Dark_Ansem

also, the Beta is already available to pro users. I really hope they take advantage of it

I suspected it Well, I mean in terms of gameplay, first and foremost: are NPCs reactive to the decisions of the player? do the party's action have an effect on the surroundings and, potentially, the entire game world? I also mean in terms of aesthetics: are sfxs placed with 3d emitters that make you feel birds singing, water flowing, bats chirping and flapping? in a haunted mansion, are there whispers that randomly jump in the location, giving a good scare to the party? Do we get more than a light-out at night, or it's possible to meet npcs who have night routines, night-only monsters, do we get pixies to sprout from bushes at night in a shower of sparks? Are there factions in this game that we can join, each one with its own complicated relationships towards each other and ranks? Do monster attack the player together, or, say, a lion will target a deer first and the player later? in short, are there complex factional relationships? EDIT: I'd also like to see more than a standard "game over" when you lose an encounter. while some still require that, I'd like to see additional results for others, rather than death. like, imprisonment, or some sort of penalty like being stranded, or put into a dungeon from which escape. or failing to complete an encounter means that you awake, like, in an inn, and your enemy has succeeded, and the landscape of the game has changed, and you have to deal with it. in short: no reload on defeat.

agreed. A world editor, while most probably NOT coming, would be amazing. also for the placement of 3d emitter sounds and lights, if the game allows it.

then I cannot do that. I know how to do the AO, but not the occlusion map.

Unity Pro would be a terrible idea. while the devs can update without hassle to it, considering the kickstarter funding, others cannot spend $1500, I fear. Have you seen any use of Parallax in this game? About the z-map... is it the same as "displacement", in your opinion?

how alive is the world of PoE?

I can do the diffuse texture, the normal map, the specular mask (despite the fact that it gives everything a sort of shiny look). Any idea if also the ambient occlusion map is needed? But I have no idea what a z-depth map is, and I doubt the walkmesh can be done without a sort of official tool. Add to that, no idea what the "albedo" is. normal sizes allowed or only gigantic textures? will extra 2d images be required for doors opened\closed and other interactibles, like Baldur's gate required? what about interactables and lighting? The diffuse map must come with architectural shadows?

oh I so HOPE they update to Unity 5 just look here... the lighting is amazing!

so, if we wanted to create our own custom map based on a 2d image... we'd need to pass through all that? Or the game also supports standard textures (diffuse, normal, ambient, specular)? would images need to be already isometric or they'd need to be flat, and the engine "makes them isometric"?

well, you have a beta, and possibly you've had an alpha. in addition to that, it details how important community interaction is for these kinds of projects.

As one of the EA users of this game, and being in the credits for that game as Honorary Dev, I wanted to thank the beta backers but I also wanted to point out, to developers, this article. It details very well why community input is so important.

good point. being old-school does not mean to ignore all the advancements done in the period :D

33. add to that, does the game feature a full crafting system? 34. do abilities and spells enact dynamic real-time lighting?

sucks. asked them to make an exception as it's my birthday today, doubt they will

not so MUCH more, if you own the previous version, which they already do

thanks for your answers and time, everyone. I wonder, how enjoyable the game would be, without party members?

Very true. I couldn't, and it wasn't my fault...

wish I'd ask them beta at hand dammit.

nooo the game isn't even out, I don't want to think already about a sequel!

wow thanks for the list, I shall expand on those things you said. added point 31 tho any idea on that? damn where is the edit button? one thing tho: when you say "not likely" you mean not likely official or not even likely to be moddable? 32. speaking of component, does spellcasting require actual material\somatic components like D&D or it's more traditional, only energy? no "pinch of ashes" to cast a fireball, in short. 4. what are DT & DR? 5. the question is: since aura spells exist and since toggleable (sustained, similar to Dragon Age Healing Aura\Blood Magic) abilities exist, will it be possible to add a toggleable Aura spell? or a Passive aura ability? 6. I agree with you. I'd love to see the spells per day complemented by a Mana system, rather than just this D&D -like one. Developers, input on this? 8. that's only part of the answer can we uncap those values? 9. that's actually a suggestion for a new status effect 11. but still possible to have unlimited uses? 13. really? I haven't found one at all in the Wiki... 17. why not likely? it's not exactly that far of a jump, considering the actual mechanics... 18. heh, I can understand that. still, I believe more operators for formulas and, in general, the possibility of using customized formulas adds a lot of depth and variety. You really don't like ANY of them? 19. there's still hope for expansions and mods... 20. why do you say that? 21. I don't understand what you mean, can you elaborate? 22. that sucks. have the mechanics been locked down in this regard? 23. Glad you think so :D 24. really? again, no mention as such in the wiki 25. are those mechanics hard-coded at all? seems like a very grim fantasy world... 26. why not? it would be a sensible addition... 28. I can kinda understand that, it would be a complicated mechanic to implement. still worth a shot tho. again, thanks a lot for taking your time to read and answer

add point 31: special death animations, like enemies burning to death, or being disintegrated, or dissolving into dust.

I already looked at the wiki, if you read the post with the first answer... Google is more or less useless when dealing with PoE

glad to see I was not alone in those suggestions

thanks a lot damn, I wish I could have backed and beta now, seeing all this myself. 6. feels like a bit of 4th edition... 8. then I guess I am missing something about level cap: isn't level 12 as, in actual 12, the maximum level possible? in BG1 you couldn't go higher than level 6? I'm pretty sure you could in BG2... planning already a sequel? how about instead supporting this one like NWN has been, but better, without the bugs left every patch? 15. well, if not multi-classing, more high-level rewards, perhaps? 25. damn, suckered by outdated info :D updated the main post...

I apologize right now for the incoming wall of text, especially considering I am not a backer (not my fault, however, I have to say). Most of what I write is based off the excellent Pillars Wiki + speculation, lots and lots of speculation. From what I've read until now, I've liked a lot the Spellbind mechanic and the sustained abilities, although I've seen no mention of spells being sustainable 1. there are only 4-5 monster types. will it be considered\mod-friendly to add more, and\or more races? does each monster\race get treated differently by abilities (like, Elf slaying sword?). Noticed also no undead. 2. is there a chance for animated\glowing equipment pieces\models in general, including architecture? 3. Are planned any Blink\Teleport spells, for both combat and non-combat purposes? 4. item types are already many. but, for weapons and armor, could you consider adding the implementation of a Material system (perhaps via keyword, not unlike the Elder Scrolls) that could also be exploited for special pieces of equipment\abilities (damage is cut in half unless the weapon is soffused with souls, for example) 5. I've seen mention of Aura spells: how much can we expand upon them? can they be made sustainable (on\off toggle)? 6. Is there a reason for the spell per day routine rather than having Mana? any chance to expand on this part of the ruleset, say, spell recharge? similar to Unearthed Arcana? 7. I've seen no mention of Item Sets (similar to Dragon age\Diablo)? they could also exploit more advanced Somnium mechanics (spell is granted only when the full set is equipped) 8. why the Level 12 cap? will this be expanded (mod-friendly)? does each class get its XP progression? are also attributes and battle values like will\defense capped, and if so, can we remove the cap? 9. New status effect idea: Zombie\Forsaken\Cursed. Poison damage heals while healing items\magic harm. 10. in this game, attributes are very important. are there ways to cripple\drain\damage them, in a semi-permanent way, in combat? 11. I've noticed that items have a charge. will we also encounter artifacts with unlimited charges? 12. Is there an in-game codex with a bestiary, where all lore information is added when you find it? 13. seen no mention of Multi-hit (frame-synced) or multi-elemental abilities, are they in fact present/mod friendly? 14. I've already seen a lot of party banter. I wonder, however, how deep this will be and if it can lead to disaster like in the BG games (crisis points, in-party fights)? or there are too few companions to allow that? 15. are more classes\multiclass options planned in the future? when the level cap will be higher, perhaps? 16. Any chance to see puzzle boss encounterS? like, "Barrier change" or "weak point" or even this one? 17. I've seen attributes influence damage and AoE of abilities, but not the range. could this be applied to that too, if we wanted? also, can we set a cap on how high these bonuses can go? (a cap, or a lack of it mind me..) 18. actually, a couple more operators to consider, perhaps, in order to create customized damage formulas, if it will be possible at all... *user level *target level *pieces of equipment on target *time spent playing (hours-minutes) *number of active\passive abilities learned *global number of enemies killed *number of enemies BELONGING to a certain type killed *number of spell remaining *Current target HP *Max target HP *Current user HP *User Max hp - Current hp *attribute sum\average a couple examples of new formulas... (flat value * Target level) (hours played * flat value) + minutes 19. What is the status of time magic in this game? Slow, Haste, Stop, Time Stop spells and the like? 20. we have defence throws, but I've not seen damage reduction\immunity\resistance to any type of element nor from magic as a whole, even conditional (like, only from soul-bound weapons will damage be full). is this going to change in the future, or be more mod-friendly? 21. how sophisticated is AI going to be? will we be able to exploit conditions like Hp percentage and others? 22. no mention of necromancy nor of real summoned creatures. I've seen animal companions, but they're not quite the same, and familars have been removed. is there an explanation? 23. why not make it possible to exploit more weather conditions, type of ambient, and day\night cycle? 24. I've noticed the status "petrified": will there be combo attacks good to exploit negative statuses, like "critical hit shatters petrified characters?" 25. Similar to the Dragonlance campaign, there is little mention of healing spells. will we see them more in the future? 26. since levelling is so limited right now, are there plans for "template systems", similar to D&D, in order to enhance our characters without levelling up? stackable too, under certain conditions 27. can we see in the future upgradeable passive abilities (when there will be more levels), who perhaps are also in synergy with each other and act in a way similar to metamagic? 28. Any chance of seeing concentration-like spell, in addition to the activated\passive\sustained types we've seen until now? spells, like those ray spells I've seen, with a duration (and damage) dependant on a variety of factors like user level? 29. Any chance to see in the future real shapeshifting with customized abilities for the form in which you shapeshift? 30. is there a real alignment system? whew. sorry, it's the third time I try to post this but the browser has always played some nasty pranks on me....