Starwars

Charisma makes my Sorceror cast spells better?

Only when you meet the characters for the first time, no respecing. Also, wee, they added a "voice frequency" slider in the options to set how often you want the "barks" to play! Thanks for that guys, have been whining about that since the backer beta.

Expeditions: Conquistador is getting a sequel: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2128128298/expeditions-conquistador/posts/1223827 Not really news as they've posted about it on the game's STEAM forum but great to see it announced.

Just in terms of "feels" I think that it feels better to have companions start up conversations but when actually playing the game I think I actually prefer it the way PoE does it. It feels a bit less dynamic in how you start up but I think it's pretty convenient and avoids "strange situations". I've read complaints about that system before (how it can trigger during very... unfitting situations) and have had it happen to me also. What I'd like is more interactions after resting. Even though you technically "trigger" those also as the player, I think those serve to make the companions feel like they're not just "puppets" so to speak. And it makes sense that they would share personal stuff when camping/resting of course. Also, just had Edér comment on the piglet pet (that you get in Dyrford), haha. Loved it. Certainly a moment that wouldn't have been nearly as funny without the voiceacting.

Hugz! <3

I'm not sure what a normal playthrough means but personally I used all party members on my first playthrough (switched them out every now and then) and completed all of the quest arcs without any problems. They all "flowed" naturally to me so I didn't think there was any need for meta-game knowledge on how to complete them.

I can volunteer for those. I have a very good handclap that might be suitable for some of the more intimate parts.

One area that one might miss easily is on the Endless Paths level 3 (the one with the ogres). There's a hidden room there with two backer memorials in it. I don't think there are any additional memorials in the Act 3 areas but I might be misremembering.

Perhaps I'm a bad player but when I play, I don't find it is as "clear-cut" as this. In the IE games, you can pre-buff and have everything up when you start the fight. And while I may throw buffs up at the start of combats in PoE, even with the short casting time, the recovery time in between makes at least me think it's not a "no-brainer" because a lot of stuff can happen in those first two seconds. Especially if I run into a tougher fight, my priorities may switch a lot depending on what happens during those opening seconds. On PotD, there are buffs I want to get up for most fights. But for me it's a long stretch to compare that to the IE pre-buffing because I keep finding myself in scenarios where I have to throw out different spells (even though I can usually get that first buff off naturally) depending on what's happening. Again, I'm definitely not one of the best players when it comes to realtime w pause though, so if one is a better player than me then perhaps one *can* reduce the combat to that rote "first this buff, then this buff and..." but I typically can't. It's a risk/reward thing for me personally in PoE while pre-buffing in IE games is definitely not.

This is a good topic. -More enemy variety always helps, just on a basic level. The more variety, the more fun combat will be, just from lack of visual repetition if nothing else. But also introducing enemies with unique abilities such as the teleporting shadows or whatever. -Better, more reactive AI. Creating some form if super AI isn't the point but at the moment, it feels a bit "tame". Have them make use of items and be intelligent about buffing themselves. Also, pathfinding is really problematic at times where you get enemies stuck behind each other when they shouldn't. -Make sure that the areas are designed for encounters and vice versa. Right now, there are quite a number of encounters where the numerous enemies just get stuck behind each other because the areas are too tight or whatever (and this is not necessarily due to pulling enemies to chokepoints). -I think some immunities can be great. There does not need to be an overreliance on them but if inserted here and there with care, it can serve to make the player shake up how he plays. -More surprises in the basic design. Traps that the player *can* walk into (but ideally doesn't have to if you're careful) and be attacked from both sides for example. More moments when the game wants to screw you a bit basically. More encounters that feel a bit like puzzles.

I think I'd prefer it to be slightly less than what we see in PoE, and then focus on getting those performances really good/unique. As an example, I can understand why they'd want the opening of the game to be voiced but the VO for the caravan master is just... not particularly impressive. Then again, I'd probably also be the first to admit that I would miss it if lines were taken away from Edér or Durance for example. But generally speaking, I'd prefer it if the opening "node" for a dialogue was voiced and then mostly silent after that, except for the bits where it's really important for the character.

If you're wary of your game experience sorta being destroyed by bugs, then I think you should take a look at what's being reported in the Beta patch bugs part of the forums. That way you can get a view of how much it would affect your game. But yeah, there are new bugs in the beta so you may want to hold off if you only want the "polished" experience so to speak.

Yeah, if I was a game dev I knew I'd be jumping with joy to interact with people who say things like that about me. I know people love to cover up things with similar tone as "constructive criticism". But there is also a social aspect of things like that. If some guy sells me a product that I'm not happy with, I don't say "you're a bootlicker, now listen to my complaints and do something about them". That's probably the most basic lesson in social interaction. If you want someone to listen to you, then try not to insult them first you know? It's apparently a very hard-learned lesson on the Internet.

I too force myself to play through games that I'm getting zero enjoyment from. .... no, no wait! It's the other way around. I *stop* playing games that I'm getting zero enjoyment from. Phew, I'm just silly like that.

I think it'd be nice to have immunities in some cases. Like... moderation is key. I don't think there should be a rule for "no immunities!" but also not an overreliance on them when designing encounters. I think the game (and especially if we move on up in levels in expansions and sequels) will need more ways to change up the basic way one can approach combat at least. Shadows in this game is the most talked about example, they tend to change up the way you play an encounter because it screws you a bit when they teleport around. I think PoE needs more of those instances where you go "holy crap, my usual way of playing isn't effective here!". I think immunities can be one part of such a "toolbox". But yeah, I did not typically enjoy the stripping of buffs (and buffing up yourself) in BG2 very much. Perhaps *some* of that could be used though.

Agree with this, especially since the soundtracks were such a prolific part of the earlier Wipeouts. Still, the game might be awesome, certainly looks promising to me. And hopefully one can replace the music if need be.

Yeah, Mercer did a fantastic job with those two... er, three. I think the other really noteable performances were Thaos, Maerwald and Aldhelm. I thought especially Maerwald was great, can't be easy to voiceact such a role.

Hopefully they've added a lot of explosions and stuff. They could dramatize it a bit. Feargus: "This... it's the end guys... If we don't solve this situation before this date... Obsidian HQ will blow up and take all of Orange County with it..." Josh gets up, grabs Feargus by the collar and slaps him around Josh: "THEN WE NEED TO DO THIS, LET'S MAKE USE OF KICKSTARTER DAMNIT FEARGUS!" Feargus sinks slowly to the floor, obviously distraught. Feargus: Do... d-do it... p-push the... button... Camera zooms in on Josh's face, who puts on a pair of sunglasses. Josh: "It's tyme to start yet another Project... And this time... It's ETERNITY. *cue explosions, Adam Brennecke putting on a Ninja mask, Tim Cain hitting people with a rolling pin and Chris Avellone slicing off limbs with a lightsaber*

I'm guessing there might be a few different factors (such as backgrounds) that play in but I got the option after I had helped the Skaenites in Dyrford. EDIT: I mean, Skaen contacts you right at the end still, but he mentioned my helping of the Skaenites as a reason that I might be sympathetic towards his cause so I guess that's one trigger.

Nope. Only thing is some flavor dialogue here and there. It's one of the bigger mistakes in the game in my opinion, the whole rioting thing. It's so weird to include something like that in the game, and then not have it have a big impact upon the gameworld. I mean, it's a huge undertaking to "change up" the entire city afterwards but if they didn't have the manpower/time to do it, then I think it would've been better to have it be written another way, excluding the rioting.

I'm on my third playthrough.

The guidebook mentions that some belief (it's not proven at all) goes that the gods reside in the center of the earth, and that the adra pillars are the waterways through which the souls flow after a person dies. So the souls flow to a god, spend some time in their court, then flow back out into the world again, inhabiting a new body. Of course, what we learn near the end of the game about the gods kinda throws a lot of what is believed into turmoil, and/or adds even more questions to what actually happens.

As far as number of quests go in the cities, I think the game is close to "bang-on" for me. You get them in a steady stream, but you don't walk into an area and get 10 NPCs all wanting *you* to complete all their quests so that, when you get to the 6th quest, you don't even remember meeting the bloody NPC in the first place. The rate of how quests are received is very good. Now, I think what I miss is some quests that are more sprawling and involved. Make use of the size in the various Defiance Bay areas. It could've used a big investigation quest or two, that is just dropped in your lap with no real hint as to what to do with it. And then you investigate around town. There could've been a lot more NPCs in areas such First Fires for example that serve as "hint-droppers" for quests and such. Dunryd Row has an investigation quest but it points you in the right directions right away so you don't really get to... well, investigate. So yeah, a few more wide, sweeping quests would've been nice. Twin Elms, Gilded Vale and Dyrford all felt good to me keeping in mind what kinds of locations they are. For Twin Elms, it would've been nice I think to have a few more quests trying to connect it to other areas (not just the ones right around it I mean), but at the same time it makes sense for what it is, it *is* a bit out of the way. For wilderness areas, well... Here is where I would've liked to see A) bigger areas and B) more stuff to do in them Some of them feel really small *and* bare which is a bit unfortunate as it doesn't give you that feeling of exploring large areas like in BG (where the emptiness *sometimes* worked to create that explorative atmosphere) nor does it give you a lot of content. So they simply feel small and a bit disappointing.

I hear it fine on my system when playing with headphones but yeah, it could probably be higher regardless since it tends to get drowned out when the music is playing also.

Sure will be something when Fallout 4 is unveiled soon, featuring a toolset that interacts incredibly good with the Workshop. Uploading your mods have never been easier! And, get this, now you can get paaaaid! Cash rules everything around me, CREAM, get the money, dollar dollar bill ya'll.