Boeroer

Unfortunately there's no Charisma stat. Would be the perfect thing to put a penalty on.

Hollywood produces a ton of sequels - but I wouldn't say it's creatively dead. Isn't stuff like "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" from Hollywood? Also movies like "Inception" may have whatever flaws, but I wouldn't say they suffer from lack of creativity. It's understandable that publishers/producers etc. want to put their money on the right horse. One wrong step and you might go bankrupt. So better to spread the risk and don't try anything experimental - especially if absurd amounts of money are involved. So - crowdfunding is a nice alternative as long as if doesn't get abused too much (like: collecting money and then produce nothing - or collecting money from backers, then make an exclusive deal with the Epic Store and tell your pissed backers they can get a refund - I mean seriously...).

I did. I still need to stop using plastic sandwich bags though. They are just too convenient dammit!

Ooops. Guess I got triggered. Never heard about Fawlty Towers...

Since I like building characters and powergaming so much the idea is basically a 2D kind-of-roguelike, turn based RPG with complex but consistent/coherent mechanics and charcter creation (classless system - you can save your builds) that works a bit like Faster than Light (in the sense that you have stages and move through a graph to beat an endboss). I plan a highscore list but don't know yet how the score will come together. I also wanted a 1:1 PvP arena (bit like playing chess online ), but I guess I can't pull that off (infrastructure like servers needed and whatnot). But I just started. The only things that are done are the core rules (implemented) and some pixel art for items. Ah - and a module that loads JSON files as data sources for races, dialogue, items, abilites, talents etc. So it should be plenty modable without any programming knowledge. I also have a ruleset that determines how to implement new abilites and such - so in theory I could build an editor for that or allow "invention" of new abilites/spells ingame. But I guess that's way too much stuff for me to handle - if I ever want to be finished with this. However - since today I can color my tiny pixel-char's skin, eyes, hair and beard.

I have (wait a sec...) 14 games in my Steam library. I don't use Steam for anything else than downloading and updating games. No chat, no friends, nothing. I also use GOG from time to time. But despite your chain of reasoning I still don't want to use the Epic store.

Coming from Germany and being well educated when it comes to our history I have to say that this statement is a) false, b) inappropriate and c) pointless. I could invent a similarly nonsensical comparison (including false claims) with people who voted for Brexit and gamers who don't like this exclusive Epic store deal.

Cheesus spiced! You should really stop smoking that gorgonzola.

It's difficult as a business model since you can't rely on it. But it cuts out the middleman which means more freedom. This has advantages and disadvantages. If you have an awesome Publiusher behind you that's great. But if you struggle with Publishers because they don't believe in your vision and try to mess with your product all the time crowdfunding can be a great alternative. Also if your game is successful you might not need another crowdfunding campagin because you can "kickstart" your next game with the money you got from the first. And then some developers don't have another choice. Look at PoE: nobody was willing to fund an isometric RPG at that scale. Publishers want to make money. So they are picky. Exactly like with the movies. You know why we get a sequel if part one was successful. Save bet. I think crowdfunding is awesome. Not for everyone and everything - but it's awesome that this option exists. I'm developing a small game at the moment without any assignment or partner - just to see where it's going. If you want a comparison look at DeathTrash - same situation I would presume (But DeathTrash will be way more awesome ). If I hadn't earned a sufficient amount of money before (so that I don't have to work all the time in order to make a living) I'd also have to use crowdfunding. Because which publisher or bank would give me - an unexperienced developer - money so that I can develop a smallish game and not starve in the process? I mean unexperienced when it comes to game development. Not developentment per se. I'm a software engineer so the technical part is not the problem... But: the worst part about working with publishers or crowdfunding is that you waste so much time to create pitches/campaigns. You don't need to do that if you are your own publisher. What a relief... Actually I think creating a crowdfunding campaign is even more annoying that doing a pitch for a publisher.

Ah - unfortunately Fraps is only for Windows. I'm using Peek with Linux which directly created gifs. While it's very easy to use it produces ridiculously big files even at very low quality settings. I guess I will have to use a proper capturing software and then convert to gif. Eh... maybe later... I don't use any mods except the Enhanced User Interface Mod (which is awesome) and that may be the reason why I don't get all those bugs other people get (and because I'm on Linux and will have different bugs concerning hardware/driver issues etc.).

Or take away the higher Rage cost through the board (which is the main problem) and give him another penalty. Universal Power Level gain on eating a corpse is also a nice idea though. Eating kith meat (and food made from it) only gives PL bonuses for Barb abilites unfortunately.

If you go for Barbarian/Monk try Berseker/Nalpasca. The passive wound generation is enormous and thus you can spam abilites like Raised Torment all the time. But you will need a healer and also take Savage Defience at some point because the higher the level the faster this dude wants to go down due to his Frenzy's self dmg. High RES, Duality of Mortal Presence (CON) and Enlightened Clarity and maybe the Voidward ring do help a lot though! I don't think a Paladin/Barb can reach such levels of sustained dmg. Also Monk's fists + Barbarian's Carnage are big friends since Carnage's dmg is based on weapon base damage - and Monk's fists are the fast weapons with the highest base damage. There's nothing better for Carnage dmg. Good ways to remove Berserker's Confusion are Devil of Caroc Breastplate, Modwyr in the secind slot (you can just puse after casting Frenzy, switch to Modwyr and right back: no speed loss but instant removal of Confusion), Svef, Captain's Banquet or Enlightened Clarity. Devil of Caroc's Breastplate has a nice enchantment that raises its AR by 2 once you drop below 50% endurance (which triggers the Blooded passive - that passive is handy because it tells you that you just fell below 50% health. Because the Berserker's health is obscured while frenzied this is really helpful). With Berseker Frenzy (+2 AR) and Thick Skinned you'll get very decent AR and with Duality (CON) you will have a lot of health left even if you are at 50%. You don't need to pick Iron Wheel (doesn't stack with Frenzy's AR bonus) or Turning Wheel (you want the CON and already get +5 INT from Enlightnened Clarity). Berserker's Frenzy also includes a 25% hit to crit conversion, so taking Swift Flurry and later Heartbeat Drumming makes sense. Also Enduring Dance - the self damage does NOT end it. The more ACC the better. Also take Enervated Blows. The weakening effect lowers enemies' fortitude by 10 points (and reduces health by 25%!) on crit - that synergizes well with Brute Force from Barb. Of course you want Bloodlust and Blood Thirst. Interrupting Blows and even Bloody Slaughter make sense here. One Stands Alone obviously. I didn't need Barbaric Smash etc. a lot. Mostly I used my Rage for Savage Defiance and Frenzy. Although Barbaric Smash is a nice "get your rage back"-finisher in combo with Swift Flurry and Heartbeat Drumming. I did not pick Blood Frenzy because Spirit Frenzy staggers on hit - even with Carnage - while Blood Storm only does it's job on crit and doesn't stack. Staggered will lower enemies' fortitude by another 10 points -> hello again Brute Force! Also several monk abilites like Force of Anguish and Stunning Surge target fortitude directly. Speaking of Stunning Surge: great ability to have. It helps to trigger the additional attacks from Swift Flurry and Heartbeat Drumming (stun lowers deflection and fortitude so your barb side can pick which is lower and create more crits). Leap is cool because it kind of adds up to your AR. You already have good AR, but you cause -4 PEN on enemies which means the first seconds after you land and throw punches you won't get damaged a lot. You can zip out with Flagellanth's Path if you must. All in all it's one of the most fun classes I played so far. A Bleak Walker/Arcane Archer with Ring of Focused Flame and Spearcaster (max Arcana) is a really nice mix of ranged dmg dealer and support. Eternal Flames also works with the Imbue spells. Scion of Flame will give you +1 PEN with FoD as well as with Imbue Fireball (FoD also doesn't suffer Arcane Archer's ACC malus because it's a fire attack). With Imbue Fireball you will get +1 PEN, +10 ACC from Ring, +ACC from Arcana, +ACC from Spearcaster(due to Arcana). And with Driving Flight you will do two Fireballs that will most likely crit. Nice way to remove weak mobs. Against single targets the FoD damage and accuracy is great as well. Backup weapon for pierce immunes can be Frostseeker or Essence Interrupter (alternative dmg type and no ACC malus) - or Watershaper's Focus (additional jump produces one additional Imbue cast per shot - like +1 Fireball or +1 Pull of Eora).

Which Banshee? Heritage Hill? Usually multiple Chillfog + Combusting Wounds + Expose Vulnerabilites should be all you need (after buffing up ACC).

Dude trust me: once I'm there it will have holes.

If it's made of blue cheese then I will be hiding there!

But your personal party composition (where items you find might not fit your builds) is not an indicator for bad or good loot. It just means that the loot in the dragon's hoard didn't fit your party in this case. I mean sure - most of the items there aren't breathtaking - but which are in the Pillars games (for intensively discussed reasons). But that shield is indeed one of the best in the game - no matter your party composition and what Edér carries. If there would have been a watcher-only helmet that gave you +20 to CON and you were a godlike... would you also choose that argument to say it's a crappy helmet (because you can't use it right now)? Or is Carsomyr which you get by killing Firkraag is bad loot because it's only for Paladins and you are a Rogue? Sure it can be disappointing to find something which you have no use for (ask me about all Infinity Engine games where I restarted once I found a really awesome item which I couldn't use) - but this doesn't mean it's bad, does it? You made it sound that it's generally bad - not only in your case.

The dialogues are as with other backgrounds: a few special dialogue options and reactions here and there, but nothing as impactful as having ties to the queen or anything.

Did you go to Yseyr before talking to Furrante?

Rofl. You always get the funniest bugs. I've put so many hours into this game and never have I experienced such weird things. It's also the first time I read about this. Are you sure you checked your game for file corruption? I mean most likely it's not the casue, but maybe it's worth a shot. By the way: may I ask which tools you use to record or convert your animated gifs? Their quality/file size ratio is really good.

The only differences between games that are developed with a publisher and crowdfunded games (in regard to the opening post) is that there's no publisher with crowdfunded games. In both cases the developer will get money to start the product. While a game financed by a publisher will usually have a deadline a crowdfunded game usually doesn't have that. Publishers tend to push releases and this can lead to crunch and more bugs. Crowdfunded games can run out of funds more easily if you didn't estimate well. Publishers can help a lot with marketing and logistics and so on - crowdfunded games don't have to give a large amount of money to a publisher. And so on and so forth. From my own experience (I had projects where I was paid less but in advance, had some where I was paid along the line of development and some where I was paid afterwards) I can say that the way of payment doesn't have any impact on bugs. What does have impact: high fluctuation of programmers, not well established routines and guides, new tools (like switching the language or framework), pressure (mostly time), insufficient testing (of all sorts). The meanest bug producer is time stress I would say. Looking at Obsidian over the years: they build up a reputation ("Bugsidian") way before PoE/Deadfire. Don't forget that RPGs are often way more complex than other games like shooters for example. Since Obsidian does lots of RPGs... If I compare stuff like a short platformer with a short RPG it's ridiculous how much more complex the RPG is. Nobody makes RPGs during game jam if they are not gluttons for punishment. Kickstarted games don't have to be released by the way. You could take the money and produce nothing. Fig is different once the investment option is offered.

[cut]Only that you get the best shield of the game there. [/cut] I think it's good that nice loot is not always hidden behind bosses you can only kill at high levels. Fully agree with this. But getting no real rewards for high-level-requiring bosses is an annoyance. Erm... not sure why you cut "Only that you get the best shield of the game there" from my quote - which totally contradicts your statement...? That doesn't look nice.

The speculate Pillars 3 will be taking place on one of the moons of Eora which is made out of gingerbread.

I will not buy it at all. It isn't my genre anyway, but I was willing to buy it just to support Obsidian and give it a shot - because why not? Now they gave me a reason why not.

Okay. No Outer Worlds for me then. I haven't read a single positive reaction to this decision so far (on Twitter, forums etc.).

"Archmage' is my forum rank ( that you get after X posts), not my name.