Osvir

Well, with the innovations of the Steam handheld controller I'm curious if strategy-esque PC games can become more of a reality on console than it has before. The way games like the IE games handle (with PAUSE) makes it possible. It wasn't possible on the Playstation 1 (PSX) but it could be possible today with modern technology. I am not against the idea of a console port, but I don't think it'd be a wise thing to do at this current time for PoE (i.e. it's nothing they should focus time and energy on).

I hope that in-party members get split experience. For ease of understanding: 4 party members, 1000 experience, they get 250 exp each. 1 party member, 1000 experience, he/she gets 1000 experience. Out of party members would need some more macro-management, they'd have to be sent on "missions", training or some sort of (for lack of better word) "Facebook game". Meaning: You'd click a button and they'd be away for X minutes/hours. Some of the Assassin's Creed games has this, and it is in my opinion the best way to handle something like it. Similarly, I believe Dragon Age: Inquisition is having some sort of similar system, by the name of "Agents". But I think these are out-of-party NPC's though, they aren't members of the adventuring party but they are part of whatever "coalition force" or whatever you are owning/controlling in DA:I. I know the latest 3rd person shooter X-COM, beuracracy (spelling [null]) something~ (not the tactical turn-based one) has it as well. *shrug* I'm also recalling that out-of-party members might leave the Stronghold if you are not maintaining them because they've got other stuff to do. Again, how would you get alerted that an out-of-party member returns to the Stronghold after a mission? Maybe you could set up a sort of "schedule" when you are at the Stronghold. And yet again, how would you handle out-of-party member(s) being away from the Stronghold (leaving it vurnerable but not defenseless) and getting attacked at the same time by X faction? Sounds like it could be a good thing for balance's sake, one might want to min-max and send away their out-of-party members on missions to give them experience to catch up with the adventuring party, but that could work against the Player as well. Not to mention that some missions should be risky (out-of-party members sent on missions could potentially die and you could lose them permanently).

On one playthrough you might want to build a certain character (Fighter) and only auto-attack with it, in a way that most or if not all abilities becomes useless or not needed for your completion of the game (casual difficulty perhaps~ or a super tanky talents and a modal and active ability to adhere to that build on a harder difficulty, a taunt wall with lots of health and little damage/ability capabilities). On another playthrough you might want to build a super heavy hitter (Fighter) that deals lots of damage and has a big arsenal of abilities to use in many different situations, tactically or not. Maybe you are just roleplaying a character and just for the heck of it put weird wonky stats and weird concepts and simply make it work. Even if it is sup-optimal. A big set of abilities allow for many different styles of play. At least for a first or second playthrough (as the first player base) before the game goes Wiki/Walkthrough-meta. I think there's a lot of replayability in a good list of abilities, and even in Dishonored (which I played through twice, High Chaos and Low Chaos) I managed to try out different styles. One was a gung-ho melee and close ranged shooter who engaged like a barbarian, and I built the abilities to fit to that sort of playstyle, not OPTIMAL but it was fun. On my second playthrough I blinked, slowed down time, choked and neutralized everyone in a more stealthy sneaky ninja kind of way. Again, what is "optimal" is all entirely up to you. I think that playing a High Chaos Barbarian type of style was optimal for that sort of playthrough, and the Low Chaos "Ninja"-like playthrough was optimal for that sort of playthrough~ am I making any sense?

Loving it! :D regarding the animal companion I am just curious if we'll be able to change it or find new ones during the course of the game. Like others have said, maybe being able to have 2-3. And the Ranger seems to be heavy on the animal companion BUT, is it possible to have a build without a companion? Edér is a new companion I understand, very similar name to Edair. Is Edair kicked/replaced? One question: I am noticing some re-use of the constructs, they are just placed at different angles and such. Props kind of stuff. Take the northern most 3-pillar construct and the one on the SE (south east) location, they are the same. Would this be potential "items" to use in potential map-making? As for what type of combo I'd like to see hmm, I don't know. All of them?

Sorry about that. Also that's what I meant (big companies+Kickstarter combo = infancy/new thing). So here's the one you posted. January 18th, 2014. Here's the link to his previous analysis. November 10th, 2012. Aaand back to October 2nd 2012. And here's UnSub on brokenforum. September 16, 2012. EDIT: Judging by his opinions/posts and previous articles I am getting this slight feeling he's on a bit of a witch-hunt/he is biased. Though, it is still an interesting article. EDIT: I've got to stop doing this but, I read on a little bit further in the forum and he has some valid points~ it is also a cynical article, which isn't negative by any means but I still think that there is some obsession going on about "delivery dates". For instance, haven't we said on this forum that we are okay with PoE taking longer? Are we at fault or is Obsidian at fault? I don't think anyone is at fault. We'd get a bigger game, Obsidian can work longer. These are things that his data can't take into consideration. How many other Kickstarted projects have communities that are okay with it taking longer? Or will **** simply hit the fan in April on these forums? Maybe. Obsidian has given us great updates on the project, but from my previous post where 2 guys ask if this "Project 1" is finished 2 years later (when it seems it is) I'm getting a feeling not everyone reads every update. Then again, I can't read the contents of the specific update on Project 1 because it is only available to backers.

@Bryy: It is an interesting article, but it is far from unbiased. Kickstarter is very much in its infancy, and will probably grow with the years to be something bigger and better. Heck, it feels as if every new big project that comes out they've learned a lot from the previous. So if Obsidian would choose to create a second Kickstarter after all the new stretch goals (more companions, more areas) they'd be handling it even better because of experience. Does any studio have much experience with Kickstarter? Back to the article, remember, he's covering all Kickstarted game products. That means if there are 100 cases that are bad, then the few ones that are good are taking a hit, or losing credibility and gaining cynism. Project: Eternity and Project 1 are light years from each other. Is it fair to judge "Project: Eternity" based on the "Project 1" results? EDIT: But then again, maybe Project 1 did see the light of day? Author: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/nathanial-benton/33/161/997 Homepage: http://www.fatedhaven.com/ Facebook Activity: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fated-Haven/218290894869564 Big Fish Games: http://www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/14719/fated-haven-chapter-one/index.html EDIT: So does this mean that these commentors of this Kickstarter are dim-witted? (HINT: Look at when they commented) https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1248367795/project-1-rpg-game/comments Latest update: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1248367795/project-1-rpg-game/posts/291525 Aug 19, 2012 EDIT: But then again, he did release the game in 2011 and then funded it in 2012? HMMMM.... but that's a controversy for another time.

I watched an infuriating Let's Play of some half-wit guy playing through Broken Age (He was talking about the solution, 10 seconds later when he was at the right area he turns around and decides to do something else and contradicts what he just said! It was a streamed recording, and he was constantly trying to get attention from his audience so I guess that's why). The game and story looked fun and very interesting, in general it's an interesting story really. That they blew out of budget meant they didn't have a very strict budget planning or project planning. What I've read it seemed they went kind of loosely about it. It's a bit of an Oliver Twist complex/syndrome... but reversed. I enjoyed Shadowrun: Returns a lot, but something about it feels lacking. As if there's an option that's supposed to be there that isn't there, and I can't pin-point it. But I like the story and the aesthetics, it was the combat gameplay bit that I wanted something more out of. FTL is awesome, like others have said, it is a great game concept. Easy to play, but difficult to conquer. Currently playing some Divinity: Original Sin with a friend, and it is great. Lots of choices in character building throughout the game (in dialogues and in character creation). Lots of stuff that I laugh out loud about that you encounter and stuff that happens, it feels a little bit Monty Python-ish at times. Haven't gotten very far at all, but I'm looking forward to its growth a lot :D But I am curious, can Divinity: OS be called a Kickstarter game? Because in the Kickstarter Larian said "This game is coming, but we want to add more stuff into it. Which is why we ask you etc. etc.", it's more like the extra content they wanted to add in was Kickstarted. No matter~ just sentiments (is that the right word I'm looking for? Err.. no, I meant semantics). No worries here. Kickstarted projects are more interesting by definition in my opinion, they have a different history and were only made available and possible thanks to fans and community.

What if I only have 2 or 3 characters at the Stronghold then (too weak to handle a current attack)? Could I hire some extra "part-time" help? Ideas: - Gladiator slaves. Like the AP for the summons in Shadowrun: Returns, but reversed (pay too little and they might get a random "morale check" and flee for freedom, pay more and they'll stay and fight for you). Hiring the same Gladiator over and over (granted he/she survives and never flees) during the course of the game could give some sort of "Trust" and the morale check dissipates. - Temporary Adventurer's Hall companions that run away when they are low on health (killing a deserter would give you back the money you spent on him/her, but could hit your reputation and/or future AH companions could cost more as a consequence). - Some extra NPC grunts/units (infantry, archers, soldiers~, non-controllable). Another thing: How does the Stronghold know it is about to get attacked? If some bandits or random monsters engage the Stronghold on impulse, how would the Stronghold be capable of knowing and delivering a message to the adventuring party on time? Can you construct outposts? Maybe there is a sort of VIP sensor-type character you can acquire plotwise or side-quest-wise that can "sense" incoming attacks somehow (non-controllable, a "butler"-type, stays at the Stronghold always)~ an Xavier Druid that gets notified by the land/nature, an Xavier Wizard that has put out a barrier or has some sort of "Farsight" ability, or an Xavier Ranger/Beastmaster who is notified by animals, or an Xavier Cipher that can "sense" an incoming ill intent somehow. Or there is something underneath the Stronghold that simply is "alive" or has some sort of soul and is connected to the main characters soul somehow. TL;DR;Repeat: How does the Stronghold know it is about to get attacked?

What happens after you get the message? 1: How do I get notified? Soul Cerebro at the Stronghold and a bald Cipher in a make-shift medieval wheelchair who transmits the message to you? Jokes aside it'd look more like close-to authentic this, or like steampunky this*. Some real thoughts: - Bird messengers - Runners/Horseback riders~Messengers - When you return to Campsite 2: How do I travel? I've thought about this one quite a bit, and am curious how you defend. Do you always have to travel back? Can I take control of my units/companions I've left at the Stronghold? Can I invest money into the defense (FF7 and Fort Condor springs to mind)? Does the adventuring party teleport back to the Stronghold? Is there some in-game item that allows you to teleport between the Stronghold and other locations? (In Suikoden you have a Wizard that can teleport you anywhere pretty much, and to get back you have to use a Mirror, the mirror is a common concept and is pretty cool). In Divine Divinity you have these 2 pyramids that you can place wherever you like, which is also a pretty cool method. Is teleportation even a thing in the world of PoE? 3: Dynamic or Static Defense? Are these time-based, some urgency involved, or are they paused and static until dealt with? In the former we'd get some roguelike elements, things that'd happen by chance. You travel to the Stronghold, and the enemy has yet arrived, or they have arrived and are waiting outside your gates, or they are well underway of taking over your Stronghold. Maybe they've even managed to capture some prisoners/hostages. Some of the staff dead (which would need replacement later). Maybe you manage to get a favorable positioning, appearing in an ambush, or an unfavorable positioning. Rogue-like elements~ If static, can I just ignore them and continue adventuring until I take my time for it? Or will it be some sort of "dice roll"? Can my Stronghold defenses handle the assault by themselves automatically, "Resolve battle", or do I have to take control of it? Can I intercept an incoming attack? Maybe troops could be seen on the world map, moving towards the Stronghold, but I have a pretty good position and can intercept it before it gets to the Stronghold and deal with it beforehand. 4: What happens afterwards? Maintanence costs? Did anything break? Anyone of the staff died? Anything got stolen? Results basically. EDIT: * Coincedentally the steampunky wheelchair was a Xavier reference, I noticed this after pressing "Post" :D

What about increase/decrease in AoE? IIRC in the IE games a Fireball spell always has the same radius, it was only the damage that was affected during level up. Now, I am not suggesting or considering that an AoE should be gaining or declining in AoE as you level up, but more or less the Player being able to manipulate it or control it. Maybe a Player could "insert" casting time into spells, similar to how a Shaman in Shadowgrounds: Returns can insert AP to a Summon. Or we could customize a Grimoire with spells (By adding X spell you affect Y statistic of other spells). Let's say we have a Fireball spell in our deck Grimoire that has vanilla 10 meters radius AoE, and by having another Fire spell... maybe a Firestorm spell (I dunno I'm just making it up~ a concept) would up that by 1 meter. Similarly, a Haste spell could affect casting speed of certain spells... maybe. It quickly becomes a bit of a balancing issue though. Such as AI implementation. General implementation of it too~

Re-posting this for people to see. The voting ended 11 days ago. I said it in another post as well but Pillars of Eternity was on Number 44 and made it to Number 41 in 2 days. Most people who don't know what Pillars of Eternity is might not give much of a damn, and only look at the Top 10 or maybe even the Top 5 (The "Metacritic Syndrome"). But to me it meant a lot, it means this Community made an impact, even if it is a small one in the eyes of oblivious others. And with that said (voting ended that is): Would this topic fit better in "Computer & Console", or "Way off topic", now?

I lost track of this thead. But Bastion's achievements were rewarding, they gave something in return (Coin that is). However, I did think it was a little bit odd that you had an in-game achievement mechanic in the "Build" system (The Vigil that I mentioned) and it also had Steam achievements copy+pasted. The same achievements you unlocked in-game, you also achieved out-of-game (in Steam). The point I wanted to make with Bastions mid-tier achievements were that they were rewarding in-game, the actual achievements in themselves are rather uninteresting and fairly simple to get (as you say "Max out this weapon" etc.etc.), then there were like... 6(?) high-skill/challenge Steam only achievements (another form of "rewarding"). EDIT: Then again, Bastion is a really good game in itself (with or without the achievements).

Are the graphical circles UI, and is this something that can be turned on/off (Show/Hide)? If you can "Hide" it, is there some signifying element in-game that tells me "The guard is investigating" or "the guard is hostile". Example/Concept: 1) Circles On = You see where the border of the circles are, so you know mechanically both how good you are at stealth as well as how far away you are from getting detected. 2) Circles Off = The guard will "grunt" or deviate in some way when "Investigating" (not exclusive to "Off"). The main difference here would be that in 1 you know when and why you trigger the "Investigate" but in 2 it'll just happen and you'll have to "guess" how far your circles go so that you can avoid hostility. In 1) you'd be able to visually see how good you are and hear the "grunt", in 2) you'd only hear the "grunt". Like many of my harder difficulty thoughts (which this also is part of), I'd take this for a spin once or twice. I am also curious if in-game "shadows" (on screen as well as mechanically) affect the Scout mode and the circles in any way.

I became a member in September, didn't pledge back then because personal stuff (economical~). Then when Slacker Backer became a "thing" I went for that, and when the Backer Site came up I upped my pledge. But what I wanted to address was that I had 25$ for the Slacker Backer, then I pledged 120$ (I think, got to check the backer site), and it became like 2 separate orders. Will I get a Digital Copy for the Slacker Backer tier and the Early Access tier? I don't mind that one bit by the way (I can gift one copy to a friend that way), but just curious :D I am considering upping my pledge quite a bit in the coming month(s) as well, but if I am to do it I want to "upgrade" the 120$ tier. I want to add money to the current one, not make a new separate one. Say, instead of having one 25$, one 120$ and another 100$, I'd prefer to have one 25$ and one 220$.

Amazing!! Loving it! <3 Do I spot re-usable set-pieces in the ruins scene (pillars)? I have to wonder if that could play a part in potential modding? The architecture is 3D objects/constructs? The character sheet looks great as well, like all them numbers and reputation and titles and the whole layout. But I have to admit, I get inspired and get ideas.... scroll bar or tabs (with animated page turning) for different aspects of the character? (purely immersive, scroll bar looks odd on a stacked sheet of papers, I really like the concept but the scroll bar looks ill-placed). EDIT: OR each piece of paper is a character sheet ofc! And when you switch to another character sheet you get page turning? (Start off with 1 page, 1 character. 2 pages, 2 characters etc.etc.)

True. But as I said, if we are allowed to add some props (really only props) then we could add our own touch to it. The "base" template would always be the same, but what modders can do with a few props could make each area stand out on their own so it wouldn't be the same area over and over again. Not to mention we could give the areas titles, as well as add characters, monsters, maybe a battle is taking place, or a hunt and so on and so forth. Lots of stuff could be done with a cloned map, as long as there are tools to "polish" it or make it varied/diverse from all the other clones. The very best method would really be too release a blank template of a map, an pen grassy field or a sandy desert area. Then create modding resources for props 100%. Then that grassy field could transform into a forest, or that desert area could get some cacti and flora. Maybe an oasis too even and stuff like that. The power in modding in environmental maps should be mostly on the Props side I think.

I like teknoman2's approach the most, and I'm even tempted (and giving in to temptation as well mind you) to go even further at Character Creation and giving you the Player to write out like a big name-form of some kind. Letting the Player decide what name to be called in situations that might happen or might not happen. Like... First Name: Last Name: Nickname: Evil Name: Good Name: Faction 1 Name: Faction 2 Name: etc.etc. Could be fun to do Inserting some psuedo/placebo-"Player controlled" narrative. Not very appealing perhaps (I admit), but couldn't let this idea slip (explorative idea).

These answers? PCGamer Interview (the answers are at the bottom of the linked page btw)

What I was thinking specifically btw, was a sort of "Rocky Mountains" type of area. As you know, Rocky Mountains are pretty big and stretch pretty far. Pillars of Eternity has the entire mountain reach in the north-east. So basically, if Obsidian made one area with mountains on the north-east side of the map, modders could clone that area and then insert the clones along the mountain all the way. As I said, doesn't matter if the area looks entirely the same, it's the content that makes it more interesting. And if it is a believable area that gets repeated over and over it could actually be immersive still. But being able to place props or similar items on a cloned map would give some diversity at least and add touch to it so that it isn't "same area over and over again". Same thing goes with a thick forest area with lots of trees and little paths. Let the modder be able to clone the area and add content into it. Monster points, maybe a quest or an item that you can find, NPC's, Player companions, hunters, and so and so forth. The small stuff. Another map that could be cloned easily would be a random encounter map, and then be able to add it into the "pool" of random maps. Fallout 1 & 2 style, clone it and let the Player add new content into it. A UFO maybe, or cows that say "Moo moo, I say, moo!" or whatever the modders imagination is.

That was definately supposed to be collateral. How easily a typo can make one feel like a fool! Definitely Fixed (both of them actually xD). As for the topic and a bit of a response to Tsuga C: if a fight breaks out in the middle of the city and some sorcerer is killing civilians left and right and I engage in the fight and some NPC's get hit by my attacks and dies, that wouldn't have to trigger the guards to attack me. However, it could trigger them to attack me UNTIL the sorcerer is defeated. That could be a "condition": Condition: Sorcerer is alive = Guards attack anyone who kills civilians Sorcerer is dead = Guards approach the Player and dialogue starts~ If you killed civilians they'll ask "Why!?" and you get to choose options to keep you out of jail and if you didn't kill any civilians they might approach you and say "Good job and thank you!". Not to mention the fight could be scripted~ so even if you kill a civilian in some fireball move it could be "okay" in this situation. How often does fights break out in BG or BG2 in crowded areas with lots of civilians? It's kind of rare is it not? Oh wait... the assassins in Baldur's Gate 1. I never did any collateral damage but I remember how frustrating the first assassin is at the Friendly Arm's Inn, mainly when the guards right next to him refuses to attack. Also how the NPC's seem to not react at all in Beregost or in Nashkel when you're getting attacked. Same thing with Silke in Beregost, no one cares what's going on. So, whilst I think this thread is interesting with the collateral damage theme here, I think the importance of "reactivity" is a bigger theme. If someone engages you in a city, your reputation could help a little bit to change the values around what NPCs do, maybe some NPC's or commoners flee with their tails behind their legs, but maybe some go straight in and help the Player with some "NPC Abilities" (Stun, Grapple, Unarmed Combat etc.). Maybe you even get into a fight and NPCs gather up around you in a circle and either cheer you on or insults you (depending on your relationship with the village). Regardless, the more I think about this "NPC" reaction deal-io it sounds like stuff that'd be mostly scripted encounters or events, not just random encounters.

THIS POST CONSIST OF SOME GREAT IDEAS THAT WOULD HELP OBSIDIAN & ETERNITY GREATLY DURING EARLY ACCESS! AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT I BELIEVE! AND ALTHOUGH THIS IS A LENGHTY POST, THE EXECUTION OF THIS IDEA IS REALLY SIMPLE & EFFECTIVE IN THEORY/CONCEPT! CODING THIS MIGHT NOT BE DIFFICULT AT ALL FOR A PROFESSIONAL STUDIO OR EMPLOYEE! During the Early Access or during the Beta there'll probably be a Beta forum of some sort only available to actual Early Access participants (important that it is exclusive!) there'll be plenty of ways to collect information. Otherwise, having some in-game /bug or /feedback console command which brings up a secondary screen wherein you can write & take a screenshot of your bug/feedback inquiry and send it to some Obsidian bug or feedback database could be something to consider during Early Access. I've participated in some couple of Betas now and one thing I can say is that I tend to prefer this in-game bug reporting rather than tabbing out and writing the report on some forum. I tend to ignore some bugs in the latter and almost always reports in the former. Furthermore, on a Forum it's usually "Take a screenshot, upload it, upload save file, upload this and that and don't forget to explain the bug/issue/feedback". It takes energy from the Player (who just wants to play) and lots of good feedback or bugs could get missed out on. I think that, generally, the majority of people think like me regarding this an in-game reporting tool generates more accurate reports than some forum. When you're "in the zone" you're in the zone and I think many people ignores reporting a bug because they think it requires too much effort to write on a forum. In an in-game bug-reporting tool the developers can also design it in a simple manner that it makes bug reporting easier to do (checkboxes of what the bug is affecting, categories etc.etc.) and the developer get the information they want or think is most important. Furthermore, if Obsidian considers an in-game bug/feedback reporting tool, apart from taking a "screenshot" it could also "save location" or whatnot. It could generate a save~ HERE BEGINS MECHANICAL BITS OF THE BUG REPORTING IDEA: Now, how easy could a tool like this be to create? Well... if Obsidian allows for an in-game Journal that we can write in I can think of a very easy thing to do with that: 1) Make a specific Early Access Bug Tab in the Journal where we can document Bugs. Also allow a "screenshot" & "save" to be attached to the moment the Bug is reported. 2) Make a specific Early Access Feedback Tab in the Journal where we can document Feedback. Also allow a "screenshot" & "save" to be attached to the moment the Feedback is reported. 3) Allow us to "Save to file..." the entire Journal (or just the Bug/Feedback sections). Maybe saves the entire Bug+Feedback section into a compressed .RAR file that can easily be uploaded to "Uploaded.net" or maybe even to an exclusive Early Access Forum. Or maybe even directly be able to upload the Journal from in-game to some sort of Database. 4) After the report is saved (or sent) it clears the page in the Journal (So that you don't re-send the same bugs over and over again). So either you could play the game for a couple of hours and report many bugs and send it to Obsidian (then after sent: Clears the pages sent in the Player's/your Journal) or you could play for a little while and just report 2-3 bugs. Furthermore, if you have 2-3 bugs (or maybe 15-20 bugs) in your journal, when you choose to quit, the game could check if there are any un-sent reports in the journal and then ask you if you wish to send them or just send them directly without a prompt. This way Obsidian would get: - A documented bug report - A screenshot - A savefile of the current location where the bug is taking place How I envision it to work the best: 1) Encounter Bug in-game. Let's say you get stuck but you can still open inventory and do everything except move. 2) Open Journal, go to Bug section. 3) Pick Category of Bug: Let's say "Character". 4) Pick a Sub-Category of Bug: Let's say "Movement". 5) Write the Bug report "What were you doing?" etc.etc. 6) Either "Send" directly or "Save" to your HDD (Harddrive). A Savefile is generated as well as a Screenshot. The tester wouldn't be able to write a title for the bug (like we can on a forum thread), but instead the "Category" would define the title. This is so that Obsidian can organize the data they get. Let's say I send in the two first Bug Reports to Obsidian, then they could get generated as "Character: Movement #1" and "Character: Movement #2". If someone else sends in a Bug Report regarding the same thing, it'd be generated as "Character: Movement #3" and so on. If 15 people would report the same bug at once the program/code could just generate titles "Character: Movement #1" to "#15" in a flash. This, I believe, could help Obsidians workflow a lot. Instead of going through 100's of Bug Reports on a Forum, they could get it nicely organized straight to their desk.

All this talk about +1 and +2 weapons/gear (Which, if I recall correctly, is not going to be visually represented in the PE game like it is in the IE games) gives me ideas and a bit of a "Quest Request": There should be a merchant that sells a +1 weapon, perhaps even throw in some dialogue in there. Make a joke out of it "I have this +1 Sword here! Buy it!" (in fact it's just as good as a regular Sword). The merchant is just trying to scam you

This is a general problem with economy in games. In this example the buy/sell-proportion is either 15:1 or 2.5:1. Problem is, that this doesn't make the game more authentic or realistic, it just makes the game harder. I agree that during the iron crisis iron should be more valuable, but why is it worth less, when you sell it? The smith is in desperate need for iron too, it's not just your character. So in the end increasing the proportions doesn't make the game more immersive. It made it more authentic to the gameworld. The Iron Crisis = the iron in the Sword Coast is being poisoned and it corrodes. This is one part of the plot which makes sense with this mod and it makes the world more believable, because your weapons will be breaking a lot. The Merchants sell their weapons at a higher price, could be seen as "swindling" because they know that their weapons are affected by the Iron Crisis and they are pretty much doing business on that "Hey, mighty fine sword for sale! Want it? Good!" so you buy it, then it breaks. Or you find a Short Sword in the wilds and you give it to the same Merchant and he might be looking at it "This sword is... poisoned. I'm not buying that for a lot of money, so here's a couple of coins for you". Meanwhile he sells off the same sword to some dumb adventurer for 150 gold. What would truly be immersive in this mod would be if items would change after you solve the Iron Crisis. Heck, it would be a great reactive and dynamic tool in the game world. Players could actually get a sense or feeling that they changed something very important in the world: The economy*. Meanwhile, in the original experience the Iron Crisis is barely existant. It's not very believable or immersive at least. There's a a shop at the Carneval (if not all of them) I seem to recall that only sells weapons that break. Nonetheless, after playing the "Iron Crisis Immersive Mod" I looked at the game plot differently, honestly I barely even knew there was an "Iron Crisis" until I played this Mod. Also, I want harder. Read the first sentence in the first post of this thread. * Maybe this is over-the-budget of PE somehow, I dunno, but being able to change the entire economy around somehow or at least participate in the world economy of PE could be a great tool for immersion as well letting Players feel like they are participating in how the world progresses and physically see how their actions give consequences. Not talking about "Real Estate" business, "Trade", or "Stocks" or whatever but being able to successfully save the current reaches of the world from the Iron Crisis is a great example of how Players could affect the economy. Likewise, if I as a Player could infiltrate the enemy faction stronghold and mess up their weapons, items, potions or something, that could also affect the Economy in that part of the world where that Faction is holding out, likewise it could affect the Economy of other Factions. This last idea is quite substantial though... as there are many parameters that could make it even more interesting but would require lots of development time no doubt. Consequences such as making a Noble part of a town become "slummy" or a poor man's quarter becoming richest in the world thanks to your Robin Hood actions. Actions not only affecting the Player Economy, but NPC's and locations as well... affecting World Economy pretty much.

Hello and welcome! Minsc is indeed a great character in my opinion. Easily recognized and easily memorable. Was probably really fun to write him too. With that said I don't want a full-on comedy character though, but I wouldn't mind some quirkiness every now and then from the characters or companions. Comedic situations and dialogue, choices and good laughs really. EDIT: Whilst we are on the subject of Minsc I recall an idea that I want to bring up to light again. Concept, Flashbacks: - Meet Minsc & Dynaheir in Nashkel - Talking to Minsc you'll hear him boasting how he saved Dynaheir - Choose to do so and you are taken to a Flashback Session, you are at the bridge as Minsc (Solo) at the Kobold keep and you'll have to save Dynaheir as only Minsc. - When you finish this "Flashback Quest" you'll get the option to recruit Minsc+Dynaheir

Hidden quest idea! You find a useless gem that you can sell for some mid-gold value, valuable but not crazy valuable. Selling this item to a specific merchant somewhere could make him perma-disappear, cus the gem was in fact super valuable and it made the merchant super rich. Or it could go hand-in-hand with reactive world and the merchant becomes some noble that can give some more quests or influence in the world somehow.