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Just to be clear, its fact that those are the two major cities or do you have a refernce for Don't let them fool you size matters I am not sure where Sensuki got the four/five maps large info, but we do know that those are the two big cities, and that Defiance Bay has at least 4 districts, but going by that map there might be as many as 6? regardless, I haven't seen any size/content comparisons, so 4/5 maps can offer more then your 8.5 ( although it possible that they decided to scale down the main city quest hub spreading it out, due to some complains about BG2)

They are from the teaser, the first link i placed in the OP for reference

EU long standing policy for energy security, has been about diversification ( and better integration within ) so as long as the gas comes from Russia monopoly, it means little how it get there.. Energy security would require to by pass Russia into central Asia, which is where Russia buys alot of gas and sells it $$$ to EU. Anyway, if this become the first step toward EU energy security, as a lesson learned from Russia's action in this crisis, then it would be great. But overall it has little todo with that, it is simply an economic leverage against Russia's continues meddling in Ukraine, as they were warned, and Russia have to suck it up, just as EU had up until now because they both want the gas flowing..

Why may of us derive such pleasure at scratching an itch? not much better then hitting concrete? Assuming that your warm butter is near a liquid state, and we know that liquid don't compress..

I thought that quoting oby is enough for that, anyway any thought on the why is Putin is being isolated or any of the recent events or possible consequences like the gas line (linked relevant recent posts)

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@Malcador, obviously the photo is circulated because of its optics i.e. the impression it conveys. On one side you see the western leader together/engaged, helping the queen("old lady"). With supporting hands, seem to frame picture. On the other side you see Putin, stand on the outskirts with a stern face that begs someone to paint red lipstick smile on him and add "why so serious?" caption.. So if you care for such silly things, as your re-post suggest, the caption is that Putin is isolated or a D***..

EU-Moscow row over South Stream gas pipeline - Russia has accused the European Union of imposing "creeping" economic sanctions following Bulgaria's decision to halt construction of a gas pipeline. EU imposing indirect economic sanctions, you don't say! this project it was one of the first things I thought that would hit, and I would be happy if they scrap it altogether for White Stream (or the Turkish project) Europe has been open about its attempt to diversify its gas market for years, and direct pipe line into central Asia would go along way into achieving its goals, denying Russia energy monopoly and providing financial alternatives to countries locked in "union" with Russia. @Malcador, that or he is too "macho" for this.

Yes. http://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Party#Formations iirc JS said that they took their inspiration from it.

@Lephys, I wasn't against anything, on the contrariety I loved your idea, suggesting that at one point or another it is something that every person who got immersed in game world wanted. However, I also tried to impress what I think is behind your examples for bad AI design as being resources constraint\priorities. Implying that in PoE, with its budget, being the first title in the series and our 2d maps (which are both marvels and limits) Obsidian should feel that resources constraint\priorities very keenly. So while I would love to be pleasantly surprised by something like that, as already have been with several other features, despite Obsidian best effort/intentions I don't think that you should get your hopes very high in that department, certainly not for the first game. Edit: expanding on that: p.s. indeed, Skyrim AI is likely an iteration of Oblivion radiant AI, which was poorly received and familiar by moth on those topics. In my last post the "living breathing world" was a setup for it, but alas my train of though was caught short by work, and I forgot where I was going with it until now..

A trend that was kicked into mainstream when Apple and Google managed to steal their respective markets by talking about why they did what they did as to opposed to simply selling what. It's a mantra in modern media marketing that people don't buy what you sell they buy why you sell it. They serve an important function. The hype trailers are there to get your attention, distinguishing them from dozen of similar titles offers pretty much the same. While the "why" is to engage\hock you, facilitated by desire to build communities that would drive the project forward. (Its what dev diaries has been about, what Kickstarters are and what we are doing here) I think its a nice trend for most games, it force them to work on more than pushing button that make awesome stuff happen

Now days I avoid gaming show like any reasonable working person avoids MMORPGs.. so many things todo so little time Still, on the chance that obsidian will release some news, new trailer or gameplay-footage for PoE, I reserve a spot on the hype train

I thought it was obvious, that it was about your tendency to excuse Russia's action. In this case recalling previous deflecting to other conflicts, and while I am sure that Kosovo is a jamais vu moment for you, considering your opinion on the topic it is dishonest to excuse Russiaattacking west actions with actually admitting Russia's is in the wrong here. and of course the glossing over the fundamental differences in this conflict get a negative response e.g. Russian media, despite all your gross generalization and innuendo that supported by nothing, fact is that it is fundamentally different from the various media in the west, at best you can say that in this instance Russia media == Fox News on a war path, which unlike your claims is supported by all the data. Also concerning Kosovo or Iraq2, I'd just point one obvious fact, that in both cases those were ~decade old conflicts, in which the international community intervened only after exhaustive effort to resolve the issue between the sides failed, which compared to Russia's blitz opportunistic real-estate grab and blunt power move, driven on completely manufactured propaganda is stupid. There reason for which I already summarized before, although you could easily find more detailed break analysis, from several years back predicting this:

I think that all will agree with your sentiments, the idea of living breathing world, where little details such as your dock workers would bring it alive, has been long time dream.. However, with that said we should be realistic, i doubt that Obsidian would have the resources to pull that off in PoE, when so many before tried and failed. Longer version: Still there are other ways to keep the city alive as @Sabotin mentioned. Personally, I thought that it worked well in IE games, which maintained a fine balance with NPC placement ( sure you could add more, but not many before it would become overcrowded).

Funny, I thought we already been over the whole west is not the US thing, it reminds me a recent dota game with couple of Russians who has been ranting about their team English speakers "Americans" ( I don't why they join West Europe servers with English pref and expect everyone to speak Russian.. ) Also just in case you are implying that the circumstances of US\Iraq and Russia\Ukraine are the same, as you did in the past, it is still foolish superficial comparison, which only serves to avoid discussion of Russia's action by diverting to pointless East vs West thing. Although, i'd take the very tenuous possible implication that you admit that Russia was in the wrong in its intervention in Ukraine, which would be more than you have yet to admit here, though you certainly has not qualms about going how bad is dat "west"..

To keep things in perspective, both fallout 1&2 games had together about 650 NPCs, FO:NV had some 550, but its an open world game.. Indeed, if we count all the the random "nameless" guard/urchins/passers/etc iterations then it can go up to that. Btw, they need not to be nameless, someone previously suggested a PC name generator, based on the cultural rules JS put in place, it would be a nice touch for the procedurally-generated crowds. Also since stealing is not a skill like in FO/BG, we need not worry about getting over board with our OCD I think this is something that's easier to accomplish in (non-sandbox) 3D, since you can more easily imply that you're ever only seeing small portion of the city, the rest of which can be seen stretching far into the landscape -- Mass Effect did this very well, especially in the Citadel, where there was always tons of bustle in the background. Of course, same can be accomplished in 2D, but it kind of doesn't have the same impact when you're just told it's a vast, busy city without being able to actually see it. Our loading screens can help with this.

I presume that in PoE World coinage is not the only currency, bartering for useful things directly should be far more common, especially as we get farther away from Defiance Bay. ( I wish that they bring the FO barter system, it would fit well here) Also, I wonder if slave trade is (e.g. in Vailia) so expansive that salve would be considered as currency in the world. Lets be honest, its a purely world building tidbit lore, but gamewise we should use a single currency, it's a matter of convince.

Lets not forget that this is a colonial area, that most of Ayder Empire --located westward across the ocean) cities are sprawled on the shoreline and are not included, while inland is the forest of Eir Glanfath, where two wars have been fought over trying to push in and were terrorized by mind hunters... p.s. from what we gathered 'Free Palatine of Dyrwood' is at least twice as large as the area where the game would take place.

Either it wasn't that bad or you skipped to the dossed off from exhaustion phase, through proper medication and lube

I just noticed that the piracy topic is closed, so here is a similar one: Does becoming the focus on counterfeiting ring is the wet dream of any one producer?

Yes the good ol' escape of the conspiracy nuts and intent trolls.. just the other day I seen some of those "intellectually rigorous" derive in self pressure at "explaining" 9/11.. Here, it the same repetition Ad nauseum with Zoraptor, as always he is trying to diminish everything that is not pro-Russian, and hang to anything that is, even after Russia state propaganda media reportage has been thoroughly discredited, trying to paint a false picture of he said she said, in a loosing battle. On the topic of Russian paid trolling, as noted several threads ago, on top of Russia being noted as leading practitioner of this for the past couple of years, it also leading the censorship and lack of freedom of speech lists, which coupled with nationalizing all of its major mass media outlets, vast strategic interest and past actions, it's why it propaganda receive the same treatment as Jehovah witness...

Well, when I meet someone who decides to stop working for Reloaded or downloading their stuff based on some Internet guy poo-poo'ing their choice I'll be properly amazed. This isn't the first time they'll hear this stuff, after all. When people do decide to stop doing it, I think it might just be things like buying it legitimately being easier and lower risk or desire to play with friends getting it legitimately rather than the growling they read online. I am not sure why its need to be said, but change doesn't come by flipping the radicals, whose heart is set. They aren't the target audience, the mainstream majority is, its PR 101. So it is foolish to think that this here is about reloaded guys, there isn't anything that can be done about them, as I initially said there is no wining with crime, its about marginalizing the phenomenon. Making legal purchase "easier and lower risk" as you said, is one way todo it, the good ol' tested stick and carrot, improving services while increasing enforcement. But it would be unwise to dismiss the good ol' tested social pressure. Its important to help them understand that this is not an acceptable behavior especially outside their little digital bubble. (and personally, I prefer it to the stick because it doesn't entail more strict DRM\licenses) So is this boy. Can we agree that just because you want your "candy", and NOW. Doesn't mean you should get it, and that responsible adults should deal with this kind of behavior.

Don't they? ^_^ Judging by the fact that people want to be able to do things like hit multiple people with the same swing, I believe that they do. Bear in mind, to me, "crazy-powerful" means, basically, being capable of things that standard NPCs aren't ever going to be capable of. If the local town militia, for example, are built as fighters with the same rules as your fighter, then your PC fighter isn't crazy powerful, because other characters can do what you do. As far as we know in PoE all enemy NPC that we will encounter in combat will have the same abilities as our party members... which is ~pretty much how it was in IE games (baring few unique abilities), but even in RPG where you have special abilities, they aren't designed as your superman example but offers you ways to deal with in-game challange, because the superman scenario = broken game. Its a noble idea, but even the most story heavy cRPG has its 100 goblins verity... at least atm I can't think of game that made it work. Play all of Paradox grand strategy games, it goes without saying that they are not RPG games, so its a mute point

The alignment system has been replaced with dispositions and reputation. No, you can't play sim-stronghold, its not going to be sandbox game but like all RPGs will feature a main story/conflict that your protagonist will have to resolve. http://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/stronghold http://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Disposition

The G7 is made of seven major economies, effecting international trade/monetary policy etc, I think its foolish to assume that cooperation among them on finance policies and issues won't have weight down the road. Although this is not about their power, it is yet another threat at sanctions aimed at Russia, over its continued destabilizing actions in Ukraine. Its part of the usual verbal clash, although IMO it should be noted that it backed by Germany who is usually consider to have reservations due to its energy dependency, and in my observation so far has been playing the mediators as much as possible, while the UK\US has been more on the "tough" rhetoric end.