Dynellen

They do have the Pathfinder license. I'd love to see a proper turn based game utilizing Pathfinder ruleset+maybe a new setting since the Pathfinder setting itself is very cookie cutter.

Trap level determines the accuracy, not the damage. Or at least that's how it works for player laid traps using Mechanics, I can't be sure about 'enemy' traps.

There was something on bluesnews a week or two back that an expansion is coming/in the works already. Yeah the expansion is confirmed. I remember it being mentioned that it might come out around summer. The sequel thing from OP's article though is news to me, I know Obsidian has said they'd like to do a sequel but I don't think it has been confirmed anywhere but word like that from the publisher is pretty big.

Well one big thing was that these games were mostly made using the D&D license but that was stuck in a limbo/legal battle for years thanks to Atari. So that didn't help either.

If you register at Green Man Gaming you can see their VIP sales area. You can get the Steam version of the game there for about 32€/$ which is probably the cheapest alternative.

Most of the AI packs in IE games were useless but I agree that some of the basic ones make a huge difference to quality of life. There's a lot of stuff to keep track of in fights as it is so I often find myself really missing the basic AI scripts like Standard attack or Ranged. Currently after casting a spell your party members will just stand around so in the heat of battle it's very easy to miss your Cipher isn't actually doing anything after he finished his spell.

Expert mode on first playthrough may be quite annoying. You can't see spell AoE size and the variety between spells is massive and then you have int further modifying it so you'll really be guessing at where your spells will actually land.

Don't know about the GoG version, on Steam you get a Kickstarter Backer achievement and a 'Cloak of the Obsidian Order', black cloak with the PoE logo on it (it has no magical bonuses).

Looking at user reviews before the game is even out is a waste of time.

The site people used for years and years for information on their games. These days hint/let's play/walkthrough videos have taken a lot away from the site but for a long time it was the site to go to for game walkthroughs. Lots of dedicated people did their best to find all the little details in games and write comprehensive guides for them. Hell it's still probably the best place for things like Infinity Engine game guides, the Baldur's Gate 2 etc. FAQ's are ridicously comprehensive.

They're in a big encrypted file on the depotcache folder until the release.

It's a PS4 exclusive action RPG. It really doesn't compete in the same circle as PoE.

Paradox handed out the review copies. They seem to have given out keys to mostly the same (large) list of people who streamed Cities: Skylines, another game they recently published.

It's just a version of Attack of Opportunity. It greatly discourages the 'one character runs around in circles, never getting hit by melee enemies' tactic that you could abuse in Infinity Engine games.

Afaik Obsidian just gave some 1k Steam keys to Paradox who are in charge of handing out/deciding who gets the press release. Paradox seems to have handed out keys to a lot of the same streamers who did streams for their other recent release, Cities:Skylines.

I don't think so which is why these streams do actually highlight some of the issues with the game. Yes a lot of the streamers/let's players are quite bad but the game itself doesn't always give info that is vitally needed. Even if you read the manual it may not be easy for a new person looking at countless classes, abilities and talents to remember some small note about an engagement system and what that means from a gameplay perspective. Also a lot of people have played Infinity Engine games recently thanks to the Enhanced Editions, in those games running away and kiting are very prevalent tactics. Then they come to this game and think things work the same, especially since there's no 'Attack of Opportunity' indicator like in Neverwinter Nights/ToEE games. So their no armor wizard tries to run away from the big bad enemy and gets destroyed by engagement attacks.

So, if it was bought off a site like Green Man Gaming, would those steam keys only be released on the day or release? GMG releases keys whenever they're allowed by the publisher. Usually on the day of release at the latest.

Nice! Though will backers be able to redeem their keys in time to be able to pre-load?