Tauron

Some of OP can well expand and add depth on previous, pretty stale mechanics that were in infinity engine games. Tempels in BG series felt more like glorified shops. I am just not sure about your take on "higher entities". I feel you have certain arrogance going on about it. Here is a scene from Babylon 5 to sum how I usually feel about these entities, whatever franchise tends to call them, aliens, gods, demons, angeles, fairies etc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLZW8Deq8vE. Loved that show, G'Kar and ants analogy is pretty awsome.

wiz with some pictures...showing of some spell effects and how hostile NPC react on certain spells effects, animation and numbers behind the scene if you get me.

I killed that guy. It was one of few times in games whn playing evil guy, really felt good and rewarding. God bless tutu and desintegrate spell. Petrify is nice too.

Lets shift from worry to hope...I never rationally assumed this would be uber rememberable over 100h game. (Truth be told there is that tiny spark of irrational exaggerated imagination...ohh the nostalgia or whatever) It is acually possibility to build upon this game. Future installments. If PoE acually becomes somewhat of success among coming tripple A RPG titles, who knows, maybe Osidian might get tripple A funding and we get uber rememberable 100-200h campain hehe.

Maybe it doesnt have to be issue, it really depends on game mechanics. Imo whatever we do, we trade something for other. We might not always be aware what other is, but it is.You can be warrior and put lot in your strength(this can reflect training or hard life conditions), but your phisical strength diminishes if your neglect your traning or by simple not doing same amount of workload for extended time. Also, if someone focus on pure strength and does 200kg in bench, doesnt mean he has endurance to run for extended period of time, this isnt case for all but is considered generall rule. So lets say I want to shift my characters focus, either its personal rp wise or simply gamewise and i dont want to wait next 5 lvls to stack other attributes. Lets say I want to increase int for some reason...if I have been sitting in library evry day, focusing on learning, eating, drinking...being educated slob for some period, physical attributes ARE going to be lost. So I was just having that in mind, that lets say we have a tutor ingame, someone who can train you or coach you if you will in certain direction. We doesnt have to rest all our stats, while there might be mods later prob. I think such option ingame is valid (realistic, dare i say). I am not saying..oh i have gold, let buy me some int or constitution. But in light of what i mentioned, make appealing trade off that makes sense. I keep in mind that I dont really know how stats and diff points will effect our character.

While you guys enter world of retoric and semantics about diff char stats, and how might this affect that, becouse why is what, or vice versa... I was wondering if we will have opportunity to reset our stats? If not completly reset, but be able to go back in time and change them around somewhat or sacrifice some for the other?

That ancient ruin...beautifull. Looks very good. Fan of UI, wooden frame and old paper, ahh we going back to the roots indeed. It may be alpha, but imo it is developing nicely. I think it is cool how your artists manage keep it so close to concept art whn making 3D modells based on it. Imo banshee is a wraith,ghost, a creature betwean worlds, belonging neither here nor there yet...maybe should be bit more translucent? Keep it good...next phase give us spell info and effects so we can rant about it.

tease us obsidian, tease us! ...you ****!

voted..for whatever its worth

I would not go so far andsee it as anti thesis, like in Arcanum, (it never really made sense in arcanum..it was good idea tho, just wasnt executed right imo) as magic in thise world appear pretty much on equall footing with tech-science...it is easily observable, measured a science branch in its own right. Tech could be used to make it even more sophisticated, (soul forge comes to mind from previews) I find idea of techo-mage super fun. That saying, enchanted guns make a lot of sense. Having gun that casts fireballs is basically a wand. But enchantment that keeps it from over heating too soon or breaking or making it more lighter or just adding + THAT damage depending on enchantment. Yeah, makes sense imo, I dont see why it would not? PS! As for further antithesis argument, the only antithesis beyond some silly never really defind reason for tech negating magic or vica-versa...it is needed for major world defining plot to make sense why magic is declining...blæeh! IMO It could be more of a threat in its easy accessibility and wielding. To use analogy from real world, whn Pope Innocent banned use of crossbow in christian world. What horrible weapon is that anyone can pick up and kill a KNIGHT, even negating armor. Any peasant can pick it up and aim. A knight, medieval elite noble soldiers takes years and years of training. I think this can be translated to mages or any other magic 'wielding' individuals. While they can have power equalent to napalm bomb in their fingertips...beyond some gifted individuals, it takes years and years of discipline, practice and prob lifetime to master, if at all. The biggest thing mages can fear in PoE imo is that they are being less feared or respected for their respected field of practice or simply competition just got fiercer. And depending on field of science, it can be replacing role of magicians worldwide pretty fast. I could be making many exemp but wont hi-jack this thread for it. Just why I think that magic doesnt have to be some form of antithesis, but can evolve to be rather complementary than extinct. Think of shadowrun cyberpunk world. PoE world could be easily evolving to that future, at least I hope so...not another Arcanum where it is either this or that.

I liked comment from a guy on youtube "In soviet russia, party gathers you" hehe

Mages would be ridiculously powerfull (put those of second edition to shame). Walking Avatars of whatever binds universe and reality together. Also no intelligence required, more of a sorcerous thingie with ability to choooooseeee spells at ready!!!. Becouse whats intellingence got to do, got to do...with it! There is no such thing as balance. Mages rule. All other setient beings, bipedal or not with intelligence higher than your avarage animal or human recognise this as a natural order of things. Finally there is no such thing as balance!

So...will Obsidan Order be present in the game somehow?

I have mixed feelings about this. If lvls are somehow connected to the story it makes sense coming back and really how many adventures one had to put aside becouse one wasnt powerfull enough. IN BG 2 I had to go back and kill Firkraag after underdark. I just dont want mine character to die 10 times before I realise I should come back.

Wiz probably if magic is to my liking, too many disappointments before, but will have to read some lore of the world before i make backstory of the character. I tend to play some cliches...a power hungry wiz...screw laws, social conventions...whats that whn you have walked betwean planes of existance...what matters is acquisition of power to transcend the limits of flesh...and than through beyond... (btw, before ascending, crew stronghold, give us WIZ TOWER obsidian!) Some kind of fighter class, merc...think he has seen it all, knows it all...turns out he doesnt orrrrrr his psycosis is just that severe that he DOES...road to hell is filled with good itentions. Cipher...becoue lets face it...medieval JEDI! (orrrr SITH ) Cleric/Paladin...there is no such thing as freedom, only percived lies of weak and delusioned minds, whos souls are too numb to comprehend, nay...to accept the Truth...divine order is present evrywhere and True Path rewards with clarity and those who belive shall be devoid of fear, doubt and success shall be reward, as in this, so in next life...flesh is corrupt but soul remebers. Hmmm...I always get carried away, have certain idea how character is supposed to be or behave, but usually during the story that changes or world setting just doesnt allows my character grow how I initially wanted. So it depends on the world setting, lore and viable options through out the game.

I think some form of durability should be implemented. It would be cool if it would be shown as visible feature. Maybe gritter, dirtier look on gear. If you have been questing through mountains and forrests it shows. But it doesnt have to be shown like on player except like dirt or something like that. Having it in dialogue as well. Depending on your gear you might be excluded from certain places. Also I like idea that you have to take care of your stuff, becouse I feel it makes sense. I am not sure how or how much it needs to be portrayed tho. It doesnt have to be shown in % ...but depends your characters skill and some "common sense" int and wisdom i guess. Evryone can see whn iron is rusty or like worn out somewhat, few can determine how much it being 'worn out' affects it overall use.

I like pillars of eternity, maybe becouse one of few english frases that whn littaraly translated sound good in my language...Project Eternity sounds like some military-science top secret, cover up x-files tingie.

It remains to be seen. I hope I am wrong. If I am right, I dont think abomination of horned, toad faced trolls will ruin my overall ingame experience. I hated xvarts, but still love BG. Some ingame lore might be good. Fun idea...devs posting some concept art or finalised models backed by relevant ingame lore. Maybe Trolls get on that list. Until I know more, I stand by what I have posted...based on what I have seen, backed by past experience etc.

Your dissection of "expectation" or what you assume that I meant by it without understanding the context that *I* used it in is flawed. For the context, as mentioned previously I would direct you to some of the threads about armor and weapons design that i mentioned and why I argue design and it possible implications. You on other hand without understanding what I am refering to enter realm of useless semantics. Going around was always faster. "Familiar"...I was being littlebit ironic. Lephys discussed some time that established lore is not good argument to be used against current design. His opinion/arguments there is not really right or bad design according to lore (mostly for most fantasy beings) as he belives lore itself is vague and open for lot of artistic freedom. So it comes down to IMO arguments, yes? So again...CONTEXT to previous discussions. I thought you implied that Troll discussion is not much to speak of and that their implementation (current design) will not have lasting impression on player for troll encounter? Did I misunderstand? If so, sorry. If not, I still disagree. Imo it depends on the player, true?

I never felt there was much appeal for tech vs magic world setting...it didnt make much sense. But it was one of those things it just that way in this world. Also I wanted to make techno mage. A mage that uses tech to amplify his "gifts" in certain manner or something, BOY WAS I WRONG!

I am not fan of aestethics of TRoll in WoW, but defenetly like idea that they can be basically troglodytes compared to what they were before. Sort of devolved. Which can be compared to original Troll folklore that they are descendant from giants and such, but some have gone like savage or feral in worst scenarios.

Not that I don't understand anyone not noticing them - because they're on-screen for all of about 1 second in a quick camera pan - but they are in the teaser trailer. Ah...that feeling....

So realistic date to expect beta would be sometimes in fall, late summer?

A wheel of time...never finished series, it just draaaaged tooo muuch and started to hate several characters. But if game is made, than it might be worth finishing the story :D

Ok, no worries good man. I had similar worry, mostly from design that IMO implies they might be "mindless" pack monsters...considering recent trend with several franchises and your Skyrim example was very good, cant agree more. More smart encounters in generall...