[How old is everyone?]

36 years old

 

Planescape: Torment

Baldur's Gate 2

The Witcher 2

 

Those are my top 3 RPGs, in that order.

[Talking to people with your companions]

I like the idea of companion interjection. I don't want direct control over what my companions say though.

I think that's where I stand.

 

I'm used to, and welcome, companions interjecting and possibly providing success through those interjections. But I'm not comfortable with SoZ style picking and choosing who says what to get the maximum benefit. Unless the conversation system becomes Alpha Protocol levels of complex and companions replace stances.

That's an interesting idea. The conversation system in Alpha Protocol was brilliant and my personal favorite part of the game. However with the number of companions available and assuming each of those companions can develop different dialogue/influence skills to various degrees I fear that may produce a system so complex and involved that it may fall outside the scope of what could realistically be funded via Kickstarter and/or would take serious time and resources away from other aspects of the game.

[Class system]

The topic of the class system has been on my mind given how update 7 actually significantly changes the traditional structure of the DnD system, and given that this system has more classes than many other RPGs(I think we're now at 7), I think that the topic of classes would be a really interesting one to explore, especially given how it touches issues of the magical system.

 

The way that update 7 changes things is that it abolishes the skill-monkey class while keeping the skills, which is a really cool thing. I just want to bounce ideas around though, and I hope I'm not repeating too much that's been said.

 

Here's some ideas for conceiving of a possible set of classes:

* 2 or 3 core magic classes(I've thrown around ideas in another thread on magic) http://forums.obsidi...60#entry1203875 DarkWaterSong did similarly above me.

* Brute (in DnD terms: fighter, barbarian.) Heavy armor, heavy weapons, high strength and constitution build.

* Monk (in DnD/NWN2 terms: monk, weaponmaster, swashbuckler/duelist, maybe some paladin features.) None to medium armor. None to medium weapons. Build uses dexterity and some vaguely magical stat. Special talents focus on high skill or magical attunement, and perhaps a lot of surprises. Conceptually a martial artist.

* Magic Knight (In DnD terms: Eldritch Knight, sort of like a Paladin or Ranger, but less nerfed on magic.) Light armor, but maybe heavy given the backstory. Any weapon. spellcaster/warrior with some of both sets of abilities. May not be needed if multiclassing and magic system set up a certain way

* Assassin (In DnD terms: Thug variant fighter, rogue/fighter, etc.) Light-Medium armor. Light to medium weapon. Focus on misdirection, high damage precision, possibly ranged attacks, poison, invisibility, finesse. Build uses very high dexterity.

* Bard (in DnD terms: Bard.) Light-medium armor. Light-medium weapons. Support class. Focus on misdirection, buffing, information, ranged support, perhaps some magic.

 

Just some thoughts, but feel free to throw things around or criticize. The point is getting what kind of conceptions people would think would be interesting for a class system. Like the degree of magic for classes. How bizarre or conventional the classes should be. Etc.

I would prefer to have a more warrior-oriented ranged class somewhere in there rather than relying only on rogue-type characters for archers/gunmen.

[Talking to people with your companions]

I'm definitely a proponent of the OP's companion interjection idea. I think that would make conversations quite interesting and would add a good degree of variance when going through the same conversations with different characters or the same characters but with different dialogue skills and at different levels.

["Other" Playable Species Poll]

I'm an Orc-O-Phile. In any game where there is an option to play as an Orc or even a Half-Orc I will almost certainly play as an Orc, at least for my first character. I would be very happy if there are Orcs, or something that sort of resembles Orcs is the game. Green skin FTW!

[What do you wish not to see in PE]

Level scaling and escort quests are at the top of my "STAY AWAY!" list.

 

If I'm stupid enough to wander into a dangerous area way beyond my ability with a sign stating "WARNING: Big Dangerous Trolls Ahead" when I'm low level I expect to get ripped apart by hulking trolls rather than encounter level 2 trolls. Punish me for overstepping my bounds.

 

As far as escort quests go, I don't think I need to explain this one. I'm pretty sure we all hate escort quests.

[Food]

I'm all for making food, water, and sleep necessary in Expert Mode a la Fallout: New Vegas.

[What types of weapons would you like to see in game?]

Also, please make the weapons realistic looking. Stay away from the Anime-style sword that's twice the size of the person wielding it or mace/hammer with a head so gigantic it would be flat out impossible to wield.

[Which Infinity Engine games did you play?]

I played all of them minus Trials of the Luremaster. Planescape: Torment was my favorite of the bunch.

[What types of weapons would you like to see in game?]

As long as there's a pole axe in there somewhere I'll be a happy man.

 

[Update #9: The power of MODES and Godlike Races: Our $2.3M Stretch Goal]

I will definitely be playing the game in no hand-holding (Expert) mode. I'm really glad this option will be in the game. I've often been a fan of games like the Gothic/Risen series where you just get dropped into the world and the game doesn't coddle you. I like to figure things out for myself rather than having a giant arrow constantly pointing me in the right direction, the game explicitly telling me which dialog options are good or bad or giving me a percentage value of a persuasion check succeeding, or a flashing button on the screen with the words "Click to auto-complete quest".

[Update #10: Characteriztion with Chris Avellone]

Welcome Keyrock. You're far from the Grim Dawn forums :D

Indeed. And yes, I am that same Keyrock. I wonder how many other familiar faces... err, avatars, I'll see here.

 

Hopefully we will get some companions who will have conflicts (potentially physical if the player doesn't diffuse it) with each other. I had a good time listening to Neeshka and Elanee butting heads in NWN2... well at least until I kicked that pointy-eared dirty tree-hugger out of my group.

[Update #10: Characteriztion with Chris Avellone]

Hey folks, new to the forum. I didn't see a "Introduce Yourself" thread anywhere so I guess this is where my first post will go. While I have yet to pledge to Project Eternity, I will as soon a Pay Pal donations go live (I can't do Amazon Payments at the moment). I'm a long time RPG fan and the old Infinity Engine games are some of my favorite games of all time. In fact I have Infinity Engine games rated as my #1 (Planescape: Torment) and #2 (Baldur's Gate 2) greatest RPGs ever made.

 

Anyway, great update from Chris. Man, I thought my work area was messy. I've always been a fan of Obsidian Games and despite any criticisms people may have of Obsidian, i think we can all agree that Obsidian has always had interesting companions in their games. Neeshka is still probably my favorite companion ever, and more recently I've been very fond of Veronica, Cass, and Lily.

 

Also, happy birthday, Chris! You didn't actually appear in this latest video, but going by your appearance in the pitch video, you don't look a day over 397!