incubus9

This sounds too much like the Elder Scrolls games. I feel that once a character has reached a level of prestige where they control hundreds or thousands of people, what motivation do they have to go out adventuring and lay their life on the line? Basically what I'm saying is that there shouldn't be a cookie cutter formula where you do "X" quest chain and become leader of "Y" guild or faction. Influencing it and possibly destroying them might be interesting. Participating in internal faction politics where the player assassinates the leader under the orders of a rival leader or searches for a cure for the disease which is killing the faction leader could be plausible and interesting ways to gain influence inside the faction. It seems unlikely that anyone could join a guild and in the space of one month go from initiate to supreme ruler, no matter how competent or heroic that person is.

One of the biggest strengths of an RPG is that it tells a good story. A GOOD romance can make for a good story. Of course any element to a story if done well can make for a good story. Well written villans, well written companions, a rich backstory and a variety of well written quests can make for an amazing game. I think the choice to include a romance in the game ultimately comes down to the devs. I think if they treat the romance with the same maturity that they treat any other plot element then it will be a bonus to the story. I do understand where a lot of hate for the romances comes from. It seems recently that most video game romances are ripped right out of a Twilight novel. Player: I find you strangely attractive. LoveSlave#1: I want your baby. Player: Lets have passionate sex by the fire while hopefully our companions stay in their tents. LoveSlave#1: If I die in battle, will you cry for me? Player: Nope, I have no ability to react to anything that happens outside of a few scripted events.

I mentioned this before in another thread, but if a party has to go rest/resurrect in town mid-dungeon, there should be a soft-reset of the dungeon. Traps are put back, encounters respawn minus any named characters (unless they have someone around who can resurrect as well). This gives each dungeon a feeling of being an organic structure.

All adventurers should be given debit cards. Problem solved!

GoG and Beta Access?!?! You sir, have made me spend 40 more dollars!

I agree with this. I have an additional thought as well. When exploring a dungeon, the party comes across a particularly tough encounter. You win, but you sustain a few loses. After looting, you go back to town and heal. Afterwards, you go back into the dungeon two or three days later in game time and continue right where you left off. This always bugged me. Why doesn't the dungeon repopulate? Why are the traps not reset? Wouldn't the enemy be using the time since you left to resurrect their dead and bolster their defenses? I think that if the party should be allowed to resurrect and heal at an inn mid-dungeon dive, then the enemies should too. Unless the dungeon is fully cleared or some checkpoint has been passed inside, then there should be no option to leave and come back.

This is the first time I've funded a Kickstarter project. When I saw the line-up of creators and the inspirations for their goal, I knew I had to be a part of this. Thank you Obsidian for taking a risk and making a game that gamers want to play!

What I liked about option 3 from the old IE games is that it made you really pick your companions. People you don't use for whatever reason don't level up. It gives a lot of variety on different play throughs when you are forced to play multiple games to see how each companion responds to different situations.

One thing I loved about the game "The Witcher" was getting drunk in a tavern and stumbling around the screen. Having stupid and inconsequential things that you can interact with is an importan part of immersion.

One of my favorite books in terms of world building was the Wheel of Time series. I always loved the bits and pieces of history and lore interwoven into the story that really fleshed out the world. Having flavor text on items, stories told by tavern patrons, songs told by bards, always made me feel more immersed in the game. One of my favorite parts of the Elder Scrolls games was reading all the books I would find all over the world. Having that level of world building makes the story seem like something that didn't begin with the start of your adventure, and something that won't end when you finish.

I think with factions, the most important factor will be the integration into the story line. Joining a faction needs to impact the overall story arc. I don't think one specific faction needs to be the "good" faction or the "evil" faction. Every side needs their motivations and goals as they conflict with each other. I think there should be a good deal of moral ambiguity as you select your factions.

I love a good curve to my hardcore. I shouldn't be tempted to break my keyboard over some random encounter, but if a boss fight doesn't force me to use all my potions and drop those scrolls I've been saving in my inventory, then it just won't feel like a worthwhile cRPG. The best thing about all my favorite old RPGs was the challenge.

I don't want to have to gather/kill/find "x" number of crystals/magic beasts/companions to unlock/defeat/challenge anyone or anything. So basically I think that they shouldn't borrow their plot from any Final Fantasy game.

I feel that there are three basic plot elements essential to most good fantasy stories. Love, Redemption, and Revenge. I think having those elements will make for an epic story. That being said, I think that romance should definitely be a part of a great CRPG experience. Emotional interaction and commitment between NPC's and the PC make for good immersion in the story. I think BG2 is currently the "best" example of what a good romance can do to further immersion in the story. I think it was a bit shallow at times, but it was far far better than anything BioWare has released lately. Also, I would add that I am all for a tragic or bittersweet romance. I am hoping that PE tackles more than just (but not completely exclude) a bubblegum romance.