Lorfean

I strongly disagree. Fallout: New Vegas and its DLC's had some of the best storylines I've seen in a video game, with complicated, believable characters, factions and events that were genuinely immersive and made you think about your character's place in the world, their motivations, and the consequences of their actions. Fallout and Fallout 2, while not as complex in their narrative as FNV, were still light years ahead of F3 in terms of writing and immersion, not to mention choice and consequence. That kind of narrative depth has always been missing from Bethesda's games because, from what I've seen from them through the years, that's just not what they are interested in. And everything I've seen of Fallout 4 so far only solidifies that impression further -- the dialog wheel, the absolutely cringe-worthy, cliche, juvenile tongue-in-cheek dialog, the even greater focus on "you-can-do-whatever-you-want" sandbox gameplay... They are playing to their strengths by consciously moving the franchise away from its role-playing roots and turning it into an open world sandbox shooter with RPG lite elements, a minecraftian build-your-own-base system and a "do whatever the hell you want" gear customization system. Which is great for the majority of their fans, who love all that stuff, but not so much for those of us who have been Fallout fans since the late 90's.

Considering that the whole idea -- and a big selling point for the Kickstarter -- was to create a world that was heavily inspired by the Forgotten Realms, similarities like this really shouldn't come as a surprise. Especially to a backer. The world building is, in fact, anything but lazy, and has actually been one of the most impressive aspects of the game. There is a ton of well developed lore, a lot of interesting and detailed history for the region the story takes place in, almost every character you meet has opinions on (or direct involvement in) recent and past events, and so on... The world feels very "lived in" which does wonders for immersion and role-playing.

Which is...?

I'll have to wait until after the weekend to play it regardless, so I guess any possible massive game-breaking release days bugs should be taken care of by then, but yeah I have no intention of waiting until the first parch or anything like that -- I'll be playing it asap. The obvious sound issues aside, I thought the build Josh was playing on the Twitch stream looked great, so I'm not too worried about the games' stability.

Yeah, I really loved BG1, and I think that Watcher's Keep in BG2 was really well-made, but Durlag's Tower from ToTSC, I always considered terrible. Interesting. For me, Durlag's Tower has always been a highlight of the series. IMO the dungeons in vanilla BG -- with the possible exception of the Nashkel Mines, which was a decent low level dungeon made better by the plot / player's motivation for exploring it -- were terrible! So when TotC was released and gave me this amazing, complex dungeon crawling experience (that Ice Island was **** too, though) I loved it. Watcher's Keep was great too, but for me Durlag's is right up there with the series' most memorable moments. Of course, my favorite IE dungeon crawling experiences are in IWD, and that's what I am hoping for in PoE.

So, basically, you're butthurt about some changes they made to the attribute system based on beta feedback, and you know it's impossible to get a refund on your pledge because that's not how Kickstarter works, so now you're trying to guilt them into kind of giving you a refund anyway by being oh so self-sacrificial and working the just-give-my-money-to-the-sick-people angle... Ugh. Congratulations, you win today's "Internet Douchebag of the Day" award. Take a bow.

Wasteland 2 first because it's releasing first, then Pillars of Eternity which is by far my most anticipated game. I have no interest in DA:I. Or Witcher 3 for that matter... In the meantime I might give Shadowrun: Dragonfall a whirl since I enjoyed SRR and have been reading good things about Dragonfall.

That works for D3 because there is no character customization whatsoever -- no races, subraces / cultures and only 5 classes. So they only needed 10 generic full body sketches. PoE would need 132 just to cover male and female versions of each race / class combination. 352 if you take subraces into consideration, which for some races (like the Godlike) would definitely be needed.

The thing about this topic is that creating 2D paperdolls like in the IE games is a LOT more work than simply having the 3D models like we do now. And IMO these models look fine. Not great, but not below average either, and definitely not as bad as some people are suggesting. Overall, armor and weapons look very nice on them (better than NWN2) and they basically serve their function. Some people seem to be forgetting how bad the original BG2 paperdolls look (most people probably use 1PP these days) and the fact that IWD2 didn't even have paperdolls but just used the characters' sprites in character creation and the inventory screens. I love BG1 and IWD's paperdolls but they're a lot of work to create, they are non-scalable and they can't be rotated. I think the models are at the very least an improvement over the way BG2 and IWD2 handled things -- in a perfect world of unlimited possibilities we would have beautifully detailed 2D paperdolls but it's just not feasable, and I much rather see developer resources spent elsewhere.

A toggle option would work for the enemy tooltips, yeah. How do people feel about the enormous amount of information in the enemy tooltips when mousing over them? I am a bit divided on it -- in a way, it's nice to have the information so readily available when mousing over individual enemies, but the way it displays the information right now is very messy. The best way to do this IMO would be to have the Cyclopedia show all the information that can potentially be revealed, including the stats that just show ??? because the Lore requirement hasn't been met, and for the tooltips to only show those lines that you actually meet the Lore requirement for. So, if you don't meet the requirement to see an enemy's resistances, nothing related to them would show in the tooltip at all. This is more or less the way it works in Divine Divinity, where you have a "Know creature" skill, which unlocks additional lines of detailed creature information as you level it up.

Great feedback -- I would like to see PoE targetting feedback work exactly like this. One other issue with the way it works right now though, is that the "show character tooltip" functionality (Tab key) is tied to the "highlight objects / show examinable scenery" function. These should be seperate things in my opinon -- have one key that highlights objects, ground items and examinable scenery (magnifying glass icons) and a seperate key to show player chr tooltips. I also don't know if we really need this tooltip key to also show enemy tooltips by the way -- maybe if it just shows their name and health state (Injured, Near Death, etc.) it could work, but with all of their stats showing it becomes a cluttery mess.

Except that your party in poe isn't low level. They are though. That's what I was trying to point out -- those wildlife examples from BG1 are encountered around the same level that your party is in the PoE beta. Depending on where you go of course, but if you don't stray too far from the route the story steers you in, you'll be encountering wolves, dogs and black and brown bears from lvl ~1-3 and more of the above examples at lvl ~4-6. And they provide appropriate challanges. In my opinion anyway. Symantics aside though (low lvl or not) I simply disagree with your opinion that "trash" encounters should be easy to defeat and I like that the wildlife in PoE provides an appropriate challenge. I would like for them to beef up the Ogre and Spider Queen a bit, yes, but the normal creatures feel fine to me.

Can't say I agree with the OP at least where their examples are concerned -- difficulty felt pretty much right to me on Normal. Yes, tactics are required to defeat some of the "trash" mobs and it should be IMO. The lions, for example, hit hard because they're freaking lions. They shouldn't be a trivial encounter at lvl 5 just like wolves shouldn't be trivial at level 1. The challenge of these encounters (lions, spiders) seemed on par with some of the more dangerous wildlife in BG1 -- Dread Wolves, Mountain Bears, Giant / Phase spiders -- which could really mess up low lvl characters if they weren't at least a bit careful. The beetles are another story, but even them I don't really mind. They've kind of become an inside joke by now anyway, and I don't mind their nastyness being a "thing" in PoE. Actually, if anything, I could've used more of a challenge on the "boss" encounters I've done so far -- both the Ogre and the Spider Queen were quite easy.

It's BETA and many of the systems in the game haven't been finalized yet -- expecting a manual at this point is unrealistic. There is a sticky post by Brandon Adler at the top of this forum covering some of the game's basics. Outside of what is covered there, I would suggest taking your time to read the in-game information about attributes, skills, feats, equipment, etc. -- it should give you a basic idea of how all those elements effect gameplay / combat.

I can see your point. Doesn't bother me too much though... I think most people will associate "elder" with stronger / tougher when they encounter them. I did. From everything I've read, the way I understand it is that only PotD will have a boost to enemy stats. Easy, Normal and Hard should each have their own creature spawn setups, resulting in different / more enemies, but no stat boosts. PotD uses ALL the spawn setups *and* includes a stat boost. Crazyness.

I only played for a short hour last night, as the beta went live at 1:00 in the morning for me, but here are my first impressions: I'm very happy with the overall look of the game. The area design is gorgeous and very reminiscent of a high definition version of the IE games (IWD in particular) which is exactly what I was hoping for. I also like the character and creature design -- I very much like the more realistic approach to clothing, armor and weapons -- and the color palettes used feel just *right*. Great job.The character system they have created feels appropriately D&D / IE-like but with their own spin given to it. So far I like what I've seen, but I need to delve a bit deeper to get a more solid understanding and to be able to give appropriate feedback. It feels flexible and deep, which is great. From a role-playing perspective I'm also digging how much you can learn about the world by just exploring the various character creation options.The interface has some highs and lows, some of which were mentioned as known issues in the mail we got yesterday and others that are already being pointed out by other users here. I will have to analyze the clarity of the UI's feedback and its functionality more closely tonight, but suffice to say that the character sheet and inventory screens feel solid so far (in terms of design) but the journal and in particular some of the on-screen feedback components seen during combat need work.The writing is great so far -- really enjoying the conversations and especially the descriptions of characters' behavior / environment.The feel of combat has been pretty good for me so far, but I've really only fought a bunch of lions and some shady dudes outside a dungeon. Knowing about some of the known issues (auto attack, pathfinding, sliding) and knowing they will be addressing them, it felt responsive enough to me and my characters pretty much executed their orders as I gave them. There is definitely more to do / keep track of than in the IE games, but so far I've liked that. Animations might need some work but that's hard to tell until they've fixed some of the known issues. Will evaluate the different aspects / feels more thoroughly tonight. Overall I am happy with what I've seen so far. Knowing beta is beta and the current state of the game is a representation of its potential rather than a reflection of the final product (something some people seem to be forgetting) I am very excited about what Obsidian can achieve with our feedback.

Great, thanks. So colorblind mode is on by default? Hm. For as far as I can tell it's not available yet. The option doesn't do anything when enabled.

Solid feedback Sensuki, and I also agree with your previous points re. the selection / targeting circles and locator feedback. Providing clear information re. player states and showing distinction between the characters on the screen was a strong aspect of the BG2 and IWD 1+2 UI's in particular, so that's what I think most players will be looking for. I only had a quick look yesterday (the beta went live at 1:00 in the morning for me) but will be doing more extensive testing tonight and keep notes on any issues / suggestions. By the way -- how did you get the green selection circles for your party members?

I'm really not sure how trustworthy poll results would be in regards to this kind of thing. Each fan-base has something called a "vocal minority" -- a small group of people who make a big fuss about their tastes and opinions, and often end up looking like they represent the overall opinion of the larger audience when in fact they don't. For BioWare, the fans who like romances are obviously such a vocal minority. In fact, I expect that most people who play their games will either roll their eyes, chuckle (heheheh boobs!) or just skip and ignore any romance sub-plot they come across. But the moment you slap "Advanced Integrated Romance System!" on the box as one of the game's main features, you'll lose a large chunk of those people as customers. Because it's just not what they want out of the game. Because they have always been optional... So people can just ignore them if they're not interested in them. Making them an integral part of the game on the same level as race, class and skill selection would make them mandatory which, trust me, a lot of people would not like.

That's all very nice, but he did make some pretty solid counterpoints to your suggestion... Especially regarding this part of it: Because, really, making something that is traditionally optional, and not necessarily all that well liked by everyone in your target audience, mandatory is a very effective way of swiftly losing a large chunk of that audience. In fact, your entire suggestion seems based around the assumption that most people will simply be OK with having romance forced on them as an integral part of the game, which is completely unrealistic.

Yeah, I never had any major problems beating unmodded BG2 / ToB content myself -- stuff like the Twisted Rune, Kangaxx, Demogorgon and Melissan tend to take a few re-loads, but I've never been stuck on them. I never got stuck on any of IWD2's content either but agree that it was definitely more challenging overall. To the OP -- I think it's fair to say that we can probably expect the difficulty to be somewhere between BG2 and IWD2. Though I think we're also getting some extra options to customize the difficulty, so everyone will probably get (close to) what they want in the end.

The problem with your suggestion is that Race, class and skill choices mainly impact gameplay. Romance impacts story, and what you suggest would require them being a much bigger part of the story than what we've seen in BW games so far. This is fine for people who like them, but people who don't will simply end up not buying the game, because they're not interested in an RPG that is, effectively, about romance / a relationship simulator.

Awesome trailer. Clearly very much inspired by Blizzard's Wrath of the Lich King cinematic, but that's fine. It works. Looking forward to seeing some gameplay footage, especially of the batmobile.

Summoner was released today and is $4.79 (20% off) until next Tuesday. I have vague memories of playing and enjoying it back in 2000... Might be fun checking it out again. They also released a indie platformer called Fractured Soul -- which I know nothing about -- and that one is $ 8.99 (10% off) for its first week.

As far as a "games to play before I die" type list goes I think you're on the right track, so I'll just put in my two cents... BG, BG2, PS:T, IWD and IWD2 are all must plays. Some people are quick to write off the IWD games because they're light on story but I find the first one in particular to be a classic, expertly paced dungeon crawling adventure that can't be missed -- lots of beautiful locations, a great bestiary, and many interesting and satisfying battles. The second one is mostly worthwhile because of its mechanics. The conversion to 3E D&D rules offers a fresh experience compared to the earlier IE games and provides a lot of new options for character development. It *is* too long for its own good and definitely drags on, and some areas feel rushed and unfinished, but it's a fitting swan song to the Infinity Engine and worth at least one play-through.The first Neverwinter Nights and its expansions can be skipped entirely IMO. The strength of the original series lies in its toolset and you will definitely be able to find some great modules that offer unique experiences, but the core releases don't offer anything that you can't find in the BG series (and all of it was done much better in those games, too). The OC of NWN2 could (arguably) be skipped for similar reasons, but there are some worthwhile moments (the trial and Crossroad Keep come to mind) so I wouldn't write it off entirely. NWN2 really hits its stride in its expansions though, both of which change up the formula of the series in refreshing ways and are must plays.You already have some experience with Fallout 1 and 2, so I'd recommend finishing the second game and then moving on to Fallout: New Vegas and its DLC's, which are amazing. Fallout Tactics is optional and Fallout 3 not worth your time.Arx Fatalis is overrated. It wouldn't be on any of my lists.Dragon Age: Origins *might* be worth considering, but IMO only after you've already played most of the other titles on your list. It does its thing well, but is mostly just very generic and doesn't break any new ground. DA2 is not worth your time. Mass Effect 1 and 2 are great and definitely belong on the list. I have not played ME3 because of BW / EA's ridiculous launch day DLC shenanigans (amongst other things) so can't comment on it.Chrono Trigger is amazing.KotOR 1 and 2 should be on there.The Ultima Underworld games and Ultima VII Part 1 and 2 should be on the list if your comfortable going that far back and if you can find a way to enjoy them. Don't feel bad if they turn out to simply be "too old" for you.I haven't played the Gothic series, Chrono Cross, Jade Empire or the old school Might and Magic games, so I can't comment on them.Darklands should be on the list.System Shock 2 should definitely be on there.Arcanum should probably be on there since you specifically mentioned wanting to experience isometric CRPG's. It has its flaws, but offers a very unique setting and experience.VtM: Bloodlines should definitely be on there.The Witcher 1 and 2 should be on there.