Codex Review RPG Codex Retrospective Review: Pillars of Eternity Revisited

[Decado]

]

PoE 3.0 has nearly as good if not better itemization than Shadows of Amn.

you cucks actually believe that?

For the record, I do prefer BG2's itemization - but that's primarily because of the sheer quantity of items and various effects they have.

But people here seem to forget ignore that BG2 also had its share of broken items:

Mace of Disruption (can instantly kill undead), Blackrazor, Crom Faeyr, etc. And that's without going into all the ridiculously OP stuff from ToB.

And that's really the crux of the argument - in any other topic, the IE games can be criticized fairly, and with good reason, but whenever PoE is thrown into the mix, people deliberately ignore all of IE's shortcomings just so they can bash PoE.

There's plenty about PoE you can rightfully criticize, you don't have to go into bullshit mode to make a valid point.

My favorite thing about the Mace of Disruption and Crom Faeyr are that you can give them Anomen, and he is a fucking asshole.

Also, MoD and Daystar were absolute ass-pulping machines against undead. Those two weapons made having undead in the game practically pointless.

 

[Sizzle]

]

PoE 3.0 has nearly as good if not better itemization than Shadows of Amn.

you cucks actually believe that?

For the record, I do prefer BG2's itemization - but that's primarily because of the sheer quantity of items and various effects they have.

But people here seem to forget ignore that BG2 also had its share of broken items:

Mace of Disruption (can instantly kill undead), Blackrazor, Crom Faeyr, etc. And that's without going into all the ridiculously OP stuff from ToB.

And that's really the crux of the argument - in any other topic, the IE games can be criticized fairly, and with good reason, but whenever PoE is thrown into the mix, people deliberately ignore all of IE's shortcomings just so they can bash PoE.

There's plenty about PoE you can rightfully criticize, you don't have to go into bullshit mode to make a valid point.

My favorite thing about the Mace of Disruption and Crom Faeyr are that you can give them Anomen, and he is a fucking asshole.

Also, MoD and Daystar were absolute ass-pulping machines against undead. Those two weapons made having undead in the game practically pointless.

Shield of Balduran trivialized Beholders, a simple Scroll of Protection from Undead made Kangaxx a pushover, etc. - there was a whole bunch of cheese and other exploits.

But all of these rarely get called out when we're talking about how gloriously tactical BG2 was :D

 

[Parabalus]

At level 7 it doesn't feel like a massive difficulty spike (until a bit later at least). At level 5 it's frankly brutal.

For anyone trying to do it at an early level, some tips which worked for me at level 4:

• Top side of the map has only 2-3 ogres, you can loop around and get to the warleader easily
• There is a stair chokepoint north of Drazir, you can funnel them through there
• Ogres have low will and get owned by Ciphers (GM). Combined with the above, you can charm an ogre on the stairs and he will get conncaved by the canoneers+block the path for everyone else. The ogres will do the majority of the damage themselves.
• Drazir has high deflection unlike the other ogres, charming him is the easiest way to kill him
• Kill the wolves immediately or they will own you with their breath
• Durance for accuracy, Kana summons

Fortress remains the worst and most tacked on part of the game, even improved as it is. I also state this in the review.

I did it at level 5 and it's probably the hardest video game experience I've ever had - even so, I hit another road block at Galvino's Workship. I would recommend level 7. Level 6 will just be tough as nails. The two biggest issues are the no-rest Stalwart fights with A LOT of ogres and Galvino's.

Galvino's has lvl 13-14 mechanics req traps, and the ranged constructs are ridic. I usually do it last before entering the Battery, for some reason I find it tougher than the Battery itself.

About the fortress, dunno what people would even like in a stronghold. Can't recall a RPG with a better base than 3.0 Pillars (NWN2 OC is equiv imo). I understand hating the mechanic itself but it's implemented quite nicely in PoE.

 

[Grunker]

^ I will add to anyone attempting early Stalwart that Hiravias (or other druid's) charm animal spell is almost 100% guaranteed to work on those pesky winter wolves. That's how I beat Stalwart @ 5.

 

[ga♥]

All the cucks saying that BG2 > BG1 should just go to a nice clinic in Switzerland and euthanize themselves.

Sentences like "It's not like bg2 but better than bg1" its just a patethic try at defending that pos of a game without any clue, trying to mantain a sort of restrain to appear reasonable with the only result of being moronic beyond measure.

 

[FreeKaner]

^ I will add to anyone attempting early Stalwart that Hiravias (or other druid's) charm animal spell is almost 100% guaranteed to work on those pesky winter wolves. That's how I beat Stalwart @ 5.

Not as big of a deal but for roleplay purposes, hiravais can save both people from the burning building. Since he is short, has decent dexterity and a frost spell, he can succeed in all checks.

 

[Sentinel]

manlets win again
lankies btfo

 

[Grunker]

^ I will add to anyone attempting early Stalwart that Hiravias (or other druid's) charm animal spell is almost 100% guaranteed to work on those pesky winter wolves. That's how I beat Stalwart @ 5.

Not as big of a deal but for roleplay purposes, hiravais can save both people from the burning building. Since he is short, has decent dexterity and a frost spell, he can succeed in all checks.

He can but I'm pretty sure he can't get the bonus item that a few other companions can

 

[Sizzle]

^ I will add to anyone attempting early Stalwart that Hiravias (or other druid's) charm animal spell is almost 100% guaranteed to work on those pesky winter wolves. That's how I beat Stalwart @ 5.

Not as big of a deal but for roleplay purposes, hiravais can save both people from the burning building. Since he is short, has decent dexterity and a frost spell, he can succeed in all checks.

He can but I'm pretty sure he can't get the bonus item that a few other companions can

The ring? Or is there something else as well?

 

[Grunker]

The ring ye

 

[Prime Junta]

BTW if you want to get your arse kicked in a really funny way, head straight to Crägholdt when you get the quest, and wake up that drunken orlan. I dit that. It was a LOLwhattheFUCK? moment.

 

[Sizzle]

BTW if you want to get your arse kicked in a really funny way, head straight to Crägholdt when you get the quest, and wake up that drunken orlan. I dit that. It was a LOLwhattheFUCK? moment.

I thought it was some sort of weird bug the first time I played it :D

 

[Fairfax]

felipepepe

So the changes you mentioned may have improved your PoE experience; but it doesn't make PoE with latest patch 11/10 as the shill's review would have you believe.

The literary diarrhoea of lore dumps still persists and makes the game a chore. And the 3.x.x patches didn't fix it.

But no one is saying it's 11/10! FFS, the "shill's review" has an entire section - over 900 words - just talking about how bad the "wikipedia lore dump" is:

The main problem with the setting is that Pillars of Eternity is so concerned with delivering its heavy lore that most characters do not act like characters but rather deliver their lines much like walking Wikipedia articles. After playing Pillars of Eternity for a while, you start to dread clicking the 'Talk' icon hovering over random NPCs, because all too often, initiating dialogue is functionally identical to clicking hyperlinks on everyone's favorite, digital encyclopedia.

It really looks like people don't even bother to read the article. This isn't "shills vs. critical gentlemen", is "the patches & expansions really improved some parts of the game vs. POE IS WORSE THAN GARBAGE!!!1".

The loredumps are a dead horse even the game's Lead Writer has beaten. When looking at the whole review, that quote doesn't make the review objective or fair. It shows how much the author is willing to ignore in order to praise the game as much as possible. How do you dread clicking the talk icon in an RPG with 700k words and call it a "masterpiece", "a joy to play"? Especially a KS CRPG which had the writing as one of the major selling points. It's a fundamental flaw, but it's treated in the review as a minor one.

Same thing with the story. He basically calls it a waste of time for 75 hours(!), and says the main plot is only told in the last 5. This is harsh criticism, but somehow the game's greatness isn't affected one bit by this huge failure. As for the lack of reactivity, it's criticized in the trial quest, but praised as "subtle and less defeated by the plot" in other areas, with only Raedric's Hold, the one quest even many critics praised, as an example. PoE's generic quest design and terrible exploration aren't even mentioned. The "staggering number of side quests" had to be praised, however.

It just shows how much the game's fanboys have shifted goalposts. They act like it was supposed to be Icewind Dale 3 all along and call the last version a triumph.

 

[Grunker]

None - not a single one - of my favourite RPGs are without flaws the size of the lackluster writing in PoE's base game. I thought that much was clear from the intro.

And judging by the Codex' tendency to hail "flawed gems", it's not just me.

 

[Bruma Hobo]

On the one hand, revisionist shills are spreading their corruption outside of their shithole. On the other, retards are trying to counter them by glorifying garbage like the Infinity Engine games.

The Codex is lost.

 

[Hobo Elf]

The never ending Obsidian shilling is laughable. Hope you guys aren't doing it for free.

 

[tripedal]

What if I'm overleveled for WM? I'm 12, is it just going to be a cakewalk?

 

[Grunker]

The never ending Obsidian shilling is laughable. Hope you guys aren't doing it for free.

I think the following Obsidian games are mediocre at best and terrible at worst:

- Tyranny
- Alpha Protocol
- Neverwinter Nights 2
- Dungeon Siege 3
- South Park

But I suppose that doesn't matter because if you like Pillars you're automatically an Obs shill, right?

What if I'm overleveled for WM? I'm 12, is it just going to be a cakewalk?

There is a one-shot level-scaling you can activate when you start it, but you'll still have a somewhat easy time during the first half, probably.

 

[Sentinel]

None - not a single one - of my favourite RPGs are without flaws the size of the lackluster writing in PoE's base game. I thought that much was clear from the intro.

And judging by the Codex' tendency to hail "flawed gems", it's not just me.

Except those games usually have other pieces of them that absolutely do stand out from the rest in the genre, and they do them in an excellent manner.
PoE doesn't have this element. Everything about it ranges from complete shit, goes through dull, and some hits the "good" mark.

An example of this is actually Alpha Protocol, a game you said is "mediocre at best". That game has incredible choice & consequence and a pretty entertaining main story line and cast of characters. You'd have to be a complete faggotron not to enjoy that game as an RPG fan.

 

[Lady_Error]

What if I'm overleveled for WM? I'm 12, is it just going to be a cakewalk?

When you're overleveled, you are given the option to adjust the enemies when you first enter White March.

 

[Prime Junta]

What if I'm overleveled for WM? I'm 12, is it just going to be a cakewalk?

If you switch on high-level scaling, nah. The start will be easy but by the time you hit Part 2 you'll be more or less on the level curve, and whatever you do the toughest fights will be pretty tough.

 

[AwesomeButton]

This was a fine read, although it's not the first codex review of TWM, unless you are not counting my impressions of TWM, posted in september 2015: http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/thoughts-on-the-white-march-expansion.103304/

I've posted a shorter version on Metacritic: http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/pillars-of-eternity-the-white-march---part-1 And also a review of TWM2: http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/pillars-of-eternity-the-white-march---part-2

 

[Azarkon]

Sorry bro, but none of these are Sawyerisms -- or principles.

Your criticism would be better if you demonstrated a rudimentary understanding of the thing you're attempting to criticise. As it is, discussion with you guys is a bit like trying to explain gravity to a flat-earther.

Ah yes, semantics debates, my favorite form of argument for the sake of arguing. Sorry, but I just don't have time for this level of debate any more. If you can't accept that what Sawyer said here: https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/67946-josh-sawyer-on-immunities-and-hard-counters/ constitutes a design principle then we don't even speak the same language, in which case, no communication is possible.

 

[Janise]

 

[Brancaleone]

So what are the conclusions about it?

Is it more "Exercise in Minutiae: The Saga", or "Icewind Dale 3, With Extra Equality of Outcome"?