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PieSnatcher

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Posts posted by PieSnatcher

  1. Interesting. I'm more or less in the same boat. Right when it came out I played right until the first town, then decided to give it time to get patched—I've loved Obsidian games since KOTOR II, but regardless of how valid their reputation for buggy games is, I have just had awful experiences with them (bug-wise). I guess that's telling of how much I still like them. I think I'm waiting for at least one more patch for this one though. I've waited this long, right?
     

    In any case, the reading-souls thing was a backer deal. I would totally throw money at them if they do another kickstarter, but at the same time I don't want them to be pigeonholed into fulfilling in-game promises that end up detracting from the experience.

    • Like 1
  2. I actually haven't played the game yet. At first I was going to wait for the first few patches (I have a bad history of managing to find every game breaking bug in existence)... then I was going to wait for the first expansion... which was a "Part 1." So I figured I might as well wait for Part 2. Then when that came out, I arbitrarily decided to wait just a few... patches... more...

     

    I can make it. And maybe wait for IE mod to catch up while I'm at it...

     

    Anywho, I look forward to whenever this next patch comes out, I think I'll be ready to dive in then.

  3. Er... Kingdom Hearts 2.5. Anyone? ... Anyone?

     

    But almost done building my new computer! Hopping back on the computer gaming train after almost a decade. I find it rather convenient that it lines up nicely with PoE's release.

    Aaaaand I have Wasteland 2, Divinity, PoE, then Tides. Not to mention many games I never played because they were PC exclusive or I felt they'd be much better there (New Vegas, for example). The future is bright indeed.

  4. Meh, the thing about the DLC option is you aren't adding much in the way of substance, except kind of wildly changing the character arc of the NPCs. I like the idea of romances in the game but I wouldn't pay to suddenly have my party members get the hots for the main character (a direction that isn't a part of there original intended development). Although, to be honest, I don't care for a bunch of DLC anyway; I would rather have a sizable expansion pack that adds a large, meaningful segment onto the game. Not bits and chunks with relatively little to offer.

    I'm open to romance in future games, but I don't want it shoehorned into this or any one of them.

    PS: Don't mean to say anyone is wrong, just bouncing off of what has been said.

  5. Meh, if your that I into romances this game wouldn't be your cup of tea in any case.

    If you want a rich, playable story filled with fantastic adventure and reminiscent of the great RPGs of yesteryear, then I'd hope you'd support the developers for it rather than be bitter about a large part of the community not sharing your taste for romances. Despite being a designated promancer this pretty much is my perfect little gem of a game, as far as I can tell.

    • Like 2
  6. No, no, no Lephys. That is impossible. Romance has never been, nor ever shall it be, successfully linked with friendship. All Romance ever does is show up to the RPG party uninvited and burn the house down. It tries to endear itself to the other party-goers with juvenile antics but ultimately, the only people satisfied are the half-wits that enjoy rolling around in the ashes of what could have been a pretty sick party. Thanks, Romance.

    • Like 1
  7. Well, flirting with Annah did little but somewhat flatten her character into a kinda trite and Young Adult-esque character, IMO, rather than a more hardcore, plane-touched misfit.

     

    I can see how people find it makes characters more relatable, as in 'more ordinary', but the cool thing about fantasy and other "out there" genres is they can take a concept like souls, death/afterlife, good/evil or chaos/law at face value and just run with it - creating some potentially extraordinary and uniquely interesting characters and situations.

     

    Maybe CNPCs are just one-trick ponies in terms of how they are perceived?

     

    Yeah, I guess I'd agree with that. I suppose it was more the gravity of her sacrifice that I liked more than anything- and any loyal to TNO got shafted in that same way
  8. Yeah those promancers are mighty persuasive with their tricky word games and mischievous employ of semantics.

    If she's a romance then so is Dakkon, Vhailor, Ignus, Ravel, and Nemille's sister in the Clerk's ward.... since all of them were also plot devices designed to invoke regret.

    Ignus was definitely my favorite romance. He so hot.

     

    That or Annah. Who's loyalty you can inspire platonically or romantically. And the latter can be done sincerely- I find it interesting that this affection, however, can doom her just as surely as the disingenuous love his previous incarnation held for Dieonarra proved fatal for her. In my mind, this is an example of how "romance" in a broader sense can enhance a game's narrative. There I go again, being tricky. ;)

     

    I'm not trying to get anyone to "admit" that they like romances. I'm just trying to see where people draw the line and how they define romances. If saying "romance" and PS:T in the same breath offends people we can simply call them "characters and plot devices with limited interactive and/or passive elements that whilst touching on themes of love, relationship, flirtation, and/or infatuation, do not in any way constitute a romance." The point I'm trying to make is that, whatever those were in PS:T, I thought those at least worked well.

     

    Promancers are trying to associate their cause with every deep, thought provoking NPC ever written so that they can then turn around and say: "See? Romance = Well written characters! If you're against romance, then you're against good writing in video games!"

    My clever ruse has been exposed! :) Gee Stun, you clearly hate good writing. Probably happiness too.
    • Like 1
  9. Also I like your forum name, its cute. What is the history to "PieSnatcher"  ?

    Long, long ago, whilst deciding a user name for something else, I had just started watching Arrested Development (so I guess that makes it about 10 years ago). The first thing I thought of was "Mr Banana Grabber", after GOB's character, of course. I was immediately informed by my friend that said name had certain phallic connotations. Thusly, I changed the name. But my mind was already on the subject of alimentary banditry. So I changed Grabber to Snatcher and substituted Pie for Banana. And dropped he "mister" of course. After all, we just say "manager", not "Mr Manager".

    I was later told that I had chosen a name with an opposing connotation. But what's done is done, and G-Dangit I love pie. Except lemon pies. Those are disgusting.

     

    On topic: Stun, curious, did you find the quasi-romances in PS:T intrusive or detrimental to the game? Do they qualify as "romances"? Because so far those have been my favorite, but they are pretty different from the "Bioware romances"

    • Like 1
  10. Silly Lephys, can't you see you are objectively wrong in your opinions? ;)

     

    Romance is like that annoying ball point pen sitting on your desk that always stops working when you're in the middle of trying to write with it. Best that you just toss it in the trash so you don't keep accidently grabbing it when you need to write something.

    Or that pen that you only realize burst when the ink is already dripping down your finger. Worst pen. Ever.

  11. My point of view:

     

    Short Version: I have found romances have enjoyable aspects to them, and I would like to see improved implementations in the future.

     

    Long Version: I have found that romances in BG2, Torment, KOTORs, Jade Empire, and the Mass Effect series have been enjoyable. Each has its own set of caveats (needy Anomen/aerie for BG2, and over-sexualization in Mass Effect (IMO)), but most of those complaints have been mentioned and I actually agree with. But here are some things that I liked:

    - In BG2 I liked the part where you needed to save the LI at a certain point late in SoA. Save the day and all. And it was fun to decide what was most important for the character at the end of ToB.

    - In Torment I liked the implications of the NO's past and potential romances, and the fate that befalls them as a consequence of their reciprocated affections. Probably the best romance in what I've played. Admittedly the actual "romance" part of it was light.

    - In KOTOR I did like the affect Bastila's had in the Starforge encounter.

    - In Jade Empire I didn't find anything particularly amazing or annoying, but it was an option for flavor. Humorous dialog as well.

    - Mass Effect, despite over emphasizing the sexual encounter and turning the Normandy into Cmdr Shep's Awkward Loveboat of Drama, did... well that didn't start well but I like the characters and thought many were at least worth trying to explore a romantic subplot with in the context of galactic peril.

     

    I'm not presenting an air-tight/dramatic argument for romance in a future PoE game. I simply find they can be enjoyable despite their flaws. I like what they have the potential to bring to the table. I don't want to be titillated. I don't want a solid combat system to be sacrificed for its sake. I don't want romance to be obligatory. Nor do I want romance to be the central pillar of the game (I'd play a billion romance-less games like PoE before playing a "dating sim", or an RCGM. Which is a thing, apparently).

    I simply would like Obsidian to try implementing improved romances in PoE games in the future, should resources and their desire to do so permit. I want them to be interesting, engaging, enjoyable, well-implemented, and well-written. Even if they aren't perfect they wouldn't necessarily ruin the game for me. And if they are never implemented? I'll probably just have to really enjoy an excellent RPG with a great story and gameplay.

    • Like 3
  12. Romances weren't the only reason npc's could leave at rather inexplicable times (reputation change, other inter-NPC clashes), but I see the frustration. Not really an inherent flaw with romances, but perhaps an easy pitfall to consider. It does lend credence to the romances-are-resource-intensive argument, however, because it highlights how its implementation can be rather clumsy if it isn't thoroughly thought out.

    Look at me, addressing two sides of an issue. How very measured and mature of myself. Cookie for me :)

    • Like 1
  13. There are already AAA games with romance. Can't you guys let us have at least our little niche games without insisting that they're just like the AAA titles? Please?

    To be fair, it isn't like he's requesting a strictly AAA game feature, rather, a feature that was a part of the more story-driven IE games. I mean, sure, at this point we've been talking at each other for months and I'm sure many grow weary (and yet somehow these threads keep chugging along) of promancers' pleas. But this game is just as much "our" game too. I'm perfectly happy to have it sans romance. But I don't think promancers are obligated to swallow their opinions because many here are quite vocal about not sharing it.

     

    MMO-ers on the other hand... ;)

     

    That said, many arguments that have been made here in favor of romances are somewhat beside the point. Realism. Meh. (But the counter-point about rape I found equally beside the point) I think it's enough to posit that, at least for some, there are enjoyable story-telling possibilities. Both realistic and fantastic.

    • Like 2
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