LadyCrimson

I tend to like characters who make me laugh the most frequently without being total slapstick-y about it. Hence Eder and Aloth at the top for me. The rest I've encountered (haven't met the mall yet) are varying degrees of "ok to somewhat interesting" to "close to spending the rest of the game sitting in my dungeon for annoying me."

Not sure which, but either 1 or 2 (or both? not sure if same spot in both pics?) is like what I was saying - the secret switch is on the other side of the wall from where your party is standing (can't access/see it if not in that room). I believe it's intended as another optional way to get to the bedroom without having to fight as many guards. It opens into a room that is easily accessible if you're just doing a bum-rush through the area and not taking all the "secret" routes (might need a highish Mechanics to lockpick the door into that room, I can't remember). Just my memory of when I've been through there a few times, tho.

Heh, that must've been it. Just assumed it was because I didn't do enough "stuff" but truth be told when writing my above post I couldn't quite remember the sequence of events I had...faulty memory circuits.

Some containers and some enemy loot is random per new game. But it's not random (that I can tell) in the sense that if you reload a save game to re-do the same encounter with the same chr, different loot appears each reload/attempt. There is plenty of "always there" hand-placed loot, as well - the special items, as it were. Of game encounters etc. I haven't reached far enough to have a great idea on this, but on repeats of Act1 it's certainly pretty much always the same. Doesn't bother me myself (I replay mostly to try new builds/party compositions etc) but I can see how it wouldn't be motivating for some.

I believe you have to have a chr. level that = the hireling being able to be 1 level below your player character. So if you aren't level 2 yet for some reason, they won't show up. Had that happen to me recently during a restart, because I dashed to the town vs. doing the stuff on the map before it, first.

Assuming I'm thinking of the same spot/potential doors, there is a hidden switch from one room to another that opens one camouflaged door but it has to be "scouted" from a particular wall side. Doesn't work if you're not standing on the "right" side of that wall. If that's not it, not sure.

If you have a party of 5 or 6, so far I haven't had to rest/camp very often and have yet to need to run out to get more mid-area session. I use per-encounter skills most of the time and save per-rest skills only if a battle isn't going well. If you're going it solo or with just 2 or something, however, I can see it being a lot more restrictive feeling. However... ...if this is what they did to fix the issue of supplies disappearing if you had the max already when trying to loot something, that's kind of disappointing. Would make more sense to me to just not allow them to be looted yet. Then after using one you could go back and loot it. But oh well, better than going "poof" completely I suppose.

Steam version: go "online" and it should start downloading on its own, unless you have the option checked to not D/L right away. The first choice is the default, however. GoG version: you'll have to visit their site and look in your "shelf" for the update, when it's made available. They usually run behind a day or three, because of their personal installer/testing process after receiving a patch.

I prefer the limited supply method over the resting mechanic that felt like it was constantly "interrupted" by a random attack encounter, meaning I'd have to fight that off, try to rest again and possibly have another interruption. Sometimes 3 or 4 in a row. That drove me crazy, personally. Sure it didn't happen every rest but it was often enough to become annoying as heck when I just wanted to rest and move on. So I prefer limited camping with no interrupts. Even if it occasionally feels pretty cheesy to be "camping/resting" right outside of the big baddie's front door after killing all of his area minions, so to speak.

Steam saves in the cloud only if you have it set to do so, which I never do because I don't like/don't trust "the cloud." For windows I believe it's -- Users\*yourpcname*\Saved Games\Pillars of Eternity (edit - there's some other related folders in the User directory as well but I think those are the actual save games).

It's only a money pit if you desire to buy lots of any awesome looking thing in every store, and doing the Keep upgrades prevents you from doing that. I'm not sure it does - but I'm still on Act1 and have easily upgraded most of it so far, at least when not buying 8k items from stores. But if you wanted those store items faster instead, then yes, upgrading the Keep etc. is going to delay that. Depends on priorities/order you want to do stuff in. Outside of that ... I like the idea of the Keep/Stronghold as being a fun home for your character, but I also feel maintaining/defending it is just yet more micromanagement I don't (personally) want, because I just want to experience the main game right now, so I've been largely ignoring it in restarts (I restart a lot, still can't decide on party I want to stick with). The bandits can have it for the moment. Maybe later.

I was going to prune some rather offensive posts out but I seem to be having some forum software issues at the moment. I think, however, this particular thread has run its course for the evening, and it may be time for a time-out on the topic altogether for at least a wee while. Get some sleep, play a game (whether it's PoE or something else) for a while. Maybe we can revisit it later.

Tried a Cipher in PoE (2 fighters, 1 cipher, 1 priest). I like them much better than the Wizard/Mage to pair up with tanks. I just cannot for the life of me decide on a party composition that I want to get past Act1 with (I've done quite a bit in Defiance Bay but have yet to finish any Act1 main questing), whether it's a full 6 or four or three. Could be because I'm older and impatient but spellcasting feels even more micromanaged than early other games and I want as little of that as possible, but I don't want 4-6 fighter/tanks, either.

I think they've mentioned they're working on a method for people to download patches manually from their site but I have no idea what process that might entail or when it might arrive etc. The thing about GoG is they use their own "installer" and thus have to spend time testing/making sure a patch works with their installer. I don't know techs about that process either, but it's why GoG patches usually take 1-3 days longer, especially compared to Steam's easy to use (for the developer as well as the consumer) insta-process. To be complete (and prove it wasn't my imagination, hehee), here's the link to the Dev. post that mentions it. So maybe a couple weeks? http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/75170-patch-103-is-live-on-steam/?p=1629253

Usually not too long but it depends on the time of day/our schedules and the state of forum response lag. We're volunteers and occasionally like to eat and sleep and spend time with our families and play the game, like anyone else. Release of PoE has at times hammered both forum performance and our button-clicking fingers, so sometimes it may take a bit. Sorry about that - thanks for your patience and welcome to the forums.

GoG uses their own installer/tech process etc. and requires for them to test any patches to make sure there aren't any issues with such, before releasing. I don't know the tech reasons behind it all, but that is the explanation for their typical delays (vs. Steam auto-patching speed). It should be available on GoG in a day or two or something like that.

I think they've mentioned they're working on a method for people to download patches manually from their site but I have no idea what process that might entail or when it might arrive etc. The thing about GoG is they use their own "installer" and thus have to spend time testing/making sure a patch works with their installer. I don't know techs about that process either, but it's why GoG patches usually take 1-3 days longer, especially compared to Steam's easy to use (for the developer as well as the consumer) insta-process.

Thread pruned. Also, forum post-count has been reached so I'm going to close this thread. If another is created for more discussion of this topic, I hope it shall continue in a more constructive manner than this incarnation had, or it may end up closed as well.

While we can not agree with a stance someone takes/discuss why we disagree with it, I think a thread created only to "bash" or impugn someone is not in keeping with the tone we'd like to encourage on these forums.

I've noticed that as well. Limited spacer size for icon-titles I assume, so the text is shrunk in order to "fit." I find it readable at 1080 on my 27" screen but on a 15" I can only imagine. I think if you actually "open" the book to read it, the title is more normal/readable tho.

That's interesting. So for some reason he has a special "dimiss forever" option perhaps. I wonder what the reasoning for that is, if so. I thought maybe it was showing up because I've been "honest/diplomatic" whereas I think he doesn't like those so maybe it's if you really like to roleplay and think your chr. wouldn't put up with him...

Yeah...no. This probably won't go anywhere constructive. And if you're actually serious, the forum isn't the place for such requests. You'd want to contact their support email.

He doesn't actually leave then? And yes I know I can save and try, and I will. I was on a lake-trip for a couple days and haven't gotten back to the game just yet but this was on my mind. Mostly I was wondering *why* he has that option when the others don't. I know some crpg's have a line like that to create a dialogue "dimiss companion" option, but since only Durance has it (that I've noticed) + you dismiss companions through other methods in PoE, it feels curious. Like an option that shouldn't show up until later or something.

This. They're meant to be more "generic", imo, in order for more people/playstyles to at least find them usable. Not everyone min/maxes or even min/maxes in the same way, and with the limited number of written-companions, they're going to be more general types (even if they do have a bit of initial focus) so they can be altered with equipment/leveling choices etc. to fit in with as many playstyles as possible, for those that want to experience their stories/quests. Idealized, super optimized parties is what the creating your own hirelings function is for.

I'd guess it's a nod to the old text games of yore (and maybe some early graphic ones too). But yeah, I don't find the action-descriptors engaging myself - doesn't bother me personally, but I can see why some would find it distracting combined with the VO. What I found most distracting is when someone, a companion say, has a VO for all these bits you're clicking on, and suddenly you hit one within a thread that doesn't have a VO, and then it goes back to VO. Like some dialogue bits/options along a path were added in after the VO was recorded. Feels weird.