Ethics Gradient

Editing starting attributes is fairly trivial. From the Deadfire install dir, open the following file in your most capable text editor: /exported/design/gamedata/bb_characters.gamedatabundle and search for "Companion_". After they're in the party, well, that's a different story... Anyway, yeah. It would be tremendously cool to have something streamline editing and tie together the interrelated .gamedatabundle files. Even if you aren't using it to mod, having a tool to browse all the available game objects and GUIDs would be helpful when you're playing around with the in-game console and want to juice your party with a healthy dose of Vitamin Cheat.

Nice! Count me in if you're looking for anyone to help play around with it. I've been digging around the beta and manually editing .gamedatabundle files to see what the game has available. I have yet to find many text editors that are happy rendering and editing a single line of text 6.5 million characters long Yup. The base attributes for many (if not all) companions have been hiding in plain sight for a while... I certainly can't answer for exact capabilities of OP's tool, but .gamedatabundle files are closer to a "table of contents" for available assets and data, rather than a repository for those assets themselves. If you're going to modify in-game stuff like textures or sprites, step one still involves some other tool to extract the relevant data before potentially using this or some other method to reinsert changes.

I agree, and I'd be willing to take that a step further by arguing that "CRPG" is often forced and unnecessary in most contexts. If differentiating games specifically by medium is important, sure, it's fine to note whether they're computer- or tabletop- RPGs. But in almost every other instance, you can simply call anything a RPG and it will make enough sense to the listener. There is a lot less domain overlap since the TSR gold box days, so saying something like: "My three favorite RPGs are: Pillars of Eternity, Spelljammer, and Mass Effect 3" shouldn't make anyone's head explode as they attempt to parse the statement.

Well, you beat me over on the reddit thread!

https://twitter.com/WorldofEternity/status/989222256009084928 i2MrLF

It's hard to read too much into the use of the word "commander" without also noting that the description states: "a combat-focused expansion set on an undiscovered island" Given what little context we have for the second DLC, the use of "commander" as a generic title for a manager of forces seems more likely than any specific naval reference.

A different way of looking at the survey might have been to better assess the demographics that didn't buy WM1+2 and figure out what can be done to bring them onboard the DLC train. The White March was great and everything, but not a lot of people bought it at the time. And if you didn't get WM1, you surely weren't getting WM2. The FNV-style DLC packs widen the variety of content you can offer, fit in well with an island-based world map, and won't penalize or discourage the player if they are uninterested in a specific DLC offering. Appealing to the greatest number of players can still be a winning formula. Edit: spellin'

They're looking into it. The actual details of the DLC announcement appear to be very recent developments.

Interesting news in the details: FIG Backers that backed at the Collector’s Edition tier or above or included the Season Pass as part of their backer pledge will also receive the Season Pass. I wonder how many other CE+ backers picked up a copy of the DLC not knowing it was going to be bundled in later.

Here are the official descriptions from steam. BEAST OF WINTER (Jul 2018): An ancient feud between eldritch powers goes unresolved in the southern seas, and only you can halt the mounting destruction. SEEKER, SLAYER, SURVIVOR (Sep 2018): Far from the bustling trade lanes of the Deadfire Archipelego, the most ambitious warriors of Eora gather to compete for divine favor. THE FORGOTTEN SANCTUM (Nov 2018): The great wizards of Eora have gathered together for a common cause and reach out to you, the Watcher, for assistance.

If you bought into the DLC as a backer for $20, it just means you've saved a few bucks off the $30 retail price.

Twitch stream on Wednesday. That's the next public forum they're holding where there's any chance of a Q&A.

Deadfire Steam store page BEAST OF WINTER (Jul 2018): An ancient feud between eldritch powers goes unresolved in the southern seas, and only you can halt the mounting destruction. SEEKER, SLAYER, SURVIVOR (Sep 2018): Far from the bustling trade lanes of the Deadfire Archipelego, the most ambitious warriors of Eora gather to compete for divine favor. THE FORGOTTEN SANCTUM (Nov 2018): The great wizards of Eora have gathered together for a common cause and reach out to you, the Watcher, for assistance. Pillars of Eternity 2's DLC (via PCGamesN) Beast Of Winter launches in July, and takes you to an island inhabited by a mysterious doomsday cult who are hiding an ancient secret. You'll also get to explore The Beyond, a mysterious dimension populated by ancient souls and devilish challenges. Seeker, Slayer, Survivor drops in September, and is a combat-focused expansion set on an undiscovered island. Your party's martial prowess will be tested, as will your skills as a commander, in a mission to wrest ancient relics from the grip of Eora’s most skilled and savage. The Forgotten Sanctum will be available in November 2018, and will test your party’s allegiance and morality in a quest to help (or obstruct) the great wizards of Eora. Will you befriend, betray or befuddle these venerable mystics as you uncover secrets lost to the generations? Your decision will ripple across the Deadfire Archipelago.

Awesome find, Daggerless!

Oops!

Ksucnw https://twitter.com/Adoroable/status/988462505474207744

Look at the bottom of this developer post. Aarik lists about 20 cards that have changed a little bit from the tabletop edition. Communication between Obsidian and Paizo has been a two-way thing, so all the changes listed come with the blessing of the creators. From what I recall, very few cards had to be modified to accommodate the digital ruleset, and almost all the wording changes originated on the Paizo end of things. The big change that everyone seems to notice is that the Holy Candle changed from bury to banish. The existence of that card has been amusingly described the by the creators as one of the greatest errors of the the Rise of the Runelords box set. The change is actually somewhat in line with how they feel that card should work, even if they never nerfed the card in the physical game.

https://twitter.com/worldofeternity/status/986683145675202560 3kp5Bi

"Edér, command this departure as Combat Chief!"

Yeah... let's go with your explanation, this is the spoiler-free forum after-all. Though, that doesn't really explain the presence of fairwater planes on the conning tower, now does it? I'm with you on the wind thing too. It would add a little more depth to the ship combat, but the mini-game is probably already in a state where added complexity might just push players to ignore it in a rush to board and settle the encounter hand-to-hand.

Hush! It's a secret ship.... that's been cleverly hidden in official press images. I totally agree with you about crew abstractions. Each crewman in Deadfire represents about 4-6 people on a real ship. But when you scale up to something monstrous like a proper Man-o-war, you'd need 50-100 Deadfire crew if you follow along the same proportions. Would it be cool? Hell yeah! But managing a huge, independent warship like that would be a pretty serious mini-game.

I think Dhow, Junk, Catamaran, Galleon and Sloop are the known "common" classes. Sure, it would be cool for a man-o-war or other floating fortress, but those were crewed by hundreds. It is already expensive enough to tool around with the starter ship on the beta map. The watcher would need some serious finances to provide rations and pay for a simulated warship. So, secret ships you say?

Also, sorry OP if it seems like we’re ganging up on you or something. That’s absolutely not what we’re trying to convey. You’re excited; I’m excited; *we’re all* excited about Deadfire. But even if there were a way to get in on the beta without being a backer, there really isn’t much to see unless you’re super into the evolution of game mechanics or being crushed by encounters that we’ve been assured are “fixed in release”.

Everyone has different opinions on this, but you seriously aren't missing anything by not participating in the Beta. Unlike many other steam "betas" which are full games in an unfinished state, the Deadfire beta is a narrow slice of plot-free content to help test game balance and mechanics. The real fun begins in a few weeks. The Deadfire beta feels more like a demo version than a full game.

Hey, that reminds me! So, a pirate walks into a bar with a ship's wheel sticking out the front of his pants. The bartender looks at him and asks, "Hey, do you know you have a steering wheel sticking out of the front of your pants?" Pirate looks back at him and says, "Arrrrgh, and it's driving me nuts!" Anyway. Sure. Fixed it just for you, pal.