Volourn

"There is no mention of the soul having to want to return, cost to the caster, or required divine approval. (Some of that was added in 3e though, precisely because resurrection-on-order is so obviously absurd.)" DMG dude. Also, defacto, the god the cleric worships (barring campaigns that don't use gods and just stick with priests using natural abilities powered by their own morality beliefs) "Recipient must make Resurrection Survival check or be permanently dead." Again, this is the big one that people miss. The spell doesn't always works. On top of that your con is lowered so if you die more times you have EVEN less of a chance to survive another casting. Your typical human has a 9 or 10 con. A priest is not going to bother trying on some random punk. Raise Dead also doesn't work on elves (in old times maybe 3E changed that) so another limiting factor as you then have to use ressurection. A good priest is not going to use it on evil characters or likely vice versa. You are basing this on lame ass CRPGs. "D&D is badly broken, and AD&D is ludicrously broken. This is just one of the ways." No, no it isn't. Things that are 'badly broken' don't survive for decades, dude. You obviously don't know how to play the game. That's on you not on it.

Not to mention the heavy cost to both caster and receiver of raise dead. Not to mention the spell only works within a certain time frame and with an actual intact body. Nott to emntion the fact the 'soul' has to want to return. Not to mention the fact that the divine being powering the spell has to give the okay. Again, raise dead is not a mamby pamby spell like magic missle that can be cast for giggles over a tea party.

"I believe there would be no reason for you to have such fears for PoE as the Campaign World already moves to new grounds via the importance of souls in the world." This is not new. Souls are important in many fantasy worlds.

"There is an EULA you sign" EULAs are not really worth the paper they are printed on. I'd like to see them being aggressively attacked in a court of law. They'd likely have large parts of them thrown into the garbage can. The only reason they still exist is because it's rare for anyone to put up a fight and they are rarely used to do anything anyways.

"That's not how the D&D rules are written though. Raise Dead is a level 5 cleric spell, therefore available to any cleric of level 9 or above. In a world that has clerics of level 9 and above, it would not be a rare service – not available to the masses perhaps, but certainly to the privileged." You do realize the cost of raise dead as well as requirements. Perhaps, you should read the 2nd Edition DMG. And, it was no different in earlier editions or 3e. Again, raise Dead is not mamby pamby spell that can be spammed for giggles. LMAO "FWIW Planescape is IMO the best and truest D&D setting. Why? Because it takes those absurd D&D rules and provides coherent in-game explanations for more of them." No. Planescape is no different than other DnD settings since it encompasses ALL DnD settings (prior to silly 4E lol). It's doesn't explain ther spells any differently.

Same crap different pile.

You are on an internet forum dedicated to a rpg video game company. you like 'being magic'. Sorry, bud, you *are* a nerd.

That depends what you are hoping for. If you are hoping for 'best game ever' it is almost certain to fail since that is a lot of competition. However, if you are like me, where you hoping for a fun and enjoyable game than you are far less likely to be dissapointed.

"In my D&D Campaigns I keep resurrection powers to very few privileged, charismatic and not-known-to-the-grand-masses people. Otherwise the world starts to crumble by default. So my PCs know in advance that if they die this will most likely be the end, barring special circumstances." Then why were you bashing DnD ressurection/raise dead? The way you describe is the way it should be. Raise Dead is not some pamby bamby spell. Death is not something that one can shake off in DnD for giggles. If it is, it's being played wrong (like most CRPGs). "If one or more people in your party fall unconscious all you have to do is finish the fight with people still standing, then unconscious party members will be revived. Gave Over (and reload) is when whole party falls." I know. That's even worse. Thankfully, we get an option to make it if you die you die. None of this mamby pamby KOTORish-JEish-NWN2ish- new age nonsense. (beining actually unconcious (ie. through sleep spell) is different than 'dead' but not really dead nonsense). L A M E And, not a good defense of the this game's default 'death' system.

Someone hates to read? Perhaps RPGs aren't actually your things since tomes ie. books ie. reading should be part of the package. Wizards with tomes is awesome and inetretsing. Sorcerors are way more boring, one dimensional and a fake creation by the lsoers in control of the new age DnD to bypass memorization because whines found it 'too limiting' because *gasp* you had to pick your spells WISELY.

"I don't want the type of player who like multiplayer to be a part of the community / audience for this game" That's funny since RPGs are at their best played MP. Afterall, CRPGs wouldn't exist without pnp which is about adventuring with other players. MP doesn't equal MMO which is horribad 99% of the time. Why not have a PE where each character is played by a different player? Works in BG. And, works awesomely in NWN. That said, like 99% of CRPGs PE is FAKE role-playing with multi headed monsters. It's not a real RPG. That said, it'll be hella fun in the ol fashion CRPG way. . P.S. This discussion is worthless since the decision has already been made so non issue. If it's deal breaker for you don't buy the game. Period.

"This is not D&D ruleset. People don't die and get raised back in life saying: 'Oh boy, what did I miss ?'" If that's the way you dealt with death in DnD, that's a failue of yours not DnD. Yeah, and guess what people will do with death in PE? RELOAD. LMAO Just like every other game with perma death (ironman mode notwithstanding).

AS an option, no issues for it, though I find it lame. If experience is such a turnoff to you perhaps you shouldn't be playing RPGs but adventure games. RPGs are largely about the character and leveling up is a part of that. Yeah, story, role-playing, C&C, and npc are all a part of it as well but it seems odd that people are always trying to make role-playing games less like role-playing games.

"Insta-kill doesn't make a game with unlimited saves challenging. It just makes it repetitive." Nope. Simply not true. Games that have insta kills abilities are definitely challenging. To say otherwise is delusional. Why do you think people are fearful of things such as wyverns, medusas, or even ghouls? Because they have abilities that change combat in an instant unlike say an orc with axe who can do damage. But, being killed, turned to stone,or even paralyzed are actual true threats no matter your level (saving throws and resistances not withstanding). Now, I'm not a proponent of just throwing these characters at random to 'surprise' players in a situation where they had no chance because that IS silly and unfun. But, to ban these abilities is weak willed and lessen challenge. Challenge is about having different encounters and these things bring variety. In M&M7 going into the lower dwarven mines where the medusa live is definitely a threat and parties have to be pepared. Now, as for 'savescumming'.. O really don't care if people do it. It's a SP game so if people want to 'savescum' inbetween every 'round' to try to avoid these attacks (or criticals for that matter) let them. Developing a game around that is just a waste of resources. The only person you should be worried about 'save scumming's is yoruself. And, if you hate doing it, just iron man mod. I'm not a fan of IMM though because too many things an go wrong that isn't the player's fault and sicne there will always more combat and danger in a CRPG than a pnp game the risk of 'losing's is phenomenally high. Afterall, you will never likely fight a a small army of vamps in pnp like you did in BG2, or other CRPGs. "though I will say that you're deluding yourself if you think unfairness equates to challenge, because the two are fundamentally antithetical." Except, I don't think 'insta death' attacks are unfair. At all. The players have ways to deal with them just like they have ways to deal with taking normal damage (better armour, better dodge, killing melee monsters before they enter melee, healing, etc.,e tc.). How is this any different? It's different. Why do people ant things to be simplifed? Variety and challenge go hand and hand so if you start saying a, b, c, d,e, and f should not be allowed there's not much left outside of sheer direct damage. That's cool BUT all the time? L A M E

It works in games too. And, I don't feel sucker punch when I have characetr instea killed in a CRPG. If you do you aren't playing for the right reassons. Games are to be challenging. That is why they are games. if you just want a story (I like stories in games too) read a book, watch tv, or watch a movie. I don't watch that silly Throne show but people seem to LOVE that show BECAUSE it kills off popular and unpopualr characters alike. 'Borderline unfair'. OMG! 'It's so unfair mummy, the mean game killed my character! WAAAAAAAAAA!" Why do people want their hands held and be comforted while playing games? Baseball should go to 4 strikes since it's not fair that a pitcher only needs 3 strikes to get a batter out while a batter needs 4 balls to get a 'free' pass. LMAO

Good interview.

Perhaps have a % based on 'damage' taken and have it be slow acting so it takes a day or so to take effect. To balance things out, these obviously should be rare encounters and power magic items like atificats should obviously be immune or HIGHLY resistent. Afterall, I don't see Thor's Hammer being destroyed by a random 4HD monster. L0L

Yet those were popular with the ladies../

"In a way I believe hers is the only morale path in the whole game," You believe the one who mass murders in cold blood and enjoys inflicting pain on others intentionally is the 'only' moral path? Are you on crack? Kreia is one of the most evil , delusional, corrupt, pyschopathic scumbag characetrs ever. Jon irenicus has more of a soul, more humanity (and he's not even human!), more morality than kreia does. LMAO

If you are too wussy to deal with vampires that's your problem not the vampire's issue. Poor little Grom can't handle losing levels.

"In my opinion, Kreia (from KOTOR 2) is the best NPC character I have ever encountered in any game. Her interactions with the player shred all the preconceived notions about being both a White Knight or an Evil ****. The conversation where she tears the player a new one for the ostensibly "noble" act of charity toward the traveller trapped at the port in Nar Shadda is permanently etched into my mind." EPIC FAIL. While Kreia has her good points, she is nowhere the best npc ever. Maybe top 100. She doesn't tear anyone anything. All she spams is juvenile limited editiion pyscho babble. If I were rating characters out of 10, I'd give her a 6/10.Slightly above average that's it. I do love the Goodsprings example. But, it shouldn't be over done. "This has always struck me as shallow and ultimately conceited; the White Knight's motivation is seemingly helping others in need but in actuality, his/her true motivation is the feeling of power gained by doing so." Only one being shallow is you. Why are you putting your own motivation on other players' characters. Stop trying to think you know what player A's Charcetr D motivation is. You don't know. Also, don't confuse the players' desire for ph@t lewt and levelling for the character's potential desire for being a 'white knight'. You also forgot a third option, the PCs are adventurers trying to survive a dangerous land. or maybe the PC is a victim of assasination attempts and needs to find out why people want to skill him (or her) and put an end to it. Games have given all sorts of motivations for characters as has players. It's not just a) or just b). It's like saying a doctor who accepts money to ply his trade only does so because he's greedy and wants to get rich and not also the fact he became a doctor to try to save lives. Only shallow people limits others' motivation to just one thing. That's silly talk. I do agree that npcs should be more pro active at certain times though (however, kreia never was until end game because she was the lame big bad which hurt her character imo but that's a whole 'nother subject).

"No game is a must play to become a developer, but Neverwinter Nights is a must play to become a Volourn." I was a Volourn well before NWN.

"What about when it disables four of your party members? Five? Including the only characters who can make it stop?" Getting out of tough spots like these is some of the most fun one can have in these games be it CRPGs or pnp. Some of my favorite memories are exactly situatioons liek that wher ehalf the part is disabled in some fashion yet I manage to squeak out victory!

Seriously, if you can't remember what the spells do after using them a couple of times you likely just don't have the brain power to play these types of games and it doesn't take genius levels to do so since even I can do it.

Boston over Detroit in 5 Montreal over Tampa Bay in 6 Pittsburgh over Columbus in 4 New York over Philly in 5 Anaheim over Dallas in 5 LA over SJ in 6 Minnesota over Colorado in 7 Chicago over St Louis in 4