DnaCowboy

Exploration and combat XP: Pavlov;s Bell for rpg gamers? Some folk here keep making the assumption that introducing xp for combat would automatically make the game a grind-fest, trust me when I say it wouldn't. Will there be the occasional player that wishes to traverse each map killing everything in sight for xp? Yes. However will that be the majority? No way on Eora! For the most part those that wish combat xp implemented want to make the combat enjoyable not just a boring task to further and complete the current quest. We all know that exploration is the raison d'etre for many rpg gamer; well, during exploration the player comes across evil creatures and wild animals that need to be confronted and defeated. Post battle the fallen can drop items and in some wonderful rpg's be skinned for important components; however, most importantly the player garners experience points and a sense of achievement without which they are left feeling a little empty, however, more importantly sentenced to an endless repetition of same. In contrast, rewarding combat with experience immediately fills the player with a sense of motivation, the Pavlo'vs Bell of rpg's perhaps?

Are we there yet?

That's because your save game was corrupted, see my post in thread: http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/68001-anyone-keep-getting-corrupted-saves/

Two pages ago I posted a request for constructive advice on how to politely approach the developers for a response to the backers position on implementing xp for combat. To date no-one has put forward any valid ideas, so please once again, does anyone have any constructive ideas on how to approach the developers requesting a response to backer concerns?

Did you follow the guidelines InkBlot posted regarding never loading saves from the sub-menu or quick-load? If you load games from the sub-menu rather than quitting and loading from the main menu then save the file will more often than not become corrupted. Also, ALWAYS close the Steam client when you end your game. Here is the method you should employ each time you load a game: 1: NEVER load a save directly from the menu that pops up when you hit ESC. CONTINUE or following death, instead load only from the main menu (if you hit ESC, choose 'Quit', then load from the main menu). 2: When you save and quit the game, shut down the Steam client as well. Once I did that all my problems went away: 1: Grappling hook option in Dragon Egg and Chasm in Caves FIXED 2: Quests disappearing. FIXED 3: Items disappearing FIXED 4: Fighter not attacking: FIXED 5: menu titles and sub menu titles disappearing: FIXED 6: saves games no longer corrupted

VICTORY So the polls tell an interesting story, in that the majority of backers would like to see Combat XP included in the retail game. These same backers also voted on being prepared to wait while it is being implemented, what we need now is a response from the developers. I took it upon myself to contact a developer asking for guidance; however, I have yet to receive a reply, that being said we need a way to politely request that the devs respond to our request, any constructive ideas?

Awesome OP post and I liked his idea about making combat Turn-Based, tbh, I was a little surprised the game wasn't turn-based as it seems an ideal game for it. Of course, I love what he said about combat xp or lack of which essentially validates everything myself and others have been saying.

Its repeatable, I've carried out the method required to cause items to disappear and then followed the 'fix' method and it works every time. To be fair to you though I have never had a problem whereby walking to the Inn caused items to vanish!

I don't care about what you feel that it's fun for you. Considering time/resources, they should stick to what they have and use their remaining time/resources to fix/balance/polish the game and not catering some loud people. Unless that loud people want to pay from their pocket those optional systems. Then that's ok a long as the resource known as time allows it. The only way they will have the time to allow it is if the pro-combatxpers come up with around 200k or so and make another donation. They are asking them to overhaul the one system that has more to do with game balance and power curves than anything else. It would easily take a month or two possibly more to do just that, forget about all the bugs, polishing, and everything else you have to put on hold. It is a ridiculous request that is not as popular as people think and it is not going to happen. I am more than happy to fund Combat XP, just show me where.

First of all I'd like to thank INKBLOT who found this fix, thanks very much. 1: NEVER load a save directly from the menu that pops up when you hit ESC. or following death, instead load only from the main menu (if you hit ESC, choose 'Quit', then load from the main menu). 2: When you save and quit the game, shut down the Steam client as well. Once I did that all my problems went away: 1: Grappling hook option in Dragon Egg and Chasm in Caves FIXED 2: Quests disappearing. FIXED 3: Items disappearing FIXED 4: Fighter not attacking: FIXED 5: menu titles and sub menu titles disappearing: FIXED

Thanks, very much.

RESOLVED (Admin please put work-around in subject line) Okay, I learnt this from INKBLOT and it works perfectly for the above issues, in fact it works perfectly for ALL issues I have had excepting frozen characters following battle. 1: NEVER load a save directly from the menu that pops up when you hit ESC. Instead load only from the main menu (if you hit ESC, choose 'Quit', then load from the main menu). 2: When you save and quit the game, shut down the Steam client as well. Once I did that all my problems went away: 1: Grappling hook option in Dragon Egg and Chasm in Caves FIXED 2: Quests disappearing: FIXED 3: Items no longer disappearing, FIXED 4: Fighter not attacking: FIXED 5: menu titles and sub menu titles disappearing: FIXED

Hint: Saying 'I want X' isn't an argument in favor of X that will convince anyone. Therefore, saying 'I really really...really want X' isn't either. Nor is 'Not having X causes me angst.' Sorry, but the world is mostly indifferent to your angst (Don't blame me for that. I don't make the rules; I just enforce them on the internet ). (Also, if you think kill XP has no effect on the game you haven't thought this through. More below.) On the other hand, I want X because good reason 1, good reason 2 etc. is useful. We can then understand why people have the opinions they do (and have a sense who has thought about the issue and who is having a kneejerk reaction (something that people do sometimes)). Some people might even change their minds once they really think about the reasons. (Others will smear their kneejerk reaction onto all of the reasons and spout nonsense, but that's not worse than what we have now). So, what are some reasons for kill XP? How about: 1. It is a more conservative way to design the game - IE games were fun and they did it that way and PoE doesn't have a big enough budget to take the risk. 2. Quest XP might prevent some kinds of degenerate gameplay (like killing **** you don't even want to kill because you gain levels) but causes other kinds (insert kinds of degenerate gameplay caused by quest XP here) or, 2a. Degenerate gameplay isn't even a thing because (reasons why it isn't) (we've had this statement repeated ad nauseam along with disparaging remarks about an Obsidian employee who wants to prevent it - what we need is actual supporting arguments) 3. XP numbers give you feedback on the difficulty of the fight you just had - it give you an indication of whether your tactics were good or not. 4. Other fantastic reason why you have a well founded opinion and not just an opinion pulled out of ....er, thin air Reasons against kill XP: 1. Doesn't disadvantage any particular style of game play (killing works, diplomacy works, stealth works). (an argument against this point is that killing should be advantaged for some reason (hint, provide reason - **** do I have to do everything for you? )) 2. Doesn't require encounters to be designed with a specific number creatures of a specific difficulty - the level slider can add creatures (and stronger creatures) without the unintended side effect of making the game easier due to faster leveling (you know, because hard mode should be harder) 3. Doesn't give an incentive to kill everything on a map (which can be chore) - only what you need to kill to do what you want to do 4. Other fantastic reason why you have a well founded opinion and not just an opinion pulled out of ....er, thin air tl;dr More light - less heat. Yes, on seconds thoughts you make sense, perhaps introducing XP combat does affect the opposing voter; however, I cannot see why both camps cannot get what they want eventually. Regarding (reasons against) 3: I think the crpg community would object vocally to Pillars becoming an action rpg along the lines of say Diablo, that said it shouldn't detract from offering the player xp from combat which crpg's have been doing since Bards Tale and before.

Really, what does it say about a community that seems more than happy to vote and deny the other half something that they desperately want which costs nor affects the opposing subscriber-base anything at all. Strange.

Seconded, same for me.

Me too, I deleted all my saves to try again and they STILL failed, still 3rd times the charm as they say......

Why do ze Germans always have to have everything dubbed? Everyone knows there's only one real language any more.....

How do you change from internal cpu to external fx card, somewhere in options or the NVidia panel? edit, ignore found it, mine had been set to CPU (

Hey Sking No I had my animal companion freeze some ways into the cave and later having defeated the spiders (including the Boss Spider) suddenly my BB Priest froze; however they never had the chance to cast Web unless the cast web gfx failed? Also, I saw no negative spell icon above the priest character.

Seconded, I had exactly the same bug in the Caverns when I go to use the chasm wooden beams (no grappling hook option appears) as well as during the Dragon Egg climb, my BB warrior has the required ATHLETICS +5 however, no grapple option appears and subsequently I get scrambled eggs.

Some of their proponents argue that it does, but it would be a small thing turning those xp flags off via a toggle when you start a new game, and then pump up their xp granted at their precious quest nodes. Case solved, np.

Do we have a time scale on an overhaul and would it allow for combat xp to be added? It depends on how deep you want this redesign to be. I wouldn't be contrary to scrap the mechanics and to replace them with something Pathfinder inspired, but it would take several months, not to mention a new playtesting phase. Well, I gather that there are some like Sevek who want xp to be added to other conditions; however, for myself I like the game engine as it is but with the addition of combat XP and perhaps furthering the concept of employing tools in your environment to facilitate exploration. I like your idea on path-finding though.

Out of curiosity: when did the poll expired? It is still open although I find it strange seeing how adding combat xp to the game would take nothing away from backers who like the Quest XP mode.

Do we have a time scale on an overhaul and would it allow for combat xp to be added?