Nonek

This is my problem with modern English users, they forget the basics of the language and what an effective tool it can be if used correctly, elaborating on a point is fine if it needs expanding, if not they are wasted words. An example I often like to use is Shakespeare, whom it is very fashionable to knock, but who it cannot be argued birthed the modern English language: Iago could spout paragraphs of prose on why Desdemona is guilty, he can refute her outraged cries with long sentences, instead he simply say. "Methinks the lady doth protest too much!" A worm of doubt that sneaks into Othello's ear and lays its venomous seed, why is she so outraged? Why does she not simply laugh? Elaboration is fine but rambling over the same simple points is a waste of words, it simply loses ones audience, and Shakespeare knew how to keep an audience on the edge of their seats while making masterful use of his native tongue to argue his points. Worth bearing in mind if you wish to grab your audience, and make an impression.

1. Not really a case of being witty sir, more a case of effectively arguing ones viewpoint. In a vast morass of words meanings and ideas become difficult to find, however in a sharp, short and concise bullet point style one retains a punchy and memorable first impression. Brevity works, this is why memes, slogans and sayings are existant. 7. Content gating is fine, so long as one path is not the obviously optimal one. In the case of romances one either has a number of responses and interactions with the love interest, or they effectively disappear from the game. This is not really content gating, it's punishment for those whom choose not to partake in romance, and it comes at the cost of the npc themselves, making of them nothing but a romantic partner rather than an actual character. Re: Apology, explanation. Take it as you wish sir, I may have been a little flippant in my first post. Edit: And as we all know stripping romance interaction does not mean less interactions, it means simply choosing from a near infinite list of other interaction opportunities. More interaction at the cost of no romances, a fine thing in my mind, i'd far prefer to investigate animancy, cultural mores, traditions, stereotypes, the Engwithan legacy and the more in-depth parts of the setting.

Pathetic and uncalled for. Go troll elsewhere. Not trolling at all dear boy, I merely have a few issues with these "open letters" that keep cropping up, and their inevitable style: 1. Brevity is the soul of wit. Stop rambling make a point with each sentence, set an example and move on. Far more effective method of communication. 2. Why open? Obsidian are eminently contactable, do so, especially if one has backed their project and wishes to raise an objection. 3. No romances mean less deep interaction. This keeps on bing repeated and just sounds more ridiculous every time, there were other characters than Grace and Annah in Torment and they were arguably more interesting. Daakon's instruction in the way of the Zerth was hardly a small whimsical thing. 4. People know other people for years at a time and don't pursue romantic engagements, this doesn't make them psychopaths, asexual or unusual in any way. 5. We're approaching beta, it's a little late for such a complaint, and really if one is going to invest their money in a Kickstarter why would they not not keep their eye on it? Return on investment and whatnot? Caveat Emptor. 6. As a backer you have a perfect right to complain and argue for features you'd like, however rambling "open letters" have the freakish stink of the BSN about them. I'd say that if you wish discussion on the main boards then simply make a thread arguing your position. 7. Personally i'm glad of the no romance ruling and wish other developers would follow suit, especially if it means less content gated off behind romances, more deep characters with more interactions, and more getting to know ones acquaintances rather than engaging in cheesy teenage romance fiction. Edit: The content of the other "open letters" i've seen may have influenced my bias somewhat, one for instance had a mother asking her infant child not to commit rape when he grows up! As if it was the little lads honest wish to be a rapist or that she had no part in his upbring (which she probably shouldn't.) The stultifying idiocy of such letters leaves one quite aghast, so please consider that it is not just your missive that has raised such a scathing dismissiveness within me.

Commiserations.

"Open letter." I wish they'd just stay closed.

This. Edit: I assume our protagonist is a fully grown up individual at the height of their physical and mental potency, fully trained and with a background in their class. That being so, attribute advancement should be extremely rare, and rewarding of course.

Suffer not the promancer to talk, else his squeeing echo. Suffer not the promancer to see, lest he lay his diseased gaze on a goodly woman. Suffer not the promancer to touch, for he is debased and diseased. Suffer not the promancer to hear, for all he shall hear is scorn. Suffer not the promancer to taste, do not nourish evil. Suffer not the promancer to live, else his deviancy spread.

So one has to ask why, considering that men have been the ones who fought, died and sacrificed for their countries throughout time, that we do not have a "Video Game Tropes against Men?" Where is our Arnold Suckitandsee, complaining of the thousands of dead males in video games, reinforcing the idea that we are all expendable. That we are just wage slaves, who must marry, provide for their female masters every whim and produce offspring, and then as Mr Volourn points out have we fulfilled our function? Reducing us to gunfodder, providers, taxpayers and breeders rather than sapient beings, worthy in their own right. One could make a very strong argument without even much research that we have been the victims of a Matriarchy, and that we are only now breaking free of that environment and the societal roles forced upon us. I wonder why nobody has embraced such a philosophy? Or have they and I am simply ignorant of this movement? After all there's always a great attraction in playing the victim, or championing them, it lends a certain air of moral invulnerability, and of course a surefire belief that one is right. Interesting thought Mr Calax. Edit: Then again I would be mainly interested in seeing such a movement arise for the sheer humourness of it, sure to provoke outrage and many heated debates.

It is nice but I personally also found the general hubbub of voices used in the Smouldering Corpse was perfectly adequate, and repetition is less of a problem because of the indistinct nature of the sounds.

I caught myself giggling with enjoyment today, that hasn't happened in at least five years. Is this an incline I see before me?

Agreed, it's quite a departure from the first games almost realistic aesthetic, and not one I particularly enjoy. That said I can get over it and i'm currently simply enjoying playing around with the character creator, refreshingly detailed. Not very impressed with the voice acting, rather middle of the road.

Not really any of my business, I certainly hope Obsidian has massive success with Poe, but so long as I recieve my game then our transaction has been satisfactory. It would be nice to see one of the few developers who make intelligent and reactive games succeed, especially considering my enjoyment of their previous properties, but I personally judge only on what a company does for me as any smart consumer should in my opinion. Sorry if that sounds a little selfish. Edit: I do believe there is a market beyond our grognard niche, and I believe it's been largely abandoned due to various reasons.

Yes still waiting for DOS to unlock on GOG, doesn't want to download for some reason, trifle irritating as I took the day off. Think i'll avoid the beta for this exact reason, and the freshness of the experience.

Homosexual romances were included in games twenty plus years ago Bruce, try Ultima VII, parts one and two for an example. They were very widely lauded at the time, and the characters in questions weren't shown to be incompetent, idle and unmotivated idiots like those in Bioware games. If I were you though Bruce i'd choose better reading matter, this gentleman is barely literate and your arguments aren't really going to improve if this is your inspiration.

Well i'm totally against the Bioware method of "sexism is wrong mmmkay" and preaching at ones audience like they're children, but there are an almost infinite amount of methods to approach any subject, one simply needs imagination. Showing how women are an integral part of Mercian society, their strength and potency in the face of adversity, dealing with the individuals who make up society rather than generalisations, this can be done through simple demonstrations of people and places rather than the protagonist being bluntly told. I'm not familiar with Offa's realm so I can't particularly expand on this particular aspect but almost any scenario could be played out subtly and with nuance. As for the developers endorsing gender inequality that's just silly, and even the most progressive game with empowered female role models will attract idiots who look for outrage, while others that portray women in a positively demeaning light will be lauded because they spout a few appropriate press releases and say they support politically correct causes while doing nothing substantive. As usual artists should court controversy and seek to push the boundaries, because society at large is usually wrong and refuses to move on. Edit: And once again if we are seeking to make a game that offends nobody then what features can possibly be left in?

Busting French balls, certainly not sir, one cannot break the non existent. Ha only jesting, entente cordiale and whatnot. Eradicating France to make the Angevin Empire a reality would not I think have increased French dominance in Europe, more eradicated it. Generally I agree the English kings should have been content with the lands of home and securing their throne and lands, rather than adventuring on the continent, but I suppose one has to have a hobby. I'm personally fine with controversy, exploration of interesting themes and very deep nuanced settings, these make a fun and great game for me.

Well that's kinda the whole point, isn't it. You can't have total historical accuracy in an RPG because if you do, the sheer dreary *dullness* will overpower its main purpose: Which is to be a Role playing game; to be fun to play. And I think that's the main reason why having a game set in a feudal setting, and then taking the details of such a setting all the way to 100% - where you have to implement complete gender inequality in virtually all aspects of the game's systems, from the Story, to the quest lines, to the NPC interactions, to the visuals, and even to the player character generation screen choices... will end up being a very unappealing 'game' to even the fringe of the gaming masses.... even if it does end up being more 'interesting' than sitting in class and simply listening to the professor giving a standard lecture on the subject. Just so long as we are not cherry picking certain aspects to sweep under the rug for the sake of political correctness (i.e. lying) then yes I agree, the main point of a game is to have fun. The internal consistency of a game may mean that it has to deal with a thorny subject or two however, meaning part of the fun is in embracing that setting and dealing with the subject in a more mature manner. For instance if we have a sexist feudal society where the good book states that woman is evil and the mother of sin, let the protagonist be a woman and fight such a role, or have npcs who show how ridiculous such generalisation is through their every action. There is plenty of inspiration, Eleanor of Aquitaine is a quite good example of a power player, independent minded, clever and a very real force in politics and the world. Joan of Arc, though never having fought in a battle or killed a man, served as a rallying cry for the French when it looked like we English had finally come close to ending their tyrannous reign as the European superstate. There are plenty more examples in history, not to mention other cultures where womens roles though strictly defined meant that they were honoured and had power over certain aspects, for instance the Old Norse believed that a woman ruled the home, could divorce her husband if unsatisfied and could lead the house if her husband died. However i'm rather against making a modern day setting with a slight renaissance fayre flavour such as Bioware favours, with no seperate cultures, no downsides, no oppression or any other detail. If one has allready achieved a perfect society, with no problems or issues then what is the point of adventuring. If one deals with no thorny subjects then what of combat as a feature, thievery, grave robbing and all the elements that make up the game. Personally as I see it, deal with any issue, but deal with it in a nuanced, intelligent and mature manner. In the case of female npcs do not have idle, unmotivated, incompetent, idiots who cannot even dress themselves appropriately for the weather or combat, and come and go slavishly at the protagonists bidding for years at a time for no reason whatsoever. Instead have self motivated women who take control of their own lives, are integral to the plot, are clever and potent, and pursue their own agenda with or without the protagonists help. This is only my own humble opinion however, respectfully presented, and personally I would prefer that everything were presented subtly. Less preaching and obvious moralising, more raising questions for ones audience to answer as they see fit, after all we are all intelligent grown ups to be respected, not talked down to.

Personally I regard buying the game in a similar manner as any other transaction, sure we get a little more feedback and a chance to contribute somewhat, but I want Obsidian's vision not mine as their previous games have been very much to my liking. Once I have the game I don't expect Obsidian to ask how i'm playing or intrude upon my personal time, similarly I don't want to know what Obsidian does with the monies i've paid for the game, that's none of my business. They're a company and they're entitled to make a profit for their work, if one doesn't agree, then one is free to wait until Poe is released through the normal channels, Steam, GOG or what have you.

Yes, this is one of the few examples of dlc that I think was done right. They each add to the base game, the level cap ecetera and are by themselves amazing additions to the game. Each very different but of the utmost quality one can wring from the engine, and explore interesting themes and locations. Worth the money, no doubt in my mind, especially in comparison to most dlc.

Suffer not the promancer to talk, else his squeeing echo. Suffer not the promancer to see, lest he lay his diseased gaze on a goodly woman. Suffer not the promancer to touch, for he is debased and diseased. Suffer not the promancer to hear, for all he shall hear is scorn. Suffer not the promancer to taste, do not nourish evil. Suffer not the promancer to live, else his deviancy spread.

It's worse when your Mastiff is lying across your feet and looks up at you quizzically when the wolves are yipping and crying in death, I feel like such a bounder. That said the game does have these wolves behaving unnaturally because of the monster that is present in the forest, a Lyshee or somesuch?

I thought Mr Adler was the native American chap off Star Trek: Voyager before Mr Joe introduced him, quite a resemblance.

Or simply make the protagonist an Inquisitor, with the party being his Dark Heresy team, it would be quite interesting to examine and use his psychic abilities, the temptations of the Warp, the presence of the Astronomicon and whatnot.

It really does cry out for a computer roleplaying game in my opinion, one where choice and consequence are prioritised, because with the grimdark and horrific nature of the everyday 40k galaxy, choices would be brutal and unforgiving. In point of fact I could see most players falling to chaos, because they could not maintain the necessary detachment and belief that are required to execute imperial justice.

For: 1. Souls - The emphasis on Souls, their nature and potency is a simple but very effective method of explaining many plot points, grounding the setting in its own consistency and prompting further exploration. A very good idea to expand upon in my own humble opinion. 2. Culture - Setting the differing races and species into more organic cultures, rather than the hackneyed racial roles we have seen so many times, is a very fertile source of interesting situations and differences. It also has a nice smack of realism about it that most fantasy worlds lack to their detriment, after all the fantastic cannot bloom without a thorough grounding in the mundane. 3. Species - Having the Dwarves, Elves and OohMama's being seperate sapient species, with their own racial divisions is an interesting take on these cliche'd creatures. Usually they function as barely disguised human archetypes that in my opinion are not really needed or add anything to a setting that races of humanity cannot. However their obvious seperation from humanity, and how they came to integrate into largely human cultures raises interesting questions to explore and expand upon, which I personally look forward to. 4. Animancy - In a world where Souls exist as an absolute and somewhat manipulatable entity then it makes sense that we find individuals trying to examine, catalogue and unlock their secrets. It bears striking parallels to the work of Alchemists such as Dee whom sought to understand and become closer to God, through the acting of purifying base materials, and thus making them closer to Him. There is such inherent possibility, promise and potential in this aspect especially in a world that is moving forward into what seems to be a renaissance. 5. No romances - If only other developers could stand firm and simply get rid of this sickening feature, and ignore the people who clamour for it, we would have far more interesting, well developed and authentic characters. Characters who do not need the protagonists attentions to fix them, do not roll over and open their legs after a few correct dialogue choices, consider friendship and familiarity more important than flirting and most of all actually have something to say and do outside of their romance arc. Against: 1. Rogues - I still have issues with their nomenclature, I would simply rename them to more effectively match their use as the superior Fighters of the group. Assassin, Weaponmaster, Killer etcetera. 2. Durability - Really enjoyed this as an aspect of preparation in for instance Betrayal at Krondor, and the suggested Durability system sounded very fine to me. A pity it's gone. 3. Combat Animations - Not really a gripe but more of a wish, playing such games as Severance, Revenant and Sacred I quite like the wide variety of combat maneouvres and finishers, they add a certain something to the melee. Hope they're in a future installment of Poe, but not at the expense of the more important features, that Mr Sawyer rightfully prioritises. 4. Attributes - I'm not quite sure what they are or represent, I can go by the results and what they give me but I would still like some more clarity as these are the building blocks with which we will interact with the world of Poe. 5. Elves - Obviously. Edit: Indeed Scooby Doo was much better.