Monte Carlo

I agree. Sadly, Sawyer has an otherworldly sense of what constitutes fun.

I think they've kind of lost interest in communicating with us. They know best, after all.

It would work better as a source-book for any number of existing systems, rather than as a standalone game IMO. They could use existing synergies with Paizo, for example, and release a Pathfinder PoE series.

What could be more 'degenerative' that dump-statting dialogue skills and simply walking through the game by picking text prompts?

Grom, nobody has answered the question - you've thirteen levels of monster-infested dungeon. How do you make quest-only XP for that? If the XP is for 'clearing level three of orcs' isn't that just macro XP for the same thing. Or does every death in PoE require a mini-story to keep the Planescapers happy?

The backers wanted a Ford Mustang. Josh really wants to build a Prius. So he packs all the crappy Prius features inside a Mustang chassis. As soon as you hit the accelerator, instead of that throaty roar, you get the tinny whirring of electric. Nobody is fooled.

Why post in it?

Josh Sawyer comes across, to me, as a decent person and a passionate advocate for gaming. For example, IMO Fallout 3 NV is a masterpiece and Sawyer should take not inconsiderable credit for his role in that. That doesn't mean he can't have feet of clay. We all do. He understands the passion here, and as Immortalis says, he is a robust person well-versed in the rough-and-tumble of internet debate. I've had occasional dialogue with the man, like many of us here, for almost fifteen years. So I think it would be great if he checked in.

You know what bugs me most? Josh is unlikely to come into this thread and engage with backers who are concerned about this aspect of PoE. http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/hubris

What are you playing as?

* shrugs * This is always going to be personal interpretation. I was sold a spiritual successor to the I.E. games. This feels like a sheep in wolf's clothing. Period.

* sigh * In a combat-heavy game, the skill (such as it is) comes from tactics, choice of weapons, abilities and spells. This is a combat-heavy game. FFS we've got a mega-dungeon. Yet the 'soft skills' approach requires the 'Tormenters' (they are quite often PS:T fans) to dumpstat a couple of conversation skillz and indulge in some content tourism for the same XP. How are the Paths of Od Nua, allegedly a nod to the classic dungeon crawl, going to work with no XP for killing enemies in a monster-infested labyrinth? Is the party that fights and kills the dragon, spending blood and treasure to do so, really going to get rewarded the same as the person who dumps all his or her skill points into stealth and negotiation skills? Seriously, I think I want my money back. I don't actually believe I have to explain this stuff.

I wonder if you think you're being persuasive He's certainly not helping bring any light to the debate.

What if a feminist wrote a book about the trials and tribulations they have been through as a women in the corporate world but have now achieved respect and financial success. So this book is can be used a source of motivation for younger women grappling with similar issues. Would you still be opposed to this type of revenue generation from a feminist? A professional feminist without sexism is redundant. Man, misogyny is meat and drink to the professional feminist, like any identity politics or single-issue obsessive.

Where did you learn your interpersonal skills? Colditz?

Wow, i never even knew that. And i'm still playing BG2 from time to time, too, but i'd never even think of doing something like that. Mostly because, you know, there's a whole Icewind Dale franchise created exactly for this + there's ToEE, it's spiritual successor, + there's a million other games when you can just walk around in a fantasy world killing monsters. This is not what made BG2 so memorable to me. Now i know that apparently there are some people that are willing to turn a game with great story, great set of characters and great atmosphere into a hack'n'slash fest just because they love battle encounters and/or how AD&D combat system is represented there. Are these guys Obsidian's target audience now? If they are, then i wish i'd known that before backing PoE, because i had in my head that a game representing the "legacy of the Golden Age of computer role-playing" should be oriented towards, well, the whole role-playing part, instead of butt-kicking for goodness. Is it chilly up there on that high horse? Dude, I've played the game to bits with every NPC. Part of it's longevity is playing it a different way. It's not high art, it's not Hemingway, it's just a really, really good game.

By extension, could we say that most other art forms didn't count as such until semi recently/still don't count? It's not like there's a glut of female directors, for example. Which is not to say that the dearth of female game developers isn't a problem in need of a solution, but I think we're being a little kind to the other forms of media if we single out games for this attention. Because of course romcoms need more car chases, and The Expendables needs a cutely hilarious date-goes-wrong scene.

I'm starting a new game of BG2.

The whole "combat is to fast" argument has alot to do with lack of training, I made 3 playthroughs and the game gets easier to manage if you have some experience with it. Its not really fast, most of your party members do one action every 6 seconds if not interupted, the rogue hits every 4 seconds. You have usually more than one seconds for every character which is quite long if you know what you are doing andyour fighters do not need to use a ability every second. Right now when I jump into the game to try stuf out combat feels really slow. If feels like a lot of those "combat is to hectic" complains come from people that do not want to learn and adapt to the system. When I played BG for the first time it was overwhelming and I had to pause constantly. Same thing here. A quality of life additon would be adding hotkeys for your party members like 1-6 and hotkeys for the skills. Thats basicaly everything you need. Ah, the old "it's not us, it's you" argument. Thing is, my rough calculation is that 85% of the forum 'don't want to learn' and find the pacing / experience of combat a bind.

I've been playing it with my son on PS4 today, it's a pretty cool port.

Maybe making some (I reiterate, some) options passive rather than modal for melee classes might help. For example, the Paladin's flaming aura ability might activate after 'x' amount of activity. Lots of people will hate not having control, but at the moment I don't appear to either. Besides, as a CoH vet I am a devotee of RNGesus!

^ LOL. Wikipedia is awesome if you know how to use it. To turn your nose up at it is dumb.

You can create a full party in BG2. Just start in multiplayer mode. I only play BG2 nowadays with a custom-built party. Sadly, I doubt I'll be playing PoE thirteen years after release.

This. For the love of God, this.

Except Sawyer would use his 'Rebuke Meta-Humour' ability and halt the whole thing.