Shadenuat

Fair enough. I hope it won't be just on cooldown.

I'd assume they just create a spell for that purpose. And helping spellcaster or ranged attacker to disengage from the enemy seems like a job for tanking or utility classes.

It's a goddamn book which wizard MUST HAVE to create sets of spells, and if it will be damaged, you will need a replacement. It does't matter how it works exactly, because creating a whole class ability out of slamming enemies with it is still stupid. That's why all the smartass comments.

So... they are like spellbooks but are not spellbooks. Right.

DePlume's points are valid. Although they are mostly in the realm of UI. If game will just place flying markers over characters who are already engaged it will help. Other problems can be solved by drawing an engagement circle around enemies, which can be lightened up by holding shift-button (actually, neutral/hostile circles can serve just that function when combat is on). That and an option of going into slow-mo which is already in their engine would solve maybe not every, but a lot of problems with AOO clarity. So yeah, I hope you guys solve two problems with AOO's which were present in NWN: - Lack of any signal system (engagement circles, flying markers, anything) - Bad pathfinding (so we will be able to order a wizard or rogue run through battle from point A to point B with one click, not with 5 clicks and 5 pauses). And one other question to developers. Will AOO's be a replacement for creating choking points using doors, or will we still be able to just physically block enemy progression through a door or any other choking point using one or two characters?

So how does one grimoire slam a gelatinous cube

Ever heard about comparative method? Also, we have AOO's now

AOO's? Cool. Oh and miniatures are cool too! Nice little dungeon you have there. Grimoire Slam is lame though. Spellbook is wizard's life and treasure, you should't even try to do something with it which can potentially damage it. I'd make it a spell (like jedi Force Push) which you should choose to "memorise" on rest or not. And where is next part of MCA's Arcanum LP? I WANT MY SEASON ONE OF DISCOVERY ABOUT WOLVES

That would depend on what are you defending. VtM certantly provides diversity to all clans, but it also features unique skills, unique advantages, and unique disadvantages. Some of them force you into specific playstyle very strictly, like Nosferatu. Some of them give you dialogue and information you would never get otherwise, like Malkavian's dialogue options and dialogue trees. That was unique content for unique "races". You questioned the possibility of it's existance, but it was there, and it mattered. Well, classes are artificial limitations. If you challenge the whole concept of the class systems, which you seem to do on constant basis ("classes should arise from roles", ect.), then it's a whole different topic. And I'm kinda tired of defending class based systems with strict limitations because I did that, like, for a ****ton of posts already, so meh.

You missed the "metaphorical" part and fail to grasp the idea of unique content in cRPG's (oh and you just enjoy going into personal attacks against other players way of roleplaying; but that's okay, I am kinda an ass too sometimes). How exactly using trivial solution to achieve something is worse than you garroting somebody? You are providing examples of actions which you concider unorthodox roleplaying (or, like, "actual" roleplaying) but they are just creative use of skills, that's it. What I would think of a truly unique content is if, say, an alchemist could grow himself a homunculi companion with unique dialogue and some personal story. Not surprisingly, that actually falls into the category of skills and spells. Of course, I am also completely fine with some sort of chest in the game which would be completely immune to acid and can only be opened with lockpicks. Because why the hell not? Yeah, sucks, is't it? Cleric being best melee class in so many builds, while fighters existing for no purpose but grabbing additional feats. And people still don't get why I am against wizards wearing armor in class based games! VtM: Bloodlines. This is absolutely exquisite because of two things. First, a question: what helps us to stay withing the limits of our role and gives GM a control over the extent of our possibilities? Okay, you know my answer already. It's system, stats and skills. At least in cRPG, it is absolutely true, forget about LARP for now. Before, you provided examples which are, by your definition, an actual roleplay - creative use of skills, synergy inside the party, ecetera. And it all started with my statement, that if you don't have unique skills, you don't get yourself unique roleplay... so is roleplay about skills at all or not? Because you kinda contradict yourself here and there. It is certanly about creativity. Skills give you the instruments for your creativity. So how are skills not the part of roleplaying? And - a skill which creates completely unique content, goes against your roleplaying values how? You seem to like acid a lot, so, if there is a container in a game, which can only be opened by acid, and only alchemist can brew it, why is't it creative? You know, acid is a bad example. Let's say it can only be opened by a spell constructed by party wizard. Why that would't be creative? Because there is only one solution? But you have to figure it out nevertheless, so where's the problem? And second thing... HEY GUIZE. THAT DUDE JUST COMPARED DUNGEON CRAWLING TO TAKING ****. Well it was very funny how you distinguished some actions from other as "true" and "untrue" roleplaying, I always like to read about delusions like that.

I am drooling and huggin MCA pillow every night just like all you guys, but he is not the ONLY writer who can come up with good stuff. Let's give other writers a chance too, shall we? ...you do have MCA pillows right? right? ... eh.... I... I never should said that part did I.

What kind of argument is this? They are making a hardcore combat oriented tactical sequel for hardcore game which was based on squad skills and combat; and somehow that means Planescape game "in spirit" will turn out as horrifying Jagged Alliance clone too? There is no "right" way to create cRPG's, and not everyone is Bethesda and stamps the same **** over and over again no matter what their setting or fanbase are.

Exept that time Josh said they're taking inspiration from D&D, mostly 3th edition, with 4d and 2d bits "here and there" (or something like that); and we have the whole powers-based, encounter-based system mentioned a lot, as well as rest system. The fact that it could use different "rolls" or armor system does't mean it would't borrow other design features from D&D, or will end up feeling as a D&D game, because, surprise, IE games were all D&D. (Exept one very obscure title english speaking folk probably never played).

What is a non-choice? Trying to get into a way of very powerful spellcasters and die is not a choice? It is, and it would just reinforce player's desire to "get that guy" or understand what powers he's messing with. Getting on a bad side of Cowled Wizards is not a choice? Getting on their good side is not a choice? Just staying away or even running away is not a choice? If inaction in such situation is the best choice then it is fair, but let player understand that himself and make a choice to not act.

You hear a GM which cares to provide a spotlight for every player, by whatever means are neccesary or preferable to that session or player. If one player has four dots in Lockpicking, while the other has four in Chemistry, I will provide metaphorical "locks" which can be opened with only one way or another. As for what you concider "fun", it's just what you personally concider fun, nothing more. Some people don't like to garrote anyone, but enjoy tinkering with mechanisms or breaking into houses, or whatever. He wears the heaviest, most expensive armor and feels good about being the most badass tank around. As an example. I am arguing that depending on your class, skills, race, unique content should be generated to provide unique experience you could't get other way around. Class, skills, race - these things can, and should, be used for that purpose, as you tell the game how you want your character be treated right from the character generation screen. As for your "true and virtous" "actual roleplay" without "boring dungeon crawling", but with "synergy and interactions", well, it has been nothing but loud statements and pompous theorising so far, and it really has nothing to do with mechanics in CRPG's. Oh, but do tell me about that "actual roleplay" and what it is, and how one "roleplay" can be more "actual" than another "roleplay". That would be most enlightening.

I dunno, why does she? Because that's what she does when heavely wounded inside the dungeon. Seems like developers thought it was completely fair for her to rely on her stealth skills and run away "because head hurts" from her companions already. Of course, maybe you played BG2 such a long time ago, you don't remember... ...tee-hee. You can hate the example as much as you want, but my point stands - player could have participated, instead of just watching his most lovable childhood friend he spent year(s) traveling around in previous game with just taken away "because plot". The nature of participation, be it swords unsheaved or just talking would just make encounter more complex and add possible consequences to player's actions.

You just answered that yourself. If a player rolls a rogue with high lockpicking skill, but then gets a companion who can smash through every door, why should't he feel bad? If there is no unique content to find with his supposedly unique class, what was the point with rolling with that class? Just because he wants to look badass in a black cowl? Sorry, but style and roleplaying is't everything players want when they choose their class. It's very bad in PnP when one of the players feels useless because party does't let him get his unique content based on his skills. In cRPG, it's... just moderately bad. I bring you Myron from Fallout 2. Myron sucked in combat (because of his stats and skills). He had unique skill which allowed him to create drugs and stimpacks - noone could do that in the whole game, only he could. He had good Science skill, which allowed player who taken Myron in his party but slacked in Science get access to unique content (military bases and such). Of course, his personality was great too, but it was also supported by unique stats. And how about every companion from Planescape. Pretty much every companion had a very unique twist when it came to their inventories. Inventory is a very mundane thing, how can it make a character unique? Well, it sure did there. From Morte's teeth to Dak'kon sword or Grace's inability to attack with anything but her hands (or lips), mechanics supported every aspect of characters it represented (not to mention Grace being the only healer in the game, which made her even more desirable as a companion even without taking into an account her... mhmhmmm... other... mmmmmmrrrr--...merits). ...funny thing is, I believe Obsidian made lockpicking a universal skill for all classes. Although they did say rogues will be better at it. I just hope they add enough unique content for a party with rogue to explore, because that sort of content is what makes game memorable and replayable long time after release. Hey! You have your own thread! With minigameZ!

That's... actually pretty decent. Unique missile/bullet item is a good idea too.

Ah, I am late! I am late! Do we hate monks here?? Darn, I'm a page late...

It should't. What patch? I remember actually teleporting there when I played the game long time ago (without Drog's patch), never had the problem.

Yes, cutscenes moved the plot in BG2, but some of them did so in very unelegant way. It is generally a bad idea to take control from the player in a game which, by it's design, is about having control over it in your hands via means of stats, skills, dialogue choices and so on. Games as a media are about player control, not director's (like in the movies). Because of that, I would probably go as far and say that cutscenes should be the last resort when you want to move the plot forward. If you can't do it anyway around but to take away player's freedom, you should probably rethink that part of the plot. For example, in Fallout: New Vegas, you can't save people being crucified by Legion, because you arrive when they already did that; but you can actually take your gun out and shoot them. So, comparing that to BG2 Imoen capture scene, you could probably arrive at the point when she does't just stand near you, but already taken, and wizards are fighting Irenicus to capture him too. Player could help one side or another, or watch, without his freedom taken away by scripted event. What if every one of them has high Dexterity? What about replayability? What about companions who don't like one another? Streamlining the plot into Final Fantasy rarely does it any good (from the point of a gameplay value, I mean).

It would't matter if we'd be on EA forums or something, but we already finished an amazing quest of defeating teh boobplates, which proves that our whining can actually get into designer's ear even if it would be only 2% of it. Let him be whatever he wants to be, grammar nazi who also plays forum police can be moderately entertaining.

I want to have a choice born naturally from game mechanics. Yes, it would.

And your post before that was a good example of this, yes. This is a terrible attitude. It hurts the nature of the classes and good what can come from class-based system, because they cease to be special. It will hurt possible companions, as noone will provide player with unique content. It obviously will hurt replayability. It even hurts the setting (why magical skills should have substitute in mundane skills?). And as you already mentioned that then players will just get every class and that actually hurts party composition options, I'll say that only part of players pick up companions out of their effectiviness; a lot do so because they like the characters or naturally prefer specific party compositions (like mage-heavy instead of balanced, ect.). So no, not being able to pick locks does't matter to many players, as they will just replay game with other party later and enjoy new content they missed the first time.

Stop judging posters morality and look up the name of this thread already.