JFSOCC

This is just not true. Psychology and Sociology have advanced quite far as sciences, and cults and religion are extensively studied subjects in the field of behavioural sciences. Group psychology, cultural and learned behaviour, and human psychology are all aspects important for the advent of religion. My second part was going to be about the rat experiment, but I just learned that I was wrong. So the ignoramus is me.

Thanks, I try.

it is a very interesting topic on which there have been a number of recent interesting articles. You can't remove emotion from intelligence, nor can you remove the body for self-awareness. Meaning we're not as free willed as we would like to think. Which doesn't mean we're complete mindslaves. just that it requires a lot of self-awareness, self reflection and education to beat hardcoded and softcoded psychological and cultural behaviour.

Watchers are automatic members, IIRC. What would you like your title to be, shagg187?

Alright I'll try to address some of it when I get home tonight

maybe link the number of summons to your concentration score. the higher your concentration, the more summons you can maintain. Getting hit and failing a concentration check may unsummon or unbind a summon.

I would love to see common ignorance and superstition in an un(der)-educated world. Which Pillars of Eternity is certainly set in (no printing!) It makes sense, it's realistic, and it's laden with story telling potential. what's not to like?

There is so much ignorance in this thread that I have to resist writing a long ranty post correcting EVERYONE. Someone is wrong on the internet, but I'm going to bed.

the can approximate it quite well, and that's only going to get more accurate.

Name: Vensaré Race: Aumaua Godlike Gender: Male Role: Crafting genius and heavy hitter Key Item: Double Anvil hammers Appearance: Wiry, and muscular. Hardly any body fat. Feel: Vensaré is born a gifted smith. Something he credits to his godlike heritage. Everything he sees is somehow incorporated into his next design improving on his last dramatic success. His Arms and Armour are expensive to make, both in time and money, but excellent in quality, beautiful, and always somewhat unexpected. Vensaré is poor, he doesn't make a living selling his wares because he doesn't work on commission, because he is too proud to make average wares for average purchasing power. It is fairly easy to get him to travel with you: Recruitment: Vensaré will come along on the condition that you let him identify/see all found weapons and armour before anyone equips it, let him have all the crafting materials, and let him do all the crafting. Forgo this too often, and he will leave. He doesn't make armour for the rest of the party, unless you manage to advance your relationship with him further. A bit of a prima donna, his Smithing hammers are both tools of his trade, and excellent (and constantly improved upon) weapons.

I only disagree with the initial part about our senses, which I believe to be unique to each individual and are therefore a physical construct since there is no way of definitively knowing that what one person may taste or see is experienced the same as another would. except biology,evolutionary science, neuroscience and medicine

glad you're still with us though. It's really hard to see a reason to continue when you know that your career prospects aren't gonna change that much... ever. A career is not the only possible source of happiness. from a weather balloon was trapped in a thermal pocket and reflected the light from Venus. *puts on sunglasses* Now please look over here.

I think tunnel vision is a risk on any project.

Rothl, A follower of Hocard Role: Diplomat/Smooth talker, well connected. Reputation as an eccentric wastrel. His failed study as a priest of Hocard leaves the suggestion he may be a noble's son, a reputation which he's turned into a vast network of assumed connections. Key item: A blackbook no-one ever gets to see. Stories suggest in it are the names of all kinds of underworld connections, other stories suggest it contains a hitlist, that it is a magical book writing down the names of any tradesman you may need. other stories still talk about how it contains a person's secrets, for use in blackmail. Rothl has personally helped some of these stories into the world. Usually he's got another one by the time he's finished telling the first. Appearance: Rothl is tall, gangly, and not particularly attractive. He looks very kind, but not particularly impressive. Rothl is about 35. He may be balding. Feel: Rothl is your guide in the City. He knows everyone and everything. He can open doors for you that would otherwise remain closed. Anyone paying close attention sees that Rothl makes more promises than he keeps, and that he is very apt at enjoying other people's hospitality, even when it isn't offered. He's not a terrific combatant, and will outright refuse to fight for long in the wilderness or on the old paths. Recruitment: Rothl is found hanging out in a library of the church of Hocard, He's got a questline involving finding his blackbook, then following some mysterious directions based on what he finds in there. Only one quest outcome will allow him to join your party.

the magical version can also pick locks.

If you want to use a naming tool for comedic purposes, by all means go ahead. it's your game and you do it for your enjoyment.

there are no camps. Most people by far have given their voice for realistic armour. Some of us believe that gender-specific armour is not unrealistic, because it existed in the real world there is no reason to assume it wouldn't in games. That doesn't mean that I want to see bikini armour, no-one is arguing that.

There are still many ways in which acknowledging class doesn't have to lead to stereotyping. As you said you could select conversation options to determine your own personality. just having the option available would already make a difference.

I guess so. There's just a whole lot that now seems exceptionally unlikely to be seen in the game. I suppose it's a call to action for modders if I want it changed, added or improved.

I see no reason why protective plate couldn't sometimes be feminized in shape. There are real armours known that were worn by women and are distinct that way, as evidenced by kaineparker's arms and armour thread. So why the game wouldn't have at least one or two nods to this, I don't know.

I'd rename barbarian into dreadnought, that's all I think I'd change. Maybe I'd change Paladin to Knight.

We also have class checks in dialogue but they are used less frequently than skill checks, which in turn are used less frequently than attribute checks. BG/BG2 in general had relatively low reactivity to individual classes/races. Strangely enough, IWD2 had more of that stuff, but still low overall. Internally, we all seem to prefer PS:T's ability score checks as opposed to dedicated social skills or class checks. Outside of conversation, before IWD2, most characters didn't have skills, period. The classes that had access to "thief" skills split their points among them (or a subset of them) and that was pretty much the end of it. Classes were dominantly defined by their combat capabilities (and ability to use gear, which largely tied into combat). It is similar in PoE. I understand both the desire to have a lot of class differentiation and the desire to have things feel as they did in the IE games, but the IE games didn't have much class differentiation outside of combat. There's a lot of work "just" getting 11 classes to feel distinctive and good in combat and to have conversations and quests react to the player's choices (class or otherwise), but we can't be on the hook for creating a lot of differentiation for classes outside of combat. The IE games didn't establish a high bar for that and, more importantly, it would be an enormous amount of work for us. Sorry. well I can't say I'm not bummed to hear that, but thanks for your reply.

you do go forward in time. constantly.

I don't think that's what's being meant by masks tekoman2. Non-conformist or not, everyone has some basic psychological reactions and defences. You use there even if you're not aware of them.

There's a thread in my sig which I wonder what you guys would think of. In my posts there I've done my best to treat religion more as a cultural phenomenon with no judgement on the religion itself.