kanisatha

Given today's blockbuster news, if Avowed is Obsidian's "Skyrim clone" game and Microsoft now owns the actual Skyrim/TES, where does that leave Avowed? Doesn't Avowed risk becoming a duplicative, and therefore redundant game for MS?

Yeah these are exactly my feelings as well. When MS bought up Obsidian (and inXile) I was one of those happy about it, precisely because it made Obsidian the top-dog RPG studio within the MS empire. Now, the new top-dog is Bethesda, and the top-dog always gets the biggest slice of the pie. So where does that leave the smaller entities like Obsidian? I hope someone at MS addresses this question at some point.

Secret NGAD fighter flies, sets records, raises a lot of questions

Agreed. It's what I've been arguing as well.

That is a good bet. That's what the SETI program has largely been all about, continuously scanning the radiation spectrum for any wave signals that may be artificial because radio signals would be the most basic way for us to receive signals from some other civilization. Technically it is possible there could be technologically advanced life that has, for whatever reason, chosen not to broadcast anything using radio waves, or else developed a way to limit the spread of their broadcasts. I would say it is unlikely, but who knows? The more likely event is that technologically advanced life forms are at least several hundred, if not several thousand, light years away, and their signals have not yet reached us. At least I hope so, for the sake of our survival.

Yup. What @majestic said, though I think signal strength will remain sufficient well into a signal's travel into our galaxy. The closest, the Alpha Centauri system, is about 4.2 light years away. Proxima Centauri b is the closest known exoplanet. The Gliese, Eridani, and Trappist systems (@ 15-16, 20-22, and 39.5 light years respectively), all have multiple terrestrial exoplanets within the habitable zone.

Traveling at the speed of light since what, the 1930s? Sure, they have reached nearby star systems.

I am a very strictly beer guy, but recently tried some Disaronno and really loved it. Can any of you recommend other similar liqueurs I might therefore enjoy for me to try?

Oh, "they" already know. From the moment we broadcast our very first radio signal, "they" have known.

I guess because CBS doesn't have any shows to put on because of Covid, they are going to be running ST: Discovery on the broadcast CBS channel. So I finally get to watch it. Based on all I've read here I have very low expectations. But it *is* ST, so I'll give it a go.

Seems like someone's decided they're going to try and squeeze every last dollar they can out of that franchise before they drive it into the ground.

Yup, Jaethal kicks ass as a fighting healer.

This is the greatest tragedy of PoE2. You are absolutely correct about its RTwP implementation. It is superb. And as such the tragedy is Obsidian (and perhaps other cRPG studios as well such as Owlcat) learning some sort of false lesson here that RTwP = poor sales and abandoning their excellent RTwP sytem.

I am not convinced of this at all. Even a recent poll done by a major gaming website in the aftermath of BG3 being announced as TB, shows support for TB v. RTwP at 53% to 47%. Polls on the Larian BG3 subforum themselves also are similar. What I find is that TB fans are about 51-55% but make 90% of the noise, and that's what people (and cRPG developers) are reacting to.

100% agree. If you can't directly control them, they are just frustrating and aggravating to have with you and only serve to get in your way.

These are things I also agree are very frustrating in P:Km (though not nearly enough for me to quit the game; I just play on low difficulty). But I feel these are things that result from a game design and development team that is (a) passionate but completely inexperienced, and (b) very small in number. If they had had a bigger team that also included some experienced devs, someone in the team would've said something the moment they noticed these kinds of situations in the game. You can tell this was the case because when these types of issues were brought up in their forum or elsewhere, the devs were genuinely surprised. The good news is that instead of digging in their heels and insisting they were right and knew what they were doing, they immediately acted to try and fix as many of these issues as possible. But there were just too many of them in the game for the devs to fix them all, and there can be no substitute to not designing a game this way in the first place. So I am (cautiously) optimistic things will be different in the next game because their development team is now both more experienced and a whole lot bigger.

I think the need for that video, as minimal in details as it was, is because so much has been written in recent months and years about how Bioware has lost its way and that even if they make a new DA game it will end up being a completely different game than the first three and be filled with microtransactions and "active" elements and so on. So the video's purpose was to reassure hardcore DA fans like you and me, saying in effect: "Don't fear. Don't listen to the doomsayers. This game will have those RPG elements from the previous games that you love so much and expect in a DA game, only if anything even more iterated and better." And it certainly had that effect on me, and I am now hyped for this game. I'm right there with you.

You are absolutely correct here, but at least for me (yes, I'm a huge DA franchise fan) it was valuable as a calming and reassuring video.

If they do this, they may as well try to pitch NwN3 to WotC. After all, we know they pitched their idea of BG3 to WotC.

Indeed, this is my recurring dilemma as well. For me, this was D:OS1. Hated the game, but by having bought it I contributed to its sales success. So I chose not to even try D:OS2, specifically so that I would not be contributing to its sales (yes, I know, I am just one person, but my one "vote" matters to me even if it has no meaningful impact on the greater scheme of things). And this is now my same dilemma with BG3.

This is nothing. I am 100% certain we will have genetically manipulated humans and human clones within just a few decades from now. Other types of life-forms much sooner.

I'm also torn on crafting. As someone who loves "management" games, I like the idea of collecting crafting materials, and even recipes/blueprints, and then making your own things. But I also agree with the view that the PC can craft a superior-quality weapon just like that is highly unrealistic. I think crafting should be limited to consumables, and items should only be upgradable. As for PC homesteads, I definitely love this in games. Two specific things I like is having all my companions in one place, and having a place to safely store your stuff. Relating to Skyrim, I thought the idea of being able to put on display special items or treasures or trophies was brilliant and awesome.

My standard party is my fighter/ranger/paladin PC, Valerie, Amiri, Linzi, and two rotating slots for Octavia, Jubilost, Harrim or Tristian depending on what kind of additional spellcasting I felt I'd need. I've never used Ekun or Nok Nok that much even though I'm aware of their damage potential. And yes, Blind-fight is one of the most valuable feats available. After my first playthrough when I learned of its value, I've added it to every single character and companion in all subsequent playthroughs.

I agree about Linzi's value. Generally I found the female companions to be both more useful and more to my personal liking as party mates than the male companions. Only Jubilost was someone I liked having in my party among the males.

Yeah that's how I play it too. Though I would say it's not the combat mechanics or system that's the problem but rather how encounters and enemies are balanced.