PillarsofEternity

PoE isn't far off realizing that. Just needs more work.

Does this world have a printing press? I don't believe so. Have they mastered surveying techniques? Probably not. You're talking hand drawn maps created by a scholar collecting various traveler's tales and adding various creative embellishments. You'll be lucky if a map is even close to accurate. The best maps will probably be of coastlines; not of interior trails and dirt roads. I wasn't actually referring to an accurate map, with roads or trails. Even the location of the landmarks doesn't need to be accurate, just ballpark. You grossly underestimate how quickly cartography produces something worthwhile. If there is any trade between these cities, chances are traders know the routes inside out. You are making it out to be this complicated thing, when it is anything but. More to the point, I'm simply talking about a map with landmarks, such as cities/towns. In a game that is not open world (ala Baldur's Gate), in which you click on places on a map to travel between them, what I'm proposing isn't a stretch. You're free to dislike the idea, but suggesting that it tugs at plausibility is simply ridiculous. It would take no effort at all for someone to create a basic map of where major locations are in relation to eachother, particularly as one assumes that your band of adventurers is not the first to embark on treks between landmarks. The flow of people between places, and the aforementioned trade, basically guarantees that within a short amount of time of mastering writing/calligraphy, cartography would be simple work - however basic the maps are. you're not a local in the game - you're newly arrived. I don't want a full map from the outset - but I wouldn't be opposed to having one for sale (see below) So because you're a new arrival, it means everyone in the game world (including companions who are not new) are also completely ignorant of the world they inhabit? And they need you, with your exploration prowess, to show them the way around? Got it. Or, maybe you could pop into the local tavern and buy a basic map? The game already provides you with a blank map. How did they manage to give you that ability? You've outlined the world somehow at the start of the game, but you just don't know what inhabits that world? That's quite the skill. That's of course far more believable. The landmass, along with the coastline, is fully mapped out, but the important things in between that people in the game world find useful is left to the imagination. Whichever way you look at it, it is very conceivable that any fantasy world - whose inhabitants can read/write and where traders are present - would very quickly come up with ways to present that information in map form, regardless of how detailed or accurate it is. I'm not for one second questioning your view on the idea; it's perfectly fine that you dislike it. I am however incredulous that both of you doubt such a thing would be possible. When all is said and done, maps are blank in games because they give you the sense of achievement in exploration when they are uncovered. From a gaming perspective, it makes sense. Within that game world though, it is simply crazy that none of these fantasy game worlds (where far more advanced and crazier things are readily available), have no map with major locations available to buy or find prior to the arrival of the Chosen One.

I'd like a map where you can see every major (and probably minor) location mapped out from the outset, even if you can't travel everywhere straight away. Might ruin the feeling of discovery, but let's get real, most of these civilizations in games are advanced enough to have mastered cartography prior to your arrival. These maps could then, presumably, be sold to anyone who wants them. Moreover one would imagine that many people, especially those entrusted with saving the world, might have some knowledge of their local region beyond a blank map they can fill out as they go along.

Maybe some people believe that, but I think most people with an ounce of common sense know that there is a discernible difference between Spanish and Portuguese. I can assure you that, despite not being pals with anyone at Obsidian, the decision to not include a language will not be based on baseless assumptions, but rather business considerations. As for the second point, it's not a question of creating translations based on how many speakers a language has. Largely, it's based on asking how many people are likely to purchase the game, and what language they tend to speak. The fact that Portuguese has more speakers than Germany becomes irrelevant when we realize that not only are Germans/Austrians rich people with high disposable income (thus being more likely to spend money on gaming), they are also famously avid CRPG gamers, which makes German probably first on the list after English when creating CRPGs - not least because there are 95 odd million German speakers in Europe. Portugal has 10 million people, while Brazil has over 200 million, but not all things are equal. Germans/Austrians have far more disposable income than either, and have a history of buying CRPGs perhaps only second to English speakers. I'm not naive enough to suggest that Portuguese or Brazilians don't play CRPG's, but again these would be based on internal business decisions. I'm sure that Obsidian have in depth data about sales of previous games that they use as a guide too. Which is not to say that Obsidian is right in deciding to not include a language; just that there is a reason behind their decision that goes beyond generalizations. The fact that there currently isn't plans for official translations in Portuguese suggests that they either feel it's not enough to justify the outlay, and/or that there isn't enough demand from fans clamoring for it. Most certainly however it is not based on any idea that "well it's kinda like Spanish right? So let's just use that..."

No one game in particular. Aside from narrative, a large part of the attraction for me was the promise of a 2012 take on creating an isometric based RPG. The art style, coupled with improved fidelity, promised much. For the most part the game looks great, though the lack of environmental animations is a sore point for me. What they've created so far is impressive, but I admit it's not quite what I had in my mind when it was announced. Hype was in overdrive when the first screenshot hit, but the subsequent gameplay releases notched that down a bit.

Walking for me too. Just another aspect where the spiritual successor lacks the spirit of its predecessors. The toggle idea is the right one. If you really want to run, you could always double click on the spot where you want to move, while single click is for walking. Naturally you could also have an option which reverses those functions for those who prefer to run.

Romances... lord almighty.

Ultimately, yes. But they also sold the game based on the idea of dynamic backgrounds too, as can be evidenced in early videos.

They probably have reasons why they are not included, but I agree with your sentiment. Frankly it's not good enough. The game looks so static and feels dead. It is actually kind of painful to look at at times. The video in update 49 showed a glimpse of what was possible, but watching the game in motion now it feels as if the last 2 years their only goal was to make the game look worse. Yeah, they have other things to do: gameplay, story, world building, etc. That's all fine and dandy. Occasional animations on trees and shrubs should not have been cut under any circumstance. It's good to see that other people such as yourself are equally disappointed with what has transpired.

They also had an update with Tim Cain early on. I've written the question and answer below. Question: After seeing the screenshot, my anticipation for the game has spiked considerably, but it left me with a few questions. I understand that the 2D portrait background concept (?), but will there be any overlapping animation with the river to make it appear flowing, even if the actual image doesn't move? The same question for flowers and trees, and will wind be simulated somehow? Tim Cain: Yes, we're going to have animations in the backgrounds. If you're familiar with my game Temple of Elemental Evil, we used a very similar technique. It's a 2D rendered background, and then we insert animated props so that the trees will sway. We're going to have birds, butterflies, insects, you know, different thing going on in the background, and we can actually make the river appeal to flow. And the waterfall will appear to move. These are things that will actually make the entire scene come to life. Things you can't really see in the screenshot, and things we're not prepared to show yet. But, if you played Temple, or just look at some YouTube videos, showing how that engine works, its very similar to what we're doing here. Here you can see gameplay of Temple of Elemental Evil: The difference it makes is significant. Temple is a 2003 game for what it's worth. I can't shake my disappoint that background animations for trees and shrubs is canned.

The grass not moving is not a big deal I feel. The trees/shrubs not occasionally swaying would be criminal. Watching videos of the game, it is the one glaring thing that is missing from a visual perspective. The entire scene looks dead without movement. It's actually irritating how static everything looks, made worse by the fact that there are these lone leaves that float about now and then. They had a prototype of it on April 10th, 2013 when they released update 49. It shows how much of a difference even minimal movement of trees/shrubs makes a difference to immersion in the game world. Whatever reason Obsidian have for not implementing movement throughout the game is not really good enough. I'm sure they have their reasons for not including it, but it's a major letdown. Those saying that they would rather the team focus on gameplay are missing the point. Why should something like this be an either or?

I'd like to see the map as basically an interactive version of the map they have already made: http://media.indiedb.com/images/games/1/20/19152/pe-pillarsofeternitymap-1750x1426.jpg

Hello, I hope this hasnt been asked before, and I apologize if it has. The question I wanted to ask - though I suspect I won't get a clear answer because of the nature of the question - about what kind of sales are being projected by Obsidian/Paradox for PoE. Moreover, what would be considered succesful to fund future iterations? Ostensibly, the game has sold 80,000 copies to date, all of which will be distributed to backers. While Kickstarter is regarded as a platform where developers can get a game directly to the consumer, we all know that the real potential for this game lies beyond the backers. Simply getting the game out to backers isnt enough, despite backer funding covering the project. It seems, though there is no reason to air such an opinion, that Obsidian have high hopes for PoE. They want this to become their flagship franchise that can provide continuity for the next decade and beyond. We also know that expansions are being planned. Expansions are great in that gamers get more content while developers make more money using a quicker development timeframe that benefits from existing assets and technology. In case of solid expansions, its a win-win for consumers and developers. To me it seems perfectly reasonable to think that PoE could end up selling anywhere between 500-750k copies in its first year, and well over a million during its life cycle. And I feel Im being cautious. This is going to be a major release on PC. In some respects I expect the release will see AAA treatment from publications, going by evidence of recent Kickstarters like Broken Age or Banner Saga - and PoE is far more ambitious than either. The existing audience for this game - in addition to the new audience it will reach - makes this more than your basic Kickstarter release. For example there were reports that Kickstarted games like FTL have sold over a million. Are such expectations held within the company? The forumers, I pose two questions: 1. How many copies will PoE sell (not including expansions)? 2. What do you consider a success sales wise?