mayfaire

I done upped me pledge by eight pieces. ... O' eight. Bein' a savvy scallywag, I be thinkin' such a pledge be a most fortunate investment.

Aye, "Black Isle" also be directly referrin' to the bloodline of this very game series, not to be forgettin' that isles also be directly tied to the sea. Where we be sailin'. Although the legitimacy of me birth be not in question, "Black Isle Bastards" be gettin' me vote, ye scurvy dogs.

One of my suggestions in the original thread was "Raiders of the Obsidian Isle", as an homage (and my attempt to be [Clever]). Regardless of the piratical noun or format chosen, I do really like the sound of a Black Isle homage.

I'm selling these fine leather jackets. [Deceptive]

Thank you kindly! I can finally throw money at Obsidian and sleep soundly. At least until the money leaves my account at the end of the campaign.

I have a related question, which might sound stupid: You can increase/decrease your pledge once it's been accepted, right? So if I suddenly decide I actually really do need a 10" naked (?) green guy standing in my living room, I can increase to that tier? Or the reverse if I realise it's going to clash with the furniture? This is the only reason I haven't pledged yet. It haunts me at night.

DDPMOOER Has a beautiful ring to it.

I was a little disappointed to find out we'll be starting again at level 1, but I was also really excited to still be playing the Watcher. I miss the narrative continuation and consistency of playing the same character that's been stripped out for some other franchises (I'm looking at you, Dragon Age). That's what I truly adored about the Baldur's Gate series. Personally, character development in the traditional sense (i.e. the narrative sense) is far more important to me than keeping levels and gear, as I can get those back. I'd rather have a character who already has a place in the world and a connection to some of the people they're traveling with - it makes my character a part of the on-going narrative, rather than a clumsy player stand-in. I'm more upset (though unsurprised) about the presumed loss of the unmentioned companions. I'll miss you, Hiravias.

I have to admit, I ditched my cloak almost immediately. Kept tripping on the bloody thing. But piracy sounds like fun! The Obsidian Marauders? Raiders of the Obsidian Isle? The Obsidian Flag? *fades back into the shadows*

Lady sizes would be nice, though I'd just settle for a shirt that's not cut in a square. I'm looking at you, BG2 Collector's t-shirt.

I'm cancelling my pledge and giving it to Alweth. Make that game.

I like having good/evil/neutral/whatever options, but I hate having them tracked by the game. Gaining good/evil points tempts me to watch how many points I get rather than roleplaying my character. I also don't like feeling I've picked the "evil" option, when to my mind (or my character's) it wasn't "evil" at all. It'd be nice to not feel like I'm being punished for playing a neutral or borderline neutral character, too, unlike in games like Mass Effect and KotOR, where some skills or abilities are better depending on how nice or horrible you are. I'm not being indecisive, I'm roleplaying. Sometimes you just want to punch someone; doesn't mean you're always going to punch everyone. Or that you'd sell babies into slavery.

In for a penny, in for a pound; I'll gladly show extra support to Obsidian and the project. I've upped my pledge by $13 dollars. I'd like to be known as... Purseliberator of the Obsidian Order.

I think the key distinction should be "some timed quests" as opposed to "limited time game" (alá Fallout). If there are timed quests, that provides urgency, but you can still enjoy the game as a whole at your leisure. I do like the OP's haunted idea, though. Something like that, maybe slightly less dire, is a good way to remind the PC that they're involved and that they have something important they're supposed to be doing. Don't think that needs to be something with a time limit, though, just something that occurs across the game, perhaps escalating over time, but with a reasonable peak.

I'd like to see guns in the game just so it can prove to people that guns in fantasy doesn't mean steampunk. Yes, black powder changed the way battles are fought, but people didn't immediately stop using armour and swords. The invention of the longbow changed the way battles were fought, too, but it doesn't seem anyone's calling for their removal because it means no one can play a mounted knight (mostly because that's not what it means, but you could make a similar argument). When I first saw the concept art with guns I wasn't particularly enamoured, but if it helps the setting feel new and fresh I'm all for it.

Those are some great ideas! And I agree that character customisation (and not just of stats) is really important, even if the models/sprites are small. Helping shape a character's appearance is part of building that character and helps with player attachment. All items showing up on the character model would be nice, too. Well, within reason. Depending on the size of the model, or availabilty of art resources, I'd understand forgoing some items like gloves and boots. Still, one of my biggest disappointments in Arcanum was buying my first top hat, only to discover it didn't change my sprite. I'd also like to stress the importance of gear that looks great, so the shallower players (like myself) don't get punished. I remember hardly ever equipping helmets on my character in Baldur's Gate unless they had a really awesome enchantment, just because the majority of them looked ridiculous.

Multiplayer is by no means a must for an RPG, in my opinion. In fact, I tend to hide away to immerse myself in the epics. Still, the option would be great and if it could be done without removing anything from the singleplayer experience (i.e. story, characters, customisation), I'm all for it. Enjoying an epic RPG with your friends, like a great tabletop game, is awesome.