Lord Wafflebum

I think the OP was more suggesting that they look an awful lot alike, which is fair. Their lore is different, yes, but the models themselves are very similar. The elves are just mildly more slender and have pointier ears than the humans. It would be super-duper if they looked a bit more distinct, methinks.

I won't play this game unless I can download it off Origin

@Shevek Hear hear!

In v278 of the beta melee wizard was the only way to play a wizard. There's a huge thread in the beta forums about improving the wizard class, but as of right now (in my opinion, anyway) there is no good build for the wizard. At a minimum the class needs a major balance overhaul. When I start a new beta playthrough I get rid of the wizard and buy a chanter and cipher at the inn.

If it's anything like it is in the beta, it's all the above. You pay a certain amount of money per level of custom adventurer.

I'm having a hard time even forming an opinion of the combat log because of the bug that causes it to scroll to the top of the log whenever something happens. In its current state it's only helpful post battle, but I need it most during the battle. Hopefully that gets fixed for the next build.

The only reason I knew what was going on in BG2 is because my friends and I started playing tabletop AD&D after BG1 because BG1 was so much fracking fun.

Some things can be fixed in post-production and maybe in expansions, eh? As I mentioned before I don't think the combat log and UI were necessarily at the top of their priority list. It sounds like they're devoting resources to it now, but before I get the impression their focus was on combat mechanics and bug squashing.

Gamers invented kiting when Baldur's Gate came out.

As Elerond and Nakia pointed out, and has been discussed in other threads we have NO IDEA how OE is spending money. I would be shocked to find out that OE did NOT put any of their own money into this game- especially considering the extended development timetable. That said, I doubt OE would have partnered up with Paradox if Paradox didn't have a solid marketing plan to pitch. Considering OE hasn't specified a release date I doubt we'll see any marketing until then. I'm still going to annoy my friends about buying the game tho. I want it to do well because I like what I've experienced in the beta and I suspect I'll want more. I wouldn't consider that codependent either. That assumes OE is relying on me to sell the game for them. While I don't KNOW that OE and Paradox haven't had a meeting about the esteemed Lord Wafflebum selling their game for them I feel it's rather unlikely.

Yellow Rabbit is exactly right. The problem, more likely than not, is on your end. You may just have something as simple as a setting on your computer that isn't right preventing you from playing. Hopefully tech support can help you weed out where the problem is- if tech support can't help you then coming back to the forums with more specific info might yield some results.

I disagree that intuitive gameplay means that it is a better game. I had no idea the first few times I played through Baldur's Gate that a low AC was GOOD. Games like that could have used a brief tutorial for the uninitiated so that we knew what the deal was with the game mechanics. I think PoE would be well served by some brief tutorials. I don't want to see the entire first act end up being a drawn out tutorial, but I do feel there should be something. All the mechanics going into this game are new. Considering how OE handled the tutorial for F:NV, I'm not worried about the tutorial being overbearing. It's something you could skip completely in that game and I suspect in PoE it, too, will be something you can either skip or turn off. I'm confident OE has enough experience in game development where they know where to strike the balance. Replay value goes down when you have trudge through a tutorial for the fifth or 20th time and I doubt they're strangers to that concept. So, when you say something such as "Intuitive gameplay and game mechanics > tutorials" I don't think you're being fair. I think games have suffered from creating systems that so intuitive that a certain level of complex gameplay no longer exists. Granted it makes games more accessible for everyone, but most folks that are playing PoE are looking for more complex gameplay. It all comes down to striking the right balance.

I'd bet OE takes the most feedback from us when it comes to UI, when they're ready to work on the UI. InXile did a great job of working with the community on the UI for Wasteland 2, and the two companies seem to have similar philosophies when it comes to using their community. From the last couple updates I think they're more occupied with their recurrent save/load issues and combat mechanics. I'm sure they are also aware of the firestorm that is the DA:I UI madness. If you don't work with your fanbase, especially when it comes to UI, that's when your game sells for half price a few weeks after release. Also, from some comments I've seen from Josh Sawyer, he seems very receptive to UI criticism and feedback.

I'm afraid of PotD. Maybe once I have enough meta knowledge of the game I'll try it, cry, and realize how unworthy I am. I'm gonna be saving my attempt at it for the full release, tho. I want to have a much deeper understanding of the game systems before I try, and that can only come with multiple playthroughs.

Anyone who doesn't like Minsc needs to replay BG2 and have him make your case for you when trying to get into the asylum. If you don't bust a gut during that scene you might actually be dead on the inside and incapable of experiencing joy.

@oenoneablaze Don't be discouraged. The latest BB build was a huge step in the right direction for folks like us. Once the combat mechanics are fully worked out, in addition to what Josh Sawyer has said about the beginning of the game teaching us what we need to know to succeed in the game, we're going to have the full release of the game where we want it. Unfortunately the beta has an extremely steep learning curve that just won't be in the full release. Also, v364 has shown (to me, at least) how much some balance and bug tweaking can vastly improve combat feel. If they keep it up I have every confidence it will be a game we can enjoy. The folks that are hardcore combat lovers might have a different take on it, tho. While Josh hasn't commented in the casual gamers threads, the things he has said in others threads assures me he and his team are very much aware of how we feel and what we would like to see from the lower difficulties.

Wow, the amount of hate Sensuki has been getting for this thread is definitely over the top. I may not always agree with Sensuki's conclusions, but I think it's fantastic that he uses actual game data to make his arguments. I'm personally very happy he challenges Josh Sawyer and the devs on their designs. I think OE is mature enough where they can handle constructive criticism and Sensuki's efforts WILL help to make this game better come full release. I wish more people here would appreciate that.

I agree the companions/characters of the New Vegas DLC were superb. Dead money and Old World Blues especially are stories that will stay with me for a very, very long time. New Vegas is not a small part of the reason why I do not have a single or mild doubt as to the narrative for PoE.

He's actually pretty active in the forums, especially the beta forums.

That's not fair. Tutorials can be done well to familiarize players with new mechanics and systems. I don't see how helping players familiarize themselves with the game has anything to do with "reinventing humanity." In my opinion, games that have no need of tutorials tend to be too much on the basic side. Intuitive gameplay and tutorials need not be mutually exclusive. Most of the actual interactions with things in the beta are intuitive, but I want the tutorials for little things that I may be missing. The only thing in the beta that has frustrated me so far is the combat, but as the latest patch has shown me that was more a matter of balance/ system tweaking than anything else.

Ahem, to get back on topic... @ls35a I wouldn't worry too much about accessibility. I've been playing the beta for awhile, and as time goes on the betas have become much more friendly to the less intense gamers (on Easy, anyway). I was really frustrated for awhile, but in posts Josh Sawyer has made on the forums there have been assurances that the tutorials put into the game will help new players to understand the mechanics and at least from the current beta build the learning curve will be much easier if you play on Easy. That said, I suspect if you try to play on Hard out the gate you'll be in for an unpleasant ride. However, everything I've seen to this point suggests that this game will only be inaccessible to people that are unwilling to learn a new playstyle.

I finally got around to reading through Raz's post. He brings up a lot of good points that support that engagement may not need to be scrapped, but like many on this forum I'm waiting for Sensuki's rebuttal versus engagement. If nothing else, I'm really enjoying as I read through the threads that the devs are here reading them, too. So even if they don't implement some of the better stuff that has been suggested here I feel confident they at least took it into consideration. I realize there are time/monetary considerations we are not privy to and some of this stuff simply may not fit into their vision, but it's still nice to be heard. Part of me wonders if the devs are also kinda waiting for Sensuki's engagement thesis before they work on the AI more?

@constantine That's fair. I kind of like how Dragon Age does it where the elves have exaggerated long and pointed features, typically with large eyes. I suppose Skyrim elves kinda had the same long and pointy features, too. Hopefully if they don't have the time and/or money to make the races more distinctive from one another in vanilla PoE, the expansion has the potential to address that. I'm a bit concerned the character model design is essentially locked in at this point, but that's just conjecture.

Yeah, that's how it is supposed to work. Note however that the number of spells you can cast per day is independent from grimoires, that is, only spell selection is tied to grimoures, in case that's not clear. If you gather enough grimoires, you could basically write down every spell in the game into them where the only thing preventing you from accessing spells is the time spent switching to the grimoire that actually has them. So in short: - The wizard knows a selection of spells which can be expanded by finding grimoires with unknown spells or leveling up. - Grimoires have limited space and can hold a selection of the spells the wizard knows. - You can have multiple grimoires but only one equipped. You can customize your grimoire by writing down spells you know. - Wizards cast a spell by selecting a spell from the currently equipped grimoire and using one of their appropiate spell slots. Basically, the wizard combines the spell availability of the DnD wizard with the spontaneous casting of the sorcerer with an opportunity cost (the time it takes to switch grimoires). Theoretically, you can prepare grimoires for different jobs and then switch them at the beginning of a fight according to the situation (one for elemental damage, one for gishing, one for crowd control or any combination). Thanks guys, this helps a lot!

@Rumsteak Have you tried playing on Easy? I read somewhere that the differences between difficulty levels are primarily how many enemies you'll face. The only time stats of enemies changes is for PotD. The number of enemies on Easy felt appropriate to me. Yeah, the new reticles look a bit rough. I know they're experimenting with different styles, but I think I'll prefer something a bit more conservative. The only real advantage to the ones in this build is that they're large and flashy enough to help me find who I'm supposed to be fighting when my enemies are obscured by the environment and/or spell effects. @constantine Heh, I'm glad they added the white color for clothes, because all my folks are wearing either white or black so I can pick them out easily. I thought it was just my colorblindness making my crew blend in to everything. Glad to know it isn't just me! Somehow I missed that Aumaua were supposed to be shark people. I kinda thought that they were going for an Avatar thing for them. It would be sweet if they had some sort of vestigial fin on top of their heads or their backs or something. Heads would probably be easier to do... I'd rather ignored their lore up to this point; I think I'll play through as one after I finish up with my Paladin playthrough. Hmm, I thought the elves looked fine. Are they not a bit shorter and slender than the humans? I suspect they didn't want to go too crazy with the elves so they didn't look too much like the Orlans. What do you think would make them look more elvish?