Review RPG Codex Review: Darth Roxor on Disappointment, thy name is Pillars of Eternity

[I'm Big Into Anal]

holy shit 21 pages

im not reading all that

someone gimme the gist; whats the score

roxor ??? / codex ???

 

[l3loodAngel]

POE is a framework on which future games can be built; if the frame is solid enough (and I think it is), then the building of the frame means quite a bit.

I agree, but the stat system needs reworking and Devs need to learn to keep things simple. Right now the system has too many stats, but too little meaningful stats. Rework the wizard class completely as now it is the closest thing possible to DnD sorcerer and few other tweaks here and there.

Even if PoE disappoints you -- and clearly it has, and no one can dispute that it has failed at its goal of pleasing the most well-versed of audiences -- it has drawn tens of thousands of players back toward a set of of gameplay elements that have been lacking for a long time. Future games will benefit from PoE's "education" of gamers.

You speak about the game like it's a failure. No game has pleased everyone, sure it didin't live up to standards of PST storytelling and BG2 combat in one. But how many games out there did? Its like comparing you car to an imaginary one. Your real car will lose every time. Sure the game should not end up in top 10 rpg games, but the game is decent and I am not ashamed to say that the game is one of the best and complete kickstarter games done to date.

Objectively, it has failed with respect to many people whose opinion I respect; objectively, it has succeeded with respect to many more people. I think it is weird to call the game a failure when it is already beloved by players and critics, or to say that it has accomplished nothing when it has already provided a framework for at least one other eagerly anticipated RPG (TTON). But it is entirely reasonable to say it has the following thousand flaws and is unappealing to serious RPGers as a consequence.

Then don't call it a failure, because its not. The same retards who now bash POE vote DA as the RPG of the year. Plus bitching is codex's no. 1 sport.

 

[MRY]

When did I call it a failure? I was arguing against that position (e.g., "[O]bjectively, it has succeeded with respect to many more people. I think it is weird to call the game a failure when it is already beloved by players and critics. . . .").

 

[Gangrelrumbler]

holy shit 21 pages

im not reading all that

someone gimme the gist; whats the score

roxor ??? / codex ???

Roxor: worse than Dungeon Siege 3

Codex: http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/how-would-you-rate-pillars-of-eternity.98108/

 

[Ulrox]

When did I call it a failure? I was arguing against that position (e.g., "[O]bjectively, it has succeeded with respect to many more people. I think it is weird to call the game a failure when it is already beloved by players and critics. . . .").

Duuuuuude - STOP CALLING IT A FAILURE!!!...

j/k

In general agree with your position, as it is also my position, namely that the future of IE inspired rpg's looks good.

 

[~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸-AIN'T]

The same retards who now bash POE vote DA as the RPG of the year.

This is pretty hilarious since I thought DA was garbage for many of the same reasons I don't love POE. Namely, combat too-inspired by MMOs and endless trash combat. Now that you mention it, the games are a lot more similar than I realized.

 

[Rake]

While i don't hold any hope Obsidian will ever make a game with good gameplay, the fact that PoE isn't praised much about it's writing/narrative, not only on the Codex but in other forums as well there have been complaints, i want to believe they fix this issue in the rest of their games. Hire better writers and have Avellone make a game on his own ffs

Fanstermaker did some of the best work in New Vegas.

First of all, New Vegas' writing isn't what i would call great. Second, while i like Fastenmaker, PoE proves that as a Creative lead he leaves much to be desired. MCA and Ziets he is not. As a simple writer he is great. The other no names that worked on Pillars didn't stood out though.
The last game Obsidian made with trully good writing was MotB. (or if we count DLCs Dead Money) They seem to be losing their form, DS3/FNV/and now PoE. It forms a pattern here. While their writing in these games isn't bad per se, i wouldn't call it great either. It's on par with Twitchers writing.
And that's not a compliment for Obsidian

 

[Irenaeus]

holy shit 21 pages

im not reading all that

someone gimme the gist; whats the score

roxor ??? / codex ???

Roxor 9001 / codex 69

 

[l3loodAngel]

The same retards who now bash POE vote DA as the RPG of the year.

This is pretty hilarious since I thought DA was garbage for many of the same reasons I don't love POE. Namely, combat too-inspired by MMOs and endless trash combat. Now that you mention it, the games are a lot more similar than I realized.

Combat system should be reworked in POE. Period. However, in POE's case it can still be salvaged, while DA's combat system was doomed from the start.

 

[Lhynn]

The same retards who now bash POE vote DA as the RPG of the year.

This is pretty hilarious since I thought DA was garbage for many of the same reasons I don't love POE. Namely, combat too-inspired by MMOs and endless trash combat. Now that you mention it, the games are a lot more similar than I realized.

Its also funny because VD was the one that gave a lot of praise to DA:O and will probably do the same with PoE.

 

[Immortal]

I have 80 hours logged on PoE and I give it a 10/10.

Twin elms looks cool so far, just entered.

 

[Carrion]

Twin Elms is a better city than Defiance Bay.

Yeah, Twin Elms is cool and generally has much less jarring stuff than Defiance Bay. My main gripe with Act III is that the main story obviously goes into endgame mode and gives you a (false) sense of urgency, yet the game keeps showering you with side quests that have nothing to do with your goals. You go back to your keep to turn in that one bounty quest that you couldn't do earlier and the game gives you 11 (!) new ones that have you travelling all over the game world again. The amount of side quests is already pretty large compared to the main story stuff, but add a 15-level dungeon and the stronghold stuff to it, and it's really easy to get sidetracked from the main story just when it's supposed to build up some real momentum before reaching its climax.

The game would probably work best if you ignored the stronghold, the Endless Paths (even though the end boss is cool) and the backer NPCs altogether, focused on the main quest and only did the side quests that sounded interesting instead of being a completionist like me.

 

[Irenaeus]

I have 80 hours logged on PoE and I give it a 10/10.

Twin elms looks cool so far, just entered.

Yes, I'm taking my time and enjoying the game. You are free to feel envious.

 

[Immortal]

holy shit 21 pages

im not reading all that

someone gimme the gist; whats the score

roxor ??? / codex ???

Roxor: worse than Dungeon Siege 3

Codex: http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/how-would-you-rate-pillars-of-eternity.98108/

Iraenus is legit butt sore about my posts and I gave it an 8 on that poll..

 

[l3loodAngel]

The same retards who now bash POE vote DA as the RPG of the year.

This is pretty hilarious since I thought DA was garbage for many of the same reasons I don't love POE. Namely, combat too-inspired by MMOs and endless trash combat. Now that you mention it, the games are a lot more similar than I realized.

Its also funny because VD was the one that gave a lot of praise to DA:O and will probably do the same with PoE.

And the game deserves praise in some areas and critique in other. Writing a multiple page review, which could be described in few sentences: "POE sucks. DS III and SOZ better. Me smash Obsidian." It's just codex...

 

[roshan]

At beginning game starts promising. Act I isnt half as bad with Bîaŵac event. First village greets you with a chrismas hangmans tree. Hanged animancer making fun of you is a nice touch. Temple of Eothas dungeon right belllow is a great starting dungeon a small sample what this engine can offer. Raedrics Hold at the end of act I is best location ingame.

My suspicion is after implementing and game testing Raedrics Hold obsidian realised they are way behind of schedule. There are 150 more maps to do. Using the same multi approach method (fight/sneak/diplo) Raedrics Hold has would delay game realease by months/years. One solution would be to cut alot maps but make rest memorable or fill the rest with "Pillars of Trashmobs" They went with the second option and this is why PoT is so bland after act I.

As for writting quality i suggest Obsidian to not pay writters by amount of words but by quality of writting it will also make reading and translation easier. By the end of game i couldnt remember which god is which. When i phoned them they were angry i didnt recognise them and sent more trashmobs after me.

Well, I dunno, but I think most of what you brought up was also kinda crap. The Biawac event is really silly because the setup for it involves diarrhea and the game jumps from diarrhea to soulnado within minutes. And then after a short dungeon you end up watching a gigantic soul machine with no clue what is going on and absolutely no real reason to be invested, and you end up being dumped with a load of meaningless gibberish names.

You get to the first village and find the hangman's tree, but then just end up doing a cliche quest to find a missing caravan, and a "choose your own flavor" fedex quest for the miller, and get involved in some domestic issues. Everyone is basically a walking quest compass, there are no flavor characters to flesh out the world at all, except for the retarded backer NPCs.

The first dungeon? Was this really the best the game had to offer? Why are lizardmen and ghosts living in the same dungeon in rooms just beside each other? How the hell did these lizard kings (for some silly reason there are several of them) end up in a dungeon right in the middle of civilization, that was only abandoned recently? They sneaked into town and just somehow wandered into the temple? Forget the logic behind it, what about the repetitive combat with the same shitty ghosts and lizards over and over?

Never made it to Raedric's hold though, got burned out well before. Crappy story/setting/plot, with tons of repetitive trash combat, retarded system design, general clusterfuckyness, general blandness and banality... I don't think of these forums particularly the lurking population as having generally good taste, but even then 9/10 for this turd is really ridiculous.

 

[Ulrox]

Never made it to Raedric's hold though, got burned out well before. Crappy story/setting/plot, with tons of repetitive trash combat, retarded system design, general clusterfuckyness, general blandness and banality... I don't think of these forums particularly the lurking population as having generally good taste, but even then 9/10 for this turd is really ridiculous.

It's also closer to 8 at this point.

 

[Irenaeus]

It's a 10/10

 

[Night Goat]

People who tolerate mediocrity are the reason we don't get anything better.

 

[Irenaeus]

People who tolerate mediocrity are the reason we don't get anything better.

Agree 100%.

 

[Lhynn]

The same retards who now bash POE vote DA as the RPG of the year.

This is pretty hilarious since I thought DA was garbage for many of the same reasons I don't love POE. Namely, combat too-inspired by MMOs and endless trash combat. Now that you mention it, the games are a lot more similar than I realized.

Its also funny because VD was the one that gave a lot of praise to DA:O and will probably do the same with PoE.

And the game deserves praise in some areas and critique in other. Writing a multiple page review, which could be described in few sentences: "POE sucks. DS III and SOZ better. Me smash Obsidian." It's just codex...

Not sure DSIII was better, i played it for about an hour and didnt seem like my thing, but ive heard its not a bad aRPG, PoE on the other hand, fails as an cRPG in many levels.

 

[~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸-AIN'T]

"POE sucks. DS III and SOZ better. Me smash Obsidian."

DarkUnderlord I think there's a bug in the forum software. A large number of users seem to only be able to see the last paragraph in Darth Roxor's review. I assume that's the problem, since the alternative (that people are discounting several paragraphs of review because of one sentence near the end that they disagree with) is too ridiculous to imagine.

 

[Irenaeus]

"POE sucks. DS III and SOZ better. Me smash Obsidian."

DarkUnderlord I think there's a bug in the forum software. A large number of users seem to only be able to see the last paragraph in Darth Roxor's review. I assume that's the problem, since the alternative (that people are discounting several paragraphs of review because of one sentence near the end that they disagree with) is too ridiculous to imagine.

I didn't read the review and I disagree with everything.

 

[Lhynn]

The review said poe looked really nice. Why do you disagree with that?

 

[Irenaeus]

The review said poe looked really nice. Why do you disagree with that?

Yeah, it looks awesome.