XenoReaper

Glad to see our numbers are still climbing! (slowly, but surely!) A minor concern, though- my name shows up as "XenoReaperm" in the master list- with the "m" at the end being a typo. If someone could give that a quick fix, I'd appreciate it! (I assume that the master list might be used for the game's credits or something, so I just want to play it safe) Thanks!

I agree with Horm on this subject. The designers do have to make an effort to explain the internal logic of the game in some way- whether it be from the first few encounters (like running into a buff mage early if buffing is expected- not saying I like buff chess but that's an example) or from other experienced adventurers/mentors giving you early advice so as not to lead you astray. An example of where this would have been nice- Dark Souls. Now, in Dark Souls (as another poster already mentioned) the types of strategies available are very open-ended and, at least when playing mostly SP, are actually surprisingly balanced. There is no one, best build... which is awesome. However, even though you can read the manual and gleam info from other in-game sources... you can still end up more or less screwed in the end, as what happened to me in my first playthrough. I got about 30 hours into Dark Souls and was closing in on the last several bosses of the game (which you can basically challenge in any order you see fit... which I also love) and came across a bit of a problem. Although the weapons I had been using were sufficient to a point, I could no longer get by on what I had. I needed a better weapon, period. The problem is that I didn't know that high level weapons weren't so much about base damage, but relied very heavily on having related stats at very high levels (a one-handed Dex sword does tons more damage if you have like 30+ Dex, for example), but since I didn't know this, I sat there wondering where the better weapons were. I looked online at wikis and discovered the hard way that I was expected to have a crapton of points in one or two stats at most if I wanted to play a melee fighter... and I hadn't done that. The other problem? I figured I could use powerful one-handed weapons and a shield by having high strength. Not so! I was expected to have high Dex to do such a strategy... or have like 30+ points in Strength to use a two-handed sword in one hand... whoops! Too bad I figured it out only then. I determined that I needed to level up about 12 more times in order to use the weapon of my choice... and I was already the ideal level for the part of the game I was at. At that point, I just stopped playing altogether. (Bought it for PC last week, and am much better prepared now, but I feel like I'm not the only one who made that mistake!)

Wanderlust It is not known if Wanderlust is a deity proper, or merely a traveler's tale to scare would-be adventurers. It is said that, in life, Wanderlust had a human's name, and led a human's life. He was apparently a wizard of considerable power, and was the head of one of the realm's most influential arcane universities. He had everything an aspiring mage could want- respect, influence, and seemingly limitless knowledge at his fingertips. But, as it were, he was the last person in the world who would have asked for this. This archmage's quest was to acquire understanding of the world around him... and nothing more. Constantly, it seemed, he had to mediate some petty political conflict between rival wizards, or intervene in some other superficial cause. For all the books he had spent accumulating, he never had the time to read them. For all the respect he had gained in his years, no one listened to the true message intertwined in his words. And so, this one man's ambitions remained, in many ways, unfulfilled. But the archmage, even in his later years, never quite lost his edge. He did, however, begin to lose his patience. As an aged, withering soul (whether or not this is literal is entirely up to interpretation) he devised a scheme to set himself free of his commitments for good. He began to engage in a research project far more secret, and far more crucial, than any he had ever attempted. For this study, he thought, he would tolerate no interruption. For this ambitious goal, he would accept no failure. For this project... was to seal his fate forever. He would become what was known as a "lich." It is believed that this man succeeded. He staged his own death, created a simulacrum to take his place at his funeral, and left behind all but a handful of powerful items so as not to raise suspicion. And so, for the decades or perhaps centuries since, Wanderlust travels the very edges of civilization, wanting to bother no one, and desiring nothing but to read his dusty tomes... and be left in peace. He is not unkind, they say, but who would dare cross a man who knows no limits? Who would speak to a soul that dares not speak back? These are the mysteries that surround the one they call "Wanderlust." How appropriate, given that all he has ever wanted... was to ask questions, and never cease to do so.

And even if the Kickstarter campaign falls through, you just *know* they would make a decent sum by licensing their engine. Amazing what one guy (and a few friends) can cook up in a year's time.

Bare Mettle looks like it has the right base to work off of. Looking at the updates, they seem reluctant to speak of the story much since exploring the world's overarching history and plot is a major point of the game, and they don't want to reveal anything that could spoil something. I will support them regardless of what the gameplay looks like- I agree that they should have done more than a tech demo, but if they can generate tech like that, well, they have the drive to see this through. Hopefully the gameplay will stand up to the tech, but if it doesn't, they can make enough to fund a second, better game in the long run. I'm gonna donate not just to support the game... but to support the developers themselves. Madoc Evans alone has shown he has the ambition to do something... let's hope that it ends up as something truly great.

As for multiclassing, as others (like Shevek) have said, if you make the base classes flexible enough, you won't really need multiclassing. There is some versatility in multiclassing that's difficult to replicate in any other way (besides pulling something like the Elder Scrolls where all skills are available to everyone). But keep in mind that versatility for the player means a nightmare balancing the game for the devs. I'd rather PE be a polished, balanced game rather than a cautionary tale for what could have been...

The main focus of a prestige class is exclusivity, and specialization. If you can achieve this through skills/feats/spell options (by making multiple paths you can take, where you can't max all of them out, just one or perhaps two paths at most) then there really is no need for prestige classes. The other thing about prestige classes is that there was often some flavor element to them... make the world actually notice your advanced skills, and you've pretty much got that part covered too (or make some of them lore-based, like "Hey, you know the X technique from Y school- wow! I heard they only accept Ciphers of the highest caliber. I'm not messing with you!") EDIT: The "paths" idea isn't my way of supporting skill trees, I'm just saying that making some options permanent and possibly exlusive is a good way to achieve the mechanical feel of a prestige class.

I play a Spellsword-type character in every single RPG I can manage to. What I can say, in D+D terms (while acknowledging that this isn't a D+D game) is this about balancing spell use/armor proficiency. A fighter and mage could both feasibly wear heavy armor and still be distinct without breaking the system in half. It's tricky to pull off, but here is how I look at it. A fighter wearing full plate has high armor (which could be either damage resistance or chance to hit, depending) AND high Hp, meaning that even without the armor they can take a volley of hits with no problem. The fighter is also meant, from the start, to be engaged in melee and so has weapon proficiencies in addition to a shield (which melee mages generally can't use in order to keep a casting hand free) to be effective in melee and "tank". A mage wearing full plate has high armor but low hp. This means the mage isn't giving up his frail nature entirely, but he is making this obvious weakness less vulnerable. However, the mage, without spells appropriate for melee combat, cannot perform well in close quarters for long, since their hp just isn't enough to withstand more than a few decent hits. Now, this is where multiclassing/hybrid potential comes in. In D+D, a multiclassed Fighter/Wizard would be great with spells and great with melee ability, but not as good as a Fighter in his realm or a Wizard in his own. The key is that, on the battlefield, the Spellsword has versatility. The Spellsword's weakness, though, is in having lower hp than a fighter and, often times, less of a selection of spells available for raw spell-slinging since some of the Spellsword's spells, appropriately, have to be geared towards close combat- otherwise the mage is hobbling their spellcasting prowess somewhat for little benefit. IN SHORT: A Spellsword character is excellent for relatively brief periods on the front lines, then falling back to cast a few ranged spells to finish enemies off (or do the same thing in the opposite order). A Spellsword generally cannot tank like a fighter could without serious magical help, and even then, as soon as the spells in question run out of juice, the Spellsword switches to a support role. If Obsidian can pull this off, I would be ecstatic. But it is definitely possible.

I really like this concept, but I imagine the coding for it would be a nightmare. Maybe a few unique/artifact items could be coded to trigger a dialog with certain companions when acquired, hinting at them wanting to use it, and getting upset if refused. I also really like this, and it's far superior to the annoying gift-giving mechanic I've seen elsewhere. I can see it being difficult to implement on any sort of large scale, but it would be nice if an NPC noticed when I finally obtained some hard-to-find artifact and equipped it on his character. Implementation would depend on item mechanics... but here's an "easy" example. If items in the game have an assigned (likely hidden) "item level" then you could have the character get irritated if his weapon's "level" lags behind his own. If you give him an item that is equal to or even above his own level, it triggers a reaction when first equipped. There could also be a conditional reputation-modifier with that partner. You have a mild penalty to your relationship with them if their weapon is lackluster or "low level" but you get a bonus if they have the highest weapon level out of all of your party members' (insert weapon type here), et cetera. EDIT: Item levels are frequently used in item drop tables to determine what loot you find in a random drop (like a random encounter versus a hand-crafted dungeon) so I think it's likely that a character like this could be worked out.

One other thing- I've always wanted a party member that actually reacts to the level of equipment you give them. In other words, the thuggish rogue (not lithe at all, but more like a bar brawler with street smarts) gets irritated if you give him a sub-par weapon, but is just plain giddy if you give him the best bladed weapon in the party... something like that. Obviously the main character's equipment wouldn't be counted in this, since it does make sense for the leader to have the best weapon should he/she wish to use it.

I agree. For me, romances in an RPG come across as cliche in terms of the execution rather than the concept of "love" itself. MCA did say in one of his PE interviews, though (I think it was on Reddit... not sure) that he believes that there should be more "relationship" types than just romance. In other words, having a companion be a rival to the main character, and handle it like a "romance" in that there are branching dialogue options, et cetera that are triggered at certain parts of the story. Frankly, that's what I'd like to see more of- deep relationships with mechanics to back it that don't just exist for your romance options. The fact that romance options in RPGs tend to be much more complex than any other party members... it strikes me as a missed opportunity. Have the friendly (or not so friendly) rival actually challenge the main character once in a while, rather than mope along as we travel together.

Why walk when you can ride? Of course I had to hear that last line in a Dunmer voice, Morrowind style. Thanks for making me miss that game all over again... (whistles 'Nerevar Rising') On topic, I very much liked rjshae's idea of making the party more easily spotted or heard when running. That way, if you already cleared an area or if you are in a neutral zone like, most of the time, a city or town, then the penalty is irrelevant. But running in a dungeon could get you ambushed if you aren't careful.

Guys, Josh has said more than once that he doesn't always like jumping into forum conversations for reasons kind of like this... "one comment from a developer tends to get blown completely out of proportion in terms of its weight" (paraphrased- this Josh quote was slightly different in wording but was stated in an early KS interview). Josh was giving a basic, dumbed-down example of a "what-if" but he wasn't saying that is how lockpicks would work. Just a simple explanation so the mechanic would come across without having to get too deep into it. We shouldn't assume that our characters will actually have to carry dozens of lockpicks at a time (and even if we did, they would likely explain it in a way that actually makes sense).

A couple of things to add to the discussion. First off- the devs have already said there will be two separate skill trees (and separate points for each): One Combat tree, and one non-combat tree (with differences for each class, at least for the combat tree). So, yes, I think we should all expect a good deal of combat regardless of the build. We probably *won't* be able to just sneak through every dungeon or talk through each fight... Second- plenty have said "Why bother? It's a single-player game!" but we're forgetting one important fact. This game is single-player only. That isn't necessarily going to be the case for future installments. With that said, though, I am not terribly concerned. If it turns out that there are some "superior" builds (or just plain broken ones) then perhaps those issues can be discovered and solutions can be devised for the expansion or even a PE sequel.

Thanks for that bit of JESawyer wisdom. That's one of the reasons I like the heavy-hitters at Obsidian- they truly do love to ask the tough questions. PE is going to be very refreshing for that reason if not for many others.