PneumaticFire

On a slight tangent, and not even sure if this has been discussed before (couldnt find).... does anyone else think that Grieving Mother's portrait could have been inspired by Obsidian's own Katrina? I don't mean that in a negative manner, as Katrina is an attractive lady, just by the expression she makes in some of the videos that looks similar to this...

As an unarmed martial arts enthusiast, I use to have this gripe with monks in the older games of this nature. The animations have improved somewhat since then, but seeing as a monk is meant to the master of unarmed combat, I was very dissatisfied that the animations looked like some drunk guy in a bar fight. They have improved a fair bit since then but could do with some work. I also feel the melee, particular the fighter classes, although theyve improved from the rusty robot animations of the original baldurs gate era games, could do with another revamp. One of the main reason in most of the games my first class choice has tended to be a more visually appealing wizard over the sword and board classes. I'd be happy with more finesse and variety of movement in fighters and similar classes.

Yeah, I asked for a pladin/ciphere-esque look both with the armour/aura and the yes/mental intensity for a cipher. Which class are you most likely to play as? There's always the custom portrait option!

The linear brushstrokes of the face along with the narrow tonal range and restricted palette result in a flat portrait that is completely overshadowed by the background. Wow! what is going on here? The artist has broadly stroked out the tiniest variations in texture and tone of the background, and clearly spent a great deal of time and attention here. The wider palette and complementary blues and golds create irresistible drama. This is a background with a powerful identity all of its own and serves not to ‘pop’ the subject out but in the end invite us to look around the head and pay attention to what is hidden. So while on the one hand it’s a pandering, finely delineated illusion, fusing the backer with the game, on the other it suggests that this in itself isn’t exciting, it’s a little flat, and perhaps argues that to force the real into the fantasy will result in something boring obscuring something interesting, bullying it out of view. Is it saying that the picture space is the artist’s time, and when the subject bought and paid for this they gained a portrait but something else was lost?, something potentially brilliant? In the end it is the work of an artist obscured by a money-exchange motivated work of a craftsman, as all backer portraits are. I delete them from every game they appear in. P.S. what was the removed item? I understand what you're saying in regards to a background emphasising the subject/foreground, however I also like how the aura/'energies', which is a key part of the character I would like to play, being both a focus and part of the foreground and background, showing that it is emanating from within and around as it is interconnected. Perhaps the facial features could be a little sharper, but I am happy with the final result. As for deleting backer portraits, personally I feel that is a little obsessive as most would just bypass them and choose the one they want, but to each their own. The item removed was me holding a staff, which is not something Ill likely be using with my characters, and I wanted a picture that was not that specific. I also asked for the green colour scheme to be replaced with the final blue/yellow. Here is the original draft:

Perhaps in a retroactive patch for Pillars 2, from Pillars 3 in the future

Hey Boeroer/guys. Now that the beta has released and we have a better idea of class builds (as they currently stand), what amendments or additions would you make to the above builds for an Inquisitor? I'm currently role-playing as a Kind Wayfarer/Soulblade melee build, however I am definitely open to other variations of inquisitor. What would your starting attributes be?

Yeah, I'll be playing as a human. Of course, being a role playing game, if anyone chooses to use this portrait, they can come up with whatever backstory or class they like Depending on how much liberty or elaboration someone wishes to make on the law and backstory, it could be ritual scarification (which would also be fitting for a monk), or a physical manifestation of cipher/mental or divine abilities through sacrifice and rigorous training. Personally I like to see it as a synergy of both.

Not at all! Glad you like it Thank you, you are very talented.

Yes, A few (such as my own) needed final approval before they could be added by the release date. Katrina told me that they will be patched in soon (Im assuming with the next patch, which hopefully wont be far away)

Thank you Thats because they needed my approval for the final revision and it couldn't be done on time. Katrina said it (and a couple of others) will be patched in soon.

No, bald and proud. Magical abilities Ill fantasise about but not the hair I'm intending to play as either a single class Paladin or most likely some multi subclass combo of Paladin/Cipher

This is my custom Deadfire portrait which will eventually be patched into Pillars of Eternity as well, it just didn't make the initial patch.

Ok here it is. My portrait which will be patched into Pillars 1 and the Deadfire beta soon, and of course, the full Deadfire release in 2018.

Yeah I totally agree, I liked the initial draft portrait instantly, so I hope I didn't come across as overly entitled when I asked for a couple of revisions after being asked for feedback on it! I made sure to voice my appreciation and that I really liked it, and just asked if they have time to change background colour and to remove a certain item. They'd have so much work to do prior to launch, so the fact that they've been open to and have implemented feedback requests is greatly appreciated. So if any of the Obsidian team come across this post, let me voice my appreciation for your talented and hard work once again.

You're not into the lore, are you?

Yes, better do NOT share unless you have spoken with Obsidian first and they agreed to it. Otherwise, great to hear you like the almost-final version of your portrait. I wonder if we will be able to recognize you from your avatar Yeah, it's under wraps, but perhaps people will see the final version when it's patched into Pillars 1 for the definitive edition. My current avatar may give you an idea ;-)

Yes. Not carbon copy but this pose

Katrina and the team have been in contact with me regarding my custom portrait, and I must say I'm really liking it! This is almost a full circle thing for me, as I recall my high school days, using MS Paint to make very amateur portraits of myself for Baldurs Gate, so to have my mug officially in Deadfire is an emotional moment. I gave feedback on the initial draft and they took into consideration what I wanted changed and updated. I've received my close-to final version today and I'm a happy chappy

Slightly deviating in topic, I'm kind of glad that Pillars didn't include the Sorcerer pool of spells system for wizards/mages, as I personally felt in the infinity engine games and how it was implemented, it was a bit spammy and undermined the more cerebral/strategic nature of arcane magic and the wizard class (at least in its pure offensive capabilities if played as such, relegating it to a generalist backup or played in other roles instead). However, with divine magic I think perhaps this flexible pool system of spells may work well, less variety but more output, and maybe thematically would work better with a caster who 'calls to their God' so to speak, to channel their powers (even if fuelled by personal belief). Despite the game being lacklustre overall, Baldur's Gate Siege of Dragonspear experimented with this system with their implementation of the Shaman class, and the NPC M'Khiln Grubdoubler. This would also further distinguish the arcane from the divine systems of casting, however I can also see how this may also overpower the Druid class with its more offensive focused spells to the priest class. Just a thought.

I'm loving this and the potential multi combos can allow us to shape a class and play style into how we've always wished they were, even more so with subclasses. Eg. all the traditional D&D Pally fans desiring more divine/cleric attributes rather than the warlord flavour presented here. I don't envy the task at hand for Obsidian in reasonably balancing them all, but I admire and look forward to it. One concern I have is in the possible redundancy of certain single classes which naturally were built around having combined/similar attributes to two classes to now potentially better multis that play the same role. I understand that they are the only ones which can access the highest level abilities, but please make them special for all single classes (and single subclass) builds to remain desirable to choose in and of themselves! (this is coming from someone who will probably multi on first play through anyway)

Great suggestion and a good alternative to the sword and board pally I'd usually go for. I've never been a big fan of firearms in classical fantasy settings, even early technology ones, however the whole open seas pirate vibe the sequel will have makes it easier for me. Island Aumaua with the extra weapons slot is ideal, as are the stats for it, but I'm going to try and blend that with a human character with a higher charisma for a blend of effectiveness and role playing (dialogue options and seeing a a POE pally as an effective party leader. What advice would you give for this multi-class if it were melee focused? (I'm still leaning towards the firearms though). Thanks again!

Of course this will be limited as we don't know the nitty gritty details just yet, but based on how they play in POE 1 & the little we do know of the multi-class system: 1. What would your starting stats be for this build? 2. How do you think it would play and how would these classes complement each other abilities and play style wise? 3. Do you think it would be effective? 4. What would you name it?

I second this. As a big fan and practitioner of martial arts, and the monk embodying unarmed combat, it would be nice to see more variety and better animations in this regard.

Yes, as above. Where do we find this backer survey? I don't want to miss out on getting my backer content in on time!

Maybe npc companions can undertake their class quests in the party where they have to play a key role and be present in the party for it to occur (maybe even text based interactions that do skill checks on that class in your party as well. That way they're still distinct and add more depth to classes, but everyone can experience them if they have one party member eligible for it.