Osvir

Just wild guessing about the documentary. Considering that editting and reviewing takes lots of time, maybe by early-mid summer? Wild guess~

I'm just trying to elaborate, I did feel you didn't read my bigger post (A, B, C, D) given your response to it. The main difference between Walking and Running is the amount of Time it takes to get from Point A to Point B. It is not about the Animation (although, Walking movespeed with Running animation would look awfully awkward), it is about Time, Distance, Tactics. Not vanity or cosmetics (even if it has a cosmetic application). When combat begins, there is often times X distance between 2 targets. Depending on the opponents movements, you react. The faster the characters get into Engagement and cross that X distance, the less time you have to react or think about it. Running removes all "X distance" calculations, making combat become "What happens in Engagement?" not "What happens in Combat?" (Two different things). Running = Less Tactics to employ. If I were to compare with, abstracted, Turn-Based, you have 2-3 tiles away from your opponent, and you get to tactically move your characters into position. Imagine how Turn-Based games would be if all characters could move up to the enemy on the very first turn. In Pillars of Eternity, with the Running, there is little time. That "gap" is nearly non-existant. Walking serves the Players, because they would have a more interesting combat experience, but most of all it serves Developers, because it gives them more room and a more controlled environment to develop Tactical play around preparation, positioning, reactivity, environment, AI and movement. Even abilities. If you can Run up to the enemy and bash them in their face before their AI triggers complete, what purpose would that AI serve? None. Wasted developed time. But if you instead Walk, and the enemy manages to start casting a spell, and you have to use a "Sprint" ability to dodge it, that adds more tactics. Or the AI positioning themselves in a way that you can't just "Run past them", or them retreating backwards themselves into a doorway, and you wouldn't be able to "catch up" to them (Unless you would use a "Sprint" equivalent Ability). It allows the AI to finish their command before you abrupt it and create a new one. I.E. it allows the Developers to script the AI in a more controlled and predictable environment, giving the Player a more interesting encounter challenge (Which is why Turn-Based Combat is so good at delivering tactical combat, because the AI is actually allowed to do stuff before you overcome them). It isn't rocket science, in theory (but maybe in practice/development). EDIT: The underline serves pretty much my entire opinion. That's how it feels with Running in Pillars of Eternity (In Combat). I guess I am okay with exploring in "Run Mode". But in Combat it doesn't quite fit in. This is pretty much my opinion: -Exploration = Running -Combat = Scout Stance/Movement Animation/Speed+Short burst Sprint command/ability.

Why shouldn't they fix the main game? Why make sequels? EDIT: For clarification. I believe that some mechanics in Pillars of Eternity will be better patched, balanced, tweaked as best as they possibly can. But at some point they are going to work on sequels and therein probably improve on a lot of mechanics as well, and perhaps even use better techs and learn Unity even more (and Unity itself will improve based on Developer feedback, over time).

The enemies don't have a Facing Detection, but rather have a Circular Detection Radius around them. If they did, then perhaps it would be better and easier to tune as well, but creating Facing values and vision cones for enemies are probably hard work for the developers. Sequel will probably have way better Stealth. Rogues have Shadowing Beyond though though, you have to start the combat phase to activate it...

Adding my voice again to this discussion. Pillars of Eternity II starting wherever you left off, but keeping the areas or allowing you to return to the Dyrford at some point (obviously with new content, and bringing your consequences with you to the areas). One of the things I wanted to do in Baldur's Gate II was to have the ability to travel back to the Sword Coast, back to Baldur's Gate City. Of course, Baldur's Gate II's story wasn't supporting of that idea, and the plot didn't really have any room for that either. That is why I am bringing it up here. Pillars of Eternity 2 could support content and plot happenings in the Dyrford and Eastern Reach areas It also would give Obsidian the ability to make Eora two times the size bigger in a sequel (Imagine how big Baldur's Gate II would've been if you'd be able to travel back to Baldur's Gate 1? :D BGT does this, but there's no new content or plot, making it feel somewhat flat). The simplest solution, an abstraction: The Stronghold, and keeping it as a "proxy" of some sort. "Whilst you travel to foreign lands, you will have an emissary that you can send to your Stronghold to manage your relations and trade in the region" or something. Though, most of all, dream-scenario, would be to have a massive world (Like the earlier Final Fantasy games, Tales of... games, Star Ocean 1 & 2, with continents and travel across the seas to foreign lands and a large massive campaign spanning maybe even years). Why are jRPG's so goed at creating world maps, and why are cRPG's and wRPG's so centered around a specific location? (<- curiousity around design philosophy)

*shrug* @OP: I stopped paying attention to them. I did read a lot of them and thought they were cool and all but.... so many of them! They eventually fell into the shroud of my ignorance, and became "commoners". The only issue I had was that, you could reach out to their souls before the tree in Gilded Vale (which, narratively, felt like the first time). It felt a bit like a paradox in the MC's powers and I had to make-believe/pretend/imagine my MC never having reached out to any of the Backer NPC's prior to that.

Combat was feels designed around Engagement (Which certainly has tons of rooms for improvement. I like it and I enjoy it, but it could be better). Out of Combat Exploration was feels designed around Running (Towns, Safe-Areas, Point A to B exploration = Fast-Mode solves all of this regardless of if you were flying, skipping, jumping, crawling or whatever your character could've done) Dungeon/Danger Area Exploration was feels designed around Scout Mode. Two different cases. Three Different cases. EDIT: Strike-through to clarify. I can't say that "It was" because I'm not the developer (and unless you are, you can't either). I am not asking or demanding anything by the way. I am stating my opinion and my thoughts why I believe that Running causes more problems than what Walking would have done. It is all hypotheticals but, why I took your post out of context is because, I am not talking about a toggle. I am talking about a change that will most likely never happen (and I state as such in my post). Remove Running completely, replace it with Walking. A toggle won't solve anything, because Players will use "Auto-Run" anyways.

I just want to clarify if anyone feels my posts can come off as negative or you read into them as overly negative. I am immensely optimistic and finding this game amazing :D seeing the foundations they have laid bare, it is fairly easy to see what they want to do with it and which way it is headed this is the beginning of a series, not the end. Critique of what works well and what works worse is well-intentioned as to create even more improved content for the future and I believe it is helpful for Obsidian. All feedback about the game is great, regardless if it is positive or negative. But "This game sucks!" ain't helping anybody, such posts would need elaboration, explanation of what was wrong, what the Player felt was bad etc. Of course, no developer can cater to every single personal preference, but they can cater to a broad range of individuals by seeing the "stick" tests. Most developers that have used some form of Early Access or Beta Access praise it for a reason.

Holy smokes! I believe you but..... on my 6 year old computer (Core7 920 2.6 GHz), from a hard disk (not an SSD), my area loading times are usually around 3 seconds. That's on Ubuntu Linux 14.10, 8 GB RAM, with the GOG version of PoE. I wonder if everybody having really slow load times is running off Steam maybe? Or could be a Windows thing too, Windows is rubbish at disk IO compared to Linux from what I've seen in other games. Let me clarify with some new-found insights, because I removed all of my save files and put them in a backup folder (I made a new save file every single time I wanted to save). I had about 40-50 save files in my directory. After I put them all in the backup folder and turned off Steam Cloud, the game loading screens sped up and most of the game ran much MUCH faster than it did before. Pillars of Eternity has had problems with save files since the Backer Beta, and I am guessing that it is the villain of the story in most cases regarding loading times. My dxdiag might make sense to you. My computer is worse than yours (I think?). The game runs fine still, and I managed to complete it after all

Running causes all kinds of problems, in my opinion. It is too late for it all but here's my opinions and thoughts on what would've been better: A) You already have Fast-Mode, you don't need Running. In fact, I barely did anything without Fast-Mode, why wouldn't I? It is there, and it speeds up the game greatly. Combat slows down to Normal Speed anyways. Fast-Mode solves all "perceived problems" that Walking would've "caused". But Walking would've solved way more problems in Combat, in Exploration, in Feels. There are also Bracelets of Speed and Boots of Speed too, that really serves Zero purpose because above mentioned flaws in Running (These Bracelets and Boots would've had much more purpose with Walking). B) Running messes with combat. It does. When you spot an enemy, running into the Engagement and the Enemy running into yours causes a lot of fickle movements and twitches to the characters. It looks chaotic at many times, and it would've done the game more justice to have characters walk into engagement or walk whilst encountering each other in melee combat. It would've also been more controlled, as characters wouldn't have sped around like junkies on adrenaline. It would've also served enemy types and challenge if the characters had been Walking instead. Some enemies could've been faster, and that would've been a challenge in and of itself. "****! This enemy is running! Pause!" and preparing and calculating what to do. There is not much or any of that at this point. Walking would've AIDED tactics and strategy in combat. C) Scout Mode. I use it almost everywhere I go where I perceive there is danger nearby. It feels wise to do so. The "crack" or "twitch" in the pace of movement feels awkward when combat begins. From lurking/scouting/searching into running. Walking would've solved this as well, or, keep the "scout" stance and use that stance in combat as well as "readied" into combat. At the moment, character's "scout" with their weapons ready, and when combat begins, they drop their stance, lower their weapons to their sides, runs into engagement, and then brings up their weapons again. So many holes in their defenses! D) Sprinting. All characters having some sort of "Wild Sprint" equivalent that the Barbarian has, a limited, per encounter (Fatigue draining) ability that they could use in combat. A burst of movement. This would've aided mobility in combat. Specific "Sprint AI Scripts" to add even more flavor to B) enemies. Meeting a Fighter, or a Rogue in combat, and you see them Sprint? You'd have to react, think and calculate. I.E. It would've added more reactivity in combat. All in all: Running wasn't necessary to begin with. It works against the mechanics, not for them.

Combusting Wounds+Firebug+The Dragon Thrashed (Or "Rime and Frost" for earlier)+Carnage = Yeaaaaaaahhh!! :D Wizard, Druid, Chanter, Barbarian. Massive AoE damage.

Scores, ban them please, burn them in the hellfires of Magran please! But I'll play: 1- Replayability. Companions. Dispositions. Roleplay. Adventurers. Stronghold. Quests. Endings (Multiple of them). Multiple outcomes. Multiple beginnings that will have multiple consequences. Whilst the sense of urgency in this game might be "fake", it affected me and it made me abandon a lot of side-quests and focus on finishing the critical path. This Obsidian design strategy might not have worked on everybody, but it worked on me and I'm on the fair belief that then it probably worked on (most likely) a minority of the Players. Meaning: I'm going to have to replay if I want to see more. There's also, supposedly, an early ending somewhere, or a "bad" ending. There are a lot of stuff to explore and figure out too. Finding hidden gems warrant a second or even a third playthrough. Granted that you enjoyed the story/plot/game on your first playthrough and want to see what else you can do in the game. "What is possible and what isn't?". Though, then we're talking about game research~ which might not be the same thing as "game replay", perhaps. 2- Semi-agree. They did a backwards step here, and I keep wondering "Why does this not work like Baldur's Gate?" (In cities, going into houses and such, you could send 1 character into a house, and the rest would stay outside. Hardly any loading times too). This is worst in Brighthollow, where I have explained before that there is too many loading screens for just going inside to Rest and then turn around (So I made a little game out of it to actually feel like I was doing something "valuable" with my time. Which was dropping and sorting items of different types in the various chests in the other rooms on the upper floor). Otherwise it is 50-60 seconds of loading time for just a 5-10 seconds "Resting" loading screen. This can easily be fixed though. 3- Don't agree. Pillars of Eternity is far better than Baldur's Gate in most areas, in my opinion. The only thing that is lacking, which you said too, is there aren't as many areas to explore (in terms of "overworld wilderness"). The Endless Paths is fun and all, and is a great foundation to have in the world of Eora (Lore-wise). It was also an awesome Kickstarter stretch-goal idea that Obsidian tinkered together. Though, if this would've been an "ordinary" development project (hypothetically speaking at this point), there would've been a benefit in perhaps cutting 5 levels of the Endless Paths and put in more wilderness areas. Then again, what they have is a great foundation, as I said, and expansions can do what they do best: Expand.

"Hard" in Pillars of Eternity aims to be "Core" difficulty of Baldur's Gate. In retrospect: it achieves this really well. Late-game Baldur's Gate is also easy, well, the entire game on "Core" difficulty of Baldur's Gate is fairly easy in the same way as "Hard" is in Pillars. PrimeJunta has a point, and I should play "PotD" and see if the thoughts I have about "Hard" will remain.

I encounter the same problem. Made a thread.

I searched for "Odema" in the forums, and couldn't find anything. I have already finished the game once (Simply stellar!) and thought I'd delve into testing and checking for bugs and technical bits (Starting on Easy, with Expert Mode). Description: I played around and defeated the entire caravan. When the game "broke", i.e. I couldn't trigger the waterskin anymore, I loaded the quicksave I had made before it and did the ordinary/standard thing to progress. After the dialogue with the Glanfathans and defeating them, the game breaks. How to reproduce (I did it maybe 2-3 times): 1- Load this savefile 2- Load this Quicksave 3- Leave Calisca at camp (What I did, might not be necessary) 4- Go for waterskin -> Start script with character 5- Return to camp 6- Pick Choice 1, then 4 (Galawain). It might break regardless what you do, but this is the path I chose. 7- Nothing 8- Loading the quicksave will repeat the issue (Fix: Restarting the client and loading quicksave) Expected and Desired behavior: Game continuing without having to restart the client, or alternatively, being able to trigger the script with the waterskin without Calisca (If you play a nefarious character ). Files: - Screenshot - Output_log - Savefile after 6. - dxdiag

Just adding my thoughts that I think I've scattered in other threads: - I felt that Hard was more challenging in early levels and early party when I only had 3-4 party members. As if it is better balanced with a smaller party. I reckon it tends to be easier to balance games around smaller parties (hence, Sword Coast Legends = 4 party members, Dragon Age = 4 party members, Final Fantasy series = mostly 3 to 4 party members, etc. etc. Final Fantasy IV being the oddity, having 5 party members) - I felt that Level 1-8 was more intense, and after that it steadily dropped. I don't recall if I got a game/challenge changing item or if that one level from 7 to 8 changed the power of my party, or if the enemies had just become predictable/under-my-level, at this point. My guess is that the end-game levels aren't particularly balanced with how fast your party (of 6) grows after a certain point, or it isn't balanced around you getting the best weapon at that point. I just remember that it was quite sudden. From struggling to suddenly breezing through all enemies. I also know that a lot of RPG's are designed to give the Player a somewhat sudden boost in power. Most Players want to feel strong towards the end (regardless if they want to admit it or not ), as if they have become the "Demi-Gods" they've trained to become and want to feel powerful and an impact from that Level cap (I admit, there was a certain satisfaction in crushing the enemies like they were nothing but paper). Granted, this was with using combo's to nullify the enemies from barely touching me. Buff me, debuff them ;D SQUISH! And, in light of what PrimeJunta said, you can play 1-6 party members... meaning, balancing the mid-game to end-game around 6 characters, is going to make anything under it only more unattainable. You begin with 1 character, then progress towards 6 characters, and when it gets too easy, drop 1 or 2, eventually you'll be back where you started, with 1 character.

^That's what I'm talking about. When you get 20-30 "Fine Breastplates", that doesn't make it any less thrash, and you can sell that virtually indefinately, and those items sell for some, IIRC, 140 cp. I'm not talking about blank items, like a regular Common Dagger, but rather the "Uncommons" that are blue. In bulk, you can sell those for a lot, and the amount of Rare/Epic/Legendary armors means you're pretty much never going to have to use any of the Exceptional or Superb armors you can find either. They are pretty much just piles of cash, everything that isn't epic/legendary. *shrug* I guess I'm just seeking~dreaming~envisioning an intricate economy system in a cRPG~ yet to be seen (just so you all know, this is not the first time I'm bringing this up ). Uncharted Waters breeding with a cRPG, mmmhmm. That'd be wonderful :D Stronghold+Crafting elements? Visitors asking for scrolls of some type, you have to craft it? Create trade routes with the various factions? Research? Build a military force? Expand? Exterminate? Explore? Exploit? (4X of Eternity xD) integrating crafting into the stronghold and with visitors and making it important somehow, and then create a wonderful dynamic echo-system economy :p (I'm not asking for it, I am demanding it!!). Just kidding of course. It's just a dream, a vision. And there's no Unlimited Stash's in it, that's for sure. But it's an extensive and deep, complex system that would take years to develop on its own. Maybe in Pillars of Eternity #4..X!

It's a work of art EDIT: I want to talk about the game plot much more in detail but, I don't want to spoil anyone with my eagerness. It's been 5 days I should replay it again with another party, and take a different route (Maybe on PotD?). So much to explore! And there's some bugs to squash and report as well.

@Nanakamado: Or a button in the options menu that greys it out, or puts an "X" over it (Or more like, disallowing Weapons, Armor, Potions, Scrolls, to be put into the Stash, but allowing lockpicks, pets, ingredients, books, to be put in the stash). I do the same thing as your wife, I pick up everything, partially because I can, and partially I'll be at a better advantage later on. And I also can see the abstracted immersion of having an imagined cart with you, or slaves, or even have your own caravan or whatever. And you can make it make sense in a pretend-way, but, I don't know, it disturbs the economical balance in the game (in my opinion), because you get so much more than you need. Way too easy gold. Another solution would be to heighten the upkeep of the stronghold, make it more costly in some way (maybe more attacks the more complete it is, maybe more costs the more complete it is, and hirelings being way more expensive).

Freaking Aloth *shakes head* he doesn't even need to do anything and the enemies hone in on him. He's so gullible

^The only person I see complaining is you complaining about someone complaining, which makes me a complainer of the ones complaining about the ones complaining of the complaints. Or something Get over it.

He does. But to my understanding the topic has already been discussed to great lengths here and elsewhere, as far as I can tell, and Moderators closed 2 of these threads yesterday (One of them 30 pages long, and I'm pretty sure that TB's soundcloud was probably shared in that thread).

Some thoughts on "Which Skill is the best one?". Had an epiphany mid-play, because some of my characters got fatigued all the time whenever I traveled from point A to point B, or in-between every fight so I had to rest often. I put in some points in Athletics and didn't have to worry too much about it afterwards. Priorities, in my opinion: 1) Athletics, otherwise all your dudes and dudettes will be wanting to rest after every "long" or tough encounter they're in. 2) Mechanics, only 1 dedicated character needs this. 3) Stealth if you want to be sneaky and not be spotted instantly, put about 4-5 points into it. Only those in your front (of your formation) is going to need it. But it's fun to have a dedicated Scout too Utilitarian/Gimmick/Dialogue---If you want to spice up your build on your MC or try something new: - Lore is probably more important on non-Caster classes, because Caster classes will be so busy casting spells that they're never going to have time to use any scrolls anyways. Really helpful actually to have some Lore on a Melee class to be able to cast some Endurance healing or buff spells before heading into the fray. Buuuut... you won't be needing to use any scrolls anyways *shrugs* Lots of options in Dialogue though, so it is a Main Character Skill more or less. Or on a Ranger. - Survival, goes in the same bin as Lore. You're hardly going to use Potions anyways, and you'll be "overburdened" with so many potions (just like in Baldur's Gate and the rest of the Infinity Engine games) that the potions will end up staying in the stash, or getting sold to a vendor anyways. Or, well, maybe not you, but I have a stash full of potions that I'm never using because I don't need to. You could, essentially, make a Fighter/Wizard with Potions+Scrolls. Buff yourself up at the beginning of combat by drinking 10 potions (slightly exaggerated ) and then buff yourself with 10 scrolls (yeah I'm pushing it) and then wreak havoc (probably)

It is a bottomless thrash can. That's about how exciting and interesting the Unlimited Stash is. More like "Unlimited Thrash". EDIT: Also, I sold thrash (low-tier/bad/clone-equipment) for about 50k copper lol.