rjshae

While not wanting to see physical exertions like running have a direct impact on stamina, I would like to see the recovery rate slow down significantly while the character is exerting themselves. I'd also like to see some of the optional combat actions be limited based on the current stamina. A bruised and battered character shouldn't be charging around the battlefield.

Interesting idea for a pet... Maybe you can get a glowing collar as an accessory?

Smuggling for fun and profit can have some potential as well, whichever side you're on.

As long as she's not called Zhjaeve and/or begins every sentence with "Know that...".

Mmm, they may have developed as the result of efficiency and common sense at one point, but cultural inertia tends to maintain those roles even after technological developments have rendered them obsolete and even counter-productive. You may find the idea of a warrior woman silly, but a female pilot flying an apache gunship is still going to turn you into hamburger.

I actually liked the rogue characters from DA2, Varric and Isabela. They were two of the highlights of the game, as far as I'm concerned. Minsc was mainly memorable for his one-liner quips, while I never found Morte the least bit appealing.

To reiterate a point mentioned several times earlier: when a female wizard can cast a spell to turn you into a charcoal briquet and burn you at the annual sorcerers barbeque luncheon, it tends to change the power equation a little. There's no such society in our world because that sort of power doesn't exist prior to the industrial revolution. Things can and should be different in a setting where real magic exists.

Didn't vote; want to be surprised. I.e. no plot design by gamer committee.

Yep. If you allow players to loot everything, then I think you need to counterbalance it by adding in the actual expenses: food, booze, lodging, equipment repair, transport costs, taxes, bribes, theft losses, and so forth. It's easier just to say the two balance each other out, and so don't need to be covered at that level of detail.

There's something of a similar flavor with the old world fencing and sword-fighting schools, in the sense of having "secret techniques". I don't think it necessarily needs to be oriental in flavor.

Inventory and looting has been discussed at great length already. There's a trade-off between realistic completeness and simpler game play, which needs to be taken into account.

In an interesting sign of things to come, there was a (now cancelled) Kickstarter project to build modular parts for a castle using a 3D printer. The level of detail on this already looks pretty good. So... assuming somebody does decide to move forward on this, would dungeon parts be next? Followed by print-your-own figurines? Just one slight problem though: purchasing a 3D printer and the "print" cartridges. Perhaps instead it will start at local hobby shops where they print your parts to order?

It's fairly certain that a game like this will have some type of pop-up map, whether a reduced scale image or an artistic illustration. I think though that the area maps don't have to exactly follow the style used in the IE games. In particular: The explored areas of the map don't have to be placed in the corresponding locations on the area map. Instead, the explored area can be centered in the map image. The full area doesn't need to be be constrained by a rectangle. It would be better if the boundary of the area was uneven. These have the net effect of leaving the true boundaries of the area uncertain, and making it feel more open. For dungeons especially, an obvious rectangular boundary makes it look more contrived. A particular example of this was in NWN2, and it made the areas feel very contrived. Any other concerns?

Awakening magic items Here's a notion I had for an alternative approach to item "identification": Say your character finds an item with some mysterious magical powers. Now in D&D to use an identify spell to try and find out what those powers are. But, in PE, where magic is drawn from the soul, suppose that the nature of the powers becomes immediately apparent to the PC. Instead, the powers are "locked" from access and you will need to find a means to "awaken" those powers. That is, the powers are visible in the item description are visible but inactive and you need to forge a link from your soul to the magic in the item. Such magic item powers could be awakened by frequently wearing or wielding the item. They could also be awakened by casting a related spell into the item, which can cause a synchronization with the power, causing it to be activated. (This may be an area where a Chanter's lore becomes useful.) Finally, for those without the right skill or power, the item could be taken to an expert for them to find the appropriate means. At any rate, what you have is the possibility for a more extensive system of triggering an item than just casting an identify spell. What do you think?

I think that the types of sudden shifts in scale and angle described by the OP would have limited usefulness and may be disconcerting. Changes in mood and atmosphere can be accomplished by other means: sounds, music, colors, illumination, timing, or cut-scenes.

Lazy work for hastily assembled concept art? The very nerve! They should have spent weeks and a big chunk of the budget getting the image just so. You should be an art critical; you at least know what a color wheel is. LOL.

I like the level-0 light spell in D&D v3.5; it frees up a hand and doesn't require walking around with a stash of flammable torches. This worked very nicely in NWN2. Hopefully they will have something comparable to that in PE. At a higher level, perhaps they could have a magical light that illuminates the surroundings but doesn't give away your position?

If the developers were spending a lot of time here, I'd be concerned. Development often takes dedicated focus, and I suspect that following a forum board, with all its vagarities of opinions, may be an unhelpful distraction. Frankly, I'm surprised they have been posting as many updates as they have, since other KS projects post a lot less frequently. (But I'm certainly not complaining about what they have presented. ) In a certain sense, a logical target audience for the KS updates may be the people who actually didn't contribute to the KS (as was pointed out in this Gamasutra editorial). Updates are probably useful for generating buzz, and perhaps for performing a sanity check with the KS contributors. My 2cp worth.

I think the OP did present some of these for the warrior and the red, red rouge class. For wizards, perhaps there are unique spells and rituals, unusual crafting recipes, or special methods for building your spell books? Chanters may learn to play unusual instruments that allow them to perform specific songs in ways that provide unique benefits.

Real torches imply 3D shadows; from characters, furniture, objects, and walls. I suspect that isn't going to happen; we'll get a glowing, flickering halo instead. What I would be interested in seeing though are different light sources: various torches, lanterns, hooded lanterns, oil lamps, and candles. As for a poorly lit night scenes, they could potentially use varying color saturation. Areas near light sources can display normal colors, while darkened areas can be displayed using a more monochromatic view. (Like a, say, blue-tinged black-and-white view representing night vision.) That would allow them to provide some illumination even in the darkened areas. I'm not sure how do-able this approach is though.

Learning a secret style might be a good excuse for individual NPCs to detach themselves from the party for a spell. Or it could be something that they pick up as an accomplishment only if you let them loose for a time. Basically that would be an enticement to recruit them back into the party at a later date.

Another fundamental difference between the inexperienced lock picker and the master is the time it takes to pick a lock. Yes a master can almost automatically pick any simple lock, but he can also do it with an economy of motion and a minimum amount of noise. I'm not sure of the best way to model this. Perhaps a modifier to the skill check depending on how likely the attempt is to be detected? After all, the rogue will exercise some judgment regarding how likely he is to get away with the attempt. Maybe some type of meter showing the pick success rate against an increasing likelihood of being caught?

So you're looking at it more as an alternate reality... rather than a game? What I'm suggesting is that a NPC concept is not rigidly bound to follow a particular path, and that the NPC's path is chosen to give you a different, yet balanced experience based on the class you choose. It's mainly a concept for replay value rather than pure simulation for its own sake.

^^^^ Mmm, not exactly. I had more in mind something complementary to the PC's class and persona. So if you take a Rogue, the city refugee becomes a duelist fighter rather than a thuggish burglar. But Osvir's suggestion also makes sense; the type of character you meet can vary depending on when you meet him or her. I just think it would add replay value to not always meet exactly the same cast of characters.

What do you think of the idea of one or more of the companions being developed as a general personality concept, rather than being focused on a specific class? For example, a companion could be a mentally-scarred refugee from a city slum, seeking justice and vengeance for a heinous crime committed against his family and neighbors. However, he may have arrived at this point as a street thug rogue, a brawling fighter, or even a wild-child barbarian. Thus the companion would have a class selected from a limited set (depending on the PC type), but his portrait, persona, and even many of his stats could be about the same. Another example could be a scholarly younger son from a wealthy family who was expected to join the local covenant brotherhood, but instead may have revolted against his family and elected to become a wizard, cipher, or even a bard. Just curious really...