Wormerine

Now when we have skill tree preview, albeit a bit buggy one (thx anyway Obsidian!) we can complaign about other stuff. Something that I have seen mentioned many times before and that I felt a need for as soon as I started plaything the game, is being able to see what character abilities or statuses actually do. For example the new megaboss: Cool. So what does it do? I wouldn't know if I didn't read someones post on this forum. Same with many other monsters. Even in bestiary, which lists what abilities monsters have access to, doesn't actually tell you what those ability do.

You are probably fully aware of it, but the bug is still present in beta 3.0.0.0012 release.

How is this a weird criticism? I am genuinely very curious. It's a perfectly legitimate and logical criticism concerning a fault in the game. It is an excellent idea to go through all the text presented in the narration. You have, essentially, two choices: 1) Listen to the narrator, 2) Read the text yourself at your own pace. If you choose #2, which I want to do, the narrator is a constant pain in the butt while you read. She also takes a *huge* amount of extra time that provides absolutely no extra value whatsoever. So, how is this a weird criticism? I agree. Either listen to the performance or read faster and skip forward (I sometimes do the latter in Deadfire but generally not in the narrated parts because I think she is doing wonderful job painting images and creating an atmosphere.) I do find it a weird criticism, as it would suggest that the problem with the performance is that it is too slow, and if it were delivered faster the problem would be solved. It is an odd criticism. What is the problem then? Does she not convey thoughts and ideas properly? Is her speed distracting you from what she is saying? To me it's like saying: this song is bad because it is too slow. How so? Does the subject not for the performance? Is something special lost when performed that slow? You possibly read music or text on a much faster pace than the performer is performing it, but what does one have to do with the other? That's assuming that the actors performance doesn't add anything to the table and their only job is to read text aloud so you don't have to read it. You can criticise performance and dislike it - everyone has their own taste. For me having access to the script or text doesn't make voice acting invalid. Maybe it is because I always like to have access to written text as I am not native english speaker. But yeah, doring the narrator parts I don't look at text, just admire the artwork, listen to the performance and try to visulize the images - useful especially in surreal visits to beyond, or wherever Gods reside.

Me: like.

While I can understand someone not liking the performance (though personally, I disagree) this is the weirded argument to be made, and I see it pop up over and over again. Of course you can read it faster. Reading is faster, than reading aloud. Sure, she takes extra time, as she builds a scene, and creates atmosphere, but that is a weirdest criticism of voicacting I can think of. She is performing, not being a google translate "read" function.

Turn-based too! I am not sure I would want to go full turn-based, but I do think that *pause-decision making-pause-decision making* rhythm works better with a number driven game such as pillars. Defences, rolls, chances to hit etc. are easier to track and keep an eye on if game doesn't move forward. I do like the RTS element of it. For a while now I had an idea in my mind, inspired by a quick glance at PoE Paper RPG and Pit People. What if we had a real time combat but giving out orders would turn based? So the game would be divided into let's say, 10 seconds turns, and every character makes an initiative roll based on its dexterity. Than we start giving orders from the worst initiative to the best - trading power for fleibility. The way attacks are made would need to be changed completely - what Pit People does is that if you end by an enemy you smack him. The core of the idea is fine - one handed weapons get bonus accuracy, who handers to more damage, with two weapons to take a swing with each. But a decent RPG game would need a much more nuance than that - using abilities, deciding whom to attack etc.

A big fan that spells which Wizards has in currently equipped Grimoire are tagged when lvling up. Enchanting screen is much better. I think visually it could be a bit more clearer: a small filled green diamond for already purchased upgrades isn't the most visable. It would be lovely if items on the left would be somewhat organized: lets say: by items equpped by companions and after that what is in the stash/inventory. Something like: Pallegina: 1) Sword 2) Mace 3) shield 4) Armor Eder: 1)Saber no. 1 2)Saber no. 2 3) Club 4) Shield 5) Armor etc.

Classeless system!

Agree. While tying bounties to factions is a neat idea, not having any influence on relations with said factions feels off. Overall, I think the fact that factions use you for a while and ignore certain offences until certain point works fine. But faction system lacks a payoff. Using a narrative analogy: there is a lot of set up, some remainders, but all the payoff we get is the Ukaizo encounter and ending slides. I feel it’s not enough. If there only was a major post-main campaign expansion, which would deliver reactivity and needed closure.

Eh few thoughts: 1) romance is meh. I dont hate it as much now as the disposition gain is fixed and my companions don't automatically hit on my PC. Still i feel "a romance path" isn't enough to convert relationship, and I would rather has one romancable.companion with multitude of outcomes, or no romances at all. Overall, just not my thing. And I am not a fan that I have to constantly tell me companions that I am not interested in them. Quite awkward. 2) interactions weren't good? How so? Personally I really liked them. Having them have a say during conversations and respond to each other is really neat. 3) looking forward to naval combat patch if one is indeed in the making. I doubt we will see it again. 4) main plot isn't quite engaging. But deadfire, faction and quest design is rather excellent. Really well implemented lore.

Considering that WM1&2 didn't pay for itself and that DLC were always meant to be smaller and how companions are done (more on that later) I never expected to see new companions be added. I think what they did with Ydwin in BoW was very smart. I am liking Deadfire companion system more and more. But the downside is that you need a companion to be implimented throughout the whole game, as their developement happens by interactions with the world rather than in a self contained bubble. Addition of a companion to Deadfire would mean going back to the base game and adding a reactivity throughout the whole game. Sounds like a lot of work and a sure way to break something. WIth relationship system adding companions is very difficult and it is certainly a black mark against the system. Personally, I am torn whenever it was worth it. I am against it after my first playthrough, but right now, after my second playthrough I rather like it. I will have to go back to PoE1 in some time and see if I will respond to massive 15 minutes long conversation dumps with companions as "oh, I missed those" or if I wish I was playing Deadfire.

Adding to the above: I presonally like to do WM1 around level 8, usually in the middle of the "investigate those three places" point as this my least favourite part of the game and I like to break up the monotony. I usually go for WW2 after the hearing, but I am overleveled at this point but it is still fun.

Was about to report the same issue. Here are comparison screen shot of both Ability Preview and Lvl up screens. Oddly enough Passives are also shown in different order - I wouldn't call it an issue but it surprised me: Save: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XsQnzXthHT5HTDx53uo2xc9nJGRxEzhI/view?usp=sharing

White March is an "in-game" expansion. It adds content to the base game. It is not a seperate campaign. You can still play it as such though, by reloading pre ENDGAME save and doing the WM content. DLCs for Deadfire (Beast of Winter, Seeker, Slayer,Survivor, Forgotten Sanctum) add content to the base game as well. If Beast of Winter is any indication they gel with core game much better as well. Personally recommend to have those expansions if available on your first playthrough.

I felt that Vanilla Deadfire had a find balance as i reached max level when wrapping up the side content and getting ready for final mission. That meant that I spend time lvling up for majority of the content and reached last level with only highest level content to be done. It will break once all expansions are out but I hope Obs will give an option to rebalance xp once DLCs are out. The bigger problem for me is how many quests are available for the mid level range. This is a side effect of multiple factions, not having to complete all of those quests + many bounties/non combat sidequests etc. resulting in party being overleveled for majority of quests available. I felt in 2nd half to the game I have to search for those more remote locations (Nemnok dungeon, undead&vampires isle) to get fun gameplay.

I have done almost two playthroughs right now - both with level scaling: first one was on Veteran+crit path content scaling up only , and one (late game on hold due to bug which stops me from progressing the main quest in BoW) on PotD with scaling all up only. To be honest XP float compared to quest's difficulty is still an issue. I would recommend using it - things still feel to be pretty much designed to be around certain level. If it's better than without level scaling - I can't tell. I didn't sense much difference between two playthroughs - except 2nd one being less borken due to many balance patches which came online since.

Except Deadfire is designed this way precisely not to reward players for killing stuff. You fight, when it is appropriate for your character to do so. Even quest purely focused on combat (bounties) provide other rewards (items, cash) which make them worth doing even if you don’t need xp. I thought that base game’s xp was well distributed (I reached max level when doing late game content), however I felt that sometime around level 14 I become overlevel for majority of the content. The who next expansions might not even be an issue if they tackle levels 16-18 &18-20, as they should harder than what Is in the game already, making them pre-endgame content.

Fallout 2, Arcanum, Ultima 7, Gothic, Gothic 2, Ultima Underworld, Divine Divinity, Risen, Baldur's Gate... Didnt play Ultimas, DD or Rise. I always thought that main story line of Fallouts were more of an incentive for exploration rather actual storyline (very much like Deadfires). A smart thing that Fallout does is not telling you were to go and hints it does make you go on a wild goose chase. Arcanum was similar. Fun world, main plot itself was dull. BG1 plot was pretty badly paced, BG2 has great main story and side content but I always thought they clash with each other (oh... what was it? I was supposed to rescue someone? Sorry I forgot about the main plot with all the fun side quests I have to do). I thought Witcher 3 had a pretty great balance of main story and excuses to engage in side activities, with multiple plot point given to you as an excuse to not move the plot forward and just be the grumpy neighborhood witcher.

It's an Engwithan Titan with a legendary skin. He got lucky with lootboxes.

Thing is, Sleight of Hand isn't one of the fluff skills. It's one of the skills "at the top" which means it definitely does compete with key useful skills like mechanics or alchemy. That's why I said the "easy fix" would be to bump it down to a fluff skill that just so happens to earn you some money. But I would much rather the "harder" fix of making it worth being competitive with something like explosives or athletics. Beside athletics I didn't find any of those to be too useful. Unless we talk about solo runs. with full team I find it easy to have a character inverst heavily into pickpocketing without sacrificing anything else. Which plays into another issue: I never felt like I am really choosing what skills I will have or specialize. With "team support" system and individual skill checks in scripted interactions I find it way too easy to pass majority of skill checks throughout the game. As a side note, I do support OP plead. Improving on Sleight of Hand, and skills overall, would be a great boon.

:-D. Yet iteresting for Obs to bring attention to such tweet. I wonder what that would mean. It might simply be a port for current gen consoles (possibly a PC remaster as well), though considering how many issues the game has I am not sure if straight up port is a great idea. A port which would also attempt to fix a core game could be great, but I can't see that happening, as that would take a lot of work. If something is happening though, that might mean that there is a move to resurrect the IP, which is potentially exciting. I would like to see a second attempt at the idea.

The first Pillars challenged the notion of who Gods are in typical fantasy setting. Deadfire challenged the idea of a mortal heroe's influence and power to challenge/influence/destroy those Gods. All if good an well, but I feel that Deadfire doesn't explore that subject nearly as well as 1st Pillars is. While not obvious at first, PoE1 developes those ideas from the very beginning - through locations, companions, quests. Deadfire doesn't really bother with God stuff except the few crit path missions. The rest of the game is about Deadfire politics, which while interesting and good, doesn't really gel with what seem that should be the core of the narrative. That is not entirely true - playing for Deadfire for the second time I notice now that narrative is much more intricate, with factions storylines sneaking infromation and background details which tie into Eothas' storyline. But while Deadfire does a much better job in presenting lore and world, I feel it is much less focused thematically. Or maybe I am completely off - don't know much about writing. But something doesn't quite come together at the end.

Tis true. I don't think it's a super big problem as, unlike many other RPGs, you don't choose between key usefull skills and the fluff stuff. I would also like to mention that "sleight of hand" appears in conversation/scripted interactions as well. But overall I did have the feeling with Deadfire, like somewhere early on was a desire to create a more open, mechanically driven RPG (pickpocketing/reverse prickpoecting/ stealth/bombs) but those pop up only occasionally in very specific, pre-determined situations.

https://www.vg247.com/2018/09/04/alpha-protocol-remaster-tease/

Empower? Oh, I forgot it exists.