Ganrich

We are $6k from $2m. At 3:45pm est yesterday we were at $1.911m, and now at 10:35PM est (about 19 hours later) we are at $1.94m. 19 hours and we jumped $85k. That's a good pace at this point in a crowdfunding campaign. Still having near $100k days during the middle of the campaign is good. Anyway, get ready to learn about a new stretch goal. :D

Pretty much every dungeon and wilderness map had at least one (often two or three) camping supplies in a container somewhere. Rest spamming was very doable. That's fair, but can easily be remedied. Resting supplies aren't on the loot table, and only purchasable at vendors. Then adjust the number of supplies for each difficulty accordingly. If they are on the loot table at all then have them at camp sites that are in wilderness areas connecting multiple dungeons/encounters/etc. that way, once you're in the dungeon, what you have is all you've got. Unless you head back to town. So, thinking about this a bit more. IF, and it's a big if, almost all spells are damage or debuff (MAYBE soft CCs like slow), and in order to disable (knockdown, stun, root, etc) you have to apply empower, then this system might work ok. That way the best spells (hard CC's) are limited by rest, and may stop too much repetitive spell casting. Using Slicken as the example again. By itself, it doesn't knock down, it it slows the enemy and reduces something like dex and reflex. However, when Empowered, it has a knockdown added to it. Since Empowering stuff is limited per rest then you still have some tactics required in managing that resource. While simultaneously you are avoiding casters having a limited subset of things to do when they are tapped for spells. Combine this with more enemy diversity, with different immunities and the like. You might swing this and still keep a decent tactical element. I asked Feargus about last night about enemies. Particularly, since we repeat from level one if they've added new monsters, and he said they have added new monsters, and that they have more types of reoccurring monsters. So we will have new ones, plus more Xaurip types, more beetle types, more Fampyr types, more blight types, etc.

Yes and no. For many people, the vancian system of the Baldur's Gate series simply meant that after every single fight you had a nap. Spells were essentially per encounter with the annoying interruption of clicking the rest button after each fight. And PoE had limits to resting supplies which stopped rest spamming. So, that issue wasn't prevalent.

Yup, and that's why I like Vancian. I'm not saying it doesn't have issues (low levels suck), but now we will mostl likely just rinse and repeat every combat. Also, spells tend to get more homogeneous when you move to the more "modern" systems. Which is something that disappoints me.PS. Thing is about low levels is that in 30 mins or so in the first game... you were level four, iirc.I'm not following the differences. Vancian = memorize <x> number of spells per level that can be cast. Grimoire = Contains <x> amount of spells per level that can be cast. Why does the Grimoire method force the "spamming of the same spells"? Each method allows the user to choose which spells to memorize. In a Vancian system, if you've used all but one of a level X spell use, then you start hoarding it for the right moment. So, you can't lean on it every fight. For instance, Slicken. It's level one, and you have four casts initially, but you've use 3. It's your best disable given what your fighting, but you don't want to burn the last one because a bigger fight is possibly ahead where you will need it. So, you save it, and you find other spells from other levels to use that will make due. Where if everything is per encounter, you will always have it available, and you use it every fight.

Yup. Also, I expect stretch goals to get more interesting than AI scripting or portraits as we pass these. Not that I don't like those things, but I expect their big hitters will be weighted to the end of the campaign. Such as things regarding the Stronghold replacement, maybe another companion, etc. Also, localizations are a good way to string each smaller stretch goal along.

Yup, and that's why I like Vancian. I'm not saying it doesn't have issues (low levels suck), but now we will mostl likely just rinse and repeat every combat. Also, spells tend to get more homogeneous when you move to the more "modern" systems. Which is something that disappoints me. PS. Thing is about low levels is that in 30 mins or so in the first game... you were level four, iirc.

Not really. We've made almost 50k in 18 hours or so. That has been the norm since the initial rush of the first couple days. The middlish days of the campaign always slow down, and $60ish K a day isn't bad. If that holds as the average, then by the final couple days (where another big push will come) it will have around $3m. Usually the last two days make around the same as the first two. Maybe a little less. The first couple days made around $1.4m. That means a total of around $4.5m, if the trend holds.

I like the "more" realistic armor style. Giant pauldrons, and helmet spikes, can stay with every other fantasy game, but leave them out of an I.E. successor. There are plenty of Skyrims, WoWs, what-have-you'd that use this aesthetic, and a game or two being more muted isn't going to kill anyone. I still want flames coming off my weapons, though. A magic sword is a magic sword. Lol

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/119024818 It was mentioned on the Twitch stream here. The injury system will replace the health/endurance mechanic, and the empower mechanic replaces per rest abilities. So it seems most (if not all) abilities/spells will be per encounter with Empower making those abilities better in different ways. Increased accuracy/damage/longer duration/etc.

This sounds awesome! Now all we need is (moderately) regenerating Health and Stamina and resting is a thing of the past. w00t Empower points are per rest. So you have to rest to replenish them. Also, they are making your party more susceptible to injuries, and using that as a health/endurance replacement. You will get injuries as you go through combat encounters. As you gain injuries, and use empower, resting will be your only way to reset those things. Resting isn't going anywhere.

That really depends on how severe injury penalties are. In PoE they were annoying, but I often carried on with a handful of injuries spread across my party because I hate rest spamming. If they are more common in PoE2 I suspect they'll also be less severe. I agree. I will say they need a better way of telegraphing those injuries to the player. The little debuff icons beside the portrait isn't going to work for this imho. So, barring that, it could work. I can enjoy Vancian magic, but if they found a better way without going with boring CoolDowns, I can probably find some joy in it. I'll take a wait and see approach.

I like separately leveling classes. Since we can only have 2 classes at most, those 1 level dip builds won't happen. If they do, it means 1 level x/17 levels of y, and that's really simple. Also, they can remedy that from keeping great abilities/talents and the like to not be weighted at level 1. Where if they level up simultaneously every Ranger/Wizard will be the same save attribute differences. Where if I only want some of the Wizard stuff (a few spells or maybe the blast stuff), and to lean heavy toward Ranger, I can do that. Or I can be a full fledged Wizard with a pet. It just gives more options. I like options.

Your Druid decided to join an Order? Or your Paladin was gifted by Galawain? Your barbarian has decided to be more disciplined and his rage is fueled by injuries? Your Monk is becoming more savage as he experiences more combat, or his Watcher status is making him unhinged? I don't know. I think you could think up a lot of cool ideas. Some subclasses might play into this even more/better than the base classes. You're right, though. Build options will be insane in Deadfire, and potential backstories will be a lot of fun.

As of right now, yes. Josh said as much on tonight's stream. There seems to be some push and pull whether they go with a system like 2nd edition (Classes level simultaneously) or 3rd edition (you pick which class levels at level up), though. Right now it is more like 3rd, but said to discuss it, and that it could be changed. I'd prefer the latter (3rd edition). He also said Subclasses will be a trade off, and not necessarily better than the core class. They don't want to make the core class obsolete. Edit: I believe he said that Companions may be more limited in their Multiclassing based on what fits their character, but that isn't nailed down. IIRC.

Black Isle Bastards.

"Buccaneers of Blackrock" might roll of the tongue better though. Edit: it keeps getting better. "Buccaneers of the Blackrock". You all are welcome for the gold I'm giving you. Lol

I'm neither here nor there. I'll add money to add money. However, in contemplating the names I had "Blackrock Buccaneers" pop in my head. I'm a fan of alliteration when it comes to these things, though.

I'm fine with everything but race and sex. That would be silly IMHO. Eothas' munching your soul can explain class, and hair style and stuff are inconsequential.

If they could pull that off... and make it big enough to do it justice, holy crap would I salivate. They did talk about preloading to reduce indoor/outdoor transitions, and that could allow this, but it would be a tall order. I must keep my expectations in check as I don't see it as remotely feasible, but it would be glorious if they pulled it off. Sorry, don't mean to raise anyone's expectation bars! I like to go off the books and many times out of reach ideas, out of the box. I'm expecting a world map/similar system like Pillars 1, but I can't help it, sometimes I dream away. Oh, no. Don't be sorry. You have me thinking about my dream IE-esque game now, but I sure don't think they will do that in Deadfire. It's especially seductive because we will get a ship (hypothetically), and the ability to hop in your ship and just sail to the next island... is really hype worthy. I realize it is a pipe dream, and doubt we will see it. It would be absolutely amazing if they did it, and I could only imagine what would happen to the funding (probably skyrocket) if they announced they've stitched all the maps together to make a super map with seamless travel.

Feargus said a possible update today, and another one potentially later this week. One of those may be a video. Plus Josh's twitch stream. That's what I've coerced out of him. Lol

If they could pull that off... and make it big enough to do it justice, holy crap would I salivate. They did talk about preloading to reduce indoor/outdoor transitions, and that could allow this, but it would be a tall order. I must keep my expectations in check as I don't see it as remotely feasible, but it would be glorious if they pulled it off.

So, some interesting factoids about the Deadfire campaign. They are only 350 backers away from surpassing WL3 which ended with 17,707 backers and $3.1m total. They've already beaten it in terms of standard Pledges. It seems WL3 received some $2.25M from investments which leaves $871k from pledges. WL3 also had consoles as a target, and their funding was probably investor heavy because it has I higher likelihood of profits from a wider audience. However, I don't know how successful WL2 was on console. Psychonauts ended with 24,109 backers, $3.83m total (I misread it when I said 3.3 in an earlier post), investors amounted to $1.95m, and pledges were $1.87m. It also has consoles as a target. Currently, Deadfire has 17,375 backers (as I type this), has $1.911M, $996k from pledges, $915k from investors, and a little over 23 days left on the campaign. If it receives anything close to the investors of those two titles (close to $2m) then it could very well break Fig's record, and potentially break kickstarter's record as well. I'm being optimistic since PoE is PC only, and that will likely lower its potential investor amount, but I'd love to be wrong. I think it will beat both in total backers, and pledge dollars, but investors will be the deciding factor. Just thought I'd share. Edit: I forgot about Shenmue 3 $6.33m total, and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night spiritual successor) with a $5.5m total. I doubt Deadfire will hit that, but it would be hilarious if it did.

Without seeing ANY final UI art we can't say these portraits don't fit the game's art style either. They wouldn't look right bootstrapped to PoE1's native UI, but I'm sure there are probably some changes in color tones and design from the original game. I like them, and will continue to like them until I see how they fit in the UI functionally and artistically.

I was debating posting a pic of Robert Z'dar myself.

I had such a hard time not typing "Stay a while and listen...". It was even going through my head in Deckard Cain's voice. That voice stays with you. I don't know why. Of course I immediately hear the Tristram Theme after it "just pops in there." If I were in the Ghostbusters we would have to fight a giant Deckard Cain. Talk about terrifying beyond rational thought.