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Jarmo

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Everything posted by Jarmo

  1. Jarmo
    I'd guess most of the new laptops will be Full-HD in a couple of years. Because "Full-HD" sticker is something that'll help sell the things. Most extra monitors as well, but at the rate tower-pc market is dying right now, I wouldn't expect 4x screens to be all that common. But I would almost expect everything but full-hd and 4x to disappear. One for the "masses" and one for the ones considering themselves "pros".
  2. Jarmo
    Ouch.
  3. Jarmo
    As long as the "quests" aren't entirely pointless as in the first example. Maybe like in the second example, there's some kind of plague or something. And someone thinks maybe the monks in some distant monastery would know more so off you go. Then maybe they have the recipe (more fetching, yay!) or they have a ready healing powder. Or they know nothing, but think maybe the elves do and off you go again. Good ways to point the player into new locations at least. Or maybe it's about rat butts, which are needed as a proof you killed the rats. Because there's this plague and some fools think rats spread it, so there's a bounty. But then it definitely shouldn't be 10 rats, no more, no less. You should be rewarded if you kill 3 or if you kill 26, whatever the bounty is, per rat. But IMO, stuff like that should always be marked in the journal as a quest. Shouldn't be a jurassic park scenario which only happens to that 6% of players who happen to give a dude some wyvern eggs. If there's too many minor quests, maybe we could get an ability to tag a quest as "no longer interested" so it goes into hibernation somewhere.
  4. Jarmo
    From what I've gathered PE is going to be plot heavy, combat heavy game where you'll be driven to do stuff. I just can't see how being a bartender or running a shop could fit in without being a total distraction. If I'm wrong and PE is going to involve lots of free time with little to do and pressing concern for enough money to get by, then yeah. Why not get a steady income from one source or another. Stronghold is another thing entirely though. I really enjoyed running the one in NWN2, never mind how limited the running actually was. If we're given a place to run, it'd make sense to try and run it effectively and why not make a profit while at it.
  5. Jarmo
    But in BG series 10th level char had about 10 times as much HP as a 1st level character. Which is nothing like what TrashMan wants, assuming I understood him correctly. But to maximise my understanding: If we assume a first level fighter has 10 hit points and can do maximum of 10 points of damage, per round, with his chosen weapon. Then how many HP's should he have on 10th level and how much damage should he be able to do, per round. I'd be happy with a power curve that'd give 1HP per level, and many skills. So my answer would be: A 10th level fighter would have 20 HP, (30 if he'd go all out building durability) He'd be able to do 3 strikes, each doing up to maybe 20 points of damage. (or maybe a sweeping strike that'd do up to 10 points of damage to up to 10 opponents, or something) And then there'd be bonuses that come from (magic) weapons and armor and items.
  6. Jarmo
    I actually forgot this is what they were aiming for. If the above quote still holds when the game ships, and there's an option to change difficulty halfway through, I'll probably start on normal rather than easy on my first play. Because I'm such a macho.
  7. Jarmo
    My understanding is that the norm was for troops in formation with shields, helmets and stuff, to be pretty much safe from arrows. Low, low casualties. Most bows would be low power and inefficient against any armor. Cretan archers were one exception, no doubt there were others. But even then, they'd be only marginally more effective, not a war winning ace card. Arrow fire could break formation (through just being unnerving?), leaving the enemy open to infantry attack, not so much vulnerable to further archery. Early exception would be Romans against Parthians, or were they persians or what at the time. There was something about their bows (early composite bows?), that enabled them to cause casualties to armored troops in formation. But even then, it was a combination effect. Stay far enough, shoot your arrows, retreat. They were mowing romans down, but it was a long process that took days, not minutes or hours. Same with Mongols. Against unarmored or lightly armored opponents, they could just slay the enemy. Against armored targets even mongol archers were largely ineffective, causing very slight casualties, but tiring the enemy down and leading knights away from the main troop. It was more likely than not for mongols to decide the fight by charge, after the opponents were dead tired, bleeding and in disarray. English longbowmen could likewise disrupt the enemy charge, cause wounds and kill some mounts. Enough to dullen the effect of the charge and cause the ensuing melee to be won, but not enough to cause massive damage by itself.
  8. Jarmo
    Combat stats: Strength and constitution, rolled into one. How hard you hit and how many hits you can take. Dexterity and other agility stuff. How accurately you hit and how hard you're to hit. Non-combat stats: Cleverness is intelligence, wisdom, stuff like that. Do you know (how to do) something. Charisma is personal magnetism, leadership, bargaining, oratory. Can you get others to do something for you. Many skills would be multi-stat. Crafting: So you're a smart enough to make a lute, but do you have the agility to do it? Performance: You're smart enough to remember the words of an opera, but do you have the constitution to sing 2 hours straight? Do it charismatically? And then agile enough to do a backflip like the plot requires?
  9. Jarmo
    There was a superlong discussion over pretty much the same idea a while back. Don't remember what what whoo, so no link. I like the basic idea, but wouldn't like the effect it to be so drastic. And no need for magic item soul bonding stuff. More like, after a period of time, you get used to the weapon, get "attuned" bonus of +1 to attack with the specific weapon. Then after a longer period of time, you get "highly tuned" and also get a +1 to damage with the same weapon. And that's it. So in BG terms, you could go through the whole game with your first sword. It wouldn't be as effective as picking a +1 and start getting tuned to it, much less effective than using a +2 weapon, but still doable. And even a minor bonus from weapon familiarity would alleviate the weapon swap syndrome a bit. So yeah, you had a mace +1 and liked it and used it, then find a warhammer +1 which does... hmmm.. 0,5 points more on average. And you can just say... well... I'm used to the mace and like it so I think I'll keep on using it. Then later on, when you find something actually better, like a flail +2 with elemental damage, it's obviously swap time.
  10. Jarmo
    I've mentioned this before here and there, but if PE has different "skill levels" for enemy AI, I sincerely hope they use them all in normal difficulty! Clever opponents behaving in coordinated clever ways, silly orcs just rushing you, zombies wandering semi-aimlessly... Usually difficulty means, and I take it to mean, more HP for enemies at high levels. Or more simply, the damage you and enemies do multiplied by a number between 0.5 and 2. This yes! Though that's not really much of a question. In many games, if I set the difficulty high enough for the going to be enjoyable overall, the occasional tough boss fights will just be cruel murder.
  11. Jarmo
    Not saying you're wrong, but I've been thinking about this lately a bit and I'm not so sure. If all plate armor was of such quality it was practically impossible to pierce, doesn't that mean all plate was simply too thick? Wouldn't it make sense to make thinner and lighter sets, that'd give protection to all but the most dedicated thrusts? Later middle ages with plenty of arbalests and other heavy crossbows, sure. Good plate gives protection from those and thereby from just about everything. But what about bad plate then? You see all kinds of town guards depicted with plate or half-plate type gear, was it all of knightly quality? And if a breastplate type of platey thing is worn over a mail coat? Wouldn't it make sense to not make it a bit lighter, given there's still the chain underneath? Dunno. Just thinking and might be totally off for some reason or another.
  12. Jarmo
    ?????????????? I played Dragon Age: Origins on Insane difficulty.... ......combat was so **** it made me never play the game again. .....cheesing your way through everything. ...Combat was also ridiculously boring. ...I had to cheese the resurrection timer/distance and doorways... So... did you enjoy the gameplay on insane difficulty? Because it sounds like you didn't. Can't really see why people do stuff like that, there's no medals for it. Why not play on lower difficulty where you don't need to cheese and things are fun?
  13. Jarmo
    One step down from the default. the additional options based on whatever seems to make the most sense to me.
  14. Jarmo
    Ok. Let's assume he'd be the only one who buys used stuff. Does he only collect them or does he sell stuff as well? Does he ask for the same prices as the swordsmith? He can't because he'd get no business. So can I buy items from him rather than from the swordsmith? At half the swordsmiths prices?
  15. Jarmo
    Or maybe a knightly type will just ignore the crafting skill and let the dwarf barbarian wench sidekick do the maintenance between doing the laundry and cooking. If the extra wear and tear ends up costing extra 5 bucks a week, then that's just a part of life looking to be accepted...
  16. Jarmo
    No, see the Mass Effect point earlier. If/when PC gains a lot of wealth, the gameplay shouldn't consist of doing inane busywork for chump change. Maybe you're invited to visit a noble and then demons attack the banquet? Maybe a friend or a barons niece is kindnapped and the job is too delicate to give to mercenaries, or a large band is unsuitable for other reasons.
  17. Jarmo
    To me, the perfect thing is to be poor in early game, wealthy enough to purchase high quality stuff halfway through and to be very wealthy in late game. This is assuming the game plays like a classic D&D adventure, if the setup is something different, the economics must also differ. Bad example being Mass Effect, where economy is just stapled on because it's an RPG staple. You're given a 100 billion dollar spaceship and then you go deliver mail to be able to afford to buy good guns from a quartermaster in your own ship. D: I just hate seeing stuff in game that's there obviously to act as a money sink, despite making no sense in context of the story. So. Early game is simple and obvious. You have little in way of wealth and have to make choices. Later you can afford the best equipment, masterwork full plate all around. Also, shops could well have fancy magic items. Just as long as the shop is not some backwater dump and the magic items worth more than the whole village. Fancy shops, fancy items. But not quite to the extent of "Excalibur? Yeah, we have a pile of those over there". The biggest and best stuff should only come from dungeons, boss enemies, through discovery. Late game money sinks. Shouldn't be stuff like Mithril plate armors that are worth as much as the countrys GNP but are readily available from a local dealer. Gilded ornamental armor could be very expensive item though, can be ordered if you have access to royal armorer. Not better than normal steel armor, but gives prestige and charisma/persuasion/intimidation bonuses. Build magnificent domes in your fortress, turn it into a palace. Hire a mercenary company to guard it, purchase slaves to do housework. Order fine books from all over the world (some actual skill benefits from these maybe) into your library. Give money to the poor (not 1GP to the one beggar in the city, but thousands and thousands through some organization, build orphanages, fund the building of a new cathedral. Give bribes to purchase/gain a lordly title. Have statues built in your likeness. Travel in palanquin tossing money to the poor. Basically all kinds of bling bling that's not strictly necessary, but through which you gain prestige, appear nobler and more charismatic, which would have some in game benefits.
  18. Jarmo
    Good thing I never got around to purchase that add-on (because I thought it'd just be a pile or free loot). I'd have hated overly expensive stuff like that. One thing to keep in mind. Don't listen to the folks writing in forums. They're all freaks with all too much time in their hands and unhealthy relationship with the games they write about. ... and that says something about me as well. Yeah.
  19. Jarmo
    To me it's not buying them as such. It's the poor starving village peddler with seventeen hundred millions worth of loot in his shop trying to eke out a living. Such stupid peddlers.. I'd just want to strangle them right away but unfortunately that'd only net me the 15 copper pieces he had on him. Now that silken robed obscenely wealthy merchant in the capital with golems and elite guards protecting his emporium? Don't mind the wondrous items in the inventory at all, I'd rather expect to see some. But then I'd also expect it to be worth it to do a bit of night burglarizing there... --- I'm getting used to the idea of PE item wear, not hostile anymore, almost liking it already. Two things though. I don't like the mechanic of crafting skill preventing the wear, that's just gamey. Second. I hope there won't be stuff like fixing swords by adding more steel. (wouldn't mind switching locks for firearms or stuff like that).
  20. Jarmo
    You made several points, of which I readily appreciate the last quoted one (not being able to sell) and would actually prefer a game world like that. Look at all the old movies and books, looting from the dead is frowned upon. A looter is someone any man of worth hangs in the nearest tree. To the first one though, I'd call it a rubbish economy. Sure, if you buy a new laptop, you can't just go and sell it to the next shop for a good price. But that doesn't make it worthless, you can ebay the thing. Or find some peddler of goods if a more medieval example is required. Things losing all value is a modern thing, all well made things had value in the earlier times without cheaply mass produced goods. If there's a demand for things like swords, there's also a market for them. The calculations for good game balanced economics don't interest me at all BTW. I want feasible, believable economics and gameplay, not something that's fun to play. Or at least play balance is secondary to me.
  21. Jarmo
    PE seems to be hands down the best managed so far, as far as you can tell from updates and PR. Having said that, with 4 times the minimum budget, I wouldn't be surprised or alarmed it the game arrives a year later than expected. Actually I woud rather hope they do take their sweet time with it and not release the game before it's all polished up and ready to amaze.
  22. Jarmo
    There's something very american in the notion all accomplishments need to be rewarded with $$$. From that follows you need to have something to do with all the $$$ or things are bad. I'd love to see an RPG where playing something akin to a Knight Templar would be a good idea. Just killed a dragon or captured a castle? All loot goes to the brotherhood, you just keep your old equipment. Knights of the Old Republic could have gone there, but didn't dare to. Jedi are supposed to go about in their simple clothes and armed with the same old sabre...
  23. Jarmo
    I am talking about trash items not masterwork weapons. Well I'm fine with trash items costing next to nothing, but if I'm fighting a bunch of men-at-arms with good weapons and armor, I'd expect to get a bunch of good weapons and armor as loot after the fight. I'd also expect to be able to sell the items for 20% or more of their value, more if I'm charismatic or have trade skills. I'm fine seeing their items degrade in use, but not fine if a perfectly good sword turns to junk sword when the enemy gets an arrow in the eye. Or the whole armor going from pristine to junk when the guard loses his last HP. All in all, beside the other Sensuki suggestions, I'm also fine losing cash in maintaining equipment. But I'd rather not see things going all silly, where a damaged bow needs to be applied with a fresh log, as if you could add more good wood to the structure.
  24. Jarmo
    The perfect RPG that included all the neatest features of the IE game you liked the best, all the things in more modern RPG's you like the best. Including none of the annoying things in old IE games or none of the annoying things in modern RPG's. New previously unseen ideas, all of which are good and none of which are bad. A plot and companions are as awesome as your time gilded memory of the best plot and companions you encountered when young and less cynical. Now will we get that? Of course we will.
  25. Jarmo
    Well I'm a bit disappointed, not in the stamina regeneration as such, but in PE fighters being classic meat shields as in all too many RPG's. When compared with a ranger, who splits his time between forest dwelling, or rogue, who's mostly a rogue but also fights a bit in a pinch, it just doesn't make sense to me a fighter who just focuses in fighting, is actually the least effective damage dealer of the three. Instead of having learned to use weapons with any skill worth mentioning, he's good at getting attacked and being hit. :/ I do see the reasoning. It's that damn balancing of combat capability of all classes. Making me like the classless systems all the better. Oh well.. I'll live.
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