Elerond

I would say that in full game Awareness is attribute that you need at least for some characters, because it boost your combat initiative and hight initiative characters get more turn, like for example character with Awareness 10 has twice as many combat turns than character with awareness 2 has. Character with awareness 10 also most likely acts first in combat. Although speed is valid option for awareness, even though it don't give you as much initiative points as awareness it gives you action points, giving characters ability to do more in their turn. Intelligence is also quite important attribute, because higher intelligence character's get more skill points and action points in following degree intelligence 1-3 (2 skill points per level, int 1 causes 1 ap) intelligence 4-7 (3 skill points per level, int 6 gives additional 1 ap) intelligence 8-9 (4 skill points per level), intelligence 10 (5 skill points per level and additional 1 ap), and with higher intelligence you can read higher level skill books meaning that skill difference will be even bigger. Coordination is ok ability for character with ranged weapons as it gives you most AP/per attribute point spent and every attribute point gives character +1% to hit (which isn't that great when one level in weapon skill gives character 25-35% depending on weapon for the first skill level (2 skill points) and then 4-10% for per additional skill level, maxing skill takes 44 skill points) Strength is valid option to character in at least some degree as it gives health, carry capacity and melee characters and action points in same rate as intelligence. For melee character it is recommended as it also gives melee critical hit damage bonus. Charisma is good for leader character it gives radius bonus to leadership skill and xp bonus, but other characters it seems to be attribute that you can dumb down as -10 % to xp (dumbing from 3 to 1) rewards don't seem to have too much negative impact in xp gain. Luck is quite random attribute, it can be very effective or absolute waste. So I would only recommend if you find enjoyment from unpredictability. Dumbing it down isn't dangerous, but it removes your change get random benefits that can be very good.

First ending found after 11 hours of playing, although ending was bit tragic and works as example why you should not let new recruits ever wander around military base without escort

Steam beta key is full game key

Producing quality critique is quite difficult and time consuming job, especially when you want articulate things clearly but not too simplistic way. I know that I am don't have needed talents currently and my point of view towards games is probably too close to produce wide social commentary about them. Which is why I revere people that can do such critique. I also would point that I don't want to silence Sarkeesian or any other critic/person, but I think that she probably gets more attention for her arguments than what their merit is, although I admit that Sarkeesian is quite lone flag bearer when it comes to feminist/gender based critique towards video games, which I feel is problem and one of the reasons for current situation, as it rises one point of the view to be too dominant.

As for Sarkeesian's popularity... for all the screaming and flailing and dismissiveness of her detractors, she does have a point. A point she often doesn't manage to get across, but there are limits to what you can expect from liberal arts majors, after all. Sarkeesian used exact same format that she uses in Tropes vs. Women in video games video series in her previous Tropes vs. Women in Movies series, meaning that she picks trope and then picks movies/games/whatever that in her opinion uses that trope and but sometimes in middle quotes from social studies and finishes with jokes how Hollywood writers/game developers should stop using such tropes and treat women as human begins and that is all that she does (although in her newer videos about games she has started to put disclaimer in that criticizing thing that you like don't mean that you hate it or something like that). Her tropes vs. women in movies wasn't popular series before her Kickstarter for tropes vs. women in games series, which got her popularity not because people suddenly understood her brilliance, but because she and her campaign got attacked for some reason by group of people that did it in very public and toxic way that she become headline not only in gaming news but also in many major regular news sites, which caused people to support her regardless what she was representing. And after getting that initial popularity she has succeed to keep hold on it, which gives her much greater value as critic that I would give her. So in end of the day she has loud voice in gaming critic because of her loudest opposition and their behavior not because of quality of her arguments or her supporters. And I am not any more sure that she could lose her place in spotlight anytime soon even if her opposition stops using idiotic tactics.

Rather marginal indeed. Assuming all classes/characters are more or less equally useful, removing one party member makes the party weaker by 1/6. So I believe that 1/6 of 100% would be more appropriate; ~15% bonus xp per empty party slot. 15% is not even close to the split-XP method in IE games, but has some impact, unlike 5%. We probably should also take account also factor that character's that aren't in your party earn experience by doing activities in your stronghold, that benefit you (at least I think this is the case), unlike in IE games where characters that weren't in your party didn't earn experience and couldn't do anything that benefits you.

I most certainly never said that "all other crpgs" do this. Further, as I explained to Gromnir, you never asked for my reason for wanting this. You asked the point of the thread. If you wanted to know former, than that's what you should have asked. I went ahead and answered the question you actually asked. http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/68606-2-rings-an-amulet-and-a-cloak/?do=findComment&comment=1511166 I would say that this is implies that every other CRPG do this in such degree that exceptions only verify the rule if my asking point of this thread don't mean that I ask why people want or not want thing that thread is made for. I know that your utterance was hyperbole, and so was mine, but I also would say that your hyperbole gives misconception about rpgs and crpgs, as I would say that majority of non-d&d crpgs don't use two rings, an amulet and a cloak item slot system as such. I would also say that you didn't answer to my question with any meaningful way, as I asked "Is this thread point that there should be one item slot more for characters in PoE?", which means that are people in this thread arguing that there should be more item slots in PoE or do you them want to change one existing item slots that aren't ones mentioned in the topic to those that are mentioned in the topic or do people want to remove armor, arms and boots item slots and only to have those item slots mentioned in the topic. Your answer "The point of the thread is that each party member should be able to equip 2 rings, an amulet and a cloak." to my question didn't give me any specifics on what you want which is why I asked my question again this time phrased differently so that it would rise more specific answer as it did. And then you started for some reason to insinuate that I have done something wrong and insult me.

That is true only partially. As in case of PoE such slot would not bring additional items that character could wear, but instead it will remove need to choose between good cloak and amulet. It would also mean that characters could two such items that are designed with mind set that characters will only wield one of them at the time, meaning that amulet-cloak combinations would become much more effective in the game than what they currently are or they get balance nerf meaning that player has to wear both amulet and cloak to get same effects that they currently get, meaning singular items become less meaning full or that every item in the game will be nerfed so that balance between items will be on same level as it is now, but also meaning that items in game will have less effect on characters overall performance.

As both games have their soundtrack composed by Mark Morgan and T:ToN at least tries to be spiritual successor for the PS:T, I wouldn't be too surprised if Morgan has used/will use some of his tracks from PS:T in some way in T:ToN.

I've already explained the point of the thread as clearly as possible. I'll leave the balancing to OE. I asked point of thread because you don't actually give any rational point for it in whole thread, closest one that I find is that you feel that two rings, an amulet and a cloak is something that all other crpgs do (which is not true), which is why asked is reason behind this thread actually that you want more magic items and then I made additional question to remind people that adding more magic items for characters influences games balance and tried to inquire what kind balance changes people would prefer if characters in PoE would get more item slots. I also would point out that any of my questions, excluding one which I asked you specify that you want more item slots for the characters, weren't directed to you but anybody that reads this topic especially for those that seem to think that it is something that PoE should include. For me whole point in this thread is item balance that seems to be different from what it was in IE games and so people are asking Obsidian to change PoE's item balance to be similar than what it was in IE games, which is why it is important that people tell do they feel that amulets and cloaks are underpowered or overpowered in PoE, so that Obsidian can adjust item balance to right direction. I don't actually care one way or another, which is why I would recommend Obsidian to take easiest and fastest road and focus on other aspects of the game.

A bomb threat would go beyond the interests of Anita and become a public interest. AKA not only would the threat be taken seriously with police watching it, but her neighbors and community would be alerted aswell. No one in their right mind would privately handle a volatile weapon like a bomb without alerting anyone within a radius potentially vulnerable to it. The town I live in Germany got BOMBED TO SH** in WWII. They STILL find old bombs and everyone gets evacuated. An entire quarter of town gets sealed off, it goes all over the news and the police go door to door ringing doorbells and evacuating people. I highly doubt that Anita's neighbors wouldn't be warned, ESPECIALLY if she lives in a condensed area with lots of apartment buildings like San Francisco. Only bomb threat that I have read is against Game Developers Choice Awards, because they nominated Anita as receiver of Ambassador Award, according to Kotaku's editor Stephen Totilo, bomb threat is confirmed by GDCA organizers and SFPD, and that SFDP's Explosive Ordinance Disposal Division sent unit to check Moscone Center, where GDC was held and that GDC organizer hired additional security to conduct bag checks. http://www.kotaku.com.au/2014/09/bomb-threat-targeted-anita-sarkeesian-gaming-awards-last-march/

Is point to also make cloaks and amulets less powerful or rise maximum total power level of items that characters can carry?

They already can, as you can equip an amulet or a cloak in neck slot, so I take that you mean that you want one equipment slot more, for all the party members.

Is this thread point that there should be one item slot more for characters in PoE?

I disagree. BG Exploration = SPACE TO EXPLORE Not monsters every 5 metres and really limited navmesh/corridor style wilderness areas Luckily Stormwall Gorge "feels" a little bit more BG, but Dyrford Crossing is a VERY IWD style area. I meant that there need to be encounters or some other interesting content in the maps that aren't tied to quests/tasks outside of that encounter/content, to make exploration feel worth while thing, as completely empty maps or railroad maps aren't very interesting to explore. As in former case there are little if any excitement in exploring map and latter one there aren't much of exploring to do as you are on set path that you can't depart at least in any meaningful way. I didn't offer any opinion how dense that content should be or has Obsidian succeeded with their content in beta, but that I think content and encounters that aren't part of larger quests and tasks is something that Obsidian should aim and what I think they already are aiming towards.

Swedish light cavalry (sometimes referred as Hakkapeliittas, because of battle cry that their Finnish speaking majority used) used in Thirty Years' War (1618 to 1648) were armed with two pistols, sword and leather or metal cuirass. Tactic that they used was to ride close to enemy infantry or cavalry line and shoot with both pistols and then charge in melee with their sword, which differentiated their tactic from typical light cavalry tactic (caracole) as typically light cavalry would ride back to reload their pistols and letting heavy cavalry do the charging towards enemy. Swedish tactics prove to be effective especially as part of three branch (artillery, infantry, cavalry) joint tactics, where cavalry's task was to disturb enemy's infantry and block enemy's calvary to disturb Swedish infantry, which Swedish cavalry was good as it didn't need rely on another cavalry regiment to take care of melee. This tidbit information is to add notion that brace of pistols and sword style isn't pirate origin but something that they adopted from militaries.

If you read kickstarter page it says they want combat have same intensity that IWD has, but they want take exploration from BG, which means that trash encounters are more than likely, as exploration in BG style needs maps to have encounters to give feeling of danger which makes exploration feel more interesting. And tying these encounters to quest or task has high change to make maps railroading player which would remove that exploration aspect from the game.

I think reasons for limited always accessible inventory were strategic in nature, and limiting ability to change equipments in fight had tactical purpose. And reason for current version of inventory screen was that people asked ability to put items for certain characters. I would also guess that number of inventory slots that we have currently isn't meant to be final but instead limit inventory so that beta testers need to but items in stash so that its mechanics will be also tested in beta, even though beta has limited number items (or would have with out duplication bugs).

This isn't actually in case in PoE, but give player ability to handle task/quest/whatever village idiot sends you in way that player wants to handle it, which fighting seems to be somewhat default option at least in quest that you can find in beta. I would also like to point out that beta currently locks out some of the options to handle those tasks/quests that can already found from game's files or even changes quests/tasks to alternate more limited version of said quests/tasks from those version that can be found from game's files. The issue of annoying and unrewarding trash mob encounters remains, though. It's cool that you can talk your way out of plot-point fights. But I'd be very surprised if avoiding combat were as easy as their design intends it to be. It's like, they know it's a tactical fantasy RPG, so they put a lot of enemies in it. But then they go and say that striking out to fight said enemies is degenerate and goes against role-playing. If you want fighting to be a special thing for murder-oriented players, then ****ing design it as such rather than dump all these stupid beetles on us. There are so many other ways to make areas interesting, like encountering NPCs. Do *I* want that? Hell no, I like the combat-heavy nature of the genre; at heart these games were, for me, excercises in tactics, reward through winning battles, with a lot of backstory and flavor. Every title it's paying homage to was that way. Even Planescape: Torment awarded experience for combat--and that game is considered high role-playing art. Trash encounter design in beta isn't as good as it could, but area in beta is area that Obsidian has used from their first prototype of the game and they have cut content out of it so that it would spoil as little as possible rest of the game. I think that in game like PoE trash encounter should have reason why the exist, meaning that there should be indicators in map why any particular group of monsters/npcs are in the map and that particular place on the map. I also think that combat should be interesting and enjoyable by its own merits not because of the rewards player gets from it. I would also say that it is better if player is given non-meta game reason (hidden treasure, experience points, etc.) to fight enemies that isn't that player is railroaded from one combat to another without giving option to use inventiveness to go around encounter I think that their design philosophy about avoiding combat is that it possible in most cases but consequences from avoiding fight wouldn't necessary be what player wants in many cases. So even though avoiding combat with speaking may first seem to be easy option in long run it can cause problems with way you want your character develop (in story wise) and how world will develop (in story wise). PS:T is one of the my favorite games and I think it is one of the best RPGs that is ever made, but combat encounter design in PS:T is weakest part of the game and I would even say that it is weak even compared to games with bad combat design and for me it seems that it got quite little love from designers, which is why I think is probably reason why they didn't do anything more innovative than copy system from previous IE games, to me it looks that combat is in the said game because there has to be combat in crpgs. Which is why I would not use it as example what kind of design game should use for its combat or experience gained from combat.

He-Man's universe stereotypes every one, except maybe wizards. P.S. For full disclosure I like both He-Man and She-Ra when I was younger and they come from television and one could buy their action figures from shop (at least He-Man action figures, She-Ra ones I haven't seen in Finnish shops)

This isn't actually in case in PoE, but give player ability to handle task/quest/whatever village idiot sends you in way that player wants to handle it, which fighting seems to be somewhat default option at least in quest that you can find in beta. I would also like to point out that beta currently locks out some of the options to handle those tasks/quests that can already found from game's files or even changes quests/tasks to alternate more limited version of said quests/tasks from those version that can be found from game's files.

Don't joke but that's exactly what Volo believes, he has said several times that a true believer in gender equality would support full contact sport between male and female sports teams There is nothing wrong in full contact sports between men and women if both parties somewhat equally matched. But because of lots of reasons there is much less women that practice full contact sports at total which also means that there are less women on such level that they could compete against highest level men in said sports from equal play field. Of course there is also sports that favor physiology of one gender over other, because their rules are created so that they take account only typical male or female physiology, which cause people from gender that sport was not crafted be in disadvantage from start, which usually means that they need to be on higher skill level to beat member from the gender that sport was crafted for, which usually means that it's very unlikely that they could succeed on highest level competitions. Equality is not direct motivation behind women's series in sports, but get women interested in the sports, so that there is more people that practice sport and therefore there is more people that will buy sports gear, more sports events where people buy tickets, more members in sports organizations so that they can hold more political and economical power and so on. If women's series rises enough women (or men in women dominated sports) in level that they can compete on some what equal play field with men then even better as it will most likely increase popularity of highest level series in that sport. This also reason why sports where there is clear advantages from some physiological attributes have for example weight classes, meaning that it makes possible pool of people that compete in high skill level events of that sport higher by giving people with physical disadvantage, because of of rules of that particular sport, their own competition. So in one hand I support mixed gender contact sports, where in other hand I understand why such things are at least currently quite rare things especially in highest skill level sport events.

Historical European martial arts (HEMA) has been somewhat popular sport in at least in Europe for couple decades.

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/socialism

2.5 billion for Mojang makes more sense in my mind than 2.1 billion what SoftBank and GungHo paid for half of the Supercell (creator and developer of Clash of Clans). Even though numbers for both companies tell that acquisition prices for both companies are actually quite fair and reasonable, but still it is hard to comprehend such prices for what one could call one trick ponies.