo smart!"?

Frenzy is a mental state so you could find a plausible answer for that.

Nope. Sorry, not buying it. We're not talking about a monk-like state of concentration here, we're talking about an adrenaline fueled murder spree. Do you honestly picture Minsk or Korgan from BG really having to think hard to maintain their enraged states? Did they seem like they were having to solve any math problems while dancing in people's entrails?

Reach distance isn't plausible with any attribute, not just int. You can claim int allows you to figure out a swing or stab technique strikes in such a way that going off-balance to reach further pushes you back into balance when the hit connects.

I'd think that twisting around would fall more into dexterity than INT. Again, CRIT modifiers make more sense.

 

[crawlkill]

As I watched Obsidian play Pillars of Eternity, it was hard not to shake the concern that stayed with me throughout the demo: that this was not a game standing on the shoulders of giants, but one relying on slavish devotion. It didn't help that I had just played the excellent Divinity: Original Sin earlier that day, an RPG that uses its inspirations as a springboard rather than as a mold, and in the process establishes an identity that makes it an important step in RPG evolution. Divinity uses old mechanics to say something new. Does Pillars of Eternity use old mechanics to say something old? And if so, is that necessarily a bad thing? [...] The game's title appeared on screen, leaving me to wonder if Pillars of Eternity will refresh role-playing traditions or simply replicate them--and whether pure replication is anything to scoff at, given the legacy of Baldur's Gate and its ilk. Nevertheless, I have faith not just in the strength of the Infinity Engine template, but in Obsidian's ability to use that template to craft a journey worth taking.

Didn't Obsidian sufficiently demonstrate with New Vegas their ability to take a formula and improve on it? As beloved as they are (by me as well), the amount of real decisionmaking in the old IE games was pretty limited. Usually came down to spare/murder. Plenty of exceptions, but fewer than I'd've rosily remembered if I hadn't kept playing through it every year or two as an adult. And if they can take something as janky and miserable as Fallout 3 and turn it into something as charming and memorable (and narratively flexible) as New Vegas, who can doubt that they can accomplish it with a stronger mechanical inspiration and hugely lower cost per word of reactivity?

But maybe having a mechanically innovative game is what that "slavishly devoted" comment was talking about, and I guess that's just not as important to me. Put up with enough hundreds of hours of shitty buff-spamming defense-dispelling invisibility-abusing IE combat that good dialogue will clearly see me through anything, and PoE's combat can't be any more intrusive than that was. Hopefully.

"due to the power of his mind he can make his arms longer and have more endurance"? Seriously, what's the explanation for this?

Ahhh, you can come up with an infinite number of bullshit explanations if you need 'em. "The cunning barbarian can more carefully gauge where his foe's blades will whirl, allowing him to move more freely when he invokes the Death Spin, dancing with the keenness of mind of a master tactician from one enemy to the next without fear of retaliation! His strength of mind is such that even at the extremity of fatigue he can marshal his failing body, sustaining himself through the simple, crystal understanding that he must." Or whatever. If you spent more than thirty seconds on it you could probably come up with something that wasn't even totally silly. It's a game, it's got gamey stuff in it, 's not the end of the world.

I actually find it slightly annoying when intelligence is an attribute in dialogue-y games, especially when it has no use to warrior types. There are plenty of cunning warriors in fiction--charismatic masterminds who are also dangerous swordsmen, y'know. They're a little Mary Suey when used badly, but they're certainly a trope, and PCs are kind of inherently Mary Suey anyway. But like I said, it's a game, it's got gamey stuff, and the content of the game is not defined by the labels on your character sheet.

 

[Mastermind]

It does.

edit: SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!!!

On a side note, after thinking about it for a bit, it's kind of that INT should affect barbarian abilities' AoE and duration. Strength and Constitution should be their modifiers respectively. Not sure how INT is supposed to make you able to run around in a frenzy for longer or how it would extend the effective reach of your arms in a slash. I mean, if you see someone running around like a lunatic and slaughtering everyone, is your first thought, "Wow. He must be sooo smart!"?

Frenzy is a mental state so you could find a plausible answer for that.

Nope. Sorry, not buying it. We're not talking about a monk-like state of concentration here, we're talking about an adrenaline fueled murder spree. Do you honestly picture Minsk or Korgan from BG really having to think hard to maintain their enraged states?

Or you need to think to get into the state and the better a thinker you are the more it ends up lasting. Or it's induced by herbal mixtures and just abstracted as pressing a button. This isn't Faerun so berserk here doesn't have to follow the exact same rules it had in BG.

Reach distance isn't plausible with any attribute, not just int. You can claim int allows you to figure out a swing or stab technique strikes in such a way that going off-balance to reach further pushes you back into balance when the hit connects.

I'd think that twisting around would fall more into dexterity than INT. Again, CRIT modifiers make more sense.[/QUOTE]

Crit modifiers make more sense with might, where you hit the weak spot harder. Either way, if you think hard enough you can make the bonuses fit. Not everything has to go to the most obvious attribute.

 

[Roguey]

Is this a ruleset for a SuperMario game or an BG style cRPG?

D&D pseudo-simulation can fuck right off. Balance uber alles. If Josh had his way there wouldn't even be any attributes.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

Ahhh, you can come up with an infinite number of bullshit explanations if you need 'em.

What, did you go to the Skyrim LARPER School of Excusing Stupid Shit? Honestly, you'd all make awesome PoE barbarians what with all the mental gymnastics you're pulling trying to explain this.

It's a game, it's got gamey stuff in it, 's not the end of the world.

I'm pointing out flaw, not slitting my wrists here, buddy. Again, see my reference to is it a "Mario game or a cRPG?" because cRPGs have to take into account suspension of disbelief.

 

[nikolokolus]

The only thing I can think of is that Josh or Tim wanted a certain amount of abilities/talents/powers affected by each attribute ... so it's probably more about gamey reasons than simulation reasons?

That's why it's dumb. Is this a ruleset for a SuperMario game or an BG style cRPG? They need to put thought into how believable the ruleset will be or suspension of disbelief will go out the window. Next you'll be telling me that strength affects all damage, including spellcasting damage.

I wasn't defending the design, just answering your question.

 

[Decado]

I'll never get tired of watching dudes judge a game from youtube videos.

 

[Infinitron]

http://www.usgamer.net/articles/pillars-of-eternity-preview

He makes no bones about the fact that he's basically making a new Infinity Engine game for a group of hardcore fans who happen to like that style of game. He also feels beholden to the backers, even if they are occasionally passion to a fault. Arguments about semantics regarding the difference between strength and might can be wearying at times, but Sawyer mostly just tries to roll with it.

"They did pay in advance," he shrugs.

...

After a tough development cycle with South Park that saw them go through multiple publishers, Obsidian seems to have found renewed purpose. Sawyer occasionally seems frustrated by the back-and-forth with fans over controversies like the effects of certain stats—Pillars of Eternity is unique in that the might stat effects both damage and healing—but he also really knows his RPGs, and he seems to be pleased to be developing for people who can appreciate his work.

Heh.

Fans of isometric RPGs, meanwhile, can count on Obsidian to cater to their particular tastes. Sawyer is right there with them: "They're saying, 'I want heavily stat-based combat with isometric views. I don't want the new stuff. I feel like I'm getting squeezed out, please help me.'"

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

Why the fuck is isometric important? I couldn't care less about the fucking camera angle as long as it's effective.

 

[DeepOcean]

After the case of Wasteland 2 and Shadowrun Return videos people should know that preview videos are not a reliable thing to judge how the game will end being. People aren't learning animalsI guess.

 

[Ignatius Reilly]

Looks like an RPG I will play for several hours offering a form of recreational activity that passes the time. 10/10 GOTY