High Octane 881

I think Pipyui hit the nail on the head here. This could possibly be part of why Obsidian has adopted the new Stamina system. Instead of every time you level up your character "magically"(hate using that in a sarcastic way in regards to a fantasy universe) gains tons of health (more blood cells??) you gain stamina. This is directly equivelant to your combat prowess and the ability to sustain multiple attacks. I like to think of it as your training has improved and you are more resilient to enemy attacks. I'm just spit balling here.

Also...Zombie labor unions are mind-numbing to deal with.

This exactly.

This is a concept that I go back and forth on. The game that pressed this issue that is most memorable for me is Daggerfall. I like the idea in theory as it provides a sense of urgency that certainly helps with immersion but definitely think it should be used sparringly particularly with the main storyline. Nothing frustrates me more than being rushed on to the next portion of a main quest not knowing that the side quests I had intended on pursuing further would no longer be accessible. It's a balancing act.

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Not to tell Staples that he has any obligation what so ever to succumb to our wims....but PLEASE THIS! Seriously...I would love to not see this thread pop up again until it includes artistic intent from Staples lol.

A really cool idea to mull over but a question rises. Would there necessarily be a surpluss of mages (with potentially limitless power at their fingertips) who were satisfied with being the equivalent of a sentient furnace?

Yea i get what you're saying and how it could apply to the game. I guess I wasn't really factoring in that you were considering all party members to be lightning fast or otherwise unreachable. To the extent that you are presenting it I do agree with you. NPCs should not be handicapped by mechanic flaws that are inherent with RTS combat and that is something we will have to rely on the devs to take into account as well. Picking up on how you mentioned that attacking will cause a character to stop any movement that would certainly cause an issue regardless of speed though so I don't think that the solution is as linear as "make the enemy faster". In reality most (if not all) of us are entirely out of our league concerning mechanics issues and the necessary steps to relieve them and I don't think this concern is nearly as simple as "Do X to fix Y" but more of a "We are worried about this being an issue and we THINK this is why it is". You definitely have a point however that you could give the computer an actual human brain and the NPCs would still be limited by their "physical" stats. The question is how do you fix this when the computer's opponent is an omnipotent and omniscient being with no adherence to the rules of time?

http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/62259-inspiration-for-godlike-races/ Check it out.

I can agree with what you're saying. This isn't effin Star Wars where every creepy crawly with a brain is a part of society, but does Godlike necessarily have to mean aesthetically pleasing?

Man I keep coming back to this thread to find something i DON'T like about this piece of art. So far....no success.

One in the same really. They do directly reference the D&D races (aasimar, tieflings, and genasi) in the Godlike description but they really are one in the same. It's in the direction of what I would like but less intrinsic of the good/nuetral/evil staple.

This is actually very much along the lines of what was going through my head when I opened this thread. Why can't the Godlike race have an extremely varying pallete akin to the gods themselves? Perhaps vissual (and anatomical?) differences are commonplace among their race? Unfortunately Obsidian has already given a very solid idea of what the Godlike will be like and it's the underwhelming twin of D&D's Godlike races.

Seeing as this thread keeps slipping into the issue of actual kiting I'll bite and personally I disagree Tamerlane. We're not talking about a RTS with basic unit commands. This game is ultimately a RPG and so all enemies should feel like they are part of a living breathing world, meaning they should be able to assess a situation and make tactical decisions based on what they can determine about the enemy. Even wild animals use basic "tactics" though we describe them as isntinct. For example, a lion stalking a herd of zebras doesn't immediately attack the fastest and most physically menacing target it sees. Instead it focuses it's efforts on the lame/sick/young. I'm bringing this up because in application to RPG combat an enemy should not mindlessly chase after the plate covered juggernaut in Boots of Speed +2 simply based on the fact that he has "aggro". They should instead be able to ascertain not only who the largest threat currently is but also who the weakest is, the most opportune target, as well as which enemy their skill set is most optimal for. Granted (and this goes back to my previous post) not all enemies are going to have as developed of "targeting" skills and will still follow the kill nearest threat approach, but even a stupid goblin should be able to understand "I can't catch this guy...let's try someone else.". Of course AGAIN...the difficulty level of actually implementing that into a video game is something I have no knowledge of and could be a huge factor. I'm simply stating an ideal end result.

The Elder Scrolls actually have an excellent story to them and probably one of the most developed worlds among video games....however....you have to look for it. There is a very rich history in TES but for the most part it's not crammed down your throat via the quest line, you have to seek out further details through books or dialogue to really get the entire experience. I personally love TES and have been faithfully playing (even Oblivion *sigh*) since Daggerfall, but I can certainly see how many people could find them to be a bore.

Again it's not Kiting or pulling in general that we are against. It's the exploitation of the games mechanics to achieve something that just isn't plausable. A dragon is not going to sit there wondering where all of it's lackies are going as they wander off one by one followed by their blood curdling screams. A troupe of Kobolds, or goblins...sure! But it should not be applicable to most enemies and most certainly not intelligent/sentient ones.

Never really made sense from a roleplaying stand point, especially if it was a skill that was developed over the adventure. You have to suspend a lot of disbelief to conclude that an adventurer has the spare time to master smithing or any such craft. I do like the idea of having employed experts for your crafting needs.

Shenanigans. Faith is so 13th century.

Sadly the modern RPG is rarely a good thing.

I agree with this to some extent. I don't feel like at this point in time they could realistically push the deadline back as the process has only just begun. Some time has to be given for the team to have a reasonable understanding of how far they are from reaching the goals they want to reach, and in turn how much time they are going to need to reach those. However, that doesn't mean that I approve of waiting until the last minute (3 months prior) and screaming CRAP We can't finish in time! Any efficient business should be constantly reflecting on how they are keeping up with their goal deadlines.

There is also the matter of indefinitely "improving" the game. I can remember a situation (though the specific game escapes me), where a long awaited game's released was perpetually postponed due to the game not meeting the dev's standards. By placing a semi-rigid (and hopefully increasingly solidifying) deadline on the release it gives the team an idea of when to begin their wrap up. While we as the backers certainly want the best product that can be provided, at some point there is a time to say "we've done everything we can in a reasonable timeframe. It's time to make this thing happen".

Sounds similar to D&D 3 cross-class and class specific skill system. It does make sense to me when implemented with a class system like what we will be seeing with PE. This has always been a huge annoince to me. It's one thing if it is intentionally an incredibly rare component and by extension the formula or blueprint it's being applied to is likewise rare and valuable, but they usually aren't. Most of the time it just seems to be that one component that's tucked away in some remote corner of the world that you never visit.

Mmmm...i disagree for this game. Part of what makes the IE characters so memorable is they are their own characters, with their own stories and backgrounds. Taking that character's name away from them just kills that story and makes it yours instead. Would you want to change the NPC's race as well? Or their alignment? Sure they play a crucial part in your journey...but they have their own as well. Let them be their own character. That's what makes them memorable.

You know it's funny you say that. One of my favorite D&D characters was a Monk named Dor the Unhinged and he was out of his gourd. Tons of fun to play and come up with what he was going to do next.

Wax on.......Wax off......