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I you put your ear to the ground, you might be able to hear the quiet rumble of Deadfire's internal staging branch on SteamDB. It's been couple months since the last time it was updated... well, before today, that is. 👀

Spend some time lounging in the sun, reading, watching birds and ants and butterflies, and listening to random tourists trampling past.

Hi all, we put some changes up that should increase the length now by days instead of hours. Let us know if you're still seeing the sign-in form too often! Thanks, everyone!

That is a blanket statement with zero data or source to back it up. There are many examples where the publishers getting involved by adding their ideas made the game worse as well. It highly depends on the developer what he does with those ideas, doesn't it? Constructive input is never bad. If you can't filter it properly or don't really know what you want from your own game - that might be a problem.

Getting a reward for backing a project is not preorder. If the reward is the finished game then the outcome is the same though. Of course a crowdfunded project can go wrong andf then you get nothing. But especially if you have such a heavyweight like Microsoft in the background there is a very very small risk of that happening. So basically you back and get the game as reward (and more if you opt for it). Crowdfunding has another aspect that can work in favor of the player: there generally is more influence and feedback from the backers' side since they are the ones who fund - and not a publisher. This doesn't automatically mean that's good for the game itself, but usually players will get more of what they want with a crowdfunded project. There are pros and cons for crowdfunding. Of course the main motivation may be that nobody else is willing to fund a certain project. But if you take away that "problem" (e.g. if you are owned by a big company) there are still benefits left. Backing a project generally entitles you to expect more frequent updates on the progression. Often you can opt in for certain "tiers" which might be nice to have (create an item, create an NPC etc.) which you normally don't see in games which are funded by a publisher). I personally like those things. I brought us some nice stuff in PoE and Deadfire. Some people think that those rewards are just shiftng work from the developer to the backer - but I think it connects you more to the game and gets you more involved. Microsoft could indeed fund PoE3 themselves. Money is not the problem. But then you (as a potential future customer) will not see much of the development process, there will be no backer items, not much involvement. You'll simply wait till the game is ready and then play it. In that case, there's especially low influence from the customers' side and Microsoft's ability to "keep the creative integrity" is even more important than without crowdfunding, isn't it? The only problem here is the perceived "immorality" of crowdfunding a project even if you have the money to fund it yourself. I simply think that's nonexisting problem. Since Pillars now has a (short) history of getting successfully backed and feels a bit like a community project I think it would be somewhat fitting if Obsidian also used crowdfunding to (partially) fund the next one (if there's one in the first place). But I'm not desperately calling for this. I simply think that Microsoft crowdfunding the game wouldn't be good or bad per se. For the game it doesn't make any difference if it's crowdfunded or publisher-funded. It's important that it gets funded in the first place. Maybe Obsdian could do something of a hybrid: let Microsoft fund the project but still put out stuff like "backer" rewards (not that you have to give money, maybe as a result of raffles or competitions, hunts or surveys and whatnot) as a marketing tool. Maybe "fan rewards" or "community rewards" would be a better term.

That sounds like you're challenging the producers...

Every boob is different. This forum is proof of that.

Since when is crowdfunding no-profit? That's absolutely not what it is. You project will get funded, you ship the project to your backers (and are even then) - and every copy you sell after that to regular customers is your profit. It seems you romaticized crowdfunding. The act of crowdfunding ifself doesn't change at all regardless of the developer who's using it - big or small. Besides that they could also do hybrid: run a crowdfundng campain for only a fraction of the development costs - just to stay in touch (like the guys from Banner Sage described) and offer special rewards and treatment - and fund the rest with their own money. Again: like Deadfire.

I will back PoE3 as long as Obsidian remains Obsidian and PoE3 remains a PoE game (Infinity-inspired, RTwP and isometric). I don't mind supporting Obsidian as a part of Microsoft or any other corporation (except, maybe, EA).

Wow, I'm just dumbfounded by the negative responses to the OP's idea. With all due respect, I think the opposition is misguided. Having large corporations embrace crowdfunding is not something to be feared. I agree with Boeroer that it could result in benefits for consumers: - It's a useful means for publishers to gauge interest in a potential idea. - It encourages publishers to continue to fund story-driven, single-player games as opposed to switching to casual mobile games (e.g. Konami). - Fans can encourage changes in industry policy (like DRM-free on GOG) by insisting on funding campaigns that implement those politicies (like DRM-free releases.) - The publishers can choose to contribute (or even match) the crowdfunded total, giving the developers an important buffer they would lack otherwise. I urge the opponents to read this interview with the developers of The Banner Saga trilogy , who made the mistake of abandoning crowdfunding after the success of the first game: (interview is here) I don't want to derail this into a political discussion, but I don't have a problem with large corporations making use of publicly funded research -- provided they don't try to monopolize it after the fact (i.e. via a patent). This is why the GPL (one of the main licences used by open-source software) does not contain a "non-commercial" clause. There's nothing wrong with companies using, and profiting from, open-source software.

Shhh, this is my job application.

Doesn't matter if it does, The current gaming rage against exclusivity is only targeted against games that aren't released right away on Steam. If it is exclusive to Steam then there is no issue. So following the current trend: a console game: problematic. A PC game: fine, as long as it releases on Steam (doesn't matter if it is exclusive to that store).

Ah-ah-ah! My beard is mythic by default.

Exactly my thoughts. Very nicely explained.

This was the most controversial moment in Game of Thrones' last episode. Spoilers (not really).

Thank you for being our collective voice, when we just couldn't find the right words to say ourselves. Such poetry.

The difference you mention is in the motivation to start a crowdfunding campaign. What I meant is: why is a crowdfunding campaign itself worse if the owner of the developer is Microsoft? The outcome for the player would be exactly the same no matter who owns the developer. You, as a backer, give money and receive the game as reward. It's not that you are giving alms. So why would it be a questionable decision from Microsoft's side if they opt for a crowdfunding campaign? It's just a different way of funding. Less risk, sure, but also a lot more work (campaigning is hard work). I would argue that crowdfunding works even better (for the backer) if there's a big company with experienced people and backup cash in the background.

Josh's comment:

I can't see how crowdfunding with Microsoft as owner is any different from crowdfunding with Obsidian as owner.

I have time and energy now and I want to work on an update for the Class Project mod. And by "update" I mean I want to completely rebuild the mod from the ground up. I am creating this thread as a place to share my plan and progress and to receive input from those who have it (both in general about the mod and more specifically about skills or abilities). I'm also hoping that either experienced modders or those simply wanting to learn and help would be interested in sharing some of the work load or allowing me to incorporate their ideas into the Class Project. The Gist With 4.1, we gained some modding flexibility when working with progression tables (see here). We cannot modify existing entries in a progression table, but we can add entries to a progression table. So why not tabula rasa the progression tables and make things more additively modular? This is the gist of the rebuild. TCP will become multiple mods. But, when it comes down to determining where the modularity cleaver should land things are not so simple. For now I'm going to skip why that is, but the solution is this: additive becomes the key design principle. This results in more gameplay options for the player, but more modding work for myself or others. I'll explain. I don't like the vanilla passives or how they are organized, and I've tried to tweak them in TCP but I haven't really been successful. As a modder, I want to continue working on the passives for my own gameplay, but also give options for players to play the POE2 that they want to play. So... the modular cleaver will separate the current TCP into "TCP Core" and "TCP Passives" (and other less essential or problematic mods). There's two options for TCP Core. First, an actual tabula rasa progression table file for each class with a separate file that additively rebuilds the active abilities into that blank PT. Or second, a normal override of progression tables that consists of just active abilities with the expectation that passives and other additional abilities will be added for each class. The second option seems better, because it would allow other modders to do their own override of a specific class progression table while maintaining the ability to add entries to a progression table later in the mod load order. One of my probems is that numerous subclasses modify the available abilities/spells within their class in a way that is subtractive. A good example is spell availability to wizards via their school/subclass. These schools do not add spells, but rather limit access to basic wizard spells. From a modding perspective, this is problematic because of where this substraction code needs to be and the fact that one mod cannot simply modify the progression table of vanilla or other mods. So, my solution is that the basic ability tree for a class will be slightly more simplified than it is right now with the expectation that subclasses are redesigned to only add abilities (this redesign of subclasses as additive results in more work). Subclasses might become their own module because they would potentially contain both active and passive abilities, but I haven't quite decided on this yet. TCP Passives would actually be two different additive mods: one for the vanilla passives and one for the changes I want to make. My existing changes to Weapon Proficiencies/Modalities would also become a separate mod. The goal is essentially this: players would choose the modules that work for them. Maybe that is my TCP Core and someone else's Passives. Or my TCP Passives and someone else's Core. Plus an additive mod for weapon proficiencies, or an additive package(s) of Subclasses, or a PT override for a specific class while still allowing compatibility with other broad or specific additive mods. Classes and their Ability Tree Content Most of the martial classes will undergo quite a change. The forked ability upgrades just don't work because the biggest limitation I keep running into is the ability tree UI and the availability of space. So, this is what I'm thinking: Basic Abilities. These abilities (hopefully numbering 5 or 6) should be reliable but not powerful regardless of level and available at level 1. These abilities are essentially the bread and butter abilities that define the behavior of each class. Upgradable Abilities. These abilities are more powerful and can be upgraded linearly as the character progresses in level. Combined Abilities. These more specialized non-upgradable abilities fill in the ability tree with options. These abilities would combine the effects of two abilities (potentially across class lines) but come at a cost of giving up those more basic abilities. By giving up the more basic abilities, you would also lock access to other combo ability options that use that same basic ability as a requirement. So, an example of combined abilities. A rogue at level 1 has access to Blinding Strike. This attack simply blinds the target; no damage boost, no accuracy boost, just blinding, just reliability without any real oomph. At some higher levels the character can select from 3 or 4 abilities that include Blinding Strike as a prereq. Options here may include adding a damage boost to Blinding Strike, adding Smoke Cloud to BS, combining BS with a Fighter's defensive boost, or some splash damage from a Barbarian ability, or whatever. Regardless, the player trains one ability and Blinding Strike itself is removed along with the potential to use BS as an unlock for other combined abilities. This approach to active abilities is partly why I want to deal with passives separately. Passives (for some classes) take up so much room in the UI or get pushed off the screen because of the active ability tree. But with some good planning, many of those same passive effects can be automatically combined into active ability choices freeing up more UI space for interesting active ability decisions instead of blanket passive upgrades. This approach also works with mod compatibility and the additive principle. So that's basically the plan. Now begins the work. And hopefully in the next few days I'll have a rogue tree example that I can share.

The basic outer shell of my house is done: The inside is mostly empty: I'm eventually going to divide this lower level into rooms. You can see my bed off in the corner, I'll move it later once I have the layout complete. This second floor (first floor if you're British) and the mezzanine are going to remain one giant open room. I'll probably add a ceiling in the future and use the upper floor just below the roof as storage, with a ladder to reach it. I'm also definitely going to add some columns for decoration (and support). All manner of debauchery is going to take place in this giant, two-tier open room, so I'm going to make it lavish as ****. Naturally, I have a sweet-ass throne up on the mezzanine where I can look out over the giant open space.

'Leader is about to flee!!!' is used every time there's a revolution. Sometimes it actually does happen like with Yanukovich but apart from Gadaffi and Libya they said the same thing about Assad and Saddam with neither actually fleeing. With Assad iirc they made the slightly ridiculous claim that his family had fled to the UK as well which would be near the last place they'd go. US has plenty of rare earths, it was just cheaper to get China to mine theirs. Which was, retrospectively, immensely stupid given how important they are in all sorts of technologies and how it's allowed China to have artificial export shortages whenever anyone threatens to compete with them. CNN loves a good intervention, even when it comes from Trump.

As long as the game gets finished the outcome is the same for you. For spening your money earlier you get more information and you can get invested more (see Banner Saga). And as I said: with a big company in the background it's very unlikely that your pledge will be lost. But it's always the player who will pay. I don't know if crowdfunding is indeed the "better" option for the developer. You take away risk and get paid in advance, but it also means you have to create a campaign which is a lot of extra work. Also keeping the backers updated means extra work (which won't get paid).

Eh? Why "now"? As a player of games you always had to pay for the development of a commercial game in one way (money) or the other (looking at ads). Who else would pay for development?

If these "troopers" are actually mowing down people in the street it's no wonder this coup is going as badly as it seems to. They look like they learned fighting from Steven Segal action movies. The one on the right there is probably shooting down a chopper.

Played a bit more of The Talos Principle. I am enjoying this a whole lot, gotta love a good puzzle game with a weird story to it. At times, it reminds me of Portal.

The only reason I would see a large corporation not wanting to do crowdfunding (and I am no legal expert, political expert, etc) but it seems like added liability - people love to class action sue large corporations - and they would be opening the door to angry videogamers who felt slighted, etc ... and there is a lot of that going around these days. And I agree that crowdfunding is a hassle, and Kickstarter takes a nice chunk of cash .... I am neither for or against crowdfunding, but am 100 percent for another POE game.

Are those laws perchance like the EU's own "carbon neutral" plans that simply assign a value of zero to emissions from burning biomass, or is the plan to build a few hundred thousand more nuclear reactors? Because I refuse to believe that it's just a legislative pantomime that will accomplish nothing. Well, I never!

That's mostly buying credits, offsets and lies of statistic. Sadly oil will stay vital for a long time to come.

Live maggots! Wth man.

Mmmmm, Copacabana beach...good times good times. I bought a bitchin' voodoo cane there back in the early 90's. Freaked me out enough where I had to sell it to some other chump, forever damning his soul. Bummer.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattperez/2019/05/01/exclusive-the-saga-of-star-citizen-a-video-game-that-raised-300-millionbut-may-never-be-ready-to-play/amp/ Possibly a hit piece, but it has value in that it'll at least wind up Roberts' bonkers fanbase some. More random, but funny.

I wonder what will be the go to qq for when we invade countries after we've switched over to renewables. "They got the good sunlight over there! The wind never stop blowing across their plains!!"

Athens has a few hills right in the city centre, so I can escape into nature without ever leaving the city or going farther than 30 minutes from my apartment. Since I explored a bit and ignored my local friends, my quality of life increased tenfold

You sound like a shill for Epic. No doubt a Chinese intelligence agent, to boot.

I would say that all the positive and desirable things I meantioned can become a reality if the developer is bound by the wish to create a game their customers like. The funding method doesn't matter at all as long as you can fund your game and then stay true to your vision/idea of the game. Example: Deadfire didn't need crowdfunding but it was done nonetheless. Was that harmful? Most likely not. Would the game be better if a publisher had funded it? Nobody knows. I'm inclined to say no but very much depends on the publisher. Hence I conclude (again) that crowdfunding is just an alternative form of funding. You can do good things with it or bad things - no matter if you are a big company or a small indie developer. So I see still no reason why Microsoft shouldn't be able to run a crowdfunding campaign for PoE3. Or why it should be questionable or dubious. The only thing I see is that some people think that using crowdfunding is somehow immoral if you have lots of money. As if it was some form of fraud or finagling alms or something. "You don't need to crowdfund, you have the money !" What I'm saying is that money might not be only reason to crowdfund a game (see Deadfire again).

I will try to alter those icons that got "mixed" feedback. First however I will create cipher's passives. It's better to come back to your work later and look at it with some distance - in order to really see the flaws. But no matter how hard I try: I can't see a violin when looking at Riposte. Divine Retribution/Disco Party: ROFL

Whoohoo! We got back the square avatars (with dem rounded corners). Finally I can see my ears again! Thanks a bunch! Now please reintroduce BBCode mode! PS: what about the background profile picture (cover art or something)? Will we be able to change that in the future?

I don't see any way for them to fix this unless they switch to an action-point system similar to Divinity Original Sin.

Q: Did Bob Mueller support your conclusion? A: I don’t know whether Bob Mueller supported my conclusion. Q: Reports have emerged recently, general, that members of the Special Counsel's team are frustrated at some level with the limited information included in your March 24th letter. Do you know what they are referencing with that? A: No, I don't. -Attorney General Barr's Congressional Testimony on 4/10 "Mueller reportedly wrote a letter to Attorney General Barr objecting to his conclusion that Trump did not obstruct justice in the Russia probe" on 3/27. Whoops.

I want a Pillars 3 one way or another. I think it would be great if it got some proper funding. Not that I wouldn't contribute if a kickstarter did come out, but I'd like to see a more ambitious take on the series. Hopefully keeping with the pre-rendered isometric RTwP style.

The only thing that can beat a sjw nazi is a sjw nazi.

Walt was a nazi, so that's fighting fire with fire or some such. 😄

My new Stygian priestess: Starting work on a new house: It's going to take a while to build, but it will make for a pretty decent place to live and store all my stuff until I'm ready to start building my castle.

Count me in with those who hope PoE 3 will come. I would prefer it be a party-based isometric game like the first two as that's my preferred genre; to date, I've been unable to finish an aRPG regardless of its quality (that includes The Witcher 3, arguably one of the best aRPG released.) But so long as I can purchase the game from GoG, I'll buy anything that has the PoE brand as I want to see where the lore goes.

It is not possible to swap the hilt of this sabre since it is one big model. But it is possible to make those wings invisible. I made a small mod for it. https://www.nexusmods.com/pillarsofeternity2/mods/321/ I hope it satisfies your request.