The writing in this game is average

[Athelas]

It's like in the writers' minds angry commoners are most concisely represented as retarded thugs.

So are you saying the people at Obsidian need to check their privilege?

 

[Jasede]

They should hire whoever writes/translates for From Software.

They should hire their game designers.

The Codex isn't yet ready to learn the (dark and shocking) truth that some Japanese developer they never heard about makes better games than we've cherished for decades.

 

[Harg Harfardarssen]

It's like in the writers' minds angry commoners are most concisely represented as retarded thugs.

So are you saying the people at Obsidian need to check their privilege?

No, I doubt that the bourgeois hand-wringing of privilege checking will do anything to abate their counterrevolutionary tendencies. They could, however, benefit from some time in The People's Democratic Friendship Camp.

 

[ZagorTeNej]

So are you saying the people at Obsidian need to check their privilege?

Not if those commoners are white. It's about skin color not wealth, power, status etc.

 

[hiver]

Didnt much appreciate that Lady Webb,

Spoiler

had a freaking romance with none other then the main villain in her youth. i was like... really? really?

 

[AngryKobold]

I mean, I get it it they're "common" rabble rousers and won't be as polished as House Soprano and the Knights of the STEM Degree, but I found it utterly ridiculous and jarring that the person they would choose to argue their case would be a dude who drops F-bombs in a TV Noo Yawk accent. It's like in the writers' minds angry commoners are most concisely represented as retarded thugs.

Angry commoners ARE retarded thugs. We're talking about unwashed primates spending days on hard drinking and beating wives. At the same time the revolutionary leadership is ALWAYS up to the biggest, most noisy thug. Good thing writers tried to express some realism in this matter.

 

[Owlish]

Lady Webb is just the womyn M from the new Bond films roleplaying as Varys from A Song of Ice and Fire as the leader of a department full of telepathic, magical Sherlock Holmes types.

And obviously the character is suckier than every one of its influences, because the writing quality for PoE;

 

[Lockkaliber]

Obsidian should at least be commended for the general consistency of the writing in both side quests and main quests. Most RPGs just seem to put side quests as a low priority as far as writing goes, in PoE they managed to keep it at above a ceratin level throughout the game, which is a big plus for me. I think they did a really good job on world building as well. It has its problems though for sure, like the entire second city and the general hiccups in quality towards the end of act 2. The writing and quests in the second city didn't feel as organic and inspired as in the previous parts of the game. The main story is pretty damn good though imo, something I feel is largely the result of the world building. I'd give the writing 8/10 all in all, needs (a lot) more MCA though, as the Grieving mother and Durance were the best written characters. Edér was also pretty good.

 

[Lhynn]

Its consistently boring.

 

[Angthoron]

Didnt much appreciate that Lady Webb,

Spoiler

had a freaking romance with none other then the main villain in her youth. i was like... really? really?

Come on dude, she was young and innocent and wide-eyed. Wouldn't you fall for a mysterious Mr. Perfect in her place?

 

[Harg Harfardarssen]

Didnt much appreciate that Lady Webb,

Spoiler

had a freaking romance with none other then the main villain in her youth. i was like... really? really?

Come on dude, she was young and innocent and wide-eyed. Wouldn't you fall for a mysterious Mr. Perfect in her place?

Plus, don't forget that when he eventually takes off his hat in Act 4

Spoiler

his hair is amazing.

I think evil cult leader is basically the medieval fantasy world equivalent of the dissolute rock star in the Jim Morrison mode; charismatic, yet kind of gross.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Angry commoners ARE retarded thugs. We're talking about unwashed primates spending days on hard drinking and beating wives. At the same time the revolutionary leadership is ALWAYS up to the biggest, most noisy thug. Good thing writers tried to express some realism in this matter.

yes like lenin or the robespierres

 

[Angthoron]

I mean, I get it it they're "common" rabble rousers and won't be as polished as House Soprano and the Knights of the STEM Degree, but I found it utterly ridiculous and jarring that the person they would choose to argue their case would be a dude who drops F-bombs in a TV Noo Yawk accent. It's like in the writers' minds angry commoners are most concisely represented as retarded thugs.

Angry commoners ARE retarded thugs. We're talking about unwashed primates spending days on hard drinking and beating wives. At the same time the revolutionary leadership is ALWAYS up to the biggest, most noisy thug. Good thing writers tried to express some realism in this matter.

Posted by: AngryKobold

 

[Angthoron]

Also, speaking of writing. For all the things about past lives and gods and all that, there's one thing that really moves out of focus that I thouk could've been addressed: Waedwen. I think it should've been possible to ask the gods about what had actually happened with that. Was he Eothas? If so, why did he go berserk? Is he truly dead? But no, nah, why, it's not like it's an important part of regional history.

 

[Stompa]

Not to mention a part of a party member's constant self-doubt

 

[Angthoron]

What's a party member (two actually) compared to an unrelated event in the past that needs to be paraded with shady ghosties?

 

[Haba]

Also, speaking of writing. For all the things about past lives and gods and all that, there's one thing that really moves out of focus that I thouk could've been addressed: Waedwen. I think it should've been possible to ask the gods about what had actually happened with that. Was he Eothas? If so, why did he go berserk? Is he truly dead? But no, nah, why, it's not like it's an important part of regional history.

Yes he was and yes he is? Unless teh gawdz are lying.

As for why... to stop Thaos and Woedica.

 

[Linden]

On the topic of writing, I just met Maerwald and he talks like this:

The night was dark. Dark and stormy. Stormy like my soul. And in the end. Ellipses... No one talks like this. No matter how tired. Or deranged. But here in PoE. We do. Ellipses are cooool... And I will repeat. Everything I say. Everything I say. I will repeat. Literally every sentence. Tired yet? P.S. Avellone is king. Of writing. Ellipses.........

I don't actually know if Maerwald was written by Avellone but damn, was it a chore to read through that dialogue. Why is it that every time a writer wants to portray insanity in a game, he resorts to this kind of obnoxious staccato speech?

Spoiler

Think I exaggerate? Here are some actual quotes:

Oh no. No no. You too? You too. Poor woman. Poor woman.

My fault. All my fault. Soldier and marauder. Soldier and marauder and Maerwald. No forgivness for what's past. No undoing what's done. No sleep. No sleep for the Watcher.

Conceived in the raid. Conceived by force. Vessel for marauder, slain in the raid. Marauder and the boy. Marauder and soldier.

For the soul. marauder's soul. Same soul, one soul. Boy's soul, marauder's soul. Raised in lies and vengeance. Raised to soldier. Raised for the fire.

etc. etc.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Yeah, Maerwald was pretty terrible.

I highly doubt he was written by MCA. In fact, I highly doubt anything in this game was written by MCA, and it shows as hell, especially nearing the end. And I can't wrap my head around why the fuck would they ever think about benching MCA for their "flagship" title.

 

[hiver]

Maerwald was pretty great.

The speech pattern serves to show the problems is several souls in him, and his loss of control. He doesnt repeat sentences btw, and more importantly, the subject of that conversation is pretty great.
While the voiceover is perfect.

 

[AngryKobold]

Yeah, Maerwald was pretty terrible.

I highly doubt he was written by MCA. In fact, I highly doubt anything in this game was written by MCA, and it shows as hell, especially nearing the end. And I can't wrap my head around why the fuck would they ever think about benching MCA for their "flagship" title.

MCA is just a man in his forties. Get over your teen fantasies. It's going to end like with Tim Shafer.

 

[Lockkaliber]

Yeah, Maerwald was pretty terrible.

I highly doubt he was written by MCA. In fact, I highly doubt anything in this game was written by MCA, and it shows as hell, especially nearing the end. And I can't wrap my head around why the fuck would they ever think about benching MCA for their "flagship" title.

my head canon is that sawyer and MCA kinda doesn't like each other. in my head it's because their writing style is completely different.

 

[Darth Roxor]

MCA is just a man in his forties. Get over your teen fantasies. It's going to end like with Tim Shafer.

Maybe, maybe not. But whoever he is, he is a talented and entertaining writer when it comes to pulp philosophy and metaphysics. But when I see the sorry excuses for Tormenty lookalikes in PoE's writing and combine them with MCA being listed only as 'additional writing', then I know something is very fucking wrong with this game.

 

[hiver]

Maerwald was pretty great.

The speech pattern serves to show the problems is several souls in him, and his loss of control. He doesnt repeat sentences btw, and more importantly, the subject of that conversation is pretty great.
While the voiceover is perfect.

Anyway, yesterday i went through the "hearing" and the aftermath... MY GOD the amounts of loading screens to get that thing going!!! Fucking hell... run here tell this person that, now run here and tell this person this, now run back to say what they said, now run back .... aargghh.

Otherwise,
Is there any difference to what happens in DB based on what you did previously? Is it always the same kind of consequences regardless if you did stuff for dozen or the knights?


AND
Am i mistaking that the only way to actually reach Twin Elms is by having Sagani in the party and going after her side quest - which opens up that path in Stormwall Gorge... ? Which is the only way through?

Why in the hell would anyone do that kind of pointlessly convoluted crap?

 

[made]

MCA is just a man in his forties. Get over your teen fantasies. It's going to end like with Tim Shafer.

Maybe, maybe not. But whoever he is, he is a talented and entertaining writer when it comes to pulp philosophy and metaphysics. But when I see the sorry excuses for Tormenty lookalikes in PoE's writing and combine them with MCA being listed only as 'additional writing', then I know something is very fucking wrong with this game.

He allegedly wrote Durance and GM, both of whom I found very tedious . Indeed, I was more fond of Eder in his simplicity than those two ellipsis-spouting would-be deep characters. Face it: Your God is dead.