Archmage Silver

This isn't Morrowind, Oblivion, or Skyrim. This isn't Legend of Grimrock. We're talking about an RPG using an isometric camera view - do you really think that the best option to go with in dungeons is to show a barely visible screen to the player? And what about combat, do you develop a mechanism for dropping the torch or do you fight without your shield? Does the torch set you on fire on critical misses? Do low level wizards need to use power for maintaining light spells instead of using more direct damage spells? ... Considering the fact that you only use torches or light spells a fraction of the playing time, it would seem that the workload needed for including torches isn't really worth the end result at all.

I don't like DRM as a matter of principle, so I'll get my copy from GOG. I see no point in using DRM, it can all be cracked by people inclined to do so. WoW had/has pirate private servers, so that scheme didn't work out either. You might just as well skip utilizing DRM. In fact, many crackers and pirates will buy a license for a game they want, even moreso given the lack of DRM. Personally I don't participate in piracy nor do I condone piracy of any kind (Jack Sparrow and Hector Barbossa are exempt from this ), but I know people who just don't care - they don't have the money, yet they still want their fix of games and whatnot. I keep telling them it's not the same thing, but they just shrug it off. They'll only buy the games if they're really fans of the series or they just can't get the game otherwise, the latter of which rarely happens. DRM doesn't stop crackers, it only slows them down for a time (OK, StarForce worked to an extent, but no developer in their right mind uses SF as DRM anymore).

Frankly, mini games are a terrible waste of development resources most of the time. IIRC, Chris Avellone commented on them as one feature they should have cut when developing KotOR 2: TSL. They're just fluff.

I'll consider buying it only after there's a reskin mod for the ghastly blue GUI. Why so blue?

Good update, Adam! The pathing/collision test map is interesting, can we get more of these in the future updates? Along with possible screenshots of WIP areas of course. I don't have anything really specific to add to the pantheon design phase, but I'd personally prefer to keep the whole thing smaller in scope than those of Forgotten Realms or Greyhawk. I think they just extended on it a bit too much. Also... can we skip Bhaal?

I don't think it's a good idea to use (A)D&D-based PC games as an example - the alignment system didn't translate over well from the tabletop game IMO.

I think we'll get some more posts when the weekly content updates start rolling in.

Personally I like to archive the patch files, so automatic updaters aren't really important to me at all. Hopefully manual patches will be available.

Nice interview. It's good to hear that weekly updates will start rolling out now.

1. Obsidian's Choice 2. No 3. Cooldowns Simply because psionics were overpowered in (A)D&D.

For bashing heads in, yes.

Ugh. I'm so sick of dungeon crawling. I prefer more urban settings. Curb crawling? ::

I wouldn't include a respec option, it just reduces the replayability of the game. And people really should read manuals, they're useful.

Co-op magic seems more like a normal combat tactic than an actual specialization. The other two strike me as strategic choices as well rather than specializations. Specializing in summoning or illusions would be closer a to a specialization in my mind.

I'm not so concerned about the actual retail release date, I'm sure Obsidian knows what they need to do to keep going forward with this IP. Internal deadlines are important though, and I hope that their experience with past games has taught them when to push for stricter deadlines and when to cut the devs some slack.

Hm... some things I'd like to see: Underwater Ruins - some intact buildings with pockets of air in them and an enormous sea monster patrolling outside, possibly breaking a wall or two while you're inside a building Ancient Magi Collective - an abandoned floating citadel in the lower atmosphere that diguises itself with magically produced cloud formations Overgrown Castle - a deserted castle located in the middle of a jungle - tread with caution Dragon's Lair - not your typical lair, but a mountain peak version with a nesting female dragon

IIRC, the Linux version's distribution platform isn't set in stone yet.

Northern forests, snowy mountains, and deserts (see Anauroch). I don't like barren, rocky places or swamps though.

Voted for the Baldur's Gate series - without the ability to steal everything from stores and fence it.

I vote for no time limits - you can set those for yourself if you want to. I have to deal with deadlines in RL, so I'm not really interested in thinking about them in games.

Nice update (#31). Not much content, but Josh had a mace. I have one as well. I've also got some other weapons like swords, daggers and an axe - no guns or projectile weapons though, they don't make for good replicas IMO.

Oppa Gangnam Style!

I'd be fine with something like the Icewind Dale series spell fx, they weren't that overdone. BG II had great stuff there as well, but I'd stay away from some of the Throne of Bhaal spells, those reflect the power of a Bhaalspawn more than anything else.