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So, the first game I played that was made by Obsidian was Knights of the Old Republic 2. It was to be representative of the early productions of the studio. Yes, admittedly, it was rushed, technically very flawed and was clearly lacking content that was cut to make the deadline. But it was still a gem, inserting shades of grey in the normally two-toned world of the Star Wars universe, and in doing so making the world feel that much more real and worthwhile. The characters were believable; they didn’t just exist simply to further the story, but they each had their own agenda, and they were all tied to the player character in their own unique way, as was slowly revealed throughout the story. And this is what I feel Obsidian so often manages to add to a world, whether it’s an Obsidian original, or borrowed from another’s intellectual property. They take their narratives seriously; they build their worlds to be believable and they allow their characters to live their own lives and not simply be window dressing for the main characters. I remember going through Mask of the Betrayer, the Neverwinter Nights 2 DLC, for the first time and being awed by the gravity of its story. This was a story of mythological proportions, pitting you against the laws of its universe and death itself, and in a way where you were never quite sure what exactly was the right choice to make. The ending did not offer simple black and white choices, a hallmark of the sort of Obsidian games that I hold dear, and of which I cherish fond memories. I kept following Obsidian throughout the years, and each time I would look forward with anticipation to whatever the studio would come up with next. Fallout: New Vegas was a huge success, of course. And when the studio started doing Kickstarters for their own IP, there was absolutely no doubt in my mind to throw some money their way. It did not leave me disappointed, both Pillars of Eternity games wove exactly the sort of deep narrative, rich with lore and worldbuilding, that I have come to expect from the studio. Remarkably, the studio has not lost its soul throughout the years, as exemplified by the 2022 release of Pentiment. Set in the fictional town of Tassing in historical 16th century Bavaria, this game plays like a detective story. But the catch is that actual detectiving is a fool’s errand. Whoever you end up picking as the culprit, you never have enough evidence to be certain that you have picked the right perp. Not that the powers that be mind very much; they’re happy so long as someone is seen to be executed for the crimes. You could say that the true objective of Pentiment is to unravel the underlaying plot, and to eventually confront the real thread spinner that has immersed the quiet town of Tassing in a state of chaos. But I don’t think that’s quite right. For me, the real objective of the game is to, if only for a moment, make it possible for you to transport yourself to a different time and a different place, and to contemplate what life was like for people in those days, and what kind of choices they were confronted with as the last vestiges of the old were being blown away by the winds of modernity. And now, it will not be long before their next much anticipated game will come out. I will be honest, when I first heard of the studio working on what was then still considered to be the studio’s answer to Skyrim, I was sceptical. It seemed like they might be biting off more than they could chew, and I felt the sort of formula behind Skyrim didn’t seem to play to the studio's strength. But now that I’ve seen the first previews, I’m glad to see that it’s actually nothing like Skyrim. It seems smaller in scope, less focused on a large open world, and actually aiming more for a smaller, more intimate experience. A lot has been made about the combat, and luckily the latest news seems to be that there’s been a lot of improvements on that front. But what I find more interesting is that once again Avowed looks to have characters with their own voices and their own agendas. And once again there seems to be a rich story with plenty of mysteries to unravel. I honestly can’t wait, and I’ve always taken the week after the release free from work, so I can fully enjoy it without any distractions. I’m sure I’ll have a great time.

Well, I wouldn't say I'm not good with combat in any game. I'm very comfortable with combat in the classic cRPGs, be it RTwP or TB. It's first-person action combat that is a problem for me. Even having it be third-person makes a big positive difference (i.e. Witcher-style). In first person, all I end up doing is mashing the keyboard wildly and never hitting with my sword while getting clobbered by the other guy, because the perspective makes it very difficult for me to figure out what's happening.

Well said, though games are complex and the players' hardware and software configurations are diverse, so waiting for at least a month before playing might bring a more enjoyable experience. Still, I do believe that you will have a great time even if there are minor technical issues. I am looking forward to the game, though more accessible and environmentally-friendly system requirements would be most welcome and I shall resist the urge to pre-purchase and take a vacation.

What is that? Is that the feed/tame icon when I hover? Can I tame it? *CHASE CHASE/SMASH BUTTON 50x* (it kept not working/it would move away super fast and I swim slow) Yessssss! Success, another adorable creature for me! ... which I will put away and never look at again. It's so unique/different vs. everything else so far tho, cuteness overload.

Trump is looking out for you, Bruce https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/addressing-egregious-actions-of-the-republic-of-south-africa/

I don't think Interstellar was terrible or anything, but I did personally find it kind of a snoozefest. The best thing about Interstellar was desperate/crazed Matt Damon. Which was funny at the time because then The Martian came out and one was half-expecting Damon to be similar-roled, at first. Ha. I know it's a different type of film but The Martian was 100x better, imo. I didn't like Contact either, even on the big-screen. I even bought/tried reading the book wondering if it would make me appreciate it more. I didn't like the book much either. Thus I've come to the conclusion I don't enjoy overly metaphysical/transcendent sci-fi (or whatever the words for such might be) - 2001 and Arrival (2016) bored me to tears too. Which is fine - just doesn't "speak" to me is all.

The latest Community Blog, from @JadedWolf, is now live: As you review this latest addition, I would love to hear from those who might be interested in submitting experiences about playing Avowed for the March edition: please PM if this is of interest

human brain contain exponentially growing amount of plastic while nation pull out who hopeful times

I wasn't sure whether to Like or Shock ... went with Shock

KCD II. For five hours straight without noticing. Have a feeling this may become the RPG to beat in the next coming years. [i