To the Obsidian team: Congratulations on beginning your Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire campaign on Fig! I backed today along with (as of the moment) 4,500+ others, and wish it extraordinary success.
I'd like to start a discussion regarding the use of Fog of War in Pillars of Eternity and the future use of it in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire.
Fog of War is essential in the isometric cRPG genre as it:
Creates a sense of apprehension and caution from not knowing lies ahead
Motivates players to utilize the stealth gameplay mechanic; thereby also motivating players to create or use a stealth hero/companion
Provides a sense of adventure by giving players an unknown area to fully explore
Provides a sense of accomplishment once players have fully cleared the fog of war
Allows for strategic and tactical placement of enemy NPCs
Allows for higher framerate from occlusion culling (not sure if Obsidian and the Unity engine use this?)
Etc.
However, Fog of War does present a few detriments to the beauty and atmosphere of the game:
Unable to view certain flora and fauna unless it is within eye sight range
The color of the area is desaturated even after previous exploration
Towns and cities do not feel lifelike as you cannot see anyone working or moving unless very close to him or her
Lighting, falling leaves, and other unique effects are not viewable unless within very close proximity to the player
Etc.
I hope with this sequel to Pillars of Eternity, Obsidian developers reign in the use of Fog of War, particularly in cities or towns where direct combat is not necessarily expected. The beauty and activity of a sprawling town or dimly lit catacomb cannot be fully experienced when Fog of War obscures detail and saps color, lighting, and effects from the dynamic space.
Pillars of Eternity provides many options with respect to game difficulty and gameplay, such as:
Maim companions before death
No knockout injuries
Area of Effect highlighting
Unrestricted Stash
Etc.
Please consider adding the option to fully eliminate Fog of War after discovering an area. A lot of arguments against this cite the fact that previously explored areas will still be used for ambush attacks or other unexpected enemy encounters. I think the benefit of such encounters should be weighed against the detriment such aggressive use of Fog of War has on the aesthetic of the various game environments.
Is now a good time to create a system wherein perhaps only enemies are obscured by Fog of War?
Hopefully we can find a happy medium between tactical gameplay and game aesthetic.
Please leave your two cents below, and let's keep it civil please.
Edit: Spelling.