Belegnor

Another cool update!!! This confirms that my decision for backing this project was the right one ... Regarding the discussion about the stronghold's content I see it this way: the stronghold is nothing else than a built-in-already-payed DLC or expansion pack or however you want to call it. Like the DLCs in other CRPGs you can get the content only if you play the DLC through. You don't have to do so if you don't want to, but you also can't expect another way for getting the bonuses and items and companions bound to this DLC. The same applies to the big dungeon too. Running the dungeon through is also optional. You don't have to do it, but you will have to step into the dungeon in order to get the cool stuff inside. Many of you seem to forget that both, the dungeon's additional levels and the stronghold, were added to the project only after reaching the streaching goals for this. The devs never promised to implement a stronghold and alternative content for those that refuse the stronghold. They have only promised a stronghold ... Please don't missunderstand me. I'm not against alternative content and i like the sugestions for playing the stronghold as a bad, bad, very bad foe. But I can't agree with you by requesting a replacement for the stronghold, just without the stronghold. I don't say your sugestion isn't that cool. It is a cool idea ... for another expansion pack, DLC, etc. But it is nothig what we have already paid for ... . I won't dislike it, if the Obsidian team decide to create this additional content anyway, but I won't get sad if they don't. Anyway, I'm sure, we will get a CRPG that everyone will enjoy, whatever they may include or not ...

Hello everybody First I want to thank Tim Cain for this cool update. Item durability ... hm ... It's a quite interesting idea! Many of you have talked about BG2. I really loved the game but it was a shame, that many interesting items were only good enough to be sold as soon as a better item was available. I like this item property as it adds a tactical aspect to combat. It force the player to put the beloved and preferred "Mega-all-bad-guys-crushing-deamons-killing-speed-giving-fireblade" away and use the "Not-that-good-but-still-good-enough-for-this-fight-weapon". Durability force the player to consider having care of his equipement. In BG2 the player had two or three weapons in backpack just because they were usefull against some enemies/monsters. In PE the player will have more weapons for avoiding negative effects during a quest ... In reference to the crafting skill I agree with many of you that say, self crafted items shouldn't be more interesting than looted (high level/epic) items. I think the player should be able to craft items just until certain level has been reached. Above this level self crafted and epic items can be upgraded only by specific (perhaps legendary) NPCs, as for the player is at first an "adventurer", not a blacksmith ... . Against the opinion of many of you I think the crafting skill has a great potencial, not only as it affects item durability. It can also be used to identify item properties. For example, the player find an old axe (Masterwork Mithril Fire Axe). Having skill level 1, he could find out, that the weapon has a weapon proficiency bonification as he identifies the material the axe is made of. By skill level 2 he also could dicover the the damage bonification (fire) ... and so forth ... In combination with other skills (i. e. lore) the player could identify special items as well including other "hidden" properties. Taking again the axe in the previous example, the player discovers that the looted weapon is a very special item: Dremagor's Cursed Fire Axe of Pain (it has also negative bonifications ... };D) This "identifying" skill should work only until a certain level, like the crafting sklill. Unique high level/ epic should be fully identified at places like shops or temples. Crafting can also be used for getting Quests to resolve (finding special upgrade components like in BG2). It also can make the player get angry for not buying some items at "low level/start locations. For example. at start the player find Mar's Blade (no bonifications) in a shop. Thirty Quests later the player meets Thoren, the smith, who talks about a special weapon he could forge with the right components. If the player buyed Mary's Blade, he will get the quest "Retrieve components". If not he will have to return to the store at te first location to find out that the weapon isn't there anymore (= quest "Retrieve Mary's Blade") As I said, the crafting skill has very big potential ... Regards