Abel

If i remember well, KS takes 5% and amazon 3 to 5% of the pledged money. Don't know if the "service" provided deserves such a ratio. If the PoE wiki is right, then more than 60 different people worked on PoE. I guess it's more than 200 000/ 250 000 dollars/month, maybe 300 000 (they hired people from other companies to do some work, e.g.: wilderness areas). I don't think i'm wrong if i say here that the 4,1M grabbed during the KS campain are already gone for months, or maybe nearly a year. And once more, if i remember well, Brian Fargo said that Inxile spent during the dev of Wasteland 2 several Million dollars of its own money they earned during the developement time to fully finish the game (besides the money from late backing of wasteland, already invested in the game). As for the people who say "they had so much money and they didn't make a full 3D open world??" suffice to use wikipedia to see that AAA games have from 50 up to 100M dollars budget (and i've read some had even more, up to 500M for Destiny oO). What i mean is that even without that KS and reward fees, crafting a game with "just" 4,1M is pretty hard (well, even if there are not so much marketing fees here). At this point 3,5M or 4,1M don't make a huge difference regarding the 500M budget. You're true, but i think it's worthless to take account of the fees in such comparisons for people who imagine that 4,1M is HUGE. My opinion is that Wasteland 2 and (i hope) Eternity made incredibly well. Don't know if i could explain my point well enough. Sorry if it's not the case, but once more, english is definitely not my first language . Still, i would be very interested to know how much money Obsidian will earn with Eternity. And i'm agree that it would be cool to know exactly how much money was spent in it. Very informative i think. I've looked on the internet to learn about Wasteland 2, but i couldn't find anything more than 1,5M in 4 days. Which is obviously not enough yet. It would be cool if Inxile and Obsidian could at the end self produce. Kinda think that it would be a good thing for us, players, too, granted they don't make the same choices that Bioware made.

Well I can't speak for others but I know I'm too stupid to understand all these " 1's and 0's " discussions that developers have...I just want to plaaaaay the game Well, since i can't understand what is said, i didn't know that it was actually pretty technical. So, the general question about the interstanding of it makes more sense now.

Don't know if the "What didn't you understand?" was a reaction to me saying i didn't understand a bit of what was said in this video, but i feel it's no harm to explain briefly why i said that. Actually, the only reason why i didn't understand 80% of this video, is because of this US accent, and english language . English is really hard for french people. You guy produce such alien sounds with your mouth lol (how is this even possible to speak like "that"?). For me, as a french guy, and with Russian, English may be the hardest language to speak/understand when spoken. That's all i meant here. In comparison, Spanish or Japanese are wayyyyy easier, particularly Japanese (which i love), since it sounds "quite" alike french (saying "Daijobu" is far easier for me than saying "I'm ok"). Well, i guess i'm off topic now :D.

DLC don't necessarily mean poor content and high price: it's a publisher politics to turn them as awfull ****. Still, i don't understand how you could develop such few contents, not linked with each other, and want them to blend well in the core game. To me it's way better to have one, two, or even 3 large expansions, consistent with themselves, than 16 little packs kind of useless and that bring the "mod" feeling: "how, is this armor from a DLC here? How weird in this context!". I prefer an expanded world than a badly patched one. PS: Still, like said "bronzepoem", an expansion does not have to necessarily come at the end of the game. I prefer TotSC too, like he said.

Didn't tried the beta, but it seems weird to me to have the chanter as a "melee fighter" Since i want to play with minimum rests (once per day if possible), the tank is very important for me. They really can take many damage without suffering to much from them, engaging opponents and protecting casters and archers on the backline. I may even want to have 2 pure fighters, and 2 priests to help them survive all the fight long, even when strongly outnumbered. It's the better way i see to avoid the "one fight/one rest" problem which i really don't like. The purpose of the fighters are to engage ennemies and protec distance damage dealers here.

True. Few people know about this. If steam decide one day to stop supporting one game, you can lose it (since you can't burn a backup and use it without Steam), even if you bought it. You've accepted a license agreement that disallow you to complaint. But it's just one example of awful Steam politics. GOG sell games they have tested and that run well. Steam don't care, and the last one i bought never ran at all, and nothing to do about it (maybe a problem with XP and XCOM). Steam don't care. Steam don't care about anything but money and to be the bitch of the awfull DRM world who enforce you to have the web connected all the time. Steam have a server problem? you can't launch the game? Steam don't care. You want to burn a disc as a backup? steam don't care. I'm to the point where i prefer not to play a game than buying it on steam. I'm fed up with DRM that prevent me for using my game or reading the film on the DVD i just bought. If PoE were to be released only on Steam, i would have passed. I hate Steam like i hate EA since the day they have murdered Ultima Online. GOG, definitely GOG. The only way to play PoE to me with NO bad surprises, ever.

I liked your post because you explained your point calmly and respectfully, even if the sealed box is a big deal for you. I hope i could do the same if i were in the same situation. So, what i quoted here is obvious to me . You're right, it's the time to explain your concerns. Thumbs up to you.

About the expansion, i felt that TotSC was ok, but its main problem was (imo) that it blended quite badly with the main game (still better than many others). Don't like the expansions to be apart from the main game. Hence, the plot after the plot (HoW, MotB) or worse, expansion accessible from main menu (ToB) are not my favorites. Must be a design matter, because editing all the existing files to blend better an expansion's content may be tricky i guess. Still curious about this expansion, and the future of PoE franchise, too. If there are already some ideas for future plans (as in "will it be possible to play the saga like in BG Trilogy, in one go?", or "if PoE2 is to be released someday, will there be a Kickstarter?", "Will i have to drop my beloved stronghold in PoE2, like i had in BG2 because of Spelhold and ToB"? (which was uncool)). Will there be some "secret" in PoE? One thing i feel was wonderfull in BG, and in the first 2 fallout was the hidden and fancy things. Like the use of the rogue stone in Atkhatla, the use of the scorpion glasses in fallout 2 (or the way you could find a surprise in Mrs Bishop' safe, and so on). Concerning fallout 2, many of theses things just made the game (well, digging bramin's **** was finally a great idea ) Are there, at this point, any idea, or even any consideration of the idea to add some more companions in the future, and if there is a PoE2, will it be possible to keep going on with your beloved party (with their skills, XP, and not having to drop the brother of Yeslick (BG1) just because he wasn't in the scope for BG2, well like in BGT) Will my character be aknowledged for its achievements? i don't mean for being cruel, benevolent, elf or something else. e.g. I'm going to have a stronghold, some lands, etc. Is it linked to a nobility title? Will this status open doors within the noble world in Defiance Bay? Will my character be recognized as a land owner, or noble of some sort? Will he be recognized as a dragon killer if he kill one and let people know about it, or won't any of these things ever be noticed by anyone and become useless regarding interactions with NPCs/Quests? Is it possible to sleep well and convince hirelings to come to live at your stronghold (on top of the the Endless paths) when it is well known that hundreds of dangerous creatures lurk just beneath? Isn't everyone afraid of these creatures stop goofing around to jump at you during night? is there any lore explanation that makes this believable? (I definitely won't stay there sleeping with such things lurking in the shadows) is there any lore explanation about the infinite stash? Well i'm not really found of the concept, but my question is more about making it believable in this fantasy world. If there is something that explains how it is possible, it would be easier. Hence i'm asking. As an example of what i mean, the bags of holding in BG2 were magical items that you had to found and that had lore description as any magical items, which in my opinion, helped to make the idea believable (at least for me). Must have many other things. I've read many thngs here and there and watched some videos. Maybe the beta players have some clues of some of these points, but, currently, i don't have any. Almost forgot: last, but not least. Where do i have to pledge to see all the stuff Chris Avellone thought of for his NPCs? PS: i don't mean to launch any old debate. These are true questions for me, not trolls (i feel it may be needed to say it because of things like the stash. My questions are more about lore than anything else).

Well, i see your point. I'm a digital only backer, just to say. It's true that i didn't imagine at first that people would buy such an expansive game box without willing to open it. But now, i remember that i've already seen this. For true collectors, having a very limited sealed edition of PoE must be unvaluable. Much more than any non-kickstarter game because the KS backer editions are much rarer. So, even, if i'm not into this, i understand your problem here, and that this is a big deal for passionate people. We are all passionate people, just we are passionate about all sort of different stuff. And there are other people who have an opposed kind of ritual, wanting the books before the game to get hyped while waiting for the DVDs (the waiting part is important it seems). While i don't see any problems here, i must say that sometimes, it must be hard to be at Obsidian :D. Must be hard, as a developper, to deal with just one publisher who explain you that you have to do things this way, or this one, and that you have 10 months to craft a dull console game that would need 18. But to satisfy every single backer must give some crude headaches too :D. Just hope we are not worse than EA Games

Yeah, i've had a look, you can't purchase a beta anymore if you didn't purchased one earlier as a backer. And i didn't. But after some more thinking, i somewhat feel that since the beta end is jut 1 month away, it could not be a great idea to dive into it now (and with a useless feedback). A first dive in the full game rather than just the beta have to be way more cool, just have to be patient, and it's kinda hard these days :D. Big thanks Sensuki, but i've decided to be strong! and enjoy the whole game in my first try

May be interesting. How about the price? I really want to support PoE further, but i just can't throw in it all the money i want.

Well, if they are to give a key to all preorders, then it would be cool to give them to the backers that backed the game after the kickstarter, too (like me ). True that there is no really point to do this anyway, since the feedback we would give would come too late to be usefull. Still, all these posts, videos, images, make me want to try it. But the Linux and MAC beta came out a few time ago. Maybe some of these backers wouldn't agree.

And still, he posted! He was unable to review anything, but still, he posted his awfull, disgusting troll, whinning and complaining, and accusing and explaining that it is awfull, but there are some cool things (oO). It's a review site, not a private blog. Things have to be made seriously. This has impact on sales, and developers' future AND the games we will be able to play later on. It's unforgivable. And so, i just posted a heinous troll on the review page. This guy has to withdraw this **** and apology. Who are the poor suckers exactly? I can't ignore such stupid guy, and i would troll him even more if i could. He has NO excuse.

No, i just mean that culture or religion is not always a reason to accept everything. I won't discuss this topic here. If you want to speak seriously, just see this short video. It wasn't in Gaza, it was actually in Paris few weeks ago. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2e6tz9_attaque-contre-charlie-hebdo-les-images-de-l-attaque_news Hope you now grasp a better idea. I you were in my shoes, maybe you would understand that you just kinda put the foot down . /end of topic.

unless someone blow up my house because of his "cultural" affairs, i agree (cf recent news in france)

Interesting, it must be. Unfortunately, hard to understand even a tiny bit of what is said here. And yeah, Arcanum is great, even if far from flawless. Would be a great idea to craft an Arcanum II someday

I definitely like how obsidian guys are frank.

Being able to influence companions is a great thing. I totally agree with Luckmann when he says "just 8 companions". Well 8 is great in some regards, because there are not so many RPG's with 8 joinable NPCs who has story and all. In BG2 i always felt that i didn't have enough joinable companions (i play good, and regarding wizards, i was fed up with Nalia after 3 playthrough). Bazy said somewhere there is never enough portraits. To me, it's the same for companions. Alternative choices is realy good for replayability, but if you (like me) don't like the pupett style companions of IWD, then... there is not much freedom (3 backups). And now, i finally realize the luck we have to have so many companions in BG2. Still, i think PoE NPCs may be more complex than BG2 ones, like Gromnir said. If there are only 8 joinable NPCs, then it means that Calisca is not one of them. To me, it's the worst news. Don't know why, but watching some vids (the playthrough with JE Sawyer and Jesse Cox), i really deeply wanted to have her in my party. But if Calisca can be sort of an indication, she seems quite "normal". I mean, she's not obviously good or bad, like many BG2 NPCs. She has some sort of problems and personnal affairs that she has to take care of. She wants to help somebody, but it's because she's blood related with this person. She seems just human, and i guess unless you act in an inhuman way, there wouldn't have any problem related to "good" or "evil" matters. It's my personal feeling, and i think the goals and credo of PoE's NPCs are the important things, rather than the "good" and "evil" matter. To me companions may be the most important thing in a game like that. Maybe as, or even more important that the main plot. It's not a joke. I still hope that the expansion will bring a few more joinable NPCs afterwards, and that you could keep them in PoE II, if possible, without assuming you picked this one NPC and this one, too (like at the start of BG2). Not sure if it is easy to do or not.

i have no access to the BB and it's true that i would love to try it. But, it seems that OSX and Linux backers could enjoy it only a few weeks ago. So, i feel it would not be fair toward these early backers that everyone could try it right now. Maybe some of them don't care, maybe some do and would complain about it.

You answered one of my litte concerns Grotesque :D (once more?) In fact, i felt that the book for chants and wizard spells was not really ok. I mean, in BG, the idea of the book was ok, because, you had several pages, one for each spell level. But, here, since you have ALL in just ONE page, where is the purpose of having a book? Or is it just me saying bull****? . Still, just an aesthetic detail i guess.

Maybe he is just a wizard fan in fantasy games like i used to be back in the day. :D Still, now, i'm more a priest freak But no one cares, hu? Yeah The same here . And i love healing classes. It took me time to learn how to use priests in BG, but in my last playthrough, i had 3 priests and 1 paladin, and it was awesome.

Well this sheet seems weird to the french guy i am. Why "3e niveau Sort de Druide"? Is it a failed translation of "3rd level druid spell"? Shouldn't it be "Sort de druide de niveau 3" or "Sort Druidique Niveau 3"? And why "Frapper", and then "Assommement"? It should be "Frappe" and "Assommement" or "Frapper" and "Assommer". It's at least weird, at worst, not really french. Overall agree about the rollover thing, sounds more legible. Still i deeply hope i won't have to play an english game to have flavored text in PoE, because i'm definitely NOT fluent with english, and playing WL2 in english is quite of a VERY big deal for me, and many weird words are not even in my dictionaries... oO EDIT: and "Assommement" vs "Courage"?? Is it a translation of fortitude? Seems definitely out of place.

I feel that lvl 1 spells set to "per encounter" at low level may be overpowered. As someone said maybe at higher levels? Still i read the word expansion here. I don't always check these forums, and i wonder if there was even a tiny bit of infos about it. Plus, if i remember well, PoE is the first chapter of a saga, in the same way BG1 was. I hope it's still true. If it is, the lvl 1 spell matter has the time to pop out of the box.

Great, great post. It made me smile. You're so, so right! I guess i was 17 when BG1 came true. I didn't had any D&D experience either. That's true that the THAC0 mechanisms seemed weird to me at first sight, but strange enough, to me it's actually a good point of the game. Since i loved the whole game, i felt concerned and interested in the matter of how these mechanisms actually worked. Call me weirdo, but it was actualy compelling and great fun to figure all the ruleset out. Surely, if the game was dull, it would have been a pain in the ass, and i wouldn't have cared very much, but the game was great, and i was hooked. Plus, i felt that this weird way to rule AC, to hit rolls, save rolls (...) were in fact very unique to the BG series. I prefer the BG ruleset than 3rd edition games ruleset. Maybe i think that 3rd Ed in NWN has nothing specific to D&D anymore, or maybe i'm just nostalgic here.

In fact, the rumours you can hear in taverns should have a real usefulness (that's why i spoke about "Legends of Eisenwald"). And in PoE, sems that alcohol has actually some gameplay relatated effects (some DR i guess). But i agree that if it's just for flavor, you try it sometimes because of roleplaying, but that's all. In Divinity Original Sin, paying for sex triggers a quest at some point of the game, too, which otherwise would have never triggered.