Heijoushin

Sorry for the spoilers boss. It's hard to discuss the story without 'em.

Devil of Caroc. Loved her to bits. Some might even argue that old Durance was evil as well. Yeah, it depends on how you play your watcher I suppose.

Weeeeell, the returning characters needed new personal quests, so new details were added. Pallegina has more of a chip on her shoulder this time round, but I think that's partially a result of discovering that the gods are artificial at the end of PoE1, so I don't find it too strange. Yeah, the new "characteristic system" (or whatever it's called) does make it a little polarized. I guess that was also on purpose, to create a little conflict in the party. I didn't particularly enjoy sorting those fights out though. It felt counterproductive to have team members fighting. On the other hand, we didn't get any genuinely "evil" companions this time round. Even Serafen the pirate was a big old softie... @Slotharingia: I found Maia getting worked up about shooting people a little odd considering how many people/monsters the watcher massacres "for the greater good" on a daily basis.

Good of you to respond to everyone. Okay, perhaps logic was the wrong word. My Shakespeare and Greek mythology is a little rusty, but teenage love, jealousy, and pride are all normal human motivations that we can sympathize with. On the other hand, Eothas' motivations are difficult to understand because we aren't given enough information. If we can't understand his motivations by the end of the game, it's bad writing.

I'd hate to side with the filthy casuals, but can't we have good gameplay and a quality story?

Due to over zealous editing of dialogue, Eothas' motives and plans don't make much logical sense (https://jesawyer.tumblr.com/post/174058952291/so-is-the-idea-that-before-the-wheel). That's primarily why I'm disappointed. Logic is the minimum requirement of a story, yes? The second reason I'm disappointed is perhaps that the Watcher is ultimately ineffective. All he does at the end of the game is give his 2 cents to Eothas about what direction he wants the world to go in. Sure, lots of the secondary content is awesome, but the ending plays a big role in what taste the game leaves in your mouth afterwards.

Really curious who will win the polls now that Durance isn't around to absorb all the hate. My 2 cents: Aloth: I love the guy, but did we really need him in Deadfire? Not really. Eder: Still essential as an early tank. Still an all around nice guy. But like Aloth, did we really need him in Deadfire? Maia Rua: The sniper theme was awesome and she's a lot less annoying than her brother. Talking to her bird was also a fun experience. Pallegina: Unlike Aloth and Eder, at least she represented one of the factions, so bringing her back made sense. I think I appreciated her cynical attitude a lot more this time with Xoti as a contrast. Serafen: Fun dialogue, but for such a bad-ass pirate, he sure likes talkin' about slavery and his father figure. I dunno, I guess I was hoping for a pirate a bit more like Mirke. Tekehu: His shark transformation looks like the hengeyokai from Vampire the Masquerade Also enjoyed his narcissism and fish puns. The most interesting new companion IMHO. Xoti: I think she was well written, but somehow she got mildly annoying by the end of the game. Maybe because she's so obviously Team Eothas. All the sidekicks were a wasted opportunity IMHO. I would have genuinely liked to get to know Rekke and Konstanten better. Ydwin, for all the pre-launch hype, didn't really blow me away in the single conversation you have with her. Instead of "Gothic vampire chick," she more came across as "harassed librarian."

Ekera. Same issue as PoE1. Religion is a sensitive topic in real life because there are believers and non-believers. In a world where gods actually interact with mortals and we know so much about the afterlife, I don't think "religious scepticism" is a great theme.

Ekera, the open world feels a bit like an Elder Scrolls game. Just so much to do and explore all over the place. I actually had a small moment of "OMG. This is like a giant to-do list. Why is it that I play video games again?"

Okay, I found the relevant statements on Josh's tumblr. So the Word of God is: *shrugs* I dunno, maybe this is what comes from writing too much lore and history and then based a convoluted story over it. I liked some aspects, but ultimately, a more pedestrian 80s video game plot like "defeat the big bad" might have left players feeling more satisfied at the end of the day.

Yeah, I've found the old thread now (https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/98322-ending-spoilers-the-ending-of-deadfire-and-what-it-means-for-the-lore/page-1) Aramintai sums up my frustration very well. Hopefully they will add some clarification later. Guess this thread can be closed now...

Thank you for taking the time to answer. Good analogy with the rivers. However, I'm not convinced that there was a reincarnation system in place. It's not clear whether Od Nua came before or after the Engwithans. The official timeline (https://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Timeline) puts Od Nua at ca.800 but doesn't mention when the gods or the wheel were created. I figured it was a lot earlier. Secondly, most of the in-game dialogue seemed to indicate that without the wheel, all the souls would just sit in the "in-between" forever. Maybe I wasn't reading closely enough, but the game just doesn't seem to make a very good case for the "breaking the wheel" option. Eothas' plan seems ridiculous and the only people who support him are a bunch of crazy other gods who are pre-programmed to like challenges.

Rekke felt like the only companion that was complete. The rest get a single conversation, then are mute for the rest of your travels together. Honestly, sidekicks were pretty disappointing in general. Including Ydwin.

Forgive me if this has been discussed before, but I've just finished Deadfire, and I need to clear some things up about the main plotline. I'm sure you gentlemen will provide me with your wisdom. 1. We discover that the Engwithans created not only the Gods but the entire reincarnation cycle (AKA The Wheel). To me, this brings up one very big question: How did life and death work before the Engwithans invented the wheel? I mean, babies were born back then, right? 2. By destroying The Wheel, does that mean there will be a global effect like Waidwen's Legacy? (No babies born anywhere because reincarnation is broken.) No one seems fussed about this in the ending slides. 3. Why are the Gods (some of them anyway) convinced that the Kith can solve this? The current animancy technology is obviously very primitive compared to the Engwithans. It seems to be the equivalent of asking doctors from 1000 years ago to cure cancer. And we've seen that the Dyrwood was powerless in the face of Waidwen's Legacy in PoE1. Bonus question: A man comes up to you and says, "Guess what: Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory are real. But I'd hate for you to have no agency in what happens in the afterlife, so I'm going to break Heaven and Hell. You've got one generation to fix it or all the souls stay in Purgatory for eternity. Don't worry, human ingenuity is good stuff." How do you feel?

Sweet! Thread bookmarked!

But when you click on "view new content," you'll inevitably see the thread title of some dude posting in the non spoiler area. Or alternatively, Boeroer will post a build so brilliant that I'll want to start my character from scratch.

How are you, gentlemen. Just a few days left. It's almost time to leave these forums for a while to avoid spoilers. Because I know a couple of you will be posting strategies to beat the optional Tropical Dragon boss by day 2. Enjoy Deadfire, my brothers from other mothers.

It was a great game, no doubts there. But Pillars has a reasonably similar setting (fantasy + guns, I mean), so there's no reason for another Arcanum when they can just do more Pillars sequels. Now, a Vampire the Masquerade sequel? I'd donate to that kickstarter.

You mean antagonist? Agreed mate, agreed. But this thread is about what you're looking forward to, not wishes.

Besides, how detailed would a manual even be? Manuals are not tombs of knowledge and lore like in the old days.

Games like FF6 and Chrono Trigger are classics, but lets face it, they haven't aged well. I think it will be a bit of a slog for someone who struggles to get though JRPGs. Why not choose one of the more modern ones? FFX is good and has okay graphics by modern standards. And weebs all over the world love the Persona series. Try one of those. Hope you find something to change your mind.

I couldn't get into Nier either, but I don't think an RPG is defined by character creation. What is a 'true' RPG to you?

It's often translated as "hopping vampire" or "Chinese vampire". The characters are 殭 (stiff) and 屍 (corpse) if you want to get technical.

I agree it's not a great interview, since he kind of knocks his own work and fans, but there's no need to get so worked up over the Bethesda thing. I'm not a major fan of them either, but you can't deny they're successful.

Damn, I really want this game, too. But won't have time to play with Deadfire coming out...