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

[Parabalus]

A few spoilers regarding the ending (not really spoiling the plotline, just a few remarks on the final confrontation with Eothas, but proceed at your own risk regardless):

Spoiler

I don't know if this is due to my choices in the game or if I'm missing something else, but in the end you can't really fight Eothas or even object to what he's set out to do. If you pick the choice "I want to fight you" in the final confrontation with him he just absorbs your soul and you get a "game over" narration.

So, the only thing I really got to choose in the final confrontation is how to influence a few aspects of the world as it will be shaped after Eothas' decisive actions. Meaning that said actions WILL happen, no matter what.

Makes the whole thing look a bit like the "Indy is irrelevant" theory regarding the plot for Raiders of the Lost Ark. Other than playing the power game between the rivaling factions of the Archipelago, we as players don't really get a say in how the main plotline ends.

As I said, maybe this is all just due to my choices in the game. I'll have to start another one to make sure.

PS. Yes I have a review code, but no I am not streaming because I despise Twitch and everything it stands for. Unless you want to throw money at me, in which case I'll start right away.

Aloth is becoming a faggot even if he was clearly not one in the first game.

Where do you get Aloth clearly not being gay in PoE1 from? Don't think he had any comments either way.

It'd be fun if Aloth is influenced by Islemyr choice in this regard, would rile people up.

 

[Lyre Mors]

The only thing that really has me worried at the moment is the lack of difficulty I'm hearing about. `Hellion, sorry if you mentioned it earlier and I missed it, but what was your take on the difficulty? Also, I'm very interested in the faction play and am excited to hear that you can play them off each other quite a bit. Do you feel this was handled well in the game, or just adequately? Also, will you be writing a codex review?

 

[AwesomeButton]

`Hellion,how much hours of content there is in the game for a decent and experienced RPG player? I am talking about nearly 100% completion.

What do you care, weren't you going to pirate it anyway

 

[Prime Junta]

I wouldn’t draw any far-reaching conclusions about difficulty at this point. The Balancing has yet to begin.

 

[Lyre Mors]

I wouldn’t draw any far-reaching conclusions about difficulty at this point. The Balancing has yet to begin.

My main concern is as someone who will be starting my playthrough tomorrow.

 

[Prime Junta]

I wouldn’t draw any far-reaching conclusions about difficulty at this point. The Balancing has yet to begin.

My main concern is as someone who will be starting my playthrough tomorrow.

Eh, then look out for squalls. It’s version 1.0 after all.

 

[Lacrymas]

I'd start on Hard for a first playthrough tomorrow, they said they haven't tuned PotD, so I don't see a point.

 

[Parabalus]

I'd start on Hard for a first playthrough tomorrow, they said they haven't tuned PotD, so I don't see a point.

If PotD is a pushover Hard will just be an even worse experience, don't really get that logic - might as well dial it down to story.

PoE1.0 was pretty fun on PotD, main problem is the system is familiar so you lose out on difficulty because of no/lower learning curve due to system familiarity.

 

[Pizzashoes]

The point is to demonstrate your enormous dick. What did you think the point was? The thrill of a challenge? Fights hard enough to force tactical decisions? The effort spent analyzing the game's systems rewarded by smashing tough enemies into giblets?

This assumes PotD is harder than Hard, which should be safe.

 

[Lacrymas]

If PotD is a pushover Hard will just be an even worse experience, don't really get that logic - might as well dial it down to story.

PoE1.0 was pretty fun on PotD, main problem is the system is familiar so you lose out on difficulty because of no/lower learning curve due to system familiarity.

PotD is going to be wonky and first draft-y, at least Hard will have a consistent curve. Maybe. And you won't be disappointed that the hardest difficulty is a push-over if you aren't on it. Cue that meme image.

 

[Eisenheinrich]

I'll wait for the first three patches till i start my playthrough on easy.

 

[Ulfhednar]

Considering Veteran difficulty with Trial of Iron turned on... no stupid fuck-ups allowed.

 

[Parabalus]

Considering Veteran difficulty with Trial of Iron turned on... no stupid fuck-ups allowed.

Considering the save bugs PoE1 had initially that is ballsy as fuck.

 

[Hellion]

Where do you get Aloth clearly not being gay in PoE1 from? Don't think he had any comments either way.

It'd be fun if Aloth is influenced by Islemyr choice in this regard, would rile people up.

Spoiler

In one of the inter-party chat moments, Iselmyr is trying to convince Eder to hug and kiss her (Aloth) because she's lonely or whatever, Eder is convinced, and we receive a rather gruesomely detailed description of the two pressing lips together. And then Iselmyr transfers control back to Aloth and he's all "wtf are you doing Eder" etc. FUN TIMES.

The only thing that really has me worried at the moment is the lack of difficulty I'm hearing about. `Hellion, sorry if you mentioned it earlier and I missed it, but what was your take on the difficulty? Also, I'm very interested in the faction play and am excited to hear that you can play them off each other quite a bit. Do you feel this was handled well in the game, or just adequately? Also, will you be writing a codex review?

I played Deadfire on Classic or Relaxed difficulty for the most part, because I wanted to finish the main story and see as much content as possible for a Day-1 review, so I'm not really the person to ask regarding difficulty or class/combat balance and the like as of yet. Only now am I replaying it on higher difficulties to check out that aspect as well. But on Relaxed/Classic and level scaling activated I didn't really encounter a fight that I thought was too hard or too easy.

Spoiler

Regarding faction play, one example that comes to mind is faction A asking you to go someplace and do X and faction B asking you to go to the same place and do Y. If you end up doing Y, you have the option to go back to faction A and say "yeah I didn't do X but now I've got faction B's trust" so they keep giving you quests while you also work for B at the same time. There are a few such quests where major factions have conflicting interests and you can select how to proceed.

 

[fantadomat]

`Hellion,how much hours of content there is in the game for a decent and experienced RPG player? I am talking about nearly 100% completion.

What do you care, weren't you going to pirate it anyway

I will pirate it for certainty. I am just ask out of curiosity and good manners.

A few spoilers regarding the ending (not really spoiling the plotline, just a few remarks on the final confrontation with Eothas, but proceed at your own risk regardless):

Spoiler

I don't know if this is due to my choices in the game or if I'm missing something else, but in the end you can't really fight Eothas or even object to what he's set out to do. If you pick the choice "I want to fight you" in the final confrontation with him he just absorbs your soul and you get a "game over" narration.

So, the only thing I really got to choose in the final confrontation is how to influence a few aspects of the world as it will be shaped after Eothas' decisive actions. Meaning that said actions WILL happen, no matter what.

Makes the whole thing look a bit like the "Indy is irrelevant" theory regarding the plot for Raiders of the Lost Ark. Other than playing the power game between the rivaling factions of the Archipelago, we as players don't really get a say in how the main plotline ends.

As I said, maybe this is all just due to my choices in the game. I'll have to start another one to make sure.

PS. Yes I have a review code, but no I am not streaming because I despise Twitch and everything it stands for. Unless you want to throw money at me, in which case I'll start right away.

Aloth is becoming a faggot even if he was clearly not one in the first game.

Where do you get Aloth clearly not being gay in PoE1 from? Don't think he had any comments either way.

It'd be fun if Aloth is influenced by Islemyr choice in this regard, would rile people up.

He was clearly normal. Only faggot thing in him was the fact that he is an elf. He was reclusive and doggy,after all he was a spy for a secret cult. His other half wasn't much of a faggot eater. Can't see it being the thing that makes him gay. I never got the feeling that he is gay in the whole game,normally i am good judge of character. When did he give you the impression that he is gay,in the first game?

 

[Ulfhednar]

Considering Veteran difficulty with Trial of Iron turned on... no stupid fuck-ups allowed.

Considering the save bugs PoE1 had initially that is ballsy as fuck.

We'll see how far I get.

 

[Quillon]

I'll wait for the first three patches till i start my playthrough on easy.

I'll wait for the first three seconds before I start mashing my mouse button while screaming "decrypt you motherfucking piece of shit".

 

[you know what time it is]

It's funny how they probably made the sharkboi gay to cater to casuals... but(t), pirates were ultrahomo or at least gay for the stay (like many progressive gangbangers are). Not to mention lewd comments and such, people were vile (comparatively speaking) back in those days.

So in a very roundabout way they'v made the game more immersive.

On a side note, I'm finishing drawing a fantasy version of Jeff Goldblum. There's no tell how the game's going to turn out, especially considering recent revelations, but I'm going to have some fun with it one way or the other.

 

[Infinitron]

Continuing:

 

[Parabalus]

He was clearly normal. Only faggot thing in him was the fact that he is an elf. He was reclusive and doggy,after all he was a spy for a secret cult. His other half wasn't much of a faggot eater. Can't see it being the thing that makes him gay. I never got the feeling that he is gay in the whole game,normally i am good judge of character. When did he give you the impression that he is gay,in the first game?

Not every gay is a flamboyant SJW caricature, he could have just kept it to himself - it makes sense given his reclusive nature.

Islemyr angle could be interesting, if she's a straight woman that sets up lots of iffy situations. Kinda doubt they went for it though, too complicated.

 

[Infinitron]

E-E-E-EMBARGO BREAKER https://www.cgmagonline.com/reviews/pillars-of-eternity-ii-deadfire-review/

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire Review
The Best RPG on the High Seas

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire has a lot to live up to. Obsidian’s 2015 RPG was one of the first great Kickstarter success stories, reinvigorating a genre that had faded by the wayside for years with an original setting, well-designed dungeons, and captivating quests.

But within the first few hours of playing Deadfire, any worries that the sequel would fail to meet up to the standards set by its predecessor fell by the wayside. With Deadfire, Obsidian has done the difficult job of creating a sequel that not only stands on its own but surpasses its predecessor in nearly every way.

Set some time after the events of the first Pillars of Eternity, you once again play as the Watcher of Caed Nua. Unfortunately, Caed Nua is quickly destroyed with the reemergence of Eothas, the god of life and rebirth who was thought to have died in the aftermath of a years-long war. You barely manage to survive the ensuing chaos and begin to follow the formerly dead god across the ocean to the Deadfire Archipelago in order to both save your soul and figure out why Eothas is back.

As a direct continuation of Pillars of Eternity, the events of that game greatly influence Deadfire. While veterans can import their save files, newcomers can choose what their Watcher did in Pillars of Eternity, either by choosing several broad paths or by individually picking every choice. Not that entering this game with a new save is bad, as Deadfire does a great job of refreshing players on the events of the first game and introducing them to the wonderful wilds of the Deadfire Archipelago.

Speaking of which, while the setting of the original game was well-realized and epic in scope, it was rooted too much in standard medieval fantasy for my personal taste. That’s not the case in Deadfire, which is set in a massive chain of islands that are loosely based on Polynesian cultures in the South Pacific. It stands out from other RPG’s, both in its gorgeous art style and variety of locales, and in how the nature of playing on an island chain influences the gameplay.

Much of your exploration will be done via your ship, which serves as a much more personal base than the stronghold of Caed Nua did in Pillars of Eternity. You can upgrade or outright purchase new ships, recruit crew members with their own dispositions, and fight in well-designed sea battles that are challenging and engaging. Captaining your own ship is the clear highlight of Deadfire, and is the basis for some of my favorite moments in the game, such as when I infiltrated a pirate fort by enacting a false flag operation.

It also allows for an interesting exploration of the relationships between the colonial powers and native peoples that make up the bulk of Deadfire’s factions, though the fantastical aspects that come with being a fantasy RPG mean that it’s not an entirely one-sided relationship. The Huana tribes, Vailian Trading Company, Royal Deadfire Company and the Príncipi sen Patrena are the driving force behind many of the best quests and storylines in the game, from the Huana’s struggle to unite the fractured tribes of the archipelago to the Príncipi’s status as former nobles prancing around as pirates.

That’s further enhanced by having the entire game fully voiced, which is by-and-large well acted. The writing has clearly improved in Deadfire, with a distinct lack of the run-on, flowery dialogue that overwhelmed much of the lore and quests in the first game. Companions may still be based on archetypes, such as the roguish pirate and the scholar with a dark past, but their interactions with each other and their personal goals make them compelling to fight alongside and interact with.

As in tradition in CRPG’s, Deadfire has all the fixings and traps that are common to them. Massive skill trees, tons of customization options, and an intricate class system are what you’d expect from an Obsidian RPG. Yet while the battle system is similar to the first game, with the ability to pause, slow down, or speed up the flow of battle depending on your preference, it is much more robust thanks to the programmable AI. Reminiscent of the Gambit system from Final Fantasy XII, you are able to set specific conditions for your characters to respond to. For example, this can be as simple as having your priest cast a healing spell on anyone under 50% health, but it can be built out enough so that you can essentially automate the gameplay. If you’re like me and love to program your companion’s behavior, you’re going to have a great time in Deadfire.

The biggest improvement over its predecessor, however, is its pacing. While Act 1 of Pillars of Eternity was often cited as the most difficult portion of the game, Deadfire slowly but surely leads you through ever increasingly difficult challenges from beginning to end. That’s not to say the beginning is a walk in the park, but that it is more balanced throughout the entire game. From the number of combat encounters to the ways in which you explore the world, Deadfire is a tight, engaging experience despite the fact that it is an RPG that could easily take you 100 hours to complete

As expansive as the world is, this also comes at a cost. Even though the load times are noticeably shorter than those found in the original game, they are still rather long, sometimes taking a minute or more to load in a particularly graphically intensive area. Considering Deadfire is dozens upon dozens of hours long, this adds up pretty quickly. And there’s a steady assortment of bugs that made their appearance throughout my time with the game, such as voice lines repeating again and again in conversations and the occasional pathfinding issue. Though importantly, I encountered no bugs that crashed or broke the game.

These issues are minor overall, and the overall upgrades made to Deadfire make up for it in spades. Ultimately, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is a near-perfect sequel. It builds upon the foundation of the previous game with more compelling exploration and a deeper combat system, fixes many of the problems that held the first one back, and is from top to bottom a more polished experience. No matter if you’re new to the world of Eora or an experienced traveler, Deadfire is an RPG you have to play.

9.5
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is a sequel that surpasses the original in nearly every way, and is an RPG that should not be missed.

 

[Tenebris]

Spoiler

In one of the inter-party chat moments, Iselmyr is trying to convince Eder to hug and kiss her (Aloth) because she's lonely or whatever, Eder is convinced, and we receive a rather gruesomely detailed description of the two pressing lips together. And then Iselmyr transfers control back to Aloth and he's all "wtf are you doing Eder" etc. FUN TIMES.

I played Deadfire on Classic or Relaxed difficulty for the most part, because I wanted to finish the main story and see as much content as possible for a Day-1 review, so I'm not really the person to ask regarding difficulty or class/combat balance and the like as of yet. Only now am I replaying it on higher difficulties to check out that aspect as well. But on Relaxed/Classic and level scaling activated I didn't really encounter a fight that I thought was too hard or too easy.

Spoiler

Regarding faction play, one example that comes to mind is faction A asking you to go someplace and do X and faction B asking you to go to the same place and do Y. If you end up doing Y, you have the option to go back to faction A and say "yeah I didn't do X but now I've got faction B's trust" so they keep giving you quests while you also work for B at the same time. There are a few such quests where major factions have conflicting interests and you can select how to proceed.

The more I read the less I want this game.

 

[Thonius]

A few spoilers regarding the ending (not really spoiling the plotline, just a few remarks on the final confrontation with Eothas, but proceed at your own risk regardless):

Spoiler

I don't know if this is due to my choices in the game or if I'm missing something else, but in the end you can't really fight Eothas or even object to what he's set out to do. If you pick the choice "I want to fight you" in the final confrontation with him he just absorbs your soul and you get a "game over" narration.

So, the only thing I really got to choose in the final confrontation is how to influence a few aspects of the world as it will be shaped after Eothas' decisive actions. Meaning that said actions WILL happen, no matter what.

Makes the whole thing look a bit like the "Indy is irrelevant" theory regarding the plot for Raiders of the Lost Ark. Other than playing the power game between the rivaling factions of the Archipelago, we as players don't really get a say in how the main plotline ends.

As I said, maybe this is all just due to my choices in the game. I'll have to start another one to make sure.

PS. Yes I have a review code, but no I am not streaming because I despise Twitch and everything it stands for. Unless you want to throw money at me, in which case I'll start right away.

Aloth is becoming a faggot even if he was clearly not one in the first game.

Where do you get Aloth clearly not being gay in PoE1 from? Don't think he had any comments either way.

It'd be fun if Aloth is influenced by Islemyr choice in this regard, would rile people up.

Well some dialog's with Durance are kinda... eh...weird not like with Eder( who is clearly jokes about whole double soul biz). But from reaction it's kinda shows that he is not gay or at least no interested in this shit.
He is fucked in the head with Isimir bushiness and I think he is/should be unromancble. That's just quess.
All flamboyance due to elfhood.

 

[Big Wrangle]

And there’s a steady assortment of bugs that made their appearance throughout my time with the game, such as voice lines repeating again and again in conversations

That sure is gonna get grating fast.
That sure is gonna get grating fast.
That sure is gonna get grating fast.
That sure is gonna get grating fast.

 

[fobia]

Infinitron Link doesn't work for me. Article already removed?