WTHHeroSin

agreed

The feedback for lock picking and the like isn't really that good right now.

I like the stash system and limited party inventory. I like the idea of having to be in a town or safe area in order to access the stash, and I don' t really have a problem with that. I think work should be done to make sure that the stash is always accessible in places where it should be accessible (towns, camp, various). I also think there should be a sort/search function available in the stash if the amount of room is going to be unlimited.

Why do you need to drop items on the ground? O.o

I don't agree with Sensuki on all his suggestions, but man his stuff is always really thought out and not unreasonable. I agree on the fog of war issue; I don't think it feels right at all in the beta so far. I would like to see a line of sight system as suggested by Sensuki, or something similar like the example shown by the rogue-like.

I'm quite fond of all of it so far. The music in the inn really blows me away, the rest of it is objectively good. I'd have a hard time saying that it will stick with me forever, but it's good, and feels right. The title screen track is pretty and I think will stick with me.

Can we talk about the mechanics of this game without losing sight of reason? Do we have to drift into hyperbole and absolutist argument about the attribute system of this video game? The solution to the attribute system doesn't have to be "nothing like the IE/DnD system" or "exactly like the IE/DnD".

I'm really not sure how I feel about this argument. It sounds like it's arguing that because people expect things to stay the same, they should stay the same? I don't really think that justifies keeping a system the same way. There is something to be said for keeping things familiar to a certain degree; I just don't know that it should be the only reason to keep the system more dnd-esque. That being said... I don't care for having resolve/perception dealing exclusively with stun-locking (outside of conversation). I think if attribute balance is the goal this system is not handling that well as is. It needs to be tweaked for sure. Personally I wouldn't see it as a failure if we did go a little more traditional on some aspects of the game. Might could be tracked to melee damage specifically. We could have Dexterity could be tracked to ranged weapons (even though I've never really thought that made too much sense as it takes a lot of strength--not that Might = Strength in PoE--to wield a bow, than again Firearms is more about accuracy than raw strength isn't it?) I actually like Resolve tracked to spell damage and spell healing. I don't know how I feel about the fact that Resolve would become the spell-casting attribute though. Thematically it could fit because Resolve is about exerting will, correct? Perception should give us some crit damage chance. Could might be more tied to weapon balance in some ways? If we make it closer to something in concept like strength could we have like "longbow-requires 14 Might" or something like that? I'm not really good with the maths, but I think these kind of tweaks would be good for the system. Also... The idea of DnD being way more intuitive for stating isn't always the case. For instance, sorcerers in newer editions (including 3.5 I believe) tracked spellcasting ability to charisma. Wizards tracked arcane spellcasting to Intelligence. Clerics traced their divine magic to wisdom, as did druids. Paladins track their divine spellcasting to Charisma. If you know how those classes work in DnD lore it makes sense, sure, but to someone unfamilar with the system it might seem a bit weird. I think that because many people consider BG2 and other IE games masterpieces they also think those games are an example of perfection; I just don't agree with this kind of thinking. In no other medium does masterpiece status entitle a work of art to be looked at as perfection. Yes, BG2 is one of the greats, it doesn't mean that everything else has to be a carbon copy of it to be a good isometric roleplaying game. Games should strive to be their own games, and capturing the feel of an IE game while making innovation the design team believes need to be made does not make obsidian terrible designers, or outlandishly evil liars.

The pace of combat does seem to be an issue to me. I think it's a little too fast. I wouldn't call it action-game-esque, but I do feel like if the combat were slower I would be able to make tactical decisions easier in the midst of combat. I wouldn't say the combat feels overly different than BG2. It seems more balanced when it's working. The only complaint I might have is the speed, but I don't know if that's just me not being good at the game yet. Maybe as I get more used to it the combat won't seem so fast. I think complaining about the fighter not being set on auto-pilot is weird. As others have said, the fighter isn't really that complicated in PoE in my opinion. Very little abilities that don't require that much attention. The wizards do seem to be brought down in relative power level, but that isn't considering the fact that in BG2 you were save scumming and having access to all your mage spells for almost every serious encounter. The trash mobs were easier to deal with in BG2, but I can't say that I can understand the argument for making the trash mobs less of a threat to the party. I also don't mind the stamina/health system at all, and it really doesn't strike me as that big of a departure from BG2. It's a little more interesting imo.

Okay, BG2 was the first game I ever played. I have a lot of love for that game, and it has defined the way that I judge a good RPG. BG2 is often hitting the top of the list for best RPGs of all time even today, many years later. I'm not by any means trying to say that BG2 was anything less than a masterpiece. When I say masterpiece in this context, I do not mean perfect. When I say masterpiece I mean that it sits in a defining spot in video game history for western RPGs. All that being said, I hated BG2's inventory system, and when I go back to play it now I still hate it! It's really awful distributing items from screen to screen, and trying to find enough room to carry all the awesome stuff you want to keep with you can be tiresome. The multi-party inventory screen is f-ing amazing, and honestly one of the most awesome changes I've seen in this game so far. It's so convenient, and lets me get right back to the adventuring. I'm sorry, but I just don't see inventory management as part of roleplaying. That seems silly. Regarding the stats. I really don't mind. It seems to me that the game allows you to define your character through reputation and the system seems to give you plenty of options for playing a certain kind of character. I don't think that because the stats aren't classic that they are terrible. I can see Mrakvampire's point about how he wants to try and build a character from a story focus which is understandable, but I don't think it's impossible to stat things in a way that makes sense like Kiel29 illustrated in his post. My only complaints about the stats are probably Perception and Resolve. I feel both those stats open up more dialogue options, but I don't have a lot of combat reasons to take them. At least not so far, but I am still learning the system. In regards to Fighters and such having abilities, for godsake leave that in. I don't want to play a fighter that just swings a sword, I like some tactical gameplay, and I don't mind things being a little micro-mangy. I do wish the combat was a little slower so I didn't have to rely on pause so much, but it's not terrible and there is a slow down button. My two cents is that I think that obsidian has done a great job of capturing the spirit of BG2, and it does fill me with nostalgia and tender emotions to play this game, and I'm excited to see what kind of stories I can get out of the main campaign. No, this game is not BG2. It does look amazing, it feels right, and it's also making changes that define it as it's own game that can stand on its own merits. Personally, I don't want to just play an upgraded copy of BG2. I want a game like BG2 with updated gaming sensibilities and better balance. So, um keep up the good work Obsidian? I'm not sure about the balance and mechanics yet (haven't had a lot of time to play), but so far it seems good.

Argh! Beta starts when I have to start working today