RoughOne

This is awesome. I love the zoom. It really shows off the graphics quality of the models in the game. It also gives one a clue how much is muddled when the combat starts. Interesting stuff indeed.

I suppose the trade of low level vs levels 9/11 would depend on the ultimate level target of this game. BTW, what IS the ultimate level target for this game?

Yes, this was very true of Pen and Paper. Often as a DM, I would place far more treasure than the group was capable of taking for that very reason. On return to more, they might run into another encounter of scavengers or bandits or an entire village there picking over the rest. I enjoyed that aspect of BG. I also think that anything 'unlimited' WRT (with respect to) inventory is cheesy. Players in table top would often want to scrounge ammo that was fired at them during the melee as their arrow supply would dwindle over time in play. Arrows are fragile things. Having unlimited numbers of them is quite silly, imo. If those players that don't want to be bothered with this, don't loot the bodies or don't pick up what you don't want to take. No reason why those that enjoy WYSIWYG cannot have that aspect of the game. Those that do not enjoy it can simply not take the items. Those that want an unlimited inventory ... perhaps that could be a game option you check before playing?

Late to this thread, but I like this idea. Crits against items could reduce their quality or damage them, or both over time (more crits, more damage). Repair of items would be a useful thing in terms of the game. This has probably been kicked around before though. I'm not a big fan of Monty Haul games, so I like to have many options for the player to spend their money (a poor player is a motivated player).

I've had no problems launching build 333 from the application (not Steam), but after some use and a few saves, it crashes on reload (continue or reload a saved game). This is, of course, a known issue. The work around that seems to work (albeit it cuts into play time) is to simply not save. I was unaware until recently that the beta was even out for the Mac OS. Communication has been somewhat lax it seems. Perhaps I missed a Kickstarter comment saying to look solely on these boards for update information. I can but hope that the Mac OS builds are updated as frequently (if not more) as the PC builds. I am looking forward to this game more than any other in the gaming pipeline at the moment. Thanks for all the hard work that has gone into this thus far! I look forward to playing it, very much.

I agree that the combat in the beta needs work (and, from what they have posted here and elsewhere, the developers agree). However, PoE is aimed at fans of the Infinity Engine games. Does that describe you? I'm asking because I wouldn't classify them as casual games at all. That said, I think you'll find that the combat gets a lot easier once you get used to it. I also found that it seemed much too fast at the beginning, due, in part to some issues with the UI, but it seems a lot more manageable now after I've gotten used to it. Oh I'm quite the fan of games that use that engine. In fact, the first time I played BG1, I was in awe as I felt someone had FINALLY made DnD on a computer well. It was quite an astounding experience, actually. That said, this game has potential, but it has some pretty rough edges. Having to 'game' the beta is disappointing to say the least. I suppose the designers are so wrapped up in the mechanics that they have forgotten their learned skills with the game. Being a casual gamer, there is little time or inclination to do that, however. Thus my overall disappointment. I too backed this because I wanted an RPG and if it was not DnD, so much the better, imo. [by my reckoning, DnD has morphed in manys I find distasteful, having cut my teeth on the six booklets and chainmail. yes, I'm that old ...] The setting is lovely, the quest I'm sure heroic, but if the system is THAT busy, and boy is this a busy combat system, I simply will not play this game. Perhaps the beta is set at too high a level with too many options to showcase the system; I do not know. You are overwhelmed with classes and options which are not all similar to DnD sorts of games which is a mixed bag: new is awesome, but, as you imply, there is a learning curve for that. I will try this again, I'm sure, but at this point, this is not a game I will love to play.

Okay, so I just downloaded and used this today. I've been waiting for the mac version of this. Oddly, I did not get an email about that as I have for all other major developments via kickstarter. Oh well. Got my ass handed to me on a platter during the first melee, which was constantly interrupted and not very straight forward at all. That led me to this forum, since I consider myself a casual gamer, not really having the inclination or time to be otherwise. That led me to some 'passive party' strategy YouTUbe, which I followed and STILL lost the melee at the bridge. Badly. wtf? My first impressions are like many here: it is a graphically pleasant game, but the combat system removes all fun from the game. Honestly, I am very disappointed and if this does not change, my money will have been a waste. I don't find this playable and certainly not enjoyable. This is the game equivalent of Harn back in the table tops days: Lovely maps, but the combat system was so realistic, it took forever to resolve and you would die of infection from the slightest of wounds. Realistic? yes. Fun? not really. But it DID have pretty graphics. I sure hope this is remedied somehow.

I would love them EXTREMELY independent, but it should be a GAME option how indendent you want them. Nothing worse in starting a game and some moronic fighter charges into an ambush you are trying to lay down. Guess if you win the battle you'd get his armor though and sell his stuff That said, I suspect some spells or items should cause this to fly out of your control. oops, best laid plans and all. One thing I really did not like about BG, etc. was the way charm worked and fear and so on. The effects should have more of a gradient imo. Perhaps charm means the NPC would go and try to kiss the caster, or be jealous of some other perceived favorite of the caster ... or just try to kill you. Perhaps fear will leave them shaking in their boots or begging for mercy (love to see them live that down later). Perhaps this alter relationships later too

Honestly, I think the perfect game would have the player figure this stuff out. My sword works pretty well, hmm, wonder if a mace would work better. Or I'm pretty GOOD (I think) with a sword, but if I had to change to a mace to beat up the guy in the tin can suit, would it be better, since I'm not that good with a mace? it's a game. Try things and see. I hate when I can look these things up and find the algorithms for how they are randomized, etc (Borderlands comes to my mind). Of course some indication of character health needs to be there, since we have no connection to the character in that sense. I recall a game whose name escapes me that would give direct feedback as to how well you held the bow by how tired you got holding the bowstring and how much it wobbled whenyou did. Perhaps clues like that. But, this is not that sort of game now then is it? This is no witcher. Again, I prefer skill based systems in table top RPGs. The inner workings of some of which the player should never know. Good way to shoot the rules lawyers in the foot too

I think there should be 'guild' or 'house' conflicts, religion, of course. Dialogue should reflect the NPC/companions wisdom perhaps? "Can we agree for now to set this aside?", that sort of thing. Or blind rage, or pitting characters against one another. Not just duels to the death, but manipulation of a number of folks. If you are going to "mission/quest" structure, perhaps NPC's could have intermediate objectives of stealing object X or making NPC Y distrust NPC Z, or something along those lines. of course, the way a character 'starts' should influence their amount of influence as well. Someone borne into nobility could be a really good person, but in particular places, it could be the "monty python 'aint got **** all over him' attitude or 'we don't like your kind here!' Many many variables, bt this sort of feature would GREATLY improve game replay ability imo.

Of the two, I prefer Planescape. I found the text very well done at the time (and sstill do) for the simple fact it had multiple options for the same reply: 1) yes. 2) yes. [lie] 3) yes [persuade] etc. This was a GREAT feature and led to all manner of choices and ways to ACTUALLY use CHARISMA in a game. Golly. I think that was a first. OF course using skills, one could have lying, fast talking, etc as options with examples (perhaps in combo with intelligence): The guards see your actions and approach: 1) You pick up the unconscious body of the assassin and tell the guards he's simply has too much to drink. 2) You pretend to trip over the body and exclaim loudly, what! where did that body come from? 3) You go on about you business, nodding to the guards and move in the direction you came. 4) You scream at the body and shout how unfair it is to just die like that before you got to the bar. Food for thought.

I've always preferred skill based systems to systems like DnD. When you use a skill, you have a chance to increase it. Keep track of what is used, and crit successes (and crit fails, since we do learn more from mistakes) and use those to raise that skill. Experience (points) are too ambiguous for me. A character's development should reflect the style with which the person plays them. Do alot of archery and those skills increase, do this spell, that SPELL increases (and perhaps the school a wee bit and perhaps magian and lore a wee wee bit as well) languages were always a point of frustration. If you don't speak dwarvish, you may piss someone off if understood. It is often TOO easy to communicate in RPG's for sake of ease. Perhaps Spanglish, and Russo-something and Japanesish could be adopted for 'other' languages, so some folks may have a chance to guess what is being said and the development would be more automatic. Using Tolkiens elvish alphabets did help back in teh day, but that was just a tedious chore for characters to translate the tome. No need for taht in a game. So experience for objectives met, means there is little to experience along the way. So learning the weak points of wandering monster X on the way to the objective is only reflected in the player's knowledge of the game, not in their character? I can't agree with that.

When I first played BG and I mean BG1, I was very amazed. Here was DnD onscreen for the first time! Not like Azure bonds and other really non immersive games, here was the real mccoy. Part of that was the rest system. You could get woken up by nasties, you could get ambushed in inns. Was very similar to how I ran my campaigns IRL. This would be a great way to handle things. Perhaps too, your wandering 'monsters' would include merchant trains, and other friendly travellers. Perhaps the party could bargain to work on them (guard, etc) or partner until a location (dangerous world out there).

I'm one to save often and replay from a set point. I rarely replay a game, I rarely finish them either. Quite often I will get lost in a game and come back to it again months and sometimes years later. Frankly, few games hold my interest all that long. I DO however play several characters simultaneously in a game different parties, characters, etc. part of why I prefer RPG's. So this feature would add no benefit to my style or play.