Ieo

Just so you know, OP did link to the original orchestral score post, and he was the one who started that too. Small/solo live with synthetic, plz!

I'd like to point out that this would be fully expected, and even encouraged, for a point-build character system. You should be able to build whatever type of character you want to play, while the game's point system balances out the various player options. It's just the archaic, class-based systems that make this behavior seem munchkin-ish. That being said, I'm not opposed to using class-based systems because they still provide 'color' and possess some nostalgia value. The class system also allows more replayability, especially for players without munchkin tendencies. Ultimately, a class is merely a template of skills. While I like the flexibility of a skill-based character construction, classes are easier to balance overall and do not require substantial foreknowledge to create (though maybe tweak). They're really a lower barrier to entry, besides of course catering to the classic IE expectations.

FFS, I can't believe I forgot about BG:EE. Unfortunately it doesn't support Linux, but maybe there are tricks to make the Mac OSX or Android version run. Then there's Wine. Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition (BG1+TotSC+additional content) However, I suggest to Rezin not to wait for that; specifically in the interest of preparing for Project Eternity during the KS campaign, then I'd suggest BG2 from GOG.com--you can figure out within the first few days whether or not it's your cup of tea. As an MMO player, I can only tell you that it's completely different, and if it's not your thing after all, you'd still have time to remove your pledge if you wish.

I am definitely not against at-will save/reload at all--I'm a habitual quick-saver myself. It's the reload that actually gives me pause. As strange as it might sound, I treat the two separately first and then as a whole: My at-will save is only insurance, and I like insurance. But I do not want to nor like to invoke my insurance, because something Not Good happened. As a whole, my preference for difficulty is--I have to pull out all the stops and maybe one or two party members die (I totally get the reload-until-no-on-dies bit too), assuming I can get them back somehow, but I squeak by without the reload insurance. "Difficulty" in general is a very hard thing to measure and balance; I imagine, in fact, that figuring out "normal" is going to be the hardest part for Obsidian. We already know there will be at least 5 difficulty modes with hopefully cherry-pick capability, though, so really I'm not all that worried that players will be able to play to their preferred fun difficulty.

Cool, those are cheaper anyhow. I'll check out one of them then. Having read all of them Drizzt books it'll probably be baldurs gate or Icewind. THanks I would recommend the Baldur's Gate series especially; it's kind of "in between" IWD and PS:T.

People draw different lines in the sand.

Dragon Age: Origins uses cooldowns and is an enjoyable CRPG despite some flaws. @Rezin: I recommend that you try Dragon Age: Origins (DA:O) if you haven't. It features a hybrid of MMORPG and classic party-based CRPG mechanics and concepts. I have some gripes with the game, but it's fun and overall worth playing. However, Dragon Age 2 (DA2) is awful. I'm going to check that out, it's on steam for 19 dollars. Thanks Um, if you're curious what Project Eternity is about, DO NOT play Dragon Age. You should play Baldur's Gate (and Icewind Dale and Planescape: Torment) from GOG.com.

Sawyer's post seems cogent here, though this question wasn't about save/reload specifically: I tend to view reloading, especially excessively, as shifting gameplay from the role-play aspect into true metagaming, so I'm in agreement with Josh's assessment that tactical error in the heat of battle is better than reload-knowledge. Rather than using save/reload as a measure of difficulty, imminent death with the possibility of escape seems to be a better option--for example, if you're just completely unprepared or half your party is down, I'd rather the survivors to be able to flee and regroup without doing a reload. If this means someone is left behind, that may make it more interesting too.

Either you are drunk, or it's way too early in the morning for you. (Or late at night, I dunno.) P.S.: I did like Imoen, although I think it's funny that she was added as such an afterthought to BG1. P.P.S.: Obsidian, please add fun selection VA. I loved constantly poking my people in BG1 for that reason. I know, I know....

Just dropping info. It's still under consideration. Update #12 - Reddit Q&A with Tim Cain Keep in mind all of that was before the classes and parent class descriptions were actually announced (Update 15). If someone can re-confirm it in a live KS Q&A with Feargus now, that'd be great. I highly doubt it's on the table anymore given the current knowledge of class implementation. Okay, that's way too granular and front-loaded for multi-classing the way I like it. :/ MC should be take 2-3 classes, mush them, overlap weaknesses along with the strengths with slower in-game development.

A couple of my friends who've actually read The Dying Earth by Vance explained that the D&D implementation isn't entirely accurate in the abstract sense: Magic is "living" in the books, and when the caster learns a spell, it "lives" in the brain; upon casting it, the spell is "released" into the world, thus leaving the caster's head. So it's not exactly memorizing/forgetting, but in practical application, that's what it looks like (because knowing something and forgetting instantly seems really weird to me).

I'm only familiar with 2ed, so your first statement makes me laugh. Min-max as I know it is about pure specialization (vertical), never about hybridizing across competencies (horizontal). Unless we're using different meanings. While I'm a hybridizer whenever possible, it sounds like the great flexibility within the classes proposed by Obsidian fits my need to customize horizontally. I don't believe we need the added mechanical complexity and dev work to make multi-class at this point.

Did Obsidian confirm that there will be multi-classing? If not, then I'll just repeat myself from another thread:

I'm rather "meh whatever" about it. If the in-game pet was a code or something, I'd just give it away to someone who really wants something with no in-game plot/story/combat value. Hold up there. Apples and oranges. A cosmetic pet with no redeeming in-game value* is absolutely not the same as plot/story/combat content. The former is more like "get a free sticker with this lotion" while the latter is "get 25% more lotion for the same price!" *(It had better not, Obsidian, so don't make me look the fool.)

To me, that just looks like twisty vines, no knotting at all. It is somewhat evocative of the ouroboros snake's scales, in a fashion. I don't dislike the new logo, it does look really nice. I was just hoping to get the ouroboros on my t-shirt. I like vines too. A combination of ouroboros inside the ring with the sun spikies wouldn't be bad either--to be honest, I didn't like the first logo because the serpent's mouth isn't open wide enough to consume the body. Small detail, yes, but that really bothered me.

Heh. One thing about the old IE combat was that it relies mostly on auto-attack. Physical combat skills are limited until much higher level (BG2) when you got better class skills, and then those skills are limited per-day the same way D&D Vancian spells are. Casters--they are crap with physical attacks and can only "memorize" a certain number of spells to pop, and once they're out, they are useless because they basically have no auto-attack at all; casters have to rest for 8 in-game hours to "recharge" those spells. Obsidian's implementation seeks to balance the playing field for classes in terms of that auto-attack and to tweak the "rest spam" issue. In short-cooldown combat found in MMOs, combat is completely skill-based, meaning you're not going to get very far with only auto-attack--thus, skills need to be on a much faster cooldown, and casters would be very unpopular class choices if their spells weren't on cd the exact same way physical combat class skills are. There is no pause in MMOs and no concept of "rest" due to the living shared server environment; you can only control one toon at any given time (except for multiboxing). Keep in mind that because storyline and lore are quite weak in MMOs, much attention is given to keeping combat engaging with animations and such. MMOs are basically about--socializing and combat. Anything else is fluff (but oh do I like the fluff). Not all cooldowns are created equal. In an MMO I play, I have at least a couple important skills with cooldowns between 30-60 minutes, and all consumables have cooldowns ranging from 30 seconds (e.g. poison cure) and 120 seconds (e.g. healing potions) to an hour or so for buffs. About DA:O..... the short cooldowns were completely unnecessary because pause exists. Auto-attack should be fine--but auto-attack doesn't look cool, and that's a symptom related to 3D zoom environments because those kinds of players want to look cool while doing stuff (wtf, retarded finishing moves). Thus, skill-based combat on short cooldowns. But there were many other problems with DA:O, and mere implementation of cooldowns wasn't the deciding factor, IMO. If Bioware gave more stress to auto-attack and placed the skills on much longer cooldowns, it'd be less MMO-ey. (Frankly, the "quest bangs" or exclamation points floating above quest NPCs pissed me off to no end--talk about hand-holding, OMG. Stupid complete voice-acting.) Project Eternity's proposed implementation is different enough from both to be interesting, IMO, and difficulty modes can easily adjust or turn off certain things.

The Celtic-style snake-like pattern in the center ring is supposed to be a representation of the ouroboros, I think. I suppose it could be called out more in contrast or something, but I do like the new semi-logo sun-like spikies--it's going to have to apply to the actual game title, that is, and I don't think "Project Eternity" should be it. "Ecnisse" sounds nice.

The implementation is the same. The divisiveness is because cooldowns are associated with a totally different type of combat style----not a tactical overhead type like party-based isometric single-player, but one of twitchy reactions and little forethought, stuff like that. Read the cooldown threads (including the closed ones) to get a better idea of what the divide really is about. There are arguments on all sides, of course.

I really liked the hidden 'unexplored' areas of the old school Baldur's Gate 1 map. I remember feeling very excited having stumbled upon a previously unexplored corner and being zapped to stone... (I was way under-level or something.) While the given areas in the BG2 map were pretty large, it lost that "free exploration but not truly free-roam" feel because the map was streamlined to follow the story---now, to be fair, I think the inclusion of all the optional areas in BG1's map confused people or something because it was easy to stray away from the main storyline, which is probably why they did BG2's map the way they did. Still miss it, though.

Reference: Matt Chat video interview with Sawyer, with transcript in that thread.

Part 2 transcript:

Wow. I kinda feel immortalized now. Can't change the avatar. Here is part 1 transcript of the particular section I think most would be interested in, courtesy of mine typing:

Obsidian has not officially said either way on the physical media...

The main difference is "full orchestra" versus small ensemble or solo--Justin Bell indicated the former is usually prohibitively expensive, so I wouldn't want that either, then himself suggested that small ensembles would work as well and be a lot cheaper. I could see it worked into an existing stretch goal, but I imagine most players don't put this at a high priority.

Josh already confirmed that the graphics will be 3D pre-rendered hand-painted backgrounds with 3D sprites and some 3D objects (like ToEE), and the Known information thread indicates that the camera is isometric static but might be zoomable (can't be moved otherwise).