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I just want to thank you for this thread - so many constructive contributions to a problem I think is essential. Since I've only seen videos I can't say much about the beta, but if I, from a distance, wanted something to be heavily improved upon,THIS is it. At least, last time I looked PoE's genre hadn't shifted to espionage with every character having excelling ninja-stealth-fading-into-the-background skills. *bump*

Recently released: XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Enemy Within Shadowrun Returns, Shadowrun Dragonfall Divinity Original Sin Blackguards Battle Worlds: Kronos Civ 5 + Add Ons Age of Wonders 3 King's Bounty Dark Side Coming soon: Wasteland 2 Torment: Numenera .... just to name a few If you still arent completely and utterly bored to tears by turn based strategy/RPGs, I WILL admire your endurance of doing the same over and over and over, and over again.

In don’t think this saying is untrue per se, but, as often as it is promoted nowadays, it might be misleading with regard to the nature of inspiration. Meaning: If you’re truly inspired, you *will* (as a consequence) work hard (and perspire, very automatically). You don’t need to find another reason or motivation to work because per definition you “are moved” by inspiration. The difference to “conventional” hard work is this: the motivation comes from inside of you (making it personal) vs. from outside (e.g. market research, target groups, deadlines, etc.). But as StrangeCat pointed out: deadlines seem to work in both ways depending on what your habit and state of mind are. Also, there seems to be something very relevant about the paradoxical quality of limitations that you, StrangeCat, mention. The problem (at least) I have experienced with inspiration is that it usually comes in holidays, on the toilet, etc., i.e. rather unconsciously when I can leave my mind be – and then, if no other burdens from the outside world occupy me, I usually work on that “personal” project even more concentrated and harder than I would have ever done professionally... usually even faster than any deadline could force me to be. (Even research in management seems to have somehow gotten a grip on this, acknowledging things like “sabbaticals” etc.). This has also worked in small personal teams for me, if I could “alight this fire” in another friend of mine or vice versa, via personal conversation. The organization of such a project was like that of playing jazz then. Granted, yes, all of this seems difficult with regard to larger teams – however, I think it’s quite relevant to try to preserve personal motivation and inspiration. Since this is something the Team of P:E said to care about – thanks Lephys for the reminder – , I’m at least intrigued about what will come out of this project and if the team is able to preserve the personality and inspiration like the teams of PsT and BG were able to build on it.

Moderate pressure tends to increase rather than dampen creativity. We are also allocating time for revision at the tail end of development. It's important that we create a world that has a consistent level of quality in a reasonable amount of time. If we are able to do so, we will have more flexibility to improve (or eliminate) weak areas and polish high points as we see fit. I wonder what the production methods were for Planescape Torment and similar inspired games of that era - were they equally efficiently and economically managed? The problem (seemingly not just) I have with many present mainstream-games that, as you and Brandon highlight, share this kind of production management: they *feel* pipelined, assembly-lined, rushed - like a sum of points that were worked off of a checklist: unpersonal assets that technically are of good quality (because good craftsmen worked on them) but nevertheless feel unpersonal and soul-less. To be consumed and forgotten after a day, regrettably leaving no trail whatsoever. And I wonder, how can an asset be part of a personal inspired "whole" if it has been outsourced, how can inspiration (not creativity), i.e. something that alights and moves you, be fit into chunks of quarters of days. At least there is another perspective on that matter: that inspiration comes from leisure. I know it's hard to get paid if your productivity can't be timed and measured, but perspectives such as this feel relevant, at least to me. But maybe you can teach me otherwise with the result of this project - I sincerely hope so - so that PE despite such production management will be personal, and not just consumed and forgotten like most products of our contemporal entertainment industry. P.S. As someone said, regrettably I dont remember who: "There really is no place for art in the free market economy, and that's probably why art will outlive it."

@"primitive/archaic 2D" vs. "3D engines are way more complex, way more immersive, and offer WAY more possibilities for immersion." I guess that depends on your perspective . When you investigate 2D and 3D a bit more, this debate becomes kinda shallow, I think, since both worlds come with great complexity, just in different ways. In general, I think, you could say 3D-engines are more complex with regards to math and production performance (engineering & economy) while 2D is more complex within a mindset that appreciates freeform, roughness, and personality (art)... speaking black and white. So generally speaking, yes, 2D-graphics are more "primitive" from a technological point of view, but we got a positive "primitive" there, since the staff's time and energy is now released to concern itself with making the 2D-perspective's art and gamedesign *complex* in its own way. If you've played the 2D games like BG2, P:ST and the likes (or even RTS games like Red Alert), it wasn't just the games themselves, it was the POTENTIAL you might have glimpsed there, potential which I feel never was explored in many ways. Visual potential as hinted at by that "screenshot" of PE. Besides that, I crave for quality 2D games because of expectation and experience. One thing I grew accustomed to expect from high quality 2D games is something NOT ONE SINGLE 3D-engine adventure/rpg game has yet provided for me [EDIT: Ok, concerning games like The Witcher 2 or the new Deus Ex...I have to admit a few exceptions exist]: a high level of depth in adventure and personality (and demanding gameplay, I'd like to add) - and thus: immersion (in a different, more fulfilling way than, say, the immersion of Skyrim's pretty 3D landscapes). I should write this in big letters. PERSONALITY. As I argued, personality seems like a strong point of 2D art. If personality is included, it makes you wonder, since neither you nor any science or market research really knows about other personalities. I would love to wonder about an rpg/adventure game again.