algroth

Personally I would get rid of the glasses, or replace it for something more interesting, like a monocle. All the same I like the central concept for the character - let's see how it progresses!

As a bit of a Japanophile, especially when it comes to arts (cinema and literature especially), I'd tell you to investigate some more on their catalogue as some of the directors working with them at the time were really interesting, and vital for the whole Japanese New Wave and such. Shohei Imamura in particular is my favorite Japanese filmmaker and he saw his rise to fame in that studio (even if he'd make his best work later too). Pigs and Battleships, The Insect Woman and Intentions of Murder, all available as a box-set from Criterion, are well worth getting, he's got one of the keenest and most interesting eyes I've come across in cinema. There's also Koreyoshi Kurahara, and Ko Nakahira. All the same it occurs to me that all these directors were very much at odds with the studio at the time, to my awareness the films of Imamura and Suzuki at least were very badly seen by the studio heads, and were bound to break apart sooner or later. With Suzuki I reckon it would have happened either way it played out, it just did in the worst possible manner.

New ship upgrades goal reached!

I'd be interested in knowing if our choices in for White March have any impact on the cannons. Would be pretty cool!

Investments. To my knowledge Obsidian has said that this figure does not include investements Yes it does. *edit* Although the nomenclature used is fig funds. Is this in writing anywhere? I can't see a source on the site that says as such? You can see it in the breakdown right beside the "progress bar". There's a graph-like icon, it'll show you how it's split up between pledges and investments.

They were hanging out at the upper floor of Brighthollow. You could talk to them there too. I believe Josh answered this question at the Q&A today too, he said all companions would be acting as the ship's crew. Or something to that effect. So yeah! They'll be visible.

The first time they announced the setting and the rumor about the "stronghold" being a ship started, I was hoping for Storm of Zephir at sea. Looks like they delivered. I'm happy that they're planning on steering away from that, and keep encounters more unique. To be honest I absolutely hated Zehir, and it was a breath of fresh air when I heard Null say it was not what they were aiming for.

Someone will, at least.

No worries, we've waited longer.

Sidekicks are officially in.

I posted my concerns earlier, but it's an idea with a lot of promise for certain. I wrote down a question or two about it for the Q&A, will wait for that before I get too excited about it.

How are you guys approaching the random encounters and uncharted islands? Will each of these be generic encounters and locations in the style of Storm of Zehyr's worldmap spawns, or are you planning on making each encounter and location unique and (in the former's case) one-time-only?

Better to be punted than to be tossed?

What's exile? What's concealed? What on Earth are you talking about? Did you play a different PoE by accident? A month before the release, players find out that the Italian translation has been deleted. And companions removed. And other things are not in the game. But hey, then there was a message from Exile. As if you could not tell before the game is released. In the Torment campaign, the question arose about what a combat system should have the game. It was clear from the outset that it will be rounded. But if it had been communicated before, there would have been less money. If I recall correctly, the people at inXile actually made a backer poll asking whether they preferred RTP or turn-based, and the latter won out. If so it's what the backers voted for. This aside, though, is a smaller party size really as big a component of the game as the style of gameplay? Is it even all that relevant to as to make it blatantly clear in the campaign's presentation? I reckon the latter consideration played in the devs' mind a lot more as to what to show and talk about in their campaign than whether people would not pledge if, Heavens forbid, we had a maximum party size of *five* instead of six.

Yo dawg, I heard Eothas likes grabbing ships so we put a figurehead of Eothas grabbing a ship on your ship so that he can grab himself grabbing your ship while he grabs your ship? Here's a question, will Xzibit be the one in charge of pimping our vessel?

Pfft, wait till they announce the stretch goals for $7mil three *hours* before the end.

Y'know... There's a Q&A with Josh later today...

As long as the main bulk of the game is still a focused, well written story then, whilst I'm not a big fan of random encounters, I don't mind. It's not an either/or for me. Certainly the story should be well-written, focused and so on, but exploration is nevertheless an important part of the game, not least given its New World theme, and I think it does require all aspects of exploration to remain unique and not merely as a generic game mechanic. I mean, I trust Obsidian are likely taking this into consideration already, but all the same I thought I should mention it.

When you say side kicking a dwarf, do you imply footsweeping?

You mean stomp.

This update makes me very hyped, but also somewhat wary. I wouldn't want this to become Storm of Zehyr 2, filled with random encounters which all look alike and do nothing but pad out the game and standardize the setting. I hope each encounter will be unique and different, each area uniquely designed and interesting in its own right. I don't want to grow to dread facing the 50th nameless pirate party while looking for the 27th hidden island that may or may not have some unique treasure and quest in it. If the price to pay for deeper exploration is to be subjected to several generic areas/maps the ways of Baldur's Gate II random encounters, I'd rather they just stick with a more rigid map and keep each of the areas unique and interesting.

And be romanceable in either sex?

That'll most likely depend on where you start out in the game. Will Eothas' awakening be playable, or will it be a cutscene/scripted interaction? From my understanding you'll meet Aloth and Pallegina in Deadfire as they'll be there already on different business, so by that I assume you'll get to meet them later, not right away.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/feb/22/cult-japanese-director-seijun-suzuki-dies-aged-93 Seijun Suzuki died. It makes me sad to an extent, though 93's not a shabby age to go. For those not familiar with his wonderful filmography, go check out Tokyo Drifter, Branded to Kill and Gate of Flesh!

That reminds me, yesterday Kurt Cobain would have been 50. Pretty crazy to see time fly.