Jarmo

I think, as in rather than know, that it's for double handed use. Once you got that armored fella wrestled down on his back, take a reverse grip with one hand and put the palm of the other hand on the pommel and then thrust down as hard as you can with all your body weight. The first two would seem to suggest this, but the third one not as much.

As a much belated heads up to fellow fans, the original artwork of the game has been on sale for penuts for a good while. https://www.etsy.com/shop/daviddunham?order=price_desc&page=1 Bought one about a mysterious swordsman. About A5 size.

Look around. Think. Spot objects. Mmm... my elf archer will be....ummm.... Twinings. The dwarven axeman... hmmm.... Stabilo Boss. And the human thief... Staedtler.

I don't see that as a problem but an opportunity.

I'll make a character I like, nice and decent fellow. Then pick everybody as they come along, unless they seem like total butts or super-evil. When the party is full, I'll swap out the least likeable ones when better choices come along. I'll make exceptions if I feel I really, really need a rogue in the party, or a spellcaster, but the class/role of the companion is not what I'm designing the party with, I'm not designing the party.

Mountain dwarves are dwarves, boreal dwarves are wild hobbits.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/age-of-the-tempest/ Some people who've played this (the finnish version) say it's good. Easy to get into and stuff.

One Early Access type of game that worked out fine was Mount&Blade, it was being sold way unfinished in a kickstarter before kickstarter fashion. And it remained unfinished for about forever. And then it was finished and was awesome. The difference is, you got it for cheap, cheaper than the finished one. And then you got the updates as well. Early Access system - pay a premium for a buggy mess. I kind of don't understand the appeal at all. From a gamers point of view that is. As a publisher it's an easy choice, milk the suckers dry.

I'm not sure how Early Access usually works, but doesn't it usually give access to the game, not just to a (very) limited demo? Or that's how I'd think it should be anyway. But take the cash by all means, if it's there to be got. But I don't think Obsidian is going to delay just for **** and giggles, if a major reason pops up, maybe, but even then I'd expect them to rather ship and then code frantically to have a day one patch. They have a lot riding on this, delivering on schedule like professionals being one main thing. Delivering a polished product is another, but I don't know if it's that much more important. Then again, I see the "winter" release schedule being purposedly ambiguous enough, so delivering in 2015, before spring, is still counted as a success. And I think they have budgeted that in. Not to delay as such maybe, but to have ready funds for post launch patching.

Can you not blatantly tell by the portrait? Because I can. Looking at the portrait, didn't even occur to me to me she might be a she, not a he.

Oh yea that. I always thought it seemed bloody inconvenient to carry a flaming sword in your back. The guys need a lot of body lotion after a few weeks of traveltime. I actually liked the effects themselves, but when the weapons were holstered it was a bit too much. Early on I did wonder why my fighter keeps on dripping glowing red jelly all the time. Turns out it wasn't a wounded effect or the result of the skin condition from acid weapons, but some buff effect. Speed or bravery or whatever, I forget. Thankfully there was a mod for that.

As long as the effects fade away pretty soon I'm all happy. Just hoping there's an effect indicator in the portrait (with a mouseover explanation, please). What was that one common NWN2 buff that surrounded you in blue bubble and went DingDingDingDingDingDingDingDingDingDingDing for the duration. Had to make do without it because it was so darn annoying.

What probably happens with licences, is they're counted as property, estimated worth maybe a million a piece. So a company with 50 licences gets to mark themselves as having 50 millions in IP. A company with a lot of value can get loans and stuff easier. If the company sells a such license for 100K, they get 100K, but have to mark that up as a loss of 900K. Because that's how much less they got than the estimated value. So they wont sell. There's probably a huge bunch of other things at play, but...

Nevermind the voice-overs and zooming in, I'm betting there'll be more than a few cutscenes anyway. Meaning, the control is wrestled from the player for the duration. It's just easier to handle situations where the bad guy comes in, makes a few boasts and then walks away. Without a cutscene, the players are wont to hack away at Mr. Evil with all the panoply of war.

Speaking of which... ... and then he doesn't even bother with a sword, opting for a hol(e)y banjo. But the winner of gimp yourself with weapon choice is that buddy of his, going about with a duster.

I almost vaguely seem to recall Sawyer saying something about what they'd expect, in some interview or another. Could be way off but I think it was to the tune of expecting 500K but hoping for more. So 100-200K would be a major disappointment, over a million and they'll just retire to bahama and outsource the sequels.

So it was a samurai thing I was remembering. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabuto Here's an example with the top hole visible. Nice design also, full of silly impractical ornamentations that make grogs cry shenanigans and mmorpg aesthetics. Although it's apparently unclear how much the hair attachment was actually used or if the hole was just for ventilation. Also, one learns googling for Kabuto mainly shows anime dudes and anime lady butts.

Supposing that. But is the population increasing? Maybe there's a definite pool of souls and if it's empty, nobody can get successfully pregnant before someone dies. (And a whole bunch of people die every day anyway)

The truth is somewhere. If the devs say they're going to make an "old IE game like experience, but modernized", it's not fair to assume you're going to get every single thing you liked. I hated the IE game inventory system. someone loved it. We're not both going to get what we want. But if the devs then deliver a goofy side-scrolling platform jumper, I'm going to be way disappointed and rightfully so. The same if they don't deliver anything, instead spending it all on naughty ladies and new coke. It's appropriate to expect something to the tune of the major lines the devs promised, but by my view, they also have the right to change stuff they promised if they think the game will be better for it.

Although, the effect of knowledge shouldn't be overestimated. Like, in this world, people know with dead certainty that eating too much makes you fat, and regular exercise leads to a healthier life. yet people overeat and neglect their health. It's human to get immediate pleasure now and plan to live a better life later.

If it was all random, then certainly. Crappy life -> try again. But if there's a moral code by which things work, like suicide = sin -> you're downgraded in next life, patient sufferin = valued -> upgraded in next life, things would work out all different.

Everybody would become passive push-overs. I'd think it'd be the opposite. With a lot of fear of death removed, it'd be easier to stand up against oppression. Of course, it depends on the other factors. Does the world value submission or bravery? Will you get a better next life if you're a conquering hero in this? Does XP help you along towards "the goal".

Of this long hair discussion, take this with a grain of salt because I don't remember where I read or heard it or what culture or time period it's of, and basically, because it's me saying. But supposedly there was this culture/helmet style where you had to have long hair, because the hair goes through a hole in the helmet and then is tied into a top knot. So the long hair is the helmet attachment system (or an extra help anyway). Must have been painful or uncomfortable, but a warrior doesn't cry. If I had to guess, I'd say it was either a japanese or a mongol thing.

Tough crowd.

Leaving the rest of the topic aside, I hope all the portraits follow the same face and a bit of shoulders look/crop. Hate it when one portrait is face zoomed in and the next is full body or whatever. I do understand the wish to add in a little side boob when there's one to show, but IMO, consistency trumps.