Update #86: Polish, Feedback, Bugfixing, and Goodies

[Bryy]

Thumbs up!

[PrimeHydra]

One of the major focuses for the team over the past few weeks was adding in additional character progression options

 

Care to elaborate?

[gsalerno]

Thank you for the Italian localization !

[Ieo]

Ahhhhh, that Useful Physical Item That Cannot Be Used Because It's a Collector's Item.... bugs me! (I'd rather get an un-useful item like.. I don't know... a giant squishie 20-sided die with Pillars and Obsidian logos?) Well, that's neither here nor there. Carry on!

[Arsene Lupin]

At this point I think the most necessary update is simply "improved visibility in tall grass." Until that's fixed, I find myself loathe to go back to the beta again. Especially considering how backwards the experience system works.

[BAdler]

 

One of the major focuses for the team over the past few weeks was adding in additional character progression options

 

Care to elaborate?

 

 

Josh has added in a large amount of talents and restructured everything so they are more integrated into the level-up process. Because of this, you have to make choices about which class abilities you want and it allows you to build different play styles for the same class.

[Sensuki]

The IE targeting rectangles were more as if the made a cross within the circle rather than make some sort of sniper scope, i.e. more compact.

 

More like the left one:

 

But since they're animated, this screenshot could have been taken when the circle is the most expanded.

EDIT: I assume they're animated...

 

Yeah that's right, still have a feeling they're a bit small, but we'll see /nitpick

[Lephys]

Ahhhhh, that Useful Physical Item That Cannot Be Used Because It's a Collector's Item.... bugs me! (I'd rather get an un-useful item like.. I don't know... a giant squishie 20-sided die with Pillars and Obsidian logos?) Well, that's neither here nor there. Carry on!

I think we should all get grognard plushies. Or, you know... pillows with lifetime warranties. They could just be called Pillers of Eternity. 6_u

[rjshae]

"Sorry, no dvd/bluray - have some awesome paper instead" seems a bit of a hoodwink :/

 

At least it's somewhat useful. A DVD you'd watch once then stow away forever, and you get the exact same benefit with the downloadable vid.

[rjshae]

 

Ahhhhh, that Useful Physical Item That Cannot Be Used Because It's a Collector's Item.... bugs me! (I'd rather get an un-useful item like.. I don't know... a giant squishie 20-sided die with Pillars and Obsidian logos?) Well, that's neither here nor there. Carry on!

I think we should all get grognard plushies. Or, you know... pillows with lifetime warranties. They could just be called Pillers of Eternity. 6_u

 

You should get locked in a pillory of eternity for that...

[Pipyui]

Ahhhhh, that Useful Physical Item That Cannot Be Used Because It's a Collector's Item.... bugs me! (I'd rather get an un-useful item like.. I don't know... a giant squishie 20-sided die with Pillars and Obsidian logos?) Well, that's neither here nor there. Carry on!

 

Hell, I'd be pleased with just an ordinary logo-ed d20.  It would at least feel a bit more ... personable?  Appropriate to the title?  The memopad sounds like the freebie companies give away to bolster advertising at events at best, at worst like the consolation prize I'd get after a sour buisness interview.

 

Off the top of my head: a logo-ed d20, a plush logo-ed d20, a plastic (PE-unique) (painted???) monster figurine (extra cool if each box had one random from a small set).  That's all I've got from the top of my head, granted, but we can do better than office supplies!

 

 

 

I think we should all get grognard plushies. Or, you know... pillows with lifetime warranties. They could just be called Pillers of Eternity. 6_u

 

You should get locked in a pillory of eternity for that...

 

I agree, that pun wasn't really up to fluff.

I wrote this whole post just to make that pun.

[Sensuki]

Is anyone else noticing by the weird graphics?

 

I am aware it is a screenshot, but the character models are not precisely defined. For instance it's hard to tell apart the two models on the left. Where does the blue character end and where does the enemy behind him start?

You remember the other day how I was saying that the lower camera angle isn't good for combat? Well that's why. It's even worse when tall creatures (such as Forest Lurkers) are in front of player characters, you can't even see your own units.

Edited October 14, 2014 by Sensuki

[xsikal]

 

Is anyone else noticing by the weird graphics?

 

I am aware it is a screenshot, but the character models are not precisely defined. For instance it's hard to tell apart the two models on the left. Where does the blue character end and where does the enemy behind him start?

You remember the other day how I was saying that the lower camera angle isn't good for combat? Well that's why. It's even worse when tall creatures (such as Forest Lurkers) are in front of player characters, you can't even see your own units.

 

 

I know mechanics are more important than graphics, especially at this stage, but that screenshot is a bit of an eye opener. I hope work will be done to clean up the display of the player models (and enemy models) so they are distinct and clear in any environment.

[Frusciante]

 

 

One of the major focuses for the team over the past few weeks was adding in additional character progression options

 

Care to elaborate?

 

 

Josh has added in a large amount of talents and restructured everything so they are more integrated into the level-up process. Because of this, you have to make choices about which class abilities you want and it allows you to build different play styles for the same class.

 

 

Do you guys plan to change the level up UI?

 

I find it pretty uninvolving or something. I really iked the NWN levelling up UI for example.

[Quadrone]

 

Great news, everyone!

 

But futurama aside, is there a rough estimate for the arrival of the patch?

Personally, I'd prefer more patches with less content then the opposite, but it's probably easier for feedback and development the way it is now.

 

We are hoping that we can start releasing patches weekly at some point.

 

As for the next patch, I would like to release it this week, but it might have to come out next week. I would like to try and get Linux fixed on Steam before pushing out a new patch.

 

Woah there BAdler dude, don't you wanna be one of the cool kidz? Release the patch this week, who cares about those Linux dorks anyway?

[Lephys]

Anyone who hasn't, definitely check out Bedlam on Kickstarter. It looks pretty great (if you like that sort of game), and they only have 10 days left to reach their goal, and beyond! And spread the word, even if it's not your cup of tea!

 

(Sorry... just wanted to emphasize that little tidbit from the end of this update, on account of their 10-day deadline for crowdfunding).

[Matt516]

Awesome! UI-wise: Still waiting for those weird little circly health pips to be replaced with a proper health bar (or removed entirely) - but that's a huge nitpick. In general, super excited to see what's changed and been improved! :D

[leninghola]

I'm still glad I backed this, You guys have handled feedback well. I look forward to a complete OE game.

 

Also, Bedlam can have some of my precious golds. It does look solid.

[Lord Wafflebum]

I'm in the pro-notepad camp.

 

When I was younger you used to get notepads in almost every game you got. Now you never get things like that in games. Before Diablo 3 came out and there was a notepad in there I probably went the better part of a decade without a notepad.

 

I need the notepad. 

[Hiro Protagonist II]

 

 

Is anyone else noticing by the weird graphics?

 

I am aware it is a screenshot, but the character models are not precisely defined. For instance it's hard to tell apart the two models on the left. Where does the blue character end and where does the enemy behind him start?

You remember the other day how I was saying that the lower camera angle isn't good for combat? Well that's why. It's even worse when tall creatures (such as Forest Lurkers) are in front of player characters, you can't even see your own units.

 

 

I know mechanics are more important than graphics, especially at this stage, but that screenshot is a bit of an eye opener. I hope work will be done to clean up the display of the player models (and enemy models) so they are distinct and clear in any environment.

 

Been brought up many times in feedback. I prefer a more top down look from the IE games where you can see enemies and your characters better. The IE games had a more RTS angle to see all the characters from each other on the screen. The PoE angle is a lot lower and hides characters behind others and it's even worse with multiple enemies and aoe spell effects. No exaggeration. Your characters can disappear altogether (behind bigger enemies as Sensuki pointed out) and with some aoe effects you have no idea where they are, who they're targeting or if they're in engagement with more than one enemy.

[Byeohazard]

"Sorry, no dvd/bluray - have some awesome paper instead" seems a bit of a hoodwink :/

Well I checked my calendar and it's not April 1st...so throw that theory out the window.

Edited October 15, 2014 by Byeohazard

[Falkon Swiftblade]

Thanks for the update! Can I make a suggestion or request that probably wouldn't eat up too much time on your guys part? I gotta say I appreciate all the work your team has put in the game so far, so please don't take this as me being nit picky, but from all I've seen so far for the player faces in the game, they're all so dark, too dark.  You would think they would be painted or textured to indicate more highlights on their faces instead of the very dark muddy tones. If the game takes place at night time more than daytime that's one thing, but something in the pipeline is making them unnaturally dark. I understand it's a 3d model exported out in 2d against 2d background, but someone should have thought about the environmental effects on the characters a tad more. Also, it's kinda immersion breaking for the people warming their hands in the fire inside the inn when it's 76 or 80 outside.

 

thanks, and really I do appreciate the work that's gone into this and that continues to go into it! 

[curryinahurry]

Brandon,  

 

Since people are discussing this issue on the forums at the moment, we might as well start considering solutions to the problem created by a lower screen angle.  I believe that the angle between the view and the ground plane has been reduce to 30 degrees from 45 in the old IE games.  If that is the case, then it requires (my trig is very rusty) objects in the y-axis (into the screen, or upscreen) to be 2x the distance from their target in order to maintain the visual clarity of a 45 degree viewing angle.  

 

This is obviously a problem, but there needs to be some type of solution as combat visibility is a major feedback issue at the moment.  Just as an example, i took the posted image in this update and played with moving the two characters on the left a bit farther apart.  The left side shows these two at a distance of 1.5x the current engagement radius:

 

 

I think it's pretty clear by just moving the 2 characters 50% further apart, you get a lot more visual clarity.  The question is, how feasible is this to accomplish?  Is it possible to have different engagement distance along the y-axis vs the x-axis?  It would be great to get a reasonable solution to this problem, as it is currently the single biggest feedback issue in combat clarity at the moment.

 

Cheers

[Doppelschwert]

Brandon,  

 

Since people are discussing this issue on the forums at the moment, we might as well start considering solutions to the problem created by a lower screen angle.  I believe that the angle between the view and the ground plane has been reduce to 30 degrees from 45 in the old IE games.  If that is the case, then it requires (my trig is very rusty) objects in the y-axis (into the screen, or upscreen) to be 2x the distance from their target in order to maintain the visual clarity of a 45 degree viewing angle.  

 

This is obviously a problem, but there needs to be some type of solution as combat visibility is a major feedback issue at the moment.  Just as an example, i took the posted image in this update and played with moving the two characters on the left a bit farther apart.  The left side shows these two at a distance of 1.5x the current engagement radius:

 

 

I think it's pretty clear by just moving the 2 characters 50% further apart, you get a lot more visual clarity.  The question is, how feasible is this to accomplish?  Is it possible to have different engagement distance along the y-axis vs the x-axis?  It would be great to get a reasonable solution to this problem, as it is currently the single biggest feedback issue in combat clarity at the moment.

 

Cheers

 

Given what I know from close combat, I think the right fighters are way too close to each other as well.

You could just increase the selection circles by 1.5 times in both directions. Maybe someone (sensuki?) wants to make a mod for this to see how it feels?

[curryinahurry]

Yeah, selection circles may generally be small...also, because they have a finer width..that might be contributing to the problem as well

Edited October 15, 2014 by curryinahurry