EdwinP

Overall, I like what I have seen thus far with, though I await a more detailed information from Obsidian next week; the week of the 22nd. I do wonder if their will be rock throwing Frost Giants ( in addition to club using Snow Ogres ), encounters designed for strategy not brute force attacks (I liked the Castle where you could take enter via the front gate, from the top or bottom. Each was a different experience. and look forward to seeing if skill levels will have a greater impact ( i.e. athletics, survival, lore)

I really like how POE allows the player several options to approach a situation. You can approach the Castle from (Spoiler), (Spoiler) or with a direct assault through the front gate. You can take the side of the Lord or his cousin. In Defiance Bay you an ally with any one of the fractions. If you complete a quest for the Knights new NPCs appear on the main map. In another encounter you can use a grappling hook to cross a ravine. I would like to see DLC or an expansion that builds on this. Example: There is a Knight's keep and a rival lord that wants to take over the keep. The PCs can decide to help either side. They can take actions to defend the keep or take actions to help the rival lord seize the keep. The actions that the PC takes can dramatically alter how this scenario plays out and the condition of the keep afterwards - i.e. is it captured, left in ruins or enhanced with new defenses, attract new defenders - is the lord of the Keep a Level 8 Fighter or Does he become a Level 12 fighter (i.e. each quest the PCs complete for the lord of the keep - provides the lord with an experience bonus - increasing his level and perhaps attracting more defenders to the keep). The PCs can complete quests that provide more defenders for the keep or quests that weaken its defenses - i.e. slay the lord (not easy to do) and some defenders of the keep may desert .

This would be interesting, either as a class or specialty that you could select after meetings its prerequisites (Lore Level 6, Talent: Necromancy). Perhaps you can discover ancient tomes or books that unlock spells in this area. Your PC might discover a quest to locate spells books of a Necromancer. Necromantic NPCs in XXXXX and XXXXX would have spells books with necromantic spells in them. Obtain these books to learn necromantic spells if you have prerequisites. While being able to create zombies, skeletons and control shadows are cool, most NPCs would not look kindly upon those engaging in such pursuits. This should be reflected in the game. Some NPC companions may not wish to associate with a necromancer and will leave if the PC selects this option. The more noble houses of Defiance may regard you with suspicion, if not outright hostility. A PC that openly practices necromancy in a village or city should face consequences for such actions. Some merchants might not sell to a person who is known as a necromancer. A merchant might demand from them a higher price knowing that others will not sell to them. The local lord might ask the PC to leave and proclaim that they cannot rest in his village (of course a sizable bribe might cause him to revoke this proclamation). This would make necromancy an interesting and game changing choice for the player. New spells, new quests, and a need to hide their necromantic abilities from the general populace.

In an expansion I would like to see more events where the world reacts to the players decision; aka: In Defiance after you join one house the other houses are unfriendly or hostile to you aka: If you slay the Lord, the new lord gives you Quest A,B. If you slay the usurper the existing Lord gives you quests C,D aka: Good player is tasked to guard a jail, Evil Player is tasked to break someone out of jail. Same map, same NPC, but different perspective aka: Player 1 declines to defend a village from a horde of..... - the village is burned down, Player 1 defends the same village and is successful - new NPCs appear in the village. aka: Player 1 is recognized (sometimes)( as the Lord of the Stronghold when traveling in Defiance Bay. This is reflected in conversations aka: Gilded Vale - the Temple of Ethos is rebuilt if the Lord is slain, if the Usurper is slain, the temple is rebuilt but consecrated to the other deity.

In an expansion I would like to see skills have a much bigger impact on gameplay. A PC that is highly skilled in athletics, survival, or lore should standout from lesser / unskilled companions. Example: Athletics Let athletics shine by creating path options with large fatigue penalties, and provide new movement options for PCs with high skills in this area. Swimming a sewer has a fatigue penalty of 20 - A character with no Athletics skill will be fatigued after swimming through the sewers. Climbing a low cliff has a fatigue penalty of 20 Climbing a high cliff has a fatigue penalty of 40 Character with Athletics 9 can jump from to the far side of a river of lava (if standing on a predetermined jump tile) Character with Athletics 9 can jump to the far side of a crevasse (if standing on a predetermined jump tile), lesser skilled characters can't make this jump - or face a chance of certain death if they try (i.e. 100% less 12% per Athletics skill level). Example Lore: Let higher level in lore reveal new spells or enchantments. Perhaps a high lore level unlocks a new quest - i.e. at level 10 you learn the location of a legendary magical sword, a grimore of necromantic spells, nature spells or the tomb of an ancient wizard (D&D Tomb of Horrors). Specializing in a skill; reaching level 9 or higher, should offer a big benefit. Now, my characters are a Jack of Trades as there is no major benefit to focusing on one skill area.

I would like to see survival skill have a real impact when the PC is in a wilderness area. 1. Reveal hidden paths on a wilderness encounter map Example: Reveals entrance to a cave - a PC within Skill 6 automatically sees a hidden entrance to a cave, without searching. Reveals a ford across a raging river (i.e. cross at the ford and you suffer no fatigue penalty, cross in other places and you suffer a +30 fatigue penalty), Reveals path or a shortcut to or through a wilderness area Without survival skill you find a difficult path to climb a cliff (i.e. Survival Skill 0 - Path 1 uncovered by searching provides a +30 fatigue penalty). With survival skill 6 the path is easier to climb with a lower +10 fatigue penalty. (i.e. reduces fatigue penalty by 10% per survival skill level). In a swamp, moving off the path imposes a +30 fatigue penalty, Survival skill reduces this. In a swamp / bayou, survival skill reveals a less fatiguing path through the swamp. 2. Highlight plant ingredients. Survival skill 0 - plant ingredients are not automatically highlighted, Skill 3 - plant ingredients within a radius of 1x are automatically highlighted (without searching), Skill 6 - plant ingredients within a radius of 2x are highlighted (without searching), Plant ingredients within a radius of 3x are highlighted at Survival Skill level 9. 3. Survival skill provides a chance to avoid random encounters when traveling through a wilderness area.

I like the idea of being able to find or discover new enchantments/recipes. Opening a book and finding that it contains a new enchantment would add to the value of searching for and finding old tomes. Quests to find enchantments would add variety to the game. The librarian in the Stronghold could be a source of such quests, if you built the library improvement. Moreover, I also like the idea of higher levels unlocking new enchantments and/or recipes. All PCs would know the basic recipes and enchantments, but the highly skilled would have access to more. Example: Each level in lore above 4 reveals a randomly selected new enchantment, with the randomness modified by your talents (i.e. Fire focused talent = greater chance to unlock fire based enchantments). Each level in Survival reveals recipe(s) for nature based food items or potions. A PC skilled in survival would have knowledge of more animal and plant based potions than someone who is not as skilled in Survival.

In Tim Cain's post on crafting (#58) he talked about a crafting system based on: Crafting Skill Crafting Skill levels unlock new recipes/enchantments Players can find new recipes / enchantments Crafting is limited to specific in-game locations Enchantments may have requirements based on skill level, class, etc. Do you prefer Tim's original design or the implemented crafting system?

Insect creature suggestion: Giant ants (with bite that does constant damage until the ant is killed and the bite is released) Giant flying wasps (they can fly over your tanks).

I like the original concept; 1. Crafting is a skill. 2. Crafting skill level (along with talents, other skills (i.e. Lore)) may be a requirement for specific enchantments 3. Crafting is instantaneous 4. Crafting can only be done at specific locations This could be simplified by allowing crafting only in your stronghold, if the required stronghold upgrade has been built. Or crafting could be allowed only in cities, settlements and your stronghold i.e. the PC should not be able to enchant a sword in a dungeon or wilderness area 5. Levels in crafting provide access to new recipes & enchantments. More levels in crafting unlocks more enchantments. A good reason to improve this skill. Will talents affect the enchantments that you learn? Was Tim considering having the new recipes / enchantments at each level be fixed or randomly selected from a pool of recipes & enchantments or a combination of the two? I.e. 2 fixed recipes / enchantments and 1 randomly selected one 6. PCs can find new recipes and enchantments. Excellent, those books you find may contain recipes for new enchantments. Idea: Some enchantments may require the PC to find all the books in a series to unlock the enchantment. I wonder if the developers are considering this functionality for a future update or expansion?

The librarian could be a source of quests - for new books or ancient scrolls. These tomes could unlock new spells / enchantment recipes / quests / encounter areas once they are found and given to the librarian.

I agree that crafting is too easy. Here are a few suggestions to improve this: -1. Make crafting a separate skill. You can also hire NPCS to craft items for you. (Athletics, Crafting, Lore, Mechanics, Stealth, Survival) -2. Enchantments have a crafting skill level requirement. Now it's level based, crafting skill level would be more applicable. -3. Allow higher lore levels to discover / reveal /unlock new enchantments. I.e. Spirit slaying enchantment requires at least Lore level 5. -4. Allow players to discover new enchantments/recipes in books or unlock them by learning new spells. -5. Add side quests that unlock new enchantments/recipes -6. Consider new craft-related talents. -7. As the OP suggested for stealth, characters with zero (0) skill in crafting cannot enchant items.

I would like to see future updates 1.06+ continually add new content to the game. Not as much as you would find in a DLC or Expansion, just minor additions. 1. Update some conversations to account for player's reputation 2. New side quest that uses an existing map, perhaps encounters/quests that are trigged by your reputation or the completion of other quests. 3. Add conversation to a non-speaking NPC 4. Create a grimore to be found contains a new spell or spells with a lore level requirement. 5. Improve Skills (high level lore unlocks new enchantments or spells, high level mechanics increase AOE for traps) 6. New Talents 7. Greater Move Visible effect of reputation on priests 8. More chances to encounter fatigue penalty obstacles (i.e. swim and you suffer a higher penalty to fatigue 9. Random Ecounter(s) while traveling

I like time limit related quests. As the OP noted, if you don't get to a bounty target within X days, he gains reinforcements or moves elsewhere. Another option might be: 1) Lizard Tribes are on the warpath and will attack the Gilded Vale within 2 weeks. If you ignore the threat the Vale is reduced to ruins and most of its NPCs slain. If you respond you can prevent the attack or defeat it and save the Vale. The PC can respond to this threat or not. Their actions have a dramatic effect on the world around them - the Vale is kept safe or it is burned to the ground.

Higher level traps should be the purview of those highly skilled in mechanics; however, as Achilles has stated, the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction. It may be worth considering 3 changes; 1. Reduce the accuracy penalty for the highest level traps by 6 or 9 (2 or 3 skill levels). 2. Every mechanics level above 5 increases the trigger area for a trap. Experts know how to set better traps. 3. Every 2 mechanics level above 5 provides knowledge on how to craft a new type of trap, randomly selected from a library of 8 traps. The details on this trap are added to the journal. A cool and useful bonus for higher level mechanic skills. One might consider additional trap specific talents with a prerequisite Example: Accurate Traps, Greater (Perquisite: Accurate Traps): Provides a +6 bonus to trap accuracy (passive). Example: Extended Traps: Traps have a larger trigger area Why not be able to enchant traps? I.e. a trap designed for slaying spirits for example. PS: If Elder or Aloth knows that a PC is highly skilled in mechanics, it would be interesting if they offered a conversation with traps as the topic. Perhaps Elder offers an observation on the best times to set traps.

DLC releases come a lot quicker than expansions. From my perspective, Obsidian could release a new DLC package that enhanced the current game with new quests, new monsters, new spells, carefully designed battles using existing assets and a few new maps. Example: What if pirates or sea lizard army land at Defiance Bay, a carefully designed battle where invaders are constantly moving around the map would be most interesting, especially if the gates leaving Odra's Gift were closed and the PC's could not leave nor rest. A running battle, where the PCs had to use potions and food to keep up their strength. A true tactical puzzle. Example: Frost Giants attack one of the existing villages and PCs follow the trail through a maze of narrow Cliffside passages to the giant's lair in the snow capped mountains.

Carados, 1. Your idea for Mechanics level allowing one to set more traps is really nice, and quite applicable. 2. I applaud your concept for heavier armor imparting a larger fatigue penalty. I would also consider a larger fatigue penalties for strenuous activities - climbing a cliff or swimming through a sewer - so that characters; such as wizards and rogues, that forgoes athletics suffer a fatigue penalty. 3. I like the idea of Lore levels providing knowledge of new enchantment recipes or spells. The results could be randomly selected from a pool of 50 enchantment recipes and spells. This reflects that a study of ancient scrolls will have unpredictable results. Example: Every Lore level above 5 = 1 randomly selected recipe or spell. Perhaps a talent: Focus Necromancy, Focus Charm, Focus Nature, provides a new spell in that focus area for every level above 5. (I.e. No Focus = Random Recipe/Spell, Focus = Recipe/Spell in that Focus area). A 10th Level Wizard with Talent: Charm would have access to 5 randomly selected "Charm" related enchantments or spells. A 10th Level Wizard without a focus would have access to 5 randomly selected enchantments or spells.

Nonek, related to your suggestion: High Athletics - +1 Might at for every 6 levels of Athletics High Stealth - +1 Reflex for every 6 levels of Stealth High Survival - +1 Constitution for every 6 levels of Survival High Lore - +1 Intellect for every 6 levels of Lore That said, I would prefer bonuses that are more unique; ---1) Survival - In wilderness areas can reveals new less fatiguing paths ---2) Lore - High level lore adds random new enchantments to the list of available enchantments ---3) Athletics - Increase the fatigue penalty for certain tasks (climb a cliff, cross a river, sewer swim) to penalize PCs without high athletics I would also like to see a separate skill for Crafting - where enchantments would have a crafting level requirement.

Idea: Encounter area where survival skill opens up new strategic and tactical options; The scene, is a bandit camp, on a plateau protected by steep cliffs, accessible by a narrow winding path that goes by archers who watch from overhead ledges. PCs can make a direct assault and suffer from archer attacks and traps that guard the passage up, or look for a way to climb up the steep cliffs. ----1) A party with low survival skills finds a difficult to climb path that leaves many PCs with major or critical fatigue due to a large fatigue penalty once the cliff is scaled. Fatigue Penalty: 50 ----2) A party with high survival skill will find the climb less fatiguing, due to a smaller fatigue penalty. Fatigue Penalty: 20 ----3) A party with high survival skill spots animal signs that lead to a cave entrance that hidden amongst boulders at the base of the cliff. This entrance is not detectable by PCs with low survival skills. Idea: River Crossing PCs want to cross a rapidly moving river ----4) A party with low survival skills spots a crossing, but suffers a high fatigue penalty when crossing (Penalty 50) ----5) A party with high survival skills has an easier time crossing the river and suffers a small fatigue penalty (Penalty 10) Essentially, Survival skills allows the party to find new paths in the wilderness that are easier to traverse. Idea: Snow and Ice Covered Terrain This encounter area of snow and ice covered terrain has snow covered chasms and ravines (natural non-mechanical traps). ----6) A party with low survival skills will not spot these natural occurring traps. PCs that enter them will suffer damage. Damage is doubled if they are moving fast. ----7) A party with high survival skills will automatically spot these natural dangers and can avoid them. ---- In this cold environment a party with low survival skills must find shelter; such as a cave or cabin, to rest. ----9) In this cold environment, a party that includes a PC with high survival skills can rest. 3 Advantages for a party with high survival skilled PCs: A) They can find wilderness paths that are hidden and less fatiguing. B) They can spot dangerous terrain; such as snow covered chasms or likely avalanche areas. C) They allow their party to rest in hostile terrain; such as snow covered forests.

What if Survival skill allowed players to find a new route through difficult terrain? This would make leveling up a character's survival skill a more viable option. Example 1: While traveling along the base of a Cliffside A party with low survivable skill (<=3) cannot see a way to climb the cliff, and must follow the path. A party with medium survival skill (4 to 7) reveals a climbable route up that is difficult (lite red). This route assigns a large fatigue penalty to PCs that elect to climb this path. A PC with high survival skill (8+) reveals a climbable route up that is easy to climb(lite blue). This route assigns a small fatigue penalty to any PC climbers. (same route up, but it is less fatiguing to climb with an experienced guide) Example 2: While traveling in a swamp along a trail A party with low survival skill cannot see an easy to traverse the swamp off the path. They suffer a large fatigue penalty if they move off the path. A party with medium survival skill (4 to 7) reveals an off the trail path that is difficult to follow. This route assigns a medium fatigue penalty to those that follow it. A party with high survival skill (8+) reveals an off the trail path through the swamp that is shallow and easy to follow (light blue). This route assigns a small fatigue penalty to those that follow it. (same off the trail path, but its less fatiguing to follow with an experienced guide) Example: Swiftly moving river A party with low survival skill cannot see an easy way to cross it and suffers a suffering a major fatigue penalty if they try. A party with medium survival skill spots an shallow ford, and incurs a medium fatigue penalty when following this path across A party with high survival skill spots a very shallow ford, and incurs a small fatigue penalty when following this path across "Survival allows characters to make better use of the food and potion items they find. The higher the character's Survival skill, the longer the duration of such items. Survival can also be used in conversations and scripted interactions that involve wilderness challenges or specialization information. ----- Survival can reveal new paths through difficult terrain. ----"

Duplicate Post

What if Survival skill allowed players to find a new route through difficult terrain? This would make leveling up a character's survival skill a more viable option. Example 1: While traveling along the base of a Cliffside A party with low survivable skill (<=3) cannot see a way to climb the cliff, and must follow the path. A party with medium survival skill (4 to 7) reveals a climbable route up that is difficult (lite red). This route assigns a large fatigue penalty to PCs that elect to climb this path. A PC with high survival skill (8+) reveals a climbable route up that is easy to climb(lite blue). This route assigns a small fatigue penalty to any PC climbers. (same route up, but it is less fatiguing to climb) Example 2: While traveling in a swamp along a trail A party with low survival skill cannot see an easy to traverse way off the path. They suffer a large fatigue penalty if they move off the path. A party with medium survival skill (4 to 7) reveals an off the trail path that is difficult to follow. This route assigns a medium fatigue penalty to those that follow it. A party with high survival skill (8+) reveals an off the trail path through the swamp that is shallow and easy to follow (light blue). This route assigns a small fatigue penalty to those that follow it. (same off the trail path is less fatiguing to follow)

I like the keep and expect it to be enhanced in future expansions. What I would really like to see is that developments at the keep and the players reputation impact the storyline and relations with NPCs. If you are a lord of a prosperous keep, let some NPCs react to that. Having a keep should be a source of quests and adventures - that derive from the PC actions and inactions. When I rebuild the Chapel, let me choose which Deity it is for, and let that generate quests and affect relations with some NPCs. If I choose not to rebuild the keep, let that impact NPC reactions. If the keep security is 40+ let that impact NPC reactions. Update the keep's population increase as it is rebuilt. When I rebuild a curtain wall I want to see guards atop it on patrols. If I rebuild Brighthollow's kitchen let me encounter a cook NPC and his assistant. If I rebuild the library, let there be a librarian to converse with and offer quests based on the books in the library.

It would be interesting if the PC could use non-lethal force (fists) or their resolve attribute (15+) to dissuade the drunks. Thus 4 possible outcomes: 1. Resolve - Non-Violent Resolution. 2. Deadly Combat (weapons or magic) - PCs slay the drunks and suffer a penalty to their reputation in the Vale, perhaps they are asked to pay a fine. Conversations reflect this. Perhaps is triggers an encounter where they are warned of a space on the hanging tree. 3. Non-Deadly Combat (Fists) - the PC wins, and gains local reputation. Conversations reflect this. 4. Non-Deadly Combat (Fists) - the PC loses, and loses local reputation. Conversations reflect this. "You're the adventurer who couldn't defeat a drunk farmer"

I would like to see individual characters; of high athletic level, have the option to jump a chasm or a ravine. How could this be implemented? --- The presence of a character of high athletic Skill (8+) - reveals a jump tile. If this character moves to stand on it, a linked destination jump tile on the other side of the obstacle (ravine, chasm, river of lava) is revealed. --- Click on the destination tile and the PC with the high athletic skill jumps to the destination tile. Only characters of High Athletic Skill (or with related magic items - i.e. Boots of Jumping) can make the jump.