Nonek

Surcoat or Grecian/Aedyrean style tunic? Excellent article, strange how some of the components haven't changed in a millenia or so.

I assume you'll be treated like a Witcher, spat upon and reviled but made use of when needed. I'd fully expect to be reviled and not considered suitable for polite society, but used when the unnatural rears its ugly head. A monster to kill a monster?

Michael Thornton as the magnificent bastard in Alpha Protocol did almost exactly this.

Or perhaps do something truly monstrous for the "greater good?" Edit: Personally for me what it boils down to is the main plot not seeming reasonable, for whatever reason, whether it is no well implemented evil path in IWD2 or the common use of "BUT THOU MUST" to advance the plot rather than a coherent, human and logical motivation. Sometimes the game designers seem more concerned with their cinematic experience than the players experience, however this is not something that Obsidian does in my opinion. Even DS3 one of their most linear games does respond to ones actions, and has a brutally logical motivation for the protagonist, defeat Jayne Kassynder or be hunted down and exterminated. Crude but eminently reasonable.

In my opinion the IWD's and the BG's were both linear arpg's, whether one becomes immersed in them is a totally personall matter, it does not arise from any one mechancic. I'd be fine with optional cotent based on ones playstyle, though from what I understand what we got from IWD2 was fairly staggering considering the ten month development time, but I wouldn't want any contrived binary morality system to restrict my actions. From what Obsidian did in New Vegas in eighteen months (the same amount of time as some sub par arpg's people apologise for) I am left confident that they will deliver a stellar experience, that reacts to ones playstyle and provides a much wider degree of actions and motivations than is the industry norm.

Much obliged Mr Sensuki, as good if not better than many of the professional interviews i've read, with a refreshingly different and pertinent set of questions.

Enjoyable session of Rogue Trader last night using my own house rules, a really nice welcome back to the hobby. Didn't get much past character creation and an introduction to the basics of the setting. The main base of operations for the Prayg family of traders, (who were granted their charter by the Lord Commander Solar Macharius himself,) is a vast space hulk/station (The Rapture of Immolation) orbitting a fertile and habitable moon, that shows signs of heavy assault in the past. There are ruins of an unknown origin but the request for identification and exploration has been caught up in the bureaucratic labyrinth of the Imperium, and a thriving trade in Xenotech and artifacts has arisen. The Rapture of Immolation meanwhile has its own problems, with a hidden but daring heretical cabal of cultists operating in the depths of the hulk, a growing population of cannibalistic mutants, an Ork Kruiser manned with mischievous Freebooters who call the port home and seem a bit too civilised and friendly, and a new garrison of zealous defenders getting used to life away from the battlefield. The latter are soldiers of the Death Corps of Krieg, a full company of such under the command of the iron hard Colonel Mannstein. There are also House Prayg's usual guards, an easily bribable and sloppy mix of conscripts and pdf, whom are more apt to run than fight in any serious engagement. There are three players: Secundus Prayg, a merchant and commander who has lead the operations and adventures in this quadrant for twenty years. He was hideously injured in an attack by chaos cultists less than a year ago, and has only just emerged from the medicae facilities. He has extensive bionics holding him together, which are not yet fully integrated with his organic systems, so that he is not too op. He carries a bolt pistol and attacks with his bare hands if necessary, which may become upgraded over time to resemble power fists but for now are merely close combat weapons. His main skills are in command, dialogue, intelligence and planning, though his manner has hardened and grown quite sullen since his injuries were sustained. Tall, gaunt, pale, with disturbingly pale grey eyes typical of the Prayg's and a shaven head, apart from a black topknot of hair, with long luxurious black mustaches he is quite fond of stroking. The next is Tertius Prayg, a gambler, pilot, ladies man and gunslinger. Basically a Han Solo rip off. A ready grin, laughing grey eyes, an unruly mop of fairly short black hair and the latest fashions he can purchase from the more connected planets. He shirks responsibility but is quite naturally gifted, something that his brother Secundus, whom has struggled for everything he has gained, detests. Carries twin pearl handled laspistols, that he likes to add mods to whenever he has the time or opportunity, and a combat knife that he hides down a boot. Has an easy charm that is useful in some dialogues, is not particularly clever or well read, is a quite fantastic pilot with his own shuttle that he says he won in a card game, but really his father gave him as he is a favourite. Tertius is quite able in a conflict situation, though a little headstrong and daring. He enjoys ribbing Secundus but actually quite respects his brother, though he would never tell him. The third character is a little exotic, a Squat mechanic/engineer and rifleman called Mr Fingers, for his manual dexterity. Serving as a bodyguard and watchful eye over Secundus, it was Finger's who hauled the wounded captain to safety and fought off the chaos cultists, with the help of grenades and high calibre bolter rounds. The Prayg's might have lost a trading ship when Finger's fled in a shuttle, but the cultists lost their lives as Secundus had allready set the self destruct in operation. Finger's is a genius when it comes to tech, though keeps a low profile when the agents of Mars are anyway around. He carries a Squat version of a Stalker pattern Bolter, that is identical in all but looks and holiness. He also carries a large amount of grenades and explosives as well as a vast array of tools that can serve as close combat weapons in a pinch. He is very large for a Squat, standing at five feet exactly, heavily muscled and tough, with a shaven head, a small blond goatee and eyes of blue. he is most often covered in dirt and oiled, with permanently discoloured hands and nails. To begin with the players were gathered by Primus Prayg on the Rapture of Immolation to make themselves useful while Secundus was recovering, there were three matters to be resolved, the fealty of the Ork Freebooter's to be sworn as has become tradition, the investigation of Xenotech that has been turning up on the station, and lastly the hunting down of the chaos cultist's whom have been growing daring in the last year or so since Secundus' injury. The Ork's were the easiest to find and so our little party began their adventures there, going to meet Kaptain Blud along with Colonel Carl and his Guards. Nice little bit of alternating comedy and conspiracy ensued, with my best pirate accent coming into use, as well as the usual Orkspeak. The Ork's capitulated far too easily, hardly requiring any bribes at all and acting far too friendly, showing far too many teeth. Colonel Carl broke with protocol to threaten the Xenos filth with death if they put one step out of line, but Kaptain Blud laughed it off and swore to obey the master of the Rapture. We ended the session there. Edit: I've given Colonel Carl my most outrageous German accent, along with the manners and stiff bearing of Prussian aristocracy, it seemed right somehow.

Yes I realise that but they're also easily killed by the bushel, so no real threat and they stay dead, otherwise the sloth demons restraint wouldn't have disappeared when I killed him. I returned to the various parts of the fade and none of the hundreds I killed got back up, that's fairly damning evidence that they are not immortal. A competent mage or warrior can handle thousands, then i'm sure a farmer can put down a few dozen easily enough, they're an easily contained nuisance perhaps best swatted away with a rolled up newspaper. If the developers want me to care about their threat, they should choose a better one. Anyway off to the fourty first millenium for a bit of rogue trading, hope I haven't offended anyone, just an honest appraisal using what evidence we have.

Kill them all and it will be your concepts and thoughts existing not the demons, ocassionally smack down a few thousand when they're a nuisance, the job seems to be eminently do-able. My warden was able to slay a sloth demon lord and all of his armies on his own ground and none of them got back up. Edit: Fighting them conventionally has been easy as pie in both previous games, for me at least. As I said earlier I think they should choose a more potent foe, as demons are easily killed and hardly present a challenge or any worthy motivation, at least they haven't done as presented so far.

I trust there will be a more coherent reason to adventure in Poe than a few nuisances appearing before inevitably being swatted. Something personal and nuanced like with most Obsidian games.

Kill enough and they'll learn, one bumbling idiot can kill thousands so send an army of ten thousand into the fade and you should have what...at least ten million casualties within a few hours at most. Just keep on going and within a few days they should be fairly much extinct. I think they should choose a better threat than their ineffectual demons. That's just my take on it though. Edit: Quite a good way to seize land as well if you think about it, the native fauna are easily displaced and eradicated, so advertise the rip as a great opportunity akin to seizing a claim on land in the old west of America.

Why the alarm over the fade tearing open? As I remember in DA 1&2 my warden and the idiot killed thousands of demons, abominations and everything else. Seemed just the same as every other opponent.

It's written in the beginning of the manual, and why Ammon Jerro failed in his last struggle with the King of Shadows. I always thought that the protagonists second beating silver heart in NWN2 was an ingenious method of tying one into the story, I may shamelessly steal it yet for an rp session.

Is NWN2 a chosen one story? As far as I remember the protagonist is simply unlucky when they are wounded by the shard as an infant, nobody chose him, he is simply unfortunate enough to be pursued and possess unwillingly one of the only methods of dealing with a situation that is arising. In fact this seems to be a recurring theme in Obsidian games, the protagonist being an awfully unlucky chap.

Monte took the words right out of my mouth, might be worth a trip to the theatre if that is to your taste, though booking can be somewhat problematic for the more popular shows. Not sure what's on in the west end at the moment.

There's nothing wrong with healthy criticism and comparison in my opinion, only a fool has no opinion on matters which concern him. Apathy is death. Personally I would say that discerning players need to exercise more well reasoned criticism, more restraint in their spending and demand more from games than what we are seeing peddled at the moment.

I do apologise for double posting: I'd also like to see a detailed system of crime and punishment, with consequences varying from paying substantial weregild, seizure of property and titles, to maybe even indentured servitude somewhat like young Cuchulain.

It's a thorny subject indeed, personally i'd like to see at least one game with a realistic carrying limit, somewhat like the first Witcher but maybe even more draconian. And the loot left behind is simply gone, so one has to choose very carefully what one takes and leaves behind. Equipping oneself would also be a strategic choice with the limited inventory, and if a backpack is not purchased then even less can be carried. However even here I can see the problem of over affluence arising, and somewhat breaking the economy. I would certainly make gold far more valuable, so that a gold piece is a tremendously valuable coin, used in financial transactions and such. And a purse of such is a tremendous reward for a quest. I would have a durability system, and make the better armours and masterwork weapons tremendously expensive to buy, alter or repair as befitting masterworks. Indeed I would make finding a worthy smith a task in itself. I would implement a very detailed and largely unavoidable taxation system, with upkeep needed for the roads and taken from travellers, taxes to enter cities, a levy on houses and property, a levy on an excessive amount of goods carried into cities etcetera. With the only method of avoiding taxation either being an outlaw, or being raised to the nobility where taxes are waived for military service and feudal service to ones lord. Bribes would be a constant drain to lubricate almost any transaction, and theft would be a constant risk, as well as a spur to adventure. The lure of gold should corrupt almost anyone, and sticky fingers should be a given, a guardsman or a peasant will not be so stupid as to not steal when his family need that coin and you have an obscene amount. Pay the npc's, fine they can scrounge up armour and weapons beside you and you might consider that enough payment, but they have presumably fought and risked their lives to secure that just as you have, that is as much theirs as yours. If you want to be their leader, then you have to pay for the privilege or manipulate successfully enough, and a character should be intelligent enough to value their own services and life. Finally barter and services in place of coin should be a viable method of payment, indeed with skilled craftsman, apprentice trained and of a skill level one cannot imitate without abandoning their adventuring career, coin should be only one part of what is needed to attract them. Food, lodgings, materials and perhaps other favours befitting their skill and value. Edit: Oh and in just one game i'd like to see my character carrying a backpack, and if not then they'll have to carry all that loot in their arms with appropriate penalties.

Makes sense.

Response to the popularity of Godzilla perhaps? Though I don't know whether it was a success at the box office or not. Edit: Ninjitsu of fearsome potency, bows.

Exactly.

Two minor niggles, i'd like to see some sleeves on that mail as the upper arm seems awfully exposed, as opposed to the forearm and torso. The hide armour of the Barbarian seems to be screaming for disembowelling, or having ones legs chopped off. However as poorly made starting armour, yes I think it more than covers the bases.

Personally I was unaware that it was a competition, if it is Poe has won as i've allready bought the game. I'd have to be a fool to pre-order DA3 after the second game, and from what i've seen of the idiotic characters, their moronic quotes and horrible artistic design, I doubt i'll purchase it. From what i'm seeing of Poe it is more than living up to its promise.

Interested until I heard it was Bioware.

Because she was mysterious and memorable and what her motivations and objectives were were interesting? I mean she was a villain, does she need an arc to be a well written one? I would agree that not all antagonists (I don't judge Kreia to be a villain) need an arc, but I personally think Kreia had quite a straightforward one, initially she is seeking revenge for the indignities enacted upon her and that is all but she changes as the game begins, and she finds a kindred spirit. Just like all of the Exile's other companions she is affected by his drawing upon her, and after the longest time begins to sense that she might achieve vindication for her philosophy and approach to the force. This is why she appears as a mentor to the character, though in fact she reveals flaws and weaknesses as she teaches, as she is a realistically flawed depiction of a terrifyingly strong woman. Her speciesism, her contempt for charity, her ruthlessness and her almost total lack of empathy. So they teach each other and Kreia shows the Exile first the many flaws and hypocrisy that riddle the Jedi, and then how weak the Sith in truth are when one approaches them with a balanced view and an awoken mind. In the end returned to the place where the force was wounded Kreia admits her love for the idea of the Exile, shows her empathy awoken and admits that maybe her struggle was flawed by her own use of the force in the first place. And this illustrates that the Exile has affected her as much as she affected him, and that her struggle is over because she won and proved herself and her pupil superior to both Jedi and Sith. I like to think that in the end she was happy and content in those last moments, because in many ways she fought a heroic battle against the binary tyranny of the force. That's just my translation however, and may be false.